#Readers respond: It’s time to open Oregon

[eddiesghxst]

❆ Let It Snow - a christmas smutty special ❆

happy holidays lovelys!!! ilysm and i hope you all have a beautiful rest of your year, here is a cute n quick little Christmas smutty blurb as my gift to u <3

also, this is not proofread i apologize for any mistakes <3

18+ — MINORS DNI

pairing: roomate!eddie munson x reader

summary: your flight home gets canceled on christmas eve and Eddie just wants to cheer you up

contains: friends to lovers trope, reader loves christmas (she's so me), oral (f receiving), p in v (unprotected - be smart pls), creampie, lots of Christmas cheer, and eddie being the cutest most kindest boy there ever was <3

word count: 3.6k

-masterlist-

Christmas is ruined.

It’s Christmas Eve, and you’ve been rotting away in your room all day— it’s now almost six in the afternoon— and Christmas is ruined.

In the corner of your room, your bags lay in a pile, packed and ready to go for the flight home you were supposed to be on just less than an hour ago. Your mother was devastated when you called her to break the news that you wouldn’t be home in time for Christmas, and although she tried her hardest to mask it over the phone, acting was never really her niche.

You’d already cried once this morning, a pathetic sob that inevitably escaped the second you opened your blinds and saw the blinding-white thick blanket of snow covering Hawkins. It’s not common, heavy winter snows in Indiana, so when the news mentioned that there would be a chance of snow, you didn’t think much of it.

Wrong choice.

You should’ve changed your ticket immediately and got on the next plane to Oregon, where your family would be with warm laughter and endless amounts of food, not to mention the traditional tree lighting you’d miss out on. But now, you’re stuck in Hawkins, chest hollow and cold from the undeniable fact that you will miss Christmas with your family this year.

Suddenly, you hear a raspy curse from the other side of your wall, followed by haste movements and the rustling of sheets and clothes. Eddie’s finally up from his nap. You can’t wait to tell him how stupid you’d been to book a flight so late on Christmas Eve.

Before you can even think of getting up and going to Eddie’s room, the man bursts through your door with a frazzled look as his gaze darts around the room, “Why didn’t you wake me? You’re gonna be late for your flight!” He panics. It’s sweet, really. The way your roommate paces over to your bags and looks at you with a ‘Why aren’t these in the car yet?’ look. It almost makes you hopeful that somehow, now that Eddie’s bright and sunny self is awake, he can find a way to get you home just in time for Christmas.

Obviously, it's not happening, considering Eddie isn’t a god, but one can dream.

You groan, tossing over in your bed to burrow your face deep into your sheets as you mumble into the soft cotton, “I’m not going anymore.” You grumble.

You can hear Eddie’s frown when he responds, “What? What do you mean you’re not going?”

You huff, heart aching as you reply, “Have you looked outside by any chance?”

You don’t turn to watch, but you can hear the shuffling sound of Eddie walking over to your window, shucking the blinds open, and peering out into the parking lot of your apartment that’s covered in that godawful snow. Eddie lets out a sound, something between surprise and sympathy, and it only makes the frown on your face deepen.

“Well… shit,” Eddie says.

You turn over and sit up, huffing as you shove your sheets out of your way, “Yeah. Have fun trying to figure out a way to get me across the country with that type of weather.” You grunt, kicking your legs over the side of your bed to stand and shuffle over to the packed suitcases. You figure you may as well unpack since you’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

“So when are the airports gonna clear, did they say?” Eddie asks.

You huff as you unfold jeans and tops, mind reeling with scenarios of what you should’ve done to prevent this. “Not until tomorrow afternoon. Christmas will be done by then, and most of my family will be back in their respective homes, so… looks like you’re stuck with me, Munson.”

Which, sure Eddie practically threw a fit when you told him you’d be out of town for the holidays, but you still feel as if you’re intruding. Eddie was supposed to have Wayne come over tomorrow, but you’re going to be here probably sulking, and it’ll be awkward and pitiful, and it’s just not at all what you’d wanted your or Eddie’s Christmas to be like! 

“...Okay, well,” Before you can fully register what’s happening, Eddie is closing your suitcase and grabbing your hands, dragging you up to your feet and ignoring your confusion as he speaks, “You can’t spend Christmas like this, sweetheart. You’ll end up like the Grinch. Do you wanna be the Grinch? Don’t tell me you wanna be the Grinch.” Eddie rambles as he drags you out of your room.

You try to fight a smile at Eddie’s rapid fire of words, but you fail as you shake your head, “No, I don’t want to be the Grinch, asshole.” You grumble as he drops your hand.

Eddie drops your hand and claps loudly, a bright grin spreading over his lips when he turns to you, “Wonderful! Then we have to get in the Christmas spirit.”

Eddie leaves you confused in the small hallway of your shared apartment, watching as he chaoticly prances over to the kitchen. He slows down and turns back to you once he sees you’re not following him, a confused expression painting over his face. “Well? Are you gonna leave me to bake alone, or are you gonna join?”

And well, you’ve never seen Eddie even pick up a baking pan, so it’s safe to say this will be interesting.

Eddie is absolutely terrible with ingredients. 

You and Eddie both decided to bake cookies, but instead of regular chocolate chips, Eddie pitched in the idea of using red and green M&Ms for the holiday effect, which you thought was pretty clever. The only problem is Eddie can’t measure for shit.

The recipe calls for two tablespoons of cornstarch, Eddie two and a half— damn near three. The next step says to mix in a third of a cup of cooking oil, but Eddie puts in much too little. It’s odd, considering his past with drug dealing, but you don’t mention it and instead opt to discreetly correct his mistakes whenever he turns his back to grab something else.

You both end up covered in flour because the pesky powder honestly just doesn't under the concept of gravity, and you laugh when you see some coating Eddie’s eyelashes. “What’s so funny, chef?” He asks.

You smile, “Nothing, you’ve just got… you got some on your eyes.” You reach up with a gentle hand, the sleeves of your sweater long enough to pull over your thumb so you can carefully dust off the white powder.

Eddie’s eyes are so bright and attentive this close, watching your every move with a type of sincerity you’ve only ever seen on screens from Grammy-nominated films and such. It makes your chest warm, and your knees quiver as his lips split into a smile, “Thank you, princess.” He softly says. You nod, and you swear Eddie’s eyes fucking twinkle.

You clear your throat, blinking away and stepping back to clear whatever trance from your mind, “Well,” You heavily sigh, “The cookies are in the oven for the next hour, so… I think I’m gonna go read.”

“Actually,” Eddie pipes up, softly reaching out and letting his fingers brush against yours, “I was thinking we could watch a Christmas movie. Unless if you’re sick of me, I totally get it; I’ll call you when the cookies are ready.”

Which couldn’t be further from the truth. You didn’t want to read. Hell, you don’t even have a new book to read; you’ve gone through your entire reading list.

“Oh! Well, what movie did you have in mind?”

“Home Alone. Obviously.”

You roll your eyes, “You’re a Christmas amateur, Eddie, did you know that?”

Eddie waves a dismissive hand as you begin to smile, reaching out to spin you around and shove you toward your room, “Just go get in some comfy clothes.”

You snort as you follow his instructions, shuffling over to your room to change out of your flour-coated clothing. It takes you some time to dig through your suitcase, but you eventually find the cute pajama set you bought for the holidays and slip it on, eager to return to the living room and join Eddie.

When you step into the living room, you don’t expect to see furniture pushed out of the way and Eddie standing in the middle as he pushes his queen-sized mattress down to lie right in the middle of the room—your heart races when you realize what Eddie’s done.

“Eddie, what are you doing?” You softly ask.

Eddie looks up at you, heavily breathing as he places his hands on his hips, “It’s Christmas Eve!” He beams. You tilt your head with a scolding expression, “I remember you saying you did this with your family, so I figured we gotta keep the tradition going.” He shrugs.

And god, Eddie’s so lovely. Too nice for his own good, really. Your entire body warms at the gesture, watching as he bustles around the apartment, grabbing blankets and pillows to make a comfy nest-like bed.

Seeing Eddie prepare the room wasn’t confusing because you kind of figured that’s what he was doing when you initially saw it, but you became concerned when you saw him drag a tall fake plant across the room.

Eddie steps back and gazes at the fake plant, face twisted in concentration, “Where should it go? The corner, right?” He turns to you. Your brows scrunch in confusion, “Uh… you’re losing me.”

Eddie blinks at you as if you’ve just asked him if the sky is blue, “The Christmas tree, doll. Where should it go?”

You raise an eyebrow, “That’s not a Christmas tree, Eddie, that’s a fake Cat Palm.” Eddie makes a face as if you’ve insulted him, “Says who?”

“Says anyone with general knowledge of the world.” “Why can’t this tree be a Christmas tree? As far as I know, they both have the same qualities that allow them to classify as a tree.” And you’re not going to argue with Eddie on that because he’s being sweet, and you’re interested to see what wacky plan he’s concocted in that brain of his.

So, for the next hour or so, you and Eddie sit on his comfy bed in the living room and use copy paper to cut out shitty snowflakes to put on the ‘Christmas tree’ as you watch Home Alone.

It’s undeniably the most fun you’ve had in a while, and you and Eddie turn your craft into a competition to see who can make the best snowflake, but you keep snipping the wrong spots to create an absolute disgrace of a snowflake. Eddie thinks they’re ‘fucking insane. In a good way!’ though, so you can’t complain.

“These are fucking awful.”

Home Alone 2 is playing, the Christmas tree is fully decorated, and you and Eddie have settled in his bed with a plate full of cookies. It’s a cozy little setup you’ve got, and your cheeks are warm from laughter, and you’ve never felt this content with anyone besides family. And to make matters even better, the cookies taste like absolute shit.

You look at Eddie, gazing at his horrified expression momentarily before bursting into a snort. Eddie looks at you, terror written across his face as you fold in laughter. 

“These are seriously the worst cookies I’ve ever tasted.” He reiterates. 

You manage to calm your laughter down just enough to respond, “They’re not that bad.” 

You and Eddie share a look before you burst into laughter again, “Yeah, they’re pretty bad.” You admit. Eddie joins you in laughter, shaking his head as he offers you the plate of cookies so you can put your half-bitten cookie away. “Remind me to never enter a bake-off,” Eddie grumbles as he reaches over to set the cookies on the coffee table pushed off to the side.

You and Eddie settle into his cozy bed then, content on holiday cheer and the comforting presence of one another. You’re pressed close to each other so you can share the bowl of popcorn you’d made, and you try to ignore how the close proximity makes your insides squeal. You glance at Eddie as you roll an unpopped kernel between your fingers.

“Thank you.”

Eddie turns to you, eyebrows raised in alert. You gesture to the atmosphere of your apartment, “For this, I mean. You didn’t have to do any of this.” 

Eddie makes a face and waves you off, “It’s nothing, princess. Couldn’t have you sad on your favorite holiday of the year.”

Your cheeks warm as you gaze at Eddie, chest feeling so much appreciation for his efforts today. Eddie didn’t have to do any of this. He could’ve just said sorry for your shit luck and called it a day, but he took it upon himself to make your ruined holiday into, arguably, one of the best Christmas you’ve had in a while.

“I mean, come on, you heard how badly I was begging you to stay home anyway. Some might even say I got Mother Nature to ring in a favor.” He jokes as he gently nudges his shoulder against yours. You roll your eyes, briefly returning to the movie as you respond, “You’re dramatic, Eddie. I was gonna be gone for two days.” You point out.

“Two days too long!” He stresses, “What was I supposed to do while you were gone?”

You snort, tossing popcorn in your mouth before speaking, “You were gonna be with Wayne anyway; you’d hardly even think about me.” You wave.

Eddie makes a displeased noise, poking at the popcorn in the bowl, “That’s not true.” He softly responds. You glance at Eddie, heart racing when he locks eyes with you. “Wayne isn’t half as pretty as you, so.” He jokes, a small smile spreading across his lips.

You shyly smile, “You think I’m pretty?” You tease.

Eddie smiles with his eyes, “I think you’re gorgeous, actually.”

And god, you think you imagine it when Eddie’s gaze falls to your lips, but then he’s reaching out to gently drag his thumb across your bottom lip. You lean into him on instinct, body aching for his touch, lips crying out to feel his lips on yours, and thankfully, Eddie doesn’t make you wait long before leaning forward.

Eddie’s lips are soft and perfect for kissing. Plump and addicting to the touch as he moves in tandem with you, hands gently caressing your face as you press into each other. You can’t contain the whine bubbling in your throat, and you almost feel embarrassed, but Eddie responds with a moan, hands moving south to softly grab your waist and pull you closer.

You almost can’t believe this is happening— you making out with your roommate on Christmas Eve— but you figure it was about time that you two shattered the thick wall of tension and desire that’d been building between you both. Stolen glances and lingering touches in the kitchen, too-close dancing at parties, and almost kisses during goodbyes have all led to this very moment as Eddie shifts to lay you back into the mountain of pillows.

You shakily breathe against Eddie’s lips when his fingers dust across your stomach, softly pressing into your warm skin to pull a squeal from your lips. You can feel the spread of his smile against the corner of our mouth, and you squirm as he peppers a few kisses there, “Gonna let me taste you, princess?” He asks, fingers caressing the skin just above the waistband of your festive shorts. You swallow heavily and nod, eyes dancing with his when he leans back just enough to see your face. “Words?”

“Yeah. Yes, please.”

Your voice hardly even sounds like your own. Needy and higher pitched and almost humiliating, but Eddie’s smattering kisses down your chin and neck, hands riding your shirt up your stomach so he can kiss the warm skin there. You softly exhale, reaching up to sink your fingers through his hair and gently tug. He groans against you, softly nipping the fat of your hip as his fingers curl over the band of your shorts. He drags the pants down your legs, sitting up to take them off and toss them to the side. He parts your thighs, a smug grin spreading across his lips as he gazes down at you, your socked feet digging into the sheets as he runs his ringed hands up your legs. “Stop staring.” You grumble.

Eddie chuckles, leaning forward to kiss your stomach and then the band of your panties, “Candy canes, huh?” He peers up at you as he plays with the tiny bow on your pelvis. Your face warms, center throbbing as you squirm beneath him. “Hey,” You frown, “It was a matching set and I thought they were cute.” You explain, nudging him with your foot. Which is true, the set came with a bra, panties, and socks, and it was on sale, so of course you bought it.

Eddie laughs as he settles on his stomach, “Oh, you’re fuckin’ precious,” He beams to himself. Your chest warms, and he leans forward to kiss just over your covered clit, “I love them, sweetheart.” Another kiss pressed to your hip this time. “I love them a lot, actually.” A kiss to the other hip, and you squirm. His lashes flutter when he peers up at you, fingers squeezing your hips as he speaks, “Unfortunately… they’re kind of in the way.”

You playfully roll your eyes, losing the fight to your smile as you respond, “Just take them off, Eddie.”

Eddie’s eyes light up, hands moving quicker than you’ve ever seen to get rid of the candy cane printed barrier, happily settling back on his stomach and curling his hands around your thighs to pull you closer. He doesn’t give you any warning when he dives in, licking a thick and wet line from your entrance to your clit. He circles the tip of his tongue over your clit, grinning when you moan and twitch from the sensation. He hums as he suckles your clit into his mouth, licking and sucking as if his life depends on it, fingers squeezing at your thighs and hips. You’re drowning in pleasure, but you think you can hear the muffled sound of Eddie mumbling, ‘Fuck, you taste so good’ against you, and it makes your head spin.

You’re a goner when he sinks two fingers into you, expertly curling up against that toe-curling spot to have you crying out his name and arching up into him. He hums against you, nodding his head in encouragement as you cum on his tongue.

You’re blinking through a pleasure-filled haze when Eddie kisses up your body, sticky lips smearing wet pecks across your stomach as he pushes your shirt further up.

You help each other undress the rest of the way, your limbs shaky and clumsy from your orgasm, and Eddie chuckles but kisses you when you glare at him. Your hand wraps around his cock, but Eddie shakes his head, grasping your wrist as he pushes you back into his bed, “I can’t wait. Next time, yeah? Need you now.”

You wouldn’t dream of saying no.

The stretch of Eddie is so much yet so good. It burns, and it takes your breath away, but it sends chills up your back with the heavenly sensation as he presses into you, balls pressing against your ass as he leans over you and moans against your lips. “F–fuck. Jesus, you feel so fucking good.” 

You mewl, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pressing your body into him. “Please, Eddie. Please fuck me, please.”

“Yeah,” He gently coos as he pulls out. He pushes back in, watching as your eyes flutter shut and your lips part in ecstasy, and he hums, “There we go. Taking me so well, baby. Gonna give it all to you— h-holy shit.”

He builds his pace slowly but surely, and you’re so embarrassingly close by the time he’s steadily pumping into you, the loud sound of your sex echoing between your bodies in tandem with your moans. 

You moan, nails digging into Eddie’s shoulders as you breathe him in, digging your face into his neck and finding solace in the curtain of his curly strands as he holds you close. Eddie groans when you throb around his aching cock, and he nods, “Give it to me. Cum on my cock, baby. Let me feel it.” He gently encourages you, a warm hand pressing into your back as he kisses your neck. You don’t know if you could get any closer, your chests pressed together, skin sticky with sweat as you grind against one another.

You tip over the edge quicker than you’d want to because you want this to last forever, but Eddie coos and holds you through it all, and you feel like you’re floating through clouds of stardust with Eddie kissing you and thrusting into you.

You’re out of it when Eddie cums. So far gone and high on pleasure that all you can do is moan and nuzzle into his neck to kiss and lick and bite as he empties himself into your pulsing cunt.

You’re both breathing heavily, Eddie collapsing against you but holding himself up just enough so he doesn’t crush you. You’re both silent as you catch your breath, softly running your fingers through Eddie’s hair as the ending credits to Home Alone 2 roll. Against the skin of your neck, you feel Eddie’s lips spread into a sleepy smile, and you can’t help but smile as well as you speak, “What?” You softly ask.

Eddie breathes, shifting so he can nuzzle his face further into your neck, breathing in the scent of you and sex.

“Nothing, just… I’m so fucking glad it snowed.”

[huntingforsatisfaction]

Pink Promise

Pairing: Dean Winchester X younger sibling reader(not in an incest way)

Summary: Dean is there to help his younger sibling after they have a nightmare 

Words: 2211

Warnings: fairly angsty, but still very very fluffy, a detailed nightmare, mentions of John Winchester’s parenting style, bad writing?, like one cuss word, a tiny tiny bit of gore

Note about characters: in the present scenes the reader is 16 and in the flashbacks they’re 6 and the reader and Dean have like a 13/14 year age gap so he’s like 19/20 in the flashbacks, there isn’t any gendered terms for the reader so it’s neutral(unless you count hair being braided as a gendered term, but boys can have braided hair cause gender isn’t real), and finally this takes place in season 5

Dean woke up, not for any purpose, just one of those weird moments where you randomly wake up in the middle of the night. He shook his head and began fluffing his pillow, stopping when he heard soft crying.

“(Y/N)?” He softly called out.

You were laying with your back facing out and your face squished into the musty cushions of the small motel room couch, a failed attempt at muffling your cries.

“Y-Yeah Dean? Something wrong?” You tried to play it off.

“I was gonna ask you the same thing. Were you crying?”

When you guys first got your room Dean cursed the streetlight right outside the window, but now he watched how it illuminated you as you dropped your head down.

“Nightmare?”

You looked up and made eye contact before slowly nodding a yes.

“Think you’re gonna be able to go back to sleep?”

You dropped your gaze again as your face screwed up and you could feel new tears form on your lash line.

“No.” You softly croaked out, barely audible over Sam’s snores.

                                                   ~Flashback~

You couldn’t breathe, too focused on staying quiet to risk opening your mouth. Once the sting in your eyes and the back of your throat calmed down you went back to sleep.

“Sammy?”

You screamed out running through an old grey house.

“No no no please no!” You heard him scream somewhere you couldn’t find.

“Sammy!” You huffed before taking off running down the hall you came from.

As you ran around the house you felt small and helpless, like when you got separated from your brothers in the corn maze at the pumpkin patch in Iowa, the one Dean took you to without your dad knowing.

“Dean?” You desperately called for your brother as your feet pounded against the floor. 

Completely unaware of your surroundings you ran, the only thing on your mind was finding your brother. Not paying attention to your surroundings you tripped, your heart raced knowing how your dad always got on you for that. You got up and looked down to see what sent you flying to the cracked floorboards.

“Dean!” You screamed

You woke up again, heart pounding in your head and toes. You stopped gasping for air when you felt your dad roll over next to you, holding it in again to stay quiet. Collecting your moose and your blanket, the one you got in Oregon when you were 3 and have refused to sleep without ever since, you slipped off of the bed as silently as possible. Your dad and Dean were fumigating a house in a fancy neighborhood so the only hotel available was a little nicer than your usual moldy motels. The vinyl floorboards stayed quiet as you snuck over to the door that joined your brothers’ room to you and your dad’s. You glanced at your brothers sleeping in their beds before moving their jackets off of the chair that sat in the corner. Dropping your blanket on the floor you traded it for the two flannels that were under their jackets and curled up into the chair. Once you were comfortable you finally let the tears flow, crying softly at first and burying your face into Mort the moose as your chest heaved more and more with the weight of your cries. 

 “(Y/N)?” You heard Dean call out in confusion as he shut the drawer of his nightstand. 

 “S-sorry for waking you up.” You tossed off the flannels and picked up your blanket, heading back to your proper room.

 “No, no, hey, hey, come here.” Dean moved over in his bed and opened his arms, lightly flicking his wrist to call you over to him. 

You gingerly padded over to his bed and with a little effort jumped up.

 “I’m gonna guess it wasn’t growing pains that woke you up.” Dean chuckled. 

 “Ok, I’m sorry, bad timing. Now come on peanut, stop giving me that face and come in closer.” He said shifting so he could comfortably open up his arms for you. 

You still continued to pout, but scooted into his embrace until your body felt lighter. 

“Sorry.” You quietly mumbled, it came out kind of funny because of how your cheek was squished against your brother’s chest. 

Dean pulled back and nudged your chin up, signaling you to make eye contact  with him before resting his hand on your shoulder. His comforting softness melted away as he turned dead serious. 

“Listen to me, do not ever and I mean ever apologize to someone because you’re upset. Ok?” He searched your eyes waiting for an answer, which you gave him with a nod. 

“Now tell me why someone broke into my room and stole my favorite flannel.” And just like that Dean pulled you back into him and your softy of a brother was back.

“Dad yells at me when I don’t sleep and when I cry and when I ask him questions, so I came in here to cry” Even your big brother’s arms couldn’t shield you from the sadness that entered your body.

“Well I’m not dad, neither is Mort the moose, and neither is Sammy.” Dean started.

“Sammy snores now, he’s old.” You shot Sam a dirty look even though he was dead asleep.

“Yeah Sammy is old now, he drools too.” Dean joined you in giving his younger brother the stink eye. “Now tell me, what has my peanut so upset?”

“Nightmare.” 

“Nightmare? Do you wanna talk about it?” Dean began playing with your hair as he awaited your response.

Staring up at your older brother’s face you thought about it. 

“No.” You wanted to say what happened, to get it out of your mind, but you didn’t want to tell him about how you saw his still body covered in blood with his stomach in shreds. 

“No? That’s okay.” 

You guys sat quietly listening to the traffic outside and Sam’s snores. After a while Dean assumed you had fallen asleep, but just as he shut his own eyes your little voice stirred him.

“D?”

“Mm, yeah (Y/N)?’

“Are monsters real?”

                                                       ~Present~

Dean watched you hang your head again before scooting to the side and opening up his covers.

“Wanna talk about it kid?”

Even in your sad and scared state a genuine smile broke out across your face, it was small, but still genuine. Without responding to your brother you kicked off the soft blanket that you had fought Sam for and walked over to Dean’s bed. Since motel beds are always oddly tall you had to do a little jump to get onto it, shooting a quick glare at Dean for being clearly amused at your struggle. Tentatively Dean opened up his arms to you and you awkwardly shuffled in until your head hit his shoulder and you instantly melted. The both of you sat there without a word, wondering what the other was thinking, unaware that you were both thinking the same thing. You thought about how long it had been since you two laid like this, both of you becoming aware of how long it had really been since you showed each other affection and comfort, and how after all of these years you two felt so natural. Neither of you took into account how the other’s muscles softened, how the past few years of Azazel, the door to Hell, your dad’s death, Sam’s death, Dean’s death, demons, vampires, and vengeful spirits all released from your guys’ bodies. For the first time in months neither of you cared about Lucifer or Michael or any other dick with wings. 

“Hey Dean.” You finally broke the near silence.

“Yeah?” Your ear being pressed to Dean’s chest made his voice sound deeper and you could feel his jaw move against the top of your head. 

“Do you remember when I was super young and we were staying at that nice hotel in Seattle and I had that really bad nightmare?” You slipped the comforter under your brother’s arm so you could fidget with it.

“Yeah I do actually, but how the hell do you remember it? You were like what, six? So that means it was ten whole years ago.” 

“I don’t think I would remember it if it wasn’t the start of the recurring nightmare I always have.” The first part was a lie. That night had been the first time you ever truly felt like you had a family, the first time you had felt comfort in your life. You could never forget that. 

“Oh.” Dean began to play with your hair, taking three small pieces and trying to see if he could still remember how to braid, something he learned because you hated how John would always cut your hair. 

“This dream,” you started, “it’s bad. It’s always the same house, this weird grey one with cracked floors and for some reason the walls are cement. It’s weird. But in the dream I can never find my way, it’s like a labyrinth and every time I get more and more lost the hallways get darker and darker. It always starts with me screaming for Sammy and he doesn’t respond, but I can hear him. I can hear him.”, Your voice begins to break, “I can hear him screaming no over and over again, like he’s getting attacked and then when I call out for him again he’s silent. So I’ll start running to find him, I guess I’ve always had a hunter's instinct. Then when I’m running around I trip and every time I trip I always get this feeling of fear about dad yelling at me for always being clumsy. But then when I. '' You stop, dropping your head and gaze so far down that all you can see is your own chest. Dean drops the chunk of hair he was twisting in his fingers and looks down at you.

