#all we see of them is them gossiping about their new team leader and that's it

[frouponical]

sometimes I think about Detective Seo and Detective Yoo.

You know what's really interesting? The way Sang-cheol's new team in Mucheon just... backs him up completely. Like, here's this closed case that nobody even thought to touch, and they're still helping him dig into it! It's not even that they're just going with the flow - these officers are actively helping him even when the chief is saying no. That's pretty rare, right? Usually in dramas you see the team being like "yeah no, boss, I'm not getting paid for this" but not here.

The wild thing is they barely know the guy! But there they are, following his lead, and Sang-cheol's totally trusting them right back - sharing all this sensitive stuff, trusting them to stop Jung-woo in his rampage, and even bringing them along to meet his old Seoul squad. Like the trust goes both ways and it happened so fast?

I just wish we got to see more of them bonding, you know? Like the kind of relationship Sang-cheol has with his Seoul team - that deep connection. I get that the case is the main focus of the show and all, but man, seeing their team dynamic develop would've been so good. There's clearly something there - they wouldn't be backing him like this if there wasn't - but we only get these little glimpses of what could be a really solid team relationship.

[irisintheafterglow]

a kaiju attack spoils date night with bf!hoshina. he is so pissed.

cw: canon-typical violence, swearing, mild angst/fluff, happy surprise ending

"is it just me, or does the vice-captain seem angrier than usual?"

"maybe he's just fired up. there's a lot of yoju for him to take care of," iharu observes, scanning the emptied streets from the rooftop of an evacuated office building.

"you idiots really don't pay attention at all, do you?" shinomiya mumbles under her breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. the rest of the officers with her stare at her blankly. "it's thursday, geniuses."

"is there something special about kaiju appearances and days of the week?"

"not that i've heard of," kafka states, scratching his head with a finger. "did new research come out?"

"maybe it's because of the full moon," haruichi says and the other men look up at its soft shining light, nodding in understanding.

"that makes a lot of sense."

"but why would that make the vice-captain angry?"

"maybe he's a werewolf," iharu whispers with sincere worry. "maybe kafka's not the only shapeshifter in our division."

"it's date night, you meatheads! the vice-captain's supposed to be off-base and relaxing," shinomiya explains impatiently like it was written on the floors in fluorescent paint. "he's probably angry that the attack came right when he usually picks up..."

"picks up who?" the officers stiffen and quickly fall into perfect lines. you smile at their professionalism and try not to laugh at how quickly they changed their gossiping demeanors. "you know, officers, you should be careful about what you say in regards to the vice-captain."

"our deepest apologies, platoon leader," kaguragi monotoned, ever the perfect soldier.

"at ease," you command them. "you have nothing to apologize for. i'm simply warning you of what might have happened had it not been me passing by."

"understood, platoon leader," izumo confirms. "if we may," he continues slowly and you can see the rest of the officers eyeing him warily. "were we...correct in our assumption as to the reason for the vice-captain's mood?"

"the werewolf assumption or the assumption that only shinomiya was correct about?" everyone but shinomiya reddens, looking down sheepishly at the toes of their suits. the axe-wielder straightens her shoulders with a proud glint in her eyes. "to answer your question, it would be the latter," you answer with a poorly-hidden smirk. "he'd barely knocked on my door when the alarm sounded."

"oh, i bet the vice-cap was seething."

"he definitely was," you confirm, recalling the colorful curses he uttered as you both begrudgingly shed your nicer clothes for your combat suits. i was supposed to take off your clothes under different circumstances, he'd lamented. don't go thinking our night is canceled because of this. i'll finish them off quickly for you.

your relationship with hoshina was no secret, considering that he talked about you whenever he was given the chance. every kdf member on base knew you preferred to keep your romantic life as private as possible to avoid questions of power dynamics from higher-ranking officials. hoshina, however, either didn't listen or didn't seem to care. he happily declared thursday nights to be date nights, threatening intense punishment for the officers below him if they caused trouble while he was gone. a static-filled message from the scouting teams sounds in your earpiece and you dismiss the officers, moving to join the vice-captain at the front line.

judging by the slowly increasing trail of dead monsters covering the asphalt, you find hoshina easily as he cuts a clean slice through a fast-moving yoju. you change the frequency on your earpiece so that you're directly connected to his.

"someone's been busy," you remark, pulling the batons from your back and electrifying them with the switch by your thumb. they hum in your hands, electric blue lightning crackling in sync with the released power of your suit. "save some for me, would you?"

"any other day, i would," he replies and you hear him smile despite his annoyance. "but it took me three months to get those reservations, so i wanna finish this up quickly." another yoju falls, your boyfriend a phantom blur in the darkness.

"are you calling me slow?" your hand plants itself on your hip as you continue to watch him cut down enemies, barely moving from your place between the dead kaiju. "i can't believe my boyfriend thinks i'm slow. here i thought you were my biggest supporter."

"that's not what i said," he huffs, the slightest waver in his exhale the only evidence of exertion. "i'm just faster." he pauses for half a second to catch his breath, and you snag your chance to overtake him.

"hmm, i think i'll take over for a second, then." launching yourself from the ground, your feet run perpendicular against the wall of a crumbling building as you close the distance. you can feel hoshina's attention on you while you dodge the yoju's swinging limbs and sink your batons into the skin covering its core, electricity surging through its body as it falls with a loud thud. "how's that, mister i'm just faster?"

"cute," he admits, offering you a hand as you hop down from the monster's head. you're shoulder to shoulder facing opposite directions and catch the challenge in his eyes as you look at him over your shoulder. "but i know you can go harder."

"go your fastest then, soshiro," you dare. his throat bobs as he swallows thickly, a subtle sign that you'd thrown him off. "i'll do my best to keep up."

---

"so, this is not how i wanted date night to end up," he says through a mouth full of noodles, slurping them loudly from the bowl on your living room coffee table. "and i'm sorry we couldn't go to that fancy place."

"to be fair, the website didn't exactly update its hours immediately," you remind him. "how were we supposed to know the place got demolished in the attack?"

"true, but i made you get all dressed up for nothing," he grumbles, accidentally dropping a vegetable and splashing broth onto his face. "ow." you snort against your spoon, setting it down in your bowl and swiping over the corner of soshiro's mouth with a napkin. "this was my favorite shirt, too. worst date night ever."

"good thing there's this place called the cleaners, babe." he continues to frown despite your unending patience, letting you clean him up while he indulges in staring at you in your nice clothes. you could make anything look pretty, he thinks, staring unashamedly at you wrapped up in a blanket and covering your going-out clothes. "hey," you murmur, gently grabbing his chin and turning him to face you. "i don't mind."

"you don't mind what?"

"this kind of date night."

"but we could do this anytime," he mumbles, avoiding your eyes. you shake your head, pushing away your food and climbing into his lap, your legs on either side of his hips.

"no, we can't. we don't know how many times we get this in our line of work," you point out with an ache in your chest and he finally blinks up to look at you. "so i'm grateful for any time i get to spend with you, soshiro." his throat bobs again, but he manages to give you a small smile.

"you're too good for me, you know that?"

"if you say so," you shrug, leaning down until your lips barely brush his.

"but, you know," he murmurs and you pull back, staring into his starry eyes. "there's not a lot of nights," he inhales, reaching behind him to grab something from under the couch's throw pillow, "where i get to pull this move."

"what're you--ohmygod." he smirks at you as you blink down at the small box sitting in his hand, covered in crushed velvet and embroidered with gold. "that's-you didn't..."

"i did," he whispers, memorizing every inch of your shocked expression. "so," he pushes open the top half of the box with his thumb to reveal something that sparkles even in the dim lights of your apartment, "please--"

"yes!" you scream before he can finish his sentence, your excitement echoing off the walls as you both break out into wide grins. "holy shit, yes!"

"baby, i didn't even ask the whole question," he chuckles, giving in and slipping the ring on your finger. "what if that wasn't the question i was gonna ask?"

"i'd skewer your head with my batons," you smile sweetly and he hums, admiring the jeweled band in the light. "that was the question you were gonna ask, right?"

"of course, sweetheart," he assures you, finally leaning up to press his lips against yours. "you're the only one i'll ever let keep up with me."

"you gonna marry me, hoshina soshiro?"

"i'm gonna marry you so hard, the entire base will know." you fondly remember your conversation with the officers earlier in the night.

"darling, i think they already know."

if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! commissions and nsfw requests can be sent through my fiverr! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)

[alvfr]

you asked for it! im forcing you!

how about a scenario on that particular AU you have cooking around? between nightwing and a spiderperson that is marooned in the black and white gotham city

we love to see it

posting this like you haven't already read all of it >.< a/n: the funniest jokes are princess-marida's and she is a blessed saint that endures my long ramblings about wips, including this one. i know it says a scenario, but this turned into a longer project (shocker) so here's the first part of chapter 1 (eventual) paring: dick grayson/reader rating: m (swearing)/sfw cw: spider-woman!reader who never stops talking, no use of y/n, superhero violence summary: for years, you have been the one and only Spider-Woman of your world. However, after being recruited to the multiversal Spider-Society, you learn that there's a version of you in every other universe too.At least that's what you thought until something goes wrong and you end up in a world with plenty of superheroes, but no Spider-Man. You're stranded, alone and glitching. You need to find this world's Spider-Man and restore your link to the Spider-Verse before you disintegrate completely - easier said than done with both a local detective and a hot vigilante on your tail.

Out of the Spider-Verse (and into Gotham)

All right, guys. Let’s start at the beginning one last time. 

Your name is definitely not Peter Parker, but you were bitten by a radioactive spider, and for the last few years, you’ve been the one and only Spider-Woman. At least, you thought you were until another Spider-Woman showed up to recruit you to the multiversal Spider-Society and you realized you were one of many, many, many Spider-things from all kinds of universes. It was a sweet gig, getting you out and about some, meeting new people, doing team-ups and group work, and your leader was a decent enough guy. A little intense. Borderline scary. Easy on the eyes though. Really easy on the eyes.

And one day, you’re hanging out at the headquarters minding your own business, totally not gossipping about boss-man, when the order comes to capture one of your fellow Spider-Men. Next thing you know, you’re caught up in the whirlwind of Spider-Beings chasing after someone called Miles Morales, and somehow, in the chaos, you slip.

A fluke, really. You never slip. You’re Spider-Woman! You literally stick to walls and ceilings, and somehow, you lost your footing and took a tumble into darkness. 

Real darkness. Where bright flashing lights and psychedelic colors had accompanied you all the other times you hopped through dimensions, this time, you fell into a black pit of nothing. Reflexes had you shooting out webs, desperate to get an anchor point. They disappeared into the void with an embarrassing swish, and you did not even have time to scream before you smacked into something undeniably solid.

Concrete, probably, based on the cloud of debris and dust that rained over you as your body dug several feet into it, knocking every cubic inch of air from your lungs with an oof. Yup, you determined as you lifted your now gray arms to study them. Definitely concrete. You dropped your head back into the rubble and made a face under your mask. Concrete dust was a real bitch to get out of the suit, and you would be forced to cosplay as whitewashed Noir Spider-Man until you could get it dry-cleaned. 

Read more on AO3

[creadigol]

*Warning: This snippet contains thoughts of unhappiness about ones body. Please be safe my darlings! Love y’all!

Hey all! Here’s a little snippet I thought of today! Hope y’all enjoy!

New Hero had many things going for them in the field.

Their skills were unparalleled and many agencies had rallied to get New Hero on their payroll and in their city. They were unmatched in strength, their intelligence was superior to most (except maybe Hero themselves), they had a kind heart and a pure soul, and overall they were an all around great hero.

If only it wasn’t for their looks.

New Hero was ugly, like unbelievably ugly. The hunchback of Notre Dame was more of a biography for New Hero than a fiction novel.Their back was hunched, their eyes uneven, and their arms an unusually large size. It made them intimidating, it made them unapproachable…it made them scary.

Children would run after just one look, mothers would frown in disapproval, and men would look one step away from reverting back to the pitchfork and tar days. New Hero didn’t mind that so much, after all they had dwelt with that their entire lives; what really hurt though, what truly cut deep, was when their own team would have the same reactions.

New Hero had hoped, expected really, for other heroes to accept them for who they were and their skills, seeing past the looks and onto what really mattered.

No such luck.

New Hero dipped their head as they walked through the agency’s hallway. After every turn and every doorway they heard the gossip being spoken about them.

God, have you ever seen anything like it?

I can’t look, not if I want to eat lunch today.

Those eyes! It’s like they see everything yet nothing…it’s creepy.

A monster.

Maybe we should warn Hero…I mean we can’t have someone like that seen with our Hero…

God, they didn’t even try to say them under their breath anymore. At least when New Hero first started the others had the courtesy to say those awful things after work or behind closed doors.

Not to mention the last comment, spoken by Other Hero while standing in the control room…Hero, the great and perfect Hero, was coming back from a long mission today. Hero had been gone the entire time New Hero had been there and the two had never met, but New Hero had heard enough to know what to expect.

Hero was, for all intents and purposes, perfect.

Hero was everything a hero dreamed of being and more. They were lithe, strong, kind, brilliant, confident, a born leader, and…and…simply beautiful. Hero was aesthetically pleasing in every way. Strong, but not too bulky. Tall, but not too towering. Eyes bright, but not too intrusive. Skin flawless, but not in an artificial way. Hero was the perfect poster-person for the agency…Hell, for any agency. Not only were they charismatic and handsome on screen, but their work as a hero was unparalleled. They got the hardest assignments and gave back the best results. New Hero knew that pretty much every agency in the world was vying to get Hero in their city, even though Hero had pledged to be in theirs.

Hero really was perfect.

And they were coming back today…to the agency…after months of undercover…and they were going to see New Hero…the exact opposite of Hero.

Shit, New Hero wasn’t looking forward to this. They could handle the mockery and slander from the rest of the agency, but if Hero…THE HERO…agreed with them…well that would just prove it, wouldn’t it? New Hero was a monster.

“Hey freak!”

New Hero closed their eyes in resignation.

“Freak! Yeah you! I have something for you.” New Hero turned and saw three lower level heroes standing behind them.

“Yes?” New Hero asked, ice in their voice.

The Low Hero who was in front spoke, “SuperHero has a new assignment for you. Said we need to bring you to the training room for the debrief.”

New Hero furrowed their brows, “Why the training room? Why not the war-room?”

The other two heroes scoffed.

“Because the systems are down in there! God, don’t you know anything or do those eyes and clay ears only pick up the occasional piece of information?”

“I…I knew that! I just forgot is all,” New Hero countered. Well, that was a lie. In truth New Hero had no idea about the systems being down, but they had been out on patrol all morning and the systems were always on the fritz.

God, just because they looked like a nightmare didn’t mean they were stupid.

The three led them down the stairs to the underground training room. Well, room was an understatement. It was more like a vast cavern the size of several football fields.

New Hero looked around for SuperHero, but couldn’t see them. Actually they couldn’t see anyone. Only the emergency lights were on in the room, casting long shadows and filling the corners with darkness. If SuperHero was here, then they must have been standing in one of the shadows, but New Hero doubted it.

Dammit, they really wouldn’t go this far would they?

The door closed behind them.

They would.

“You can’t really think we would let you be seen during Hero’s homecoming,” Came a voice from the other side of the reinforced door. “The News will be there. We want Hero smiling and looking confident, not like they’re holding back disgust. Just stay down here until it’s done.”

New Hero heard them walk away from the door. They tried to open it, but of course it was locked. Not only locked, but designed to hold back even SuperHero powers during training. There was no way out. They would have to wait it out.

The emergency lights cut off.

Oh…oh that changes things. New Hero disliked the dark, it was mysterious and who knows what was hiding in it, but they absolutely could not handle pitch darkness.

The training room was underground, no windows or they couldn’t contain heroes’ powers when practicing.

