#allergy season starts earlier n lasts longer

[grymmdark]

honestly i think one of the most successful ways to market trains as a mode of travel to americans would be to emphasize the lack of TSA. literally everyone hates TSA.

just put up a buncha billboards telling people they can bring their shampoo or whatever on a train, instead of having to carefully pack to make sure nothing in your suitcase might slightly resemble something that could theoretically be made into a bomb.

[kiwi-cake]

Mated Part 3

Werewolf!Luke

A/N: Halloween is over but werewolf Luke can hang around a bit longer since he’s so dear to our hearts -megan

Masterlist

Michael walks in to Y/N hanging upside down from her bed. They were supposed to have a movie night, but she had forgotten. There was a lot on her mind lately, which seemed to push out things like movie night, or really anything that didn’t have anything to do with Luke. It was weird how much she popped into her head lately. It started about a week after she went to his house a second time. Of course, she had been thinking about him beforehand, but more in a ‘woah this dude and his friends are werewolves’ sense. Now it was just stupid stuff like how it felt when he was holding waist her to keep her calm. It was manageable at first, but once another week had gone by, she was miserable. It felt like she constantly had an itch, but like in one of those places you can’t reach yourself, like the middle of your back.

“What are you doing?” Michael says, dropping a grocery bag undoubtedly filled with junk food for their movie.

“I’m trying to get the blood to rush to my brain,” she said, sitting up.

“Uh….. why?”

“No reason,” she shrugged. She couldn’t tell Michael, he was infamous for being incapable of keeping a secret.

“Alright, who’s this mystery guy that you’ve been seeing?” he plopped down on the bed next to her.

“Um, what? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she was infamous for being a terrible liar.

“Likely story. You came back from your ‘run’ wearing clothes twice your size and smelling like some bloke’s cologne. I was going to let it go, let you have your one night stand and be done with it, but you’re clearly not over it.”

“I told you, it was laundry day and Rebecca’s boyfriend left his clothes at our flat, so I wore that rather than my dirty clothes.”

“That’s bullshit. We both know Rebecca’s boyfriend reeks of axe. You didn’t smell like axe, it was something nicer.”

“Fine! I had a one night stand. Happy?” she surrendered, hoping he would leave it at that.

“Who was it? Must have been something special to have you this worked up over him. I’ve never seen you act like this over a guy. Always staring off into space dreamily and shit.”

“I don’t stare off into space dreamily!” she screeched, “whatever, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s watch a movie.”

Seasonal allergies are the worst. It’s like, you’re just trying to enjoy the pretty leaves and pumpkin flavoured things, then BAM you wake up feeling like a scarecrow shoved it’s hay fingers down your nose and throat. And it’s not like it’s a real illness, so there’s no excuse to not go about your day. That was how Y/N woke up. She had been feeling a little queasy earlier in the week, but now she definitely had a fever and a scratchy throat. But she told herself that she just had to get through her lecture at noon then she could mope around at home. So she bundled up in her warmest pajamas, stocked her backpack with tissues, and headed out the door. It’s ironic to be sitting in a lecture about human consciousness when you’re feeling like someone let a tank of hot air out in her head. Her professor was very strict about attendance, so even when the kid next to her offered to take notes for her if she went home, she refused and waited for roll to be called. She would probably have to get notes from him anyway because for some reason she was seeing double anytime she focused on the board.

“Y/N, you don’t look so good,” said the other kid next to her. She had absolutely no idea what his name was. Y/N had only passed out twice in her life, once during the dissection of a fetal pig (she’s not squeamish, formaldehyde just smells terrible) and again when she forgot to take advil on the first day of her period. It’s hard to miss the signs of fainting. The first sign of dizziness can escalate quickly into blurred vision, ringing ears, and dissociation. It was good that Y/N knew these things because she was able to ball up her blanket as a barrier so her head didn’t hit the hard desk. She didn’t need a concussion on top of all this.

“Young lady in the front, this is not nap time,” said her teacher. It was the last thing she heard before it all went dark and she inevitably conked out on the table. She supposed the teacher felt like shit saying that right before she passed out. She couldn’t remember what happened in the next few minutes, but she was glad her university had a nurses office so they had somewhere to dump her. The nurse was an older lady wearing a fluffy cardigan. She stuck a thermometer in Y/N’s mouth and made a disapproving ‘tsk’ noise when she read the temperature.

“Your fever is much too high for you to be out and about today dear,” she said as she helped Y/N up from her chair, “A good rest and some fluids will fix you right up though. On your way.” The nurse helped her walk to the exit with shaking legs and promptly shut the door as soon as she passed the threshold.  

She hobbled down the steps of the main building. The news must have travelled fast since every student she passed veered a good five feet from her. It seemed nice and all that the school insisted she go home to rest, but since they didn’t offer her any other transportation except for walking back herself, she assumed that they just didn’t want a lawsuit on their hands if she passed out in another class. She cupped her hands above her eyes, trying to see where she was going in the bright afternoon sun. To her surprise, there was a familiar jeep parked in front of the school with an even more familiar man leaning up against it.

