#ONLY A WEEK LATE WITH THESE FINAL PAPERS BUT WE'RE FINE I'M ALMOST FREE

[thevegetablewhichnoonedaresname]

TWO OUTTA THREE BABY LET'S GO

[lazy-cat13]

day 7: Future (finale)

There will be a few time skips, journal entries, and a few more things that you'll see!

Ash also knows the union leaders a bit more.

And this is also in first person POV (unfinished accidentally posted? Idk)

Black= Ash

Red= Brain

Green=Ventus

Blue= Ephemer

Orange= Chir

Pink= Lauriam

Purple= Skuld

~After the Keyblade war, about a month before Daybreak Towns destruction~

Things have been strange lately, I keep hearing static noises and it gives me a headache, I keep having nightmares about something that seems in the past but I don't remember. . . I sometimes see glitches in the sky, but I think that's from my lack of sleep lately. Maybe I'll talk about it to Brain at some point.

I walk into fountain square to see two familiar faces .

A young boy with blonde hair, he's around 10 it seems like, his name is Ven.

And someone a few years older, around me and Brains age, he has fluffy hair that looks like a dandelion. And his name is Ephemer.

"Ash! Nice to see you!" Ephemer waves, sitting on the fountain.

"Ash!" The young blonde runs up to me in excitement.

"Hi Eph! Heya Ven!" I ruffle Vens hair while he pouts in embarrassment. "Have either of you seen Brain?"

"He's reading right now in the meeting room. He's been reading that for a few weeks now, it's almost impossible to get him away! We have to convince him by giving him food!"

"Sounds like Brain to me."

He chuckles "Why? You wanna talk to him?"

"yeah, but he's busy right now, so when you see him next would you mind giving him this? Please don't read it." I walk up to Ephemer handing him a small paper with Ven following me.

"Sure! I'll get it to him as soon as possible!" He tucks the note away.

"Thanks."

"What does it say?"

"dude. What did I just say?"

"But I wanna know!"

"No, I'm not telling you."

"why not?" Great he's starting to pout more now.

"Cause it's private! Brains eyes only!" I put my hand on my hips.

"awwww , does somebody have a crush?" Ephemer chimed in

"What? No. What makes you think that?" I glare at Eph

"nuthin. Well, the way you're acting I guess." He shrugs

"I- dude! We're just friends!"

"alright, calm down! I was just joking! I'll be sure to get it to him."

"Thanks."

"Well, we'll be on our way, see ya! C'mon Ven!" He starts walking away

"Coming! See ya Ash!" The blonde catches up to Ephemer, waving goodbye

I start walking back to my apartment, putting on my headphones and music. Walking through the town sun setting, other keyblade weilders running by, laughing, enjoying life. things I wish I can do, constant stress isn't helping, well, there are a few times that I let loose, like earlier with Eph and Ven. And times with Brain.

I make it to my apartment and unlock the door.

"Chir! I'm home!"

Chiri appears and brings me into a hug.

"Ash! Hoi! What's for dinner?!"

"well I didn't really think about that. . . Ramen sound good?"

"Yeah!!"

I start to get a pot of water boiling and a sharp static sound strikes my ears and I instantly grab around my ears losing my balance a bit.

"woah! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah! I'm fine chir! don't worry about it!"

"Uhhh huhh. . ."

I finish making the ramen and they set two bowls on the table.

"Eennjoy!"

"thank you!!"

"no problem!"

I hand Chir a spoon, and we both cheers, but a knock interrupts us.

"op- one moment! 'Scuse me Chir."

I run to answer the door and it's Brain.

"Oh, hi."

"hi. . . You wanted to talk to me?"

"yeah, wanna come in? We got some ramen I just made." I point inside

"Why not."

"cool, come on in, sit at the table while I get you a bowl."

They walk in guiding Brain.

"Feel free to hang your hat."

"damn, I don't think I've been here before, it's nice."

"Thanks, sorry for the mess. . ."

"don't worry about it. . ..hey chiri" he takes a seat

"Hiya Brain!"

"here. Enjoy" I put a bowl in front of him

"thanks"

"Don't mention it." I sit down too taking a bite of my food

"are. . . You alright, you seem more tired. . ."

"uh? Yeah, I'm fine!" I wave my hand

"why do you always do this?"

"do what?"

"whenever I notice something is wrong, you brush it off. Why do you wanna keep things from me?!"

"cause I think you're already stressed enough!!"

"that doesn't mean you just can't tell me! You're also a main priority! You're my best friend! Please, just. . . Tell me. . ."

". . ." I'm at a loss of words, I know what to say, but I can't say it.

"I've. . .been having strange thoughts and occurrences lately, static noises keep giving me a headache and I swear I keep seeing these glitches! And I've been having a dream that's constant, a war between unions."

Now Brains at a loss for words

"and it's been months since I've last saw you! I get it because of the leader stuff you have to do! But still take a break!"

"*sigh* you're right. . . I'll take the day off some point. . . Sorry."

I just nod, unsure what to talk about now we finish our food.

"when was the last time you got some sleep?"

"I could say the same to you."

"hm, seriously though, you have bags under your eyes, and it sounds like you've been struggling sleeping due to those nightmares."

"and why do you have bags under your eyes? Reading too much?" I put my hands on my hips

"you know it."

". . .do you have anything going on tonight?"

"Don't think so, why?"

"well, since we have the chance. . . Maybe we could do a sleepover? been a while since we've done that."

"we're going to actually sleep this time, right?"

"yeah, I've got spare pajamas you can use since we're about the same size."

"sure, appreciate it."

"yup, be right back!"

~We both get changed quickly.~

I gather a lot of fluffy blankets, gotta be comfy

"why. . . Do you have like 20 blankets?"

"3 reasons, one, I get cold easily, two, it's comfortable, three, enough for the two of us."

"alright then."

" I wanted to ask, was there another reason you wanted to talk?"

"hm. Oh, right, one moment." I finish setting up the blankets and pillows.

"so. . . This may be kinda awkward but. . . This is kinda difficult to put into words. . . I want to be in a more Queer Platonic Relationship, be there for each other more often than usual, something like a romantic relationship, but without the romance!"

"I'm keen to that! We could be there for each other more often, well, we can try. . . And you gotta be more open alright?"

"fine, I'll try my best."

"just know we'll be here for you if you have another nightmare."

"Alright. . ."

Little did we know whats to come next. . .

~1 month later~

Log entry-

Everything has gone to hell it seems like, the town is being destroyed, I'm not sure why, but I'm off to help Brain and the others, turns out that Ven wasn't supposed to be a union leader, it was Strelitzia, the girl I remember writing about, lost that journal though.

Something tells me. . . That this will be the last time I write in hear, not sure why, gut feeling I guess. Let's hope it's not though..

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

"Brain! What's happening?!" I barge into a large room to my horror, Lauriam and Ven are knocked out on the ground, while Eph, Skuld and Brain are fighting darkness, struggling.

"crap!" I run in summoning my Keyblade "Fira!"

Everyone moves aside while I run and jump for an attack.

"raaaahhhh!!!"

"woaholy crap!"

"ack!"

"Ahhh! Where did-?!"

I jump back catching myself, "got room for one more?"

"Ash!"

"sup! Stay sharp!" Everyone nods

We keep fighting for 10, 15, 20 minutes until Skuld is knocked down.

"Skuld- gah!" I was next, left on the floor lightheaded. For the next two minutes it was just Brain and Ephemer.

"nnng" brain falls down while ephemer is completely exhausted. oh this isn't good. . . I get up, legs shaking, summoning my Keyblade again and throw it at the darkness, failing to catch it when it comes back, and I collapse from exhaustion, still being able to hear what's going on .

-its over.-

"yeah. . ." He breathes in shakingly "but I can't take you down alone, I'm not even sure we can wear you down."

"fair point ."

-shall we call it done then?-

"oh? So you surrender?"

Brain chuckles "you claimed you aren't after anything, but I'm not buying it."

-what?-

"you seem pretty desperate to get in our way like this, I don't know whether its pride or fear, but there's a reason you're still here."

-....... Infection -

"infection?" I push myself off the ground.

"meaning?"

-data transfer requires a signal -

If teleports in front of Ephemer

-the same goes for the hearts and minds of you humans-

Eph tries attacking but it goes away

- you underestimate how easily the darkness rides on those signals. . . And spreads though this place-

"is that why you wormed your way into the data world?"

Data world...?

"but why hide inside of Ven?"

Could that be why vens unconscious?

-i told you, cause it was decided.-

"that's enough." Skuld gets back up again

"Skuld! You're alright!"

"jeez, is all you ever do rant?"

"welcome back Ash!"

"you're saying because it was written in the book of prophecies, it was meant to be? Well I don't care! You hijacked Ven and attacked lariams sister!" She summons her keyblade "and now you're gonna pay for it!"

"that's right!" Now brain summons his Keyblade

"man, I'm just hearing this now? I would've gone way harder on ya!"I summon my Keyblade again.

-we are many and we are one, but to be one requires will,- it teleports behind Ven and Lauriam -through him we can divide darkness and light. . . Willful and distincted, it was a sacrifice needed to be made-

"so, Ven didn't attack Strelitzia, you did. . ."

"lariam!"

"Laur!"

Then, I hear an ear ringing that blocks everything out , I can't focus and the next thing I know we're in combat again, but with someone I've never met before . . . But now, my side is in the most pain. . . And. . . I'm using brain for support, Ven is glowing and I don't know what's going on, then I think I blacked out. . .

I woke up on a bed that isn't mine, unsure of what happened after Lauriam was awake again. I sat up to just see brain and a dark room

"nng... What happened ?"

"you were hit pretty badly. . ."

"what about Ven and the others?"

"Eph and Skuld are talking to ___(whatever you're Ux character name is) vens unconscious, and Lauriam is talking to his friend. We're gonna head to the arcs, you should come."

"...''

" do you need help walking?"

"yes please"

We both walk to where the arcs are. And everyone discusses what they're doing

"I'll stay behind. . . I'll help Eph and Skuld. . ."

"what? No! You're injured!"

"I'll be fine brain, you, Ven, Lauriam and Elrena are already taking enough."

He pulls me into a hug

"see you soon?"

"see you soon. . ."

Everything went hazy again , but I remember hearing Eph and Skuld cry, and a talk about the darkness. . .

"Ash! Ash!"

Chiri?

"Ash!" Chiri brings me into a hug, crying.

What happened?

"you perished, struck by the darkness. . ."

Oh, is it just you and me?

"well for now. . ."

Ah, ok. . . Man I'm tired. And I drift off. . .

-------------epilogue---------------

I woke up at a beach of scala as caelum, unsure on what was happening, there's this boy, his name is brain, he seems to taken an interest in me. . . I don't know why. He seems familiar, I'm not sure why, whenever i would hang out by Ephemers fountain, he would bring croissants, I'm not sure why, but it's a nice gesture. He's the only person I've really talked to here. . .

[dreamypqulson]

— one plus two equals us

requested by anon: one where Misty has a daughter. When they go to the coven, Misty and Cordelia obviously fall in love, and then Cordelia becomes her stepmom? And just something about the three being a little family unit and the daughter having to adjust to having two parents?

pairing: cordelia goode x misty day

warning: slight mention of abuse, mention of forced marriage.

word count: 12800

pt.1 | pt.2 | pt.3 | pt.4

Cordelia finally let herself sit down with a sigh. She opened her book, and began reading, feeling an unfamiliar feeling of peace, for once.

This week had been stressful. With silly cat fights from some of the girls, curtains being set on fire, and the warlocks doing no less than to bother her. She finally finished all her paper work, and the girls were out enjoying their Saturday. So she was going to enjoy hers too.

She got through a whole chapter of her book, and then she heard the doorbell ring.

She grunted, figuring it was one of the girls.

She gave them all a key for a reason, and told them to never leave unless they were sure that they had it on them. It was incase there was to be an emergency, and Cordelia wasn't able to open the door for them.

She walked down the stairs, her feet aching from from the high heels she had been wearing all day. And when she opened the door, she was expecting one of the girls to leave a snarky 'took you long enough' comment.

Her eyes were closed, getting ready to compose herself.

But when she heard nothing, she opened them back up, and boy, was she surprised to see two new faces at the door.

A woman, maybe late twenties, early thirties, stood there with a young child on her hip. They were both blonde, and had matching blue eyes. The older woman stood there, and look almost bewildered to see another human before her.

She figured the young girl was around four or five. She had big wild curls like -what Cordelia figured to be- her mother's, and her small thumb rested in her mouth.

"Hey, uh, this is a school for witches, right?" The woman asked. She had a thick Louisiana accent to her voice.

"Yes, Miss Robichaux Academy. It sure is. Are you...looking to apply?" Cordelia questions, curiously. Most of the girls didn't just show up, they would call first. And most of them didn't show up with a little girl by their side.

"Well uh, ya see" the curly haired woman nervously rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. She noticed, the little girl held on extremely tight to what appeared to be her mother. She look somewhat scared of Cordelia, of another human being. "We've been livin' out at the swamps. It was goin' all fine and dandy until some witch hunter showed up at my door with some big ol' gun. I didn't grab anything, just ma daughter and then I ran."

"Oh my god. Are you okay? Is- is your daughter okay?" They didn't show any signs of injury, but Cordelia still felt the need to check, to worry.

"Nah, we're fine. I'm fine. April over here, is just a lil nervous, but in her defense, she ain't ever really been around another person besides me before, ain't ever witness a gun either" The woman breathed in deeply. "The thing is, I ran into one of ya students once. She told me about this place. How I should consider it. Never really did until now. We ain't got nowhere to go after that witch hunter destroyed our home."

As the young woman walked closer into the house with Cordelia's permission, the young girl hid her face into her mothers chest. April, Cordelia caught it. That was the little girls name.

"You're a witch, right?" Cordelia would've taken them both in anyways. She couldn't just leave them like that.

"We both are."

Cordelia had never come across a witch so young before. She didn't even think it was possible for her powers to develop so early. "How old is your daughter?"

"Three. Boutta be four next month."

"My god, i've never witnessed a witch so young."

"She's a powerful little girl. She got her powers at only two. I noticed it when she started to bring the animals back at the swamp back to life."

"Resurgences is extremely difficult. I'm impressed. And you?" Cordelia asked.

"Is resurgence what ya call it? Well I got the same thing. Started to bring back dead birds when I was younger, then it turned into family members. Oh and I shoulda introduced myself, I'm Misty Day. This is April Day."

"Wow. I'm Cordelia Goode, the supreme here. It's nice to meet you."

They smiled at each other for a moment, and then Cordelia looked at the little girl in Misty's arms and spoke softly, "Hi honey, it's nice to meet you!" Leaning down and smiling at the girl, she noticed that April had started to relax, but still hid half of her face into her mothers chest.

"Nice to meet ya too." The girl said, nothing above a whisper. But, she was smiling, and that's a start. Cordelia giggled at her. "I promise I won't hurt you. You don't have to be afraid of me."

"Mama said not to talk to anyone out of the swamp, or anyone that goes in it."

Misty blushed, hard. Great way to introduce them. Her daughter wasn't stubborn, she was just cautious. She had to be in their living conditions. She was glad that April was aware to not talk to strangers, especially at the young age that she was.

"She ain't one of those bad people, dove. She's gonna keep us safe here. You can talk to her."

April looked up at her mother for consent, and then back at the older woman with a goofy smile "Okay, 'm sorry."

