#also the joy on penelope's face gives me life

[mortalscience]

luke alvez, the MAN THAT YOU ARE. my guy saw that his friend was depressed, disabled, and trauma-ridden and said you know what you need? a PET. and luke was literally like MY DOG ROXY SAVED MY LIFE SO THIS PUPPY WILL SAVE YOURS.

i totally vibe with that cause my 5 cats are my precious angel babies forever and i live my life for them (the only pictures i have up at work are of my cats!!!) so y'know what, hell yeah. buy your sad friend a puppy.

also he of course enlisted penelope to help him with this!! *sobs* no better person ofc. dog dad + cat mom energy!!

[littleslaywrites]

joy to the world | spencer reid x bau!reader

summary: you surprise spencer with big news on christmas morning

word count: 1.1k

cw: fluff, pregnancy, mentions of birth control, JJ heavily featured (no jeid mentions)

The presents had all been opened, and you were sitting on the couch with Spencer in front of the fireplace. Crackles from the fire mixed with the sound of the radio playing Christmas music. You were dipping cookies you’d made the night before in a shared glass of milk. His arm is wrapped around your waist and your head is on his shoulder. 

You'd been anxious all day, waiting for the right time to give him his last gift. You knew he’d be excited, but you also knew it’d change your whole lives. 

It had been just over a week since you’d found out you were pregnant. JJ was the first to know, being the one who suggested it as a possibility. You’d been nauseous for a week, hardly having the appetite for anything. Any strong smell made it worse. JJ has suspected something was up, but what made her voice it to you was when you mentioned your period was late. It was a passing comment, but she pulled you aside, mid-case, insisting that you take a test. 

“Could you be pregnant?” she asked, whispering as to not alert the others in the local police office you were set up in. 

“I mean, I guess,” you said, trying to remember if you had missed a pill recently. You realized that, with your frequent time zone changes, you had probably mixed up times at some point. “Oh god, yeah, I could be.”

“What are you thinking?” JJ asked, sensing your nervousness. 

You had talked about having kids with Spencer, so you were sure he’d be excited, but you didn’t expect it to happen so soon. 

“I’m thinking a lot of things,” you respond. She grabs one of your hands, subtle enough to not draw attention. 

“We can find a drugstore tonight and get a test for you,” she says as the two of you are called back into the conference room. 

That night, you two gathered in your hotel room. The test sits face down on the bathroom counter, phone timer counting down. When the alarm goes off, you don’t move from where you’re sitting side-by-side on the floor. 

“Turn it over,” you tell JJ.

“Me?” she says. The two of you go back and forth on who has to turn it over, giggling like school girls. Your play argument ends with the decision that you’ll flip it together. 

“What do you want it to say?” she asks when both of you are standing in front of the test. 

“I think…” you hesitate for a second, considering the two possibilities. “I think I want it to be positive.”

You imagine your life with Spencer as a family, creating a new human that’s half him, half you. 

The two of you count down from 3, flipping it over, revealing the tiny words. 

Pregnant

“Oh my god,” you say, glancing over at JJ.

“Oh my god!” she says, grabbing you by the arms. “You’re going to be a mom!” She’s jumping up and down, almost more excited than you are. You’re standing there in shock as she pulls you into a bear hug.

Pulling back, she asks “How are you going to tell Spencer?”

That’s how you two came up with the idea to tell him on Christmas. JJ knew just as well as you did that Spencer would be overjoyed. You could hardly keep the secret from him, wanting to tell everyone you knew. Penelope knew something was up, catching onto the looks JJ gave you. It was torture not being able to tell her, wanting Spencer to find out before the rest of your team. It was almost impossible to have any secrets in an office full of profilers. 

“I’ve got something else for you,” you say as Spencer is cuddling you with the cookie tin on top of his legs. 

“What is it?” he says. 

You stand up, getting the small gift bag you had hidden inside your closet. “So, you know how you like to journal?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I got you one that you’ll be needing soon.”

You hand him the gift, sitting back down as your heart pounds inside your chest. 

He opens it, revealing a small book that says “First Time Dad’s Journal” on the front. 

You try to read Spencer’s eyes, shuffling through a range of emotions. “Are you…” he trails off, meeting your eyes. 

“Yeah,” you say smiling. He grabs your hands in disbelief. 

“Are you serious?” he says, borderline giddy.

“Completely serious.”

He pulls you close, holding you tight. When he pulls away, you see light tears brimming in his eyes. “This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.” He lightly kisses you, smiles breaking across both your faces. 

“Who knows?” he asks, keeping your hands locked inside his. 

“Just JJ. She was there when I found out, but I wanted you to know before everyone else.”

Spencer can’t stop smiling. His eyes are studying you, seeing you in a whole new way. “When will we tell them?”

“I guess we have to tell Hotch pretty soon. Once we tell Penelope, I’m sure everyone else will find out.” You both giggle, imagining how she’ll react. 

The moment settles, both of you slipping into the quiet of the evening. You find a place again at his side, him holding you even closer than before. 

“I want to be a good dad for you,” he says quietly, “for you both.”

“I know you will.” There’s no doubt in your mind. You’ve seen him with kids before. “You being worried shows that you care.”

He hums, hand finding your stomach. “I just don’t want to be like my father,” he says, almost whispering. 