“Luke?” she approached the car, “what are you doing here?”

“I’m picking you up, god you look terrible,” he stepped closer and put a hand on her forehead, “you have a fever! Why did you even get out of bed today?” He didn’t look so good himself. His usually glowing skin was now rather pallor, accompanied by dark circles around his eyes. He even ditched his typical attire of skinny jeans and expensive boots for joggers and trainers.

“I can’t afford to miss class,” she rasped. He seemed very concerned over the state she was in, and maybe it was her weird sick-brain, but the worried crease in between his eyebrows made tears well up in her eyes.

“Hey, none of that,” his large hands moved to cup her flushed cheeks and wipe at the tears now pouring down her face, “I’m going to take you home and get you feeling better.” This somehow makes her crying even worse, the overwhelming emotions were buzzing through her veins. She sobbed and pressed her face into his chest to hide her crying. Y/N didn’t need a mirror to know that she looked dreadful. This wasn’t the cute sniffling cries you see in the movies. No, she had somehow landed herself in a full on meltdown. Her sinuses that had been congested for days decided this was the perfect moment to let her nose be snotty. She was hiccuping and the lack of oxygen was definitely causing her face to become blotchy. Luke didn’t seem to care though. He pressed his hand against her head and softly stroked her hair. They stood in front of her university for a few minutes, definitely getting weird looks from any passing students. His cologne smelled very nice to her, almost seeming to have a calming effect. She would have to ask him if it had lavender or some other aromatherapy in it.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to her. She almost detected guilt in his voice, although she didn’t know why. It’s not like he gave her seasonal allergies.

“Let’s get you home,” he pulled her away from him to wipe at her damp cheeks once more, then opened the passenger door for her.

“How did you know what happened?” she asked once she was buckled and the engine was on.

“Wolves have kind of a sixth sense of their surroundings, we can hear anything happening within a 20 mile radius if we concentrate. It’s like positioning an antenna on one of those old fashioned TV’s to focus on a certain channel.”

“So you just happened to be listening to my channel?” she asked. It sounded unlikely, but then again so do humans that can turn into wolves whenever they please.

“No, uh, I’ve been especially sensitive to your ‘channel’ so to speak lately. I think it’s because of your sudden proximity to our pack,” he didn’t turn his eyes from the road, but even if he were looking at her his probably face wouldn’t give away anything. He was very good at keeping a blank face, which frustrated her because she liked to be able to read people. They swiftly passed the entrance to where her dorm was, which surprised her because she thought he would know where it was since he said he took her sleep-walking ass home a few times.

“Oh, uh you passed the entrance,” she pointed out.

“I know, I’m taking you to my place. I’ve seen the chaos you call your room, and there’s no way your immune system can handle one more night in that environment.”

“Hey!” she hit his arm lightly, “I’ll have you know that just last week I made my bed.”

When they pulled through the gates of the property, she was shocked to not see any wolves roaming the grounds like last time.

“Where is everyone?” she asked, taking a moment to wipe her still-runny nose on her sleeve.

“Probably inside,” he shrugged as he parked in the massive garage, “did you think I lived in this huge house alone and made them all stay outside in their wolf forms?”

“Uh, no, of course not….” she laughed nervously as he led her inside. The kitchen was empty and he instructed her to wait there while he got some cold medicine for her. He was only gone a minute before she heard a door in a nearby hallway open and at least ten people filed into the kitchen. All of them were imposingly tall, even the women. They looked to be around the same age as Luke, if not younger, which makes her wonder what happened to the older generations. Were werewolf lifespans short like dogs?

“Hey Y/N! It’s been awhile, glad you’re back,” said a curly haired guy towards the front.

“Sorry, do I know you?” she peered over the group and can’t recall meeting any of them during either of her visits.

“Oh, right, you don’t know our human forms,” the guy laughed, “I’m Ashton, and that’s Calum.” He gestured over to the guy next to him. Now that she thinks about it, their hair color does exactly match the wolves she met. Calum gives her a shy wave while Ashton lists off the names of everyone else. She tried her best to be polite even though all she wanted to do was eat some chicken noodle soup and sleep for 48 hours.

“Guys, really?” the chatter stopped the moment Luke stepped back into the room, “I said not to bother Y/N. She’s sick and she doesn’t need you lot pestering her with questions.”

“It’s okay Luke,” she put a hand on his arm and his gaze softened a little, “they were just saying hi.”

“C’mon, you need to rest,” he put a hand on the small of her back to lead her upstairs, and threw a warning glance back at his pack. When they arrived in his room, she was overwhelmed with the scent of him. It made her eyes heavy and she practically floated over to the big bed. He handed her a measurement of cold medicine and she was so stuffed up that she didn’t even have to plug her nose when swallowing it. She got cozy under the puffy comforter and looked up at him drowsily.

“Need anything else?” he asked. She shook her head and he started turning to leave before she grabbed his hand.