"It's okay, you don't have to apologize" Cordelia then said, giggling at her, and then looking up at her mother "She's precious."

"Awe, well thank ya. What do ya say, darlin?" Misty looked down at her daughter.

"Thank ya" the girl said shyly. From what Cordelia could tell, it was going to take awhile for the girl to adjust to living with other people. Misty knew that too.

"How about I get you two situated? A girl recently moved out of one of the rooms, so we luckily have a free one."

"Sure thing!"

-

Cordelia showed the two new witches to their room. There was two twin beds, but Misty knew well enough that April would somehow end up in Misty's bed by the morning.

Though, the room was bigger than Misty had ever experienced before. Back at home, they didn't have a lot of money. And at the swamp, the bedroom, living room, and kitchen were all in the same room. It was going to take some time to adjust to this new environment, for both Misty and April.

"My bedroom is the one right beside this one, so if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to knock. Either of you" Cordelia smiled down at the little girl, trying to make her feel more at ease, and comfortable around her.

"Thank ya so much, Miss Cordelia. Ya really don't have any idea how much this means to us. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have anywhere to go."

"Ya, thank ya, Miss Delia" a small voice said, now clinging to her mothers leg. Both of the older woman laughed at April. Cordelia could definitely get used to having a bright little soul at the academy. And even, a pretty swamp witch.

"You're welcome" was Cordelia's reply, ever so soft. Once again, her eyes met Misty's blues, and they were both still. Mesmerized by each other. It wasn't until April pulled at Misty's hand to get her attention.

Cordelia coughed to break the silence "I- um- well i'm going to get dinner started, the girls should be coming back any second. Feel free to look around the place."

"Alright" Misty noticed her palms were sweating, she could even hear her own heartbeat. Nobody has ever made Misty felt this way. So why now?

"Thank ya again."

Cordelia gave one last -unintentionally- awkward smile, and then left the room.

Get it together, Cordelia mentally scolded herself, you're the supreme for god sakes.

-

Misty and April were called downstairs once dinner was ready. She held April close, because she knew there would be more people downstairs. Although she didn't get any funky vibes from Cordelia, she didn't know the rest of the girls. And she had a hard time trusting people.

"Dove, there's gonna be some people down there, but don't ya worry, alright? They ain't gonna hurt you, and i'm right here with ya" Misty said to the little girl in her arms, as they were finally leaving their room. Earlier, they took some time to explore the academy, when it was empty besides Cordelia's presence.

"No Mama" the girl cried "I don't wanna."

Misty gently brushed the girls cheek with her ringed thumb, and then sighed. There were some times, moments like these, where she wished she could've given April a normal childhood. But it was for their own safety that they stayed secluded.

"I know it's scary, love bug. But ya gotta eat dinner, and eventually, ya gonna have to meet them" Misty breathed in deeply, and then said, "I bet they're just as nice as Miss Cordelia. Alright?"

The girl, still, frantically shook her head. She was a good child, and didn't cause Misty much trouble, but she was afraid because she had never been around more than Misty herself, and now Cordelia. This was all new to her.

"No Mama! I don't want to!" The girls cries now turned into sobs, and she quickly kicked her way out of Misty's hold. She then ran back into their room, and the entire hallway echoed the sound of her wails.

"April!" Misty said, not sternly though, because it was extremely hard for her to ever punish her child. And there was really nothing for her to be mad about anyways; she's the one who hid April away since she was a newborn. She was just afraid, and Misty couldn't be angry at that.

"April, come on, darling. Ya gotta eat dinner. It's gonna be alright. Do you think I would ever put ya in danger?" She walked into the room and saw her little girl sitting criss-cross on the bed, with her hands tightly gripping the sheets. Misty wondered if April could even hear her over her own sobs.

"I'm not going! I'm not going!" She repeated, over and over again. The whole house was sure to hear.

"Apr-"

“Is she alright?"

Misty turned around to the sudden voice in the doorway. There, Cordelia stood, a worried expression written all over her face.

Misty sat besides her daughter who had yet to even notice Cordelia. She rubbed April's back, who had seemed to relax under her mothers touch.

"She's nervous to go downstairs and meet all of the girls. She hasn't ever been around so many people before."

Cordelia walked closer to the pair, cautiously taking her steps to ensure she wouldn't trigger a bigger tantrum. April had calmed down, but had still let some tears falls down her pale cheek.

"Hey, Honey" Cordelia then said, and took a seat on the other side of April.

The girl seemed to get used of the older woman, not completely, but she definitely wasn't freaked out to be around her.

"I promise the girls are very nice. I'm sure you'll love them, as they will you." Misty watched Cordelia as she started to ease the girl. Cordelia placed her hand on Aprils face to wipe her tears away, and she didn't even flinch. She allowed it to happen.

“Don't wanna go. Too many people."

Misty sighed, "I know darlin, but like I said, ya gonna have to eventually see them."

"Well, she can eat dinner outside. The three of us can. And then she can slowly start to meet them...if that's okay with you, of course" Cordelia suggested, and Misty's heart pounced for a moment. A dinner, with just her daughter, and this beautiful woman. It seemed...too nice to be possible.

"I couldn't possibly ask ya to do that."

"I don't think the girls would mind if their supremes misses a dinner or two" Cordelia smiled down at April, and then back at Misty.

"Alright' well...I think that'll work then."

"Perfect! I'll go fix us plates. Just meet me at the picnic table in the backyard."

-

Misty sat beside April at the said location, and then watch as Cordelia arrived with all three plates in here arms, using her powers to ensure that they wouldn't fall.

"I hope she like's steak and vegetables. I can cook something else for her if she doesn't" Cordelia said, biting on her lip, and taking a seat across from the pair. It wasn't exactly a child's food.

"Nah, she ain't picky. She'll eat almost anything if ya put it in front of her. But thank ya for the offer."

"Yeah, but not your food, mama. Ya cooking is really yucky."

Both older woman laughed at the girl "April Rhiannon Day, you are such a little fiber!" The smile on Misty's face was visible, and her voice held no offense whatsoever.

The girl took of bite of the food Cordelia had cooked, looked at the supreme, and then said, "Much better than Mama's."

At this, all three broke into laughter. "I'm glad you like it. You have to remind me to not let your mother in the kitchen" teased Cordelia.

Misty dramatically gasped "April look at you makin' me look bad now" she turned to Cordelia "I'm an a great chef for ya information. I think April's just tryna get on ya good side." Both of them giggled at Misty.

-

The three ate with some chatter in between. Turns out, Cordelia and Misty had much more in common than they figured, and Cordelia had to take a moment to figure out when the last time she was this happy was. She couldn't remember.

Once finished, April had started to play with Cordelia's black cat that had made it's way outside of the greenhouse and into the lawn. It was an older cat that spent it's day sitting down and being petted, or taking strolls around the house.

When April was far enough for her to not be able to hear the conversation at the picnic table, Cordelia and Misty continued.

"How long have you been living out at the swamp?" Cordelia asked, because she was genuinely interested in Misty's life beforehand.

"Since Lily was about two months old. So almost four years. It was to hide away, but I found that it was much better than where I was livin. I've always been, as my parents would say, 'one with nature."

"Hide away? From what?"

"From my..." Misty didn't even want to say it. "From my husband." It sounded awful out of her mouth, she knew that. She didn't want a husband, she didn't even want people to know that she had one.

"Oh" Cordelia said. To say she was disappointed was an understatement. Silly Cordelia, she could hear her mothers voice in her head, thinking she even has a chance to be loved.

"Forced marriage" Misty spit out, faster than her brain worked. "I told my mama I didn't want no husband. But where I lived, every woman's job was to get marry some man and have children. She just picked some nasty man at our church, and payed him almost all her money to have him marry me."

Misty breathed in deeply, and then continued "He was a drunk, and verbally abusive. Only hit me a few times but threatened me many more. I got pregnant with April a month after he 'married' me and then I ran away with her two months after she was born."

"Oh Misty, I'm so so sorry. You shouldn't have gone through that." Cordelia then remembered, her past husband used to constantly drink. She didn't even love him either. She felt as if she had finally found her other half. Someone that she could relate to.

"It's okay, really. 'm just grateful that I left before he ever hurt April. But that's all in the past now."

"Does she know about him?"

"She doesn't" Misty said, "I've just been telling her that she was a gift that the universe sent me. I'm not planning on telling her until she's older. It's just too heavy to tell her when she's so young."

Cordelia nodded, understanding.

"What about ya? Do ya have a family or anythin'"

The supreme felt awful silly to say no. She felt embarrassed, too. A middle aged woman without a partner or kids. She still found herself telling Misty though.

"No. My...husband was actually a witch hunter. Not to mention that he cheated on me many times, and came home drunk almost every night. I tried to have kids with him. I tried almost everything, but it was no give. I found out that I was infertile. A part of me is lucky that I didn't end up having a child with him. He died shortly after I divorced him."

"Wow, seems like we've both had a pretty fucked up 'marriage'" Misty said, and the older woman laughed at her. "I'm sorry that ya can't have kids though."

You can raise my daughter with me, is what Misty wanted to say. You can even be her stepmom, if you'd really like.

"It's okay. You know, sometimes I get upset about it, but there's really no point anymore."

"Well hey, ya got April now! I can tell she really loves ya." And I really love ya too.

"Is that so?" Cordelia's cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling so brightly, and she figured that she must look foolish.

"Yep. When ya left the room she said 'we get to eat dinner with her? She's so awesome!' And let me tell ya, I ain't ever see her smiling that big ever since I told her she could keep some rabbit we found" Misty said.

The older witch laughed, for what must've been the millionth time that day. She was grateful, for whichever one of her girls came across Misty and told her about the academy. She was grateful that it led up to sitting on a picnic table, across from such a stunning swamp witch, and a darling little girl playing with her cat. It seemed too real. Too normal. Too natural.

"That's really sweet," was Cordelia response, and then continued, "She's a really awesome kid."

They smiled, and for a moment, Misty felt the sudden urge to lean forward. She had never felt that strongly about anyone in her life. Never felt the need to kiss someone. To Misty, it was pointless. But now that she had found this woman, it was the only thing she wanted to do.

But she couldn't do that. Couldn't scared the woman away. Couldn't ruin this. They would be kicked out, for sure. She couldn't have that over a silly kiss.

"Miss Delia!" A sudden voice called, and Cordelia turned her attention to the young girl. She was, still, sitting on the grass with the black cat. She had never seen her cat be so social before.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"C'mere! Look at how Silly this kitty is!"

Cordelia got up and walked over to the girl. Crouched down, and watched as April put her hand up to the cat for a high five.

Now, of course Cordelia knew that her cat couldn't high five her back. She was a lazy old cat, and could hardly walk across the-

"Oh my god, how did you get her to do that?" Cordelia asked, surprised, because April did, in fact, get the cat to high five back.

April giggled at the older woman, staring at her with a big smile as she began to pet the cat's black fur once again.

"Secret" she put her finger up to her lips, and that's when Misty walked over to the pair.

"You have a very powerful girl on your hands." Cordelia said to the swamp witch, and Misty had bursted out into laughter at the older woman's shocked face. Misty was used to her daughters silly tricks.

-

Later that night, once all the girls were tucked into bed, Cordelia had made her way down to the kitchen.

She couldn't seem to sleep, so she decided to make herself some herbal tea to assist the tiredness.

She got out a single white cup, though almost smashed it to pieces when hearing her name behind her.

"Cordy."

"Madison, what did I tell you about scaring me? What are you even doing up?" She turned around to the girl; she was wearing black silk pajamas, though her hair was still tidy.

"It's not my fault you're so fucking jumpy" Madison crossed her arms "and I could also ask you the same thing."

Cordelia rolled her eyes, and began to pour her tea into the cup that she -luckily- didn't break.

"Can't sleep because you have a certain witch on your mind?" Madison pressed.

"Excuse me?" Cordelia, with her tea brewing, turned her entire body around to face the young witch that was now sat at the table.

"Oh cut the shit, Cordy. You went against your own rules of only eating at the table so you could eat with that swamp bitch and her daughter."

"I-" Madison was a bitch, but she wasn't stupid. She could read people very well to the point that Cordelia thought she could read minds. "Her daughter was scared. She's a child, i'm not going to be an asshole and tell her to suck it up."

"You didn't have to eat out there with them, did you? It seemed like you were having the time of your fucking life though."

"You we're watching me?" Cordelia said, bewildered, and turned back around to grab her cup.

"Fuck no" Madison scoffed, as if she was offended that Cordelia would even suggest that. "I have better things to do than watch some lesbian love story."

The younger blonde stood up, and brushed away the invisible wrinkles on her shirt.

"Okay. Madison, I think you should get some rest. Thank you. Goodnight" Cordelia said, dismissing the fact that Madison might actually be correct. 

"You too, Cordy. You'll need it." Madison smirked, and walked out of the room. Leaving Cordelia in the dim with her hot tea, and racing thoughts. She was certainly not getting any sleep tonight.

-

The following morning, Cordelia woke up, after only getting two hours of shut eye, and threw on her robe to make her way downstairs.

The Academy was a peaceful quiet. With young witches living here, she didn't get this tranquil that often. Only when the girls were asleep. She enjoyed it. She enjoyed being alone. But the thought of being alone with Misty then came into mind again, and she didn't ever think she would be the same.

She walked into the kitchen to brew herself another cup of tea. Everything was normal, peaceful, it was just another Sunday morning.

Until...

"Oh my god" Cordelia dropped her mug and ran out the back door. From the window, she could see April in the backyard by herself, standing beside an...alligator?

"April!" Cordelia said, she yelled it but tried her best to whisper. She wouldn't want the alligator to get startled and go after them."April! Get away from that!"

The young girl giggled. She didn't seemed fazed, nor did the alligator. She put her hand out to pet the top of it's head, but Cordelia quickly grabbed her before she could do so.

"It's okay, miss Delia. He won't bite."

April wiggled out of the older woman's grasp and went back towards the alligator. This time, she successfully pet its head without any interruptions. The alligator itself, made no effort to attack. 

"Me and Mama have a pet alligator back at the swamp. Her name is Stevie." She looked up at Cordelia, completely at ease. She's afraid of a few teenage girls, but not a wild animal. Interesting way to be raised, but Cordelia was intrigued.

"I- how is he not biting you, honey?"

The young girl shrugged her shoulders, and walked back over to Cordelia. "Friendly."

She grabbed Cordelia's hand, and the woman felt the urge to wash both of their hands, because who know where that alligator has been.

"Try" the girl offered, and slowly eased Cordelia's hand to the top of it's head. Once placed on the green scaley skin, Cordelia's hand entirely cringed. She didn't like the feeling, but she wouldn't mind digging her hands in some soil for hours.

However, Cordelia felt much more relaxed when the alligator just stayed put. The girl, Cordelia knew, had a magic touch. There was no way this would've went over well if she didn't.

"April!" Misty called from across the yard, and then ran over to the pair. Once she caught her breath, she began, "I told ya not to leave the room until I woke up. What ya doing out here playing with alligators?"

"I'm sorry mama. I saw 'em out the window and wanted to play."

Misty sighed and picked her daughter up. "It's alright, darlin. But ya know how I feel about letting you out with the alligators alone. I know you got those magical little powers, but I still get nervous."

April giggled at her mother, and then Misty looked over to see Cordelia's face. It was almost pale; alligators terrified her, any wild animals did. "And what ya doing scarin' Miss Cordelia like this?"

Cordelia laughed, and then said, "Well, I think she helped me get over my fear of alligators."