“You won’t. You’re already nothing like him.” One of your hands goes to his hair, playing with it. You wish there was a way to make him know how perfect he’ll be as a father. He’ll know when the baby gets here, you think. 

Silence overtakes you, the both of you imagining your new future. You’d always planned on having children, but it felt more real than ever before. You can almost picture another set of legs running around the apartment. 

Your phone rings, breaking through the quiet. You answer it, Hotch on the other end apologizing for interrupting your holiday to inform you that you have a case. 

Getting ready to go, Spencer stops you in front of the bathroom mirror by hugging you from behind. 

“Please don’t get all overprotective,” you say.

“You know I can’t promise that.”

Spencer pulls you into one last kiss before you head to the office.

author's note: merry christmas to all of you that celebrate!

[katebishopsbow]

SOMEDAY IT WILL ALL BE OKAY • MAX VERSTAPPEN

pairing: max verstappen x driver!reader (platonic)

summary: watching kevin and his daughter, laura, playing together at the paddock makes you emotional as you remember the love that you never get to receive growing up. max is here to remind you that your past doesn't define you, and one day you will be okay.

tags: angst, hurt/comfort, daddy issues, mentions of absent parent

word count: 3.1k

author's notes: based on the real-life event of me tearing up when i saw that video of kmag's daughter playing with his visor. healing my own daddy issues one fic at a time :)

(image is not mine)

─────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───────

Kevin Magnussen is a great dad.

People can say whatever they want about his driving – aggressive and maybe a little dangerous sometimes – but there is no denying that he is an amazing father who puts his daughters above all else. The Dane is always joking about how his two little troublemakers have been giving him a constant headache, but the rest of the grid knows that he would do just about anything for his girls.

Occasionally, Louise likes bringing Laura and Agnes to the track to see their dad at work. Being a Formula 1 driver with all the hectic schedules and non-stop traveling means that family time together can often be difficult to come by, so Kevin cherishes all the time he gets to be as present in their lives as possible. 

The drivers all love it when the Magnussens visit the track, not only because Laura and Agnes are the sweetest little angels ever, but also because they get to witness the rare sight of Kevin “tough guy” Magnussen shedding his hard exterior and tease him about the heartwarmingly softer side he displays to his family. 

And while you would never admit this out loud, somewhere residing deep within you is envious – envious of this kind of love that you never got to receive. Sometimes when you look at Kevin interacting with his daughters – just sometimes – you find yourself wondering what it would be like to have a father who is present, who genuinely cares, who loves you with everything they have so much that you never have to doubt your worthiness.

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

You were standing with a few other drivers at the track, idly chatting about the upcoming race and your holiday plans now that the winter break is right around the corner when Kevin suddenly saunters nearby, holding the hand of the most adorable little girl. “Laura, come say hi!” he kneels down and says to her, sporting the biggest and most loving smile on his face as his daughter gives a shy little wave to the crowd of drivers before her.

“Hey there, Laura,” you wave at her, settling on a simple greeting since you have never been particularly great with children. “Hello, little one!” Lando greets with a wide grin as he offers Laura a fist bump, and the girl explodes into giggles when he pretends to yelp in pain at how hard Laura fist-bumped him. Classic Lando – always so good with kids.

“She’s got quite the punch, doesn’t she?” Kevin jokes while he chuckles at the sight, admiring the joyous smile on Laura’s face with the tenderest gaze he only reserves for his daughter. Becoming a father is the best thing that has happened to him, and he thanks the stars every day for being blessed with such precious gifts of life. Laura and Agnes – his biggest pride and joy.

“Here to be dad’s little assistant, Laura?” Max asks, his nose scrunching up in an adoring smile like the way it always does when he speaks to Penelope. The little girl nods bashfully before running to hide behind her dad, holding onto his hands as if he is her safe place, her rock.

Kevin laughs at his daughter’s endearing shyness, picks her up and envelops her in his embrace before placing a kiss on her rosy, chubby cheeks. “You’re the best assistant in the entire world,” he whispers softly, adoration swimming in his eyes while Laura lets out a giggle at her father’s words. The drivers around them cannot help but smile along with them – how can they not at such a heartwarming sight? 

Yet watching Kevin’s doting smiles and the way he looks at his daughter as if she is his entire universe, the initial warm fuzziness within you silently morphs into a dull ache that squeezes at your heart – an odd yet familiar feeling you know all too well. Despite your best efforts to push them away, your mind becomes clouded with hazy memories of the past – the painful past that has broken you and haunted you for years.

In the fogged-up memories of your childhood days, you were never at the receiving end of such an affectionate gaze. The only way your father has ever looked at you was indifference, annoyance, and a sense of uncaringness that tore your little heart up into pieces and left you wondering what you did wrong to be so undeserving of the fatherly love you yearned for. 

He never picked you up and hugged you as if you were a fragile treasure that he cherished. He never held your hand in a way that made you feel safe and certain that nothing could ever harm you because he would be your shield, protecting you from the world and its merciless cruelty. He never once made you feel loved and cared for, ignoring your attempts to gain his validation and approval because he loved himself and his ego more than he would ever love you. 