“Don’t go. I don’t like to wake up in unfamiliar places alone,” she whined. She knew she was being childish and he definitely had better things to do than play nurse for her, but her sick brain was inherently selfish and she couldn’t help it.

“You’ve slept here twice already, it’s not unfamiliar,” he said, but he didn’t seem as firm in his resolve as he usually was about things.

“Please?” she gave him her wide pleading eyes and she knew she had persuaded him. He sighed and crawled onto the other side of the bed, sitting up on top of the covers.

“Happy?” he asked as she frantically turned to face him.

“Yes,” she said contently, shuffling a little closer to him, “You look tired, you should stop giving your bed to strange people.”

“It’s alright, I just want you to get better.”

“You can rest your eyes if you’d like. I won’t tell anyone you took a nap, it’ll be our little secret,” she said, patting his arm reassuringly. He nodded at her with the same sleepy look she probably had and a lazy smile. Feeling she had accomplished her mission, she closed her eyes and quickly drifted off, feeling like she had finally scratched that itch that had been nagging her for weeks.

Waking up in someone’s arms was not a common occurrence for her. Lately her romantic life has consisted of quick hookups at parties, and her last boyfriend, Brad, always said cuddling is for ninnies in romantic comedies. Their relationship obviously didn’t last long. She wasn’t angry that she opened her eyes and had two arms around her and a steady heartbeat resting against her ear. It was a nice change to waking up alone in the twin-size bed in her dorm. She shifted her head up slightly, expecting to see his intense blue eyes looking down at her, but instead saw that they were closed. It was weird to see him sleep. He had always seemed so alert and guarded around her that she was almost surprised he sleeps at all. Since she was feeling worlds better after her nap, she gave herself clearance to take in his features in a way she would be too intimidated to do if he were awake. She sat there for god knows how long, eyes tracing over the freckles she didn’t realize he had and the soft curve of his nose and the way his eyelashes rested on his cheeks and how his mouth was slightly open to let out quiet snores. The sun was setting through the blinds, but she was in no rush to go home. It was only the rumble of her stomach that stirred him from sleep and forced her to think about the reality of the situation. He seemed to do the same for a moment once he opened his eyes, looked at how she was tucked securely into his large frame. Who initiated the cuddle, she didn’t know, but she hoped Luke didn’t have the same negative stance as Brad if she were the one who subconsciously started it. She watched a smile twitch onto his lips and was relieved that she wouldn’t have to move from his warm embrace.

“Hungry?” he asked after a few minutes when her stomach growled angrily again. He had started lightly combing through her hair like he had when she was crying, but this time it seemed to be for his own enjoyment rather than her comfort. She internally scolded her stomach for not shutting up so she could stay like this. It was weird how normal it felt to be so close to a dude she met three weeks ago. Somehow, it was like they already knew each other on a molecular level, like every fiber of her being was trying to be close to his. She knew virtually nothing about him besides what he is, but the way he held her you would think they had been best friends since childhood. It was kind of dizzying to think about because she never felt this way for any guy so quickly, but something about him was the exception to everything she had previously known.

“Don’t want to move,” her voice was muffled by his shirt, and she thought she heard his heartbeat flutter at that.

“C’mon, I can hear your stomach growling. What will the police say if a girl dies of starvation in a house full of food?” his voice was light and carefree like she had never heard it before. He finally got her out of the bed when he mentioned that the others had ordered pizza. She relished in how he looked as they walked downstairs, his clothes rumpled and his hair messy. The kitchen was chaos. There was at least one large box of pizza for each member of the house. Everyone had a slice of pizza in one hand and a beer in the other except for a few guys who (she hoped) were brawling for fun. It was exactly like any college party she had been to if frat houses were unisex and had expensive furniture and appliances.

“Heyyyy feeling better Lukey? Did you get your fix?” one of the guys whose name she didn’t remember shouted from across the kitchen. Luke only gave him a dangerous glance before handing her a plate.

“You can have whatever you like, I think we bought up the entire town’s supply of pizza,” he joked, but he still seemed more guarded now that they weren’t alone, like he was afraid one thing would send her running. She filled her plate with sausage pizza and moaned at the taste. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was. Someone came and whispered something to Luke and his face changed to completely serious. He told her he had to go take care of a few things, but that he would be right back, leaving her alone in the routy kitchen. She was starting to feel a bit out of place until a girl with pretty braids in her long hair approached her with a smile.

“Hi, Y/N, I’m Claire. I’ll show you somewhere less turbulent to eat,” she pulled her out of the way before the wrestling dudes knocked over the entire kitchen table. She followed Claire down the hall to a living room sort of area with lots of couches. This environment was much more relaxed, she recognized Ashton and a few others who seemed to be a few years older than the less mature wolves fighting in the kitchen. Ashton gave her an encouraging smile and patted the seat beside him for her to sit. Claire sat next to her.

“It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?” Ashton asked. She nodded.

“This place is great, but it’s a little…” she trailed off, not knowing how to get her point across without offending them.

“Reminiscent of a frat house? I know, that’s the disadvantage to being older. All work and no play. Although most of that falls on Luke, poor bloke,” one of them interjected.