“It’s okay.” He whispers, lightly squeezing your arm to ground you, something he always does when you’re upset. 

His encouragement only made things worse as tears began to fall again. Closing your eyes you take a quick deep breath.

“When I look down to see what I tripped over it’s you. You’re dead. Bloody with your stomach all ripped up, I never see the monster, but it must be something with claws. Then it just ends there. Tonight was kind of different though. Our ages are always different in the dream. Sammy’s voice always sounds like it did when he was 16 so I don’t think he changes, but sometimes I’m a kid and you’re a teenager like when I first had it or we’re both teenagers or we’re the ages we are now or sometimes I’m a kid and you’re an adult. But tonight, tonight I was 16 like I am now and you were a little kid.”

                                                      ~Flashback~

Dean didn’t know what to do, he felt like the deer that stopped in the headlights and actually got hit. He’d been through this before with Sam, but he had been older and wasn’t already upset when they had the conversation. He had felt guilty every time he lied to Sam about monsters and didn’t want to give you that same false hope, but he resented his dad for teaching him about monsters when he was this young. 

“I’m not sure of anything, (Y/N).” It technically wasn’t a lie, while Dean was sure that monsters existed he wasn’t sure of what to tell you.

“Well actually no, I am sure of one thing. Nothing and I mean nothing, no man, no woman, no animal, and sure as hell no monsters will ever hurt you because you are strong and I will kick their butt if they even try.” Dean meant that fully, he’s meant that since the day his dad sat him and Sam down to tell them they have a little sibling.

“Pink promise?” You said looking up at Dean.

“Pink promise?” He pulled back and questioned you.

“A pink promise.” You huffed, freeing your arm out from under Dean’s and extending your pinky finger.

“Oohh, a pinky promise.” Dean held up his arm and extended his own pinky.

“No, it’s pink promise.” You pulled your hand back.

“Ok, I pink promise that nothing will ever hurt you.” And to that you guys joined pinkies.

                                                     ~Present~

You begin to quietly sob into your brother’s chest. Dean put his hand at the nape of your neck and put his cheek on the top of your head and let you cry it out, as you calmed down he pulled back and kissed your forehead.

“Hey look, peanut. Sammy and I are not going anywhere, we will always be with you, ok. A lot is going on right now and it will all be okay, we’ve gotten out of so many situations that we shouldn’t have and this one will be no different. I pink promise.” Dean raised up his arm and extended his pinky.

“Oh fuck off.” You lightly hit his hand. 

Unfazed Dean kept his hand up and smugly smiled down at you. You sigh and extend your own pinky. As your fingers wrapped around each other your annoyed façade broke, your smile was joined by a few tears.

“Pink promise.”

A/N: So hey, your local forest wench here. This is definitely different from other stuff I post. I’ve never written a fanfiction before(so basically sorry if it’s not too good and please be patient with me), but I do read a lot of of it and maladaptive daydream a lot so I always have plenty of ideas. I came up with this idea this morning and really liked it, thought that maybe other people would like it and that it would be kind of greedy to keep it to myself. I’m actually really insanely proud of this ngl. If people like this and I feel comfortable, I might even write some more in the future.

[impalas-r-important]

Branch Out - Chapter 1

Summary: Y/N left everything she's ever known, and Dean just wants to be left alone. With both of them trying to heal from heartache, they might just end up finding what they need in the last place they'd ever look.

Word count: 6219

Pairing: Dean x reader (eventually, maybe?)

Warnings: I don't think there are any for this chapter, but if you think i should add one, feel free to let me know!

A/N: I started this series a long time ago and just barely had the motivation to start it up again. I really love this series, and have been enjoying writing it. Let me know if you want a tag!

My Masterlist

Branch Out Masterlist

Thank heavens for GPS, there’s no way you would have found this place without step-by-step directions. A narrow gravel driveway branched off from the worn mountain road and wound to a homely cabin. You stepped out of your old pickup truck and pulled out the key the realtor had given to you. Buying a house sight unseen wasn’t the smartest idea and you second guessed your impulse decision as you took in the dense woods that were so foreign to you. The seasoned wooden boards of the porch creaked under your feet while you made your way to the door and let yourself into your new home. Dust rested gently on every ledge and the frigid January air was lined with a twinge of must from sitting unoccupied for so long, but something felt so promising about the sturdy structure.

A modest kitchen and living room made up most of the house with a bedroom and bathroom on either side of a small hallway. A small, metal woodburning fireplace sat just next to the backdoor and you had a feeling you would end up putting that to good use if you ever figured out how to use it.

Your hand was subconsciously touching the bruise that was prominent on your forearm and when you realized, you pulled your sleeve down to cover it. The decision to leave your family and friends behind was a heart-wrenching one, but you knew you had to make a change if you wanted to heal completely. You needed to do something for yourself, and you wanted a fresh start. A small cabin in the freezing cold woods of Idaho was about as far from what you knew to be normal as you could have gotten, but a seed of hope was planted firmly in your chest.

When a job posting for the assistant city accountant had fallen in your lap a few weeks back, you applied without thinking twice. A few online interviews later, you had secured the job and things fell into place effortlessly, as if some external force was paving your path to this small town. You bought this quaint home with the help of a local realtor, packed your things, and left the only home you had ever known in Arizona, despite the protests of your family. Not knowing what your future held was scary, but something about this place felt right from the moment you pulled in.

You had brought only what you needed to in hopes of making a quick escape, meaning you had only a mattress, some clothes and a few personal belongings. After working for a few years, you had a built up a good savings account and figured it would be easier to buy furniture once you got here instead of trying to move big pieces by yourself. It didn’t take long to move your things inside, and you felt grateful that you called ahead to have the power and water turned on so you could shower once you had unpacked what you needed for your first day on the job tomorrow. Anxiety sat like a rock in your stomach, so you skipped dinner and went straight to bed, burying yourself under a mountain of blankets to shield you from the winter chill that had settled in your bones.

Your nerves woke you up well before your alarm went off, so you dragged your feet across the frozen floor and pulled your clothes on quickly before digging through your boxes for some granola bars for breakfast. You leaned against the kitchen counter and began to make a list of things you would need to buy since you were essentially starting from scratch. Double checking the email that you had received with instructions for your first day, you took a deep breath and headed out.

City hall was a historic, two-story red brick building that was shared with the fire department. It looked like something out of a storybook, but then again, this whole town did. You pushed the door open and looked around at the empty lobby, checking your watch to make sure you weren’t crazy early. Rustic chairs lined the walls by the door, and a few empty desks were placed behind the tall front counter.

“Hello?” You asked, turning your head left and right to look for any signs of life.

“Oh!” A muffled voice responded, and distant footsteps quickly scuttled your way from the back room. “You’re here!” A pretty, dark haired girl gave a few excited claps as she made her way to you. “You must be Y/N. I’m Sarah. Sarah Blake.” She eagerly pulled you into a hug which caught you by surprise and she chuckled a bit to herself before taking a step back. “Sorry, my boyfriend says that my enthusiasm scares new people away. I’ve just been so excited since I heard they hired you. I’ve been praying for someone my age to come work around here for a long time.”

“Don’t apologize, you’re the first person I’ve met in town so it’s nice to see a friendly face.” Her warm welcome calmed some of your nerves.

“That’s right, you just moved in yesterday, huh?” You tiled your head in question, wondering how she knew that. “It’s a really small town, everyone knows everything, especially when it comes to new people. You’ve been the talk of the town the past little bit.” She shrugged. “Well, I’m the marketing/PR girl here, and we all just kind of pitch in with working the front desk. Come on back, let me give you the grand tour.”

Sarah led you around the corner and stopped at the first office on your left. “This is Ellen Singer’s office. You’ll be working under her, she’s the lead accountant.” She looked at the clock on the wall. “Hmm, she should be here by now. I bet her car is giving her trouble.”

A friendly voice called out to Sarah from down the hall and she motioned for you to follow her as she stepped just inside the end office which was significantly bigger than the rest.

“Y/N, this is Garth Fitzgerald, he’s the mayor. Garth, this is Y/N.” Sarah introduced you and he stood to shake your hand.

“It’s great to meet you, Mayor Fitzgerald.”

“Please, call me Garth.” You smiled and nodded. “We’ve been excited about you around here. I think you’ll make a great addition to our community.” His phone ringing broke the conversation. “Excuse me, ladies. Oh, and welcome to Wallace, Y/N!”

“Next up is Arthur Ketch, he’s the city planner. Sometimes he can be a little abrupt, but deep down he’s a big softie. Don’t let him scare you.”

He was on the phone, so he simply waved to you two as you passed. Sarah’s attention was drawn back down the hall when two police officers walked in. “Jody, Donna!” She hollered to them.

“Heya, kiddo! Who you got with you?” The blonde officer sent a warm smile your way.

“You must be Y/N!” The other responded.

“Oh, that’s right! I heard you were coming to town. I’m Donna and this is Sheriff Jody Mills. It’s so great to meet you.” She pulled you in for your second hug of the day.

“Everyone here is seriously so nice. I don’t know why I didn’t move here years ago!” You joked.

“Well listen, if you need anything, you can always come to me, okay?” Jody put her hand on your shoulder. “We’re all so excited to have a new face around.”

“Thank you. You’re all making this transition so much easier than I thought it would be.”

Sarah waved to the officers as they left and pulled gently on your arm. “Come on, let’s chat while we wait for Ellen.” She took a seat at one of the desks in the front and you sat across from her.

“Thanks for showing me around, it’s nice to know that I have a friend at work already.” Sarah’s eyes lit up when you called her your friend.

“Are you kidding me? I’ve been dying for you to get here. I knew we’d get along.” She folded her arms and sat back in her chair proudly. “So, where did you move from?”

“Phoenix, Arizona.”

“And you moved to Idaho in the middle of January? Are you crazy? I would give anything to go lay out in the sun for an afternoon.”

“Yeah, I might be!” You laughed. “I guess I just needed a change, you know? It was just time to move onto the next chapter of my life.”

“I get that. I grew up here and couldn’t wait to leave for college, but as soon as I was gone, I missed this place.”

“I can see what you’re talking about. It has a good feeling to it here.”

“So, now to the juicy stuff.” Sarah leaned forward. “Are you dating anyone? Because there’s a whole pool of eligible bachelors I could set you up with here.”

“No, actually I just got out of something kind of messy, so I don’t think I’m really looking for anything at the moment.”

A sympathetic look was sent you way. “I’m sorry to hear that. But if you ever feel ready, you let me know, okay?”

“You will be the first. What about you? I heard you mention you have a boyfriend. Tell me all about him.”

A smile spread across Sarah’s face and she pulled out her phone to show you a picture. “This is Sam, we’ve been together since high school.”

She handed you her phone and you looked at the tall, handsome guy whose arms were wrapped around her. “He’s cute, nice work!” She beamed as you handed her phone back. The expression on her face was clearly one of adoration as she looked at the picture.

“We actually broke up before we went to college. He went to Stanford and I went to the University of Oregon and we figured it would be easier to break it off on good terms rather than fade away in a long-distance relationship. That lasted about two weeks and we’ve been together ever since.”

“Do you think you’ll marry him? You guys are so stinking cute together.” You weren’t sure if you had ever seen a better fitting couple.

“I overheard Sam talking to his older brother about buying a ring. I don’t think he knew that I was just in the other room, but I’ll let him try to surprise me.” Sarah giggled. Your conversation was interrupted by someone walking in the back door.

“Hey, Ellen.” Sarah greeted. “Your reinforcement has arrived.”

Ellen looked at you with relief in her eyes. “Oh, honey, you have no idea how happy I am to see you. Come on back here and we’ll get started.”

“Have fun!” Sarah left you to meet your new boss as she went up to help someone at the front desk.

“Y/N, you’ll have to forgive me for being so late. My stupid car has been giving me hell the past few weeks. You’d think with my husband owning the only mechanic’s shop in town, I’d have a reliable vehicle, but here we are.”

“No worries. It gave me a chance to meet some people around the building. I’m excited to get started though.” You sat in the chair across from her desk and she plopped down with a sigh as well.

“I’ve been begging Garth for two years for some help, so you are a light at the end of my tunnel. I’m hoping to retire in a few years and hand you the reigns, so let’s get to it, shall we?”

The next few hours were spent introducing you to all of the systems and procedures. After receiving a call from her daughter, Ellen decided to call it a day just after three in the afternoon and the two of you agreed to hit it hard tomorrow. You gathered your things and returned to the front area where Sarah was scrolling through her phone. She looked up when you entered the room.

“Hey! How are things going?”

“Ellen has to take off, so we’re going to call it a day and just work a little longer tomorrow.” You sat at the desk adjoining Sarah’s and set your things down.

“Take any desk. It’s just you and me out here. Charlie is the county IT girl and works out here sometimes, but she hops from building to building.”

“Well, I suppose this one is as good as any.” You unpacked a picture frame and a few supplies at the desk across from Sarah’s. “Hey, are there any places to buy furniture around here? I only moved with the bare essentials so I’m in desperate need of a few things.”

“So, what you’re saying is you need to go on a shopping spree? I’m in! I’ll drive.” Sarah grabbed her purse and coat and led you out the door.

She took you on a short tour of the staples around town before arriving at the only big box store nearby. You browsed up and down the aisles, pulling all the necessities off the shelf and tossing them in the cart. You’d have to order some of the bigger furniture pieces online since it was a small place, and they didn’t have anything like here.

Sarah had a basket and was creating a good-sized stockpile of her own. “Sam has been trying to put me on a budget for a while now, so I’ll have to hide this stuff before he sees.” A guilty smile pulled on the corners of her mouth.

“Just tell him you were shopping with an accountant and I approved all your purchases.”

“Hah! We’re going to be good friends.” She picked up a candle, smelled it, and placed it in her basket.

“Where does Sam work?” You asked as you looked through the bathroom towels.

“He’s the lawyer for Winchester Lumber, the sawmill in town. A lot of people work there actually, it’s kind of the main business that brings people in. Sam’s great grandpa started it and it’s stayed in the family. Sam’s older brother, Dean, runs the place right now, but I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to hand the throne over to their Dad when he gets back. He got cancer a few years ago and they moved to Kansas to be closer to medical treatment.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. How is he doing?”

“He’s doing really well, actually. He’s in remission and they’re hoping to move back soon.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent checking things off of your to-do list and grabbing dinner with Sarah. She dropped you off back at your truck and you thanked her for showing you around before you went your separate ways.

Back at home, it took you a few trips to unload your haul, but you were just happy to have a few more things to fill your empty home. Your first day had gone better than you could have imagined, and you were filled with confidence in your decision to uproot your life.

Sarah opened her front door and did her best to sneak her shopping bags past Sam and Dean who were sitting in the living room, sharing a pizza and some beers. She successfully stowed her treasures away in the hall closet and joined the boys.

“Hey hon!” She placed a kiss on Sam’s forehead before grabbing a slice of pizza and plopping down on the couch next to him.

“You’re in a good mood.” Sam noticed his girlfriend’s chipper energy.

“I made a new friend today.” She took a big bite and gave a smile.

“Don’t you already know everyone in town?” Dean’s voice sounded as pessimistic as usual.

“No, actually. There’s a new accountant at city hall, Y/N. She just moved in yesterday.”

“That’s great! You’ll have to invite her over sometime.” Sam placed his hand lovingly on Sarah’s knee. “Where’s she living?”

“She bought a cabin up in the mountains sight unseen, so we went shopping for some essentials. I think she might be kind of close to you, Dean.”

Dean frowned, trying to think of which cabin the new girl would have bought. He moved up there to be alone, so the thought of a neighbor was disheartening. “You mean that old shack just off of Placer Creek Road?”

“Yeah, I think that’s the one.”

“She’s got a lot of repair work to do on that place.” Dean shook his head, glad that it wasn’t him that put any kind of investment into what he was sure was a money pit.

You awoke early the next morning to find that it had snowed overnight. Growing up in Arizona, you had never really experienced snow like this before. Every breath you took felt like your lungs were filling with ice and you couldn’t help but cough, willing the warm weather to find you soon. Winter was one thing you didn’t think about when moving to a mountain town, so you wanted to give yourself plenty of time for the commute. After packing a few things for lunch, you stepped outside to find your truck buried in a mountain of frozen powder.

“Ugh!” You groaned and threw your head back, looking around for a stick to help you dig out your vehicle. You made a mental note to buy a scraper after work. Ten minutes and one soaked pair of shoes later, you had finally freed your car. You twisted the key, forcing the engine to sluggishly turned over, then blasted the heat on high while you ran inside to change into dry shoes and socks before taking off down the road.

The feeling of your back wheels slipping around on the frozen dirt road was so foreign to you, and you weren’t a fan. About two miles away from the main road, your engine began to sputter as it struggled to trudge ahead through the wet snow.

“Please don’t do this to me���” You steered towards the side of the road as much as you could while the truck wound down to a full stop. An annoyed sigh escaped from your lips. “Great.” You turned the car off and then back on, willing it to start up again, but the clicks of defeat that sounded from under the hood dashed your hopes.

You hadn’t had the time to buy a heavy winter coat yet, so you zipped up the light jacket that you had on and began walking. You didn’t want to make a bad impression on your second day of work by calling in sick, so you picked up your head and kept going. One of the points of starting your new journey was to be more self-reliant, and this definitely fell under that category. Ten minutes had passed, and your toes were so cold that you were sure they would snap off and rattle around in your shoes at any point now. The sound of an engine coming down the hill made you look over your shoulder to see a snowmobile barreling around the corner and straight towards you. You quickly side-stepped out of the way, but not enough to avoid the kickback of snow that was thrown into your face as the machine drove past.

“Seriously?!” You yelled as you shook the snow from your clothes. The snowmobile stopped and slowly backed up to meet you.

“What are you doing up here?” The man abruptly asked as he pulled off his helmet. If you weren’t so annoyed and cold, you might have thought he was attractive.

“Being buried alive by some maniac speeding down the mountain.” You retorted and brushed the snow from your hair with your fingers.

“I’m going to assume that’s your truck back there?”

“Lucky guess.” The wind-chill blew through your jacket and you crossed your arms. “I don’t think it likes the cold, and I don’t exactly blame it.”

His eyes assessed you. “Crappy shoes, thin jacket, and no gloves. I’m going to assume that makes you the clueless new girl.”

“What an ass...” You thought to yourself.

“I guess it does, Kowalski.”

“Kowalski? Really?”

You were surprised he got your reference to Clint Eastwood’s infamously crotchety main character.

“If you’ll excuse me, I gotta get to work.” You didn’t find much point in continuing on this conversation with such a smug jerk, so you continued on your path down the road and heard the snowmobile make a sharp u turn to climb back up the trail.

Ten more minutes later, you could see the main road just ahead of you had been plowed, and you were thankful that you wouldn’t have to be hiking through any more ankle-deep build-up. You could hear a vehicle slowly coming up behind you and you made sure to move as far over as you could to avoid being blasted with snow again. The truck slowed to a stop next to you and you looked over to see the same man from earlier rolling the passenger side window down.

“Get in, I’ll give you a ride.” His voice still sported an undertone of condescension and he rolled his eyes when a doubtful frown from you was sent towards him. “Just get in.”

Hundreds of episodes of Dateline should have taught you to not get in a car with some stranger, but you figured that even if he didn’t murder you, you’d end up dying of frostbite and decided to you’d rather die inside a warm truck. You opened the door and took off your damp jacket before getting inside.

The man’s knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel tight. You placed your hand by the heater on the dashboard in hopes of defrosting your fingers enough to feel them again.

“You shouldn’t drive a pickup in the winter.” His gaze stayed firmly glued on the road ahead.

“Uhm…” You dramatically looked around, “aren’t we in a pickup right now?”

“Yeah, a pickup with chains on the tires and a weighed down bed.”

“Well, I’m still pretty new at this whole snow thing…”

The man glanced at you from the corner of his eyes. “I couldn’t tell. You’re Y/N, aren’t you?”

“Should I be concerned that you know my name?” You raised an eyebrow.

“No, no,” he must have realized how creepy that came off, “I know Sarah. She’s dating my younger brother and she was telling us about you last night.”

“Oh, it all makes sense now. You’re the grumpy older brother. Dean, right?”

Another eyeroll made an appearance, but you could tell he wasn’t going to make any further comments.

“Well, I appreciate the ride. I’m sorry if I screwed up your morning routine.”

“It’s no big deal.”

It wasn’t hard to tell that Dean wasn’t a man of many words, and you were okay with that. You weren’t really one for small talk either. Dean’s eyes moved to your arm that was extended towards the vent blowing heat.

“That’s a gnarly bruise. How’d you manage that?”

You pulled your arm back quickly, hoping that your sudden move didn’t come across as suspicious. “Oh, you know, just being a clutz. They never tell you that moving by yourself is a dangerous game.” You chuckled casually while watching his eyebrows knit together ever so slightly as he glanced at the bruise one more time. No further remarks were made so you assumed he bought your story.

Dean pulled up in front of City Hall and stopped as close to the door as he could get. Before you could reach for the door handle, Dean instructed, “give me your keys.”

“What?” Your face twisted in confusion.

Yet another fed-up sigh escaped from his chest. “Bobby Singer down at the auto shop owes me a favor. I’ll get him to tow your truck down and take a look at it.”

“Oh.” you weren’t expecting such a generous gesture from such a grumpy guy. “I don’t want to put you out any more than I already have.”

“Hand it over.” The tone in his voice remained gruff, but the bluntness was slightly faded at this point. You reached into your pocket and pulled out your key ring, sliding the truck key off and placing it into Dean’s outstretched hand.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Dean’s eyes avoided yours and you took the hint that it was time to leave.

The wind blew flurries in the air, forcing you to quickly sprint to the door, meaning that you missed Dean watching you with curiosity. Sarah, who was observing from the front desk, didn’t miss his wondering stare. He quickly averted his eyes when he saw her spying and peeled away.

“Kowalski.” He muttered to himself with a half-entertained chuckle once he was a few blocks away. Dean would have never admitted it, but he quite enjoyed the witty nickname.

Sarah couldn’t stop the mischievous smirk that crept up on her face and leaned on the counter to greet you the second you stepped through the door.

“You look like you’ve had quite the morning.” She greeted.

“Yeah, something like that.” You hung your jacket up on the coat rack in the corner to dry and stomped the packed snow from the tread of your shoes.

“Am I going blind or did Dean Winchester give you a ride to work?” She quickly cornered you.

“Yeah. My truck broke down and then he tried to bury me in snow, so he gave me a ride.” Goosebumps covered your arms as you made your way to your desk. You had never been more grateful for heat.

Sarah crossed her arms and sat on your desk as you took your seat. “You know, people call him the Grinch because he moved way up the mountain to be all broody and alone.”

“I can’t say I don’t understand it. It’s kinda fitting.” You logged into your computer, but Sarah continued to press for details.

“Well did he say anything on the ride over or did he just glare at the road?”

“A little bit of both I guess. He told me I shouldn’t be driving a truck in the winter, but that’s about it.”

Ellen arrived and cut the chatter short. “Hey girls. You ready to get started, Y/N?”

“You bet.” You stood from your desk, but not before Sarah pointed an accusing finger at you.

“This conversation is not over!” She warned.

After lunch, Ellen had given you some expense reports to review and organize. It was tedious, but you didn’t mind the slow afternoon after a crazy morning. Sarah was helping you to punch holes in the stacks of papers and organize them into departments while the two of you chatted away. The snow had kept most people inside, so it was a slow day at the front desk. Just before it was time to call it a day, the bell of the front door dinged, and Sarah walked over to see who it was.

“Hey, Dean. You going over to Benny’s tonight?” She greeted.

“Not sure yet.”

Dean’s hands were shoved into his front pockets as he stared Sarah down, not wanting to give her any more room to speculate as to why he was here.

“Hi.” You smiled softly, trying your hardest ignore Sarah’s curious stare as you joined in the conversation.

He pulled a key from his pocket and set it down on the counter. “She’s all fixed up. Battery terminals were corroded so I cleaned them up a bit, but you’re going to need a new battery soon. That one doesn’t have much juice left in it.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize that you worked at the auto shop.” You remembered Sarah saying something about Dean working at the sawmill.

“No, I used to. But I figured it would be an easy fix, so I took a look myself. I stuck some old grates in the bed for some weight. Take it into Bobby’s tomorrow after work and he’ll take care of the rest. He knows you’re coming.”

“Wow, I really owe you one. Thank you.” You slid the key from off the counter and fiddled with the metal ring.

“Don’t read into it.” Dean tapped his fist on the counter twice before swiftly leaving.

Sarah was biting her lip, and you slowly turned your head towards her. “Spit it out.” You gave permission for her onslaught of questions.

“You didn’t tell me he was going to fix your car for you!”

“He said he would have Bobby tow it back to the shop and take a look at it. I didn’t know he was going to fix it himself.”

“I’ve known Dean for a long time, he’s pretty much my older brother at this point, so I can see past all the grumpiness. He’s a really good guy, he’s just been dealt a hard hand the past few years that made him swear off people.”

That was a feeling you could easily relate to. “He really went out of his way to bail me out today, so he can’t be all that bad.”

“He’s all bark and no bite. Granted, it’s a big bark.” Sarah checked her watch. “Closing time! Hey, would you want to come back to my place after we clock out? Sam’s playing poker at a buddy’s house tonight so I figured maybe we could grab some take out and find some furniture for you online?”

“Yeah, that’d be great actually! It definitely beats the PB and J I would be making otherwise.”

After work, you ran home to change and Sarah stopped for some Chinese food, then the two of you met at her apartment.

Some crappy TV movie played in the background while mostly empty take-out containers littered the kitchen counter. You were sitting on the floor with your laptop on the coffee table, browsing through loveseats while Sarah lay on the couch behind you giving her input.

The door gently swung open and the man you assumed to be Sam walked through. Sarah stood up and stretched before giving her boyfriend a hug.

“How was the poker game?”