No, no, no! They really couldn’t handle this! So many memories of complete darkness…so many terrors lurking within…all to hide their face!

New Hero felt their control slipping, their fear taking over…and next thing they knew they were pounding ruthlessly on the door with all their immense strength. Screaming obscenities, begging for light, freedom…anything to escape.

They stayed in that state for what felt like hours. Nothing but fear, screaming, hitting, and darkness. All consuming darkness. They felt their mind falling into it.

But, then suddenly, it was broken.

A stream of warm light sliced through the darkness accompanied by the sound of the heavy door opening.

New Hero squinted in the light. They knew they must look even more terrible than usual, tears covering their blotchy face, blood all over their fists…but they didn’t care. They scurried into the light as quickly as possible.

It was then that they noticed something coming out of the light. A figure that seemed to give off light themselves. Surrounded by the warm glow a person New Hero didn’t recognize at first, stood tall in the doorway.

“New Hero?” Came a soft voice came from the brightness. “It’s alright. Everything’s alright.” It was a nice voice, the kind that instantly calmed and disarmed. Melodic.

The figure crouched down to New Hero’s level. A hand came up, holding a pure white handkerchief. It was slowly wiped across New Hero’s dirty, tear covered face.

“I’m sorry,” the voice continued. “I didn’t know…I’m sorry.”

The handkerchief was put down once New Hero’s tears were dried and soft hands clasped theirs and brought up their bloody knuckles.

“Oh my,” the voice said. “How scared you must have been.”

Then, slowly, non intrusively, arms were wrapped around them. The warm embrace was something New Hero was not expecting, yet they melted into it instantly. There was something welcoming about these arms. Something which just radiated unconditional caring.

“Let me know when you’re ready and we can go upstairs.”

New Hero stayed in the arms for longer than what social convention would strictly allow, but after a few minutes they pulled back. Now that their senses were back to normal, they wondered who in the world was with them. Everyone at the agency flinched back when New Hero approached. Some even sanitized the keypad after New Hero typed in their pin…no one would willingly touch them, let alone hold them like this.

They leaned back and looked into the strangers eyes.

Hero’s eyes

Oh god it was Hero! The Hero! The beautiful, perfect Hero. Still in their uniform, though their gloves and mask had been removed. They had a look on their face which didn’t suit their good looks. They looked kind, yet angry, with a touch of sadness in the corner of their eyes.

“You want to go up now? I’d understand if you wanted to wait,” Hero said. They must have been confused at New Hero’s staring because then they said, “Are you okay? Do you need anything? I have a weighted blanket and water in my room…would that help? That usually helps me…maybe something hot? Or perhaps food…”

“Why are you here?” New Hero interrupted.

“What?” Hero leaned back more, though kept their hands on New Hero’s elbows.

“Why are you here? Talking to me? Letting me out?”

Hero scrunched their eyebrows together, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

New Hero looked down, “It’s not good for you to be seen with me…you have an image to maintain.”

“Nonsense.” New Hero looked up at Hero’s tone. “Can’t be seen? I have an image? Is that what they told you?”

New Hero nodded.

“New Hero, I’ve read your file. I read all the files of those who come to this agency…and I have never seen one as exemplary, as caring…” Hero took a breath, “New Hero, I don’t care what the other’s have told you or what they said about me… I would be honored to have someone like you seen with me. You’re a fantastic hero.”

New Hero felt their tears come anew. Only this time it wasn’t in fear.

“You think you’re ready to go upstairs? Your face isn’t as red anymore.”

New Hero nodded and Hero helped them up.

“Sorry about that,” New Hero said when they saw the dirty hanky on the ground.

Hero shrugged, “Don’t worry about it. It’s only cloth. And I get it. You would not believe how I get in enclosed spaces…not so pretty.”

New Hero smiled at that. They never thought Hero would be so personable. It was nice, it made them seem human.

As they walked up the stairs, Hero commenting here and there about stuff in New Hero’s file or what their mission was like, New Hero felt a sense of kinship they had never experienced before.

Let’s just say, if anyone ever tried to put Hero in an enclosed space, they would answer to New Hero.

[piareia]

The Fire Tides Chapter 3: Meetings to a Close

Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, I've just started uni so we're kind of in the process of adjusting to everything. Chapter 3 was getting too long, especially with all the dialogue, so this was a bit of a hard write. Hope you guys enjoy it!

The respective chiefs began to gather around the table, finding their places and getting seated. Some were holding mead, some sharpening their axes and others gossiping about other tribes (the Berkian tribe was the main topic, for obvious reasons).

Hiccup started shuffling his papers, going over his notes and checking on each point he was going to bring up within this meeting. He knew that his main proposal would arise some issues amongst the other chiefs, but he had to persuade them somehow. In fact, he was determined to do everything in his power to assure some form of provocative agreement was made.

Reaching out to the arm of his chair, he moved his eyes from the papers to the seat. He eyed it with unease. A wise and powerful leader once sat in that very seat, with a reputation of honour and pride and admiration from all of the chieftains. Now, remaining empty and desolate, it was to be filled with the risible workings of a young and inexperienced boy.

Hiccup sighed and sat down. The place looked very impressive – whoever was leading the meeting sure had stockpiles of gold in their pockets. With dim-lit candles crowded on the table and stringed lanterns gleaming with the apricot glow of fireworms, the hall held a disposition of incandescence, slowly, yet reassuringly, pulling in all of the leaders to have an enlightened and engaging communal discussion.

“Brother!”

“Aah!”

Hiccup was met with a vigorous hug, banging his head to the back of the chair and causing the dislocation of his two shoulder bones.

“Oh, look at you! After all this time!”, Dagur laughed ecstatically, squeezing Hiccup’s cheeks together, “I must say, brother, I am loving the new look! Hmm, the jacket really does bring out those Hiccupy biceps and did you get a new haircut?! Wow! You are looking as dashing as ever!”

“U-um, D-Dugur, you-” Hiccup tried to speak with his face being squeezed to the likes of a puffer fish.

“Oh Brother, I think it’s best you don’t take away Hiccup’s oxygen supply before the discussion starts,” Heather walked towards the two with a growing smile.

“Oh! Sis, you’re right!” Dagur took a step back, “Sorry! Sorry! Just very happy to see you, Brother!”

Hiccup let out a sharp breath and plunged downwards after being released from his death grip,

 “S-Same here. Hehe, my cracked ribs and broken cheekbones are happy to see you too!”

Toothless warbled, prodding to his rider in worry as he glared at Hiccup’s attempts to restore his breathing.

“Hey T!” Dagur leaped at his head, “New tail? Looks awesome!”

“Hiccup, we heard about what happened. We’re so sorry. We were planning to fly over to Berk a long time ago but some things got in the way and-” Heather looked at Hiccup, apologetically.

“N-no, no! It’s fine, honestly. I’m okay now, somewhat at least,” Hiccup gave a solemn smile, petting Toothless, “It’s great to see the two of you though, how have things been over at your end?”

“Much better since the days of Johann and Viggo,” Heather replied, “We’ve been training new Berserker riders, so something like that doesn’t happen again.”

“Yep, we may have borrowed some of the A-Team’s counter-productive methods…” said Dagur, sheepishly.

Hiccup laughed, “Not sure how Astrid’s going to take that, but if it helps the island, then –”

“Speaking of which, where is Astrid?” asked Heather, curiously, “And the other riders?”

“They should be at the back somewhere, on the other table,” said Hiccup.

“Have fun!” Dagur quickly whispered in her ear before she left, “Remember, Fishlegs is the kindest Viking in the entire Archipelago. I’m sure he’ll understand, sis.”

Heather looked at him doubtfully, slowly walking off to the riders as the meeting between the chiefs began.

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

The meeting was signalled to a start as a tall and pretentious man walked towards his seat, causing a disperse in conversation amongst the fellow Vikings. He was a chief in his fifties, perhaps the eldest of them all, with a robust and sturdy stride echoing his wise demeanour. The glow of the fireworm lanterns transmitted an orange glint into his eyes, reflecting a look of power and prudence as he opened his mouth to start speaking.

His face seemed to resemble Eret’s.

“A warm welcome to all of you,” he smiled, “Chief Aries of the Axehorders Tribe, Chief Isire of the Volsungs Tribe, Chief Sebastian of the Mercenary Tribe, Chief Dagur of the-”

“Berserker Tribe! The best and the greatest!” Dagur exclaimed, throwing his hands on the table.

The chiefs sighed in unison.

“Thank you for that, Dagur.”

Hiccup giggled quietly. Some things never changed, huh?

“And our youngest leader, Chief Hiccup of the Berkian Tribe,” he turned to him with a smile.

“Er y-yes!”

“I believe I ought to introduce myself to you all,” the elder rubbed his hands together, “I am Eret, Father of Eret, retired dragon trapper, now enlisted within the trading business. Our tribe mainly tends to deal with the sources of fish now, especially in the east coast.”

So the facial resemblance was no coincidence. This was Eret’s father?

“Now with the introductions completed, I believe we should head to the points of discussion. Who would like to –”

“I believe my brother would like to go first! He has got quite a lot he wishes to disclose in this meeting,” Dagur smirked at Hiccup, nudging his elbow.

Hiccup let out a sigh, quickly scanning his papers again for reassurance.

“Very well. Chief Hiccup, if you would like to start us off,” Eret’s father gestured to him with his open palm.

“R-right! Okay, erm,” Hiccup looked at the other respective chiefs, glaring back at him with a sense of unspoken vulgarness, “I believe that the dragons have been such a huge change for all of us, good and bad. And to prevent the bad from happening, I guess it’s a process of consistently protecting and training them in order for us to live in harmony. With Toothless as the alpha, that procedure can be easier for us so –”

“Can you just get to the point, boy?” Chief Aries tapped his fingers impatiently.

“I would like to propose the task of opening up Berk’s borders to all dragons in need.”

All of the chiefs slammed their fists on the table.

“Outlandish idea!”

“Preposterous!”

“Stoick would never do such a thing!”

Hiccup had expected this reaction, thankfully he had mentally prepared himself for such comments.

“Enough!” Eret’s father placed his hands on the table, “Let him speak.”

Dagur gave Hiccup a reassuring look, placing his hand on his shoulder.

“Go on, Brother."

This wasn’t going to be easy.

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

Heather walked over to the back table, smiling as Astrid gestured her to come and sit with them.

“Long time, no see!” Astrid exclaimed, hugging Heather tightly, “How have things been with your crazy Berserker brother?”

“Luckily Berserker Island hasn’t burned down yet!” Heather laughed and gave Astrid a knowing smirk, “And how about you and your heroic, unassuming dragon-rider? Will I get to be a bridesmaid soon?”

“W-what?! Oh gods no! We’re just a couple!” Astrid shaked her head, “Quite a long way to go till that happens.”

“Really?” Eret smirked, “That’s not what Hiccup tells me…”

“Please ignore him, he’s had too many drinks and clearly needs to see a healer,” Astrid slapped Eret’s head.

“Eret, Son of Eret,” he reached out his hand to Heather, “I’ve only had a cup of mead, quite the responsible man I am.”

“Heather,” she shook his hand, smiling back, “I’ll try to believe that!”

“I’ve finally got it! My yak butter parfait!” yelled Snotlout, punching his fist in the air.

Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins came running with mead and food, with suspicious yells echoing from behind them.  

“So, are we stealing his yak butter parfait again?” Tuffnut whispered to his sister.

“Shh! We need to stick to the plan, bro. Distract and infiltrate,” replied Ruffnut.

“Per-fait,” Tuffnut snickered, “Did you see what I did there, sis? I mixed perfect and parfait together to create a miscellaneous response.”

“One may say, yak-cellent!”

“Guys, I told you to pay for those!” Fishlegs pointed at the handful of fruit buns in the twins hands, “The owner will probably kick the two of you out if he sees you! Be careful-”

Fishlegs’ eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of a familiar face from his Edge days. It was Heather, she was smiling at Eret. He could never forget that smile, no matter how far apart they were, that smile would be engrained within his brain till he reached his end in Valhalla. She seemed different now, much more content and stabilised, almost as if she had finally found a form of peace after so many years of being without it.

He approached the two with a smile. Heather glanced at him, wide-eyed, attempting to hide her worries away by putting on a quick smile too.

Astrid darted her eyes between the two, deciding it was best to leave them alone.

“Alright, guys! I think it’s time we put Eret’s gag reflex to the test. Anyone want to take him on?”

“You bet!” Snotlout jumped out of his seat, “That guy has nothing on me!”

“We’re up to it too!” Ruffnut yelled, quickly whispering in Tuffnut’s ear, “Distract and infiltrate.”

“Right! Per-fait!” Tuffnut exclaimed, giggling as they followed behind Snotlout.

“I’d love to see you all suffer terribly with the high doses of mead you’re about to consume,” Eret sighed as the three headed to the bar.

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

“Opening our borders to all dragons will be the best thing for all of us. The more wild dragons we aid, the less of a threat they’ll be to Vikings, hence it’ll be easier for us to build the utopia of human and dragon-”

“How would you deal with overpopulation?” Eret’s father questioned.

“That’s the same thing with Vikings, isn’t it? We’ll just simply expand our base.” Hiccup stated confidently.

“And what about food supply? If there are more dragons over at your end, you’ll require more fish. The other tribes would suffer.”

“Not necessarily. We’ll just outsource fish from the original areas that the dragons used to collect them from.”

“And what about issues with migration? Having all of those dragons fly over to Berk can cause disruptions in the other tribes transportation routes.”

“We can redirect the migration routes based on the days when the other tribes are travelling.”

Hiccup had been arguing about this same topic, for over an hour. If anything, he was getting more irritated by the second. How could they not simply understand? Building this human and dragon utopia was always the goal from the very start. Did these dumbfounded Vikings think that only a selection of dragons were allowed to live amongst them?

The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he was talking to a wall. It was worse than explaining dragon theory to the twins.

“Listen. We can work our way around all of these things,” Hiccup tried to stay calm, “I’ll make sure no trouble comes to the other tribes. You have my solemn word on that.”

“I understand,” Eret’s father looked at Hiccup, concentratedly, “There’s one more thing I wanted to ask you.”

“Go on.”

“How will you deal with those who do not wish to live in the same world you dream of? Dragon trappers? Dragon hunters?”

Hiccup was beginning to lose his patience, “Drago’s gone. Viggo’s gone. Johann’s gone. Their operations have been obliterated to the ends of the archipelago.”

“And what if another dragon hunting operation is reconstructed? What would you-”

“If another dragon hunting operation is rebuilt, we’ll destroy it. It’s not like we haven’t done it before,” Hiccup sighed, scratching Toothless’ head.

“And you’d be satisfied doing that continuously? Devoting your entire life to dragons? Living in a continuous process of war?”

“I-”

“Hiccup. I’ve heard so much about you, the young boy who dared to ride a dragon, with that dragon being a night fury out of all dragons. The boy who outwitted the Grimborns. The boy who defeated Drago. You’re intelligent, Hiccup. Very intelligent. However, you lack experience. You fail to realise that this process is a long one. One of a lifetime. And one day, when you grow old, become weak and fragile, would you still be able to hold up a sword against a dragon hunter? This idea, whilst it is a beautiful one, I fear that we cannot always change the world to how we wish. Sometimes, it’s best to leave the world be, and if it changes by itself, then we let it change.”

“I completely disagree with you there, Eret,” Hiccup remarked with a solid force, “Living in a world that is not what we desire for? Leaving it to become rotten as the days go by? That can’t happen. I can’t let that happen!”

“Hiccup. Please listen to me, ” Eret’s father spoke softly, “You aspire for change. And you’ve done so much. But some things cannot be shaped, no matter how hard we try. You can fix one thing, then another thing will arise. The world is too cruel for us to keep rebuilding it.”

He failed. He couldn’t do it. They just weren’t going to listen.

“Fine,” Hiccup stood up, “Live in your cruel world.”