“What happened to everyone else? I mean, isn’t there anyone else who could be in charge besides Luke? He’s so young…” her curiosity bubbled up all at once and she couldn’t help asking. A somber pause fell over the group and she realized she had said something wrong.

“A pack is like a family. The wolf gene is hereditary, so we stick together and live as a community. Most packs are much bigger, with hundreds of wolves at one time. But… a few years ago, our enemy pack that lives south of us attacked us in the middle of the night, breaking a centuries’ long truce. They killed everyone they could find, our parents and grandparents. Only 23 of us survived because we hadn’t gone through the change yet and wolf law prohibits any wolf from killing a human. Luke was only 14, but since he had the alpha gene his change came early when our old alpha was killed,” Claire finally explained. Tears welled up in Y/N’s eyes imagining the story unfold.

“He went through the change all by himself, then helped the rest of us through it when we changed. He’s never been able to lean on someone for support, always has to shoulder the entire burden himself. I think that’s why he’s had trouble accepting the situation between you two. But every time he sees you, he’s a little closer to being how he was before the tragedy and---”

“Wait, what situation between us?” she interrupted Ashton. They all turned to her with shocked looks.

“You… you don’t know? He hasn’t told you?” asked one guy, she thinks his name might be Glen.

“Gale, leave it, it’s not our place,” Ashton warned the other guy.

“Ash, we both know he’ll never get around to telling her anytime soon with how cautious he is, and she deserves to know,” Claire added.

“Know what?” Y/N demanded. The suspense of three weeks of confusion was finally building up to something, and they couldn’t leave her hanging now.

“You’re his mate Y/N….” Ashton lowly, as if the words themselves might set off an alarm if said too loudly.

“What? Like his friend or…?”

“No, like a soulmate, a life partner. That’s why you trailed after him like a lost puppy when you were sleepwalking. And why you got sick after not seeing him, and magically got better after a few hours with him. It’s your subconscious reacting to what you didn’t know yet in your logical brain,” Glen explained. She sat stunned for a moment, just trying to process the information. It made sense, in hindsight. Thinking about him nonstop, and being so dependent on his touch when she finally saw him.

“But then why---” her question was interrupted by heavy footsteps coming into the room. Luke was back in his skinny jeans and boots, and the uninterested expression had resumed its hold over his face. The people around her stiffened.

“Ashton, go talk to Kevin and Jenna, they’ll fill you in on the situation. Y/N, I’m taking you home,” Luke said in a stern voice. She noticed the keys in his hand and said a quiet goodbye to everyone before following his imposing figure to the garage.

The car ride back reminded her of the first time he ever took her back to campus. It was silent and his hands were tight on the steering wheel. When they were rounding the corner to her dorm, she finally gathered the courage to speak.

“You really have nothing to say? I know you heard what they told me,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter,” he replied quietly as they pulled in front of her dorm.

“What do you mean it doesn’t matter?”

“I mean we’re not going to be together, we can’t,” it was the first time he had ever raised his voice at her, “A girl died in the woods last night, that’s what happens when someone like you is around someone like me. I’m sorry you got mixed up in all of this, but I’m going to fix this and it’ll be like we never even met.” A cold chill ran through her body at his words and what they suggested. She didn’t know what ‘fix’ meant, but she assumed it involved breaking the tie between them.

“Has it occured to you that I might like some say in something that so heavily involves me? I’m not some ragdoll you can toss around whenever you like. You could have at least told me what was going on so I didn’t think I was going insane,” she opened the car door roughly and stepped out, “If this is going to affect my health and god knows what else, I should have just as much say in it as you. Keep that in mind next time you want to keep a secret from me. But since my human-ness is such a bloody nuisance to you, then I’ll leave you to your miserable self from now on.” She slammed the door and stomped into her dorm, not daring to look back at his reaction.

Request for part 4 :)

[passionate-hedgehog]

Wine pt.3

 A/N: At this point, I’m so in love with this story, I have zero cares about how many people like it. It’s that important to me. If you have been reading the installments, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I had these big plans for this story but as I watched the season I just finished, I discovered the writer’s thought nearly the same thing. Some things will seem familiar but I’m still going with my original plans, but I digress.

If you want to be tagged in these installments, please let me know. I’ll be more than happy to include you!

Tagline: @reiding-and-writing @sassygeek77

Enjoy!!

  “Thank you so much for doing this, Hannah. I know it was super last minute, but I’m incredibly grateful that you agreed.” A brunette woman around Hannah’s age held eye contact with her dear friend. She was overly stressed, but she had to let the other woman know she owed Hannah her life.

   “Honestly, Mel, it’s no biggie. I’m happy to help out. You’re the bride. You shouldn’t have to worry about keeping the kids busy during the reception. It was a brilliant idea, though. To have something for them to keep them occupied.” Hannah and Mel were tying ribbons around groups of crayons and binding hand-made coloring books.

   “It is a biggie. I’ve had this idea longer than I’ve known Justin. It was something that I’ve always known I wanted during my reception.”