Sam tossed his keys on the counter and pulled off his jacket. “About the same as always. Benny won most of the games, Cas still has no clue what he’s doing, and I lost a little too much pride.”

“You’ll get them one of these days. Come on,” she tugged on his shirt sleeve, “I want you to meet Y/N.”

You stood when Sam and Sarah walked into the room. “Y/N, this is Sam.”

“Ah, the infamous Y/N, I’ve heard lots about you the past day or so. It’s nice to put a face with the name.” He shook your hand. “How are you settling in?”

“Honestly, the move has been a lot easier than I thought it would be. Everyone here has been super welcoming and helpful.”

“Including Dean.” Sarah gave a knowing look to her boyfriend, who was clearly confused.

“My brother, Dean?”

“The one and only. He gave Y/N a ride to work and fixed her truck up for her.”

Sam’s face read skeptical. “My brother, Dean?” He repeated.

“I found myself knee deep in snow and car problems this morning. I’m sure he helped me out of pity more than anything.” You tried to explain, not wanting to make a big deal of the situation.

Sam rubbed the back of his neck. “Wow. I guess that’s why he was late to work today. Well, I hope he didn’t scare you off too much.”

You shook your head with a smile. “Not at all, he really helped me out. But I have to admit, I feel bad. He would barely acknowledge my thank yous. I don’t want to come across as ungrateful.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure he heard you loud and clear, he’s just hasn’t been properly socialized yet.”

Sam finished off the rest of the Chinese and got to know you a little better while Sarah sat next to you on the floor, scrolling through furniture.

“Where’d you go to school, Y/N?” Sam stacked the empty red food containers together and set them aside as he pulled his feet up on the couch.

“University of Arizona. I didn’t originally plan on staying so close to home, but a full ride soccer scholarship is hard to turn down.”

“No way! That’s awesome.” Sam’s face lit up with an idea. “Oh! Every summer we do this obstacle course race thing here in town as part of the summer festival. Maybe you can be on our team this year?”

“That sounds super fun! Count me in.”

“Yes!”’ Sam made a fist in the air. “We’ve used to win every year, but we’ve come in second the past three times, so maybe you’ll be our secret weapon.”

Sarah joined the conversation once she’d had her fill of online shopping. “I was thinking, Y/N, I don’t know if you’re much of a baker, but if you wanted to say thank you to Dean, he’s a sucker for a good pie. I know he wouldn’t just brush that off.”

“It’s true. He’s a pie whore.” Sam nodded.

“Sam!” Sarah scolded.

“Noted,” you said through your laughs.

The clock in the corner of your laptop screen caught your eye and you realized how late it was getting. “I should probably start heading home before I hate myself tomorrow at work.”

“At least it’s not supposed to snow tonight.” Sarah teased.

“Wow, it’s going to be like that, huh?! It’s a learning curve, okay?” You stuck your tongue out as you gathered your things.

Sam stopped you after Sarah had said goodbye. “Hey, Y/N, I know Dean doesn’t make the greatest first impression, but do me a favor and don’t write him off just yet. He’s had a rough go the past little while and could always use another friend in his corner.”

“I won’t. I’m sure there’s a great guy buried under all that angst.” You gave a reassuring smile and Sam gave you a hug before you left.

The next day was Friday and between training and helping out with the front desk, the workday flew by. You needed to take your truck in to get the battery switched and Sarah had agreed to give you rides while you were without transportation. After work, you dropped off your truck at Bobby’s, and Sarah took you home. You were glad for a little time to yourself so you could clean up the house before the first delivery of furniture tomorrow morning.

On your lunch break earlier that day, you had gotten all the ingredients to make blueberry pie bars as a thank you for Dean. Time was in short supply, so you hoped these would be a suitable place holder in lieu of a regular pie. You quickly threw them together and loaded up a plate once they were cool enough. Baking had always been a stress reliever for you, and the way it filled your small cabin with warmth and sweet smells felt so cozy and charming.

Dean’s place was only a ten-minute walk from yours, so you bundled up and began your hike. You had finally gotten yourself a suitable coat and boots and couldn’t believe the difference they made as you crunched through the snow that was matted on the gravel road. His cabin was much newer than yours, and considerably nicer. A long staircase on the right side of the house led up to a wide porch. Smoke spilling from the chimney and lights beaming through the windows told you he was probably home, so you knocked on the door.

Clattering of locks being undone broke through the silence a few moments later and an expressionless Dean opened the door.

“Hi,” you began, “I just wanted to say thank you for helping me out so much the other day.” Dean stood silent and stone-faced, so you awkwardly continued. “I, uh, heard you were a big fan of pie, but I didn’t have enough time to make one from scratch, so I hope these will do.” You extended the plate of goodies and he looked at them doubtfully.

“Look,” a gravelly voice ended his vow of silence, “I don’t know what you’ve heard about me, but I’m not looking for any new friends or whatever this is.” He began to shut his door when you interjected.

“Listen, this is nothing more than a simple thank you for bailing me out when I really needed it. I’m not going to force you to eat them, but I’m also not going to take them home with me. Maybe just wait until I’m gone before you throw them away though.” You set the plate on a neatly stacked pile of firewood off to the side of the door. “Don’t read into it.” You echoed his parting words from yesterday and took your leave. A sneaky glance over your shoulder as you walked away revealed that Dean had picked up the plate and was looking at it with a half-impressed nod. You assumed that was as much of a reaction as you’d get from him and marked the trip to be successful.

Chapter 2

[softtransbf]

Mister Nice Guy, part 2

part one

Summary: Shit hits the fan, and the rest of the BAU is done with it.

Word Count: 3523

Reader: he/him trans man, no physical description

Warnings: case involving targeting gay people, brief mention of a child abduction case, coming out/anxiety of experiencing transphobia (no actual transphobia though), alcohol, swearing

@aleccolocco (sorry it took so long to finish lol)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"No, that doesn't make any sense at all, doctor!" you spat his title. "He's not jealous of these couples, killing what he can't have, or a homophobe, punishing gay people for being happy. He's putting an end to their unhappy relationships. He sees it as mercy." Over the months, your cold war with Reid turned into outright conflict, and tonight, alone in the police station in Oregon, was no exception. Hotchner had tasked the two of you with presenting the preliminary profile the next morning, and it was going as well as conversations ever went.

"We have no evidence that he knows they're unhappy, though. All of his victims are clearly happy in their relationships," Reid challenged.

You rolled your eyes and scoffed. "Please. One look at their social media and it's obvious that the relationships are on the rocks."

"Where do you get that? All I see are typical happy relationships. Selfies, checking into special events together, posts about kind things one does for the other. Nothing indicating a troubled relationship to me."

"The gentlemen doth protest too much. They're painting an overly happy painting on social media, hoping that some of that happiness will actually become real. They're desperate for the relationship to work."

"Let's say you're right. I don't think you are, but let's pretend for the sake of trying to see your logic through. Why? Why would they be so desperate to save a failing relationship?"

"God, straight men just don't fucking get it!" You went to grab a file, missing his small flinch. "You don't understand how limited the dating pool for men who are into men is. Look at the most recent couple in particular. The most lovey-dovey on social media, and got the most brutal deaths."

"Yes, because they were the happiest. My theory holds," Reid interrupted.

"No. Look, this guy put way more out there on social media than his partner, and look at the pictures he posted. Look how forced his smile is, look at the body language. He needs this relationship to work, because dating as a gay man is one thing, dating as a gay trans man is almost impossible. Having to start over and deal with transphobia over and over again is worse than being in a bad relationship. In his eyes, I mean." Shit, the first person I come out to on this team cannot be Spencer fucking Reid. He doesn't deserve the honor.

"That was yesterday. We haven't gotten the autopsy report yet. How could you possibly know that he's trans?"

"Testosterone vials and needles in the bathroom. Neither of them are old enough for a cis man to reasonably have issues that require testosterone injections. It's HRT, hormone replacement therapy."

"Even if you're right, your conclusion still seems like a much bigger jump than mine, that the killer sees the relationships as happy and is lashing out at that, be it from jealousy or homophobia."

"Whatever. You'll see tomorrow, when we talk to the M.E., that he was trans, and that fact backs me up. I am absolutely right about this, and you will eat your words. Then I will present my theory, and you can choke on yours."

"We? You anticipate us spending more time together?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I meant 'we' as in the team, asshat. The world doesn't revolve around you. Mine sure as hell doesn't. I'm gonna go back to the hotel, write my own damn preliminary profile, and try to get some fucking sleep. Clearly we won't agree on this."

"We don't ever agree on anything," he pointed out.

"Not true. We agree that we dislike each other and can't get along. Good night, doctor." You turned and walked away, not giving him a chance to respond.

This man is going to be the death of me, he thought as he watched you walk away.

~

The autopsy report came in the next day, and you were right. The tech team also found a locked notes app on his phone that catalogued his unhappiness and fear of leaving. You presented your preliminary profile to the team. Reid didn't even argue; he just sat in silence, leaving the room as soon as you were finished. Never one to pass up a chance to gloat for beating him, you offered to get coffee for the team, got everyone's order, and left shortly behind him.

You were expecting to catch up to him, his impossibly long legs be damned. You weren't expecting him to be waiting for you. He pulled you into an empty interrogation room and pushed you up against a wall, his face just inches from yours. It was only a moment before being flustered by the closeness and those goddamn eyes were replaced by anger.

"What the FUCK, Reid?"

"What game are you playing, Y/N? What game are we playing? What's your endgame?" He spoke quickly and softly, but there was an intensity in his voice that had you captivated.

"I'm the one playing games?" You pushed him back, away from you. "You're the one who decided to hate me before we even met. When I transferred, all I wanted was to do a good job and fit in with the team. But quite literally from the minute I walked through the door, you'd decided you hate me. Turnabout is just fair play, gorgeous." Oh, fuck.

"Gorgeous?" You walked past him to the other side of the room, running a hand through your hair and turning your back on him. "Fine. Yeah, okay? I wanted approval from the brilliant and handsome Doctor Spencer Reid. In a way that's respectful of your heterosexuality, of course." You turned around and faced him again. "But that doesn't matter, because you made it clear you wanted nothing to do with me right off the bat."

"What makes you think I'm straight?" He's fucking with me, now that that cat is out of the bag. Great. Fucking cishet men. Even he's no different. Thank god he still thinks I'm cis.

"Garcia mentioned in her newbie-run-down that you're 'awkward, but in a cute way, especially around women'. Plus, she mentioned that Emily is bi, leaving everyone else implied straight as even the best cishet allies are wont to do. And as we both know, Penelope knows everything.

And before you make the hearsay argument I can see forming in that brilliant head of yours, I've heard and seen too much about your impeccable memory to assume you don't remember when we all went to the bar after my first case. I was unabashedly Queer, friendly flirting with Derek and calling out cishet bullshit. When I did the latter, you literally rolled your eyes and walked away. Which is, funnily enough, some cishet bullshit. 

JJ said you were just going through a thing and things would get better, but they just got worse. I'm not going to ask you to spill whatever was going on, because it's not my business, but god damn, dude. Why did you hate me so much so quickly?"

"You asked JJ about me?" He took a few steps towards you, a small smile on his face.

"That's the part you focused on? Jesus fucking Christ. Yes, I asked her about why you decided to hate me before we even met. Whatever. I hope you got whatever you were looking for by pulling me in here. I'm done. Done with this conversation, done with whatever has been going on with you and us since the day I transferred." You turned to leave, but he grabbed your arm. It was barely more than a light touch, but you let it stop you.

"Y/N. I can't-" he sighed. "God, you make my head spin. I can't organize my thoughts enough to say what I want to. JJ was right, there was something I had to work through, and I guess you'd made up your mind about me before I figured it out. It isn't an excuse for how I treated you, just an explanation. As for the more recent development of arguments… I guess I read a subtext that wasn't there. I could never dislike you, let alone hate you. I am truly sorry for- for all of it." With three long strides, he was out the door.

Make his head spin? What subtext? Since when is he unable to say what's on his mind? And what was that about not disliking me? All we've done since we met is argue or ignore each other. Why else would he act like that? Why do I even care? Why am I so knotted up about what he's thinking and feeling? Whatever. Fuck him, and not in the fun way. I've gotta go get coffee for the team. As you were getting the coffee, you couldn't get the memory of his face, so close to yours, to stop playing in your head.

The rest of the case was mostly as normal, but there was an energy between you and Spencer that was distant like when you joined the team, but there was something else to it that you couldn't quite put your finger on. It made you a little bit sad, though, for reasons you didn't understand.

~

"I love you, Y/N. I love you so much. I pulled away from you because it terrified me how much I loved you from the moment you walked through the door that first day. Being around you, even when we were arguing, made me feel alive in a way I never had before. You're all I think about, you're all I could ever want. I love you."

"I… I love you too." You didn't know which one of you moved, maybe you both did, but in an instant, you were kissing Spencer Reid, and you couldn't have been happier.

-

You woke up with a start, breathing heavily. You looked around; you were in your room, home alone, and it was 3:37 am. What the hell was that?

Four hours later, you trudged through the door of the BAU office, venti red-eye in hand. You made it about ten steps before Derek had his arm around your shoulders.

"Whoa there, hot stuff. Rough night?" You tried to shake him off, but he wouldn't budge, so you just kept walking, making him go with you towards your desk.

"So not your business, Derek. You being open with your personal life doesn't mean we all have to be open like that with ours."

"Personal life, huh? So who is he? More importantly, how was he, and should we expect more mornings like this in the future?" You rolled your eyes and playfully shoved him away. You'd reached your desk, so you sat on top of it, facing him. As you did, you made eye contact with Spencer, who was well within earshot. His face was unreadable, and you weren't sure why him hearing Morgan tease you like that upset you. It never had before.

"No, Derek. There's no one. Just some nightmares. Nothing major; I'll be fine by tomorrow." You got off your desk, sat in your chair, and logged into your laptop. Derek whistled and walked away without another word, shaking his head.

You tried to focus on the paperwork you needed to get done, but you couldn't stop thinking about that dream. The feeling of his lips on yours… it felt so real.

This is ridiculous. Love? We don't even like each other. Well… there was the stuff he was saying yesterday- 'I could never dislike you, let alone hate you', and some sort of subtext? But not disliking someone is a far cry from love. Plus, he's straight, so this is all absurd. And even if he DID have feelings for me, I sure as hell don't return them. I mean, maybe he's not as awful as I've thought, especially if he wasn't coming from a place of dislike. And he really is very pretty. Those eyes… Wait, what the fuck? This is all fucking ridiculous. I just need to get a full night's sleep tomorrow, and all this weirdness will be gone.

You took a giant gulp of your coffee, shook your head, and ran your fingers through your hair. Fortunately, Hotchner called a team meeting, forcing your attention to other things.

While no case could ever be described as 'normal', this case was pretty cut and dry, once you figured out what you were looking for. No dramatic twist, no tense showdown at his arrest. There weren't many cases like that, but you were very glad that this one was. You never sleep well when on a case, and no matter what you did, you couldn't shake that dream, the butterflies it left in your stomach every time you looked at him, and the strange disappointment when, unlike before that moment in Oregon, he wasn't looking at you.

Two more weeks passed. The energy between you and Spencer, whatever force it was that had drawn you together to argue again and again, was gone. You were polite to each other, and cooperated as necessary, but didn't do more than the bare minimum when it came to interacting with each other. Your interactions were cold and low-spirited. So you were so glad for a fun night out with Penelope, Emily, and JJ.

"So, Y/N, things seem… different… between you and Spencer these days. Did something happen?" Emily's tone made it clear that the three of them had intended to bring this up long before the plan to get drinks was even made. "I appreciate y'all waiting until I had a couple of drinks in me at least before going here. I guess we just got tired of fighting? I don't know. I can't figure out what's going on in that brilliant head of his. I thought I at least knew where I stood with him, even though it was purely adversarial, but I think I was wrong. But then that leaves me with no idea what he thinks of me or why I care so damn much."

"Really? No idea at all?" JJ asked. "I remember walking by a closed door in the police station in Oregon and hearing the word 'gorgeous' being thrown around." "Oh my god. You heard that?" You buried your face in your hands, and they all laughed.

"Yeah, I did, but only that one word. I'd figured you were on the phone with someone, but then you and Spence both started acting sad. I wasn't sure, of course, that you were talking to him until just now."

"Fuck. Okay, yeah. I think he's pretty. But I'm absolutely not alone in that. Derek calls him Pretty Boy, for goodness' sake. Appreciating someone's beauty doesn't have to mean anything more."

"Y/N, really? After everything we've been through together, you're gonna lie to us like this? Whatever happened, you've both been miserable since, and it's throwing the whole team off balance."

"What do you want me to say, Penelope? That I'm in love with him? He's pretentious and a know-it-all and a nerd and funny and kind and gorgeous and oh my God. I think I'm in love with him." The three women clapped and cheered.

"Finally, you get there! Took you long enough." Emily winked. "So, what's the plan now?"

"Keep this shit between us until my feelings go away. Even if he wasn't straight, I wouldn't risk fucking things up by telling him how I felt. As it is, I stand no chance in hell, so I'm just gonna write this one off as another straight guy I've fallen for and try to move on."

"Y/N, if you tell him-" Penelope started.

"No. You, more than anyone, know why I can't even entertain the idea of trying to be with him. I can't set myself up for that kind of pain. Not here, not where things are so good." You looked at all three of them. "I know that your intentions were good, but I just can't do this. I'm sorry." You grabbed your coat and left.

Your interactions with Spencer changed yet again. Now that you knew you loved him, you couldn't help yourself from being warmer towards him. As the weeks passed, you got closer. After three weeks, you considered him to be a good friend, not that that made things any less painful. You were just hoping that Penelope, Emily, and JJ were going to respect your wishes and drop the subject of your feelings for him.

[From: Penelope]: round table room ASAP

Shit. The last time you'd gotten that text from Penelope, the team left on a serial child abduction case 30 minutes later. So, despite it being your day off, you ran out the door and were there with your go bag in 15 minutes.

But no one else was there. No files on the table, nothing to indicate that there was a new case. You pulled out your phone to call Penelope, but then you heard a commotion outside the door- you'd closed it behind you.

"No, Derek, wait, I don't-"

"Can it, Pretty Boy, and thank me later." Derek opened the door, pushed Spencer into the room, winked at you, and shut the door, all in about 3 seconds.

"Spencer. Um, hi. Is the rest of the team not going to join us? Garcia's text seemed pretty urgent." You tucked your phone into your pocket.

"I don't think so, since I just heard Morgan barricade the door." He tried to open the door and failed.

"Oh my god they're Parent Trapping us. I'm gonna kill them."

Spencer tilted his head, confused. "Parent Trapping?"

"Oh my god have you not seen any of the Parent Trap movies? Were you living under a rock in 1998?" "I was seventeen and working on my first doctorate, so pretty much, yeah," he laughed. You couldn't help but laugh, too, as you firmly ignored how his smile made you absolutely melt.

"Fair enough. The '61 one is good too, but the '98 Lindsay Lohan one is Iconic for good reason. Anyway. The point is, they've locked us in here and won't let us out until we have a conversation."

"Just a conversation? Or do they want us to talk about something in particular?" He took a seat at the table.

"I- yeah, they have a particular topic in mind. I'm so sorry. This is my fault. I was tipsy and said things I should have just kept to myself. I thought they'd respected my wishes and left well enough alone, but clearly they didn't. And they won't let us out of here until I tell you-" you hesitated.

"Tell me what?" He leaned forward, and part of you swore you saw hope in his beautiful brown eyes. You looked at the floor, avoiding them.

"Tell you that I… have feelings for you. Romantic, cheesy, butterflies-in-my-stomach feelings. I don't know why they want me to tell you this. We've just gotten to a good place as friends, and you're straight, and-"

Somehow you missed the sound of him getting up and taking the few steps over to you, because you practically jumped out of your skin when his hands were suddenly on your shoulders.

"Y/N. Please, darling, look at me?" Bewildered by the endearment, you did, and his smile was blinding. "I'm not straight. I'm bi, and I think part of me has been in love with you since your first day at the BAU. The thing JJ said I was working through? The potential problems of having feelings for a coworker. For you. As soon as you walked through that door", he pointed and then took both your hands in his, "I loved you. The night at the bar? I was rolling my eyes at myself for how much I wanted to kiss you, and I walked away to stop myself from doing something reckless. I love you, Y/N. Can I do something reckless?"

"I'm trans," you blurted. "I hope that doesn't change anything, but it's something you should know. If knowing that I'm trans changes things, now is the time for you to say something. If it's a problem and it blows up later, it might actually kill me. Because I love you, too. So much. If it doesn't change anything, then please, Spencer, kiss me."

The words were barely out of your mouth before his lips were on yours. You weren't sure how long you were kissing before you were interrupted by cheers from the other side of the door. "Shit, Spencer, they're going to be the worst about this, aren't they?" You were a bit embarrassed by how breathy your voice was, but you were too happy to really care.

"Oh yeah. We're not going to get a moment that's just us in this building ever again. Do you want to get it over with and face them, or would you prefer we stay in this moment a bit longer?"

"What do you think, doctor?" you asked, pulling him in for another kiss.

[15-dogs]

something like this |s.b.|

pairing: sirius black x reader

summary: sirius always seems to have something to say about your boyfriend, but maybe it’s because his words are powered by another emotion

warnings: light swearing

guide: (Y/N) = your name, italics = flashback

word count: 2229

a/n: hi hello I’m a HUGE new girl fan and I was rewatching some episodes the other night (specifically oregon s4e16) and then I had an urge to make a fic?? off of the episode?? so yeah that’s what I did lol I hope all of you like it!!

“Sorry,” Remus said as he placed a letter before you, “it’s not from him.”

You groaned and threw your head in your hands. You could feel everyone’s eyes on you― specifically Sirius― so you regained composure, meeting everyone’s sad eyes with a smile.

“It’s fine!” You shot a glare at Sirius who hid his smirk with a long sip from his mug. “Don’t start with me, Sirius.”

“I haven’t said a word, love.”

You rolled your eyes as you got up from the table. “He’s coming, I know he is.”

“I bet he’s just busy, (Y/N),” Peter assured you.

“Yeah, you’re right, Peter. He’s just busy.”

“Or maybe he just doesn’t make time for you,” Sirius interjected.

You rounded on the raven haired boy, finger pointed at his chest. “I thought I said not to start with me,” you sneered.

Sirius raised his hands in defense, standing up so he towered over you. “I’m just saying, Ben’s your boyfriend, he should be spending his summer with you here. Or at least he should write you. When did he say he was visiting us? Four days ago, was it?”

You scuffed your feet against the wooden paneling of the little home you shared with the three boys. You suddenly felt ashamed; you didn’t want to admit that Sirius had a point, but he most certainly did. Ben hadn’t bothered to contact you since you moved in. When you two went long distance, Ben had promised he’d at least stay for a bit to help you unpack but there you were, living in your new flat with Remus, Sirius, and Peter for a couple weeks now, nearly fully unpacked and ready to move on. But you weren’t ready to move on from Ben.

And then you were back under Sirius’s gaze, his eyes softening as your shoulders drooped. “Six days ago. He said he was coming six days ago.”

Sirius cursed himself for falling prey to your doe eyes. He grabbed you by the arms, ducking to meet your gaze. “Hey, look, I’m sorry I brought it up.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” You wiggled out of his grasp and waved him off as you stalked towards your room. “It’s...it’s really fine, Sirius.”

He ran his hand through his hair in distraught. “Shit, no-”

“It’s fine, Sirius, it’s fine.”

As you disappeared into your room and shut the door behind you, Remus clapped Sirius on the back. “So smooth, Pads. Really, I think she might have fallen in love with you already.”

Sirius shrugged out of Remus’s hand and stormed off towards his room, leaving Remus and Peter stifling snickers behind him.

Sirius flopped onto his bed, throwing his head back onto the pillow. He groaned at his actions, recalling what happened months prior, before you got together with Ben.

“Listen, I can’t just kiss you like this!” Sirius cried. A cocky grin tugged at your lips. Sirius’ eyes went wide and he shook his head fervently.

“What does that mean?”

“N-nothing.”

Sirius Black was nervous. And it was all because of you.

He started to stammer our poor excuses before promptly shutting himself up and darting off towards his dorm. You called after him, feeling terrible for making fun of him during the little drinking game. Something about the way he looked at you made you feel like he wasn’t joking when he said he didn’t want to kiss you like that, but still wanted to kiss you.

And Sirius wanted to. He wanted to since he met you but you were too blind to see it.

―

You paced around the kitchen, awaiting an owl from Ben. Remus almost felt sorry for you, watching you pause every few minutes because you thought you heard a hoot or a flap of wings.

But for the hundredth time that day, you paused at the sound of wings. And so did Remus.

You ran to the window to catch the owl, seeing that it was Ben’s tawny. You squealed with excitement as Sirius exited his room. He felt instantly filled with regret as he saw you petting the owl, bouncing up and down.

“Sirius, look! I told you he’d write, I told you!”

Sirius ran a hand through his hair and feigned happiness. “Well, you proved me wrong, (Y/N).”

“What does it say?” Remus interjected.

You ripped open the letter, your eyes scanning over the sweet words that your boyfriend wrote you. You read it once, twice, three times, your face falling with each individual read. Sirius furrowed his brow and placed a hand on your shoulder. You gasped at his touch and looked up at him, tears in your eyes.

You let out a watery chuckle and forced a smile on your face. “Ben’s not coming,” you explained. “Too busy. He says that we’re probably already unpacked so it wouldn’t make sense for him to buy a Portkey and travel from America and whatnot, so…”

“What?” Sirius looked appalled. “You’re joking.”

“I guess you could say I can’t be Sirius.” Even Sirius couldn’t laugh at your joke. You shifted your weight and looked at the floor. “Go on, Sirius, tell me how shitty of a person Ben is. I know that you’re dying to.”

Sirius sighed, looking over your shoulder to meet Remus’ knowing eyes. Remus shrugged as if to tell Sirius that whatever he would say he had to mean because you could see right through him.

“Listen, you’re probably right. He’s just busy.”