With Toothless following his rider, Hiccup walked out of the hall in silence and dismay, slowly disappearing into the dark of the night.

And that's Chapter 3! I really wanted to show how fixed Hiccup is with his dream of building the ultimate dragon utopia at this point. Both arguments are valid in my opinion, but I feel sorry for our boy Hiccup here, he's quite relatable for a lot of us really!

Be ready for Chapter 4, the conversation between Heather and Fishlegs, Eret and his Father, Astrid consoling Hiccup etc! Chapter 5 should begin the start of the main plot of the Fire Tides :)

Also this will be uploaded on Ao3 soon, just trying to sort my account out :)

@rosiethedragongeek @sorushing @limesandcoconuts

[oathkeeperoxas]

A continuation of @adiduck's bakery saintspy May kiss which can be found here, which is set after my fic from a few days ago, which is in turn a continuation of hers from last week.

11 Kiss on the cheek

Bart is no stranger to long nights and less than adequate sleep. Studying, then working double shifts, and then coming to the IMF – he’s used to it. The last week has been pretty nice actually, without any disruptions and a solid seven point six hours every day. Until last night, of course.

The goons have been handed over to the local police, who will hold them for at least two days. Bart is hoping that’s all they’ll need to wrap this one up. He had spent the small hours of the morning sweeping up glass at the Amiens bakery while Ethan “got a statement” from the baker.

Yeah, right.

He’s pretending to casually browse the local weekend market now, exchanging pleasantries with stall owners and digging around for any gossip about their quarry. Naturally, only when it comes up in the conversation of course. The locals here are like any small town, and stick to themselves, so they smile at him and show him their vegetables and honey and home made goods, and keep to themselves when whispering about the turn one of the local boys has taken.

No matter. They’ll find him. It’s only a matter of time.

“Do you think these are any good?” Ethan asks, holding up some oddly shaped and coloured vegetables that Bart thinks might be sweet potatoes.

“Sure?” Bart asks, squinting at him. “Why?”

“I was thinking of cooking tonight,” Ethan says, eyes glued on the produce in front of them, not the people they’re listening in on. It’s probably a good cover to actually buy something, so Bart picks up two onions at random and hands over several euros for them, and a bag of carrots too. Sure. Why not. He gives them to Ethan to carry, straining to listen in on two grandmothers who are sitting behind the stall they’re standing at, knitting away.

“I heard that John saw him yesterday,” one is saying, a bit louder than most gossip is exchanged. Probably losing her hearing a little and not aware of it. “Oh, I hope that boy can steer him right.”

“It’s all gone wrong for him,” the other says, shaking her head. “After his business went bust, he needed to find a good new job.”

“I heard his business was business,” the first woman says, shaking her head. “So when it went out…”

“Ah,” the second says, nodding her head sagely.

“Look, there are some spices over there,” Ethan says, and tugs Bart away.

“Did you hear that?” Bart asks in an undertone, smiling at two children as they run past him. He’s a happy tourist, nothing to see here…

“We already know about his illegal business dealings,” Ethan replies in the same tone of voice, stepping to the side so that a wheelchair can move past him on the path. “You need to trace the trail forward, not backward.”

Bart purses his mouth and keeps listening. It’s all well and good for Ethan to say that, but sometimes you need to know the past in order to make a coherent picture of the present.

“Mon chéri!”

Ethan pauses. Bart takes a slow breath in and resists the urge to sigh. They just finished up at this guy’s place – can’t he disappear for just a day?

“Honoré,” Ethan says, turning with pinpoint accuracy to face Amiens in the crowd.

“Ethan,” Amiens says, his slightly accented French curling affectionately around the name. Great. They’ve moved onto first names now. “What a surprise!” 

“It can’t be more of a surprise to see you,” Ethan returns. “How are you?”

It’s at this point that Bart realises that Amiens is wearing a familiar shirt. A very familiar shirt. It  proclaims I went to Provence and got this awesome shirt! in French, which would be a strange thing for a local to wear, unless… unless…

Bart resists the urge to smack his forehead. Can his team leader be any less subtle? Surely it isn’t a good idea to get this involved with a local? What if he sees something that Ethan can’t explain? Then their cover is blown!

“My grandmother has closed the shop for the day, to ensure everything is clean inside, and because we could not start baking early this morning due to the circumstances,” Amiens is saying as he and Ethan make big eyes at each other.

Yeah, sure, Bart wants to say. The circumstances of you banging my boss!

“And a man has to eat,” Amiens murmurs, leaning into Ethan’s personal space. “Though we may wish to live on what we can swallow, unfortunately it cannot replace food.”

Bart is going to barf. He can’t deal with this. There aren’t even any pastries to get him through it! They’re standing in the middle of the market, in full view of everyone! And they’re not even getting any actionable intel!

“It’s true,” Ethan is nodding sympathetically. “That being said… I know that you are quite busy that the moment, and perhaps don’t have time to make yourself a proper meal. Perhaps I could make you one?”

Bart is hallucinating. Someone slipped him drugs this morning. This cannot be happening.

“Oh,” Amiens says, fluttering his eyelashes. “You don’t have to go to the trouble of all that.”

“I insist,” Ethan says. “Please, let me cook dinner for you tonight.”

Bart makes himself stop listening to this. He can’t do this any more. He stares at the honeyed mead being offered at the table nearest to them, seriously considering buying some to drink his problems away.

“It’s a date,” Amiens agrees, and leans forward to kiss Ethan on the cheek. It’s something that many French people do, but somehow Amiens manages to make it on the edge of indecent. Then he winks at Ethan, and slips away into the crowd.

“What was that?” Bart hisses at him.

“The house on the edge of town,” Ethan says. “We agreed it’s suspicious. You should go and watch it tonight. All night.”

“Sounds good,” Bart agrees fervently.Anything to not have to see that again.

Send me a kiss for saintspy May 😘

[darkx-the-dragon-kn1ght]

Chapter 39- Part 14

Alright, hopefully this'll give Serra the chance to meet some new people, maybe find some other sources of happiness in life, spend some time away from all the angsty mirrors- and as for what'll make me happy…

Yeah, the team needs some healing from that Healing Shard up in the Gym arena. But not before getting some extra dialogue from Serra!

I mean, she musta done something right for Bennett to be somewhat well-adjusted and wanting to be a strong Trainer himself, bug special interest aside. Heck, I feel certain that if this game came out when Gen VIII was first released, Bennett would have a Frosmoth on his team as a nod to his mom.

Indeed! Like seeing what the Rime Badge actually looks like!

Oooh, it looks like an actual broken mirror, that's cool! 

Now, with the team healed…I think it's time to check out something else!

We beat a Gym Leader, so Gossip Gardevoir’s thing should be different now, right?

Oh, now they're talking about the Yureyu stuff? This person sure is behind on story events, huh?

Where is Gardevoir getting this information? They weren't at the Yureyu HQ! They didn't see anything! They didn’t contribute! Do they have some kinda informant or something?? I demand answers, charlatan!

If only this person knew the things Xera has seen and done…oh wait, yeah, STILL no mention of Xera and the other Trainers responsible for finding out the truth of Yureyu’s downfall either! None of them are allowed to have any respect!

Previous

Next

[queenoftheboard]

♙ 1.b3 . an opening for Cinnabar / @cxnvicts

The routine of Eirene Campbell as the president and CEO of Quinn Group was probably not what many imagined it to be - unlike other business conglomerate leaders, the woman at the helm was controlling and perfectionist; to be at the top meant that she needed to stay aware of mostly every detail. Delegating came hard to her - and any sort of occurrence that deviated from normal operations and the smallest oddity were required to be raised and brought directly to Eirene's attention.

And that was exactly what happened when the sensors installed in one of the warehouses owned by Quinn in District 12 were activated. They were triggered in the middle of the night, but the cameras located at the facility offered a confusing feed. It was easy to see someone getting inside, quietly and orderly... And then not leaving, opening it to other strangers or seemingly doing anything that posed a risk to the place.

In fact, the report that found itself at Eirene's hands stated that this mysterious invader appeared to be sleeping; they had located the administrative office close to one of the gates and seemed to have crashed on the couch available there. Frowning, the blonde requested to be sent the video footage, and analyzed it with a team of security and IT specialists.

The idea of someone just crashing a Quinn warehouse to sleep off a hangover was immediately discarded - some degree of knowledge was required to manage access to the place and the remote systems showed it had been professionally done. Yet, the following actions did not match those of any rivals of Quinn (or Campbell enemies) - and it was all made even more mystifying when the technology team managed to get better resolutions out of the cameras, enough to identify the trespasser.

Eirene immediately recognized her - Cinnabar, the individual who was once the pride and joy of Serpent's Eye and a highly trusted service provider among the Eastside elite. The woman had used them a few times for security reasons, but had never been sent Cinnabar; everything the blonde knew about the other female were the public reports, the media articles and the gossip following her apparent desertion from a mission a few months back.

Cinnabar had been missing since then - was this the reason that brought her to one of Quinn's warehouses, maybe? Just need for shelter and a break while on the run from the authorities? Drumming fingers over her desk, the business magnate pondered over her next move, simulating a few scenarios in her mind before deciding on one that involved an unusual approach.

With the aid of her IT team, they brought a computer online in the room occupied by the former Serpent's Eye operative and turned on the audio, as well as the webcam. On the other side, a microphone was connected to the CEO's own machine, and therefore enabled her to talk remotely to Cinnabar while getting some average-quality image and thus able to examine the other woman's reactions.

"Good morning, Cinnabar, former supervisor from Serpent's Eye," although the bodyguard had no live feed, one could imagine the soft smile tugging at Eirene's lips while she spoke - the excitement of making a new move in her daily mental chess games was always exhilarating, "This is Eirene Campbell, president of the Quinn Group. I was hoping to have a brief chat with you, if you have the time. I would be willing to come to a presential meeting, of course," a pause followed, where the blonde woman smirked from the other side, "After all, I do have the keys to all warehouses we own, such as the one you have found."

[spellbook-gayboy]

Cape-Watch Monthly Bulletin- January 2023

Hey, y’all! I’m your host, Christina Cabello, ringing in the new year with the first Cape-Watch Monthly Bulletin of 2023! This year’s gotten off to a flying start for the superhero community, and we have no shortage of hot stories to share with you below the cut!

Meet The Team

Kicking off our list is quite possibly one of the hottest stories of the year yet! After over two months of intense try-outs and meticulous selection, through controversy after controversy, the line-up of the new superhero team Breakthrough was officially unveiled this month at a public press event at the Pentagon. Here, our field reporter Noah Pinker managed to score an exclusive interview with the team’s leader and legendary superhero Frontline, who had this to say:

‘I can’t tell you how happy it makes me feel, standing her today. Being able to continue a team I feel such a strong personal bond with into modern times is such a good feeling. It was difficult, I’ll admit, with everything going on in the try-outs, but I think we’ve managed to put together a real group of heavy hitters. All that’s left now is to try and get them to work with each other without burning the place down!’

Speaking of which, I’d be remiss to not mention the five members that will be serving alongside Frontline. Filling the role of the team’s second-in-command, and by far one of the most popular picks, is the Nigerian heroine Omi, who easily cleared her way through both continental and final stages of the selection process, ending with a spectacular knockout against the Japanese hero Tengu. Compared to her peers, she is also the most popular, achieving national recognition as one of Nigeria’s greatest heroes, to the point where she is frequently described as a ‘gift from the orisha (powerful spirits and minor gods in the religion of Isese, the religion of the Yoruba people of Nigeria)’. The heroine herself recently bid farewell to her home city of Port Harcourt before entrusting it to a fellow hero known as Neon Knight. It will certainly be interesting to see how she fares on a team as international as Breakthrough, but I think it’s fair to say that she’ll do well. 

Another two of the new members include the titan of Paris, Quark Crusher (or Broyeur de Quarks for the French speakers), who has defended his home city since his teenage years if estimates are to be believed. Joining him is a fairly surprising arrival, the German heroine Ms. Cinnabar (or Frau Zinnober). The psionic super hails from Stuttgart, where she has worked for years without much of a media presence, preferring a quiet and low-key approach to heroics until now. When asked for comment at the press event about her reasons for applying for a slot on Breakthrough, she explained that while she did enjoy her time as a city-level hero, she also felt the need to push her limits and try to have a bigger impact. This coincides with her finally setting up an Instagram account, which surprised her previously small and scattered fanbase. To say that it’s rare for a previously minor superhero to suddenly shoot to stardom is an understatement, but nevertheless, I wish her the best of luck!

And finally we come to two surprising choices, who have both gathered their own fair amounts of gossip and speculation. The biggest of these two is the mysterious Bolivian vigilante known only as Vaquera, who secured her slot following a knockout victory against the Welsh superhero Green Knight. Despite there being a warrant for her arrest in her home country, the Bolivian government has still seemingly accepted her as their representative on Breakthrough, although it should be noted that this was only announced after the governments of Argentina, Colombia and Peru publicly offered her their support. She was also the only member that refused to answer any questions during the press event, which is hardly surprised given that she is generally known to be very quiet and guarded around others. Fighting alongside her will be the final member to talk about, the South Korean speedster Trailblazer (선구자). After an eight-year long stint as a member of the superpowered K-Pop group Hot Stuff, in which he cultivated a catalogue of popular songs with his co-stars, he applied late after the breakdown of the group over ‘creative differences’, going on to secure his slot after defeating the Italian super Brigante. Despite admitting himself to be ‘out of practice’, he also boasts a record as the only applicant who never once got hit throughout the entire process, thanks in part to his superspeed. While the element of stardom certainly mixes up the team dynamic, there is also the question of whether he’ll be able to fare as well against foes that might wish to hurt him far worse than other heroes would. In conclusion, Frontline has managed to assemble quite the crew, but only time will tell if they can rise to the heights of other teams like the Guardians of the Globe, or if they are doomed to sink the same depths as others such as Fight Force. 

A New Atlantean Archon

Our next story comes from quite the strange place, from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean where the sunken metropolis of Atlantis resides, where quite a strange series of events has recently taken place regarding the superhero Invincible. Apparently, under Atlantean tradition, the murderer of an Atlantean must marry the victim’s widow. Since Omni-Man, who murdered the king Aquarus along with the rest of the Guardians of the Globe almost two years ago now, was no longer on Earth, that responsibility fell to his son. Invincible was also the reason this story even broke in the first place, when he went on Twitter to say this:

‘So yeah, that happened. Can’t say that I imagined that almost marrying a fish woman would be how I started the year, but here we are. Don’t worry, I managed to work things out, and in record time, too. Rex was close to going on a rampage!’

And work things out he did, as the new Aquarus, an Atlantean previously known as Lethan, reached out personally on the apparent official Twitter account for the Atlantean government (which was a surprise to me as well) to thank Invincible for his respect of his people’s traditions. Suffice it to say, this year has only just begun and has already hit us with a curveball. 

Corporate Interests

Our next story concerns the Californian magic user Magic Man, who some of our readers might recall attending the Capes Incorporated Christmas Spectacular with his partner Multi-Paul. More recently, however, he was sighted on a few different occasions with Capes Inc members Kid Thor and Knockout, seemingly on patrol around the company’s headquarters in New York City. This particular little mystery was solved by the Capes Inc. Twitter account, who announced that after a short probationary period, Magic Man had been officially employed as a fully salaried employee of the corporation. 

This understandably prompted a lot of questions from the public, who were keen to know why he had signed himself to such a controversial company, especially since it seemed to conflict with his progressive public image. His reason? Practicality. He told the concerned parties that ‘not everyone can be on a big team like the Guardians’ and that ‘sometimes you have to make compromises that you’re not necessarily happy about’. Speaking from experience, I agree. It can be easy to forget that heroes are people just like the rest of us, who are just as capable of financial issues, and without the safety net of being on famous hero teams can lead to a lot of problems that may only be solved by companies like Capes Inc. In fact, a recent survey showed that around 61% of all Capes Inc. employees sought a place in the company due to financial stresses, while only a minor 12% of employees cited ‘advancement of career’ or ‘better networking opportunities’ as their reason for joining. 