"She's good like that" was Misty's response.

-

After the whole alligator situation, Cordelia suggested breakfast.

Clearly, all three of them were early risers. It gave them easy access to the kitchen, without the other girls taking over.

Cordelia had come to found out that the swamp witches had a love for bagels. So that's exactly what Cordelia cooked for them, with a side of eggs.

Misty had argued that she didn't have to do that for them. You've done enough for us, she said. But Cordelia insisted, and Misty really couldn't turn down a bagel.

"Ya should consider being a chef." Misty looked up a the older woman, and washed a bit of her bagel down with some water. Cordelia just laughed at her.

"No seriously, I ain't ever see April scoff up food so quickly."

"I guess I'll consider it. A three year olds opinion on my cooking means more than you think to me" Cordelia teased, and Misty gave her a dopey smile.

Cordelia took a sip of her tea to hide her smile in the mug. She had never felt so comfortable around another person before. Of course she was able to have and hold conversations, but with Misty, it just flowed. They could sit here in complete silence without an awkward moment to spare.

"Morn- Oh...hi" Was what Zoe had said when she walked in on the three. Cordelia had told them that they had two new members of the academy, but none of the girls had actually got to meet them yet.

April, who was sitting beside Cordelia (because the young girl insisted that she did), scooted herself closer to the older woman. Noticing Aprils sudden demeanor, Cordelia protectively wrapped an arm around her.

"Zoe, this is Misty and April."

The brunette witch walked closer towards the table, recognizing Misty, but not so much the little girl. "Misty! I'm glad you came."

Zoe was the one who found Misty, or rather, Misty found Zoe. That's how the swamp witch knew exactly where to go when she was in need for shelter.

Misty smiled up at the girl, and then looked over at her daughter coddling into Cordelia's side across the table. "This is my daughter, April."

Zoe didn't take a step closer, because she could see how the young girl tensed up. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, April. I'm Zoe!"

The four year old look over at her mother for permission. She didn't need permission to talk, and Misty made that known, but it made April feel safer. Because after all, her mother knew best.

"Nice to meet you" the girl mumbled, a timid smile on her face.

"She's...shy" Misty chimed in, and Zoe nodded. She was shy as a child too, so she completely understood.

Zoe made her way over to the coffee pot, and Misty and Cordelia continued their conversation.

"I uh, I have to go back to my swamp to grab April and I's things to today. I was wondering if ya would be okay with watching April while i'm gone?" Misty rubbed the back of her neck, a nervous habit. Before Cordelia could reply, Misty shot back with another nervous sentence "It's okay if ya can't, I completely understand."

"Hey, of course I will" Cordelia said, and reached her hand across the table to place it over Misty's. She wasn't thinking she just...did it. "Are you sure you'll be okay though? I'm mean, what if they're still there?"

"Well I ain't got any funky feelin' about it, so I think i'll be fine."

Cordelia smiled, and noticed how awfully red Misty checks were. Why did my touch make her blush, Cordelia wondered, but quickly shook that though away. Don't be foolish, Cordelia.

-

"I'll be right back, baby. Miss Cordelia's gonna watch you while i'm gone." Misty said, crouching down to the girls level, who was sitting on the couch. Cordelia was sitting right beside her.

"Where are ya going, mama?" April asked, her hand grasping her mothers shirt, in hopes that it would make her stay.

"Just gotta pick up our stuff from the swamp, alright? I'll be back here super quick. Promise" Misty placed a kiss on Aprils forehead, and then stood up, and walked towards the door. "Bye, you be good for Miss Cordelia, now. Love ya."

"Love ya mama."

"Bye, be safe, Misty. Seriously" Cordelia said, an eyebrow raised to show that she was, in fact, serious.

"I know, I know. Bye."

Once Misty had left, April had moved herself closer into Cordelia's side. She had never been without her mother. Definitely not in a huge academy without her. However, she felt somewhat safe with Cordelia. At least until her mother returned.

"It's okay" Cordelia said, because she looked down, and April's entire face was hiding in Cordelia's side. She rubbed her hand over her back, and the girl started to feel less tense.

"How about we watch a movie until she comes back? How does that sound?"

With this, April looked up. The perplexity on the young girls face was something Cordelia could laugh at; it was adorable.

She grew up with no cable, that's right.

"Here, you'll understand once I put it on."

Cordelia leaned forward to grab the remote. She turned on Disney plus -because the girls had somehow convinced her to get a subscription for the academy's tv, but only after the fact that she bought them Netflix as well.

She settled on playing the little mermaid, because she figured that that would be the perfect movie for April.

Once the opening credits began, April looked up at the older woman. She was cuddling up against her side again, and Cordelia's arm was wrapped around her small frame.

She looked back at the tv once she heard talking, that's when it had really caught her attention. After that, she was mesmerized by it.

-

An hour later, Misty had came back with few bags in her hand. She placed them by the doorway of the living room to greet her daughter. Though, she didn't make a single sound when she saw the pair watching tv.

She walked over to the side of the couch, and Cordelia looked up at her with a smile. However, April hadn't moved a single muscle.

"I've never taken my daughter for the tv type of girl. But after all we didn't really have cable" Misty whispered, and took a seat beside Cordelia who simply chuckled at her.

"She hasn't took her eyes off for the entire time it's been playing."

April looked completely relaxed, almost as much as when it was just her and Misty back at the swamp.

Her head was now laying on Cordelia's chest, and her thumb was gently placed in her mouth. Her eyes were drooping, but she refused to close them because after all, how could she possibly miss The Little Mermaid?

The three of them sat like that, until the last twenty minutes of the movie had come to an end. And by then, April had already fallen asleep on Cordelia. Her eyes gave up the fight to sleep ten minutes before the ending.

"I don't want to accidentally wake her up" Cordelia said to Misty, quietly.

"She's a heavy sleeper. Don't worry about it." It was mid day, so Misty knew that a nap would do her good, she also knew the crankiness that would come with waking her up.

"Uh but anyways, I actually brought ya back a little something from my shack" Misty reached into her brown tote bag that was still on her shoulder.

"Oh you really didn't have to" but why did you?

"Don't be silly, you've done so much for us, it's the least I could do" Misty said, and pulled out two rings from her bag. "I forgot I had these. They're the same so I thought; one for you, one for me."

The swamp witch held them up in Cordelia's view. It was two frog rings. "Lemme see your hand."

Cordelia held out her hand for the swamp witch, and Misty had chosen to put it on her ring finger. She's not married, so it's really not a big deal.

"There. Now you're my wife." It was nothing romantic, really. She was just simply...her wife. It was a just a simple joke. 

But Cordelia didn't have too many friends that she would make jokes with. Even from her childhood, she couldn't remember any of her friends acting like that. So, was it really a joke?

She wasn't mad. She...liked the sound of it, actually. Her wife. Misty day is my wife. It sounded nice, felt natural. She never thought, not ever, that she would say something like that.

"I- um thank you, wow." Cordelia said, stuttering uncontrollably. Now, Cordelia was a very sophisticated person, but Misty day completely ruined that. Ruined her. But in the best way possible.

"Too much? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No it's okay" Cordelia cut in, and noticed that the second ring was also on Misty's ring finger. "No, I actually really like the sound of that."

"You do?" Misty asked.

"I really do."

And then, that was that.

But still, it wasn't really possible that Misty could like her back. No, of course not. Misty called her, her wife as a joke.

And Cordelia...well she was just...playing along with it.

-

Later that night, when Misty, Cordelia, and the rest of the academy was settled in bed, April decided she had different plans.

Every night, whether they were at the academy or not, she would sleep in her mothers arms. But just like her daughter, Misty was a heavy sleeper. She made it easy for April to easily slide out of her grasp. And that's exactly what she did.

April was a curious child. Misty had once awoke to April's absence, and later found her on the other side of the swamp.

She wanted to explore.

And what better time then when the entire city was asleep?

April Day had made her way down the grand staircase, and had somehow ended up in the library, and then the dining room that she had yet to see. There was a huge part of the academy that she hasn't even visited yet.

But once the sleepiness had struck her, she decided to take herself back upstairs.

She didn't want to sleep with her mother tonight. Cordelia was much comfier to take a nap on, as she did earlier. And so, she went to the supremes bedroom, and knocked on the door.

It didn't take long before Cordelia opened it. Even in her sleep, she was on high alert. Living in a house full of witches, a house full of young girls at that, you never could know what'll happen.

"Hi honey" Cordelia said, her robe tightly wrapped around her cold frame. Even in the heat of June, the academy always seemed to be cool. "What're you doing up so late?"

Cordelia tired to suppress a yawn behind the back of her hand. April just shrugged. "Couldn't sleep so I looked around. But now I don't wanna sleep with Mama, I wanna sleep with you."

“Oh" Cordelia could've cried, she almost did. She always wanted a child so badly, and although April wasn't exactly her child, she was lucky that the young girl enjoyed her presence. "Well, of course, honey. Come in."

Cordelia stepped to the side, and small feet made their way in. She placed herself on Cordelia's bed, as if she had done it every night before. And then Cordelia sat herself on her own side of the bed.

When she finally reached over to shut off the lamp, there was another knock at the door. A rather frantic knock.

Cordelia stood up out of the bed. She laughed to herself. It was comically, really. She knew who it was, and couldn't seem to be angry.

When the older woman opened the door, she already expected what Misty was going to say, so she saved her the breath. "She's in here" Cordelia said, her voice light, and welcoming. She watched as the instant relief washed over her. "She just came to my door, and asked if she could sleep in here. I hope you don't mind. I just couldn't say no to her."

"Of course I don't" Misty assured, and grabbed Cordelia's hand. After being away from civilization for so long, she missed physical touch besides her daughters. Cordelia even recognized that. "I trust ya with her."

"Mama" the girl sleepily called from Cordelia's bed. Misty looked over the older woman's shoulder, and couldn't suppress a laugh as she saw her daughter fully relaxed on the bed.

Cordelia stepped aside, and let Misty make her way to April. The young girl smiled, giddy. "What are ya doing waking up Miss Cordelia late at night? And what ya even doing up, love bug?"

"Sorry mama, but I missed Miss Delia. I liked sleeping' on her" her thick southern accent echoed throughout the room.

"Well I would like if ya told me first, darlin." Misty wasn't mad. She wasn't the type of parent to discipline her child. She just couldn't. Not when her world only ever consisted of April.

The young girl nodded and then suggested for her mother to join them. Misty simply declined, explaining that it was Cordelia's bed, and she couldn't just offer that. "Well...i'm mean, I don't mind" Cordelia's said, chiming into the conversation.

She didn't mind. Her bed has been pretty empty and cold for awhile now. Even with Hank back before her supremacy. She wouldn't want anyone else to occupy it besides the two girls that she was growing to love; both in different ways.

"I- are ya sure? I don't want to intrude or anything." Misty rubs the back of her neck again. Cordelia recognized this behavior. She noticed that she only does it when she's nervous.

She doesn't want Misty to be nervous around her. But why is she to begin with?

"Of course you're not. I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want you to" Cordelia reassures, and smiles after. She want's me to sleep in her bed with her, Misty thinks.

"Alright then."

Misty takes a seat beside her child on the bed, and watches as Cordelia unties her robe to reveal her pajamas's. Silk. Black silk, with lace trimming. God, Cordelia was a tease, Misty thought. Her legs, they were toned, and long, and her top had revealed just a sliver of her stomach.

Enough Misty. You're acting ridiculous, the voice in her head tells her, but her heart tells her otherwise.

"Night, darlin. Love ya" Misty says to distract herself, and kisses April's forehead. But the young girl is so sleepy, and now unaware of her mothers presence, that she doesn't respond.

She gently lays her head down on the pillow, facing her daughter. And once Cordelia lays down herself, she unintentionally faces the pair. With a half asleep child between them, it makes the tension of it just being the both of them mentally present, rise.

Misty doesn't realize that's she staring into Cordelia's eyes, until the nerves settle in her stomach. "Goodnight, Miss Cordelia" the swamp witch says. "Goodnight, Misty." They both squeeze they're eyes shut, in hopes that that'll fall asleep quickly.

Neither of them do.

They're both up all night.

But also, both unaware that the other is awake.

-

Misty stretches out her limbs, and her eyes haven't quite opened yet. She could see the bright light, trying to fight it's way through the darkness of her eyelids.

She finally opens them. White is what she see's. Almost everything is white and nothing like the furniture at her shack. There's not a spec of dirt that you could see on the white comforter, or the white walls. However, at her shack, you could see the dirt through the reddest of reds, or the deepest blues.

As she turns in the bed, she realizes that's she's not where she’s supposed to be. It's not her shack, no, everything's too bright. But it's not her new room; the bed she's laying in is too big.

"Morning sleepyhead" Cordelia spoke into the room from the doorway. Blue eyes shot open at realization. She was alone...in Cordelia's bed, with Cordelia watching her.

Porcelain cheeks were now a deep red, and she threw the covers off because, suddenly, her body was overheating.

"I'm sorry."

"No you're fine. Sleep. You need it, you've got a curious child on your hands. That must be tiring."

"April. Where's April?" Misty's panic settles in, whereas Cordelia doesn't seem to be worrying. It seems as if she already has everything under control.

"Would you believe me if I told that she was eating breakfast with Zoe right now?" Cordelia took a seat on the side of her bed, and Misty sat up because she felt silly.

"Ya joking?"

"I'm dead serious. I woke up, and she was in the kitchen making pancakes with Zoe" Said Cordelia. Misty then scooted closer to the older woman, legs pulled up and folded beneath her. "Well...that gives us more 'us' time. It's hard to spend time with ya when there's a four year old running around."

Us time?, Cordelia questioned, and wished she had the confidence to verbalize it, what exactly does that mean?

"Yeah. Us time." Cordelia didn't know exactly what that meant, but she liked the sound of it. Any time with Misty sounded nice.

Misty leaned over, and kissed Cordelia. Deeply kissed her. The older woman didn't know how, but she eventually ended up underneath the swamp witch. She grabbed Misty thighs that were on either of of her waist, causing Misty to elicit a gasp from the touch on sensitive skin.

Cordelia was thinking too deeply again. Misty snapped her finger in front of Cordelia's face, and the woman blinked, hard, a few times. "Ya there?"

"Yeah sorry. I- just- yeah..."

Misty questionably looked at Cordelia, and then laughed at the woman. "Alright. Well how about ya just lay down? Just relax a bit."

She was going to decline the offer, but then Misty had laid back down too, and she wondered if this is what us time meant.

"Ya seem so tense. Am I making ya nervous?" Nervous. Oh yes. Completely. But in the best way possible.

"No" she decided to say, instead, and then came up with an excuse, "I'm just tired, I guess. From working."

It was partly true. Cordelia was tired from working. She always was. Her back all the way up to her neck, even hurt a bit from sitting at her desk. She thinks Misty picked up on that.

"Well...I can give ya a massage," was Misty's response. Cordelia turned her head to the cajun. She was already looking at her back at her.

"You really don't have-"

"Don't be silly. I'm the best massager- masseuse" Cordelia laughed at Misty's lack of grammar education, but meant no offensive. She thought, it was adorable. "-Best masseuse in town. Used to always give my daddy back massages when I was a little girl."

"O-okay. Then I guess it couldn't hurt to try."

"Alright, Darlin. Take off ya shirt and lay on ya back." Darling. So clearly, Misty decided to make this much harder for Cordelia to contain herself.