You nodded, feeling the tears start to stream down your cheeks. “I’m gonna go to my room.”

“Wait, (Y/N)!”

You dropped the letter at Sirius’s feet as you ran towards your room and shut the door behind you, collapsing on your bed in a ball of sorrows.

Sirius picked up the letter and read it once over, scoffing at his poor excuse of an apology. Remus stared at his friend amusedly, sipping coffee from a mug. Sirius slammed the paper on their table, rolling his eyes.

“I can’t believe he would do that!” Sirius hissed.

“You can’t? Because I most certainly can.”

“She deserves someone who actually cares about her, someone who wants to be with her, someone-”

“Like you, Sirius? She deserves someone like you?”

Sirius froze. Remus raised his brows awaiting Sirius’s response, but nothing came. That was as much an answer as any.

―

You had been crying in your room for the past couple days. Remus would occasionally bring you chocolates, Peter crafted little toys like fortune tellers, and Sirius? Sirius hadn’t shown up so much.

He would check in on you, sure, but he never brought you anything like the other guys. You weren’t necessarily upset about it, but you were confused as to why he seemed to be more distant than the other guys. Not avoiding you, just distant.

Maybe he wasn’t good at comforting people. But you knew that wasn’t true, Sirius had always been with you, always been there for you. What would have caused this change in behavior?

As if he could sense your thinking, there was a hesitant knock at your door.

“Come in,” you called out as you brushed used tissues onto your end table. Sirius entered, waving at you awkwardly.

“Can I sit here?” He pointed towards the blank spot on your bedsheets.

“I cleaned it off just for you.”

“How thoughtful.”

You tugged the blankets up to your chest as Sirius laid beside you. You continued to stare at the ceiling, feeling Sirius’s stare on you. You sighed; nothing good was about to come out of that boy’s mouth.

“Say what you’re gonna say, Sirius,” you whispered. “I know you didn’t come here to just check on me. Just spit it out-”

“Okay! Fine! I will!” You were taken aback by his abrupt change in demeanor. “You need a guy who shows up, love, and Ben is not doing that!”

You sat up and rolled your eyes. “Say what you really feel,” you shot under your breath.

“When are you going to see that you’re stuck dating a wall, (Y/N)? You have to know that you’re too good for him!”

“Oh, but I’m not too good for you? In fact, I must be just perfect for you!”

You weren’t exactly sure where those words came from, they just came. Maybe it was that drunken night he was dared to kiss you and you hadn’t stopped thinking about it. Maybe it was the way he acted more like a boyfriend than your own boyfriend had. Or maybe it was the way he gave you butterflies when he smiled. Maybe it was the way electricity shot up your spine he rested his hand on the small of your back. Maybe it was the way that you wished you never dated Ben in the first place, but rather dated Sirius but you were too damn stubborn to admit it, even to yourself.

“What are you on about?”

You rolled out of the bed and opened the door, hearing Remus and Peter scatter back to their rooms. “Leave.”

“But, I-”

“Please.” 

You choked back a sob and Sirius then knew that he went too far. He got off of your bed and stumbled towards the door, pausing to look at you.

“I’m sorry-”

“I can’t help that I’m a hopeless romantic, Sirius. I want things to work out, and they will.”

“You’re wasting it on the wrong guy.”

You sucked in a sharp breath, mumbling an excuse as you shut the door in his face.

But, Merlin, was he right.

―

A week later, Sirius sat out by the pond that stood about 100 feet from your flat. He tossed a pebble in between his hands, debating what he could do to make it up to you.

Little did he know you were on your way to join him.

“Hey, Sirius.”

His eyes snapped up to yours and he began to grab his things to leave. “I was just heading out, actually-”

“We really need to talk.”

His heart sank into his stomach as his steps slowed to a stop. You picked up a rock and skipped it across the pond. 

“I broke up with Ben, actually. You were right.”

Sirius tried to fight the feeling of excitement that rose up in his chest. “How did he take it?”

You nodded thoughtfully. “Really well, actually.”

“He didn’t respond yet?”

“No, he hasn’t responded.”

You let out a wry laugh and Sirius joined in, feeling some of the tension flood from his body. You picked up another rock and skipped it across the pond.

“Is it bad that I’m relieved?” you said, interrupting the silence. Sirius’ eyes went wide. You met his stare and he quickly attempted to save face by clearing his throat and picking up another pebble.

“I don’t think so. I think that you did the right thing.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that.”

That sense of dread crept back into the forefront of Sirius’s mind as you picked up yet another rock. 

“You know,” you began as you moved closer to Sirius, “my friends back home would always play this game; there was a little pond by our houses that we’d go to on weekends. We’d talk about whatever, but it was usually boys. So we developed a little tradition: you think of your crush’s name and you toss a rock across the pond. Depending on how many times it skips, your fortune with your crush would be told.”

Sirius eyed you skeptically. “Has it ever worked?”

“Merlin, no,” you chuckled. “But I’d still like to do it.”

He nodded dutifully as the both of you retrieved your rocks. You glanced up at Sirius, thinking of his name as you skipped it across the pond. It skipped two times before sinking, causing you to frown.

“What’s that mean?” Sirius asked.

“It means it’s not up to me anymore.”

Sirius snorted. “And you made these rules when you were a kid? That’s quite depressing.”

“Oh, shut up. Just skip yours.”

Sirius did as he was told, skipping the rock across the pond three times. You gasped before turning to him with a gentle smile.

“Three times? What’s that?”

“It means they fancy you back.”

He was thinking of you, who else would he be thinking of? But he couldn’t tell you that just because of some silly game you made up when you were a kid. There was no way you felt the same― you just got out a relationship!

Sirius smiled back at you, nodding with faint confidence. You nodded back and made your way to leave but Sirius wouldn’t let you.

The moment he had admitted that he wanted to kiss you back in school stirred in his mind like nothing else he knew. He thought about you constantly but he had to hide it. That was, until, that very moment. He couldn’t keep waiting.

“Listen, I can’t just kiss you like this!”

He grabbed you by the wrist and tugged you towards him, connecting your lips. You didn’t even hesitate to clasp your hands behind his neck, his own trailing over your body like a dying man to the prospect of life.

As you pulled away, both of you were panting messes. He rested his forehead against yours, placing a peck against your lips again.

“I meant something like that.”

[mystic-writings]

when we meet again - part two | sam winchester

PAIRING — sam winchester x fem!reader

SUMMARY — you wake up in an unfamiliar space and immediately go searching for your son

WARNINGS — a little bit of angst, fluff

WORD COUNT — 2,060

NOTE — this one took a little bit to write tbh... but honestly i love how it turned out and i hope y’all like it too !!

masterlist | navigation

Everything around you was pitch black. You were sleeping, and now you were here. There was no source of light, meaning you couldn’t get your eyes to adjust to your surroundings. Being a smart person, you put your hands in front of you, but they hit some sort of wall. Feeling around, you began to realize exactly where you were. In a coffin.

Somehow, you ended up here. Then, as you thought about it, you remembered. Mikey crying, the shadow, the pain, the darkness. The werewolf killed you in front of your son. You hoped - no, you prayed - that Lanie gave him the letter, that Mikey was okay. You felt around you and your body, knowing that if you weren’t burned in the usual hunter’s fashion, that Dean or Sam would have buried you with something to help you out.

Then, underneath the pillow, you felt it. A lighter. You pulled it out and struck it, being able to see. And with that, you realized that you should have enough room to kick your way out. And so you did. With immense amounts of struggling, you kicked the bottom portion of the coffin open, allowing the dirt to flow into the space as much as possible. From there, you used up a lot of energy trying to push the upper half of the coffin open, and since there was now less dirt, it was easier.

You managed to dig your way through the dirt, getting yourself covered in it but still escaping nonetheless. You saw that you were in a graveyard and that it was the middle of the night, which led you to wonder exactly how you came back to life. Was it Cas? Or did Sam sell his soul so you could live?

Hoping that it wasn’t the latter, you brushed off as much dirt as you could from your black laces dress and your skin, noticing that you were wearing flats instead of heels. Now you just had to figure out where you were buried. It was more than likely that you were buried in Oregon, but if Mikey went with Sam back to the bunker, then you were probably buried close to there. Walking down the dirt road that leads into the cemetery, you thought about seeing your son again. And seeing Sam. But you were also curious as to how much time had passed since your death.

After hours of walking down a two-lane road, you came across a 24/7 gas station as the sun was rising, where you could clean yourself up and find something out about where you were. Stepping into the grimy ladies room, you went to the paper towel dispenser and grabbed a lot of them, finally looking in the mirror. Your face was covered in dirt and so was the rest of you. So, you wet the paper towels and wiped down your arms, legs, and face, taking the makeup with the dirt.

Your dress and hair were fine, just needed to be dusted off. When that was done, you walked out and went to the cornershop of the gas station to see if you could find a newspaper. There was a bored teenage guy behind the counter, who barely noticed that you came in. It didn’t take long for you to find a newspaper, which told you that it had been almost 6 years since you died.

The shock that flowed through your nervous system rendered you speechless and frozen. Your little boy grew up without you. Sam most likely moved on without you. The world kept spinning without you.

But once you were able to regain control of your senses, you turned towards the boy. “Hey, kid.”

He looked up at you, annoyed. “Listen, my car broke down and I’m a little lost, could you tell me where I am?”

With a sigh, the teenager responded. “About 12 miles from Lebanon. Go that way and you should find it no problem.”

His bored tone rubbed you the wrong way, but you were in too much of a hurry to get to Sam and Mikey that you couldn’t be bothered to do anything but thank him and run out the door, beginning your journey up the road, hoping to find your family still in the bunker.

The hot summer sun burned the top of your head and whatever skin was exposed and you felt yourself getting more tired as you went on. You passed a sign a little while back, which was facing the other way, that told you that the gas station you found was just outside of a town about four miles from Lebanon. You were a little pissed at Sam for not giving you a proper hunter’s burial, but overall happy that somehow, you were given a second chance to be with him and your son.

You were nearly out of breath by the time you entered the town. It had been a long four hours, but you made it. The bunker wasn’t hard to find, since it was built under the only old, decrepit building in the town. Of course, you also knew what you were looking for and used to live there, so that gave you an advantage.

Your heart hammered in your chest as you approached the door. Would they believe you were a demon or a shapeshifter? A ghoul, maybe? You didn’t want to believe that, but you knew the trials they would put you through before they let you into the bunker. Taking a deep breath, you knocked on the clunky metal door, praying they heard it.

Before you knew it, you heard faint footsteps ascending the stairs, followed by a heavier set and ‘no, don’t answer the door before I--’

The large door was pulled open (with a little struggle, it seemed) and your eyes fell downward, staring into your own eyes. Michael. Your heart nearly stopped beating at how grown up he looked. It shook you to the core to see him as a child, no longer the baby he once was. His hair was darker and a little long, much like his father’s. His eyes were still the same e/c shade they always had been, and the bright smile he gave you seemed to light up the whole world.

He stopped short when he saw you, his bright little smile fading, confusion growing in his eyes as Sam came to a stop beside him, ready to scold his son when he spotted you. It seemed like the whole world stopped when his eyes met yours. He couldn’t believe you were there, standing right in front of him in the clothes you were buried in.

As soon as the shock wore off he pushed Michael behind him protectively, causing you to raise your hands in defence. “Sammy, it’s me. I promise.”

Quickly, he called out to Dean, who came rushing up the stairs, also shocked to see you. “Dean, take Mikey into his room please.”

The older Winchester obliged, leading your son down the metal stairs with the promise of playing toy cars. You kept your tear-filled eyes on him until you couldn’t see him anymore, forcing you to snap them back to Sam, who was pulling out a flask of holy water. You allowed him to splash it on you and to quickly slice your arm with the silver blade. Once he accepted that you were no monster, he almost collapsed.

He grabbed you by the shoulder and pulled you into his body, enveloping you in a hug. Your nose filled with his scent and you started crying, pulling at his flannel, wishing you never had to let go.

Sam pulled away first, moving one of his hands to your cheek and looking you over. “Wh- h-how are you here?”

A humourless laugh slipped past your lips as you shrugged. “I don’t know. One minute I’m checking on Mikey, the next everything went dark, and then I woke up in a coffin. I just know that whatever happened, I’m so glad it did.”

He smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek. Gently, he leaned down and pressed his lips to yours. Your eyelids fluttered closed as the feeling of Sam’s lips on yours set fire to your whole body, a familiar warmth that you missed greatly. When you pulled away, Sam whispered, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

You were reminded of your son, the boy you left behind, and your eyes shot open. “Sammy, can I see him? Please?”

“Not yet.” Sam suggested and you felt your heart break. “It’s just-- he still thinks you’re dead, and he doesn’t know about our world. Not all of it, anyway. He knows it’s my job and he knows what killed you, but he understands that it’s dangerous. It would confuse him, that’s all.”

You nodded in understanding. Sam broke away from you and stepped aside, letting you step into the ever-familiar bunker, the home that was once yours. He closed the door with a jarring creak, and followed you downstairs toward the kitchen, where you pulled yourself onto the counter and accepted the beer bottle Sam handed you.

“How have things been, Sammy?”

“Well, a lot’s changed in the past six years.” He took a sip of his drink. “Mikey’s going into 3rd grade in a few weeks.”

Emotion swelled in your chest as you fully realised that you missed out on so much of your son’s life. Sam put a hand on your knee for comfort as he continued. “He grew up with stories of you. I told him all about you, every night he asked about you and I knew you would’ve wanted him to know about you. He loves his mom so much, he’s said it so many times.”

The tears in your eyes spilled over at Sam’s words. Your beer sat, untouched on the counter, and Sam laid his there as well to hug you again. Your chin rested on his shoulder as you accepted the hug, grateful that he was able to raise Mikey. They all seemed to be happy so far. You were glad that this was the life Mikey has, one where he knows who his family is. He wouldn’t have had that if… if you didn’t die.

Once you were okay enough, you let go of Sam, but moved your hands to his face. Gently cupping his cheeks, all you could do was smile gratefully. No words were exchanged, but you both knew what you were saying. You were thanking him for raising your son, and he was telling you how happy he was that you were back.

The silence was broken by a little boy’s yells approaching. You and Sam laughed as you heard the playful shouting approach the room, along with Dean calling after Mikey and his heavy stomping. Mikey ran through the kitchen and hid between Sam’s legs and the counter, giggling.

Bending down, Sam scooped the child up in his arms as Dean entered the kitchen, slightly winded. Raising an eyebrow, you quipped, “Getting up there in age, are you, Dean?”

He glared at you, but said nothing as Sam said, “Mikey, do you know who this is?”

“Mommy?” he asked, and happy tears sprung to your eyes.

“Yeah, that’s mommy. Wanna say hi?”

You hopped down from the counter and Sam backed up to give you room, while Mikey nodded eagerly. As soon as his feet touched the ground again he was running to you and you bent in time to be at his level so you could hug him. You picked him up and he held onto you tightly.

If you weren’t going to cry before, you just about broke down when his small voice whispered, “I missed you, mommy. I love you.”

Happiness bloomed in your chest as you locked eyes with Sam and whispered back, “Mommy missed you too, Mikey.”

You kissed the side of your son’s head as Sam came into the hug as well, and you didn’t even notice Dean had left the room as Sam ruffled Mikey’s hair, causing a delightful giggle to erupt from his chest. The smile on your face was permanent, unable to be wiped away by anything.

You were back; you were home. You didn’t know how, but you were, and you couldn’t be more grateful.

Forever taglist: @simonsbluee @probably-peeves @sarcasticallywitty15 @mazerunnerrose

Sam Winchester taglist: @theweasleyslut @johnmurphyisqueer @thanossexual

taglist form is in my navigation!

[cherry-gemz]

Healing Hands: Chapter One

Summary: You find yourself abroad in London as the Chief of Pediatrics. Everything has been running smoothly until you are faced with an undiagnosed case and the doctor assigned is anything but willing to face defeat. Will you be able treat the child's unknown disease in time, along while facing uncharted waters with love in the workplace?

Parings: Henry Cavill {Dr. Cavill} x Y/N {F!Reader}

Rating: Overall series 18+ only, Chapter is PG

Word count: 2200 +/-

Tags:  @evansamericanass @meowpurrbooks​ @lilithpaijiee @pterodactylterrace 

A/N: Trying something new at writing Henry fanfic. IDK if it’s any good, but either way wanted to start writing. LMK if you're interested, comments and tags welcomed! 💜

P.S. I am no means in any medical field or sorts, so if I get something incorrect on a term or process, bear with me xo.

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

You knew that it was a gamble moving to the UK for the Chief of Pediatrics position. But it was time for a change. You needed to leave Eugene, Oregon. Start fresh. There was too much pain there and you had to get away. So when your cousin, who was a nurse from Brighton informed you that there was a need at her hospital for the highly-visible role, you thought why the hell not? You'd score a free round-trip to England of anything and actually see some family you've never met if it didn't pan out. 

Little did you know that you'd fall in love with London: the weather, the people, the imagery of it all. Oregon weather wasn't all too different, so you acclimated well. It had been a few months of you settling in: understanding more of the language barriers despite it still being English. Knackered, cuppa, trollied. 

That is until you had a run in with the division chief of Pediatrics, Dr. Cavill. The staff adored the renowned and painstakingly handsome doctor. And while you could appreciate the view as well, you never were on the same page with his ideals. His defiant behavior of undermining your direction of the unit was becoming a thorn in your side. 

But this time, this time you'd had enough. He mentioned to a patient's parents, while with the speciality case, the hospital could take on their son's situation as priority and receive around the clock care. You threw down the patient's file on your desk and pinched the bridge of your nose. It was a lost cause, you had looked into the patient ever since you started the role.

The child seemed perfectly healthy and lab tests may show no signs of illness. But the chronic pain and fatigue were unexplainable. You empathized, but the poor child has undergone so many tests that at this point it was about providing facts to the parents. And right now, there was no cause of alarm. You weren’t a Dr. House, this wasn’t television. You didn't have the staff to dive into any research or clinical studies. You had a hospital to run, employees to pay, other lives needed saving. 

You picked up the phone to the case nurse on the pediatric floor. 

"Hello? Yes, this is Dr. Y/LN. Can you please remind Dr. Cavill of our 5pm? He's late. Thank you." 

Slowly hanging up on the phone, you turn back to the patient's file. The boy, Jon Foulger, was just shy of his ninth birthday. No positive results for Lupus or Guillain-Barré syndrome. But This case had been bothering you, poor Jon had been in the hospital for three months and still no progress on a diagnosis. While you were never known to give up on a patient, you knew giving false hope to the parents was detrimental not only to the family, but to the same of the hospital's integrity. You were in a high esteemed role now, you knew that you had to discuss further with Henry on his actions. 

Twenty more minutes passed by and you checked your watch. Fuming, you stood up from your desk and headed down to the pediatric floor by the lift. 

As you briskly walk down the hall corridors you can't wait to give Cavill a piece of your mind. You turn the corner and ram right into a brick wall, or so you thought.  Your hands instinctively pick up and see placed on the doctor's firm chest. You immediately flush and lose composure. 

You knew he was a good-looking man, but this up close and personal was a whole other level. His dark hair and curls were fluffy and good enough to touch. His piercing steel blue eyes looked at yours and made immediate contact. His bone structure made the Michaelangelo's David blush. 

"My apologies, Dr. Y/LN. Didn't see you there," his voice was like butter. 

You straightened out your white coat, "Ahem, yes. Well I seemed to have been lost in thought. My apologies as well."

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, almost an hour ago…" you shifted your weight to stand a bit taller. He towered over you with his muscular frame and height. 

"Patient...Jon Foulger. We must discuss the repercussions of your current actions."

"Jon-Jon," he replied stoic. 

"Excuse me?"

"He likes to be called Jon-Jon."

"Well yes, let's go to my office and discuss further, please Dr. Cavill."

"As you wish," he replied and pivoted his heel to the nearby lift.

The rise up to the 12th floor was a quiet one, awkward overall as you knew you had to give a coaching and hated the notion. You missed practicing medicine; while you enjoyed the administration of your position, the thrill of helping others and using your hands were erased with cases of employee performance reviews, reports, budgets. 

He coughed into his fist and then held his strong hands in place in a clasp. 

He finally broke the silence, "Enjoying London?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Have you had any time to take a holiday?"

"Um, no. Been too busy."

"It might do you some good," he replies as he looks to check his watch. 

You huff, "Somewhere you need to be, Doctor?"

"No, just checking the time."

His arrogance irritated you and now you weren't feeling as badly to give him his coaching. 

The lift opened as you arrived at the floor and he held out the door for you to exit first. You nod and walk to your office, your kitten heels clicked on the hospital's linoleum floor and the sound echoed through your ears. 

As you both enter your office you stride quickly to your desk to assume dominance of the room. 

Henry stood near the doorway, admiring your photos and certificates on the wall. 

"I knew you were American, but Stanford Medical? Interesting, thought you were from Oregon. When will you be returning?" You can't read him if that was a compliment or sarcasm. 

"Dr. Cavill, would you be so kind to shut the door," you state firmly and sit down, ignoring his comment about your return to the states.

His brow peaks and he nods, turning to close the door. 

"Please, have a seat," you say. 

"I'd rather stand, thank you," he replies and you know this is going to be a difficult conversation. 

"Well this will only take a moment then. Your recent behavior with the Foulger family, while I commend you for your dedication, has been slight askew with the hospital's protocols."

"Is that so?" His voice dropped and his brow arched. "In what way, Dr. Y/LN?"

You cough as the drawl of his mouth turns upward and you can swear there's a smug smirk across his face. 

"Well...for one...you've promised around the care of the child. Now simply put, we've exhausted all efforts for a diagnosis and until Jon...Jon-Jon…shows any new symptoms, we are at liberty to provide him comfort care for the remainder of the evening, but he will need to be discharged in the morning. We've exhausted him enough with MRIs, blood tests. I'm at a rock in a hard place, Dr. Cavill."

"The rock or the hard place where you give up on a child's well-being simply because you haven't thought to see him as a person? Rather as a number on your statistical analysis of how functioning this hospital is?"

His eyes pierce through you and make your knees grow weak. The nurse staff usually talks about him being a cuddly bear, always making the children laugh and smile. But this man before you, why he's no cuddly bear. He was a beast of a man. A grizzly in fact. 

"Now see here, I will let you know that this case is very important to me. All the children are. But what you fail to see is that for whatever reason you've gravitated to this particular case, you're chasing something that doesn't exist." 

His broad shoulders and strong neck tense at your words. He blinks methodically, as if he's scoping out his prey. No, don't let his charm and rugged good looks distract you. This is a man who is used to getting what he wants and you are a woman who knows perfectly what to do with that.

"And I believe you're blind, Doctor."

"Excuse me?" Your voice was shrill and short. "This is borderline insubordination. I'd be careful with your next words, Cavill."

"Pardon my frankness, Dr. Y/LN, but I've been here longer and know these patients in and out," his voice raised and you could see the hint of a vein showing on his thick neck. "Some of the children come from very poor and debilitating environments. We can't just cast them off once a diagnosis doesn't stick simply because we need the bed or we're done trying!"

"DR. CAVILL," you exclaim and let out an exasperated sigh. His demeanor changed and his upper lip curved slightly. 

“Dr. Y/LN. With all due respect, I think you’re making the wrong judgement call here. Things are not adding up with Jon-Jon, if we just give it a few more days...I feel like we’re making progress and I’ve labored enough research into it-”

"Again, while I appreciate your passion...”

“Passion which you need to show for the patient-”

You raise your hand to silence him, “This is not up to you, Dr. Cavill. As Chief of Pediatrics, this is my call. We will discharge Jon tomorrow if he does not show any new symptoms. If you disobey any further protocols, I will have no other choice but resort to disciplinary action. Do I make myself clear, Doctor?"

You press your hands on your desk and lean inward, portraying your stance. 

"Perfectly," he responded. 

"And another thing, I -" you start, but he turns and abruptly walks out of your office, leaving your door open. 

The nerve! Did he really just do that? Where does he think he's going? Didn't I just tell him I'd resort to disciplinary action?!

You rush out of your office and you see him striding through the hall. His strong posture, shoulders back eluded to years of boarding school perhaps or military. You noticed his fists were clenched and it gave you slight satisfaction that you chipped away ever so slightly at his ego.

It was going to take a lot more than that to send you packing, you thought. 

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

The next day came and went. You had confirmed that Jon-Jon was discharged with the floor nurse and while you were relieved to have handled that quite professionally, you knew it did not bear well with the rest of the staff.

You were still getting your feet wet and learning more about your team. It was solid overall, many years of expertise collectively, but they treated you like the outsider you were. No requests to meet for lunch or drinks after work. No camaraderie birthday cards seeking your signature or date night advice. Just the normal days in and out, pulling many late nights in your office, up to the point of exhaustion. You'd collapse in your double bed after work, stare at the ceiling of the small room you rented from your cousin, Laura, and try to drown out all the bustle of seven people in the same 3 bedroom flat. 

Just like any other day, You sat alone during lunch. But that never really was ever a bother being used to it now. You were excited about an audiobook you were meaning to dive into and right when you were about to use your airpods, that's when you noticed him enter the cafeteria. 

His presteen, crisp white lab coat was tight around his build. You could tell he took fitness seriously and wondered what he was hiding underneath it all. You unknowingly licked your lips as you watched him search for a fruit out of the bowl off the commons counter. Curious to know what he fancied: was he into a sweet apple or something more tart like cherries. 

He picked up a peach and squeezed it with his massive hand, making it look quite comical considering his size. His eyes met yours and you quickly looked away, trying to now draw any attention to yourself. You fumbled with your phone as you connected to the audiobook and heart his footsteps approached your empty table. 

"Good afternoon," he said. His voice was deep, smooth, and inviting. Not at all like the day before in your office. 

You play coy and don't bother to look up, fidgeting with your sandwich. 

"Hello," you reply distantly. He made you nervous. Would he bring up yesterday's conversation? Will he continue to look that delectable each day?