Magic Man, while being a fully salaried employee of Capes Inc., will not be a member of the main team however, and will instead move into a new specialist role within, in which he will be responsible for responding to threats of a more mystical nature than most heroes might be equipped to handle. From the examples of these issues we’ve seen so far, many of which Magic Man has also been present for, it definitely seems that he has his work cut out for him. 

Crescent Moon Crimefighter

The last story on the list comes from the newspapers’ home state of Washington, where residents of Spokane recently discovered that their city now had its own hero protecting them. Reports surrounding this new guardian are still sparse and vague at present, but what is known is this: a robbery at the Umpqua Bank branch on 707 West Main Avenue by armed thugs was suddenly thwarted by the appearance of a large humanoid with wolf-like features, who leapt down from a neighbouring rooftop and proceeded to dispatch the gang of masked robbers with relative ease. The apparent strength of the new arrival, combined with the descriptions given in eyewitness reports of the incident, have led many to conclude that this hero is possibly some variety of werewolf, although this has contradicted by others who pointed out the fact that he had been present on a night that had a waxing crescent moon, which in turn has sparked a fierce debate on what a werewolf actually is. Regardless, the local papers were quick to dub the new hero ‘Wolf-Man’, and the headlines coincided with this statement from Peter Schlottman, the government liaison to the superhero community:

‘While we have yet to actually make contact with this ‘Wolf-Man’ character, we would like to formally extend our thanks to him for preventing the robbery of the Umpqua bank branch, and would like to welcome him as the newest addition to our country’s large and diverse community of superheroes. Much of the western states have not traditionally benefitted from the protection that superheroes offer, and it is the hope of myself and others that the arrival of Wolf-Man and those like him is a sign that that is soon changing for the better.’

While certainly one of the more memorable (and more attractive, depending on who you ask) appearances along the west coast, Wolf-Man is not the first of them. It was only last May that the city of San Diego first became aware of the duo of Magic Man and Multi-Paul, who guard it to this day, and October brought the appropriately themed pair of Bunny Lucky and Cadabra to Las Vegas. It seems that if things continue at this rate, it won’t be too long before every city from Los Angeles to Denver has its own guardian, which would certainly help with the shortage of heroes that the region has been used to since the beginning. 

And that’s all for this month, folks! Once again, I’d like to thank all of you who subscribed to this Bulletin and provide the newspaper with your donations, as you guys help keep things up around here! This has been your host Christina Cabello, telling y’all to stay safe, stay hydrated, and tune in next month for the February Monthly Bulletin, and our special Valentine’s Day article that you can expect on the day!

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for the season 4, second episode "The New Hot Mess" which originally aired January 31, 2023. The episode was written by Bob Goodman and directed by Chad Lowe. Spoilers ahead!

***LAST TIME ON 9-1-1: LONE STAR***

The 126 go up against baseball-sized hail, frogs, and porta potties. TK and Carlos look for a venue for their upcoming nuptials but first they have to deal with the fact that Carlos is married? To Michelle Blake's little sister, Iris? Oh, and Tommy gives her number to a guy who nearly choked on a frog and got stuck in a ferris wheel only to find out he is her new minister. Our fearless leader, Owen, joins up with a motorcycle gang called the Honor Dogs and finds out they might be ... gasp ... white nationalists!

Okay, now that we're all caught up, let's talk about episode two - THE NEW HOT MESS!!!

In our cold open, we get a woman named Lila Geralds (Ashley Rae Spillers) waking up to her home shaking violently. It's not an earthquake; it's just her crazy ex-husband, Mitch (Jamison Webb) driving off with their trailer attached to his pickup. She calls 9-1-1 and our favorite dispatcher answers. Grace asks her for her location but Lila tells her she doesn't know.

The 126 get the call, of course, and go after the husband. Sgt. Ty O'Brien (Neal McDonough) is also on the chase. Meanwhile debris is falling off of the trailer and onto the road. Grace asks if Lila knows where Mitch is going and she tells her that he has an empty lot in a place called Birch Glen.  TK and Marjan are in a helicopter flying over the pickup and trailer and Marjan attempts to repel down on top of the trailer. Mitch starts swerving. The 126 pulls up alongside his truck and Owen attempts to talk him down by talking about how he has been divorced twice. Turns out the man is upset because the judge told Lila she could stay in the house. 

Marjan crashes through the trailer ceiling to rescue Lila but Lila is resistant. Lila is adamant she is not leaving the house because the judge said she could stay. The trailer starts to fall apart and Marjan manages to extract herself and Lila out of the trailer before it crashes. The SWAT Team and Sgt. O'Brien are waiting at mile marker 23 and when Mitch drives towards them, the trailer gets caught underneath the overpass. The day is saved!

Title card!

Owen meets with special agents Rose Casey (Amanda Schull) and Chuck Biondi (Rob Parks) in regard to the Honor Dogs. Owen tells them he doesn't know much about them. Agent tells Owen the group is trying to reclaim Texas and is officially a terrorist group. The agents believe the Honor Dogs are plotting a terrorist attack. There is also a truck carrying three times the explosives used in the Oklahoma City Bombing. Long story short, they want Owen to go undercover to infiltrate the group. 

Tommy goes to see her bestie Grace at the 9-1-1 dispatch center. Grace goes on break so they can go have a lady chat. They talk about the new pastor, Trevor (D.B. Woodside). Grace is curious to see if the reverend has called Tommy but Tommy is avoiding him because she is deeply unnerved by the fact he is her pastor. Tommy is worried about people gossiping about her. Grace encourages Tommy to call the reverend. Fun fact: Grace waited until she was married to have sex with Judd. Tommy tells Grace she doesn't know if she wants to get married again but she does want something more than a dinner companion. Tommy tells Grace she will call Trevor to tell him she is not interested. 

TK and Carlos prepare for Iris's arrival. TK is understandably nervous. I mean it's not every day you meet your fiance's wife. During their visit, Iris gives TK the third degree. She calls him short, wonders why he is a paramedic instead of a firefighter, and also asks why he wants to get married when he and Carlos are pretty much already married. TK mentions he's been in three comas - OD, hypothermia, and when he got shot. Poor TK! Baby boy has been through a lot! 

Carlos tells Iris he and TK love each other and they want to get married. Iris reminds him he is already married. She asks for the divorce papers and when TK hands them to her, she says she will take them with her and look them over. I do not like her. Not at all. Wish she would've stayed missing. Ooh, that's so mean. Forgive me, y'all! Poor TK! He does not deserve this! Carlos, you're on my shit list right now!

TK talks to Nancy about Iris holding him and Carlos' wedding hostage. TK has a bad feeling about Iris and I think he is totally valid in his feelings. I don't trust her and it has nothing to do with her mental health. Reverend Trevor shows up at the station house and Nancy teases Tommy when she finds out he is a pastor. Tommy apologizes for giving him her number without knowing what his job was but Trevor says he believes God brought them together. Smooth move, Mr. Preacher Man. Tommy agrees to have dinner with him. 

Owen goes back to the hole in the wall where the Honor Dogs gather. He runs into the young guy, Mikey (Richard Meehan). He talks to Red (Dan Sanders-Joyce), the bartender, and asks why they brand their members with an eagle instead of a dog. Owen insinuates the eagle has ties with Nazism. Owen goes to use the restroom and does some spying. This scene was so tense because I was wondering if Owen was going to get caught. He is caught after he bugs the office by none other than Sgt. O'Brien. The real question is: Is he working undercover or is he an Honor Dog?

Owen and O'Brien have drinks and Owen finds out Sgt. O'Brien is, indeed, an Honor Dog. O'Brien asks Owen why he's there. O'Brien tells Owen that this is not a place where he wants to be. He tells Owen to finish his beer and never come back. He is NOT welcome there. Owen meets with Special Agent Casey in a parking garage about what he found out at the bar. He tells her about O'Brien. Owen worries his cover is blown. Owen feels conflicted because he likes O'Brien. He says every time he makes a new male friend it ends badly. Hmm, good observation Owen. When Agent talks about the bug being activated, Owen tells her he forgot to activate it.

Tommy gets all dolled up and looks AMAZING for her date with Trevor, and Mr. Preacher Man looks sexy as hell himself. She invites him inside and their sexual chemistry is off the charts. Tommy is being so forward, uncharacteristically forward. I wondered if this was a dream sequence. Tommy tells Trevor she is feeling conflicted because she has never dated a preacher. He tells her he has no plans on preaching tonight. They start kissing and he tells her to try not to cry out the Lord's name. He rips open her dress and Tommy wakes up from her very sexy dream.

Tommy goes to Owen to talk about her feelings for Trevor. She tells Owen she is having sex dreams about her pastor. Owen tells her he is flattered she came to him. Tommy tells Owen she gave the guy they saved at the fair her number and that she feels bad about it because he's her pastor. Owen asks if the sex dream came before or after she found out he was a pastor. Owen asks her what Trevor was wearing in the dream. Tommy is like, why is that important. Owen asks if she likes the church and she says yes. Owen tells her to say no to the date with Trevor because he once asked out a receptionist at his haircutting place and he tells her that if it doesn't work out, she can't go back. Very valid advice, Captain Strand! Tommy thanks him for the advice!

TK goes to see Iris and asks if they can talk. He asks if she had time to look at the divorce papers but Iris is being super evasive. TK tries to prove that he loves Carlos, which he shouldn't have to do because who the hell is this woman anyway, and Iris questions if they are a match or not. Iris tells TK it would be a mistake to sign the divorce papers. TK reminds Iris that Carlos is gay and his and asks why she won't sign. Iris says she should be his first and only marriage. She says she should get an annulment and not a divorce. TK asks what she meant by him being exactly what she thought he would be. She calls him a hot mess. She says he can be Carlos' life work. Way harsh, Iris!

Tommy gets ready (for real) for her date with Trevor. She invites him inside and they have a witty repartee. Tommy cooks for them ... and three others. Judd, Grace, and Charlie show up but it's clear they are unaware Trevor was going to be there. Izzy and Evie also show up to dinner as well. Grace gives Tommy the stink eye. 

O'Brien is waiting in Owen's home when Owen arrives. He gives Owen back the bug he left in Red's office. Owen accuses him of being a Nazi. He tells O'Brien he is a disgrace. O'Brien asks Owen who he is working for. ATF or FBI. O'Brien mentions Red has security cameras but he got to them before Red did. O'Brien tells Owen he needs to take care of him. Gulp! He tells Owen he is going to take him somewhere.

TK is still smarting from Iris' burn. He starts to question whether he and Carlos getting married is a good idea. Carlos asks him what's going on and TK asks him if he sees him as a project. A bird with a broken wing or a tragic case that needs rescuing. TK asks if Carlos married Iris because he thought he could save her from her mental illness. Carlos reminds TK that Iris's mental illness came later and that when they got married, he was the project. TK asks if he thinks he's a hot mess, Carlos says yes but that he is his hot mess. Dawww! I'm still mad at you, Carlos. THe scene ends with Carlos getting an important call. 

Dinner is over at the Vega residence. Trevor gets ready to leave and Tommy walks him out. Grace chastises Tommy for what she did. Judd is confused and Grace tells him that he, Charlie, and her are. the third, fourth, and fifth wheels on Tommy's first date with the pastor. Tommy says she feels terrible and Grace says she should. Tommy tells Grace she likes him. Trevor comes back and kisses Tommy at the door. Ooooh, yes!!! He tells her next date, no chaperones. Get it, Mr. Preacher Man!  

Carlos drives to a police scene where Iris's car is abandoned and the divorce papers are found on the seat. Where is Iris? Did she have a mental health episode? Did she go missing? Was she kidnapped? or is she just crying wolf to mess with Carlos and TK? 

Speaking of crying wolf, "Cry Wolf" is the name of our next episode. I'm interested to see what happens next. Is O'Brien really an Honor Dog or are him and Owen working toward the same goal? Where is Iris? Is she alive or dead? Can she be trusted? How long will they drag out this whole Carlos is already married storyline? Hopefully we don't go too long without a resolution to this plot. I'm also interested in seeing Tommy's romance with Trevor develop. Also, can we please get some more Nancy, Marjan, Mateo, and Paul next episode? Pretty please! Sigh ... Until next time ...

[hrblusky]

HR Trends For 2021 and Beyond 

As we move into 2021, it’s a good time to reflect on the lessons of this past year and consider what these mean for our future. So, what were the key takeaways from this year? 

1. The office doesn’t have to be the workplace 

Possibly the most significant change during the year was the recognition that working from home was possible for more people than had previously been thought. At the same time, being away from the office signified freedom for some, but for others, it created tremendous strains. Many organizations were caught short with no formal policy to support remote working, and ill-equipped resources to help those who struggled with this new reality. 

Given a choice, it’s unlikely that so many companies would have embraced working from home, but circumstances have meant that even the most intransigent have had to adapt and amend their working practices. 

Although there have been some suggestions that working from home will be the new norm, it is more likely that we will see organizations moving back to a healthy balance over time. Companies such as Google, Twitter and Capital One have already indicated that they will be retaining work from home options, but as mentioned, working from home does not suit everyone or every organization. 

The trend is likely to be a hybrid scenario where some employees choose and can work several days from home, whilst others elect to be back in the office environment. The key is that the choice won’t be about choosing a location for convenience, it will be about shared decisions between management and employees as to when a particular place best meets the need for productivity and engagement. 

2. The employee experience has changed 

Remote working and social distancing have created a very different employee experience than that experienced before the pandemic. We took it for granted that employees interacted in and around the workplace, that recruitment was necessarily a face-to-face process and that activities such as onboarding and training involved groups of people gathered in rooms sharing knowledge and experiences. 

Leaders have long promoted the need for team building activities, which often involve a range of physical tasks and challenges in competitively charged atmospheres. 

And relationship building between colleagues was over lunch, coffees and through the ubiquitous office gossip. 

HR has now had to re-envisage employee touchpoints and seek to replace them with positive virtual experiences. The focus has been on well-being, work and home balance, interpersonal connection and collaboration. 

One positive impact has been to create a more even playing field for communication across diverse employee groups or locations. Head office teams have been collaborating and interacting online with front office employees. Employees of all levels within the organization have been on the same virtual calls to address business needs and to network. 

Not only do these social interactions impact employee well-being, but they are fundamental to employee attraction and retention in the long term. 

Changing how people interact and communicate is something that changes company culture. Even when more people return to the workplace, it seems inevitable that some of the new and less formal ways of communicating and interacting will remain, in most cases bringing in a healthier communication culture. 

3. HR can, and must be, drivers for organizational change and success 

As the pandemic took hold, HR was one of the first teams called upon to be agile and respond to the changing dynamics. Indeed, HR was at the forefront of driving change and devising and implementing new working practices, not only for employees but for HR itself. 

Suddenly, a situation that impacted the entire workforce and took away freedom of choice meant that HR had to be center stage in providing the best way forward to meet business needs and take care of employees. More than ever, HR teams have had to embrace their operational role and the need to ensure employee well-being and support employees through challenging and life-altering experiences. 

Keeping company culture and values at the center of all activities has been an additional challenge for organizations faced with a remote and increasingly contingent workforce. Once again, HR is at the forefront of helping ensure that company values are embedded in communication, working practices and policies, behaviors and decision-making. 

Core activities such as recruitment and performance management depended upon face-to-face personal interactions; now, these activities, along with core operational tasks, rely on IT systems. Along with the change in process, this requires significant up-skilling of HR teams in a condensed timeframe. 

In short, HR teams now need to have digital skills and business acumen and must be agile, empathetic, comfortable with ambiguity and be innovative. 