"My...shirt?" Cordelia questioned. If Misty asked her to run naked through the grocery store, then hell, she would. But right now, Misty asking her to take her shirt off seemed....very presumptuous.

"Well I can't rub ya back and everything with all this fabric in the way." Misty seem unbothered, like she had been planning this out. "Don't worry, 'm not gonna see anything. And we're both women anyways, right?"

"Right." Cordelia breathed.

Misty turned around because the swamp witch had respect. As much as she wished to turn back, she never would do that to Cordelia.

Misty didn’t turn back around until she felt Cordelia lay on the bed.

Misty saw Cordelia, laying there with only her wide leg pants on. Her breathe hitched, because she hadn't fully realized what she was asking of the supreme.

The woman was beautiful, her back. Misty never thought her breath would be taken by something so silly, but Misty was sitting here in Cordelia's bed, and Cordelia was shirtless.

Misty was bold, she straddled Cordelia's waist, and ran her hand against the dip of her spine. There were a bunch of freckles across the patch of flesh, and she noticed, a tattoo right on the nape of her neck.

Cordelia shivered at Misty's touch. Her body even shifted closer to her hand. "What's the tattoo mean?"

"Hm?" Asked Cordelia, her voice quavering, and slightly muffled in her pillow.

"The tattoo. On the back of ya neck. What does it mean?"

"Oh um, it's a symbol of the fight against the odds" Cordelia, without entirely realizing it, rubbed the tattoo as she spoke.

"It's very pretty, I just wouldn't take ya to be a tattoo kind of person" Misty said, and then brushed her own thumb against it when Cordelia's hand laid back down.

"Not really. I just got a few tattoos when I was younger. Mostly in spite of my mother; because she wasn't able to stop me for once."

Misty chuckled, Cordelia was full of surprises, and she wondered what else she could uncover from the older woman.

"Well you'll have to show me all of them some time" Misty said, because she genuinely cared. She wanted to explore every tattoo and freckle on Cordelia's skin.

But then she remembered, Misty was straddling Cordelia for a reason. And she must get to work before April decides that she's done with Zoe's company.

Misty pressed her hands against the tense muscles on Cordelia's back. Cordelia sighed at the contact. Misty noticed, the supreme was extremely tense, her muscles quite tight.

She worked out a few knots, and Cordelia, for the most part, did her best to suppress her moans with a bite on her bottom lip. But when Misty reached a particular tight spot on her neck, she couldn't contain herself anymore.

"Really enjoying it, I see?" Misty said, her voice teasing, but Cordelia still blushed.

"Sorry."

"No, don't be sorry. Make all the noises ya want."

Misty's hands kneaded Cordelia's back for a little while longer. Longer than necessary, really. She enjoyed watching the older woman sink into the mattress under her touch.

"All done. How do ya feel?" Misty asked, and placed herself down beside Cordelia. She was staring into the older woman's eyes that have seemed to grow droopy once again.

"Amazing. Misty, you have such magical hands. Thank you."

"Why thank you. I'm glad I could help."

Cordelia decided, that she wanted to turn and lay on her back after being on her stomach for awhile. However, her body had decided to work faster than her mind. She turned around without the realization that she had no such thing as a top on.

"Oh. Oh my god. I-"

"Y-Ya fine. It's okay" Misty said. She seemed flustered herself, and it took her a good second to look away.

"I don't know why I just did that. I forgot- I totally forgot that I wasn't wearing anything."

Cordelia quickly stood up, and turned her back to Misty. She threw her clothing back on, and covered her face with her hands.

"I'm embarrassed."

"No, don't be. And stop hiding ya pretty face."

Misty stood up and peeled Cordelia's hands off her face, then intertwined their fingers, and not to mention their bodies pressed up against each other's.

What the fuck, was Cordelia's thought. Her only thought at the moment. However, a good what the fuck.

"I'm gonna go get dressed before April comes looking for me. You go relax. I swear, Miss Cordelia, don't go tensing up ya muscles again."

Cordelia stood there, bewildered. And Misty smiled and walked to her door. Misty knew what she did, and hell, she even found it comical.

It was Cordelia's turn though.

Nobody gets to fluster the supreme. Not without payback.

"Hey Misty?"

The swamp witch turned around, and hummed a, "mhm."

"You can drop the 'miss.' In my name. I don't think it's necessary after you straddled me and made me moan."

Misty's face turned a deep shade of red. Do not let her get to you. "Alright, Delia." Was Days response. Strong, but she still cleared her throat. The softness that Misty had given her a nickname, almost made Cordelia melt into a puddle. "Go relax." She said, finally, again.

-

Later that day, Misty and Cordelia sat in a terribly awkward silence in the kitchen.

For the second dinner, Cordelia had decided to eat with just the two of them at the small kitchen table.

They haven't talked much since the mornings events. They liked how things were left off, as in, they were too shy and flustered to actually speak to each other.

When they were eventually taking their last bite’s of food, April had brought up the idea of a playground. According to her, Zoe explained what it was, confused as to why the little girl didn't already know what a park was.

She had never been to a park before, hence she never had left the swamp.

She wanted to visit one. She wanted to climb monkey bars, and go down slides, as Zoe had explained to her. To April, it seemed like paradise.

"Please Mama! I wanna go!" April said, tugging on her mother's shirt. At this point, she had neglected her dinner, and stood up out of her seat.

"How about tomorrow, darlin? The suns about to go down" Misty ran her fingers through the young girls curly blonde locks to calm her down.

She wasn't stubborn, nor difficult. She sighed, an sat back down with a sorrowful look. "If ya finish ya dinner, I promise i'll take ya tomorrow. We can even make a day of it, and get ice cream."

"Fine. Can Miss Delia come too?" They both looked over to the older woman, who had been trying to avoid Misty's eye contact, but had suddenly let it go once the attention shifted to her.

"If she's wants to, then I would be more than happy."

"I have a free day tomorrow. But I wouldn't want to intrude on-"

Misty cut her off before she could even finish. "Ya aren't intruding. April and I really want ya to come."

"Okay. Okay, then sure, why not."

-

That day, the three woke up earlier than usually. Mostly because April had decided to jump up and down on their sleeping bodies once the clock stuck seven.

April had insisted on sleeping in Cordelia's bed once again. And Cordelia didn't mind, of course she didn't. She even offered Misty to join them. And she did, join them.

"April. What time is it?" Misty groaned, and rubbed her eyes. She realized, April wasn't able to tell time yet. "Oh right." she turned her body towards the clock on Cordelia's wall. It was seven. Seven in the morning.

"Baby, what’re ya doing up so early?" Usually, April wouldn't wake up a single soul when she would wake. She would sneak around the house -or the swamp when they used to live there.

"Park!" She said, loud, and Cordelia and Misty tightly squeezed their eyes shut at the loud noise so early in the morning.

"It's seven in the morning, darlin. The park ain't going anywhere." The girl frowned at her mother's disapproval. "How about ya go play with some of ya toys and let Delia and I sleep for few more minutes?"

"Fine Mama, but don't take too long."

April made her way out of Cordelia's room, and Misty didn't fully relax until she heard the door of her own bedroom click.

"Who blessed me with such an early bird?" Misty asked, said, to the sleepy woman beside her. Cordelia laughed, and took a brave move to rest her head against Misty's shoulder.

The swamp witch stilled. This felt all too intimate. "I'm sorry, is this too much?" Cordelia shifted slightly away from Misty, but was still able to feel each other's skin.

"No! No. Come back" Misty breathed. She felt a chill, emptiness, wash over her. "No, ya can put ya head there. I'm just...nervous."

"Nervous? why's that, honey?" Cordelia rested her head, once again, on the younger woman's shoulder. How was she supposed to explain to Cordelia that the fact that she just called her honey in bed, had made her desperately want to kiss her?

"I guess I just- I just never shared a bed with another woman before. That gotta be the reason for all these anxious feelings in my stomach" said Misty.

"Is that so?"

"Um" Misty smacked her lips. Her throat felt dry, suddenly. "Yeah. I think so. I think it is."

"Or is it because..." could the supreme read her mind? Was that a power she possessed? She hoped not. "You're in my bed with me."

Her breath was hot against Misty's ear. And close. So close that she felt, just with a single movement, Cordelia's lips brush against her ear.

It was hot in this room. It had to be hot in this room. Misty was hot, she was burning. She needed water, too.

"You're thinking very loud." Cordelia finally said, after Misty wouldn't say anything.

Mind reading, of course.

"Y-ya reading my thoughts."

"No. It's just very quiet in here and it seems that you're mind is racing. It's almost impossible to block them."

“Oh." Misty was screwed. Definitely.

"You want to kiss me" Cordelia didn't ask, she said. She heard Misty's thoughts say it herself. She knew this swamp witch was trying to retain herself.

"Yes." Misty felt as if Cordelia had put her under a spell. She didn't, but she certainly believed that she did.

"Then come here and kiss me."

Cordelia would've never had the confidence four years ago, or even a day ago. But Misty made her feel powerful. Misty made her feel things, that nobody else had made her feel once before. The desire to kiss Misty was so strong that her insecurity had vanished.

Misty turned her body. Everything was so loud; the sheets moving beneath her, the air conditioner, even her own thoughts were hurting her ears.

She sat up on her knees, and just like the previous night, straddled Cordelia's waist.

The older woman beneath her squirmed to lay on her back. "Ya sure?" Misty asked, her nerves moving to the side for a moment, because she would not kiss this woman without her fully consenting.

"Yes. Misty please kiss me before I go insa-"

Cordelia's lips were soft. Definitely not how Misty's 'husband's' felt. She didn't know kissing could possibly feel this good. She never understood anyones desire for it. Now she did. Now she understands the want to become one with their partner. To want to be so close that you become conjoined with them.

"You're so-" Cordelia's breathes in deeply, between kisses. She decides not to finish that sentence, because she can't possibly figure out how to finish it. "I wanted this since I first saw you."

Misty continues to kiss her, and then her neck. Cordelia gasps. Hank could never do that. Not ever. His scratchy beard would get in the way. Misty though, Misty was soft, and gentle, yet so incredibly passionate and greedy.

Misty doesn't say anything. Doesn't need to say anything. Her lips on Cordelia's skin does enough talking.

The rest of it...history.

-

"Ya excited, darlin?" Misty asked as April skipped down the street. One of the little girls hand was occupied with Misty's. The other, Cordelia's.

Anyone passing by would believe that they were one happy family. But, the only ones who really knew that Misty tasted Cordelia's lips this morning was the two women holding April's hand.

"Yeah! I'm gonna go on the monkey bars, and the slide, and the swings!"

"Sounds fun! Wish I was little again!" Cordelia teased, a smile written on the woman's face. But really, she doesn't think that she had ever stopped smiling since this morning. Misty as well.

Misty then whispered in Cordelia's ear, "Are ya sure, baby? This mornin' wouldn't of happened if you were-"

"Misty Day!"

She was afraid that Misty's daughter would've heard. They weren't planning on telling her. At least not yet. Nobody was going to know what they were hiding until they were entirely official.

April didn't hear it though. She was too short to hear anything that Misty would've whispered in Cordelia's ear. And it was like that for the rest of the walk there; Misty being such a tease.

The young girl, though, ran right off onto the play sets as soon at they got there. It was fairly empty, seeing it was an early Wednesday afternoon. "Be careful, love bug. Don't want any boo-boo's." She was sure the April didn't hear her though. There was too much excitement in such a small body to focus on anything else.

The two women took a seat beside each other on the benches. Misty doesn't realize how closes she sat, until her their legs are practically squished together.

"I think we need to talk about...earlier" Cordelia says what they've both been thinking.

"I really enjoyed it. I really enjoy ya!"

"I know." Cordelia confirmed, immediately after Misty. "I really did too. I really do. It's just...April. I love her, and I don't mind her at all. In fact, i'm just afraid that she won't want me to be with you."

"Oh Delia" she placed her hand on the older woman's thigh. This time, Cordelia doesn't tense up. She's not nervous to be around her anymore. "If I told her right now that ya were going to be her 'stepmom' then I think she would be more excited than being at the park."

Cordelia giggled at Misty, and then placed her hand atop of her's. "She's loves ya. Hell, she won't even go to bed unless ya there. Ya don't have to worry about it. I'm serious."

"Okay..." Cordelia tries to repress her smile. Because it's embarrassing for her, really. For the supreme to be giddy, like a school girl, over a swamp witch. "So what does that makes us?"

"Well I hope that make's ya my girlfriend. But only if that's what ya want."

"I want that a lot." Cordelia intertwines her fingers with Misty's, and Cordelia's crossed legs luckily covers their conjoined hands from April's view. They need to make it special when they tell her.

-

The park day end's with a crying April. All because she couldn't listen to her mother when she specifically told her to be careful.

Cordelia was the one to get her when she fell. Her motherly instinct took over. April had clung onto her, maybe even tighter than she did to her mother was she got stung by a bee back at the swamp.

Her bloody knee dangled below her as she sobbed in Cordelia's arms. It was nothing serious, just a simple scrape.

"It's okay. It's okay, baby. I'm here, I got you." Cordelia says. Though, she really wished they would've taken the car down.

Misty watched from beside them. Her daughter was hurt, and she was upset about that. Although, the way Cordelia comforted April had definitely made a part of her heart beat faster.

"Hurts" She wailed, face now nuzzling into the crook of Cordelia's neck.

It was time to go, they both decided. And Misty hoped this wouldn't scare her daughter into not coming back. She already ripped away four years of normal life from this poor girl. She wanted her to at least enjoy normal kid things like the park.

Though, she was a brave child. She play with alligators for god sakes. She would cry now, but laugh later once the pain had gone away.

"Shhh. I know" Cordelia cooed in her ear, rubbing her back to soothe the young girl. "We're going to go home and get you felling all better. I promise it'll be okay."

The walked home had consisted of the two women trying to calm her down. Nothing seemed to entirely work, but she did stay in Cordelia's arms. She felt safe with Cordelia. She really loved Cordelia. And as much as Misty loved that, she worried. Worried that, what if things didn't work out between them. Then what?

"Mama's gonna go get new clothes for you, because these ones got a little muddy. And i'm just gonna to clean your boo-boo, okay?."

April, who was sitting on Cordelia's bathroom counter, nodded, and rubbed her puffy eye's.

Cordelia wetted a wash cold with some cool water, and stopped her hand before it reached April’s wound. "It's going to hurt just a little bit, but I have to clean it so it doesn't get infected. You can squeeze my arm if it hurts to much, alright sweetie?"

She elicited a single whine, and pulled her leg away. "Don't want to hurt."

Cordelia then placed the wash cloth down. This was going to be hard; to help her when she knew it was going to hurt. She didn't understand how parents did it. She needed Misty to train her, clearly.

"I know, but it'll be really, really quick and then maybe we can get ice cream after!" That deal had seemed to work for April, as she moved back to her earlier position.

As Cordelia had cleaned her up, the girl appeared to be stronger than she was showing. The older woman got out a pack of bandaids. She had smiley face ones laying around, because the store had seemed to be out of regular ones when she went. Though it worked out, because what child just wanted a normal bandaid.

"And..." she stuck the bandaid to her knee "all done! You did so good, honey!" April giggled, pain long forgotten.

"Forgot kiss" April said, pointing to where the bandaid stuck.

Cordelia didn't have a kid, or parents who treated her right, so she didn't exactly follow. "A kiss?"

"Gotta give boo-boo a kiss."

"Oh, that's right! How could I forget?"