   Between tying the crayons and assembling the books, the two women enjoyed flutes of non-alcoholic sparkling beverages. They were lounging on the floor of Mel’s apartment. It was the night before the rehearsal dinner, and everything was down to the wire. Hannah had agreed to help Mel out to ease her frustrations. The bride-to-be had almost an arsenal of people behind her, but she was glad Hannah was the one with her that evening. It was some good quality time that they just didn’t seem to get anymore.

   “Well, whatever the matter, I’m glad we’re getting this time together. I haven’t really seen you since...well since you started seeing Justin way back when. Not that I’ve been all that available either.”

   “Speaking of Chloe...”

   “We weren’t really speaking of Chloe, but okay...”

   “And speaking of your new beau...”

   “Okay.” Hannah set her crayons and ribbon on the floor and gave Mel her full attention. “Where are you going with this?”

   “Cutting to the chase, have you decided on your plus one?”

   “Chloe wants to go. You know that.” Hannah resumed her job with the crayons.

   “Fair. Fair.” Mel fiddled with a ribbon. “But she doesn’t count.”

   “Wait, did you call Spencer my ‘new beau’? Really, Mel?”

   “Are you bringing him?”

   Hannah paused before giving her reply. “Is this why I’m really here? So you can question me?”

   “Will you stop evading my questions? It’s my wedding.” Mel watched as Hannah stood up. “Where are you going?”

   “I want more fake champagne. I want to pretend it’s real and full of tequila instead.”

   Mel stood up and followed her friend out into the kitchen. “Come on, Hannah. Even if you’re not bringing him, is it serious?”

   Hannah’s hand froze on the door to the fridge. “Mel!”

   “I just want to be sure that you’re happy. I know you perfectly capable of being without a man, but I just want to know that you’re okay. And that Chloe is okay. The two of you deserve nothing but the best.”

   The woman in question couldn’t look her friend in the eyes. She hummed quietly as she opened the fridge and stared off into space. Chloe does deserve the best, but is that Spencer? Is he what’s best for her? “He doesn’t even know her.”

   “What was that?”

   Hannah closed the fridge and looked at her friend. “Spencer has never met Chloe. He doesn’t even know she exists.”

   “He doesn’t know you have a kid?! Hannah!”

   “I know! I know it’s not good, okay? This isn’t something I should keep from him, but I-I don’t know what else to do. I can’t just tell him.”

   “And why the heck not? ‘Hey Spencer, I have a daughter. I didn’t tell you before because I had to put her and her safety first.’ Seems easy to me.”

   “It’s not. I mean it is but...It’s not. I can’t just...” Hannah ran her hand through her hair. “It’s so complicated.”

   “Okay...tell me about him, about Spencer. What’s he like?” The two women sat at the kitchen table, their drinks being completely forgotten.

   “He’s smart. Like high IQ smart. He works for the government but not as some highbrow...rich...narcissist that sells out for the next big paycheck. He likes to read, and he can read many words very fast. He’s taller than me which is a feat all on its own. He’s gentle and thoughtful…. He wants to be more than friends, but he respects my desire for space. He doesn’t ask abrasive questions, and he’s caring. He checks in with me every day, even when his job takes him across the country.”

   “How does he look at you?”

   “I dunno. Like people look at people?”

   “No, silly. I mean, how does Spencer look at the woman he wants to be more than friends with?”

   “With his eyes. Mel, I don’t know.”

   Mel rolled her eyes. “Mkay, Little Miss. Let’s go finish the coloring books.” - - -

   Hours before the wedding ceremony, Chloe developed a fever. Hannah hadn’t been sure what she was going to do. She couldn’t miss the wedding, but she couldn’t just leave her daughter in the hands of a caretaker while she went out to have a good time. When she checked her daughter’s temperature an hour and a half before she had to be at the church, it was the same.

   “Chloe, Baby, how are you feeling?” Hannah sat next to her daughter in the bed and swept the hair from the child’s face.

   “My head hurts, Mommy.”

   “I think you have an ear infection, Sweetie. Maybe we should stay in and cuddle today. How does that sound?”

   “But Auntie Mel’s s’posed to get married today! We were going to wear pretty dresses and look like princesses! Mommy!”

   “I know, but you’re sick and wouldn’t you rather stay in and watch Frozen? We can watch Mulan and Hercules, too.” The mother tucked the blankets tighter around her daughter, trying to coax her into being relaxed.

   “Okay. Can I just sleep?”

   “Of course, Baby. Sleep as much as you want.”

   “Night night, Mommy.”

   Hannah kissed her daughter on the forehead and slid off of the bed before leaving the bedroom. She pulled out her phone to text Mel’s younger sister about the situation but stopped when she discovered a text from Spencer.

   I got home earlier than expected. Thank goodness.

   Hannah swiped at her screen before sending a text to Millie, Mel’s sister and then one to Spencer.

   Chloe has an ear infection. We’ll be staying in today. Give Mel my love!/  I bet that feels nice, getting relaxation time!