Another core HR future work skill is analyzing data delivered by increased digitization to help the organizations make better-informed decisions. 

4. Personalization has become real 

Personalization in the workplace has long been a topic of conversation, but organizations have struggled with what this means in practice. Organizations considered groupings of employees in terms of their age ranges – Gen X, Gen Y, Baby Boomers and Millennials – each having a list of traits that supposedly belong to everyone in the group. 

One of the impacts of the pandemic has been to bring out the fundamental truth that employees of all ages can, and do, come together to face challenges and to collaborate and cooperate when given the opportunity. All employees share the need to have a purpose, to be given opportunities for development and growth, and to experience good leadership. Diversity in the workforce is much more subtle and more critical than merely focusing on which year the employee was born. 

The ongoing challenge for HR is to meet individual needs within the whole. Some ways of meeting this challenge include improving communications, recognizing skills outside of job roles, developing and rewarding empathetic leadership and being willing to identify and respond to individual interests and needs, for example with flexible compensation packages, adaptable working patterns, and enabling employees to influence their job roles. 

The impact of remote working has increased focus on this area, and it is likely to continue to be a theme for HR in the coming year. 

5. Increased digitization 

The HR function has had to embrace technology not as a “nice to have”, but as a critical transformational driver. From automating paper-based tasks to creating efficiencies in processes to facilitating self-service for employees, the HR function has had direct exposure to the impact of digitization and automation on its ability to service both the organization and the employee base. 

A focus on digitization is something that needs to continue into the coming year if HR is to be able to deliver on so many needs and finally have its rightful place at the business table. 

[absolutebl]

October 2022 BL Forthcoming

Oct 3 

To Sir With Love 

AKA Khun Chai - Thai (Trailer) 10 eps 40 min ea 

A Thai HISTORICAL gay romance came outta nowhere (probubly not BL, more cray cray family drama). Does not look like it’s gonna end happy, but I’m still excited.

One31HD, no idea on international, possibly WeTV 

Kabe Koji 

AKA Kabesaa AKA Kabesaa Doujin Sakka no Neko Yashiki-kun wa Shounin Yokkyuu wo Kojirasete iru* - Japan 10 eps 20 min ea 

Gossip here. A manga artist wants nothing more than to see his yaoi on shelves and be recognized by readers. Then one day he meets a childhood friend he once had a crush on who is now an idol. From Minamoto Kazuki's manga Kabe Sa Doujin Sakka no Neko Yashiki-kun wa Shouninyokkyuu wo Kojiraseteiru, stars Matsuoka Koudai (the mangaka - I know him from Five) and Nakao Masaki (the idol - Kakafukaka, Bow Then Kiss - he’s a BIG DEAL ya’ll). 

Viki

* JUST PICK A TITLE, JAPAN 

Oct 5 

Ghost Host, Ghost House 

Thai (Trailer) 5 eps 30 min? ea

My ghost bf trope. Kawin (Love Area), a live streamer who hopes to see ghosts once, and Pluem, a young man who fills in his missing feelings. Could be sad. 

YouTube for reruns 

Oct 8 

Big Dragon 

Thai (Trailer) 8 ep 40 min ea 

Star Hunter’s back and bringing on the chaos as per usual. Based on the y- novel, มังกรกินใหญ่ by Aiden N Vivienne (reputed to be plotless smut), features Mangkorn (Dragon) & Yai (Big) in a high angst blackmail plot plus a secret piece on the side. 2022 is the year BL glorifies cheaters, apparently. 

OneTV reruns on Star Hunter’s YT

Oct 9 

Remember Me 

AKA Remember the series - Thai (Trailer) 8 ep 40 min ea 

JaFirst + plus same cast (and production company, Ultimate Troop) as The Yearbook. Also has Title (LBCs+) and Mean (LBC2) in possibly one of BLs worst ever wigs (and that is saying a lot).

Thailand! Put down the wigs and the acoustic guitar. I am losing patience here. 

Gaga 

Oct 10 

2 Moons: The Ambassador 

AKA 2 Moons 3 Thai (Trailer) 10 eps 40 min ea 

From Motive Village for Amarin TV. I predict a shit show. But it is supposed to finally finish out the plot of 2M2 with added 2 more couples. Because why not? 

Who tf cares? 

Oct 13 

Circumstances of Pungdeok Villa Room 304 

AKA Roommates of Poongduck 304 Korea 8 eps 20 ea

From Idol Romance, A happy-go-lucky third-generation chaebol receives an ultimatum from daddy to: 1. Leave the house penniless and survive for 2 years; and 2. Achieve results as team leader in a new business venture. The owner of the villa he lands in ignores and disregards him. However, it turns out they work in the same company. Let the cohabitation office drama commence. 

Stars Kim Ji Woong & Yoon Seo Bin of Kissable Lips - Korea’s first example of a co branded repeat pair. Also will feature Singer-actor Holland (Ocean Likes Me) and Actor Kang Woo Jung (Once Again). I liked them all A LOT and am very excited about this show.

Viki (not sure on this air date) 

SELF 

Thai 

A young artist (musician? NO!)  mysteriously loses his reflection and sees a strange boy in the mirror instead, PNR and/or horror. Stars fresh faces, directed by Too (Triage) and NutSor (screenwriter of Dew). Could be sad. 

Oct 14 

My Tooth Your Love 

Taiwan (Trailer) 12 eps 30 min ea

From Result Entertainment (producers of We Best Love) a story about a dentist and his patient, also a bar owner and a rebellious young man (who takes the initiative even with a 12 year age gap). Stars Andy Wu (Amensalism), and Alex Chou (composer/musician and the bartender in WBL). Script by Lin Pei who loves VERY traditional yaoi tropes (HIStory1: Obsessed, HIStory2: Right or Wrong, HIStory2: Crossing the Line, HIStory3: Trapped, WBL, & See You After Quarantine?) 

Gaga & Viki 

Oct 15 

Hard Love Mission 

Thai (Trailer) 

Thai pulp about a journalist sent to interview a celebrity on an island who then ends up his manager.

WeTV & iQiyi? 

Wish Me Luck

Thai 

About a boss and his temporary employee in an advertising company, based on Bittersweet's y-novel of the same name สุดที่รักษ์. Starring my boy Fiat (Grean Fictions, SOTUS S, My Gear and Your Gown, Triage) who I’ve been waiting to lead a BL for a decade (it feels like) and Na Naphat (KinnPorsche, UWMA). 

Oct 20 

Eternal Yesterday 

AKA Eien no Kino Japan 8 eps 25 ea

Japan takes on ghost boyfriends now? Is no country safe from this damn trope? Taking over Takara-kun and Amagi-kun's time slot in the home country this is a school romance between two boys. After one of them is run over, other friends gradually forget about his existence. 

Distribution unknown. 

Oct 28

Grand Guignol 

movie (Trailer) 

Japan’s school horror BL movie グランギニョール starring Rio Komiya (Eternal Yesterday) and Ryosuke Sota (Mr Unlucky) among others. 

Oct 29 

Till The World Ends 

Boys, trapped somewhere, end of world, yadda yadda. Art’s (What the Duck) comeback, so that’s interesting. 

Distribution unknown. 

Oct ? 

Choco Milk Shake 

Korea (Teaser) 8 eps 15 ea

Strongberry bringing us a full length romcom that looks bonkers. Childhood pets reincarnated as humans find their former owner and flirt with him, I guess. In Strongberry we trust but this premise is testing me. 

Distribution unknown. 

My Roommate 

Thai (Trailer) 

I couldn’t even watch the trailer, the sound and filming was that awful. 

YouTube I think. 

(source) 

[triniteevee]

Adaman’s Guide to Responsible Family Planning

(adaman x reader;

notes: established relationship, takes place about a year before guide to making the most of your time, reader isn’t explicitly mentioned as afab but may be interpreted as so, crackfic)

Without breaking eye contact, Arezu bitterly pops the balloons one by one. The deafening pops combined with the fury in her eyes makes you wince.

“We were promised a child.”

Like a meek Skitty, you cower behind your boyfriend.

“You weren’t promised anything. Also, don’t say it like that.” Adaman snaps. “What exactly have you been telling people while we were gone?”

The Warden, honest-to-Sinnoh, literally hisses back.

Before Arezu could threaten to bring her scissors out on him, Mai intervenes and pulls her away.

Adaman immediately thanks her, but Mai has an even more menacing glare, and cuts him off.

“I’m disappointed too.”

You could vaguely hear the redhead mutter out the words ‘might as well cut them off if he’s not using them’.

Sabi is the next to approach the two of you. Hands clasped behind her back, feet bouncing in a kind of dance as she always does, she looked like a little angel. The two of you knew better though.

“My clairvoyance tells me… you should let me remain the baby of the Clan. Give me like at least five more years to hog everyone’s attention.”

Adaman presses the heels of his hands against his closed eyes, and lets out a long-suffering groan. Your own clairvoyance tells you that groan came from somewhere deep inside his soul.

Suddenly the lively chatter and gossip amongst you simmers down, and whispers soon follow. You knew immediately who could elicit such a reaction.

“Irida!”

You hold your arms out, hopeful that there is at least one sane person around you and Adaman today. She simply walks past you — tunnel vision and all — and snarls at your boyfriend.

“You certainly don’t waste any time, do you?”

“For someone obsessed with space, mind backing off? You’re scaring my partner.”

Bright blue eyes widen in your direction. “My sincerest apologies. I didn’t notice you there.”

Adaman snorts. “What? Couldn’t see what’s in the space around you?”

“I hope your spawn is so much nicer than you are!” Then, like a switch, Irida suddenly turns to you, and grabs your hands. “Raise them well. I know if they have you around, they’ll be a wonderful child.” Her eyes look at you pleadingly. “You’ll tell me if this one…” She glares at Adaman who simply rolls his eyes. “…won’t treat you as you deserve, okay? I’ll set him straight.”

Not again.

“Listen, Irida—“

Heavy footsteps are heard marching towards the settlement.

No.

“Clan Leader Adaman! I’ve come personally to congratulate you on the news.” Commander Kamado’s voice booms across the settlement. “Would you allow the Galaxy Team the honor of preparing a celebration? Such a joyous occasion calls for nothing less than the best.”

Curious chatter flows through the settlement once more. The Security Corps members accompanying the Commander look giddy with excitement as well.

You stare desperately at Adaman. Both of you were just as lost. Have been since you arrived home to a party you weren’t meant to have.

“Commander Kamado…,” Adaman starts cautiously. “What news did you hear?”

Commander Kamado raises his eyebrow, before roaring in laughter. “Ah, you sly boy. What else could I be speaking of? The baby, of course!”

The crowd lets out a collective cheer.

It was a small movement, but it caught your eye anyway. The telltale sign — Adaman’s hands dangerously gripping into his thigh — that he is about to, for lack of a better term, lose his shit.

“There is no baby!”

Dead silence.

Nobody spoke for several seconds. The only person brave enough to break the silence was the person voted ‘most likely to love the sound of their own voice’.

“Wh-What?”

Everyone’s heads turned towards Melli, who was carrying in a bassinet along with Iscan. The latter looked like he would rather be anywhere else but here. (Same.) The former looked like the lack of a baby was a personal slight against them.

You look at Adaman. You wrap your arms around his middle, and rest your head on his back. You were both so tired, and everyone else was so loud.

“I have no idea how you got it into your heads that we’re having a baby, but we’re not. We appreciate the well wishes, but they are misplaced and undeserved.”

Arezu runs to him, her eyes sad and desperate.

“But you told me! You had Starly send me a message…” She rummages around her satchel. “Here, I have it.”

You let go of your hold on Adaman, and look at him questioningly. He no longer looks angry, rather he looks amused and far too entertained considering all the trouble today.

Arezu proudly holds up the paper, as everyone gathers up close. Commander Kamado’s blaring voice reads the note out loud.

“Great news: Having a baby soon!”

Cheers erupt.

Adaman simply smirks, and says, “Okay, ‘Rez. Now move your thumb.”

The drop in Commander Kamado’s expression should not have been that funny to you. You could fight the laughter at first, but hearing him awkwardly read out the actual note sent you wheezing.

“Great news: Having a baby Eevee soon!”

[babymetaldoll]

"The Sean Hotchner effect" (Spencer Reid / Reader)

My gif 😉

Requested: Yes

Summary: Spencer is jealous 'cos reader (and the rest of the female team) thinks Hotchner's younger brother is hot.

Warnings: Cursing

Category: Fluff

Word count: 4,5K

A/N: I can' believe I actually wrote a fic! I've been so busy taking care of my grandparents I've just been updating DIWK, 'cos those chapters were long written and edited. Hope you all enjoy this little story, I'll bring you a more next week, hopefully! send you all my love!! be safe babes!

Masterlist

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Working at the BAU, the team was used to seeing the worst of human behavior. Murder scenes, abuse, psychopath, you name it.

That's why seeing the apparition that walked into the bullpen that morning was such a big shock for us, the team's females.

- "What are you doing out of your bunker?"- Elle asked Penelope, who was standing next to my desk. I whipped my head, surprised to see Garcia there, out of the blue, not even looking at us. Instead, her eyes were fixated on someone who wasn't Derek.

- "I was on my way to file the things that I... file?"- Garcia made a pause as Elle and I slowly turned and looked at the guy our tech analyst couldn't stop staring at.

He was gorgeous. Tall, blonde, perfect smile. The kind of guy that could definitely get every girl's attention. We didn't get many of those at the BAU that often, except, of course, for Dr. Spencer Reid. My best friend was hands down the hottest agent in the whole FBI, and I enjoyed having him near. But this guy was completely different.

- "Who is that?"- Elle asked and stood by our side.

- "The Future Mr. Garcia,"- Penelope whispered as the tall young man walked over us and cut us one flirtatious smile. I couldn't help it and returned the smile.

- "Hi"- I smiled and waved- "How can I help you?"

- "Hey. I'm..."

- "Sean!"- Derek Worst time ever Morgan ruined the whole moment as he walked over and took that hot guy away from us. Now at least we knew his name was Sean.

- "You must be looking for your brother."- Morgan said and tapped on his back.

- "Yeah."

- "Right this way"- and that's how that apparition was gone from our lives and directed straight to... Aaron Hotchner's office?

- "Brother as in?"- Elle asked and turned to us, confused- "That's Hotch's brother?!"

- "Maybe Hotch is adopted,"- Garcia whispered, not taking her eyes from Sean until he disappeared behind the door.

- "I feel scammed. We didn't get the hot brother"- I sighed and shook my head- "Well, I might have never solved a case with that smile around the bullpen"- Elle and Penelope giggled, but someone coughed behind my back, and immediately, I knew who he was.

- "Who are you guys talking about?"

Spence Walter Reid was standing right behind my back, and the look in his eyes wasn't as sweet and friendly as I was already used to. He was upset. I just didn't know why.

- "No one"- I lied and looked away.

- "Who were you all staring at?"- Reid asked. I quickly returned to my desk (right in front of his), grabbed a few files, and pretended to be working.

- "Aaron's brother"- Elle explained- "Apparently, we got the wrong Hotchner."

- "Sean?"- Spencer frowned and looked at us- "He just got into Georgetown law school. Maybe he came to pick up his brother to celebrate."

- "Who is gonna celebrate?"- JJ walked over, holding a bunch of folders, and looked at us.

- "Hotch and my future husband"- Garcia sighed and kept looking over at Aaron's door.

- "Sean, Hotch's brother is here, and believe me, he looks nothing like his brother."

Elle smiled and moved a chair across from her desk to make sure she had the best seat in the room to see Sean when he walked out. I shook my head as Elle winked at me.

- "Stop pretending you didn't see him, (Y/N). You were the one who talked to him."

I swear, I could feel Spencer's eyes on me, burning my skin. I slowly turned around and looked at him with a small, innocent smile. But all I got in return was a stern look.

- "I just... wanted to... help him"- I tried to excuse myself, but Elle laughed, and Garcia followed.