She leaned down, her lips quickly meeting the smiley bandaid. With a 'mwah' sound, she looked back up at the girl. She beamed down at Cordelia.

"Better?"

"Yeah!"

-

"Oh boy. What do you two want?" Misty asked, clearly teasing.

Cordelia and April stood there hand in hand, both with a puppy dog face, as they stared back at Misty.

"You forgot something" it was clear to Misty that Cordelia was going along with whatever April was pulling, to cheer her. She wasn't actually serious.

"Ice cream, Mama!" April said, before Misty was even able to think.

She had forgotten that. Told her that they would make a day of the park, and get ice cream. After what happened this morning, along with April getting hurt, it completely slipped her mind.

"Oh that's right. I'm so sorry, darlin's, I totally forgot." Darlin's. Misty had went from Darlin, to Darlin's all because of earlier's events. Her two darlin's. Her two girls. Her girlfriend and daughter.

Cordelia looked down at the ring on her finger. The one that matched Misty's. 'Now you're my wife,' she recalled Misty saying. It was a simple joke, but it wasn't. Wasn't a joke to neither of them.

Cordelia smiled at her. Misty noticed that it wasn't from the ice cream. She could tell, what she had said, genuinely made her happy.

The three piled into Cordelia's car. Misty couldn't drive, nor did she even own a car. So, thank god, she had Cordelia.

The older woman looked in the mirror at April in the backseat. She realized, they needed to get her a car seat. She was far to small and young to be riding without one.

She would pay for it, she decided. She would pay for the ice cream too. Anything to repay Misty for this morning.

"We should pick up a car seat for April too, after. I'll pay."

"Ya right, but ya really don't have to pay. I got a few bucks" Said Misty. She lived in Cordelia’s house, ate the food she bought, was now using Cordelia's car gas, not to mention sleeping in her bed. She wanted to pay after Cordelia had taken her in, and cared for her and her child.

"Nope. No. I'm paying, and i'm the supreme so I get the last say in it."

Misty looked over at the woman, and she didn't look back because her eyes were focused on the road. Though, she could feel Misty's eyes, could see her smile in the corner of her eyes.

"Ya something else, Cordelia Goode."

Cordelia winked at her, and bit her lip to contain her smile.

-

"What're you gonna get?" Cordelia asked April, who was in her arms after the little girl insisted.

"Strawberry! That's what mama got me last time I had ice cream." She doesn't remember ever being this excited over ice cream at Aprils age. Doesn't remember being excited over all lot of things. When she was a little girl, she already had everything she wanted and more, but the only think ever missing was a loving parent. It's nice, she thinks, to see things from another living stand point. Who does have a loving mother, but hardly anything to her name.

"That's a good choice, honey!"

Cordelia orders for her, because the girl is suddenly too shy once they get up there. And then, when all three have their ice cream, they take a seat on one of the picnic benches.

"Vanilla? Really? The most boring flavor" Misty says, while sitting across from Cordelia. She's, clearly, only being Misty.

"Hey! Leave me alone. I don't like those crazy flavors that whatever you got is."

"Well for ya information, it's chocolate fudge brownie. And I think ya just jealous that ya so boring with ya vanilla." Misty made sure to emphasize her words, and get close to Cordelia's face.

Oh such a tease, Cordelia thought. She knows I want to kiss her.

"Am not boring! You're just insane!"

April giggled at the two women playfully arguing with each other. Misty thought, no, she knew, that this would work. This was her little family.

"Ya are a little boring with vanilla, Miss Delia" April chimes in, and Misty then high fives her daughter.

Cordelia dramatically gasps "I think this is just a little mother-daughter duo thing that you're both pulling on me. Teaming up or something."

They both laughed, and then April hugs the older woman beside her, unexpectedly. "Ya can be my mommy too, don't worry."

Cordelia looks up at Misty, while simultaneously reciprocating the hug. Don't cry, don't cry. Both of them, did, almost cry.

"Well I would love nothing more, sweetheart" Cordelia says, through a shaky breath, then they all then continue to eat their ice cream in pure bliss.

-

They arrive at the mall, and April's worried. She'd never been around this many people. She had also never been to a store, or mall, and wasn't too keen on the idea.

However, Cordelia held her against her hip. When she felt the girl tug on her shirt, she knew to pick her up. She didn't want her 'mama' right now, she wanted her said 'mommy,' her second mother.

"There's nothing to worry about. You know, the malls actually really cool. They have toys, and clothes, and everything you could possibly dream of." Cordelia said while they walked through the automatic doors. Misty walked beside them with a smile. It felt nice to have Cordelia there while her daughter experienced things she should've a long time ago. She seemed to be at ease around the older woman, very much so.

Cordelia brought them into the children's store. Misty herself had absolutely no clue what she was doing, because anything that April had was handmade, that's how it was when Misty was a child too.

Cordelia placed April down once they entered the isle filled with car seats. Nobody was around anyways. The mall was practically empty at the time they decided to go.

"I'm paying" Misty brought up, once she saw all of the price tags. It wasn't overly expensive, not for Cordelia at least. But for Misty, it was almost as if she were buying a real diamond ring.

"No you're not. I am." Was Cordelia's reply, and she made no effort to even look at Misty. She kept searching for the perfect seat.

"Ya payed for ice cream. Ya let us stay in ya house, for lords sake. Just let me pay for this." 

"And you brought so much happiness in my life, Misty. You and April both did. So, let me pay for this, okay? I have the money, and I don't want you to waste yours."

Misty didn't speak. She knew not to say anything. She tried to push a smile out. What Cordelia said was sweet, her gesture was sweet. But, Misty knew she would cry from Cordelia's kind wording.

-

April had ended up choosing a car seat that was black with light green outlining. She had learned, April's favorite color was green, just like Misty's.

"Before we pay, I want to treat you to a toy of your choice." Cordelia said, and with the little girl in her arms, turned down to the toy isle. Misty had no choice but to follow them, even if she didn't like the idea of Cordelia 'wasting' her money on them.

"Delia, ya don't-"

"Shush, Misty" Cordelia cut her off, chucking to let her know that she was only joking. Misty sighed. Cordelia wasn't going to let her win this.

"You can choice anything you want, sweetie." The older woman placed April back down, and the young girl began to look around the isle.

While so, Misty whispered to Cordelia, "This is too much. How can I repay you?"

"You don't have to repay me. Just you and April being in my life is enough."

Eventually, April had chosen a stuffed alligator. Cordelia figured, the girl wouldn't want a barbie doll or anything like that. April only own stuffed animals to begin with, made by her mother's own two hands.

-

Later that night, once April had fallen asleep in Cordelia's bed, both women snuck downstairs.

For some odd reason, neither of them could sleep. And it seemed that April had been put into a deep sleep. So, they settled with some hot tea on the front porch.

"So i've been thinking a lot lately" Cordelia suddenly said, her attention was towards the moon, but her mind was elsewhere.

She sipped her tea, and could feel Misty's blue eyes on her. Could see the blue hue reflecting in the corner of her eye. The swamp witch hummed for her to continue.

"I know it hasn't been long, since I met you, but I never felt this way with my ex husband. I've been with him for years, and had never felt as connected to him as I do to you."

Misty placed her mug down on the small table beside her, and reached over to grab Cordelia's hand. "I never felt this way for anyone before" Misty said, and then continued, "I didn't know loving could feel this good, this easy."

"Are you- I don't know...afraid, I guess. After your life back at home?"

"I wouldn't really call that my home. My home is ya and April. I can't be afraid at home. Home is a safe place. And after seeing how ya treat April, i'm not worrying about a thing" Misty assured.

The moonlight shined onto Cordelia's hand as she cupped Misty's porcelain cheek. She shifted her face closer, and then soon placed her lips against Misty's.

It was their first kiss since this morning, and god did she miss Misty's lip's. She was desperate.

She pulled the swamp witch closer, and closer, and closer, until she was straddling Cordelia’s lap. The older woman tilted her head back and groaned when Misty started to kiss all over her neck.

When all of a sudden they heard a quiet, sleepy voice, "Mama?"

Misty immediately jumped off of Cordelia, and into her previous position. Cordelia cleared her throat and struggled to act like nothing was going on. Though, the supremes lipstick was smeared all over the lower part of Misty's face.

"Yes, baby. What are ya doin' up?" The girl walked closer, and held her new stuffed alligator close to her chest. She rubbed her tired eyes that were puffy from sleep.

"I woke up and I was all alone."

"Oh, 'm so sorry, baby. Delia and I were just out here talking. Come sit with us until you fall asleep, okay?" Misty patted her lap, and April climbed onto her. The little girl's head made it’s home on her mother's chest.

"Why were ya kissin' Miss Delia?" April asked through a yawn.

Misty stilled. She didn't think her daughter entirely understood love just yet. She was young, and lived a mostly secluded life. The most she had gotten was her mother's motherly love. She had hardly witness anyone together in a romantic way, rather than platonic.

The swamp witch looked over at Cordelia for consent to tell April. She wouldn't if she wasn't ready. But, Cordelia agreed with a nod of her head. She didn't mind at all.

"Remember how I told ya that two people fall in love sometimes, like a mommy and daddy?" April nodded, her thumb resting in her mouth.

Then Misty continued, "well, Delia and I love each other very much. We love each other just like a...mommy and mama."

"So Miss Delia's my mommy?"

"Well..." she could see Cordelia smiling, see that she was completely okay with this. "Yes, Miss Delia is your mommy."

The girl then lifted her heavy head, and blinked a few times to clear the sleepiness from her eyes. "I love ya, mommy...and mama" the girl said, and shifted her body so her head was laid on Cordelia's lap, legs against Misty's.

"I love you too, honey. I love both of you very much,” was the supremes response.

Cordelia looked down, her ring that Misty had previously gave her, glimmered in the moonlight. She used that same hand to run her fingers though the little girls blonde hair as she dozed back off to dreamland.

Misty rested her head on Cordelia's shoulder, after she kissed it. "I love you too, my darlin's."

Her two darlin's for the rest of forever.

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[validity-is-powerful]

The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known - chap. 1

Hello friends. I already posted chapter 1 weeks ago, but I've finally gotten around to making a post about it.

Written with permission off this post by @sapphicdeath (my main is @strung-by-fate).

[Masterlist]

—

Summary: A day in the office. Nighttime sets the stage.

Warnings: none

Pairing: Hotch/Rossi

Words: 1.9k

Read below the cut, or on ao3.

__

The office was never empty, not even early in the morning as Hotch arrived. Already there were other employees there, setting up for their days or ending their nighttime shifts. He made his way to his office, nodding a greeting to those he passed.

He set up his desk, arranging the papers he would need to go through according to importance, as he frequently did. Occasionally, there would be a file he would go through first that wasn't overly important, but he would still go through first for other reasons.

It was easy to sink into the headspace he needed for the motions of reading each document and filling out what needed to be. A glance at the clock showed him it was eight. The team would likely be some time still.

Half an hour later, he looked up to see most of his team spilling into the bullpen, talking and laughing together. JJ was absent, but then, she had spoken yesterday of her son's fever and how she and Will were worried. He would give her until nine, then call. 

Hotch watched in silence as they settled into their desks, getting ready for the day without ever truly ending their conversation, save for Rossi, who found his way to his own office. It always felt distant, viewing them from behind the glass as he was now. He was part of the team, but there were times he wondered if he was truly part of it in anything but name. Mornings were some of those times, more often than not.

A knock on his door stirred him from his reverie.

"Come in."

"Hey, Hotch," Morgan said, opening the door. "Saying good morning."

"Good morning." 

"You looked a bit lonely up here this morning. Anything you want to talk about?" 

"I've been thinking," Hotch said. Morgan made a disbelieving but amused sound.

"Alright, man. But if you do ever want to talk, I'm always here."

"I know. Thank you." Morgan shut the door and walked off. Hotch returned to the work in front of him.

*

"You know, we don't actually know how many-" Reid began, only to be cut off by Prentiss.

"JJ, there you are. Everything alright? You're usually as early as Hotch." The other agent was rarely late, and yet it was almost nine. Hotch had been in the office for likely more than an hour, from what the others knew of his schedule.

"Yeah, everything's fine," JJ said, waving away her friend's concerns. "Henry has a fever, Will's watching him. I left a bit late because of that and hit traffic."

"Henry okay?" Reid chimed in from his desk.

"He will be," JJ assured the group. "He's warm but not dangerously so. We're just worried over how frequently he gets sick."

"That's not uncommon," Reid said. "The average child Henry's age tends to get several fevers a year, not to mention seven or eight colds. So I really wouldn't worry about it unless it's rather severe." He tapped his pen against his fingers, as he was wont to do. JJ nodded, a bit off-kilter

"Thanks, Reid."

*

"Prentiss." Her name being called grabbed her attention away from the report she was filling out as Morgan and Reid bickered behind her, and she turned. Hotch stood outside his office, waiting for her to turn. "I need to speak with you."

It wasn't only her attention that he had. Reid and Morgan were watching intently as well. She rose and made her way over, frowning.

"Something going on?" Hotch opened his door for her in answer. She entered, and he shut it behind them.

"You're not in trouble," he said once he had taken a seat at his desk and she was sitting in the chair across from him. "It's just some routine training. Seven months is a long time to be gone from the team. The Bureau needs to know you're still sharp."

"What do they need from me this time?" The retraining and assessments had been continuous since she had returned to the Unit. Hotch slid a form and a pen towards her.

"For you to fill that out, then report to the mats tomorrow. Morgan and I can cover your paperwork." She nodded.

"You can return to your desk. And, Emily. It's nice to have you back." She stood and moved to the door, then paused with one hand on it.

"Hotch?" He looked up questioningly. Prentiss smiled. "Thanks." She got a small smile in return.

*

Lunch was a remarkably quiet affair. Even Hotch deigned to join them, which was unusual in itself. 

"Is anyone doing something interesting this weekend?" Garcia asked.

"A friend and I have plans to go strawberry picking up in Pennsylvania,” Prentiss offered, which gained some approving nods around the table.

“Let’s hope nothing comes up, then.”

“You know, the garden strawberry is originally from Brittany, France, and is a cross of two other breeds, one from eastern North America and the other from Chile. It replaced the woodland strawberry, which had been around since the early 17th century,” was Reid’s contribution.

The talk after that shifted to work, and what had come up in reports. Some members were more vocal than others. Hotch was frequently observant but largely silent when there wasn’t a case, staying in his office and working alone. Rossi preferred to observe as well, but tended to be more active in the conversation.

*

Towards the end of the day, Hotch knocked on JJ’s door.

“Come in,” was the call he was greeted with. She looked up in surprise as he entered, hands pausing on the file she was looking over. “Hey, Hotch. There’s nothing demanding we fly out, though there are a couple of cases that we should offer a consultation on.” He made a small, dismissive gesture.

“I’m not here to discuss cases yet. I trust your judgement.” She smiled.

“Um, thanks. Why are you here, then?”

“Checking on you. You’ve seemed distraught today.” JJ gave him a tight smile.

“It’s nothing, really. It’s this job. It’s my son being sick. I’m fine, Hotch.”

“JJ, if you want to talk, I’m here. And if you need to take some time off, no one’s going to think less of you.”

“I know that.”

“But?”

“But I can’t bear to.” She sighed, quietly. “I can’t step away from this desk and these files, knowing that if I take even a day off, they’re going to pile up and by the time I get through, there’s going to be more bodies. They aren’t my fault, and I know that, but some days it weighs on me more heavily than others.”