When you received good grades at school and showed him your report card with the rows of A’s, hoping that it would help you get his approval, he didn’t praise you. In fact, he didn’t bother saying anything. He simply gave you a half-hearted nod before shifting his attention back to the damned television screen in front of him, some uninteresting TV show that never should have mattered more than his daughter. So you stuffed the tear-stained report card back into your school bag, uncaring that it got crushed and crumpled, because in the end your hard work and effort didn’t matter. It never did.

When you had a rough day at school and came home with tears running down your cheeks, your father looked at you for a second, rolled his eyes and walked away. So that night you cried yourself to sleep as you soaked through your pillows with your wallowing tears, wishing that your dad could wrap you in his arms and tell you that everything would be okay. You knew that he could hear your sobs across the hallway, but chose to ignore you anyway. You wondered if he hated you that much, or was it simply because he never even cared to begin with?

And when he finally gathered all his belongings and disappeared from your life once and for all, you surprised yourself when you didn’t cry at the sight of the now-empty house. You had just felt empty and lonely – so painstakingly lonely. The kind of loneliness that seeped into your bones and slithered along your veins and consumed your soul. 

As you grew older, you became familiarized with that emptiness – comfortable with it even. You begin to find yourself pushing people away when they get too close, keeping most at arm's length because that seems like the safest option, breaking your own heart before others can do it because you never want to experience the same heartbreak your father has put you through.

Despite how painful it is, you hold onto that loneliness like a lifeline because how could you not when that’s the only thing you know? How could you love when you don’t even know what it feels like?

Even though it had been years since your dad had left, the emptiness he had left behind never seemed to fade away. They say time heals all wounds, but you call that bullshit, because then why does it still hurt like a fresh stab into the heart? 

Too deep in your storm of thoughts, you don’t realize the tears brimming in your glossy eyes and the way your lips quiver ever so slightly. “Hey… you okay there?” Charles, who is standing beside you, gives you an affectionate pat on the shoulders and whispers hushedly in your ear, worried at your sudden change in demeanor. Quickly nodding your head, you answer him with the best smile you can manage, “Yeah, just remembering some things.”

While most of the drivers still have their focus on Kevin and Laura, a few have also noticed your red-rimmed eyes and quietness. “What’s wrong?” Lando mouths the question silently toward you, eyes wide in concern as he tries not to shift everybody’s attention toward you. You shake your head and mouth “nothing” in reply to him as discreetly as possible, not wanting to ruin the group’s mood with your sudden sentiments. 

As much as you want to stay, you simply need to get away for a moment to recollect your thoughts. “Uh – There’s something I need from my driver’s room, so I’m gonna head off,” you hurriedly blink away the tears and put on the best smile – a skill you learned to master after years of being in the public’s eye. You hope that the excuse you just blurted out is somewhat believable, and you quickly disappear into the distance after your fellow drivers bid you goodbye. 

While making a beeline for your driver's room, you cannot help but feel so embarrassed, so guilty for the sudden burst of emotions that erupted in your chest moments ago. “What is wrong with me?” you mumble hushedly to yourself as you make your way to the garage – irritated and beyond annoyed at yourself that the mere sight of Kevin with his daughter is enough to bring you to tears. 

This isn’t something new to you. It isn’t the first time a good father-daughter relationship has made you tear up. Movies, TV shows, song lyrics – you always get so emotional when you allow yourself to get lost in your thoughts, thinking too deeply about the painful reminders of the love that you never have. 

It makes you feel stupid, because how broken do you have to be that trivial things like these are enough to make you cry? And it makes you feel scared, so utterly scared, because what if you were too broken to ever be capable of loving someone this much, too damaged to ever receive love despite yearning for it, and end up pushing away everyone who cares about you for the rest of your life.

When you arrive at your driver's room, you take a seat in the corner, breathing in and out while the self-blaming thoughts inside your head spiral in full force. This is so stupid, you are being stupid, and you hate yourself for being a fool and letting your past trauma affect you like this. Why were you even crying? There is nothing to be crying for. Stop. You need to stop.

Then you hear someone calling your name, voice faint and soft behind the door – Max. “You feeling okay?” he asks, and your delayed response and trembling voice as you answer him, “I’m fine.” are a clear enough indicator that you are far from okay. “Alright, I’m gonna come in now.” A sigh of mixed emotions falls from your lips – annoyance that you never seem to be able to lie to the man, and gratefulness that he always understands what you really need, and right now it is the company of your best friend.

“Hey, kiddo,” he says to you, eyebrows ceasing in sadness when he notices the expression on your face. Max hates seeing you like this, especially knowing the reason behind your tears is your absent father – someone who will never be worthy of having you cry over him. 

You wipe your eyes with the sleeve of your race suit, guilt weighing heavily on your chest as you apologize, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to ruin the mood back there. Did the other drivers notice?” Max shakes his head with a frown, refusing to let you blame yourself for something you should never feel guilty for. “You don’t have to be sorry, you did nothing wrong.”

“I don’t even know why I am crying, honestly. Why am I still so angry and sad after all these years? It’s like… am I always going to be like this, broken? Will the hurt ever go away?” you explain truthfully to him while trying to piece your muddle-up thoughts together, yet you struggle to put them into words. How can you begin to explain the years of trauma your dad has left behind? How can you describe the mess of emotions you have for him – the hatred, the resentment, and the fact that you still love and miss him so much even after everything he has done to you?