- "Sure, babe. He looked like he was hopelessly lost in the BAU. He needed your help to find his brother."- I don't know why Elle was acting like that, but she made sure Spencer would be even more upset than he already was.

- "Stop it! I just asked if he needed any help."

- "Oh! and you would have given him a hand with anything he needed, wouldn't you?"- Elle chuckled and winked again.

- "Oh sweet Jesus, I would. All he has to do is ask, and he..."- Penelope got carried away in second, and she only paused her words when Hotch's door slammed open, and we all looked at Sean storming out of the office.

- "That's Hotch's brother?"- JJ asked, surprised. Elle nodded and literally bit her lips as she stared at him, walking over. Penelope barely even blinked, and I made my best not to make eye contact with him. Instead, I looked at Reid. And he locked eyes in mine, but again, his look was cold.

- "I don't see it"- JJ stared at Sean as he clearly argued with Hotch. I stayed still, sitting behind my desk, looking at the files.

- "You know what?! Don't profile me, Aaron!"- Sean yelled, and I could only imagine Penelope's crush growing bigger with each word that came from his mouth.

- "Now I see it!"- JJ followed Sean with her eyes as he rushed out of the BAU.

- "I hate to see you leave, but I love to watch you walk away."- Penelope whispered, and we all giggled.

- "Do you think Hotch is hiding that ass?"- Elle asked, and I couldn't hold the laughter.

- "I didn't want to think of that!"

- "Oh please!! (Y/N) stop being such a goodie-goodie!!"- Elle smacked my arm and shook her head- "You stared at his ass. Deal with it. You are single! You don't have to pretend you don't see a hot guy when you see one."

- "I saw him. He was cute. I'm just... not... that... affected...."

- "You don't have to pretend,"- Spencer said suddenly and raised an eyebrow- "Your body language indicates that you are nervous. You are blinking rapidly, our pupils are dilated, and you've been bouncing your knees since you sat down. Obviously, Hotch's brother affected you."

I opened my mouth to answer, but Hotch himself interrupted us and announced we had a case. Spencer just kept his eyes on mine for a few more seconds before walking away quickly to the conference room.

- "Looks like pretty boy is jealous,"- Elle teased and stood up too- "I don't know why if he ain't your boyfriend."

- "I know he ain't my boyfriend, and I'm sure he is not jealous. You are all just acting like school girls around a hot guy."- I tried to argue as I stood up and followed them to the conference room.

- "Oh honey, when you see a guy like that, you just can't help it."- Garcia smiled and sighed- "He was the sugar that got me going for the rest of the day."

- "It's only nine am."- JJ added, and Garcia just sighed.

- "That's how good it was."

The case was in Terra Mesa, New Mexico. A clearly angry Hotch announced wheels up in thirty, and we all headed back to our desk to gather our things.

- "Hey, I brought you back your copy of The Illustrated Man"- I walked to Spencer and handed him over his book- "Maybe after the case, we can get a coffee and talk about it."

- "Maybe not"- he grabbed it from my hands and put it on his satchel.

- "Why not?"

- "I don't feel like it."- Spencer avoided looking at me. He just closed his bag and walked away from me.

- "Hey! What did I do?"- I asked him and followed him, but he didn't even look at me.

- "Spencer, I'm talking to you!"

- "And as you can notice, I don't wanna talk to you."

His answer stopped me in my tracks and left me speechless. Spencer got into the elevator and pushed the button to close the door as fast as possible.

He had never acted like that with me. He had never talked to me like that. Shit! He had never been an asshole with me before. I had seen Reid being a jerk with people when he is mad, but he had never been like that with me. And all that just 'cos me, and the girls were a little unprofessional?

Apparently, Spencer was furious with me because during the whole investigation, he kept avoiding me. Of course, it didn't help that Hotch paired me with Reid and Morgan to talk to a young girl who had been abducted from the crime scene.

- "So, pretty girl, I saw you yesterday. Your eyes were shining when you talked to Sean"- Morgan started teasing me the second we got into the SUV.

- "I don't know what you are talking about."- I whispered and looked outside.

- "Oh please, you, Garcia, JJ, even Elle, the four girls were drooling over Hotchner's younger brother."

- "That's not true"- I denied right away- "We were all surprised. I had no idea Hotch had a brother."

And Spencer just snorted at my words.

- "What?"- I turned around and looked at him. He was sitting at the back seat, alone, arms crossed on his chest, avoiding eye contact.

- "Maybe you should stop talking about Hotch's hot brother and focus on the case."- his voice was cold and distant. I tried to read him, but all I could see was anger.

- "Ok, kid."- Morgan chuckled and shook his head - "No need to get all defensive."

- "I'm not defensive. I'm just saying we have to solve a case. People are dead, and you are still rambling about how hot Hotchner's brother is. We are not a fucking gossip show. Enough with it already."

I widened my eyes as I stared at him, bitter and angry. Not really a good combo. Spencer is one passive-aggressive asshole when he is mad, and you don't want to deal with him under those circumstances. Believe me.

But Derek just laughed and continued driving. He winked at me and pretended Spencer hadn't said anything hurtful or even evil. But, to be honest, Morgan looked composed and even amused. In fact, I'm pretty sure he was actually enjoying that awkward ride.

I wish I could tell you that was all Spencer did that day, but no. He actually exceeded himself in the art of being an asshole.

- "We are looking for a cult leader."- Reid started giving the profile to the police department- "Typically men between the age of 25 and 35"- he made a pause and looked at me.

- "What?"- I whispered, thinking maybe he wanted me to continue talking.

- "Nothing. I thought you were going to start giggling or sighing."- Elle and Morgan looked surprised as Gideon frowned, not getting Reid's comment.

- "Over a sociopath underachiever with an extremely abusive childhood?"- I asked him, as I continued describing the profile- "Why would I?"

- "I don't know."- he shrugged and continued walking around the office -"I thought after yesterday, it was going to be your usual behavior around men that age."

- "Reid"- Hotch's voice was cold and severe. Spencer looked at him and turned around to find an empty seat. Aaron continued giving the profile, and I turned to my best friend, enraged. I wasn't going to tolerate that passive-aggressive attitude.

- "Fuck you."- I mouthed and stared straight into his eyes.

Avoiding and ignoring Reid was a challenging task to achieve. Hotch was nice and wise enough to keep us apart for the rest of the day, but that didn't stop him from staring. And his eyes burned my skin each time we were together in the same room.

I made my best effort and avoided looking at him the whole time. But I felt him staring. And though I was honestly mad at him now, a part of me just wondered what on earth was he so upset about?

I found out the whole truth later that night, back at the hotel. I was already in bed, trying to forget about the case, 'cos it had already been solved, and we were supposed to go back home early the following day.

I was alone, 'cos my roommate Elle was in the hotel bar with JJ and Morgan. I didn't feel like going. I just wanted my pajamas and do nothing.

Fine, that's not what I wanted to do. I wanted to be with Reid, talking about The Illustrated man, or any other book, drinking coffee, making jokes, laughing.

But he was mad at me, and now I was mad at him too, which meant things weren't going to be smooth between us in a long while. We had only fought once before until that day. It happened when we first became friends, and we argued over some random Star Wars fact. He didn't admit he was wrong, and when I showed him I was right, he got all defensive and refused to talk to me for a whole week.

Of course, this time, it was going to be a hundred times worse.

I debated whether I should or shouldn't call Reid and yell at him when I heard someone knocking on my door. Of course, I thought it was Elle, so I dragged my weary body from the bed, arguing I had explicitly told her she had to bring her key when she left the room.

But no. It wasn't Elle. In the hall, looking like shit, I found Doctor Spencer Walter Reid.

It wasn't a good sign the way my heart skipped a beat the second I saw him. It didn't get any better when the two of us just stared at each other in silence for a moment, and I felt my whole body tremble only by his presence. I couldn't control it even if I wanted to. I loved him, and it was getting too hard to hide.

- "What are you doing here?"- I made sure my voice was as upset as possible and even made an extra effort to furrow my brows as I stared into his eyes. His look had softened, and you could tell he was nervous. He scratched his hair and fixed his nerdy glasses before speaking.

- "I needed... I wanted... I want to talk to you."- Spencer finally said and sighed, looking at me.

- "Why would I want to talk to you after you humiliated me in front of the whole police department?"

I spat each word and tried to slam the door on his face, but he stopped me before succeeding.

- "Wait, please, (Y/N)"- he pushed the door open and followed me inside the room.

- "Get out, Reid!"- I argued immediately, but he didn't listen. He actually closed the door behind his back and stood behind me. I refused to look at him, 'cos I knew what would happen if I did: I would forgive him too quickly.

- "(Y/N), I'm so sorry. I know I was an asshole. I didn't mean it. I was completely out of place."

Spencer literally vomited his speech in less than three seconds and stayed wordless and silent afterward. I crossed my arms on my chest and stayed still. I really didn't want to talk to him.

- "I'm sorry"- his voice was now a tiny whisper that somehow got inside my heart, melting the fortress I kept building against him.

- "Why did you do it?"- I asked the most straightforward question, but he didn't answer. Spencer stayed quiet for at least two minutes. So I turned around and faced him. His eyes were red, and he was fighting the tears back.

- "Why did you humiliate me, Spencer?"

- "I didn't mean to."

- "So? I don't care what you meant. You did it anyway. You fucking humiliated me in front of the team and in front of the whole police office, and why? 'Cos you were mad at me for being unprofessional? Excuse me, but I think what you did lacked more professionalism than anything I had ever done."

I knew it was a mistake. I knew I didn't have to look at Spencer while I spoke. But I couldn't stop myself. I didn't want to cry either, but I was already too upset and way too tired, so the tears started falling down my cheeks. And his followed quickly.

- "I'm so sorry,"- he repeated and bit his lips, staring at me.

- "Why did you do it, Spencer?"- I asked him again, 'cos I still didn't know why he had hurt me so deeply.

- "I was wrong..."

- "Why did you do it?"

I asked for the third time, and my eyes got lost in his. Spencer was holding his breath and debating himself. I could almost hear his thoughts, 'cos it was clear he was overthinking everything going on inside his head.

But he didn't say anything. Spencer just wiped off a few tears that rolled down his cheeks and shook his head. The silence in the room was overwhelming, and all I managed to do was to sigh, disappointed and broken-hearted, and walk to the door and open it. I only wanted him to leave, but he didn't even move. He just looked at me, clenching his jaw, fighting the tears back.

- "I did it because I am in love with you."

Spencer whispered in the most anticlimactic way possible. I frowned, confused, as he didn't even move. I stared at his gestures, his face blood-red in a weird mix of embarrassment and anger.

- "I love you so much it's driving me insane, (Y/N). I've been trying to tell you how I feel for weeks, but I just..."- he ran his hands through his hair, openly frustrated with his own way to deal with the situation, as I just stayed still, trying to understand what was going on.

- "I know it was stupid, and I wish I could do it differently, but I didn't know what to do. But then I saw you looking at Sean, and I knew you would never look at me the same way, 'cos I know I'm not..."

There was no bigger force in the universe than the one that moved my body unconsciously against Spencer. I grabbed his face with both hands and planted a kiss on his lips to shut him up. I didn't even think about what I was doing. I just did it 'cos I didn't want to listen to his rambling anymore. For once, probably for the very first time ever since we met, I wanted to shut Spencer Reid up. And the best way I could do that was kissing him until my lips felt numb.

I didn't even let him hesitate. He jumped as soon as I touched him, but he didn't reject me at all. Instead, he wide opened his eyes and stared at me as I winked at him, deepening the kiss.

Spencer's hands slowly found their way to my waist and held me closer to him. His lips were soft and warm, moving carefully along with mine, and as he relaxed into the kiss, the better it got.

I had wasted so much time (mostly at work, bored, avoiding paperwork) fantasizing about kissing Spencer. How his lips would feel and taste. If he would make any noise, if he'd be rough or soft... and now there I was, getting all the answers I ever needed.

My heartbeat faster when I opened my eyes and saw him, deep concentrated into the endless kiss. My hands played with his hair, and I felt him hum, pleased with my movements. I couldn't help myself and smiled, not stopping the kiss.

- "What?"- Spencer asked, but his lips didn't move from mine. Neither of us wanted to stop.

- "Nothing,"- I whispered and shook my head softly- "I just like kissing you."

- "I like kissing you too,"- he answered and moved his hands from my waist to my cheeks and held my face. His hands were so big I could feel him covering most of my cheek. He made me feel secure, safe. Loved. All that only from cupping my face.

- "I love you."- Spencer whispered and opened his eyes. I looked at him and sighed, trying to keep myself together, when all I really wanted was to yell and jump and act like a teenager in love.

- "Me too."

That was all I managed to answer, though I knew he deserved better. He deserved to know how much I loved him, how crazy I was over everything he did. Everything he was. But I couldn't tell him that, not at that minute at least. That night I couldn't really speak much because all I wanted to do was to kiss him. I wanted to kiss Spencer Reid until my lips burned.

But he didn't let me fulfill my dream. As soon as he heard me, he stopped the kiss and stayed very, very still.

- "What happened?"- I panicked, I don't know why- "Did I overstep..."

- "You love me?"- he interrupted me, and his eyes filled with tears. Happy tears. His smile was soft and warm as he stared at me, waiting for an answer.

- "I do,"- I murmured and blushed. Was it too late to blush? Maybe, but I couldn't help it. Not when he was looking at me like that. Like I was the most beautiful woman on earth. No. Like I was the only woman on earth for him.

- "I'm so sorry..."

But I really didn't want to listen to his apology. I had already forgiven him. All I wanted was to kiss him again. And again.

I crushed my lips against his, and this time, I felt him smiling into the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he locked his around my waist. We were so close I could feel the warmth of his body as he relaxed a little more, and his fingers started caressing the small on my back.

- "Come here."

I took a few steps back, and he followed, keeping as close to me as possible. Finally, I dragged him to my bed, and he laid by my side. Our legs were intertwined as we melted on that mattress, just kissing.

I honestly never imagined I would kiss Spencer. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it and tasted him (and the moment) in slow motion. He sighed and smiled as his lips and tongue played with mine. One of his hands held my waist as the other played with my hair.

It was heaven. I didn't imagine anything better than being on that bed kissing Spencer Reid. He whispered he loved me again, and I sighed. For a second, it felt I was in a dream.

- "Ok, mama, get out of that.... WHOO!"- Derek, JJ, and Elle stormed into the door and caught Spencer and I kissing on the bed. I felt like a teenager all over again.

- "What the..."- Elle asked was holding the key in her hands, eyes wide opened, in shock.

- "My man!"- Morgan was about to start clapping when JJ grabbed him and Elle's arm.

- "The guys need some privacy. Come on, let's go. You can sleep in my room, Elle"- JJ smiled and closed the door behind her back, but less than a second later, Derek walked in again.

- "Smile to Garcia!"- Derek waved, holding his phone. Spencer closed his eyes and covered his face, embarrassed as I grabbed a pillow and threw it over him.

- "Get the fuck out of my room!"- I shouted, and JJ had to pull Morgan's sleeve to get him out of there. Once the door was closed (again), we waited a few seconds in case Derek tried to interrupt us one more time. But he didn't. Spencer's cheeks were burning red, and he looked so embarrassed it was too sweet. So I leaned over him and kissed the tip of his nose.

- "Hi,"- I whispered and smiled. Reid chuckled and moved closer to me, reaching my lips.

- "Hi."- I sighed, strangely relieved to feel his lips on mine again. I was like my body had already gotten used to kissing him and wanted to do nothing else from that moment on.

- "Hi,"- I repeated and smiled.

- "Hi,"- Reid said again and wrapped his arms around me, moving me until I was sitting on his lap. Life was perfect.

- "I'm so glad Hotch's brother came to visit. He should come more often,"- I murmured and giggled. Spencer frowned and shook his head.