He smirked and took a bite of the fuzzy peach. There was a slight crunch as he dug his pearly whites into the rounded fruit. The velvet and thin layer of skin eased off and entered his mouth; he chewed slightly and let the piece swirl around with his thick tongue. 

You peered to look at him and his stare hadn't relented. He took another bite. This time the luscious juice slips out of the white-yellow fleshed fruit and down slightly on his chin. Oh, to be that piece of fruit and have him ravish you that way.  How he’d expertly use his hands over you and taste you with those lips.

He can tell you're still distant, however he notices you're unable to tear your eyes away from him. 

He walks over, closer to you now, and you can smell his cologne: a woody aromatic scent tied with a hint of suede. It's downright delicious and with the mix of the peach, your senses are in overdrive. 

What is it with this man and his ability to excite and anger you all at once? You not only want to put him into his place, you want to do so right here on the cafeteria table and have your way with him.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" He smiles devilishly and places the half eaten fruit on the table next to your phone and walks away. 

Your cringe and use all your might to not look back at him. He's going to make this very hard for you, very hard indeed. 

[cultureisdarkbeer]

In Season 8, Mulder returned to a world turned upside down. This is the story of how he worked his way back into Scully's arms.

*NEW* Chapter 4 - Does Scully want to be more than friends with Mulder? Does Mulder have the courage to ask? *Reader Discretion Advised* 

Read Full Chapter Here

“Thank you for driving me home,” Scully said, as they pulled onto the street and towards her apartment.

Mulder twisted his hand around the faux leather of the steering wheel. “Thank you for attending my therapy session. What did you two talk about in there?” He tried to sound cool, but his eagerness was not lost on Scully.  

“Reviewed different techniques, how I could be more supportive.”

Mulder tilted his head. “Sometimes, the flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety attacks seemed to be subsiding. Almost as if my mental trauma is healing with my physical wounds. Then others, it is like I just got off the ship.” 

“No one should expect you to heal at any pace, Mulder. He said it should take at least three months before you might begin to feel progress..  but Mulder, however long it takes, or even if you always have certain anxieties, depression, that’s okay. There is no right and wrong.”

Mulder didn’t know how to respond so he simply nodded. If only it was as simple as time passing or even the acceptance that time couldn’t be rewound, but there was more. A lot more.

The rest of the drive was met with a comfortable silence. It was so quiet he wondered if she’d fallen asleep. A quick glance in her direction revealed her eyes were closed, then, as if feeling his gaze, she opened them and a small smile curved her lips. She reached out and grasped his hand before once again closing her eyes. Did he just hear her sigh? Mulder considered how Scully seemed more willing than ever to follow him. Now, she seemed invested, even with her interest in helping him work through his trauma. It couldn’t be that her interest in helping him was only in relation to their shared past, their friendship. So many weeks had passed for her and so much of her life he had missed. Did he have a right to demand she make a choice? Did he have it in him to take that leap of faith and put himself out there? Was he just going to sit there and let another night go by without even asking? Just let her walk into that apartment without saying anything? 

When they pulled up to Scully’s apartment, Mulder gathered up some courage and asked, “Do you still have my files on your laptop? When I was searching through the archives today I didn’t see them and I had some on my hard drive that left with my computer.”

“Actually, they took my laptop as well… buuuuut, I did have a backup hard drive and I was able to reload it into my new laptop.” Scully gave him a smile that sent a cascading warmth through his insides. “Come on up and get what you need.”

Don’t tempt me Scully.

Once inside, Scully took off her coat and headed to the bathroom. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a shower. Feel free to use my laptop. You already know the password.”

Pushing the image of Scully standing under a hot steaming shower naked and wet out of his mind, Mulder headed straight to her desk and sat down on the hard backed wood chair. A couple swipes at the keyboard and a quick search and Mulder was faced with two folders with his name on it. He considered doing a round of eenie meenie, but in the end just clicked on the top folder. The file names were all dates. In fact there was a file for every day going as far back as a week after his abduction. It had his name on it, so he picked one at random and opened it. 

 Mulder, 

I have to believe you’re out there, alive. That belief is what keeps me moving, keeps me taking those leaps to solve the next X-File. I miss you with every breath, and I refuse to give up hope. We will be together. 

Today’s case led us to Indiana, you’re going to laugh when you hear what I told Doggett….   

 He closed that file and opened another. He didn’t want to know about her and Doggett. There were more, lots more, covering cases, days off, shopping, hospital visits. Mulder couldn’t read fast enough and couldn’t stop either. He opened one dated during the time he was buried in the ground. It read:

 Mulder,

Some days I question why I continue writing to you. In the beginning I believe it was because I didn’t want to let go. Other days it felt like you were closer when I did, like  somehow, you could still hear me. Now maybe I write them so my baby may one day read them and know what you meant to me, what our relationship was like so one day they might be blessed to find the same. I prayed daily for your return and lately, I pray even harder.

I was going through my old answering machine tapes, my voicemails from my cell. I decided to take all the ones I have and put them on a cassette tape so the baby can hear your voice, know what you sounded like when I tell them about you. Tell them of the love of my life, my perfect other, and how I found him and how he gave his life for us, so that we may live. 

I spoke in the past about driving in our endless straight line and now that I can look back on it with a clear mind, I understand that night in Oregon when you said it had to end sometime, in essence, you were throwing me out of the car. 

I became pregnant with the full intent to raise this child on my own, to take on the full responsibility. Marriage was nothing I ever strived for even if the possibility of being married never strayed. I put myself, my career, the work, before those things. It was something that might or could, but nothing I truly needed. Now, when I look in the mirror, I know, you were the only one I would have ever considered that kind of commitment with. Now, that chapter of my life is forever closed without ever being written. You were my partner Mulder, in work, in love, in life.

 “Did you find what you were searching for?” Scully said, and Mulder practically jumped right out of his skin. He spun in the chair and stood to face her. His fears turned to joy. She was beautiful, radiant, standing there in her robe, casually drying her crimson locks with a towel. And those legs, those little legs, and how they felt wrapped around him… Scully in love.. with him . His heart swelled, lighting him from head to toe, spreading warmth in its wake. A kaleidoscope of emotions ran over every part of him like a raging river, healing the cracks, filling and overflowing the voids.

“Yes,” he replied, his voice low as he barely got the sound out. He had found exactly what he was searching for. He cupped her face as she searched his eyes. He watched the desire that raged in him ignite inside her. Losing that last thread of restraint, he tilted her head up towards him and his lips crashed on top of hers, his tongue plunging into her mouth, his jaw rocking in time with hers, their kisses desperate, almost frantic.

Despite the insatiable hunger he felt, he pulled back to judge her reaction. Her eyes were soft in their gaze, but then her lids lowered and her eyes transformed to blue steel. Before he was able to speak, her fingers were in his hair, pulling him back down, kissing him hard, deep, unleashing unrestrained need and a passion that sent the crown of his cock swelling and brushing the seam of his boxers. 

Mulder groaned and gently pushed her away before it went any further. “Is it safe to..”

“The doctor has me on no restrictions,” she answered back hastily. “I just don’t want to move too fast for you. I want you to be ready.”

Mulder laced his hands through her amber locks, knocking her towel to the floor, kissing her again as his pent up feelings burst inside his chest, exploring her mouth, entwining their tongues, caressing her face.

He felt her fingers at his waistband, undoing his button and fly..

“Scully,” he whispered against her mouth and her hand cupped his bare erection. Skin on skin. Pleasure surged in his nerve endings and throbbed in his veins. “There’s not a part of me that didn’t miss this.”

Fuck . Scully closed her grip around his cock and stroked the sleek hot steel up and down. Mulder breathed hard and Scully moaned.

“Let’s go to bed,” she said in a heady rush of impatience. 

They kissed their way down the hall, Mulder almost tripping as he had to slouch as they walked to keep them from separating, Pulling off his shirt, hopping on one leg as he stripped off his pants. 

The way Scully’s eyes widened when he took off his boxers and freed his cock made him feel ten feet tall. She gave out a warning when he removed her robe that “her body had changed,” and he replied as honestly as he could. “Scully, I’m harder than a male porn star on his first day of work. Yes, it’s because it’s you, but it’s also because you’re more beautiful than the last time I laid eyes on you.”

Scully’s cheeks blushed and her pupils dilated. He matched her smile, both of them recognizing how much was at stake, and how much they both needed this. She turned away from him and he helped her remove her robe. He combed the soft strands of her hair to expose her exquisite neck, trailing soft kisses up the sensitive skin, leaving a wake of raised flesh.  

His hands traveled down her body, reacquainting with her new curves: her breasts, her waist, her ass. Soft noises released from the back of Scully’s throat as his fingers brushed over the inside of her thighs. Lust surged through him at the sound, and his length nuzzled the small of her back. Scully gripped the footboard of the bed. 

She ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “Mulder, please, I want you inside me.”

Her insistence only made him grow harder, but he knew it wasn’t a sprint. “H-how.. What would be most comfortable for you?”

“I think on the bed, on my knees. I can hold onto the footboard, the headboard is a little too high, and if I lean forward… What?”

“Nothing,” Mulder said, but he couldn’t prevent the upturn of his lips. “It’s.. well, you’ve given this some thought.”

Scully lifted a brow. “During that second trimester, you have no idea.”

He helped her onto the bed and followed close behind, holding his hands at her waist. Scully spread her legs and his tip grazed her. Scully looked back at him. “Easy, Mulder.” 

On her knees, and hunched forward, her ass in full glorious view, Mulder gripped his length, lined them up, and hesitantly pushed in. 

“Oh God, Mulder,” he heard Scully moan. 

Sharp pleasure bolted through him. “I know. You’re incredible.”

Easing back, slowly he pushed in again, a couple more inches before easing back again. 

“More, Mulder,” Scully gasped, reaching back, her fingers finding his hair, tugging and twisting. “Faster.”  

He was so worried about hurting her, but his excitement built and her tight, wet warmth around him only hastened it. He groaned and flexed his hips as another wave of pleasure hit him. She felt so good. The sight of them joining almost too much. This was Scully. They were finally together. 

Soon they found a languid pace, her hips doing most of the work, him aiding her movement, pulling it out and letting her push back on him to the depth she craved.  Until her knuckles whitened against the footboard. “God, Mulder. I really missed you.” Her walls pulsed and squeezed him tight and he groaned. 

With a few light thrusts her body heated and swelled snug around his cock. It made them slide easier, faster. Scully’s jaw went slack as her eyes closed, tightening as she pushed back against him. Her breath was ragged and he could see her concentrating on her movements. It was intense and exquisite and the feelings produced inside him made Mulder moan louder.

He closed his eyes and tightened his fingers on her hips, losing himself in the feeling. Again and again, more and more. He missed everything about this. Her legs tensed and he felt her sucking him further inside. He remembered that feeling. She was close. A few determined thrusts and she cried out, her muscles pulsing hard and rhythmically around him. Mulder’s forehead leaned into her shoulder and he reached for the footboard, covering her hand with his as he shouted, pouring his soul, his love, into her. 

“Scully, Scully.” He kept coming, for what seemed like an eternity. It left him spent and shaky. He had to catch himself for a moment, relishing in the feel, and calming his heart.  “Everything okay?” As he asked her he could hear the deep octaves in his own voice.

“Mulder,” she breathed out and her blue eyes sparkled at him. 

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sated look on her face as she made her way to the bathroom. When she returned, he helped her back onto the bed. 

They stared into each other’s eyes as they laid on their sides face to face. Scully softly caressed his cheek and he mellowed into the feeling of her fingertips across his stubble. He pressed his face into her touch, drowning in it. Mulder leaned over, his lips a breath away from hers, and he stopped to feel their familiar pull. An attraction like no other. Scully raised her face to his, brushing his lips lightly, coaxing him. He kissed her even softer in return, teasing her like she did him until her mouth opened and he could taste her. Scully moaned quietly at the contact. Not knowing exactly what to do with his hand, he used it to prop up his head, the other he ran gently into her hair, stroking it softly.  

Without words she tucked her head under his chin, her nose nuzzling his Adam's apple. Scully curled into his torso while he rubbed her back, pulling her carefully towards him until the bump of her belly rested against his tight rippled abs. From through the window he could see the last vestiges of light, painting the sky in orange and reds. White contrails highlighting the color in soft wisps. 

He was the only one she would ever consider marrying. 

Elation washed over his body. I would marry you, Scully. And raise that baby as mine, no matter how it started its life. 

As if he had said it aloud she stirred and opened her eyes. He kissed her forehead once more and returned her drowsy smile. Tugging the comforter over her, they snuggled into their cocoon. Scully’s eyes closed and she mumbled right before her breathing evened out, “Don’t go, Mulder.”

I don’t plan on it, Scully. Not ever.

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[lils-writes-stuff]

Heathridge Manor

spencer reid x reader

Best years part eight | part seven | part six | part five | part four | part three |part two |part one

Summary: Oregon and mystery has the reader and spencer growing closer in a case.   

warnings: normal criminal minds things,

A/N: based on season 7 episode 19; this is one of my fav episodes 

 “You know, Y/N, you should join me for one of my hand-on-hand combat classes,” Derek spoke walking up to stand between Y/N and Spencer who were walking out of the elevator.

 “And why’s that, Derek?” She asked, her head dramatically turning to the side to look at him. 

 “Well you got shot, you need to add some combat to go along to your scars,” he said laughing. 

 Y/N rolled her eyes at the man, knowing he meant no harm, and he genuinely wanted her to come to one of his classes. 

 “Morgan, I am a very good hand-on-hand fighter, remember I was top of the class at the academy,” she said, opening the door to the bullpen.

 “She was, and when she was scared by her neighbor the other morning she--”

 “Hey! Look Hotch texted we have a case let’s go,” Y/N interrupted Spencer before he could finish the embarrassing story. 

 “Alright wonder woman, whatever you say.” Derek laughed as he ruffled Y/N’s her walking towards the round table room, her and Spencer following closely behind.

 The round table room was filled with the others as they sat down. Penelope being the only one missing from the room. 

 “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry for the delay,” Penelope said, swiftly walking into the room as she carried her laptop in her hands. “The system was down. We overwork her. And I had to go into the belly of the beast, who I affectionately nicknamed Persephone, and do some machine whispering, oh-” she stopped, grabbing her remote from Derek as he handed it to her- “thank you. Which is good because this one is a doozy.” 

 “It will never cease to amaze me how much she can get out in one breath,” Y/N said leaning over to Rossi next to her. 

 “Oh yeah,” he agreed.

 “Emma Baker, thirty-eight, math teacher from Medford, Oregon. She went missing seventeen days ago, and her body was found yesterday afternoon at St. Baldwin’s, St. Baldwin’s is a now-defunct psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. Now that is in Salem, Oregon, which is 270 miles away from Medford and we’ve been called in for the bizarre nature of the case.” Penelope then pulled up a picture of the body that was found. 

 The victim laid on a bed, hands folded across her stomach, and dressed in a dress from the sixteenth century.

 “Wow, look at that dress,” JJ said as she looked at the picture. 

 “Was she going to a renaissance fair?” Emily asked. 

 “Not with her feet bound,” Y/N said as she looked at the victim’s feet. 

 “And the missing persons report says she was in jeans and a t-shirt,” Penelope added. 

 “Look at how she’s laid out, it’s almost like it’s a ceremony and she’s the sacrifice,” Derek said, flipping through the pictures in his hand. 

 “There’s obvious staging going on,” Rossi said. 

 “Could it be a ritualistic killing?” JJ asked. 

 “And the cause of death is still unclear, the M.E. report shows no sign of sexual assault or mutilation except mangled and missing fingernails,” Hotch explained.

 “You know, there were rumors of satanic rites being performed at a Byberry Hospital in Pennsylvania, which is also an abandoned asylum,” Spencer said. 

 “Judging by all the graffiti, this place isn’t exactly locked down,” Derek observed. 

 “Uh, yeah, local P.D. said that vandals and vagrants have been breaking in,” Penelope added on to Derek. 

 “Which means she could have been killed elsewhere and placed here,” Y/N said. 

 “She had limestone under her fingernails, but limestone wouldn’t have been used when this asylum was built, so she was obviously held somewhere else,” Spencer said, looking over to Y/N. 

 “Well, the bottom line is, the unsub transported her hundreds of miles from her hometown for a reason,” Emily said. 

 “We just need to find out what that reason is, wheels up in 30,” Hotch said, dismissing everyone. 

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

 “Emma Baker was a divorced math teacher, no children,” Rossi said as they began going over victimology. 

 “She has a boyfriend, though, who’s a drummer in a goth band. Her Facebook has pictures of them at the Bram Stoker Vampire festival and Slayerama, which celebrates all things gothic,” Penelope explained. 

 “Hm, a teacher by day, Elvira by night,” JJ said with a posing smirk on her face. 

 “Well, clearly this is a woman with two different sides to her personality,” Derek said, taking a sip of coffee from his mug. 

 “Yeah, the boyfriend’s band pours fake blood all over themselves on stage,” Spencer said, looking at a page in the manila folder. 

 “Ah, reminds me of high school,” Y/N said as her eyes locked on the file in her lap. 

 The eyes of everyone on the team turned to her in question at her statement. She looked up, realizing what she had said didn’t make sense to them. 

 “Don’t ask.”  

 “Okay, so if these two were Satanists, it wouldn’t be a stretch,” Emily said, going back to the topic of victimology.

 “Garcia, has the boyfriend been questioned by local P.D.?” Hotch asked.

 “He has, by phone. He’s got an airtight alibi, he and his band have been on tour in Asia for the last month,” Penelope answered. 

 “If it’s not the boyfriend, the unsub could be someone in their circle,” Y/N said. 

 “Emily, you asked earlier if she was going to a renaissance fair, there’s something to that,” Rossi said, looking at Emily next to him. 

 “Based on the dress, there could be more of a connection to history then the occult,” Emily spoke. 

 “Renaissance fairs typically replicate sixteenth-century England,” Spencer began. “They surged in popularity since they began in the 1960s.” 

 “And it’s not just a bunch of nerds in customs eating turkey legs, you guys,” Penelope added. 

 Y/N hummed in agreement, memories of her and her high school friends going to the fairs coming to mind. 

 “A different time is somehow very important to this unsub,” Hotch said. 

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

 Y/N stood with Spencer and JJ as they waited for the tailor in the shop to come back. They had just gotten a call from Derek telling them that she died from nicotine poisoning through the garments of the dress she was sown into.   

 “This unsubs’, not the first to do this, poisoned garments actually have an incredibly long history, going all the way back to the shirt of Nessus, which killed Hercules,” Spencer explained, Y/N listening intently. 

 A door chimed as the tailor entered the room, bringing the attention of the three to him.

 “Okay, so, I double-checked, and this fabric-” the tailor pointed to the fabric in the evidence bag- “is not manufactured for commercial sale,” he explained. 

 “Is it possibly something from the past that was maybe discontinued?” Spencer asked. 

 “No,” the tailor responded. “I can tell you one thing though, the fabric is a double-layer brocade. It was probably custom-made for someone, and is very pricey.” 

 “What about the dress, was there anything that stood out?” Y/N asked the man. 

 “Well, it’s homemade for one,” he responded. 

 “Okay, how do you know that?” JJ asked. 

 “Well, the seams are uneven. Whoever the seamstress is, she isn’t very skilled,” the tailor explained. 

 “What makes you so sure it’s a woman?” Spencer asked. 

 “Well, there’s some detail to the work in here that would require small hands,” the tailor explained. 

 Y/N looked up to Spencer, seeing how he also had the same questioning look on his face as her. 

 “Oh and this is interesting,” the tailor said to bring their attention to the picture of the dress. “See, now, the stitching on this hem, it’s narrow in some places and wider in others.”

 “Small hands, easily distracted,” Spencer said, picking up on what the tailor was showing in the picture. “Let me ask you this, how old do you think someone could be and still effectively sew this?” 

 “Well, a pattern of this complexity, they’d have to be a teenager,” the tailor said, handing Spencer the items as he turned around and saw some fabrics being brought in. 

 “Okay, thanks,” Y/N said to the man as he walked away. She walked over to Spencer and looked at the pictures of the dress again. 

 “Based on the size of the victim’s body, I think only an adult male would be able to lift her and move a hospital bed,” JJ said, putting together all the information she had been told. 

 “So, what’re we looking for a team?” Y/N asked looking between JJ and Spencer. 

 “Or an unsub with a young accomplice who’s been coerced,” Spencer elaborated. 

 JJ and Y/N looked at each other both nodding as they silently agreed with what Spencer was saying. The three left the building and headed to the car parked outside the door. 

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

 Y/N walked into the room of the next victim with Emily and Rossi. The body adorning another renaissance style dress was laying in the middle of the room. 

 “Alice Pritchard was 22, a senior at Portland College, she went missing five days ago, a realtor found her body here this morning,” The detective explained as they walked up to the body. 

 “I don’t see any physical similarities to our first victim, she’s a lot smaller than Emma, different coloring, different age,” Emily pointed out as she observed the victim.  

 “So that means these women aren’t surrogates for anyone,” Y/N said. 

 “But he did lay her out the same way,” Emily added. 

 “She’s displayed in the center of the room just like the other victim in the asylum,” Rossi said.

 “It’s almost like she’s being presented,” Y/N said, tucking her hands into her navy coat pockets as she walked to the end of the body. 

 Emily crouched down next to the body and inspected the dress. “There is so much attention paid to detail, this is also satisfying some internal desire of the unsub,” she explained. 

 “So, why leave bodies in an empty storefront and the asylum?” The detective asked.

 “Good question,” Rossi said, turning around to look out the window. Y/N followed behind him to see what was out of the window also. “There should be a connection between the two.”

 “Or maybe it’s not about the storefront at all, look,” Y/N said, pointing to a theater across the street.

 “A theater company performing Shakespeare,” Emily said, reading the sign above the doorway. 

 The three turned back to look at the body. 

 “The dress, the white makeup, this victim could literally be wearing a costume,” Emily said as she looked between Rossi and Y/N. 

 “What if this was the closest to the theater that the unsub could get…” Rossi trailed off. 

 “Without being caught,” Y/N finished. 

----------  

 Y/N stood next to Spencer as him and Hotch worked on what the numbers from the writing on the wall could be. 

 “Alice’s sorority sisters say she wanted to be a nurse and she was active in a Christian youth group,” Derek said as he approached the three. 

 “So the opposite of our last victim,” Y/N said as she let out a huff, sitting down in one of the seats around the table.

 “Yeah, and if she was into anything dark, her best friends sure didn’t know anything about it,” JJ continued. 

 “She was in Portland collecting donations for an orphanage when she disappeared. The unsub could have approached her on the street,” Derek said, looking at Hotch. 

 Y/N looked over to Spencer, his eyes darting back and forth from the folder in his hands to the numbers written on the clear board. 

 “Hey, baby girl, you’re on speaker, give me the lowdown,” Derek said answering the phone. 

 “Chocolate thunder, you can have the whole kit and caboodle just say the word,” Penelope flirted. “Oh, and I cross-referenced the names you found on the wall with missing women in Oregon and I came up with some matches. Christine Torres is a forty-year-old homemaker from Eugene, Oregon. She went missing over a month ago after she dropped her kids off at school.” 

 “Any other women named Emma missing?” JJ asked.

 “Uh-uh, just the one whose body we found, same thing with Alice,” Penelope answered. 

 “Garcia, what was the exact date Christine was reported missing?” Spencer asked as he backed away from the board.

 “February 28th, Emma went missing on March 19th, and Alice on the 22nd,” Penelope answered. 

 Spencer walked back over to the board and looked at the numbers. Y/N stood up from her chair to stand next to him, wondering what it was he was seeing.

 “What is it, Spence?” She asked him.

 “Look at this.” Spencer grabbed her hand gently and pulled her behind the clear board. “I think these numbers are dates if you reverse them and chop off the eleven at the beginning and end--”

 “That’s two days after each woman went missing,” Hotch interrupted.

 “It’s more than that though look,” Spencer said coming back around to the front of the board, pointing to the first number. “March 1st is Sain Eichatadt day, March 21st is the Spring Equinox, and the 24th is the Feast of the Beast.”

 “Those are all important holidays in the satanic calendar for sacrifices,” Y/N said coming to the same realization Spencer was. Their minds clicked together and now they both had the same thoughts running through.

 “What about the eleven on the end?” Derek asked. 

 “To many of occultists, the eleven is symbolic of Lucifer,” Spencer explained. 

 “Okay, I thought we were moving away from satanic killings,” JJ said. 

 “Apparently we need to reconsider it.” Hotch’s eyes were trained on the file with the victims in them. 

 “There’s gotta be some sort of connection to the devil here,” Spencer said, which had Y/N nodding her head in agreement. 

 “Reid, what other upcoming dates are significant to Satanists?” Hotch asked.

 “Good Friday, then Easter Eve, and then preparations begin in mid-April for the most important night of all--” 

 “Walpurgis night on April 30th,” Y/N said, turning to Spencer. He looked at her surprised, having no idea she knew so much about this stuff. 

 “Good Friday’s in two days, that means he’s hunting for his next victim today.” Derek’s concern in his voice was evident as he spoke. 

 “We need to give the profile soon,” Hotch said, agreeing with Derek’s concern. 

They nodded, going their separate ways to do their work. As normal, Spencer and Y/N stayed by the boards to work, as they both found it was the easiest place to focus. 

 “Since when did you know all about these things?” Spencer’s back was turned to Y/N as he looked at the boards. 

 “Hm?” She questioned, not knowing what he meant. 

 “About these Satanic things, should I be concerned?” He joked with her, which she returned with a small laugh. 

 “There’s a lot of things you still don’t know about me, Dr. Reid.” Y/N winked at the boy wonder, making a beating red blush form on his face. 

 His mouth opened to speak, but truly he was too flustered to do so. The simple act of the wink making his knees go weak. 

 “No, in high school I had to write a paper on the Salem Witch Trials. I dabbled into some of the Satanic stuff to build my thesis more and give some context,” she said, shrugging as she turned back to her work.

 Spencer nodded as if silently saying ‘cool’, his own attention now being divided back to the board. 