You don’t need to, because Max understands, he always does. One of the reasons why you two became close quickly is because you share a similar, troubled past – something that is rather unfortunate to bond over, you would argue, but it brings you a great friend nonetheless. Max’s father isn’t exactly absent like yours – Jos Verstappen is still quite prominent in his life, along with his abusive and manipulative ways of raising his kids which he would vehemently deny and claims to be “tough love” instead.

Even though he is there, it doesn’t change the painful truth that the presence of his father has ruined Max. For years, he thought being violent was the way to solve problems because his dad always seemed to be able to solve his with his fist. He used to believe that you had to be perfect to be deserving of good things in life because he grew up with the punishment of “no dinner” if he had performed poorly in a race. He didn’t know if he would ever be capable of loving someone, and then he met Kelly and Penelope.

“You know… when I first met Penelope, I was terrified. I was scared that I could never be a good enough father figure for her, that I was too ruined to show her the love she deserved to have. But then I saw her, and then I realized I love her more than anything,” he confesses as he places himself to sit beside you, a reminiscent smile dancing on his lips while he remembers his first time meeting Penelope, the little girl who has become his family.

He remembers the suffocating fear of ending up like his father when he first held the hands of little Penelope, mind plagued with all the horrible what-ifs. What if he was a terrible dad? What if he couldn’t ever love Penelope? What if he was just like Jos Verstappen and ended up destroying her childhood with his anger and temper the way his dad had with his?

Then Penelope gave him a sweet smile, her tiny hand holding onto his pinky as she looked into his eyes with such trust and comfort, as if she knew that Max would love her more than anything in the world. Max genuinely thought he was going to cry, his heart surging with an overwhelming amount of love and determination to protect the little girl in front of her and give her the home she and Kelly deserve to have, and that’s when he knew that he had nothing to be afraid of – that he was going to do better than his father.

“Listen, kiddo. Time doesn’t heal all wounds, it just makes the pain bearable. But there will be a day when your wound will still be there – it always will be there – but the pain and the hatred will no longer consume you. And you will realize that you can be better and stronger than your past, that you can break the cycle, that you are deserving of such unconditional love too.” You listen quietly to your best friend’s answer, exhaling a relieved sigh at the words you so desperately need to hear, giving you hope that despite all your trauma, one day you will be able to love with such certainty as well.

You are never too broken to love or be loved. You are not damaged goods that need repairing. You are not a monster for being intimidated by love and affection, for pushing people away even though you want more than anything for them to stay. You just need to allow yourself to heal from the hurtful past, to understand that your past trauma does not define you. You need to allow yourself to feel, to accept the depths of your emotions, to understand that your sadness and anger are always valid. You need to believe that you will be better than your father, that you will not follow in his footsteps, and that you deserve to be loved just as much as anyone else. 

Feeling sentimental over this doesn’t make you stupid or a fool, it just makes you human. It is okay to cry over it, to be sad over it, as long as you remember that one day – while things will never be perfect –  it will certainly get better. 

“You’re gonna be okay,” Max tells you with a smile, reaching for your hand to give it a comforting squeeze, and you believe him. For once in a very long time, you genuinely believe that everything is going to be okay. The impact your father has on you will always be there. You can never wipe away the hurt and awful things he has done to you, nor can you simply erase the simultaneous love and hatred you hold for him, but one day you will learn to move on and find closure, and you are going to be okay, just like Max said.

There is a knock on the door, and you can hear your name being called again, this time in the soft and squeaky voice of a little girl. “I’m here,” you answer, and peeking behind the gap in the door is Laura with a cheeky grin on her face. Kevin leads her inside your driver's room with an apologetic smile, “Hey, sorry… Laura says she wants to play with you and insists that I bring her here.” 

You watch as Laura crawls up into the seat next to you and Max, looking at you with the brightest toothy little grin ever, and your lips begin pulling up into a huge smile as well. “Is it okay if she plays here for a while? I’ve got a team meeting in 5 and she never likes coming to those…” Kevin asks apologetically before relief floods his expression when you answer him, “It would be lovely to have a little playdate with Laura.”

“Alrighty, see you later little one,” Kevin leans down to place a kiss on his daughter’s head, reminding her to be a good kid when he is away for the meeting, and you smile at the sight. Not an envious one, or a reminiscent one, but one of contentment because you know that one day you will be able to receive and give such unconditional love to someone too.

Someday, it will be okay. You will be okay.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Chapter 6. Thoughts & Ink

Summary: He finds it ironic, this was the one time he did not want to be seen, and the princess still singled him out. Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Words: 1,222 Listen to: 'Everybody's Changing' -by Keane A/N: Last chapter of plot now let's move on to the good stuff! -Danny

Dearest Gentle Reader, 

Last week's ball was full of delightful moments courtesy of Genovia's Royal Family. The twins, Prince Rowan and Prince Richard showed a benevolent disposition to dance with every eligible lady in the room. Unfortunately for Prince Rowan, this finished all too soon when Miss Penelope Featherington pulverised his foot midway through their dance.

Princess Marie praised the mamas and chaperones in attendance for keeping our traditions alive and well but asked if being watched doesn't motivate the young ladies to go behind their parents' backs. This question was met with paling cheeks and nervous giggles of denial, and the princess was escorted away by her visibly amused father.