- "I think we are good."- he answered and narrowed his eyes.

- "If he hadn't come, you wouldn't have gotten so jealous, and we wouldn't be kissing right now."- I added, and rubbed his lips with mines, just to make a point. Spencer smiled and fully kissed me.

- "I will send him a muffin basket to George town, then."

- "That's very thoughtful. I love that about you."

- "I love everything about you,"- Spencer whispered and sighed, staring into my eyes.

- "Does this mean we are dating?"- I had to ask. Spencer wide opened his eyes and didn't move for a few seconds -"I'm just asking 'cos you said you loved m and I love you, and if you love and I love you, I'm pretty sure dating would the logical thing to do. But if you don't want to, I would totally understand. I mean, maybe I am assuming..."- Spencer's lips against mine ended with my senseless rambling, and he chuckled into the kiss.

- "What?"- I asked him but didn't move my lips from his. Already that might have become my favorite way to talk to him.

- "You are adorable when you ramble."

- "Shut up"- and Spencer smiled

- "Would you be my girlfriend?"- he simply asked and rested his forehead against mine as he stared at me. I smiled and sighed, pretending to be considering my options. I didn't have any. I wanted to be his.

- "Yes,"- I whispered and kissed him one more time- "I would love to, just promise me you will never be a passive-aggressive jerk with me."

- "Never"- Spencer kissed me, and his hands held me tighter- "I'm so sorry."

- "Just kiss me a few more times so I can properly forgive you"- Reid smiled and crushed his lips against mines.

- "Anything for you."

**

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@calm-and-doctor

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[hotchnerxo]

Under the Same Roof: Chapter 2

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x fem!reader Words: 2.5k Summary: Girls night out with new friends! What could be better than good food, good company and some friendly gossip. Warning: Mention of alcohol

Chapter 2.

The weather is nice and warm, even when it’s so dark outside. Emily sits on the front seat, quietly observing the driver as the car starts moving. Jennifer is on the far left on the back seat, Penelope on the middle, you on the right.

“I’m so glad you could join us (y/n)” JJ speaks first, breaking the new silence. Emily agrees from the front seat, although she is unable to see you at the moment. “We’ve heard a lot of great things about you and we’ve been so excited to finally get you here”.

Unsure what your friend has told them, you thank them for their kind words “It’s really great to finally go out again, especially with just girls” you confess, even if you were not sure about going at first.

“We try to do these at least once a month,” Penny explains enthusiastically. “Like sometimes go shopping, sometimes a nice long brunch, but tonight” she nudges you with her elbow “you are in desperate need for drinks and dancing”. She grins ear to ear. “I just want you to let loose a little, relax and enjoy your new freedom”.

You are a little uncertain how that is possible, especially this soon after moving to the city. You’re so used to being tense and stressed all the time, you can’t even remember what feeling relaxed actually felt like. Or being out with just girls was, enjoying your free time, instead of having to worry about every word that comes out of your mouth. But at least you can try. Try to get to know these women better, actually make friends.

About ten minutes later, you’re taking a seat at a very cozy sushi restaurant. It’s crowded with a lot of people, but you four still manage to find a table rather easily. A bottle of wine is emptied out evenly into four tall glasses, which you appreciate. You’ve never been a fan of the fashionable little splash on the bottom of the glass.

“Are you comfortable with chopsticks?” Emily asks you, as she’s preparing her own. “I mean, I have a hair tie if you need assistance with it” she jokes, making you laugh too.

You separate your own pair of chopsticks as you giggle “I think I’m good. Does the trick actually help?”

JJ goes on to tell a story about how years ago she tried to teach their coworker, Spencer, how to eat with chopsticks. “Poor boy was struggling so hard to catch a noodle in his mouth, I had to help him out before he’d starve” Jennifer laughs.

“Oh, what I would have done to see that” Garcia giggles, nursing her wine glass in her hands.

“So, I wrapped a hair tie at the end of the sticks and taught him how to use them” you can’t help but smile at the mental image. “But now, he handles them like a pro!” the blonde states proudly.

You admire the bond the ladies seem to have, you were never this close with your coworkers. You didn’t really have any kind of a relationship with them. They were just there to make money, just like you. Day in, day out. Working at a local grocery store wasn’t the most luxurious place to work in, but you liked it nonetheless. You did attend to occasional small talk and saying good morning and good night every day. But nothing more personal than that. “How big is the team you work in?” you ask, taking a long sip of your drink.

“Technically, there’s seven of us” Emily answers, but goes on to elaborate how they consult on cases sometimes as a smaller group and the team leaders have a lot of different duties as well to take care of, other than just field work.

“And I help other teams whenever needed” Penelope added from her technical analyst view.

It’s really fascinating to hear about their job. Sure you’ve seen many crime shows, but they are filled with a lot of drama at times, so who knows how much of it is actually true. “Are you this close to the whole team?” you go on with your questions, dying to know more.

All three of them nod. “Pretty much, yeah.” JJ says. “We work at such irregular times, sometimes. We’re pretty much a tight knit family. We all put our lives at risk for one another and for the safety of others” she explains, and it makes total sense. Having a team you can trust having your back, it must be crucial. And seeing a lot of horror on their day to day lives brings people together for sure.

Penelope pulls out her phone and shows you a few pictures she has. Most of them are with a buff, bald man, making silly faces together. You know him to be Derek or ‘Chocolate thunder’ as Penny loves to call him. You find it strange that two coworkers can have such a flirty relationship together, yet it is totally platonic at the same time. But you don’t question it, you know she isn’t exactly the most traditional kind of gal anyways.

She continues to show you a picture with a younger man, both of them holding croissants at their faces. The man has messy, a bit longer hair. He has nice eyes, and you’re sure their smile is adorable, unless it was covered with a puffy pastry in the picture. “This is our boy wonder” she introduces you to the picture.

“Spence” JJ adds.

“Yeah, Spencer. His brain is like no other” Garcia tells you and as she goes on to tell you about him, you understand what she means. Having three PhDs and a memory you thought was only possible in movies is incredible. And he’s just turned 30.

Next picture is taken in a large kitchen and with a heap of pasta in front of the picture. Behind it, a man stirring something on a pan. “This is our italian godfather”

“Oh, his food is so good” Emily praises and closes her eyes as if wishing the plate of sushi in front of her would transform. The others agreed.

“He’s an interesting character, for sure. Bit of a ladies man” Jennifer chuckles.

Penelope goes to search for more photos on her phone. “I’m not sure if I have any photos of our big boss man” she dives deep in her photo library “I know I should have it somewhere in here, but the man isn’t a big fan of the camera”.

“Didn’t I meet him?” you ask, a bit confused. You’ve seen the man, the one that lives right next to you. Who would you need to see a picture of him?

“I mean, yeah, but I’m trying to find a picture of the boss version of him. Not the Aaron side of him” she explains, not taking her eyes off of the phone. That comment doesn’t help with your confusion.

“Long story short, He’s a tough man, would do anything for his team or his family. Kind of intimidating, his stare alone brings unsubs to tears” JJ explained, but a part of you was dying to hear the longer story.

You found yourself thinking of him at work and what he would be like. Seeing him today with his son, playing and laughing made it hard for you to picture what he would be like at the office. Your mind also went to think back to his physique, the muscles and how lean his whole body was yesterday underneath that wet t-shirt. How his hair looked kind of cute as it was wet.

Damn wine.

“Omg (y/n)!” Penelope exclaimed in a moment, gaining your attention back “You like him!” she shared a look with her friends and you feel a heat rising back to your cheeks. You didn’t yet get a moment to deny this ridiculous claim as both of the agents nodded and agreed with Garcia.

“You totally do” Emily agreed in unison with Jennifer.

You sigh “I don’t like him! But let’s just say that yesterday seeing him coming home from a run, soaking wet, I might be a bit attracted to him” you speak, tone defeated. Penelope explained to the other two ladies the interaction you had with the man the day before. “He’s an attractive man!” you try to defend yourself. “But I’m not going to do anything about it, I really don’t think I’d be ready for a relationship, nor would he be even attracted to me” you add, drinking the rest of your wine.

The ladies shared another look.

“It’s been awhile since he’s dated anyone” JJ stated quietly, eating a california roll. “A lot of people see him as cold or emotionless, but he’s really not. And as Garcia mentioned earlier, the boss version of him and the Aaron side of him are very different” she explained, Garcia and Prentiss nodding in unison as the tall blonde spoke. “There are basically three sides of him, the SSA Aaron Hotchner, who was a kickass prosecutor, head of the BAU and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had the President’s personal phone number. His Hotch side is the team leader, agent side of him. He’s kind of like the father for the team. He’s authoritative, but very fair. He cares about his team and the victims” she explains in detail.

“And then there’s the Aaron side of him” Emily fills in.

“Yeah. The father side of him. Like, you noticed the way he plays with his son. He’s been kind of closed off since his past, he’s very sensitive. Sure, he’s done his share of mistakes, but all in all, he’s a good man and a great father. He just has a hard time seeing it sometimes” JJ finishes and she herself is a bit caught off guard by how deep into detail she had just gone about her boss and her friend. “You know, if you ever choose to do something about your attraction towards him” she smirks, lightening the mood.

A part of you is very intrigued by him and what the ladies are telling you about him. How he may seem intimidating, but actually just has put up a lot of walls to himself, it sounds like. It’s fascinating and you have to admit, seeing him today with his son warmed your heart. But a big part of you is unsure and holding yourself back. You really don’t even know the man and he seems way out of your league anyway, Plus, you have just broken up a couple of months ago, and a serious relationship is not exactly on your list right now. Not to mention with someone with a child. That’s a big commitment.

You also don’t have exactly the best track record of men. Last one cheated you with at least two women during your two year relationship. You thought you could work things through once you found out about the first one, but once another girl messaged you on social media, you kicked the man out. One before that was a nice guy, but things just didn’t work out, even if you tried.

Once you’ve finished with your meals and some gossip, you are all ready to head to town. The ladies went out their way to show their favourite bars in town, in total three of them. The first one was more of a sports bar type. You had an absolute blast watching JJ and Emily hustling a couple of guys' money playing pool. You’d done that many times, but tonight you didn’t feel like playing, so you stayed on the stool with Penny enjoying a margarita.

The second and third place were rather similar to each other, more club typed. You left the second one rather quickly as it seemed to be loaded with people that night. But the third one wasn’t too crowded so you ended up staying there for the rest of the night. Most of the time it was all four of you on the dance floor, but at one point as Prentiss went to get a round of drinks, you’d realize that later, she was making out with a beautiful red haired woman by the bar. You went to get the rest of the drinks that round.

The clock was about to strike 3AM once you hit your limit. Everyone thought it was for the best to head home. You and Penelope would share a taxi as you were headed to the same direction, Jennifer and Emily would share another. You gave them both a long hug and thanked them profoundly. You had a blast and the women were so much fun and you’re so excited to meet with them again. They say their goodbyes and head off, you and your friend about to do the same.

“Thank you so much for dragging me along '' you thank Penelope once the taxi is almost at your new apartment building. “I really needed that, more than I thought I did. And JJ and Emily are amazing!”.

“I’m so glad you could make it. Welcome to the city, and most importantly, welcome to our group”.

Once the car comes to a full stop, you hop out and head home. You share a last wave with your friend and watch as the taxi takes off again, heading towards her own apartment, a couple of blocks away.

The night’s cool and you’re glad you had brought a jacket with you. You take a deep breath. “Is this what a fresh start really feels like?” you say outloud to yourself. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from your shoulders, you feel free. Like there are so many opportunities for you, so many new paths to cross, new people to meet. You weren’t no longer held back by the expectations other people had about you. You knew only a handful of people in this town, only a handful knowing you. You felt more free than you’ve felt in ages. If ever.

You look up to your new building. Most of the windows were dark, as you’d expect them to be at 3.20AM. But there was a faint light coming from one of the windows on the third floor; your floor. You think of the apartment layout and come to a conclusion that it must be Hotchner’s apartment.

Why the heck is he awake at this hour? You can’t help but wonder as you make your way upstairs. The whole house was quiet, and you try to tiptoe with your heels, avoiding them making a sound on the tile floor.

You kick off the shoes the moment you open your door. Dancing and walking had definitely taken a toll on your poor feet, and now the relief of walking barefoot was heavenly. You drink a big glass of water before heading to bed, hoping that the upcoming hangover wouldn’t be too bad.

Taglist: @ssahotchsbitch @mayasreadingnook @rousethemouse @averyhotchner @ssamorganhotchner @kajjaka @reidsbookmark @thenewnormalforensicator @wheelsupkels ( mention or message me if you want to be added)

[qslovebot]

KISS FOR YOUR LIFE: SPENCER REID

Summary: A BAU case leads the reader to take on an undercover role to flush out a ten-person mafia. Before the work can begin, things go awry and the reader has to improvise and pretend to seduce Spencer to keep her cover and arrest the real unsub.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Warnings/includes: talk of murder, mentions of sex, suggested past experiences with misogyny, suggestive jokes, unsub is a radical feminist, swearing, arrests, guns, making out, sort of fluffy end.

Word Count: 4159

A/N: Written like an episode. I removed Rossi so... AU? First actual fanfic on here, tell me what you think?

Today was your first official day at the BAU, switching from two floors down as an underestimated agent to upstairs, with the Big League. Agent Hotchner decided he needed new, young-minded blood. He was notorious for picking the best of the best and after an intimidating interview with him and his brooding questions, he decided he wanted you on his team.

You had been here before, of course. You frequently visited the ever-chatting Penelope Garcia for lunch, sometimes in her office, sometimes heading downstairs for a slice of pizza or a salad. She vented about her issues, while you talked about the constant misogyny that ran through the men on your floor. She was five years older than you and decided that as your 'elder' she would put on the angry soccer mom look and kick their asses. But, lucky for you, two floors upward, the men didn't act like children on the job, so Garcia could keep her regular look.

Here it was, glass entrance, high ceilings. The air smelled like paper and was filled with a fresh sort of low mumbling and the small clicks of the keyboards. A semi-fresh start. Today you would organize your new desk, sort files, meet the others...

"Agent (Y/L/N), we have a case in Boston, we will be briefed on the jet. Get your things ready, we leave in twenty-five minutes," Agent Hotchner said as he walked by. He didn't stop for a single second, those dark dress shoes clomping heavily to the desks of your new fellow agents to inform them as well. So much for your plans.

Not wanting to appear unready, you rushed to set your things down and grab the few things you needed for the case. Hotchner had said always bring three spare outfits rolled to the smallest packing size possible, toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush, hairbrush, and feminine hygiene products) as well as one extra pair of shoes. Those were already packed into a small bag, so in with those went your notebook, pens, and highlighter. You came prepared, so in no time, you were on the jet for the first time, exhilarated.

A hand was extended to you when you took your seat. It belonged to a man with caramel skin and a dazzling smile, "You must be (Y/L/N). The name is Derek Morgan." Anyone who used 'the name is' seemed like they felt superior in some way. It was used in the media to introduce someone of importance. 'The name is Bond, James Bond', ran through your head as you gratefully shook his hand.

"My name is Emily Prentiss and I... didn't quite catch your first name," a woman with a v-neck sweater also reached to shake your hand. "I think I may have heard it, but I must have forgotten."

"(Y/N)," you replied with a small smile. It felt nice to be greeted with kind eyes, rather than greedy ones. "It's not a very memorable name, don't worry."

Emily looked apologetic, but soon reverted to her previous smile. I was greeted by the blonde woman across the aisle, too far to shake my hand. "My name is Jennifer Jareau, I'm the media liaison, but you can call me JJ, everyone does. It's really great to meet you- for a moment I thought Penelope had made up a friend as a result of too many hours in front of a screen."