 As the two worked, they gave silent glances to each other. Unbeknownst to the other, these were the simple acts that formed their love for each other inside. While they had been dating for a while now, both of them falling in love each moment they spent together, they never voiced the feelings for each other. 

 Spencer not doing so because of his small fear of rejection. Thoughts that said, what if she doesn’t say it back? or does she not feel the same way?, were ones that vacated his thoughts. But when he looked at her smile, he couldn’t help but feel a fire burn in his heart, her presence being the very thing that started and fueled it. When he held her in his arms, her scent vacating his senses, he could feel all his anxiety leave him. The only thing mattering in those moments was her, and how she felt and smelled. How when she touched him he’d go weak and want nothing more than to just lay with her all day. The thoughts of their future would play like a movie in his head as he held her, and he couldn’t wait for him to act it out. 

 Now Y/N, she never voiced it because of her constant fear he would be taken away from her. Her fear being that the moment she said it, the next day he would be gone. Her tormentor taking him away and hurting the one she was beginning to love the most. She wasn’t afraid of love per se, but the thought of her having to say it aloud like she had to in front of Caroline to her friends, it only made her want to crawl away and hide. Y/N knew, she knew this feeling that Spencer was it for her, was true. Her heart could tell her it faster than her brain could even have time to think about it. When he held her or when she kissed him, the butterflies were everywhere in her. They fluttered in her stomach and they clouded all rational thought. And the one thing that gave her the most anxiety, was the fear of her great love being taken away. 

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

 “Based on the dresses and makeup the victims were found in, we’re looking for an unsub who is living in an elaborate fantasy world.” The crowd of officers listened intently as Emily began the profile. 

 “Be believes he’s special, as though he could be acting on behalf of the devil,” Y/N continued. 

 “This unsub tortured his victims by submerging them in water for days before killing them,” JJ said. 

 “Which means he’s deliberate and patient,” Y/N embellished on what JJ said. 

 “This guy has a vivid imagination,” Derek began. “The costumes and makeup suggest that he’s a history buff or he may be a fan of Shakespeare.” 

 “Using nicotine as poison is highly unusual, so he’s either very well-read or under the guidance of another,” Spencer spoke with his hands as he explained. 

 “His interests and delusions have caused him to become isolated socially,” Emily said. 

 “He can’t appear normal to his potential targets, and his crimes are not driven by sex or greed, but instead by his delusional belief system,” Rossi added. 

 “Although the bodies of only two victims have been recovered, there’s likely a third. Specifically, Christine Torres, who disappeared in February,” Hotch said. 

 “This unsubs exact age is difficult to determine, but he’s probably in his 20s to 30s,” Derek explained. 

 “The fact that he travels so far to abduct his victims indicates he has very specific selection criteria,” Y/N said, then turning to Spencer who began to speak. 

 “This unsub has a female or underage accomplice who sewed the dresses the victims were found in, but she may not be a partner in the traditional sense. It’s quite possible she was coerced into helping and may actually be a victim herself, ” Spencer said. 

 “Most importantly, this unsub is working according to a specific timetable,” Hotch explained. 

 “This timetable is corresponding with the Satanic calendar and his plans are to kidnap another victim of today,” Y/N said. 

 “Thank you.” Hotch’s words dismissed everyone. 

----------  

 The room bustled as people were working on the case and other things. Y/N’s eyelids were heavy from the long day as the aimless chatter in the background made her sleepy. She reached over to her coffee cup, taking a large gulp of the warm liquid, praying that the caffeine would give her a boost of energy. 

 She looked at the photos Spencer held, her chair sliding closer to his so she could observe them closer, Spencer and the photos. The heat from his body radiating onto hers as she got close and she was able to be filled with his warm scent. Her eyes panned up to look at Spencer’s face, his brows furrowed in concentration as he looked at the white makeup on the faces of the victims. 

 “What’s got your wheels turning?” She asked him. 

 Spencer’s head turned to look at the woman next to him. He stuttered a bit as he formed his words,  not realizing she was this close to him. “I’m not sure, something about it--” he cut himself short as both his and Y/N’s attention turned to Rossi as he spoke to them. 

 “So, Garcia checked out everyone associated with that theater production of The Merry Wives of Windsor, they’re all in the clear.” 

 “The gowns have to be connected to the theater somehow, it can’t just be a coincidence,” JJ said. 

 “There’s something else that’s been bothering me, why is he putting white face makeup on his victims after they’re dead?” Spencer said, voicing his question to the group he almost said to Y/N a minute before. 

 “Isn’t that what they wore in the Elizabethan era?” Rossi asked. 

 “Yes, but only upper-class women wore white face makeup, it was a symbol of virginity and purity,” Spencer explained to the group. 

 “But he’s dressing them like characters in The Merry Wives of Windsor,” Y/N said as she followed Spencer’s train of thought. 

 “And that’s one of Shakespeare’s rare plays about the middle class,” Spencer added.

 “So, it’s inconsistent.” JJ looked at Spencer as she waited for confirmation on her statement. 

 “The makeup could mean that he believes death is purifying them,” Hotch spoke. 

 “What if this is like the Salem Witch trials, where they’d test the girls by trying to drown them? Y/N said something to me earlier about how she had to write a paper on them, and it got me thinking,” Spencer said. 

 “If they died, it meant they were innocent, and if they somehow survived, they were considered witches and then hanged,” Y/N elaborated on what Spencer was saying. 

 “Wonderful, a lose-lose situation,” Rossi said.

 “But the unsub didn’t submerge the victims in water to torture them, it was some sort of test?” JJ asked, looking over to Spencer. 

 “With death being the only possible outcome,” Spencer answered. 

 “Well, if he believes he’s killing witches, he probably thinks that he’s a vigilante or a protector against evil of some sort,” Hotch said. 

 “Laying the victims out the way he did could be a message to the devil,” JJ added. 

 “A symbol of victory and a warning, like putting a head on a spike.” Rossi looked down from his standing position to Y/N and Spencer who sat next to each other. Y/N then looked at Spencer, her mind thinking the same thing as him as Rossi’s word’s made him pause. 

 “He’s not worshipping the devil,” Y/N said with realization. 

 “He’s trying to fight him.” Spencer looked over to Y/N as he finished what she was saying.

 “So we have an unsub who’s challenging the devil, this could not get any more strange,” Y/n said. 

-----------

 “Missing woman is Sarah Gammon, she’s a 27-year-old graphic artist, to pick her up for her weekly breakfast together, she wasn’t there,” the detective said, walking into the room. 

 It was the next morning, the team only getting a couple of hours of sleep after the long night they had before. 

 “Where was she last seen?” Rossi asked. 

 “At a nightclub in Portland, the, uh, Mirage Room.” The detective stuttered as he tried to remember the name. “She went with a girlfriend who had to leave early. 

 “Morgan and I will check it out,” Rossi said as he exited the room. 

 As Rossi left the room, Hotch’s phone rang. 

 “Okay, so I did some varsity-level sleuthing,” Penelope said as soon as Hotch answered the phone. “And it turns out the costumes were donated to the theater by a young actress named Cate Harris. She was in their production of The Merry Wives of Windsor 16 years ago, which was the only other time that the play was produced there.” 

 “Where is she now?” Y/N asked. 

 “Oh, I was hoping you would ask because I have the answer,” Penelope spoke with excitement. “She died in 1998 in the fire at St. Baldwins psychiatric hospital.” 

 “I revoke my statement from last night on this getting weirder,” Y/N whispered to herself. 

 “Was she a patient there?” JJ asked. 

 “Oh, most definitely. And some say that she set the fire.”

 “Garcia, can you get her medical records?” Hotch asked the woman. 

 “Yeah, I tried to do that, but it turns out that the new director of St. Baldwin's was a technophobe hyper-Luddite like our Dr. Reid, and he only wanted the psych records to be on paper to protect confidentiality,” Penelope explained. 

 “Okay.” Hotch picked up his phone and hung it up, then pocketing it. “Detective, we need you to get a copy of those records.”

 “You got it,” the detective said, turning to walk out of the room. 

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

 The navy jacket was wrapped tightly around Y/N’s torso as her, Emily and JJ walked to the storage unit of St. Baldwins that lay beneath the asylum. They were stopped outside the unit as the caretaker unlocked it. 

 “Apparently, the state would have to pay for a new storage facility if they moved the records,” the detective explained as to why the unit stayed here. “Someone decided, why bother if the old place works?” 

 The three women nodded their heads as they heard the clanking of the lock coming off of the door. The caretaker opened the door, the creaking sound giving an eerie feeling to the air.

 “Ladies.” The detective motioned his hands in a welcome motion as the three walked closer to the unit. 

 “No electricity, I take it,” Emily said as she noticed the absence of light. 

 “You would be correct,” the detective said from behind the three. 

 Y/N and Emily sighed, both of them pulling flashlights from their pockets as the entered the room. As Y/N walked through the room, her eyes followed the flashlight’s glow as she pointed it at all the different shelves. The creepy feel from the room made her on edge as she looked for the files they were looking for.  

 “Hey, I think I found it.” Y/N jumped slightly, not expecting to hear a voice jump in the quiet room. 

 She made her way over to Emily, JJ and the detective joining her as they looked over the report in Emily’s hand.

 “Yeah, oh- first of all, Cate Harris was a stage name for Catherine Heathridge, a textile heiress. Her family kept the pseudonym for her medical admission to protect their privacy,” Emily explained as she read through the file. 

 Y/N picked up another file from the stack that was labeled ‘Cate Harris’. “According to the intake report,” she said as she began to read the file. “Catherine was an aspiring actress who went off her psychiatric medications when she was pregnant with her daughter. She had a minor part in The Merry Wives of Windsor 16 years ago when she became floridly psychotic. She was convinced the other actresses were the devil’s wives, so she stabbed one of them.”

 “Is that when she was admitted here?” JJ asked. 

 “No, not yet,” Emily said as she looked at the report over Y/N’s shoulder. 

 “It looks like she had a son and a daughter. After she fled the theater--” Y/N gasped as her eyes gazed over the next line, handing the file to Emily as she wasn’t able to say what the woman did out loud. “You can finish it.”

 “After fleeing the theater, she chopped off the left arm of her infant daughter,” Emily finished as she took the file from Y/N’s hand. 

 “Why would she do that?” The detective asked, voice stoic. 

 “To make the childless appealing to the devil,” Y/N said as she looked up to JJ and Emily. Her head previously resting in her hand. 

 “She believed that killing the devil’s wives was her mission on earth, which is what our unsub is doing now,” Emily explained.

 “But she died in the asylum fire,” the detective stated. 

 “Someone else must be carrying out her mission,” JJ said.

 “And I bet you it’s the son,” Y/N said, the gut feeling being present as she said her words to the others. 

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

  Y/N sat at the table while she told Spencer, Hotch, and Rossi about what they had discovered at the asylum. Her head resting on her hand as she looked up at the three men. 

 “If someone’s carrying on in Catherine’s mission, then it’s quite possible they both suffered from folie a deux, a shared psychotic disorder between two people who are extremely close and that would mean it’s most likely a family member,” Spencer explained after Y/N had told them all they found. 

 “It’s the son.” Y/N’s voice spoke in a sing-song tone under her breath. 

 “Maybe one or both of her kids,” Rossi stated. 

 “Garcia, I need you to find everything you can on the Heathridge family, specifically Catherine’s son and daughter,” Hotch ordered Penelope when she picked up her phone. 

 “Okay, finding it as we speak…” she trailed off as she began to look for what Hotch was asking. “Bingo, Catherine, a wealthy textile heiress, had a son: James, now twenty-six and a daughter Lara, now sixteen. Father died in a speedboat accident right before Lara was born. They were raised by their grandfather in a mansion outside Portland after their mom was committed.” 

 “Is the grandfather still alive?” Hotch asked. 

 “No, he died last year,” Penelope answered. 

 “That could have been the stressor,” Spencer thought aloud. 

 “Penelope, where are the kids living now?” Y/N asked.

 “James was kicked out of a seminary in Colorado three years ago, but that’s still his listed address. Lara dropped out of school six weeks ago, coincidentally on her birthday and the family home is her listed address, and I’m sending you pictures...now.”

 Photos of the house and kids appeared on the tablet screen. Y/N stood up and walked over next to Rossi as he clicked on the picture of the son. 

 “That could be him, the man at the night club who left with Sarah Gammon,” Rossi said as he inspected the picture.

 “All right, contact the seminary,” Hotch said, looking at Spencer and Rossi. “Garcia, I’m gonna need an address, Y/N let’s go.” Hotch nodded for Y/N to follow him as he began to walk out of the room. 

 “Yes, sir,” she responded and followed him. 

 “Be safe.” Spencer’s words made Y/N turn back and give him a reassuring smile that said, I always am. 

 “Whipped,” Rossi said, covering it up with a cough as he walked away to grab his phone. Spencer just looked at the man confused, but simply went back to his work. 

---------

 The cars pulled up to the manor. Sirens turned off so that they still maintained the element of surprise. They piled out of the vehicles, JJ, Emily, and Derek joining Hotch and Y/N back at the station. 

 “Morgan, you and JJ take the back, we’ll take the front,” Hotch said. 

 JJ and Derek nodded and made their way around back, while Y/N, Hotch, and Emily stayed upfront. 

 Y/N examined the front of the house. It wasn’t a manor in the traditional sense, it had more of a woodsy feel to its exterior. 

 “You see that?” Emily asked Hotch and Y/N. 

 Y/N looked back up at the house, finally noticing what Emily was talking about. “There’s a girl in the window.” 

 “All right, you check up there-” Hotch nodded to Emily. “Me and Y/N will look for James.” 

 Emily nodded as they took off into the house, Y/N and Hotch separating from Emily as she headed up the stairs.

 Hotch pushed the door to the kitchen open, turning quickly to his right and Y/N to the left. The darkrooms they entered were only lit by the flashlights. They walked through the rooms slowly, only separating for a second to go into two different sides of the room. 

 Y/N walked down the steps to the basement first, Hotch now behind her as he followed closely. The basement was cold, damp, and slightly lit through the windows by the moonlight. Y/N’s heart pounded in her ears, one foot in front of the other as she moved down the steps. Her light shined as she saw the body of the missing girl on the ground by what appeared to be well.  

 Y/N felt a sharp pain hit her hip. She groaned as she fell to the ground, her hand clutching her hip as she felt the bruise already forming. 

 Hotch also let out a groan as he was hit in the legs, his gun, and flashlight sliding across the ground. 

 Y/N looked up to see James get tackled by Hotch and shoved into a wall. James head-butted Hotch giving him a second to go over and try to hit Y/N while Hotch stumbled back. 

 James brought a fire-poker around from his left side, but before he could hit Y/N with it, she kicked it out of his hand. She pushed herself up onto her feet and got a quick, hard punch in to throw him off. This allowed Hotch to grab him and shove him back to a wall. The two threw punches back and forth before Hotch pulled him away and tried to push him into the ground. 

 Hotch had him off his guard and he began to push him towards the well. When James fought back and punched Hotch, Y/N came over and gave a hard kick to James’ chest.

  James stumbled back, the kick was just enough to send him falling onto the edge of the well. When he came back up and lurched for Hotch again, clearly being his focus, Hotch was quick to throw him back, having him fall into the well this time. 

 Y/N stood next to Hotch as they looked down into the deep well, James’ body laying at the bottom. 

 “Teamwork.” Y/N huffed the word as she looked at Hotch who just shook his head and the two made their way out of the basement. 

 “You’re bleeding, better get that looked at,” Hotch said, pointing to Y/N eyebrow that was in fact bleeding from when she hit the ground. 

 When they reached outside, Hotch told the paramedics where James was and made Y/N get looked at after her many protests.

 “I’m fine, seriously.” Her protests did not make him change his mind. 

 “That’s an order.”

  Y/N now stood with Derek as a paramedic put some butterfly bandages on the cut after accessing it was only a superficial cut. 

 “You good wonder woman?” Derek asked, the nickname from the previous day sticking. 

 “Oh yeah, you should see the other guy.” Her joke, cliche as it was, made Derek chuckle anyway as he turned to Emily as she approached. 

 “So, Lara is gonna be okay,” Emily said, walking over to the rest of them. “She confirmed that the bodies were left out as messages to the devil.” 

 “Well, her brother’s dead, so what happens to her now?” Derek asked. 

 “There’s always foster care,” the detective answered. 

 “For an heiress?” Y/N said the paramedic finished with her face and had moved on to the ambulance.  

 “Yeah, I don’t think so,” JJ agreed. 

 “There will be guardians and trustees coming out of the woodworks before she gets put into foster care,” Y/N said, making her teammates chuckle. 

 “So she’ll end up back here, in a house that breeds delusions,” the detective said, looking back to the house. 

 “Hopefully not,” Hotch spoke.

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

“Okay, okay, what is the best book you have ever read?” The question made Spencer ponder. 

 Y/N and Spencer sat in a booth at a diner in D.C., the table holding breakfast foods for the late-night date. The warm glow that surrounded the two made all their worries vanish, their attention only on the other.

 “That’s a hard one, I’ve read so many.” His thumb and pointer finger lined his jaw as he placed his head between the two. “I mean, I guess fiction might have to be one of Dickens works.”  

 Y/N nodded her head, her legs pulled up in the seat and she sat with her back to the wall. Spencer began going on about Oliver Twist and Y/N was listening intently to every word he spoke. Watching how his lips would move faster as he began to get excited about something he was saying, or the way his voice would go an octave higher when his hands moved as he spoke. A smile played on her lips as she listened to him as he went on.

 She was so engrossed in her own mind of watching him that she didn’t even notice he asked her a question until his lips stopped moving. 

 “Sorry, what?” 

 “I said, do you have a favorite work by Dickens?” He repeated his question with a laugh. 

 “Oh, probably Great Expectations, but I’m more of a fan of Poe, more than anything,” she answered. Her legs moved under the table as she sat facing Spencer in the both. 

 “For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams, of the beautiful Annabel Lee,” Spencer quoted the poem, Anabel Lee. A smile formed on his as he watched a bashful blush on Y/N’s cheeks.

 The simple poem about a tormented, beautiful young love never failed to have Y/N swoon. In high school, Anabel Lee was the poem she would read repeatedly in her textbook. The words she could quote by heart only sounded so sweeter coming from Spencer’s lips.  

 “I’ve always been a fan of dark romanticism,” she spoke. “This case we just had, reminded of something out of a book though if I’m being honest.” She brought her milkshake straw up to her lips, taking a sip of the creamy liquid. 

 “It was an odd one,” Spencer agreed. 

 Y/M hummed, her lips still wrapped around the straw. She pulled her eyes off Spencer to look out the window. She watched as people walked by, couples holding hands, men getting home from their offices late, but one stood out to her. 

 From a distance, about fifty yards across the street, a dark-haired man stood, staring at Y/N and Spencer out the window. She had no idea who this man was, but it made her stomach drop as she got a bad feeling. 

 “Spencer I think we should go home now,” she spoke calmly. 

 He furrowed his brows in confusion. “Okay, any reason why?” 

 “Because there is a man out there who has been staring at us for I don’t know how long, and I don’t want to deal with it anymore.” She stood up from her seat in the booth, wrapping her navy jacket around her body. 

 Spencer did the same as he stood up and walked next to her out of the building. “Do you think it has anything to do with--”

 “I have no clue--”

 “Could it?”

 “I don’t know, let's just go back to your place, it’s closer.” So, that’s what they did. Spencer grabbed Y/N’s hand protectively and led her down the street while she kept her head down. The man’s face still in her thoughts, no expressions, just stoic and unsettling. His face was almost calm, seemingly normal to an untrained eye, but she knew. She could only hope this had nothing to do with Caroline and she was simply overreacting.   

Tag List (let me know if you want to be added!!):

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[kpop---scenarios]

One Of The Good Ones

Pairing: Kim Jaejoong x Reader 

Warning: Fluff 

Word Count: 2k 

Commissioned by: @jaejoongs-nipple-piercing​

"It turns out it was the burning of debris that sparked the now large flame, in which now has gotten out of control. It is responsible for the beginning of the fires that are now spreading across a few acres. The once small fire caught onto dry grass it was burning next to, it began to quickly double in size. Firefighters are working hard to put out the flames." 

The TV switches off. You turn around and see Jaejoong with a sympathetic look on his face and the remote in his hand. He knew you shouldn't have been watching that. Hell, you knew it too but you can't help it. You need to know things, even if it does spark your anxiety. 

"Baby." He starts, giving you the look. "That is on the outskirts of town. It's nowhere near us, so try not to worry about it, okay? Everything is fine." He says. He knows you'll still panic about it. There is absolutely no going back on it now.

"You're right, I know but I can't control my anxiety." You pout. 

"I know love." He smiles. 

Over the next few days, you could feel your anxiety building as you watch the news that's been talking about how dry Oregon was. You knew it was dry, but you weren't aware of how bad it actually was. Every day you went outside, you hoped that it would rain but like always, the sky was blue and cloudless. 

"I don't like this." You sigh, leaning over to snuggle into Jaejoong. "I have such a bad feeling about this weather." 

"Don't worry, my love. Everything will be okay. Let's not worry unless there is actually something to worry about, okay?" Jaejoong whispers, placing a soothing and much-needed kiss on top of your head. 

"I'll try." You sigh. "It's just hard to relax, knowing what this drought can bring. Fires terrify me." 

"I know baby. But look." Jaejoong says, pointing to the TV. "They're calling for rain tomorrow. Be optimistic." He smiles. 

When you woke up in the morning, you looked outside, desperately hoping to see a great sky and a downpouring of rain. Hell, you'd even welcome a thunderstorm if the sky was so pleased. But when you pulled back that curtain, you were instantly disappointed, seeing the bright blue sky, the sun shining and a record high temperature for today. 

A few days later you came home from work, your anxiety still high and not a cloud in sight. You were exhausted. You unlocked your front door, your eyes heavy, your feet dragging. You slipped off your heels at the front door, dropped your purse as you shuffled to the kitchen. 

"Babe?" Jaejoong calls out. 

"Here." You sigh, grabbing a bottle of wine from the fridge. 

"Ah." He says, taking the wine from your hand. "I've got a surprise for you." He smiles, placing the bottle down and grabbing your hand. He pulls you out of the kitchen, through the living room, heading right for the bathroom. 

He opens the door, and you see it. Rose petals scattered around the tub and inside, candles surround the tub and on the counters, bubbles in your already run bath, along with a nice big glass of alcohol waiting for you. 

He helps you undress, holding your hand as you climb into the bath, melting into the warm water, your sore muscles finally loosening up. 

"What would I do without you?" You sigh, sinking deeper into the tub. 

"I don't know, probably suffer." He laughs, winking at you before he pours you a glass of wine, handing you the large, full glass. 

"Thank you." You pout, taking a large sip of the bitter beverage. 

"Anytime babe." He smiles. "Do you want to talk?" He asks. 

"I just can't shake it." You sigh, sinking into the tub a little more. 

"Anxiety?" He asks. 

You nod your head. "I just know something bad is coming. I hate not knowing what exactly or how to prepare for it." You sigh. 

"Come find me when you're done in here. I have something to show you." He smiles, leaving the bathroom to let you unwind in peace.

He truly was the best.

You really did try to enjoy your bath, but your brain won't shut off long enough to let you enjoy it. You needed to know what he had to show you, and you needed to know now. 

You climbed out of the tub, grabbing your robe and speed walking to the living room where Jaejoong was sitting on the couch, Flipping through the channels. 

"Done already?" He chuckles. 

"I need to know." You pout, which makes him laugh harder. 

"Follow me." He says, walking towards your shared bedroom. He lays on his belly, pulling out a large black duffle bag. "This." He pauses, patting the bag. "Is my emergency bag, Well, our emergency bag." 

He looks at you as you feel the tears well in your eyes. "I know your anxiety about fires, earthquakes, or whatever unpredictable natural disaster is bad, so I'm hoping this might help ease it a little." He smiles. 

"What's all in it?" You sniffle. 

"Clothes for you and I for a week. Cash, copies of important documents, important photos. There are water and non-perishable snacks in the car. We're set baby, just in case." 

Right then the tears pour from your eyes. How did you get so lucky to be with someone so caring? He seemed to always know just the right way to ease your fears, you truly were the luckiest. 

** 

"Due to unusually strong winds, the fires have begun to spread, making their way across fields and heading into the cities. Firefighters are working diligently on containing the blaze and in trying to put it out. Please keep updated on the situation. This is your 1 o'clock update." 

You click off the sound to the tv, your hands shaking as you pull out your phone, calling Jaejoong. 

"Hi baby." He answers, calmly. 

"They're coming into the city Jae." You whisper.

"Take a breath baby. Give me a second." He says. You can slightly hear his voice muffled as you chew on your nails, something you did when your anxiety was getting the best of you. 

"Baby?" He asks.

"Yeah." You respond, your eyes watching the videos the new channel was playing of the fires. 

"I'm on my way, okay?" 

"You can't.. you have to work." You whisper. 

"You are more important. I know your anxiety baby, I'm on my way." He says. "I'll be home in 10 minutes." 

**

Over the next few days, Jaejoong stayed home with you, doing what he could to try and ease your fears but it wasn't easy. As the fires rapidly spread, your anxieties seemingly got worse. Your biggest fear of having to evacuate and leave your house and all your items was not something you wanted to have to do. 

Yes they were all material and could easily be replaced but it was the fear. The fear of leaving and not knowing whether or not you were even going to have somewhere to come back to. 

That night you and Jaejoong went to bed with your go bag ready, just in case you needed to leave in the middle of the night.

When you woke in the morning, the two of you sat on the couch, watching the news, watching the fires burn all the houses, shops and farms. You watched as you saw your neighborhood flash across the screen, telling you to prepare to evacuate, that if they cannot contain the flames, one of your worst fears is going to come true. 

You burst into tears, the fear was just too much. Jaejoong pulls you into his arms, cradling you as you whimper into his chest. 

"Shh, love. Shh." He tries to sooth you. "Whatever comes, we will deal with. As long as we're both healthy and together, we can overcome anything." 