She looked up, studying his face. “I can do this job.”

“I know.”

“I just have bad days.”

“Look at me.” JJ lifted her eyes, meeting his own. Hotch continued softly. “You go through files detailing some of the worst acts human beings have committed every day. You have to choose who we try to catch, knowing that the others that you don’t pick are going to keep on killing. Of course this job weighs on you. I want you to know that you have my respect. You’ve always had it. If you need anything, I’m here for you.”

She smiled, teary-eyed.

“Thank you, Hotch.” She slid him a file. He took it.

“The evil in the world is not your fault,” he reminded her as he opened the door to leave.

“Nor is it yours,” she said.

*

It was unusual for any of them to, towards the end of the day, find themselves with a light enough load of work to begin thinking about heading home. It was unfortunately common amongst members of the team to stay far later than was healthy in order to finish filling out some form or report, or to finish reading through a file.

The time was approaching eight by the time Rossi wrapped up the final file he was reviewing. He shook out his wrist, stood, and began packing up.

Then, as was custom on the nights it was just the two of them left, he made his way to Hotch’s office.

Hotch looked up as he entered. “Budget reports,” he said in answer to the questioning look. “HR wants to make another cut and Strauss has me looking over the proposal in case they go through with it.” Rossi dropped into one of the chairs opposite Hotch’s desk.

“What’s it look like for the team?”

“There’s no threat of downsizing this time.” Hotch made another mark and kept reading.

“Well, that’s good, at least.”

Rossi watched in silence as his friend continued to make his way through the report, his usual frown etched on his face even now, in the quiet stillness when it was just the two of them.

Hotch set the file aside some ten minutes later. He took his things as well, then Rossi opened the door for them both and they headed out.

The elevator ride and the walk to the main entrance passed in a blur, and before long, the two of them had reached the parking lot and their cars. They had parked beside each other, something that had started out being convenience (they tended to leave late, and together), and had turned into a habit both were unwilling to break.

“I’ll see you tonight?” Rossi asked as they stood face to face, closer than was perhaps appropriate for two colleagues. Hotch’s hand found his waist.

“Tonight,” he agreed. “An hour from now, my place?”

“Works for me,” Rossi told him. The kiss they shared was brief and chaste. Nothing else was safe, and even that much was too much for a place like the parking lot of Quantico.

*

An hour later, Hotch had seen Jack safely to bed and now opened the door to admit his partner. Rossi entered, and they found their way to the kitchen, trading soft words and sure hands, at ease with each other.

Their relationship was far from new, after all. They had been working with each other for a little over two decades and had been friendly throughout. Their romantic involvement was shorter, but still had several years on it. 

Hotch took Rossi’s free hand as they drank, and Rossi could feel the cold of the ring Hotch wore against his skin. They both wore the rings signifying their relationship, though what exactly the rings signified he couldn’t say.

“I’ve been wondering,” Hotch said into the quiet. They had never dared to go further than what they had. A serious relationship between two employees, especially two senior employees, was enough risk as it was. Marriage was out of the question for more than one reason. Anything more than friendship was already putting the team at risk. If one of them was injured or killed on a case, the other would be more vulnerable than was safe with their job. Relationships were a risk, always had been. Unfortunately for them and countless others, their hearts had never cared.

“We have plans to not go further until we’re retired.” Hotch paused, turning the words over in his mind and finding the right ones. “But if we could safely, Dave, would you marry me?”

“Yes,” was the answer that fell from Rossi’s lips, before he sealed them over Hotch’s again. He tasted desperation and the wine they had drunk. The glasses found their way onto the counter as he wrapped his arms around his lover, holding him close as Hotch did the same.

[bxllafanficc]

¡Skate/sing your hearts out! (Yuri Plisetsky x reader)

(part one)

part two part three part four part five. Find the rest on; Masterlist

Summary: After last year's cancellation of Figure Skating Grand Prix, Yuri Plisetsky finds himself unable to bring out his inner skater after a year of doing nothing but enjoy life like a regular teenager. That's when you enter the picture; We Are Voice Grand Awards's currently hottest competitive vocalist come first place two years in a row. Just like the other competitors of Grand Prix, it turns out that Victor and Yuuri faces the same issue. With an arrangement between Victor and Yakov, they agree to travel to Japan and hire you as a mutual coach for Yuri and Yuuri to help bring back the emotion into their performances like before, maybe even more intense than ever. Yuri however, who's never experienced issues with his coaches before, for some reason finds this one particularly difficult to coexist along with in their (reasonably) odd partnership. Warnings: none

*Yuri's POV*

"Remind me once again why we're going to Japan? It's clear you'd never take us there just because you miss Victor and I know by experience that it's not because of his apprentice."

First class flight like usual. The view out the airplane window of the sparkling city at nighttime below them would stun anybody but at this point, Yuri has traveled so many times it's only become regular sights and the lights of the streets are only plain colored spots in a dark void to him these days. One thing he will never feel comfortable with though is staying in the same seat for hours on end until the airplane arrives at its destination. His legs are itching from wanting to move around. He'll just have to jog it off back on the ground like every other trip in the past.

"You'll be spending some time with Yuuri Katsuki and Victor the following weeks to gain your fighting spirit back. You need to get back in touch with your emotions, remember?" Yakov slightly turned his posture towards the Russian skater beside him, folding his newspaper in half and putting it in his lap.

He only nodded with a slight hum. He could see Yakov's reasoning, some parts of it at least. He HAD been lacking in emotional performance ever since the new year began and it was time to get back into the mindset of winning yet another Grand Prix gold medal like last year. No, not last year. Last year's competition was cancelled after a minor pandemic spread through Russia and the nearby regions. In fear of the virus spreading, all competitions cancelled and larger crowded areas were forbidden to take place. Therefore Yuri's only been able to practice by himself and keeping himself fit for a possible competition next year. But a year of doing nothing can really change your spirit and afraid to admitting it to his coach, he's been missing several opportunities to hit the rink and stayed home watching anime or scrolled through social media instead.

But one thing he doesn't get is how Victor and Yuuri are gonna make him get his mindset in the right track again. He already won his first gold medal at his senior debut and he doubt that the Japanese skater will be in any better condition than Yuri's currently in right now. Pig-man must've been in a much worse state considering his boo Victor had to stay in Russia during the pandemic, unable to keep an eye on Yuuri's routines.

"Besides, there's a little surprise waiting for you where you'll be staying with the two of them. It better work out fine or else I'm out of ideas."

That caught his attention to say the least.

"Well if it's supposed to save me from the deep end then why be so secretive and hushy with it? Spill the news, Yakov."

The old man only grunted and picked up his newspaper once again and hid his face behind it. Well now he really wanted to know what it was. Clearly he would have to make some effort. Soon the article about a Russian charity event taking place this weekend got replaced with a clenched fist going straight through the back of the paper. Yuri expected some kind of reaction but Yakov only sighed and leaned back in his seat without even a flinch.

"It's no surprise if I tell you. I promised Victor to keep it a secret."

"Tell me."

"No."

Yuri groaned and folded his arms with a sour glare. The display in the ceiling told the traveler's that it was 10 minutes until landing so he gave up his attempts and let his eyes rest for a while. At least he would find out tomorrow, he assumed. It was 2am and he would be staying at a hotel close to the airport since it was too late to make rest of the trip in one day.

Yuri was out with the speed of a lightning bolt the second the plane doors opened. He sped past everyone before him and he didn't stop when he finally got outside. His feet carried him to run circles around the plane meanwhile he was waiting for Yakov to get out the normal way. It's a silly habit of his and he knows he looks stupid doing it but his coach has given him strict orders to not run away at one random direction like used to do at first. It would take like half an hour for him to be found once he took off, but only if he got lost.

"Yuri! Get over here!"

Well, there's his cue to get ready and head to the hotel. Finally he's able to get some sleep before he's forced to wake up early at dawn to head to Hot Springs and meet the two most annoying people in Japan.

...

He didn't even have time to eat breakfast. He overslept and got rushed to the cab with an angry Yakov behind him, newspaper folded tightly in his fist. The trip through the beautiful Japan would've been pleasant if Yuri hadn't dozed off every 10 seconds. He didn't get much sleep after all. He spent at least three hours thinking about the special surprise and raiding the free mini bar before he finally got to rest. At 8am he was woken up with banging on the door and now, at 10am, he was standing at the entrance of Hot Springs waiting for Yuuri's mom to announce their arrival. She hurried away somewhere with her usual bubbly happy self that Yuri had no idea how a person could be so... not moody all day long.

The place was as crowded with customers as last time and the two Russians were told to step inside to the more private parts of the building where the family lived along with Victor at the moment.

"Victor! How come my brand new lotion is used? You smelled a suspicious amount of peaches and wild berries at breakfast and there's no point denying it!" A fairly soft and modulated voice was heard from somewhere to the left where the private shower stalls were located. A couple seconds later a giggly Victor and Yuuri came through the direction of the living room and greeted Yuri with happy cheers. The slender white haired Russian caught Yakov in a bear hug, much to the old man's surprise. Yuuri extended his hand towards Yuri but Yuri didn't give any effort in taking it.

"Food. I'm starving."

Yuuri dropped his hand with a light blush but Victor pouted and let go of his former coach. Strong and clingy arms were suddenly wrapped around his chest and he couldn't breathe.

"So unpolite... Yuriooo we've missed you! Haven't you missed us?"

Yuri thrashed like a fish caught in a net and tried to hit the arms of the bastard trapping him. Yuuri joined in, only to get a kick in the hip. His stomach growled angrily and the endless void in his body didn't lighten up the experience a bit.

"Let go you old man! You too piglet!"

"I hoped you'd say it out loud but I know that deep down you've been missing us, Yuriii." Victor went to whisper in his ear with pouty lips but was swatted away by a backhand in his face. That finally caused him to let go and Yuri jumped out of reach for the two males.

"Hm... Or not." The expression he got from Victor was sad and pouty and the man earned a hand on his shoulder, put there by Yuuri. Yuri could only sigh and shake his head.

"Victor! Did you steal my shampoo too?! I will- Oh? What now?" Yuri turned around abruptly by the unfamiliar yet familiar voice behind him. His eyes widened.

The girl was standing to the left of the hall, seemingly coming from the shower. A curious hand rested against the wall beside her and her face was covered in a grey clay face mask, a toothbrush lazily hanging from the corner of her lips. Her (h/c) eyes glistened with mild shock along with her mouth hanging slightly open.

"You are early... Victor, you told me they would arrive at 1pm1!" She pointed a strict finger at the tall man who scratched the back of his head with a hesitant laugh. Her eyes narrowed and she grabbed her toothbrush. Because even if she was standing unprepared in front of two strangers, she would at least not forget to brush her teeth in the process, as you do.

Yuri might've considered it normal if it wasn't for that she was almost naked. Two towels were the only fabric hiding her, one wrapped around her dripping figure and the other tied up in her hair.

"Yeah, about that! I kind of mixed up the time of their arrival and your meeting with the press, that's, by the way now when I think of it, not actually cancelled but later today. Silly of me to forget, right?"

She eyed him as though her bullshit meter was ticking in the red zone and let out a huff. Yuri had to advert his gaze when it suddenly felt intruding to eye her the way he did. He also turned away because a light tint of pink was creeping up his cheeks.

"Right. Thanks for the early update. I appreciate it, really. I'll be with you again in 30 minutes. Don't wait up for me." And with that, she was gone. The silence of the men maintained for a few moments until Yuuri coughed with an awkward smile, his red cheeks still visible even after the girl had disappeared. 'It's a little weird to blush at your almost naked sister' he thought.

"So food, right? Mom is preparing pork cutlet bowls for you, Yurio, since she remembered how much you liked them last time-" He didn't have to say it twice. Yuri was off to the dining area before the man even finished saying 'pork cutlet bowl'.

[slashbitch2]

Chapter Six (Jennifer Barkley x Reader)

Previous Chapter

The entire day, nay week leading up to Jen's arrival was fraught with tension. Time went all too quickly, yet dragged simultaneously. By Friday you were brimming with so much unnecessary energy that your productivity at work was comparable to that of Leslie, who's determination was currently your source of frustration. Had she not been so resolute about giving Jen a 'personal Pawnee tour', than you would've reunited at 5 rather than 9.

Admittedly, it was also your fault for not calling out her lengthy lie, but those extra four hours you had to suffer through were compensation enough.

In an attempt to pass the extra time, you tried to stay at work for longer, but Fridays were your half day and Ron demanded that you go home immediately, lest you do any extra government work. Reluctant to return to an empty house, you'd asked around if anyone wanted to hang out, and were met with a series of rejections.

Except for Ann, who upon being enlightened about the situation, insisted she help you get ready for your date (initially you refuted the title of 'date', but by the second hour of your evening it became tolerated). Her company, though unexpected, was more than welcomed. Having someone to share your excitement with made the increasing tension almost fun.

"Y/N?" Ann waved her hand in your line of vision, catching your attention. "We going in, or just spending the night in the car?"

"Don't tempt me." You muttered, grudgingly dragged out of your thoughts.

In front of you the queue to the The Snakehole Lounge was gradually growing. The sheer amount of people gathered outside was intimidating, so you dreaded to imagine how packed it'd be inside. Staying at home would've been preferable, but it seemed that time alone with Jennifer was not a luxury presently granted to you.

"Come on." Ann nudged you with her elbow. "You've been going on about this all day and now you're going to wuss out?"

You twisted round to face her, illuminated by the flickering multi-coloured lights beaming out the club's windows. She was watching you closely, trying to gauge how you felt based off expression alone. Despite all that was rushing through your mind, you were at a loss for words. How could you even begin to convey what you were currently feeling?

"Stop overthinking it." She said. "There's no way of knowing what'll happen when you see Jennifer again, but only you can change that, so just roll with it."

You paused to consider her suggestion, coming to the conclusion that she was more observant than you gave her credit for.

"You're right." You admitted, grateful that she'd knocked some sense into you. "Thanks." Awkwardly, you leant across the centre console to hug her. You didn't know Ann all too well, but needed some way of showing gratitude for her sensibility.

"This is nice." She relaxed into the embrace, then unwound an arm to glance at her watch. "But we're five minutes late so I'm pretty sure Leslie will be sending out a search party soon."

You chuckled, separating from Ann to glance at the building once more. Jen was somewhere inside waiting for you. She'd voluntarily returned to Pawnee, and to one of its less than fine establishments of all places, just because she wanted to see you again. The very notion had your heart racing.

"I'm ready."

---

The atmosphere of the club was as intense and unruly as expected. By the time you'd adjusted to the blinding lights and deafening music, Ann had already slipped away, replaced by Tom.

"Welcome this evening's esteemed VIP." He thrusted a disturbingly bright neon beverage into your hand. "Drink up."

"What is it?"

"Sweetums Fizz. My go-to drink for when I'm tryna get lucky." He winked. "But if it doesn't work out, feel free to give her my number."

Coming from Tom, that was the closest you would get to his blessings. So, unenthusiastically you took a sip of the dreadfully sweet drink , screwing up your face as you forced it down. Trying your best not to grimace at the taste, you smiled at him in thanks before he dispersed into the mass of people.

Next to approach was Leslie, who engulfed you in a crushing hug while spewing unintelligible nonsense about her trip. Usually her overly affectionate manner was too much, but this time you pulled her closer. If all went well tonight than you would be forever indebted to her.

Removing yourself from her grip, you interrupted her endless talk. "As much as I'd love to hear about Washington," You yelled over the obnoxiously loud music playing. "I can't hear a word your saying."