The replies came in almost simultaneously. Hannah went into her living room and sat herself on the couch to type out her responses to each.

   At least you get a small break from being at the office or in an office in a different state. / Thanks, Millie. Chloe was devastated about missing the wedding. She wanted to wear the dress she picked out for today. But I got a lot of inner ear infections at this age. I should have seen it coming. Like mother, like daughter.

   The responses didn’t come back as fast, and Hannah took the time to close her eyes. She’d have to run to the store to get children’s Tylenol and Gatorade, but she couldn’t take Chloe with her. She was weighing her options when the text tone chimed from her cell phone.

   What office? What small break?

   Hannah looked at the text and then at the sender. Millie. Wait, if Millie got the text about the office, then that means the one about Chloe went to… She scrolled through her phone. The text about Chloe’s ear infection went to Spencer. Oh, no.

   The brunette sent a text to Millie apologizing about the mix-up and tried to send a text to Spencer to explain the mix up to him, but she couldn’t. What was she supposed to say? What could she say? She tried so hard to keep her daughter and her love life separate, and there was a good chance it went out the window.

   When Spencer didn’t reply after twenty minutes, and then almost an hour, Hannah assumed he got busy and just hadn’t been able to read it yet. Maybe she wouldn’t have to explain anything to him. Maybe he didn’t- Her thoughts were cut off by the doorbell ringing.

   When Hannah opened the door, what she saw was not what she was expecting. Spencer stood in her doorway. With a CVS bag in his left hand and a book in his right, the agent gave a small smile and mumbled a greeting.

   “Can I come in?”

   “Uh. Sure?” Hannah held the door all the way open so the man could walk inside. “What brings you by on your unexpected day off?”

   He held up the CVS bag. “I bought children’s Tylenol and Gatorade. “

   “Oh. And the book?” Hannah asked in a soft voice.

   “These are little stories I tell my godson when he’s sick. In case his mom is unavailable, and his dad is at work. I thought Chloe might like it if you read them to her? If she likes to be read to.” He didn’t sound confident, and he wouldn’t look at her face.

   “She does. Thank you, Spencer. You didn’t have to do this. It means a lot to me. Especially since I didn’t know how I was going to get to the store myself.” Hannah took the bag he had offered to her.

   “It’s no problem. I wasn’t sure if you had anything. It’s never a bad thing to be prepared. Acute otitis media is common in children, especially if their parents were prone to it when they were kids.”

   “Acute otit…? She has been getting a lot of them this spring. I don’t remember getting this many in such a short amount of time. I’m kinda worried.”

   Spencer laid a gentle hand on her arm. “It could be allergies. It could be something totally every day. I wouldn’t be too worried. I’m a doctor.”

   “You have a doctorate. You’re not my pediatrician. But good try, Hun.”    

   Hannah invited Spencer into the living room, and to have a seat. She set the bag on the coffee table and took out the children’s Tylenol. Her nerves were wracked, but she couldn’t focus on anything other than getting Chloe her medicine.

   “I’m going to go run this to Chloe, don’t move. I’ll be right back.” She left the room and walked down the hall to her daughter’s room. “Chloe, Sweetie, I have some stuff to make you feel better.

   Walking into the room, the mother sat on the bed next to her child and poured some of the medicine into the proffered cup on the cap of the bottle. She handed it to her not yet sleeping child. Chloe took it and drank it, not before making a face at it.

   “Mommy, I don’t like it.”

   “I know, but I’m really happy that you took it.” She kissed her child on the forehead. “Chlobug, do you want to stay up for a little bit and come out into the living room? We can snuggle under the blanket and watch movies.”

   Giving a nod, Chloe grabbed her stuffed Panda and wordlessly asked to be picked up.

   “I got you, Love. Let’s go.” Hannah lifted the three-year-old and her stuffed panda up and carried her into the living room. “I have a friend that’s visiting. Do you want to meet him?”

   “Is he your boyfriend, Mommy?” Chloe asked with her face in her mommy’s neck.

   Hannah looked at Spencer knowing he heard the question. “Well, why don’t we just see how awesome he is first. I think you’ll like him. He even brought you something.”

   “For me? “

   “Uh huh.” Hannah sat on the couch next to Spencer. “Chloe, this is Spencer.”

   “Hi, Chloe.” The man called softly. “How are you?”

   The child shrugged, still hidden in her mom’s arms.

   “I brought something I thought might make you feel better. My nephew likes it when he’s sick. Can I show you?”

   Chloe nodded and turned in her spot to face him. “What is it?”

   Spencer pulled the book from the other side of his cushion and showed it to the little girl. “Do you like to read?”

   “I like it when Mommy reads to me. She can say the big words really good.” Chloe eyed the cover of the book, with its dragons and fairies. “Are there princesses?”

   “Do fairy princesses count?”

   Chloe nodded.

   “Then yes. There’s a princess in here. Her name is Ileana. She actually saves a kingdom.”

   The little girl crawled out of her mother’s arms and leaned against Spencer’s to see the book better.