You laughed a little, ruffling your hair. She seemed outgoing, but I had already started profiling Derek Morgan and I wanted to stop there. Agent Hotchner sat down with someone I had never noticed on my visits to Penelope. I had noticed everyone else here on this jet at least once before, but... not him. How had you missed him?

He stood at about six-one, maybe six-two? He was thin, much the opposite to Morgan's greatly muscular arms. This man was calm-looking, quiet. His clothes said that maybe he was meticulous and orderly- he looked like the kind of person who didn't own a single pair of sweatpants. His face was chiselled, with a sharp jawline and cheekbones that carved the shadows on his face. His eyes, however, were much softer. Long eyelashes and dark eyes made them bigger, but they were slightly blocked by bronze-toned brown curls that at the end of his combed and gelled hair, wrapped around his jaw, neck, and face.

He was beautiful, if you were entirely frank with yourself.

And he didn't even notice you were there until Hotchner nudged his arm in a way that said 'say hello' the same way one would introduce two toddlers. You were sure you weren't a toddler and nor was this man, but it appeared you both may have been the youngest there.

When he looked your way, you wanted to look away, but couldn't. He seemed surprised to see you there and you were trying to play off the staring by introducing yourself. "Hi, I'm SSA (Y/N) (Y/L/N). I don't think we've met, it's nice to meet you." You extended your hand and he just shook his head no, his lips pressing into a tight line.

He didn't shake hands, you realized. Probably a slight germophobe. You cleared your throat, "I'm sorry if that was an uncomfortable gesture, I didn't know." Humiliating.

The tall man opened his mouth to say something, shut his mouth, opened it again but then turned a little pink and sat down immediately next to Hotchner and stared at his hands that were folded in his lap. You had thought you nailed pretty much every introduction, but this one? Fuck.

You reverted back to your business with a sigh, patting your knees. It felt like you had somehow lost something. JJ whispered to you, silently pointing to the tall man, "Dr. Spencer Reid, human encyclopedia, dictionary, and knows pretty much everything." You nodded a thank you and she nodded back.

Derek Morgan, however, tapped Emily Prentiss on the shoulder and mumbled, "Reid did his 'pretty-girl-freakout'."

Emily gasped, "Oh, he did!

The two seemed to have forgotten you were in front of them and they noticed your confusion in unison, both of them freezing up and chuckling nervously. You smiled an extremely awkward smile and left thinking about Dr. Spencer Reid for later as you got to the case.

This was about a female mafia boss who seemed to take on the personality, style, and characteristics of the taste of rich men and kill them after having sex with them. The woman was reported and seen by one witness to see her and that was the only person outside of this mafia who had seen her face, so they were working with the sketch artist and would have the picture ready and accurate upon our arrival.

Victimology was simple, she was after men who had too much power. She probably identified with being a radical feminist. She was after their money and had sex with them to dethrone them on the way. Possibly bordered on a personality disorder considering she seemed to be entirely all-in to her 'disguises'.

The funniest thing was the way they all looked at you when you announced those lines. Perhaps you would work yourself out of the 'child' stage faster than you thought.

The BAU hit the precinct in much less time than I had expected and on the ground, running. You were immediately given things to do and you were on top of it all, every order. That was until the drawing of the Mafia leader AKA 'The Seductress' was pulled up and the whole BAU gasped at how she looked EXACTLY like you.

"Do I need my cuffs?" Morgan joked. You had covered your mouth in disbelief and the rest of the room was doing double-takes.

You laughed nervously, "I swear... that isn't me, but oh my god..." Morgan was laughing and Emily and JJ whispering and had confused smiles. Spencer Reid stood in the corner, his hand on his cheek, seemingly studying the photo. He looked statue-like, borderline godly.

"Can this be used to our advantage?" Hotch launched back into technical thinking, brow furrowed. You looked at him, mouth open, but immediately shut it out of professionalism. What was going on in his head?

Reid spoke up, "If we position her just right and at the right time in one of the hotspots for that group, we can possibly get her to somehow trick the other members into some sort of turn-in."

Her. Indirect. Did you do something wrong?

"Or a simple appearance could start gossip and a possible flock to where she was spotted. As long as people aren't seeing double or reaching to do so, she can play as The Seductress." Emily said, looking at you. "Are you up to try, (Y/L/N)?"

All eyes on you. Your first day turned to chaos. But this was your job and you would prove your place here. So you agreed and in a whisk of an afternoon, you were transformed into the mirror image of The Seductress while you were talked through the plan through a radio. Turned out, so prove a professional place, you needed to make yourself look ridiculously unprofessional.

Pinned up hair, dark cat eye makeup, a dress similar to hers that happened to be on hand. Long, deep red, with a long slit up the side and your tits were practically falling out of it, but the dress fit and they were secure, so you dealt with it. There was no other space for a gun other than the side of your thigh where The Seductress kept hers knife. Now, you had to get going, meaning you had to face the BAU in the getup.

When you walked out, Derek Morgan hooted and whistled and Emily gave him a look that said 'oh lord' like an annoyed sibling. You smiled a little and essentially just kept walking, figuring if you moved, it would give them less time to stare at your tits.

Turning the corner, you noticed that Dr.Spencer Reid was much redder than he had been earlier on the jet. So maybe he really did think you were pretty. You caught yourself smiling at the thought, but shook your head free of any ideas. Professional! No crushes on Spencer Reid!

You arrived near the scene, dropped off by Hotchner. "You know what to do. Reid will be going with you to the crateyard, he will also be nearby when you head in. If you see The Seductress, do not make the arrest. If you can, lure her."

You nodded. Wow, first time in the field with the BAU and you had the leading role. No pressure, no pressure, just... everyone depending on you. But the pressure came back when you realized you had heard right and Reid was going with you, alone. You had done really well with the job so far today, minus finding the tall doctor extremely attractive. He came to stand beside you and since he was much taller than you were, you were sure he could look right down your dress without even trying. Not like anyone had to try, but he had the upper hand.

You ached to cover yourself, but that was a major risk. The Seductress was confident, she wouldn't cover-up. You got into the tinted car with Reid, him in the driver's seat and you in the passenger's seat. Silence crept up, but he turned the engine over and headed east to where the mafia was to meet up.

"Some first day," you mumbled nervously.

Reid seemed to think you had said something to him and he talked to you directly for what seemed like the first time. "P-pardon?" He had a stutter when talking to you and to be honest it was cute but there was no time to crush!

"Oh, I was just remarking to myself on how this is my first day and I'm already... so... out there." You sighed and pat your knees. The jitters crept up, but so did butterflies. "Nervous, I'm nervous."

He looked over and swallowed hard, so hard it was audible. Was he fighting the same urge to be friendlier or was he just fighting the urge to look at your tits like a twelve-year-old boy would? Either way, you were glad he was with you. He smelled like books, leather, and cologne and it was oddly calming.

You reached the other side of the crateyard in a few more minutes and he handed you your gun, which you shoved into the holster on your thigh. "You're going without a vest so... k-keep focused," Spencer said- and it seemed like he had so many words jumbled on the tip of his tongue, but refused to say them. You thought he was afraid to annoy you, as you knew he liked to give lengthy explanations. "I'll be behind, uh- the crates."

You smiled at him and watched him look away, his curls falling in his face. God, he was so gorgeous. If this went wrong, you were glad you would go with that shy look of his in the front of your mind. He pulled on his vest and you put out a hand and stopped him. "If they see you with the vest at all, in any way, they'll know what's happening."

He nodded, keeping his eyes from yours as he pulled on a plain black jacket over the vest. For a genius, he seemed to have his mind a little fuzzy tonight. In the dark of the night, the only lights were flickering lamps on high-beamed poles. Your heart was beating hard as you waited for the signal to begin to move.

"G-good luck," Spencer's words fumbled out of his mouth and I looked at him for a moment where he looked right back at you. He chewed on his bottom lip, eyelids fluttering as you tried to look anywhere else and there it was- the radio signal. The tension that was there in that brief moment defused. You gave him a small smile before opening the car door and standing tall, in the aura of The Seductress.

Spencer waited until you were out between the crates to leave the car. You heard the door shut gently behind you, but his footsteps were silent. Much quicker than you thought, there was a gruff voice that didn't belong to Spencer. "My lady, may I say what an honour it is to have you join us this evening." You spun to face a man in a dark suit. You didn't have The Seductress's voice, so you nodded in the most gracious way you could.

"Bernard and Lolita are waiting inside the abandoned building for the small exchange as well as the rest of us, but Mamacita... you're being tailed by the FBI." He said, pointing to the crate that hid Dr. Spencer Reid. Fuck, fuck, fuck. "I'll go kill him for you!"

So flat out, he wanted to kill Spencer Reid, a rotting smile on his face as if it was an act of kindness. He knew Spencer was there, he saw... but you weren't busted? God, this man was stupid.

"No," you said, in a quiet, yet strong voice, grabbing the gruff man by the shoulder pad. "He is my kill."

The man grinned an evil grin and you did your best to smile evilly in return. You showed him your gun and he rubbed his palms together. "The gluck and Glock," he chuckled. "Can I watch?"

He thought you were going to fuck and kill Spencer. Your heart skipped a beat and you tried hard not to show it. Oh no... how to work your way out of this... Spencer couldn't help you. Or... could he?

You glared at the man, "No, but I know that his team is on the way. Get Bernard, Lolita, and anyone else in on the next killings from that abandoned building and run straight west. Do not stop. I will catch up to you once I'm finished with the agent here." You improvised the best you could and this stupid man bought it. Little did he know that the team was stationed Westbound.

"Got it," his face was dazed and malevolent. "But I'm not leaving until I know you've got this handled, my lady."

"You question my skill?" You shot back, still acting.

He looked scared for a moment, "No, not at all, I just... You're a lot shorter than I was expecting."

You stared daggers, "And you insult me?"

"Just wanted to know you had it covered... in case something is fishy here..." was he really catching on or was he confused and just running through the precautions?

Fuck, you had been so focused on the cover you forgot you were a profiler. This man was small-minded, probably brought into this ordeal through family ties. Since he was so stupid, he was trusted with less... hence why he was outside the building as the lookout, rather than in on the meeting.

Why he wouldn't leave- he was so incapable of proper interaction he had never had the chance to be with a woman. Watching was the only way he would ever see. He was stupid and he was stubborn. He was not going to leave until he saw the beginning.

The best thing would be to let him stay for proof. "Fine. But when I give you my look, you run and get everyone running straight West." You narrowed your eyebrows at him and he looked like he was going to sweat out of his skin. But... this meant...

You had a few seconds, you rushed over to behind the crate to where Spencer stood, his gun in hand. "W-what are you-" he questioned in a whisper-yell.

"He's onto me, I need you to go along with this- can I kiss you, Dr.Reid?" You whispered back. His eyes went wide and his cheeks flushed pink. Once again, being professional called for being unprofessional. You really didn't want to kiss him- at least not now, not like this. He wouldn't speak and the mafia man was coming. "Reid, if I don't do this, he won't flush the group West and we'll both be shot and if not shot, targeted by a mafia!"

"Y-yes!" he practically squeaked, his back to the crate he was hiding behind. This really was the only way- this other man would not be talked down, because he was taught to just shoot, rather than listen and understand. "I'm sorry if I-"

You cut him off by reaching up, grabbing the collar of his shirt and kissing him. It took him a moment, but he kissed back. You could feel the heat off of his cheeks. The first day on the job, you had embarrassed yourself, gotten dressed like a Mafia killer, played the part, and now you were kissing Dr.Spencer Reid in a crateyard... and he was surprisingly not a bad kisser. He was a little sloppy the first few seconds but moments later, he figured it out. His one hand went on your jaw, the other on your waist, both of them shaking. You could tell that the shaking wasn't because the man watching you both right now had a gun, it was you.

You were making out with him, hard. Your body was pressed to his tightly against the crate and Spencer was holding you there. Your hands were still gripping his shirt. Messy altogether but your lips met in every perfect way. It was good, but for work. This was when you knew to stop- you had convinced the other man. You pulled away, turned your head and mouthed to the mafia man, 'GO' and he ran.

Now things would be extremely awkward. You pushed yourself away from Spencer whose hands stayed on your waist and face until you were entirely out of his reach. You laughed anxiously and he stood there, hands behind his back. That was... that was wow, but... it was for the case. For the case.

It was time to get moving. Spencer knew it, you knew it. The real Seductress was on her way. You turned your head over your shoulder and he was moving slowly, head down. You fought off a small smile. He was entirely red, gun still held loosely in his hand.

You turned your head and were met by a sharp blow to the face. Both of you had let your guard down. Stupid.

"I don't like impostors," said the female voice that was the source of the blow. Hell, it was her. Spencer clocked his gun into place and you turned, elbowing The Seductress in the chest. She returned with another hard blow that you ducked, spinning around her and kicking the back of her leg. She recovered quickly and shot up, punching you in the stomach. You lost your breath for a second and she took the opportunity to punch you in the jaw and pull a knife.

"Put the knife down!" Spencer called. His voice was stronger facing a woman with a sharp knife than it was when talking to you alone. "I know who you are, you want what's right for women, correct?"

The Seductress narrowed her eyes at him like her next meal, leaving you on the ground. Would Spencer shoot if she threw that knife? Odd she didn't have a gun on her. She must have been relying on the others for more protection. You stood up quietly, watching her slowly advance on Spencer. He had your lipstick smeared over his lips, he looked rough, but he held his gun out in front of him and had the other hand up to reason with her. "Men like you think yourselves above women. You, FBI, you think yourself better than men and women alike because you're the authority. Tell me, how do you like your women, Agent?"

He gulped, eyes flickering to you. You pulled out your gun. "I think... I think I'm a weak man and I'm no better than anyone. I don't deserve women." Spencer said, looking at the evil lady. In person, she looked a lot less like you.

"Lies. It's the instinct of men to feel superior to women. You'll have a lot less instinct when you're dead!" She snarled, lunging at him with her blade out. You pulled the trigger, she fell to the ground. Not dead, but wounded to pass out. Spencer narrowly jumped out of her way, watching her knife clatter to the ground.

You looked up at Spencer, bewildered. You had done it. You saved the case, took down a murderous mafia boss. It was only when Spencer pointed at your face and said, "Y-you're bleeding, (Y/N), are you okay?"- that you noticed your cut lip and the blood pouring from your forehead. But you also noticed he called you by your first name.

He reached a hand forward but retracted it when you winced from the sudden pain. Adrenaline took the pain away temporarily, you supposed. There were still things to be done. Spencer called for backup and a medic and watched as you cuffed the woman. She wasn't going to die, but she did need help.

Once medics arrived, Spencer drove you both back to the Westward situation, where ten arrests had been made. You were in a state of haze, so how Spencer's jacket got around your shoulders was a mystery. When you stepped out of the car, you were greeted by the rest of the agents.

"Are you okay?!" Prentiss was the first to greet you both. She grabbed you by the shoulders and looked at the nearly-dried blood on your skin. "We got worried when you didn't follow soon after, you got her?"

"Yeah," you smiled tiredly.

She grinned back. "Fill us in on the details on the way back, okay? Let's get you two cleaned up."

But Derek Morgan found Spencer, "Hey pretty-boy, is that royal rouge you've got on your lips there?" he teased. Spencer panicked and looked into the mirror of the nearest car, seeing that he did in fact have your lipstick on his mouth. He tried to wipe it off with his wrist, but it still stained. You wiped your own lip with your thumb and Derek caught you. "Okay, Miss Newbie, I see you."

Your eyes widened and Emily raised her eyebrows at you, a teasing smile on her lips. "It was to keep my cover. It's what sent those guys your way, one of them has serious sexual issues." You made sure they knew it- to save yourself and to save Spencer. Derek Morgan spun away with a huge knowing grin, back to Hotchner who was conversing with the Chief of Police. Emily pulled you away to the other medics and you shot Spencer a smile as you went.

He smiled back, still wiping off his mouth.

-tags

@ellyhotchner @softhairedhotch <3