You try to take a few deep breaths through the tears, trying to compose yourself. "I know.. it's just so scary." You whisper. 

"I know but we can do this. We will come out stronger than ever." He soothes. 

For hours, you lay in his arms, waiting for the knock on the door telling you to leave, but it never comes. You had fallen asleep on Jaejoong who had eventually softly woken you up, whispering that the firefighters had contained the fire. 

"We're safe now." He whispers, as you doze off again with a smile on your face. 

**

A few months later, everything in the past had just seemed like a very bad dream. You and Jaejoong were as strong as ever, and you hadn't ever been so happy. 

"It was all very cliché." You laugh, looking over at Jaejoong. You were at a dinner party with some old and new friends who had asked how the two of you met all those years ago. It was one of your favorite stories to tell. You loved to reminisce about the day you met the man you were planning on spending your life with. 

"I got into the cab and he slid in at the same time on the other side." You smile. "We both laughed and offered it to each other. Then he asked me where I was going and it just so happened that we were headed near each other. So we both took the cab to the middle point between our destinations." You say. 

"I asked for her number before she walked away. I was wanting to take her out that night." He laughs, shaking his head, embarrassed. "But she rejected me for that night. She gave me her number and told me to call her the next day because she needed to think about it." He laughs. 

You put your head in your hands and shake your head as you remember the encounter like it was yesterday. 

"You really had to think about it?" A woman laughs, looking at Jaejoong. 

"He was a stranger! I couldn't just say yes, he might have wanted to just kidnap me." You laugh, along with everyone else. 

"You two are adorable." Someone huffs." So how long have you been together?"  

"Together for 6 years." You say, with a smile, looking over at Jaejoong who was now rolling his eyes, with a smirk on his face. 

"Any plans to get married?" Someone asks. 

"You'll have to ask him, he's the one who's gotta do the proposing. I'm always ready." You say, patting his back. 

"I plead the fifth." He jokes. "I will, sometime. That's all I can say for now." Jaejoong smiles. "If there's one thing I know in this life though, it's that there is no one i would rather face my fears with, than this woman right here." He finishes, leaning over to kiss your head, placing his hand on your knee and squeezing.

That was a signal from him, one that the two of you had come up with some time ago to tell each other you 'I love you' without saying it in so many words. 

Jaejoong made your heart skip a beat, even though the two of you had been together for so long. Sometimes relationships can fizzle out, the spark dies or people lose interest but neither of you had. You both only had eyes for each other. Yes you may have little arguments sometimes, but he was never one to go to bed angry, or without a kiss. He will never leave the house without telling you he loves you at least once, or telling you how important you are to him. He was always there through your tough times, your fears and anxiety and never once does he complain. Instead,d he does whatever he can to soothe you and calm you down. You never knew men like him existed, but they do and you were so lucky you managed to get one of the good ones. 

[dameronsgalaxygal]

I’ve Been Waiting For You: Chapter 7: Waterloo

series masterlist

Pairing: modern! poe x reader

Warnings: FLUFF. angst if you squint. 

Word Count: 4343

Songs: Waterloo by ABBA

A/N: I LOVED WRITING THIS CHAPTER. also I'm not going to be posting the song links anymore because it causes my post to not show up in the tags, but you can find the song on a playlist linked on the master list! There are multiple songs referenced in this chapter, feel free to give them a listen! Also, let me know if you suspect anything suspicious in this chapter ;) There is something really important in this that will come to play later. Feedback and comments appreciated, and let me know if you wanna be added to the tag list!  

Summary: Its your 6 month anniversary with Poe, and you both learn something new about each other. 

“I am home and I have brought lunch for my two favorite ladies!”

Poe burst through the door of Solo Reads holding two white paper bags that had his name written sloppily in sharpie on them.

“Shhh!!” An older man and woman turned to look at him with furrowed brows. They were the only two in the bookstore along with you and Leia and they had been quietly discussing a book regarding the ‘history of the world’

Poe stopped in his tracks, his eyes going wide with annoyance as he glanced at them. The couple rolled their eyes and continued to analyze the book.

“Sorry, didn’t realize this was a library.” He spoke quietly, shooting you a look as he walked up to the register desk that you had been sitting behind.

You laughed and stood up from the bar stool as he approached you, leaning over the desk to kiss him.

“It’s not.” You laughed as you pulled away. “Older couples just tend to like a little more peace when they read.” You whispered as you looked over Poes shoulder to look at the couple.

He chuckled lightly and set the bags down that he had been holding.

“How was your trip?” You asked, opening the bag to look inside at what he had got you.

He shrugged, leaning against the desk with his arms crossed. “Same old, same old.”

He had been gone for a couple days for work, flying from Miami to California, then California to Oregon, from Oregon to Michigan, then finally back to Miami. He was finally back and decided to stop by the bookstore despite being exhausted. He even had brought you and Leia lunch, the tiny gesture forming butterflies in your stomach even though you two had been together nearly half a year now.

“I missed you,” You smiled, “Thanks for the sandwich.” You held up the small sandwich. He knew your order by heart. He had memorized it the first time you went to the deli with him after you had gotten the job at his aunts bookstore. Ham and swiss with mayo and extra pickles.

“Missed you too, and no problem,” He smiled back at you before looking around the bookstore. “Where’s Aunt Leia?”

You shrugged, “Probably reading in her office.” You looked to the back of the bookstore to where Leia had spent most of her time. It was a small space only consisting of a desk and chair along with some of her favorite knick-knacks and photos. She stayed in there when it wasn’t too busy, which was almost every day.

Poe nodded and grabbed the food he had gotten for her, heading back towards her office. The door had been cracked open slightly and he knocked on it gently.

Leia looked up from a stack of papers and smiled when she saw her nephew, “Poe! How was work?” She took her glasses off and stood up to meet him.

“The usual. Brought you some lunch,” He reached his arm out to hand her the bag.

“Thank you, dear.” She took it from him, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek, “So, how are things?”

He shrugged, “Fine I guess. Finn keeps forgetting to fill up our water filter and it gets really annoying because then I have to drink the tap water,” He started.

Leia laughed lightly, sitting back in her desk chair and unwrapping her sandwich, “I meant between you and Y/N.”

“Oh,” He laughed, “Things are pretty good. She’s great. She’s gotten more comfortable with me, which is good. I’m glad she’s starting to really trust me.”

Your relationship with Poe was getting stronger day by day. Poe hadn’t been as clingy, but he would still come over every now and then or you two would go out on dates like bowling, mini golf, the beach, etc. As the days went by, you were getting more comfortable with being with Poe in more intimate settings. You and Poe would cuddle and watch movies in your bedroom, and sometimes he would even spend the night. You would go to bars and dance, just like that night.

He wouldn’t let anything happen, though. If he started to get too heated, you would say something and he would immediately back off. He stayed true to his word when it came to respect and making you feel comfortable.

“Good. I’m glad you two are doing good,” She took a few bites of her sandwich.

Poe sighed and looked out of her office to make sure you were occupied with something before closing Leia’s office door.

“Can you help me with something?” He asked her, crossing his arms.

She nodded, “Of course, what do you need?”

“How do you think I can get Y/N to come over to my place?” He asked quietly, walking towards her desk.

She looked up at him mid-chew, raising an eyebrow.

“Not to sleep with her! I just,” He sighed, “I want to do something special for her, and make her feel really comfortable. Let her know that it’s okay. We’ve been together for a while now.”

Your six month anniversary was coming up soon, and you hadn’t planned anything yet. Poe hadn’t mentioned anything because he wasn’t sure where you stood with it, or if it even was going to be something worth celebrating in your eyes.

She continued chewing, “Well the best thing to do is talk to her. Communication is always key.”

“Yeah but I don’t want to come off desperate,” He said, emphasizing ‘desperate’ with finger quotes.

Leia chuckled and looked up at him, “Hun, just talk to her. Assure her that you aren’t going to try anything, and if she really doesn’t feel comfortable yet, you’re going to be okay with it.”

Poe stood silent, looking down at his feet.

“You are going to be okay with it if she’s not ready, right?” She leaned forward in her desk chair to try to catch his gaze.

He shrugged, “I mean, of course. I love her, but I just really want her to feel comfortable all the time. I want...I want her to feel like she can open up to me.”

Leia stood from behind her desk and walked up to him, reaching up to cup his cheeks.

“Poe, you don’t know what she went through. Whatever it was, it affected her greatly. When she feels like she can talk about it, she will. Whether that’s now or ten years from now, she’ll know when she’s ready,” She stroked underneath his eyes with her thumbs and he responded with a small nod.

“Besides, you should feel special that she's trusted you for as long as she has,” She smiled gently.

He smiled back, “I do.”

She pulled her hands away and nodded her head towards your direction outside her office, “Then go talk to her.”

He pulled Leia into a hug, “Thank you, Auntie,” He leaned down to kiss her cheek.

She pulled away with a smile, patting his cheek gently before walking back to her desk.

You were still behind the register trying to finish your lunch but you kept getting interrupted by the older couple asking you for recommendations. You were giving them classic novels such as your favorite, To Kill a Mockingbird, but apparently they meant recommendations for other bookstores, because Solo Reads ‘didn’t have what they were looking for’.

Poe returned to you and smiled before watching the couple leave.

“Looks like a busy day!” He teased in which you just chuckled.

“Very.”

Hey smirked at you for a second before sneaking behind the counter and grabbing you by the waist and pulling you into him.

You giggled and wrapped your arms around his neck and he took it as an okay to lean down and kiss you sweetly. He squeezed your waist gently as his tongue begged for entrance. You granted it, letting out a small whine as he kissed you deeper.

He pulled away for a breath and smiled when he noticed the bright pink flush of your cheeks.

“Almost six months together and you still make me blush every time you kiss me,” You bit your lip and he kissed your cheek.

“Speaking of six months,” He brushed a hair out of your face, “Tuesday is our six month anniversary.”

You took a deep breath. Has it really been that long? Time seemed to fly by with Poe. You still hadn’t told him you loved him, and he had only said it a couple times since the first time because he didn’t want to scare you away. You also hadn’t had sex with him, nor had you opened up to him about your past. But none of that mattered to him. He loved you just the same, maybe even more.

You nodded, “That’s right. It is.”

He swayed you a little bit, arms still around your waist. “I was wondering if you wanted to do something. I fly back from Texas that morning and I have Wednesday off, so we can have a late night.”

“Like what?” Your fingers played with the hair behind his neck and you could feel him melt at your touch.

He sighed nervously, “Well, if you were feeling up for it, and if you’re comfortable of course,” He said, emphasizing ‘comfortable’, “I thought maybe you could come over. Not for any funny business! I just thought maybe we could have a cozy night in. Order some take-out and watch a movie. Play board games and stuff,”

You rubbed your hands up and down his arms as you thought about his offer. In all honesty, you were getting kind of bored of being at your place. You were curious to see what Poe’s house looked like without a hundred drunk people running around. Conveniently, Rey was having some of her coworkers over for a dinner party and you were just planning on being in your room.

You took a deep breath, hesitant with your answer at first before responding, “Okay. Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

He was surprised by your response, even though he had been hopeful. He leaned back in surprise, arms still around your waist.

“Really? You aren’t going to be uncomfortable?” He asked.

You shrugged, “I need to step out of my comfort zone. We’ve been together for a while, and I think it’ll be fun. Help me grow,” You squeezed his shoulders and smiled.

He returned the smile as you continued, “Besides, I trust you. And Rey has the apartment occupied since she's having people over to celebrate something that they achieved at work.”

“Right, Finn was telling me about that. Something about them finally closing a huge deal with First Order Tech, or something like that. Well, good, that means Finn will be gone too.”

You nodded, hoping that his statement of Finn being gone didn’t mean what you thought it meant. Regardless, you were going to allow yourself to step out of your safety bubble and see where it took you. You had open communication with Poe, and if you didn’t want to go to his place again, you would tell him. He would understand.

“So Tuesday? I can pick you up around 5.”

“Sounds like a plan,” You leaned up to kiss him.

He smiled against your lips before he pulled away, “Perfect.”

-----

“Y/N! Can you get the door?” Rey called as she rushed around the kitchen prepping for dinner.

You rushed out of your room while you put in your earrings and headed to open the door.

Standing before you was Poe with a small bouquet of white roses in his hand.

“Happy six months,” He smiled.

The fact that he had bought you white roses instead of red made your entire body fill with emotions. It was almost as if Poe knew that Kyle used to buy you red roses when he wanted to apologize to you.

“Happy six months,” You replied, taking the roses and giving him a quick kiss, “Thank you, they’re beautiful.”

“Just like you,” He mumbled and you blushed, biting your lip.

“You are so corny,” You laughed, “Let me just get my shoes on and I’ll be ready to go.”

Poe nodded at you as you rushed back to your room to finish up.

“Hey!” Poe said loudly so Rey would hear her over the water running in the sink.

“Hey,” She called back.

“Finn wanted me to tell you he’s running late, he got distracted playing some game called ‘Duel of the Fates’ on the computer. Wasn’t keeping track of the time. He’s getting ready now.”

She just shook her head and laughed, “That man, I swear. Thanks for letting me know.”

“No problem,” He chuckled.

You came out of your bedroom and smiled, “Ready.”

He put his arm around your shoulder as he said bye to Rey.

“I’ll bring her home later, but if plans change we’ll let you know.”

You rolled your eyes because you knew he was teasing, so you just nudged his side in which he laughed.

“Have fun!” She called out as you made your way to his car.

He opened the passenger door, gesturing for you to get in, “M’lady?”

Blushing again, you got inside, “Why thank you.”

He closed the door with a smile before getting into the driver’s seat and pulling away from your apartment complex.

He reached over to grab your hand, squeezing it lightly as he kept his eyes on the road.

“So,” You started, looking at him while you played with his hand, “What do you have planned for us tonight?”

He kept his eyes on the road, “Well, nothing too fancy. Just something casual. I thought maybe we could order pizza, then watch a movie and cuddle. If you don’t mind, I already had one picked out.”

“Oh yeah? What movie?”

“Top Gun. It’s my favorite,” He looked over at you and smiled.

Of course it was. He was a pilot, so it was no surprise to you that his favorite film would be a classic about flying.

You admired him for a minute before replying, “I’d love to watch Top Gun.”

“It’s been my favorite since I was a kid. My parents used to watch it all the time. My mom would sometimes even call me her ‘Mini Maverick’.” His smile dropped slightly as he mentioned his mother. You squeezed his hand.

“Is that why you became a pilot? The movie inspired you?” You looked at your intertwined hands and then back up at him.

His face shifted and his jaw clenched. You furrowed your brow.

“Yeah,” He said tentatively. “I love fighter jets, but I was always too afraid to fly them. So I became an airline pilot instead.”

His tone seemed hesitant, like he was hiding something. You brushed it off and looked out the window with a nod as he pulled up to his home.

You must have just missed Finn, because the driveway was empty.

Your mouth dropped slightly in awe. You had been there once before, but you had been so anxious to really look at it completely.

It was only one story, but it was big, with several palm trees planted in the front yard. It had a cobblestone driveway that led to two large garage doors, and you wondered why an airline pilot and a tech engineer had lived in such a big place when they could have easily afforded an apartment directly in the city; especially since Poe was gone flying more than half the time.

Parking the car, he looked over at you and frowned when he saw your expression.

“Change your mind?”

You shook your head, “No, no, no. I just forgot how nice of a place you have.”

He chuckled, squeezing your hand again before getting out of the car, “Let’s go inside.”

The inside of his house was just as nice. With wooden floors, it had three bedrooms: Poe’s, Finn’s, and a guest room. There were also two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, indoor bar, and a living room that was so big you swore you could fit three cars in it.

The living room had a giant flat screen and an L-shaped couch along with two reclining chairs, and a giant grand piano that caught your attention before anything else.

“You play?” Your mouth opened in excitement, running over to it and running your hand along the top of it. You didn't remember seeing it during Finn's party.

He shook his head, following behind you.

“No. Finn does, though. When he’s not doing tech stuff he likes to teach himself.”

You admired the instrument, “It’s beautiful.”

He smirked, “Do you play?”

“I fiddle around,” You smiled, opening the fall board to look at the keys, “I was a music minor, remember?”

“Ah, yes.” He leaned gently against the piano as you sat down on the stool, “Can you play something for me?”

You looked up at him, shaking your head. “It’s been a while.”

“Oh come on,” He teased, “You just said you were a music minor, I’m sure you can pick it up again. Come on. Play something. Anything.”

You sighed, “Okay. Fine. I’m a little rusty though, and I haven’t really touched any instrume-”

“Play woman!” He teased, throwing his head back.

You laughed, “Okay, okay!” You thought about what you wanted to play, or at least what you remembered how to play.

After a moment of thinking, you decided to play one of your favorite piano songs, A River Flows in You by Yiruma.

Your hands found the keys, pressing on them softly to reveal the first chords and then glancing at Poe. He had a soft smile on his face and he gestured for you to keep going.

You continued to play and Poes eyes went between your face and your hands, his head tilting in admiration as he watched you.

Your eyes remained focused on your hands, your hair falling in front of your face slightly. Poe smiled to himself as he crossed his arms. You were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

As you dove deeper into the song, your entire body swayed as you pressed your fingers against the black and white keys. You hadn’t played in so long, mostly because you had never had the chance. When you worked at the record label in New York, you were often running around with files or organizing appointments for people. You weren’t able to sit down and play. Music made you feel free, which is why you had written song lyrics constantly. You had written them in that matte blue notebook. The one you threw away months ago. You hadn’t thought about music since then. Until today.

After finally finishing the song, you sighed happily, taking a moment to yourself before looking up at Poe who was staring at you in adoration.

“‘I’m a little rusty’” He mocked.

You giggled, standing up and closing the fall board, “I am!”

“That was not ‘a little rusty’” He pulled you by the waist into his chest, “You’re really talented sweetheart.”

Your face transformed into a grin, gazing up at him and running your fingertips along his jaw, “Thank you.”

He brushed the hair out of your face, holding his hand to your cheek as he leaned in to kiss you. His lips were soft and gentle like they normally were, but they always left you wanting more.

“We should play together sometime,” He said as he pulled away.

“I thought you said you don’t play,” You laughed.

“I said I don’t play piano, I never said I don’t play an instrument,” He winked and turned to go to the kitchen.

You bit your lip, walking to the couch and plopping down onto it.

Poe came back into the living room with two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine. He sat the glasses down as he popped open the bottle, pouring you a glass.

“How's half pepperoni-half cheese sound?” He asked, handing you the glass.

“Sounds delicious,” You took a sip.

He smiled and sat down next to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder as he opened up his phone to call the pizza place.

You looked around the living room as he ordered when you noticed a bookshelf full of small knick-knacks and informational books. You stood up, wine glass in hand, and walked over to it.

Along the shelf were several small antique fighter jets, similar to life size jets seen in Top Gun and in the Air Force. You ran your fingers along them and smiled to yourself, thinking about how much he must love the movie to have a collection of jets. You also analyzed the books, seeing titles such as Air Force Aircrafts: The Complete Dictionary and A Pilot's Survival Guide to Flying. You bit your lip, kind of turned on by your pilot and his admiration and passion for flying.

You were pulled out of your thoughts by a pair of arms snaking around your waist.

“What are you doing?” Poe asked softly.

“Just looking around. You really like Top Gun don’t you?” You kept your eyes on his collection.

He took a breath, “Yeah. Speaking of that, you wanna watch now?”

You turned to face him, “How long until pizza’s here?”

“15 minutes or so.”

“Well, we don’t want to get interrupted during the movie…” You started.

He cocked his eyebrow, “Okay…”

“Wanna make out until the pizza gets here?”

His eyes widened and he smirked at your boldness, “Now how could I ever deny such a thing?”

You giggled, putting a finger to his chest, “No funny business. Hands stay above the waist and off the chest.”

“Yes, madam,” He teased, pulling you down to the couch.

You smirked as he pulled you onto his lap, hands immediately landing on your waist as he leaned up to kiss you. Your hands cupped his cheeks, kissing him with force. His hands ran up and down your sides, but stayed away from your areas of concern. He continued to kiss you for a while, his tongue battling with yours and you let out a small whine. You tugged on his lower lip and a groan escaped him. You smirked, pulling away as he chased your lips.

Panting, he smirked and looked down at your swollen lips. He licked his as he leaned in to kiss you again when the doorbell rang. He sighed and dropped his head on your shoulder.

“There is no way that was 15 minutes,” He chuckled against your shoulder.

You smirked, tapping him to let go of you so you could get off his lap. You fell back onto the couch as he got up to retrieve the pizza. After a minute, he returned from the front of the house carrying the box and a stack of napkins and two plates.

He sat the box down on the coffee table before returning to his place on the couch.

“Can you put the movie in? It’s up on the shelf,” He said, opening the box and grabbing a slice.

You nodded, standing up and grabbing it off the shelf. You took the CD out of the case, putting it in the DVD player. You thought it was cute that he still owned one. Normally people rented movies off of their TVs nowadays, but you assumed he had it on DVD for the nostalgia.

You returned to the couch, grabbing yourself a slice of pizza and curling into Poes chest.

You had seen the movie a couple times before, but not near as many times as Poe. You adored how he knew nearly every one of Tom Cruises lines. You could hear them say them quietly under his breath, and you had to nudge him playfully at times so you could actually pay attention to the movie.

“Sorry,” He would laugh, “Habit.”

After you had both devoured the entire pizza and an entire bottle of wine, you nuzzled closer to Poe. Your head was laying on his chest and his hand stroked your hair. You felt safe. You told yourself that there was nothing to be afraid of, Poe respected you, and tonight proved that for you. You were getting more comfortable day by day, and it felt wonderful. Maybe you would be okay with Poe after all. Maybe you had nothing to worry about.

“This is one of my favorite scenes,” Poe said, shifting in his seat, pulling you closer to him.

‘Take My Breath Away’ by Berlin began playing, and you giggled. It was the iconic scene where Maverick shows up at Charlie’s door and they kiss and make love. You smiled softly as you watched the scene, quietly singing the lyrics to yourself.

Even though he had just mentioned it was his favorite scene, he looked down at you the entire time. He watched you sing and his lips formed a tiny smile. He didn’t know when he would get you to open up to him, but he just felt so lucky that he was able to hold you and make you feel loved. He stared at you until about half way through the scene when you finally looked up at him.

He continued to look down at you, his hand moving from your hair to your cheek. He cupped it gently, stroking his thumb under your eye softly before leaning in to kiss you. You kissed him back, your arm reaching up to run through the curls on the side of his head. He smiled through the kiss, as did you.

He pulled away once the scene ended, kissing your forehead and moving his eyes back to the screen. You continued to look at him for a moment, your chin on his chest and your smile not leaving your face for even a second. You sighed happily, resting your head back on his chest as you finished watching the film.

He really did take your breath away.

taglist<open> @twomoonstwosuns @darksideofclarke @damnyoudameron

@rewritingstarrs @aidela @softly-sad @fanfiction-trashpile @demigod-dragonrider-schoolidol @lanatheawesome @fantasticcopeaglepasta @the-cry-of-youth @yeeintensifies @itsamedeemoney @yougottakeeponkeepinon @cloud-leader @multifandomlife22 @aroseamongthestars

[19umbrellas]

Crimson Field || Bill Cipher x Reader || Chapter 1

Summary

You were born with the gift of the oracles much like your own father, however, after the strange disappearance of your parents when you were just a teenager, you have been seeing strange things in your dreams. You and your brother believe that your visions could lead you to your parent's whereabouts. For years, you and your brother had been traveling the country, searching for your parents until your dreams lead you towards a really strange town in Oregon called, Gravity Falls.

"Shh brx lq wkh fulpvrq ilhog"

Pairing

Bill Cipher x Reader

Chapter: 1

Next>

The sound of creaking wood echoed in my ears.

My eyes fluttered open but all I could see was a dark wooden ceiling with moss growing in some places. A hint of light glinted at the corner of my eye and I turned to see a closed window with the sunlight seeping through the cracks. I sat up from my bed and stood up with my dress falling down to knees. I walked over to the window and gently pulled the shutters open.

The sun was blinding. I squinted as a raised my hand to my eyes, blocking out the painful rays of light. It took me a moment to adjust to the brightness and in an instant the beautiful landscape of a red field filled my view.

It was beautiful. A rich field of crimson red poppies. I knew I've never seen anything like this before but at the same time, everything seemed so familiar. But every time I try to remember a fuzzy pain suddenly jolts across my skull.

The sudden sound of wood being chopped pulled me out of my daze. I looked down towards the source and saw a tall and rather burly man. He had his back to me as he swung his ax down on another piece of log, splitting it in two.

When the man stood straight, he stretched his back and ran his arm across his forehead.

It was so strange. The man seemed familiar too. I know I have never met this man ever in my life and yet he gave off an odd feeling of intimacy and safety. He must have noticed that someone was watching him because he looked up and turned to me. But before my brain could register his face a sudden static pain engulfed my senses and then black.

My eyes opened once again but instead of seeing a mossy ceiling, I saw the stained headliner of my brother's car. I felt the engine gently vibrating across the metal body and trees whizzed by in a blur as I looked out the window.

"Where are we?" I asked. He took a quick glance at me and smiled. "We're at least 30 minutes away from our destination." he said and my eyes grew wide. "What? How long have I been asleep?" I turned to him as I rubbed my hands on my head. I can still feel the headache pulsing inside my skull.

"Around 9 hours." he replied with a shrug. "I tried to wake you up when I stopped at a 7-Eleven but I couldn't. I thought you were having another 'dream' so I just left you alone.".

"Did you get water?" I asked and he nodded, pointing at a green eco-bag in the backseat. I rummaged through the bag and pulled out a 250mL bottle of water and straightened up my seat to a sitting position. I twisted the water cap open and quickly downed the entire bottle. I wiped the trail of water trickling down the side of my mouth before sighing in relief as the pain subtly went away.

"So, was it one of your 'dreams'?" my brother asked as I threw the bottle at the back. "I-I'm not sure..." I replied as I leaned back. "I saw a red field and... there was a man there... I woke up before I could see his face."