Princess Y/N's euphoric greeting was surpassed only by her decision to spend most of the night with Mr Benedict Bridgerton. Now the artist has charmed his way into the princess's good graces and has been hired to tutor her throughout the season.

The Queen and King of Genovia were elegant and agreeable, and it gives them little reason to be mentioned in this column. This author, however, could not leave them without a mention, as they're the finest couple she's seen in many moons.

Lady Whistledown, October 1815

No little joy can make up for the nightmare that Benedict's life has become. Not only the debutantes, but also the men of the ton are now pestering him with queries about the royal family, and he can't go anywhere without running into people who want to congratulate or question him on his tactics.

He's stopped his after-dark getaways, hating the thought of being followed and having his life published in Lady Whistledown for everyone to see. If Benedict's intimacy were revealed, he could be exiled, imprisoned, or executed. Perhaps he was too much of a whiner when he claimed he detested being overlooked.

He finds it ironic, this was the one time he did not want to be seen, and the princess still singled him out. He has a second chance to make a name for himself... It came to him in a way he had no control over and that vexes him profoundly, but when it comes to his interactions with the princess, it's foolish to think he'd ever had any kind of control.

"Ah, Mr Bridgerton," a man greets him at the entrance of the academy. "We've been expecting you! My name is Roger Brown."

"Mr Brown," Benedict shakes the man's hand, then tilts his head with confusion. "I'm afraid I have no royals bringing me to school if that's what you were expecting to see..."

Mr Brown laughs. "I wanted to meet you. I teach the old masters here, at the Academy."

Benedict smiles. "You're a professor?"

"You are to teach the Genovian princess, correct?" The man continues, guiding him up the steps. "You'll be more interested in becoming a professor than being part of the alumni, so I took the liberty of welcoming you and suggesting the best courses to hone your skills."

Benedict has never wanted to become a teacher and the thought of being one instead of an actual artist is concerning. People would look at him differently. Will he feel different too, after a while? Everything could change. 

He's looking forward to his next conversation with the princess. As irritating as she is, he can't deny that he likes her sense of humour, her intellect, and most of all, her disposition to face her fears. He'd give anything to be like her.

He's so careful not to fracture and mix the lifestyle he's made for himself... but the marks on his body have long stopped feeling like works of art and more like signs of rot. Maybe he should change, only a little. Stale things are never fun.

"I suppose trying those out won't hurt, will it?" Benedict forces out a grin. 

"Come along, then," Mr Brown guides him into the building.

Dear Diary,

Benedict and I are becoming friends. Now I just need to find other things to occupy the rest of my afternoons and I'll be set for the season! Marie, Rowan, and Richard are out and about with the British almost daily but they only go to private places. If I wanted to be around royals only, I would've stayed in Genovia.

I've talked to my mother and Queen Charlotte to see if I can go out on my own. Mother says I have to be careful, but she will give me a chance, so they're bringing my lady-in-waiting from Genovia. She is to arrive this Friday, until then, I'm to stay in the castle and behave accordingly. 

I'm allowed to wear my trousers and boots as long as I stay in the castle. I wonder if Benedict likes horseriding, I've seen a couple of beautiful horses in the stables but I get too tense and the horses get all grumpy. If Benedict owns a horse—

"There you are," King Nicholas enters the library with a letter in hand. 

You shut your diary and place it away. "Yes, papa?"

He sits next to you, smiling. "I see you've taken your mother's advice. Is it fun, to keep a diary?"

"It's relaxing," you concede. "And in ten years from now, I'll have fun revisiting my life as a princess."

King Nicholas gives you a look you've learned to recognize as the bearer of bad news. "There's been a change of plans."

Your smile drops. "What has happened, father?"

"Your great-grandmother is ill. Your mother's presence is required in Genovia."

"Is her condition severe?" You ask with trepidation.

"No, but she cannot manage our affairs and recover at the same time, so your mother and I will return, along with the twins. They won't like it, but they're old enough to handle it and dare I say they need to start taking on more responsibilities."

"Meaning you're leaving Marie and I... alone?" You hide your feelings as best as you can, but your father smiles knowingly.

"You'll do well, love. Your mother and I are proud of how you've handled yourself so far."

This does not convince you. "What does Queen Charlotte think about your sudden leave?"

"She's delighted to keep the pretty princesses and lose the rest," there is a rueful tone in his voice. "As much as she liked your mother, the King occupies most of her thoughts. Heavens know if I were in her place, I would've abdicated to look after your mother."

"Even if that'd meant shoving your spectacle of a daughter into the throne room?" You say sourly.

"I see no spectacle," he holds your hand gently. "Neither does your mother."

You nod, adjusting your approach to this situation. That's what you always do when you run into walls, you veer to the next pathway, you never complain and never feel sorry for yourself. These are not the same problems a regular lady would have and you're well aware of it, so you take it in stride, even if you struggle to be content with your life sometimes. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow, but you mustn't worry, your duties are to grow more beautiful, get smarter, and return to Genovia with a brand new set of artistic skills."

A smile pulls at the corners of your lips and you lean to kiss your father. You seize your diary and exit the room feeling like you've been left to your own devices, and Benedict Bridgerton might be your only help to come out of it unscathed. "It'll be fine," you whisper, anxiously massaging your jaw.