"Right." She nodded. "Wrong time, wrong place." There was a pause as the both of you were happy enjoying each others company. Since Jen's exit, Leslie had been so supportive and you'd missed her while she'd been gone.

Although, now wasn't the time for acknowledgements. "Have you seen Jen anywhere?"

"Oh, yeah." Leslie swivelled around and gestured in a general direction. "I think she said something about staying near the fire escape. Said this entire building was probably a hazard."

"That sounds like her." You grinned, spotting the green glowing fire exit sign. "Wish me luck."

"You don't need it." She patted your back, smiling reassuringly as you shuffled past.

Navigating through the crowd while keeping an eye on your target was a challenge. Several people bumped into you, their drink nearly spilling as they pushed past without an apology. However, nothing else mattered as you drew closer to the sign. Nothing else mattered except finding Jen.

Only she wasn't there.

As you struggled through the final row of people, you were met with yet another group of strangers. You sighed, absentmindedly swirling your glass as you resigned to return to Leslie. You then raised it to drink while turning round, though the necessary libation never reached your lips as you collided with someone.

The casualty gasped, stepping back as the cocktail spilled down the front of their dress.

"Shit." You froze, surveying the damage. "I'm so sorry-" You finally glanced up to face the woman and apologise again, but halted upon realisation.

Of course it was Jennifer. You just couldn't catch a break.

"I was going to surprise you, but looks like you got there first." She joked, scanning the vicinity for any kind of napkin. You joined the search, eventually spotting a couple abandoned on a table.

"Again, I am so sorry." You repeated, watching as she scrubbed at the stain. The attempt was futile as it didn't take long for the paper to be completely soaked through, and with little improvement to her dress. "Come on." You grabbed hold of her hand as she discarded the napkins, eager to try and improve this disaster of an event.

You maneuverer through the club with much difficulty while dragging Jennifer, who had an iron grip on your hand. Invigorated by the embarrassment, you arrived at the bathroom a mere minute later, all but shoving her inside one of the cubicles. Under the blaringly bright lighting you could assess the damage in greater detail.

"You know what?" She casually leant against the wall, waving her finger around. "I'm having some serious Deja-vu right now." You looked at her questioningly, pleased to see she didn't look too upset with the state of her dress. "Us together in a public restroom, you staring at my chest..."

You scoffed, reaching past her to grab the toilet paper. "Don't flatter yourself." You wrapped several layers around your hand, creating a makeshift towel. "Completely different circumstances."

"Same outcome though?" She raised an eyebrow suggestively, taking the bundle of paper from you.

"We'll just have to wait and see."

"I think you owe me." She scrunched up her face. "Or is throwing your drink over someone a traditional Pawnee welcome? Because that would explain the mess back there. Pretty sure every surface was sticky."

"Maybe you should wear one of those plastic ponchos next time." You muttered, nervously fidgeting with your hands.

The familiar anxiety from earlier seemed to have reappeared, you were unable to drag your eyes away from where they were fixated . Under the sobering bathroom light, everything had suddenly become very real. It had been years since you'd pursued any kind of serious relationship, and Jen was hardly the easiest person to start with. You tried to think about what Ann would say if she were here.

Probably something astute like "All the best things in life are worth fighting for." Too cheesy.

It'd be more "Nothing good comes out of running away from what you want, even if it's hard." Not inspirational enough.

Possibly "With great effort comes great gain." Nope. You'd definitely plagiarised that one from somewhere.

Maybe she'd-

"Y/N?" Jen ducked into your line of vision, bringing you back to reality. "Lost you there for a second." She smiled cautiously, resting a hand against your arm as if tethering you to the present.

"Sorry. I was thinking about something a friend said." You admitted sheepishly, placing your hand atop of hers. "Or would say if she were here."

"Oh yeah?" She carelessly threw the wad of paper behind, her full attention now on you. "And what would she say?"

You'd finally settled on what Ann would suggest. She'd say "Kiss her, idiot."

And you did.

[radioheadyaoi]

sometimes, i feel yellow

jjpope fanfiction. angst/fluff. second/first pov. pope centric, jj backstory. taglist: @dreamypope @pope-obx @drspock @playitaagain @bipopeheyward @ronnieweasley @pluto-the-planet1 @shipperssafehaven @jjbaymank (let me know if you want to be added!)

You are on a swing. The world is pushing against you. You are becoming one with the sky, your bones falling to the ground.

This is what what dying feels like. It feels good for a moment, all high and light, then, you swing back down and hit rocks. Everything shatters. Your feet crumple first, the your legs and suddenly your body folds into nothing.

You get back on the swing. You know nothing but infinity. It starts again.

For a moment, you can smell your mother's cooking and you forget you don't have a mother.

There is a hole in your body bandaids cannot fix. You are only a boy, so empty, so drained and filled with nothing. Everything echos inside you and you can't figure how you got so hollow.

Calloused hands, sleep deprived eyes, aching stomachs. This is not living.

It always feels like its about to rain but it never does.

Your lips are chewed raw and there is blood under your nails.

Sometimes you feel a little whole but mostly, it feels broken.

Snapped twigs abandoned on sandy shorelines and gravel paths with entrances marked with war aged trees.

A camera is smashed into the pavement, no more memories.

Everything is licked by fire. The flames don't go out.

You are on a swing. The world is forcing you into the blank sky. Your skin melts and your skeleton is left out to dry.

Everyone has a silhouette. Not you. You leave no mark. You are nothing, as they say.

You can see your childhood home in the distance, behind the garden, close enough to touch but leaning away from you. It does not want you no matter how much you want it.

Your fingers are sticky and for a moment you can't figure out why until you remember you are scratching your skin until your body is covered in blood. Small wounds let out waterfalls.

You can't get off the swing. Your teeth hurt from gum you don't remember chewing. Your mouth tastes like dry clementines and medicine and ash.

The swings stretch for miles but there is only you. (You are utterly alone.) For a second, you wonder whether you can move to another swing. (You stay put, don't bother trying. Maybe next time, when the sky is lighter.)

The air smells like round pasta and tear drenched line paper. Smiles across the skies and mountains that groan in the mornings.

You tumble off the swing, into the wet dirt. You get back up. You start again.

All you know is infinity.

---

JJ smiles when it’s just us.  All happy, too sweet to ignore.  

I feel so slow.  Everything feels so slow.  Neil is trying.  He is smiling, talking more than he always does, making sure I’m not hungry, not cold.

No, I’m okay.  I’m fine. It’s alright.  Don’t worry about me.

He is trying too hard.  He is doing what he thinks I want.  I don’t want that. I want him.

He doesn’t understand.  I want to love all of him.  All the pieces he loves, all the pieces he hates so much he locks them away.  Those pieces deserve love too.

Sometimes I feel yellow.

I am standing in the kitchen, hands on the counter, staring out the window at the sky.

Thick soupy yellows and watery ones that spread far across every little thing.  Corns and suns and sand at the bottom of the ocean. Nail polish and wide skirt dresses and pens and cereal your mother buys.

The oven is beeping.  JJ shuts it off.

He comes in and stands behind me, wraps his arms around my waist, puts his head on my shoulder.  I can feel every breath he breathes out, every sigh. He fits perfectly into me.

I don’t know why I feel this way, nobody else does.  JJ doesn’t ask why.

He is making me see stars.

Him.  Him. Him.

I wanted him to be angry at me for feeling like this. His calm was angry. I wanted JJ to shout, hate me a little in his soul. This was JJ. Only angry sometimes, never at me.

He kissed the palms of my hands and held them tight.

"Its okay," he says. "To be upset."

I hate this feeling that's inside me. I hate his calm.

My body slumps and I fall into JJ. My cheeks are all hot. The room is too hot. He doesn't try and kiss me but I wish he would. He tells me to breath instead.

One two three. One in one out. Again again again.

JJ cares. Its strange to think how someone like JJ, drowned in loss and broken things, can try again just to love me. Hold me tighter tighter tighter, trying. (That's the wonder of it, isn't it? He tries.)

He is fixing my broken pieces.

---

There are three freckles on his hip bone. Three small boats in an ocean of skin. I kiss them all.

He traces over the crescent scar on my back. JJ is all fuzzy around the edges, cheeks flushed from the wine we shared. He gets like this, all soft and lazy, tired, eyes barely open, mouth slightly closed. I kiss all the giggles off his mouth.

"Where did you get this," he asks.

"My grandfather's stupid fucking dog," I say. He laughs.

Love is not all knowing. It tries to be. It is all naked, trying to understand all the mysteries under skin and veins.

There's a scar on his wrist. I don't want to know where it's from

(Before, when I couldn't sleep, I would stare up at the ceiling, out the window, go downstairs and listen to the kitchen shake. Now, I can turn into JJ and let him hold me. Love has made me soft.)

I cannot sleep.

"What's this," I ask JJ, pointing to the almost round scar on his cheek. Its impossibly small but I'm surprised I never noticed it. There's one by his ear too, that I didn't see before this.

JJ smells like sunken ships devoured by waves and clean bed sheets. (This is my favorite smell.) There's dirt under his nails. There's a lake in his eyes.

JJ smiles all sad, like rain, shrugs the best he can. That's all I get.

Everything feels like a secret.

"Can I show you something?" JJ asks. I nod. I wasn't sleeping anyways.

He pulls me out of bed. He's wearing my sweater.

---

Everything is covered in goosebumps.

In the clearing of trees behind the house, there is three gravestones, one brand new, the others crumbling with time. The crack in the forest opens up to new winds. I shiver. This feels like an unhealed wound, glowing red, on cold skin.

There's a tombstone for someone named Molly. Aged eleven.

JJ says nothing. I turn to the other grave. The leaves crack under my shoes.

"My father died after Molly did. He had been dying a long time but she finished him off." No sadness in his voice. I can taste the spice from dinner on my lips and wonder, only for a second, if JJ can too.

"My mother died just after I met you." I can't figure out why he's telling me this, especially now, when I am trying to find sleep. The urge to vomit bubbles in my throat, I fight it back down into my stomach. He grabs my hand and I grib it tight. I wish I had a coat.

We stand there. I turn, kiss him. I can taste the wind in his mouth.

---

I dream. I do not want to.

Are you drowning in the ocean or in his eyes?

There's a cake on the table, perfectly decorated. I sit down, take a bite. The icing cracks and the floor breaks.

I need to grab something. There is nothing. Something creaks, I don't know what. The sky is black, the dirt is orange. I vomit. Flowers sprout.

There is no JJ, only the jacket he likes. I put it on. I am warm. The ground steadies, just a little. My head stops spinning.

Running. I am running from something.

I stop. There is nothing behind me.

A girl is sitting by the pool. Long hair the color of the stars, her dress dipping into the ground. She smells like cherry ice pops and watermelon juice. She smiles. Her voice sounds like thunder.

"Are you drowning in the ocean or in his eyes?"

I can see the freckles in his hip, the three little boats.

In his eyes, I think.

---

I wake up.

I remember, when I first moved in, I did not love him because I did not know him.  I loved what he did for me, the risk he took by letting me in, letting me stay.  We fell into routine. He made dinner on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. I made dinner Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  We went out on Saturday and ordered in whenever we felt lazy. I did laundry at the end of the week and he did his smack dab in the middle.  His clothing mixed into mine and we did it all in one load. He let me pick whichever room I wanted and stay up as late as I wanted and drive the car, all I had to do was ask. 

Everything finally felt good.  

We mixed well together.

I remember when he took me out, finally, after waiting for so long.

Halfway through dinner, JJ had spoken up.

“Would you like to go on a date?”

There’s a bruise on his cheek, a brown flower, that wasn’t there last night.  

Dinner is soup.  My turn. I didn’t go out to get another and there wasn’t much in the kitchen.  We needed to go grocery shopping.  

“With you?”  He nodded. I stuttered.  “Sure, where?”

JJ had shrugged  “I can figure something out,” he said   “Unless you have an idea.” I shook my head.  I’ve only been on one or two dates. I don’t know what people like to do.  

I didn't say anything else.  He said: “Are you free tonight?”  I can only nod. This whole interaction is so odd.  It’s not the kind of thing I would ever expect from JJ, or anyone else.

I lied.  I’ve never been on any dates.

JJ smiled at me then, a real one.  A rare occurrence, but always a welcome one.  

I don’t want to spend the rest of dinner in silence so I say:  “We need groceries.” JJ nodded.

“Anything specific?”  He asked.

“Well, I had a few ideas for my days, and then whatever you want.”

Jesus Christ.  So domestic, like a married couple that still loves each other.  “Make sure to get two loaves of bread. We eat them too quickly.”  He smiled. I offered a half lipped smile back, not reaching my eyes, though I pray he doesn’t notice.  

He goes off, talking about a book, something that happened, I can’t tell.  He laughs and I join in, only half alert of the story he’s telling. He throws up his arms to gesture to something and I nod.  He feels so alive.

I had never wanted to be loved by anyone more.

We're disasters, him and I.

---

I go back to sleep. I dream. There is a corn maze.

---

I walk to the maze, take a deep breath and step inside.

Every outside sound disappears.  I can only hear the plants moving in the wind and the sound of my own breath.  The wind feels a little colder and something clicks in my head. It’s an ocean of calm, the fields grown high enough to frame the sky.  It’s just you and heaven. Alone.

(I don’t like alone.  But I like this.)

This is not fall.  This is winter in an orange coat.  Autumn is thick with family. Winter takes the long path home, all alone.  Everything smells like dirt.

Everything everything everything.  This is the only word I know.

Go home, the wind is saying.  What is home. Is it JJ or is it with Mom?  Is it the town? Does it not exist?

I go home.  Wherever that is.

---

It's morning. All I can think of is Molly. Why he never mentioned it, and why then.

JJ smiles. He is made of secrets.

He is homes and I am drowning in his eyes.

[fromheroestodust]

Rose Killer: Pt.4; Stuck Together

Summary: You're the leader of the strongest mafia in London. What will happen when you're forced to team up with your worst enemy

Warnings: language, violence, PTSD, cringy askout

Word count: 3852

A/N: my friend asked me to add her into this, hence Paddy's friend 😂

You wake up, finding your mattress suddenly very firm and uncomfortable. Wait - This isn't your mattress, and this isn't your room. Bolting into an upright position, you find yourself on the floor of... Harrison's room? A blanket falls off of your shoulders and you find the half finished board game two feet away from you, a piece rolling on the floor from your movements as another falls from your palm. The memories from the previous night flood in, causing you to cringe at your own actions. How could you let yourself do any of that? A little further on past the gameboard lays another figure wrapped in the duvet, his hair covering most of his facial features. Why'd Harrison sleep on the floor? Did he just fall asleep there?

"Haz." You whisper in a low tone, not wanting to cause him to jump awake. "Haz!" His eyes blink open before he rubs them and sits up, his hair even more of a mess now as some of it falls to frame his face while the other half sticks up in odd directions. "Mmmorning." He hums before standing up, taking the blanket with him and throwing it onto the bed.

"Why'd you sleep on the floor?" You ask through a yawn, picking up your own blanket - you could've sworn you didn't fall asleep with it - and picking up "High-Ho-Cherrio".

"Why'd you sleep on the floor?" He questions, causing you to role your eyes with a smile. "I fell asleep first." You point out, setting the game box on the bedside table. "Anyway, it's not my bed. It'd be weird if I slept in it."

"Good point. I just fell asleep." He shrugs. "Isn't there some group meeting at ten?"