My brother furrowed his brows as his thumb lightly tapped on the wheel. His eyes went to me, "Was that it? Nothing... you know... weird?"

I shook my head and he sighed.

"Well, all your other dreams pointed us to this place," he bit his lip "We'll try to use dad's selenite when we get there. Maybe you just need to boost your antenna.".

I nodded before turning my attention outside. The road we were driving on was lined with tall and lush trees. The sun was setting and eerie shadows had already begun to reclaim the forest. I felt a chill run up my spine as the feeling of being watched suddenly dominated my senses but, then again, I shouldn't be surprised if it was true.

My eyes caught a big wooden sign with the words "Welcome to Gravity Falls" painted on it before it disappeared from my sights.

This town is known to be the ultimate hub for the weird and supernatural so some creepy stalker is the least of our problems, especially with my brother around. I looked at him and his eyes were glued to the road. A pang of guilt hit me in my chest and I turned to the window again. I fiddled with the chain bracelet that hung on my wrist and the little charm that was latched onto it.

It's not my fault.

I̸t̴'̶s̸ ̷n̴o̷t̵ ̸m̶y̴ ̵f̴a̴u̵l̴t̸

L̷͙̬̞͕̊̏͂̕͠w̴̥̮̥̗̘͉͐͛'̵̗́͘̕v̸̡̰̍ ̶̹̊̏̂̃̀̑p̵̢̢̻̳̼͔̄̽̓͂b̷͖̖̟̟̀̔̓̆̿ ̵̛̳̜͕̤͓̃ͅi̸̜̰̥̥̋̂̏̿d̶̼̻͉̆͋͒̕x̵̥͔̘͉͔̯͐̆̉̉o̵̰͒͌w̵̨̩̘̳̤̃͑͐́́.̴̡̘̬̾͊͂̓͘

.

.

.

My brother got out of the car and went inside the small building. I also stepped out and stretched by back as I waited for him by the car. I looked up at the old neon sign that shone brightly in the night despite its unkempt state. "Cozy Cabin Motel" I read under my breath. "Cute."

I heard the soft chimes from the door and turned to face my brother as he walked over to me with our room key bouncing in his hand. "We're in room 5," he smiled "-my lucky number.".

I rolled my eyes as I stepped towards the boot of the car. My brother unlocked the latch from the front and I got our things. My brother carried the rest and we both headed off to our shared room.

 We placed our stuff by the wall I immediately jumped on the bed closest to the window as my brother closed and locked the door. "I call this bed." I declared and he scoffed. "Whatever, if a vampire ever gets inside you'll be the first one he eats.".

"I'm okay with it as long as he's cute." I responded while kicking my shoes off and snuggling into the pillows. My brother huffed and shook his head. He took out his wallet and counted the bills. "We still have some cash leftover for food. You wanna get dinner?".

I shook my head and hugged the pillow tighter. "I'm not really that hungry yet. You can go without me." I said and he nodded. "Alright, I'll be back in an hour or two." He said as he walked outside with the room key swirling in his finger before locking the door.

I turned to my stomach as I heard him walking away and sighed. I sat up and walked over to our pile of bags and grabbed my [color] backpack. I dragged it next to my bed and fished around the front pocket.  I eventually pulled out a cluster of clear crystals trapped inside a plastic transparent sphere with dried carnations mixed in. I turned off the lights and lifted the ball to the light of the moon. It glimmered playfully under the lunar light as a streak of rainbow appeared on the walls. Perfect. I smiled.

I climbed back to bed and lied perfectly still with my stomach facing upwards. The ball filled with selenite and carnations rested between my palms as I stared the bright array of color refracted onto the ceiling. It didn't take long for my eyes to become heavy. I let out a yawn before my lids closed for the night and the colors began to dance within my mind.

Next>

[jaehyun-eclipsed]

Before I Met You | Eight

Updates: Sundays, ~8 PM EST

Pairing: NCT (Jaehyun, Lucas, Mark…) X Reader/OC

Genre: Romance, Angst, Coming of Age

Summary: Four. There were four people before I fell in love with you… Here are their stories.

Author’s Note: I’m sorry for the delay! I got distracted watching videos of Lucas 🙈 That man is disrespectful to my feelings.  

Before I Met You Masterlist

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The furious scritch-scratching of a pencil can be heard even amongst all of the chatter in the dorm’s fifth floor study room. I glance over at Mark as he scribbles down incomprehensible equations in his lab notebook, furrowing his brow in frustration as he struggles to make sense of whatever solution he has just derived.

“You doing okay there?” I ask.

He huffs and pushes his notebook over to me. “Does this look right?”

I squint my eyes in confusion. “What did you do?”

Mark throws his hands up in defeat. “I don’t know! I was just trying to find the density.”

I scan the semblance of chemistry equations, acknowledging the attempt at the proper steps that ultimately fall short. “Well, first you need to find the number of molecules…”

He nods, slowly understanding the task at hand. “Ah, okay, okay! And then you divide that by the Avocado number to get the number of moles, right?”

The corner of my mouth raises to form a half-smile, amused at his use of the term he uses to memorize the name of Avogadro’s number. Mark was quirky like that. “Yes, then multiply that by the molecular weight to convert it to grams.”

“YO! Then I can plug that into the density equation!”

He pulls back his notebook and starts crossing out his previous work before quickly writing in the correct equations.

Mark and I met in our intro chemistry class. He was one of the five boys in our class and one of the only two cute ones. But what really sold it was that he was much nicer than the other guy; more open, less reserved, and he had an infectious smile. He was the definition of sincere happiness.

As is with every class, we started out by introducing ourselves:

“Hi, I’m Y/N and I’m a freshman. Um, I’m a biology major.”

“Hi, my name’s Mark. I’m a freshman and I’m an English major and I’m taking chemistry because I’m also sorta interested in biology.”

He was the only person in the class that I was moderately interested in speaking to; he seemed to get along with everyone. Admittedly, part of my motivation was because I thought he was cute. 

I had only decided to speak to him after I caught him staring at me at the beginning of class once. We were listening to our TA give instructions for the day. Mark was standing next to her and I happened to glance at him, realizing that he was already looking at me – and that’s when he smiled that captivating smile of his. Later that day, I went up to him to confirm the melting temperature of the final product (even though I had already confirmed with several groups around me).

A few weeks later, we both happened to be at the fume hood, evaporating our solvents out of a flask in order to derive our final precipitate. As we were the only two in that part of room, an awkward silence happened to pass between us – one of ‘I know you, but have absolutely no idea what to say.’ Luckily for me, he was the first one to speak this time.

“How was your spring break?” he asked, keeping his focus on his flask.

“It was fine. I went home and studied for most of it since we have that midterm coming up in a week.”

“And where’s home for you?”

“Medford,” I said. “Oregon. It’s a small town, really pretty. How about you?”

“I’m from Vancouver.” He turned to smile at me. “Canada.”

Another pause passes between us.

“Hey, have you looked over the post-lab questions for this experiment?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Do you know how to do them?”

“Yeah, I think so. The equations we need are in the lecture notes.”

He hummed in response before turning to look at me. “Do you think I could get your number in case I need help? I get really confused in lecture sometimes.”

The excitement on my face was clearly evident as I said, “Sure!”

And that is how this all started. Every week since then, Mark and I would meet up to do the post-lab questions together.

That first homework session Mark and I had together was a turning point for me. Transitioning to college had been a challenge. Leaving home, living on my own, and adjusting to the rigor of the classes left me feeling defeated a lot of the time. Back in high school, I had to put in a lot of homework hours, but none of the material was necessarily difficult. It was just time consuming because we were given so much. But the content in college was tough. I had gotten a C on my first midterm and due to being a 4.0 student in high school, a C was unfathomable. It didn’t lend me anymore comfort knowing that more than fifty percent of my grade was based on exam performance and yet, I could spend hours and hours studying without a guarantee of a positive return. It was discouraging.

If I wasn’t in class, I was spending my time by myself in my dorm. I had two roommates, but I didn’t particularly care for either of them. One would wake up early to go to the gym and come back in the morning and slam everything she possibly could on her desk as if nobody else lived there. The other girl – well, her laptop’s wallpaper was a selfie… I think that tells you plenty.

Overall though, it was lonely. I didn’t care for the people I had befriended at the beginning of the year for various reasons so I called my dad every day and counted the days until I could go home.

I’ll never forget the way I felt when I returned home for winter break. Doyoung, Hana, and I had gone over to Taeyeon’s house one night after having dinner and milkshakes. We were there until three in the morning doing acroyoga and dancing in her living room. We were just being kids – carefree and happy. The overwhelming joy I felt that night was something I hadn’t felt in months and I remember having a moment of self-awareness as I watched Doyoung balance Hana on his knees.

I’m not happy.

Starting college in a different state was supposed to be a new beginning. One that’s supposed to be “the best four years of my life.” One where I’d meet a diverse group of people from all over the world. One where I’d get to experience my first college party, fall in love, discover my passion, learn new things... And while I was learning a lot in class, met many people, and did go to my first college party, I was slowly hoping that it would all end soon even though everything had just begun. I was alone and didn’t feel like I had anyone to talk to. That made me realize something else: Being alone never bothered me until it was no longer a choice.

Shortly after those moments of realization, the nightmares started. I had trouble sleeping and when I did finally manage to fall asleep, I’d abruptly wake up hours later, hyperventilating in a cold sweat.

What am I doing? How am I going to get through this?

Who was that confident person I was back in high school?

Where did she go?

Maybe she was just... acting.

Great, I’ve been acting my whole life.

“Y/N.” He sighs loudly and turns to look at me, pulling me from my reverie. “Why are you so amazing?”

I smile back at him. It’s comments like these that make my heart stall and my chest feel warm. Though, I wish I believed him. I know he’s just talking about me helping him with chemistry, but sometimes I hope that it’s a little more than that. We’re in the same year and we get along really well. Plus, he’s really cute. Perhaps we could start dating.

Mark has made me feel comfortable here. I look forward to seeing him every week. His carefree and go with the flow nature is addicting. If he’s ever stressed, he’s very good at hiding it. It’s the complete opposite of my personality. Mark is someone I want to be around all the time.

I love his little quirks. Like when he gets frustrated and furrows his brow. He shakes his head in frustration and clicks his tongue. Or when he laughs – it’s a loud, boisterous laugh followed by a punch in the shoulder to whoever is closest to him. He has this youthfulness to him that will never die. He searches for the happiness in everything and encourages everyone around him. He’s the friend everyone wishes they had.

“You know,” he begins, “I can’t believe that we lived in the same unit this whole time.”

Mark lived in the neighboring dorm building, leaving little opportunity to meet unless we happened to dine near each other in the cafeteria or attended the dorm-wide events in the multi-purpose room.

It would’ve been nice to have a friend earlier on.

“Oh, I saw you a few weeks into the semester,” I say.

He looks at me, clearly surprised. “Yo, what? You did?!” he exclaims. “Why didn’t you say ‘hi’?!”

Mark is in disbelief when I shrug. We hadn’t spoken yet when I saw him that time. I was surprised and quite excited that the cute guy from chem class lived in the same unit as I did. But I was way too shy to say anything. I didn’t want him knowing that I remembered his name and had been paying attention to him ever since the first day of class. He probably didn’t remember my name anyway. But knowing we did live near each other did give me some encouragement to make an attempt to talk to him.

“I – I don’t know. I didn’t really know who you were,” I say. “I mean, I knew you were in my chem class, but –”

“Where did you see me?”

“You were getting the mail.”

“You should’ve said ‘hi’! I would’ve recognized you!”

I open my mouth to say something, but end up making weird gestures with my hands as I don’t know how to respond honestly to Mark’s comment.

He sighs and looks at me with a playfully stern expression. “Well next time, you gotta say ‘hi’! I like saying ‘hi’ to my friends!”

I nod. “Okay, yes, sir,” I quip. “I’ll remember that next time.”

He grins widely and puts his pencil down. “Hey, are you busy tomorrow?”

“I have class at eleven, but that’s it,” I say. “Why?”

“Do you wanna go play badminton with me?!”

I squint my eyes in confusion. This is not the request I was expecting. “Uh…”

“The weather’s supposed to be really nice and I just got the new net I ordered online! I wanna try it out!”  

“Uh, okay,” I say slowly. “Sure. I didn’t realize you liked to play badminton.”

“Oh yeah! It’s my favorite! I used to play with my brother all the time back in Vancouver. Have you played?”

“I used to play in high school. Actually, my team in P.E. won our badminton tournament!”

“Oh! You must be pretty good then!”

“Probably not. It’s been a while.”

“Well, it’s gonna be fun! I’ll meet you on the lawn in front of the library? Like, three?”

“Sure!”

The next day is bright and sunny and after attending psychology discussion, I returned home for a quick sandwich followed by an hour of reading before changing clothes. I opted for a coral cold-shoulder top, blue denim shorts, knock-off boat shoes, and pulled my wavy, brown locks into a ponytail. At two-thirty, I set out for campus.

When I arrive on the lawn, Mark has already set up the net. He picks up a racket, spins it around in his hand, and then tosses a birdie with his free hand up into the air. A loud whack is heard moments before the projectile lands right in front of my feet. I look up and am met with Mark’s bright smile and an excited wave.

“Hey!” Mark runs over to me, enveloping me in a hug. “Isn’t it beautiful today?!” He pulls back to look at me. “You look very summery today!”

“Oh, yeah, I figured since it’s nice out today and there’s no wind…” I shrug.

“Yeah! It’s perfect for us to play!” He picks up the birdie from the ground. “Come on!”

I follow him over to where he had set up the net, picking up the other racket near one of the poles. He’s smiling at me when I look at him again. “Don’t make fun of me if I lose!”

He laughs. “Don’t worry! I won’t! You’ll just have to help me out with chemistry.”

“I already do that!”

It’s momentary and I nearly miss it, but there’s a very brief hesitation before his lips curve up into a bashful smile. His eyes are soft and I detect the slightest bit of admiration in them. There’s a crooked smile on my face when I narrow my eyes at him in curiosity. He remains silent.

After a few moments, I turn my gaze away from him, trying to bite back an embarrassed smile as I superficially glance over at some students playing ultimate Frisbee.

“Are you ready to play?!” Mark asks suddenly.

“Yeah!”

I walk to the opposing side of the net and ready myself for Mark’s serve.

“Zero, zero!”

Swiftly, I swing the racket with a bit of force, easily returning Mark’s serve. He misses.

“Lucky shot,” he remarks, shaking his head.

I pick up another one of the birdies. “One, zero!”

We’re able to rally for a bit when I decide to carry out my signature move from high school. I barely tap the birdie, giving it just enough force to barely make it over the net.

“Oh – what the?!” Mark shouts as he attempts to dive just as the birdie hits the ground.

“Two, zero,” I say with a wide grin.

I’m looking at him as he’s sitting on the ground on my side of the net, one arm propped up on his knee. He chuckles and looks up at me, squinting into the sunlight.

“And you thought you were going to be bad at this!”

I shrug innocently. “I don’t know… or are you just letting me win? Hm?”

“No! Of course not!”

“Oh, so you’re just not very good at this,” I tease. “That’s okay. I understand.” I break out into laughter when he looks at me with a playful frown. 

“Hey!” He’s laughing now. “You know that I’m facing the sun, right?! I’m at a disadvantage.”

I wave my hand in dismissal. “Excuses.”

I extend my hand out to help him stand up. Unfortunately, the weight distribution between us is very imbalanced and results in Mark pulling me down; I fall on top of him with a loud squeal.

“I’m so sorry!” I say in between laughs, trying push myself up off of him with my hands on either side of his body.

He places a hand on the small of my back. “Are you okay?”

I lift my head to look at him, feeling my heart jump briefly as I realize how close we are together. My laughter ceases.

“Uh, yeah,” I say, quickly pushing myself off of him and standing up on my own, brushing myself off.

I watch him as he ducks under the net and repositions himself, smiling widely at me again.

There’s a warmth and giddiness that fills my chest and I recognize it immediately. It’s the same happiness I felt with Doyoung, Hana, and Taeyeon. I smile to myself.

I think things are going to be okay.

I’m suddenly caught off guard when I hear Mark’s racket strike the birdie. My eyes widen as it flies over to my right.

“Oh!” I yelp as I lunge to the side a moment too late.

“Sorry, I was thinking about something,” I say as I turn around to pick up the birdie.

“Oh… about what?”

I smile back at him. “Nothing really. Just that I’m having a lot of fun.”

He cracks a grin as I’m about to serve. “One, two,” he quips.

I frown. “Does that even count?”

“One, two,” he says again with a mischievous smile.

That night, while catching up on some psychology reading, my phone vibrates, Mark’s name flashing on the message notification.

Mark [8:07 PM] Yo! Hey! Today was really fun! Thanks for coming!

Me [8:10 PM] Thank you for inviting me! I haven’t had that much fun in a while

Mark [8:15] Oh and thanks so much for helping me out all the time in chem! You’re a life saver! 😊

Mark [8:17 PM] If you’re up to it, I’d love to take you out for lunch as a thank you! 😊

Mark has been responsible for many of my smiles over the past few weeks. And here he is, doing it again. I chuckle to myself as I feel the giddiness of having a crush return.

Me [8:20 PM] Yeah! That would be great! Thank you!

I don’t think this is a date, but at the very least, I know that Mark likes spending time with me. He’s also definitely a lot nicer than Lucas. So who knows? We have the next three years to find out.

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Before I Met You Masterlist Masterlist  

[cmzucchero]

supercorptober day three: dancing

summary: Rossi invites the team to a Halloween party. 

reader x bau

warning: drinks & partying

———————————————————————

“Jeez, these files are going to be the death of me. It seems like every one I do, three more shows up.”  Emily says, slumping farther down into her chair. 

Your team just came back from a case in Oregon and the whole floor was empty. 

“It’s the spookiness of Halloween.” Penelope responds, spinning in Derek’s chair. 

“Yeah, it sure is scary. ‘The paperwork that killed everyone’.” Prentiss chuckles

“Does anyone have any plans tonight?” JJ asked, walking into the bullpen. 

“Depends on what your next sentence is.” Derek said, walking back from the kitchenette. 

“Thankfully, I don’t come bearing bad news. I was just wondering before I have to go home and help Will put down the boys.” 

“Well my plan does not involve any of you guys, no offense.” You said smiling, closing your last file.

“No offense taken.” Spencer said, clearly absent minded since he was messing with some trinkets on his desk.

“I’m glad I haven’t missed you guys!” Rossi said, walking out of his office. 

A collective groan escapes the team’s mouth. 

“Okay, okay, I’ll just cancel my party planners.” David said, putting up his hands and turning back into his office.

“Party? Like, Halloween Party? Like, one that won’t be on a plane going to another state to investigate freaky murder stuff?” Penelope stopped spinning and sat up in her (Derek’s) chair. 

“Yup, Halloween party that will not be in a plane, but at my house.” David said, now facing the team again. 

“And when will this amazing party be?” You said, leaning back in your chair and turning to face Rossi on the top of the catwalk.

“This Saturday, you guys know the place.” Smiling, Rossi turned on his heel and walked back into his office. 

“Alright!” Was all Penelope said before jumping up and quickly walking back to her office. 

 “Shoot, shoot, shoot” It was the day of the party and you were late. You decided to dress up as Lucy from I Love Lucy during the grape crushing scene. You had decided to do the makeup last, and that was definitely a mistake seeing as though you haven’t worn lipstick in years and you sorta forgot how to apply it. 

Finally, you make it to the door and do a mental checklist: costume, treats for the kids, wine, and a change of shoes. Perfect. You swing open the door and lock it behind you. 

The drive was uneventful so to say you were a bit surprised when Penelope opened the door as Harley Quinn with all the boys behind her in the living room doing karaoke would be an understatement. 

“Hi, Puddin’” 

“Hey, Penny! You look so good!!” 

“So do you, Lucy!” 

You hand Penelope the bottle of wine while stepping into the decorated mansion. After entering the house, you can now hear that the boys were all singing Adele. Spencer and Derek dramatically fell and clutched their hearts everytime the chorus hit. 

After watching the scene for a few more verses you decided to join the girls who were all indulging in the wine at the bar. 

“Nice vampire, Prentiss.” 

“Thankth” She said in response. A lisp being caused due to the fangs.

“And of course the angel is an angel.” You said towards JJ. 

She just smiled, bringing her glass back up to her mouth.

“Well I’m on cloud 9 not having to endure another trick or treat fiasco.” JJ said after swallowing her wine.

All four of the girls cringe, remembering what happened last year when the whole team decided to take the kids trick or treating. 

“Yeah, at least down this street they’ll be getting the king sized bars.” You pointed out. 

Everyone agreed, then walked up to the dance floor now that the boys were done with their song. 

Rossi put on some more music and everyone danced, and danced, and danced. 

Your first partner was Penelope who was definitely hard to keep up with, so you moved over to Rossi. Somehow, the oldman bested you as well! 

You took a break after a few more songs, meeting up with Spencer. 

“Nice costume Captain Kirk” you said, nudging into Spencer

“Thanks, Lucy. You know, your episode of I Love Lucy was actually one of the most viewed episodes of the series. First one being ‘Lucy Goes to the Hospital.’” 

“Actually, I did. I used to watch all of the documentaries of the show when I was younger.” 

Spencer nods and takes another sip of his punch. 

A new song comes on so you hold out your hand and pull him back out onto the dance floor. 

You lost count how many times you danced with each member of the team. You also lost track of time. It wasn’t until the kids came back when you knew it was pretty late. 

“Hold it right there Jason, Mickey, and Beetlejuice.” 

Henry, Micheal, and Jack all waited, holding out their trick or treat bags. You tell them to shut the bags and they all get noticeably disappointed. You felt a bit guilty, but when you turned back around with a plate of cupcakes and saw how their faces lit up it all washed away.

You went back to the dance floor when JJ relieved Will of his trick or treat duties. For the rest of the night you all danced and sang, until people started to drop. Then, Rossi popped in a movie, ensuring the kids were all either gone or asleep. 

Everyone woke up the next morning, some more hungover than others, and had a delicious breakfast that Rossi and Hotch prepared.

AN: thank you for taking the time to read my little blurb!! i am going to try to take part of this challenge even though i’m a tad bit late!! i posted the prompts on my page so let me know if you want to see any specifics! i hope you all enjoyed the reading!! i’m currently working on a request so if you guys have anymore, my requests are opennn!!! hope everyone has a spooky day!! <33

[phroyd]

PLEASE NOTE

The Washington Post is providing this story for free so that all readers have access to this important information about the coronavirus. For more free stories, sign up for our daily Coronavirus Updates newsletter.

President Trump in a Monday news conference played down the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic and emphasizing the need for the country’s economy to get back to normal.

“America will again — and soon — be open for business,” Trump said. Experts warn that ending social distancing too soon would lead to a spike in cases which could overwhelm hospitals and lead to more deaths.

U.S. states on Monday reported more than 100 deaths from the novel coronavirus, pushing the country’s total death toll past 500 and marking the first time single-day fatalities have risen into the triple-digits since the pandemic reached U.S. soil.

Here are some significant developments:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a news conference that all nonessential shops will close, travel will be restricted, and police will enforce social distancing if necessary.

President Trump is weighing calls from some Republican lawmakers and White House advisers to scale back steps to contain the coronavirus despite the advice of federal health officials. Senior U.S. health officials, including Anthony S. Fauci, who have said the worst of the pandemic has yet to be felt in the United States.

The nation’s governors are getting far better marks for their handling of the coronavirus outbreak than President Trump, according to a new Monmouth University poll. Fifty percent of Americans say Trump has done a good job handling the crisis, while 72 percent say governors have done a good job — results that are consistent regardless of party affiliation or severity of outbreak in a particular state.

Michigan, Ohio, Louisiana and Oregon became the latest states to announce stay-at-home orders. The governors of Maryland and Massachusetts ordered nonessential businesses to close, and Virginia’s governor said schools would remain closed for the rest of the academic year.

Virus-ravaged Italy marked 608 coronavirus deaths Monday, bringing its total to 5,476 — more than any other country. Spain extended its lockdown for another 15 days as the national death toll surged more than 25 percent. Spain now has more than 33,000 confirmed cases, and the prime minister warned that “the worst is yet to come.”

10:36 p.m.

Washington nursing home with deadly cluster failed to flag illnesses, federal inspectors find

A nursing home in Washington state failed to notify regional authorities that it was experiencing a surge in respiratory infections before it became the site of one of the nation’s deadliest coronavirus clusters, federal inspectors reported on Monday.

The Life Care Center home in Kirkland, which has so far been associated with 37 deaths from covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, also failed to “rapidly identify and manage ill residents” and had no backup plan when its primary clinician became ill, according to the inspectors.

The preliminary findings were reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which sent a pair of surveyors to review the facility in light of its extraordinary death toll. They were accompanied by state officials from Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services, the agency said.

By Jon SwaineAD

10:25 p.m.

Defense Department battles coronavirus — and conspiracy theories about martial law

The Defense Department’s response to the coronavirus outbreak has expanded to include a growing effort to stamp out conspiracy theories about martial law.

Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said Monday that President Trump had activated the National Guard in California, New York and Washington state in “Title 32” status, in which governors control the forces but the federal government pays for them.

Esper quickly added that “this is not a move toward martial law, as some have erroneously claimed.”

Other senior U.S. officials also have addressed the issue, and the government has set up a new website titled “Coronavirus Rumor Control.”

The chief of the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel, said in a phone call with reporters on Sunday night that he had “seen things on Facebook and the like" that depicted military equipment moving on trains, and suggested the Guard was going to launch “some quarantine operation."

“There is just no truth to this rumor that people are considering, that governors are planning, that anybody is conspiring to use National Guard ... to do some sort of a military action to enforce, you know, shelter in place and quarantine," Lengyel said. “I don’t know how to say that any more clearly than that.”

More than 8,000 National Guardsmen were on duty as of Monday to respond to the spread of the virus, with tasks ranging from delivering needed supplies to disinfecting public areas.

Read More

Phroyd