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

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[wildflowerspollinator]

Between Confusion and Clarity

I published a new chapter of my fanfic. It’s smutty but sweet, and it could also work as a standalone piece. The whole story is fluff and smut with a bit of angst.

Chapter 18

Colin confidently steps down from the carriage, the sounds of bustling London streets muffled by the cool night air. Reaching into his coat pocket, he carefully withdraws a small, unlit candle. The coachman adjusts the carriage lantern.

"A candle in your pocket? I thought you were just happy to see me?" Penelope teases. 

Leaning in close, Colin grins. "Upon closer inspection, my dear, you'll find that I am very happy indeed."

Stepping away from Penelope momentarily, he touches the wick of his candle to the carriage light. The flame catches quickly, casting a soft glow that illuminates his face. Satisfied, he turns to Penelope and offers her his arm with a warm smile. "Shall we?" he asks, the flickering candle casting light on the stairs leading to the townhouse.

Penelope takes his arm, her eyes reflecting the light as she gazes at him. "Thank you, Colin," she replies.

As they step inside, the interior is cloaked in darkness, save for Colin's candle's soft, solitary glow. He turns to Penelope, his expression warm and reassuring. "Stay close; it won't take long to light the place up."

Guiding her inside, he moves to the nearest sconce on the wall, gently tipping the candle to light a larger one in the wall-mounted holder. The flame catches, spreading a warm light across the entryway. Colin moves quickly, repeating the process with a few more sconces and a lantern, casting a welcoming glow throughout the room.

Penelope admires him and appreciates how he cares for her comfort, even in the smallest gestures. "There," he says with a satisfied smile. It's much better."

She nods, her smile widening as she takes in the sight of the townhouse's entryway. "Much better indeed," she agrees.

Colin sets the now mostly melted candle on a nearby table, its purpose served. Extending his hand to Penelope, his expression softens. "Shall we find somewhere more comfortable?"

"We could," she replies, pressing him against the wall and unbuttoning the first two buttons of his vest. "Give me a tour."

"A tour, you say?" His voice drops, "I think I can manage that."

"I should hope so," she says, her fingers lingering on his vest before slowly stepping back, giving him just enough space to move.

Taking her hand, Colin threads his fingers through hers and leads her down the hallway. "This is the drawing-room," he says softly, pride evident in his voice. "I thought it would be a good place for us to entertain guests or just relax with a good book. I've already moved some of my books and added a few decorative trinkets as placeholders, but we can work on building the collection together."

Penelope's eyes scan the room, taking in the cozy furniture arrangement and thoughtful touches. "It's perfect, Colin," she says sincerely, her voice filled with admiration. "I love it."

He turns to her, a tender expression on his face. "And I love you."

"Penelope," he begins, her name a question on his lips as if searching for the right words. "Before I lead you into every room, know it's a promise."

"A promise?" she echoes.

He nods. "A promise that this is our home."

Tears well up in her eyes. "Colin…"

He takes a deep breath, his voice softening even more. "Marry me, Penelope. I want to spend my life discovering you slowly, day by day. I want to learn every story and cherish every moment with you. I want every part of you. The bold, the shy, the playful, and the serious. I want it all, and I want us to fill this home with memories of a well-lived and well-loved life."

"Yes, Colin," she says, a radiant smile breaking through her tears. "Yes, I will marry you."

He leans down, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. When they finally pull apart, his eyes sparkle with joy. "Well, good," he says with a grin. "Then the tour can commence."

Retaking her hand, he leads her further into the townhouse. "We'll send an invitation to your house in a couple of days' time. Once Anthony and Kate have settled in, we'll have your mother over to decide on the wedding details. I told Anthony a dowry wasn't necessary—between my funds and, well…" He lowers his voice conspiratorially, "And he doesn't know about your Lady Whistledown earnings, but I think we'll have more than enough."

Penelope squeezes his hand, "So, Anthony is back?"

"Yes, that's why I was finally able to ask. But I've been working on getting everything set in motion since I told your mother I intended to court you," Colin explains, his eyes shining with pride.

"Hence the home," Penelope says, her voice soft with understanding.

"But now that it will be official, you must act somewhat surprised when you see the home again in full light when you return with Rae to settle on everything you'll need to run the household."

"Colin!" she exclaims, her voice catching with laughter and tears.

"Yes?" he asks, turning to her slightly worriedly. “Is it… is it not…”

"No!" Penelope quickly interrupts, shaking her head. "It's not that. I've always wanted you."

He steps closer, his thumb brushing away a tear that escapes down her cheek. "You have me, Pen," he says gently. "You've got me forever."

"I know," she whispers, her voice trembling. "But I wanted you and this for so long. And to discover that you've been putting it in motion, making our future turnkey ready, it's… it's…"

He looks at her expectantly, his heart thudding in his chest. "Yes?"

"It's the most attractive thing you could ever do," she finishes.

A slow, satisfied smile spreads across Colin's face. "I'm glad you think so," he says. He pulls her into his arms again, holding her tightly against him.

"Because there's nothing I want more than to make you happy. To build this life with you."

She hesitates for a moment, then whispers, "I…"

"Yes?" he prompts, his eyes searching hers.

"I intend to ravage you, Mr. Bridgerton."