   “Oh, you’ve done it now. She loves princesses. Especially the kind that save the kingdom.” Hannah watched her child move into Spencer’s personal space while shaking her head.

   “Like Anna!” Chloe squealed.

   “Like Anna.”

   “Anna?” Spencer asked, not sure who they were talking about.

   “You’ve never seen Frozen?” Mother and daughter called in unison. Chloe nearly screamed the question while Hannah raised an eyebrow.

   “No. Was it a fairy tale first? I would know it by that.”

   Hannah shrugged. “I don’t know, but I think you just lost some points with Little Miss over here.”

   “Mommy, can we show ‘Pencer Anna and Elsa?”

   “Maybe later. I thought you wanted him to read this story to you?”

   “Oh yeah! ‘Pencer, can you read this to me, please? Maybe I can tell you about Anna and Elsa later.” Chloe was still leaning against the man’s arm but used her hand to hold her mother’s, as if to subconsciously make sure she was included.

   “I’d like that, Chloe.”

   Spencer opened the book and began to tell the story about a Princess from far off who tried to save a kingdom whether or not the king, her dad, wanted her to. Chloe, who had officially snuggled deep into Spencer’s side, had her eyes trained on the pages of the book the whole time. The man could tell she was absorbing everything that he was saying. When they finished the story, both heads turned towards Hannah who had been silent since the start. She was curled up against the other corner of the couch, her eyes closed.

   “’Pencer, I’m hungry. Can I have some cereal?”

   “Uh.” The man in question thought it through and didn’t see the harm in her having a small bowl.” Sure. Can you show me where the stuff is?”

   “Uh huh!” In her excitement, Chloe jumped off the couch and pulled Spencer with her into the kitchen. “It’s in that cupboard up there.”

   Spencer followed the direction her finger was pointing in and opened the door. “We have Fruity Pebbles and Frosted Flakes. Which one is yours?”

   “Pebbles! Fruity Pebbles!” The girl called from Spencer’s side. “The bowl is in that other cupboard.”

   The federal agent moved to the other cabinet and opened the doors to that one, too. He saw a dishware collection of white plates and white bowls. He saw, however, a small bowl with horses on it and what looked like a forest.

   “Is this your bowl?”

   “Uh huh. It’s my cereal bowl. It’s only for my cereal. But I think Mommy uses it sometimes. Don’t tell her I know. I don’t want her to think I’m upset.”

   Spencer went to the fridge to find the milk while Chloe sat at the table. She had to explain to him that the chocolate milk was for her cereal and she never ever ate regular milk with it. The man was beginning to learn that the little girl had certain things exactly how she wanted them. He didn’t dare upset the way things were.

   “You can have some too. Just don’t tell Mommy I shared with you. It’s a secret.”

   Spencer grabbed a bowl and sat at the table with Chloe. “Why is it a secret?”

   “I don’t want her to know.”

   “Why?”

   “Because then things would change, duh. But you don’t have any cereal here, and I want to share with you.” Chloe continued to eat her cereal.

   Spencer mulled her words in her mind. Wouldn’t he be a change, then? Upsetting the balance that’s so precious to the little girl.

   “Am I a change? Is it okay if I’m Mommy’s friend?” He suddenly felt afraid of how she saw him. He thought he was getting close to Hannah, in the beginning, but now Spencer knew he had to impress Chloe first.

   “No, you have to be Mommy’s friend.”

   “I have to? Why?”

   Chloe didn’t seem like she wanted to answer the question. “I don’t want to get in trouble.”

   “Why would you get in trouble?”

   The little girl still didn’t seem to like the conversation. “Because Mommy told me not to listen to adult conversations.”

   Had Hannah been talking about him? “Okay. If you don’t feel like you can tell me, then that’s alright. I don’t want you to get in trouble. I’m sure Mommy would forgive you, though.”

   “She really likes you. And she’s really happy after she talks to you on the phone.”

   That made Spencer smile. “She makes me happy, too. I’m glad that you approve of me.”

   At that, Chloe looked at him with a confused look on her face. “What does ‘aproof’ mean?”

   "To 'approve of me' means that you're okay with me being Mommy's friend. And that I can still spend time with her. Is that okay?" Spencer didn't realize how much he wanted to be a part of Hannah's life until the relationship depended on what Chloe felt.

    The little girl smiled through her cereal, her cheeks puffing out like she was a chipmunk.

  "Well well well. Look who's cool enough to get the Fruity Pebbles and the chocolate milk." Hannah called from the doorway. She leaned against the frame with her arms crossed.

  "Whoops. We didn't hide that very well, did we, Chloe?"

  "I wanted to be a good girl and share. Is that okay, Mommy?"

  Hannah walked into the kitchen and kissed the top of her daughter's head. "Of course it's okay, Sweetie. It's always nice to share."

  "Thank you for sharing with me, Chloe. I liked the cereal very much."

  The little blonde girl smiled up at her mom's friend and finished chewing her mouthful. "Can I show 'Pencer Frozen now?"

  "Sure, Chlobug. Why don't you go get the DVD and I set it up." Hannah watched her daughter jump off the chair and run into the other room, leaving the two adults alone.