"Yeah," You confirm, giving him a questioning look, cocking your head to the side. "Why?"

"It's 10:01." Harrison answers nonchalantly before rushing to grab his stuff, his body turning to a blur in front of your weary eyes. "What?!" You exclaim, looking at your phone.10:01. "Shit! Where's my stuff?!" Both of you run around, two tornadoes nearly destroying the room with every unsteady, tired step. Finally you find your rose, gun, and dagger. After pulling your hair up into a messy bun the two of you run down the halls to the conference room where Tom was surely waiting to curse you out for being late. 10:08

The door to the large room is thrown open, you and Harrison walk in out of breathe with messy hair and clothes, seeming like you spent the past three days in the woods. "I- ehm- I brought the files." Haz says before handing the multiple folders over to Tom who wore a very questioning and weirded out look as if to say what the fuck happened to you two? And why is she with you? The blonde just shakes his head, taking a seat in one of the two open large leather chairs surrounding the long, glossy, dark oak table. Taking the one next to him the meeting starts, everyone's expression in the room saying they'd moved passed the event but their eyes held many questions that will never be answered.

-

"So Y/n and I will see to Leo after they bring him here. After a nice beating he'll cave." Tom summarizes, your face back to the stern glare you wear for work. A few more words are traded before everyone except you, Tom, and Harrison are left in the room, for you three didn't have to rush of to another destination.

"Did you hear that?" You ask Tom, picking up a few papers giving you information on Leo Sandraya, your target for the next few weeks.

"What?" He asks, a look of alarm on his face as his eyes scan the room quickly, a hunter looking for prey, before landing back on you, his brows furrowed together.

"Silence. For once in a meeting we didn't tell at each other." You smirk, Haz suppressing a laugh behind his friend.

"Shut up, Y/l/n." He hisses, clearly not amused with your humor as a stern look plays on his face.

"Someone's being bitchy." You mumble, collecting your files on Sandraya.

"Look, I don't know why all of a sudden you're being soft around us but your plan won't work." Tom says, venom oozing from his words as he turns to face you with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't have a plan!" You exclaim in defense. "I actually have a version of me separate from the me at work. But this is the only one you'll ever see." With that you strut out of the room and to your own to change out of your nightwear and probably into a outfit to workout, a limp obvious in your step.

"What's her fucking problem?" Tom groans to Harrison after turning away from your shrinking figure, putting papers in a manilla folder.

"Nothing really, mate. Like she said she has a side separate from work." Haz shrugs.

"What, like you know her?" The brunette scoffs. Why was his friend suddenly defending her? Especially after what happened between them?

"Because I actually took the time to get to know her. We've been friends for a bit now." Haz says in a tone much more angry then he meant before switching to a calmer one. "Just... Try talking to her instead of being at her throat everyday."

Tom stares at his friend, trying to decipher something from his expression or his eyes. "Fine. I guess I sort of have to considering there's that party next week." He sighs in defeat, trusting his best friend. The only person who could make Tom change his mind or take in a new idea was Harrison. And, as much as he'd want to deny it, the decision was almost always right excluding a few choice occasions.

"I guess that meeting did end in yelling." Haz jokes, attempting to lighten the mood, carefully watching Tom to see how he'll react.

"Shut up." He smiles with a small laugh. "Wanna head down to the gym?"

"Yeah sure." He agrees, scooping his work into his arms before walking out the double doors and down a hallway, opposite from the way you went with playful banter filling the air between the two.

-

After finally making it back to your own room, you change out of your night clothes and into an outfit that's easy to move in, the feeling of the fabric almost seeming like velvet after being in the same small shirt and baggy pants for so long. While you're not supposed to workout, you are allowed to walk on the treadmills and do stretches, and you're not one to not go to the gym at least once a day.

Braiding a rose into your hair, you take a shortcut to your destination. The shortcut includes going outside and whilst out there you spot Tom's youngest sibling with someone. Your lips ever so slightly turn upwards, as you continue on your way, most likely to tell Haz about it later.

You reach the doors to the gym and pushing them open you groan. Tom and Harrison are hitting the punching bags, neither of them noticing your presence as you walk to the treadmills. After stretching you step onto the machine, setting it low enough to where you're walking but high enough to where you'll get at least some exercise in. You put your earbuds in and start walking, blocking out the world with one of music.

-

"Y/n." A voice says, pulling you out of your escape world.

"What?" You sigh, pulling out your earbuds that were playing Weak.

"It's like one." Harrison informs you, Tom standing a little back and to the side of him, refusing to look at you as he averted his gaze to the small screen on the treadmill.

"Oh." You turn off the machine, grabbing your bottle of water and taking a long sip. "Why are you two here so late?"

"Training." Tom surprisingly answers, no glare or mean tone. Something fishy is going on you think, but don't mention it, comfortable with the friendly atmosphere in the room.

"I saw Paddy outside with a girl on my way hers." You add as the three of you walk out, the air between you and Tom stiff but not nearly as suffocating as usual.

"Oh, yeah. That's his friend Ashlyn." He confirms, a smile grazing his lips as your trio turns the corner into the hallway that holds the bedrooms.

Suddenly, extra weight is placed atop your head causing you to jump and look up. "Haz!" You groan, finding his arm resting on your hair. He laughs and removes his arm as you lightly shove him to the side. Tom watches the two of your interactions, realizing that there is a part of you that allowed you to relax and slightly smile. Maybe you smiled more before being taken.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Tom says as he turns into his bedroom, Harrison bidding him goodbye before you two continue to your own. You arrive at yours, both of you walking in with your steps in sync. Almost as soon as you close the door, something wraps around Haz's and yours ankles before pulling you up to the ceiling, pressed against each other upside down.

"What the fuck?" He exclaims, looking around with his hair reaching for the floor.

"Oh yeah... I sorta, maybe, might make traps when I'm scared... And set them." You mumble. "I must've forgotten to take this one down."

You try to reach up to free you two but find your arms pinned under coils of rope. curse my good trap setting you groan in your head.

"Tom!" Harrison yells. "Harry! Sam! Paddy!"

You suddenly become aware of how close you both are, bodies pressed against each other's, chest to chest. A blush spreads across your cheeks like setting fire to dead leaves in the middle of a forest.

Harrison groans and stops attempting to yell for someone, for if they heard they would've came already. "We're going to pass out." He sighs, returning his attention to you as he himself comes to the same realization you had. His own cheeks become dusted in pink, if it was from blood rush or a blush, you'll never know.

"How long do you think we'll be up here?" You ask, averting your gaze from his face as the blanket on your bed was suddenly very very interesting.

"Hopefully not all night." He sighs as your rose falls to the floor, at least seven feet away for it was a very high part of your ceiling you hung from.

You let out a groan of frustration, looking around for anything to help your situation but nothing would help considering your arms are pinned next to Harrison's. This is going to be so much fun.

Another two minutes passes, both of your faces red as your roses from blood flowing into them. You'd already tried moving around to release the rope from where it was tied, but it stayed put, the only way you can get down is if someone else cut or untied the material. How fortunate.

A yawn falls from your lips and your eyes grow heavy, the easy workout you had settling in on your already exhausted body.

"Can I confess something while we're stuck here?" Harrison asks, nervousness looming in his voice as he turns his gaze to you.

"Uh yeah. Yeah sure." You allow, your own nervousness working it's way into your stomach, butterflies making a home there.

"I like you. More than a friend. I know it's weird because we've only known each other for a few months but-" he rants while a smile, a real smile spreads across your face.

"Haz. I... I like you too." You confess, biting your lip due to pure nerves.

A toothy smile sprouts from his mouth, the sight making you fall for him more. Oh, how you wished you'd fall.

Slowly, Harrison's face moves towards yours, stopping just in front of yours with the tips of your noses touching as if asking for permission. You answer by leaning forwards ever so slightly, your lips planting themselves on his in a gentle, meaningful kiss. Your heart is beating so fast you're afraid he'll hear it, but it doesn't really matter if he hears it, he can already feel it. The kiss takes you to another world, one where you're completely happy and everything is okay, a world where you haven't been kidnapped and scarred in more than one way. The kiss is like spring, peaceful and safe with new lives starting. Maybe this is your new life, a life with your enemies best friend. Both of you pull away only because your lungs demand oxygen, but you swear a kiss like that could keep you alive forever. You look up at him, both of your eyes ridden of hate and disgust and instead filled with love and wonder. How unexpected was this relationship between two mobsters, one who'd harmed the other? But most things are unexpected, and sometimes things or people just fit perfectly into the holes in the others hearts left by others. They repair the gaps and replace them with love, fixing a person to their former self. And sometimes, a relationship is all you need.

"What the bloody fuck is going on in here?" Harry asks as he flings open the door. "Holy shit." He stares up at the two of you, pure disbelief centered in his eyes.

"Finally!" You exclaim, starting to feel dizzy from being upside down so long. "We stepped in a trap I set up!"

"Get us down!" Harrison yells, starting to move around causing you both to sway.

"Stop moving- ow!" His foot hits your ankle that'd been sprained at the wearhouse, pain radiating up your leg.

Harry runs out of the room and arrives again a few minutes later with Sam and Tom who look in disbelief.

"I didn't think you were serious..." Tom breathes, staring up at his friends. "How the fuck do we get them down?"

"Just cut it." Sam shrugs, walking towards the rope.

"No! Then we'll land on our heads!" You yell, fear coursing through your body.

"Okay we won't cut it. Calm down. Jeez." Harry sighs with his hands out in front of him.

"How can I calm down if I'm hanging from the ceiling?!" You exclaim, sudden anger coursing through your veins as you see red.

"Y/n." Haz says in a gentle tone next to you, his eyebrows raised. "What?!" You hiss with venom starting to seep into your words as you turn your neck to look at him. "Calm down. They're going to get us down. Freaking out isn't going to do anything." He says, keeping his soft voice. You let out a groan but keep your mouth shut as the three brothers try to figure out how to release you two from the rope safely.

After a moment of pondering, they pull your mattress off of your bed frame. "Okay," Tom says, standing next to the part of the rope tied securely to the frame of your bed. "I'm going to cut the rope." You brace for the impact of ground as you and Haz fall onto the mattress, your hair suspending around you.

"That didn't hurt nearly as much as I expected." You sigh.

"Yeah, probably because you landed on me." Harrison groans, his face slightly screwed up in pain.

"Shit!" You exclaim, trying to break free of the rope around your body but finding yourself unable to. "Stop laughing assholes and get us out!" You yell at Harry and Sam who were laughing between the two of them by the door before they walk next to you, still a few chuckles falling from their lips.

"You guys need to stand up." Sam instructs, examining the rope trapping you and your friend together.

"How?" Harrison asks, straining his neck to look at the boy behind him. Tom, Harry, and Sam crouch around your figures before each picking you up and placing on your feet. Once up, they finally unravel the thick rope, Harrison and you taking a few steps away from each other.

"Thank God..." You breathe stretching out your limbs as your head throbs. "Thanks."

"No problem." Tom says, his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm going back to bed." With that the three brothers walk out the doorway, all whispering while looking back at you two and laughing.

"That was- ehm- interesting." Harrison coughs awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck as a pink color runs across his cheeks, yours following suit.

"Yeah..." You agree while fiddling with a piece of your hair, the air between the two of you suffocatingly awkward.

"Would you maybe like to... Be... My girlfriend?" He asks, hope and slight fear shining in his eyes, his expression eager for a response like a puppy waiting for a treat.

"I'd love to." You grin, teeth trapping your bottom lip between the rows. Haz's own smile spreads across his lips as he moves closer to you. "Oh, I'm sorry I shouldn't have-" he apologizes, his arms going back to his sides but you cut him off by placing a hand on his shoulder and meeting his lips with yours in a quick kiss before backing away.

"It's fine." You smile.

"Right." He states, surprise still evident in his features. "Well, I'm going to head to my room." Harrison starts walking out the door but you stop him, yelling out.

"Wait! C-can I... Come with you...?" You ask, fear striking your body at the thought of the countless nightmares you experienced the previous night.

"Yeah, sure." He answers nonchalantly, waiting for you to join his side before continuing down the hallways. "What time is it?"

"2:34." You answer after checking your phone. "God, no wonder I'm so tired."

You both turn into his bedroom, Harrison shutting the door after you walk in. Awkwardly you climb into his bed, a safe distance away not wanting to over step anything on not even your first hour of a relationship. You feel the mattress dip with Harrison's weight and then your empty palm you had in the space between you both filled with his own. A soft smile falls upon your face before your eyes flutter shut, and you swear that's the most peaceful you've been in years.

"Where are they you little bitch?" A stern voice says, a dark figure towering over your trapped body. "I told you. They're dead." You mumble, head hanging down facing your lap. Suddenly, your face is gripped tightly and forced upwards revealing your parents dead bodies. Blood. Every where. You look at your shaking hands, those covered in the thick crimson liquid that seems to be endlessly pooling in your palms. "Since you won't fucking give me any answers, I guess we'll have to beat them out of you." A man says before something, most likely a knife, cuts across your stomach causing you to yell out in pain. You let out a blood chilling scream and sit up, body covered in cold sweat as you breathe heavily though it feels as if no air is entering your lungs.

"Y/n?" A voice asks from behind you, causing you to turn around with pure terror painting your face. "Har... Harrison?" You breathe out, still sucking in lungfulls of air as your arms threaten to give out under you.

He wears a confused look before realization sets in an "o" expression on his face. "You're fine. We're back at Tom's place not there. You're not there anymore." He assures you, his face softening in an effort to comfort you.

"M-my parents..." You whimper before practically throwing yourself at him, whether he minded or not he didn't show it, only held you against him and ran a hand up and down your back. "You're okay..." He coos, your tears falling onto his shoulder in a trail. You pull away and wipe the streams off of your face, embarrassment consuming your thoughts. "I'm s-so sorry." You apologize. How could you expect him to take care of you every time you go through these nightmares? How could you expect him to stay with you if you're so mentally broken?

Listen." Haz says, taking one of your hands in both of his, easily covering it's entirety. "You don't need to be sorry for something you can't and couldn't control. Even though we've only known each other a short time, friends help friends and hey, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't help you?"

Thanks." You say with an almost unnoticeable smile. Leaning forwards, you place your forehead against his bare chest, his chin resting on top of your head, the scent of your shampoo filling his nose. You felt safe for the first time since you were little, to you the safest place on Earth is in Harrison's arms as if nothing could hurt you because you're with him.

"Wanna go back to sleep?" Harrison asks, moving to look you in the eye. Your y/e/c eyes stare into his blue ones, searching for trust and almost immediately finding it. "Yeah."

With your confirmation, Haz slowly lays down, his arms still around your middle. Again, you both stay a distance away from each other though this times it's closer, the feeling of peace stronger than before as you both fall asleep with the other in your grasp. Slash after slash your own blood circles around you. "I can't give you anymore information." You grunt, someone punching you across the face, a metallic taste filling your mouth with the crunch of bone. Sucking in a large breath, your eyes open in panic and lingering pain crosses your arms and stomach. You're about to bolt upright but your eyes land on Haz's sleeping face, his features are completely relaxed, an ever so small part in his lips with his hair hanging over his forehead and eye.

You're not there anymore. You're safe. His voice echoes in your mind, calming you down and turning your breathing back to a normal pace. Like he said, you're safe. You're safe as long as you're with him. For the second time that night you fall back into slumber, repeating Harrison's words in your head like a broken record.