His eyebrows lift in surprise and delight. "Oh? And where might you have in mind for such an endeavor?"

"Upstairs?" she suggests.

Without hesitation, Colin takes her hand, his grip firm and reassuring.

"Upstairs it is," he replies, reaching for the lantern. Its soft light flickers in the dim hallway and leads her toward the staircase. "I think you're going to love what I have in store for you," he proclaims as they ascend, their steps quick and eager.

"Wait," Penelope asks, her voice soft but insistent.

Colin pauses, looking down at her with a curious expression. "You don't want to go upstairs?" 

She steps ahead of him, turning to face him on the stairwell, "It's not that," she declares, smiling. "I just never had the chance to kiss you on a stairwell... to kiss you at your level."

Colin pauses, his eyes flicking between her and the steps. His heart quickens at her boldness, "Then, by all means, Penelope," he says with anticipation as he leans toward her, tilting his head ever so slightly. "Kiss me."

Her smile deepens, and without hesitation, she leans in, her hands finding their way to the collar of his jacket as she pulls him closer.  She brushes her lips against his, slow and teasing at first, savoring the novelty of being on equal footing.

Colin breaks away momentarily, breathless, his forehead resting against hers. "You know," he begins, "if I get you out of this dress and you sit in my lap like you did that night in the garden, we'll nearly be at the same level."

Penelope presses her hand gently to his cheek, her thumb tracing the line of his jaw. Her eyes lock onto his with a softness that holds him in place. "Okay," she whispers.

With that, Colin begins walking her backward, his steps slow and deliberate, guiding her up the stairs one step at a time. His mouth doesn't leave her skin as they ascend; his lower lip drags lazily up her neck as his lips find her earlobe, his teeth grazing it lightly before he sucks on it. She lets out a small, quiet gasp, her hand tightening its grip on his shoulder. His tongue flicks over her ear. 

He pulls back slightly, taking her hand in his. His thumb brushes soothing circles into her skin, a gentle, grounding touch as they move down the hallway toward the main bedroom.

Once inside, Colin releases her hand momentarily and moves the lantern by the bedside. He lifts it carefully, using the flame to light a few candles scattered around the room, bathing them in a golden light.

As soon as Colin is done lighting the room, Penelope moves on him, fingers tugging swiftly at the buttons, so many buttons. Colin's gaze is intense, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths as he watches her undress him. His hands twitch at his sides, yearning to touch her, to return the favor and undress her just as urgently—but Colin waits, allowing her to take control at this moment. He waits because he loves the way her fingers move with confidence, her brows furrow in concentration, and her lips part slightly in anticipation. The hunger in her face drives him wild with need.

"Like my own Greek statue," Penelope whispers in awe. Her eyes sweep over Colin, admiring every line of his body, and her hands sweep over his abs.

Colin's lips twitch as he steps closer, "You know," he begins, "the nice thing about not having staff around yet is that you don't have to whisper." He leans closer, "We can be as loud as we want."

Penelope's cheeks flush a soft pink, but she grins, straightening her posture. With exaggerated enthusiasm, she repeats, "My own Greek statue!"

Colin laughs, the sound rich and full, as his hands slip around her waist, "And my goddess!" he declares, his lips brushing against her forehead.

His laughter subsides, and with a new intensity in his eyes, his hands move to undress her. His fingers work with care. Her dress falls in a soft heap at her feet, leaving her standing before him, exposed and vulnerable but powerful in how she looks up at him.

Colin's eyes trace her form before his hands slide to her waist in one smooth motion; he bends slightly, scooping her up effortlessly as Penelope lets out a surprised gasp. As he lifts, Penelope instinctively wraps her legs around his hips. His arms move to cradle her under her thighs, holding her securely against his chest. She grasps his shoulders for balance, feeling the warmth of his body and the strength in his embrace. 

With a grin, he moves toward the ensuite door, nudging it open with his shoulder. "You know, we never completed the tour," he says.

Penelope laughs softly, her arms wrapped around his neck as she leans close. "Well, I'll have plenty to be surprised by in the light of day," she says, kissing his shoulder. 

Colin smiles as he steps inside the room. "I know we have the sitting room downstairs," he begins, his tone thoughtful, "but I thought a smaller, more private library would be nice. With a writing desk..."

Penelope listens, her fingers trailing through his hair. Colin pauses, and he gently lowers her onto the desk, her body settling against the smooth surface.

"Are you going to read me more excerpts from your journal?"

"Not now."

"No?" Penelope's fingers trail down Colin's chest as he sits in the desk chair, facing her. His hands move to her thighs. "I'm going to write the next chapter."

"Now?" she manages to ask.

"With my tongue," as he slowly spreads her legs. 

Penelope's eyes widen, "Oh," she gasps softly, her hands gripping the edge of the desk. "Do you plan on writing many chapters this way?"

Colin grins, his hands kneading her thighs as he moves in closer, his lips hovering just above her skin. "I'd like a reminder of this memory every time I sit at this desk," his voice a low, "to remind myself how best to use my talents, whether it's the stroke of a pen, the stroke of a finger, or..."

As his lips descend, Colin's tongue traces a slow, deliberate path; Penelope gasps again, her head tilting back as the intensity of his touch overwhelms her senses. Colin's hands continue along her sides, steady and firm as if savoring every inch of her.