  Spencer stood up from where he was sitting at the table and grabbed his dirty dishes. "Do you have a dishwasher or should I do them by hand before the movie?"

  "Just put them in the sink. Don't worry about them. If you miss the movie, you'll have one devastated little girl. You don't want that, trust me."

  "She's different than what I expected."

  "Yeah?" Hannah asked. "I'd ask, but we should get moving before she sends in the masses. She has quite a stuffed bear collection."

  "Sounds dangerous."

  "Oh," Hannah gave a semi-serious glare. "It is. They can be terrifying. Especially Mr. Scissors. He's not someone to mess around with."

  "Mr. Scissors?"

  "Let's go. You're in for an awakening. Never watched Frozen...pfft."

  The three were sitting on the couch, Hannah next to Spencer and Chloe in Hannah's lap. It had started getting dark out, but Chloe's attention to Anna and Elsa could not be broken. Not a single word had been spoken through the movie, and that had been hard for Spencer. He wanted to ask questions, but he knew the little blonde girl really wanted to see her favorite princesses on the tv. He gave a soft smile, and his eyes lit up when she started to sing along with the characters.

  By the time Anna punched Hans into the water, Chloe had made her way out of her mom's arms and into Spencer's. She was curled into his side with his arm holding her to him. Her eyes were drooping, and her face was a little bit red.

  Spencer caught Hannah's eye and gave a pointed look to the child.

  "Chloe, Baby, are you feeling alright?"

  The little girl shook her head and gave a small shrug. "My head hurts again."

  "Aw, Sweet Pea. Let's get you some more Tylenol, and you can go lay down. It's getting late anyway. We had a fun day, though, right?" The woman stood up and lifted her daughter into her arms.

  "I had fun. Thank you for reading to me earlier, 'Pencer."

  "Thank you for showing me your favorite movie."

  "Alright, you little Gremlin. Let's get you settled in for the night." Hannah gave her daughter a soft kiss on the cheek. "I'll be right back, Spencer."

  Minutes went by, and Hannah found herself back in the living room with her friend. She plopped down onto the couch next to him and gave a deep sigh of relief. She ran her fingers through her hair and leaned her head back.

  "Is she all settled in for the night?"

  "Mhmm."

  "Good." Spencer stood up and pulled out a mp3 player. "Because I think you had planned earlier today that you couldn't fulfill."

  At that, Hannah opened her eyes. "What? Do you even own a mp3 player?"

  "No." He messed with some buttons until a familiar tune could be heard. When he was done fiddling with the technology, he offered her his hand. "But I know you missed out on a dance or two tonight."

  "Baptists don't dance."

  "But it's a wedding reception. It's a thing."

  "Baptists not dancing is a thing. And it was a Baptist wedding. So there's that."

  Spencer wracked his brain for a reason to get her to stand up. "May I have this dance, even though they didn't dance at the reception?"

  Smiling, Hannah took the proffered hand and joined him. Chopin's Spring Waltz played from the mp3. Spencer pulled Hannah to him. He placed one hand on her lower back and used the other hand to hold one of her own. She wound her free hand around the man, and the two swayed in tune.

  "This is nice, Spencer. Thank you. You're just full of surprises today."

  "Hmm. I'm not the only one. You're just pulling kids out of nowhere."

  Hannah gave a chuckle. "Oh, she came from somewhere. Twelve hours of labor are proof to that."

  "You did good work."

  "Thank you. I like to think so. You did a good job, too, today." Hannah licked her lips as if she didn't want to continue with her train of thought.

  "I don't want to say good-bye. Hannah, please don't-"

  "Spencer." She cut off his words. "We can't...I can't..."

  "If there was a part of today that didn't go well, then tell me what it was. I want to prove to you that I'm able to do this."

  "You did great. Especially since the way it came out was less than desirable. I couldn't be more grateful with who I'm friends with right now. You're more than I could have asked for."

  Spencer and Hannah paused their movements but kept their hands in their respective positions. "What can I do?"

  "Just give it time. I've never even told Chloe about you. I probably went about this the wrong way, but I need to keep her first. She's more important than any relationship I could ever have." The mother of one looked him in the eyes. "I think that right now, time and space would be best. If after some deep-thinking you decide that this is something that you want, then we'll talk. But you need to process all of this and if we were to continue this right now and you wanted to leave...that could destroy Chloe. I can't do that."

  Spencer licked his lips and leaned into Hannah. Wordlessly, he pressed his lips to hers and pulled away after a moment. He withdrew from her personal space and grabbed his mp3 player.

  "I'm ready whenever you are. I don't want to let you go. I'll be waiting."

  Hannah watched, silently, as Spencer grabbed his things, slipped on his shoes, and walked out the door. She was doing what was best, right? She hoped with all of her heart that she didn't just make the biggest mistake. Chloe was her focal point, but Spencer had grown to be important, too. All she knew, was that the brief amount of time they shared altogether gave her hope and a want for a future she never knew was possible.