Although a faint light poured in from the open door, it wasn't enough to reveal all the details of each other. Instead, their eyes remained veiled in shadow, amplifying the sensitivity of every other sense. Penelope's skin tingled as Colin's fingertips skimmed across it, the feel of his tongue, each touch electric in the darkness, making her hyper-aware of every movement and brazen by the darkness.

For Colin, the taste of her was intoxicating, her scent, her wetness dripping on him. The way Penelope didn't hold back, the moans spilling from her lips, drove him to the edge. Her voice filled the room, his name on her lips like a mantra. 

In the afterglow, Penelope moves from where she's perched on the edge of the desk, her bare feet softly padding against the wooden floor as she shifts onto Colin's lap. She nuzzles her face into the crook of his neck, and a gentle rock of her hips follows; Colin's hands instinctively grip her, his fingers splayed firmly over the curve of her ass, holding her securely in place.

"I want..." Penelope's voice is a breathy whisper, her lips brushing against his ear as she speaks.

Colin's head tilts back slightly, his eyes half-lidded as he looks at her, barely able to make out her face. "What is it that you want?" he asks, his voice rough with desire, his hands tightening their hold.

"The feel of you... on top," she murmurs, her voice dripping with want. As she says this, her hand moves between their bodies, fingers trailing lower until they brush against him. And then, taking some of her own wetness in her hand, slowly, deliberately, she takes the palm of her hand and rubs it against his tip.

Colin lets out a guttural moan, the sound deep and primal, his head falling back as his body reacts to her touch. His grip on her tightens, fingers digging into her skin with a barely controlled need. His chest rises and falls rapidly, his heart pounding against hers. "Penelope," he groans, his voice ragged, barely holding onto the last threads of restraint.

She leans in, pressing her lips to the pulse point at his neck, feeling it race under her kiss. Her body shifts again, her hips rocking slightly.

Colin's body responds immediately. His hands slide up her back, tracing the curve of her spine with a possessive touch. His breaths come in short, ragged bursts as he struggles to keep in control, her teasing touch unraveling him with each passing second. "Yes," he growls, his voice low and filled with heat. Let's do that."

Penelope shifts, her body slipping from his lap as he stands. Her fingers reach out to graze him one last time, but instead, he props her back up on top of the desk; he steps between her legs, his body moving forward as though drawn by a force he can't resist.

He enters her in one swift, fluid motion, making her gasp in surprise and pleasure. She arches her back, curving to meet him. "I said I want you on top," she breathes, the words half teasing, half commanding.

Colin's face twists into a smirk, his eyes filled with unrestrained hunger. "I need fuel for the walk over to the bed," he replies, his tone ragged and filled with a desperate need for control. 

With a low moan, he thrusts deeper, the sensation making them both shudder. Colin's hands grip her hips, pulling her closer; the desire to lose himself in her is overwhelming. He can still taste her as he licks his lips.

She could feel the strength in his arms, the steady beat of his heart against her palm when she rested her hand on his chest. The softness of his hair, the roughness of his stubble, the firm lines of his shoulders—everything.

"I dreamt about you last night, and it was incredible, but then I woke up, and you weren't there beside me," Colin admits like a confession. His face hovers near her chest, the warmth from her skin beckoning him closer.

"I dreamt about you last night and woke up dripping wet," Penelope replies, her voice a sultry whisper as she wraps her legs around him.  

Colin lets out a soft grunt, overwhelmed by the admission. His fingers tangle in her hair as he frees one hand from her hip, brushing back the damp strands clinging to her forehead.

"God, Pen," he gasps.

"Give it a tug," she instructs the words sending a thrill through him. He complies, gently tugging her hair, feeling the way it elicits a soft gasp from her lips.

"You're unbelievable… you feel–" he mutters. 

"How do I feel?" she asks, her mouth brushing against his throat, her fingers tracing paths through the hair on his chest. 

"Soft," as his grip on her hips tightens, "and moist," as he grinds against her, "and hot and…breathy," as his mouth lingers near hers.

Colin starts to pull out, but Penelope digs her heels into the back of his thighs, pushing against him. "No, don't stop."

"I thought you wanted me on top," he murmurs, his voice teasing. "To feel the weight of me on you…"

"I do, but—"

He thrusts back into her, cutting her off. "You want everything," he rasps, one hand pressing just above her pelvic bone with his palm. 

"I want everything," she whispers back, her voice catching on a breath.

He begins to move again, slow and deliberate, savoring every gasp and tremor from her body. His hand, still on her lower abdomen, feels every flutter and pulse beneath his touch, driving him to the edge.

"God, Pen," he murmurs, "You drive me mad."

Her nails dig into his back, urging him on,  "Then go mad," she breathes against his lips, "Show me."

With a growl, Colin complies, his rhythm quickening. His mouth finds hers, capturing her moans as their kisses grow frantic, desperate. He feels her tighten around him, her body arching into his as he shifts slightly, angling his hips to find that perfect spot within her.

Her head falls back, a choked cry escaping her lips as he hits it just right. "Colin!" she gasps her voice a broken plea, her hands clutching at his shoulders.

"That's it," he encourages, his own control fraying. "I've got you." 

"Colin," she mumbles.

"Pen," driving into her one last time, sending them both spiraling over the edge.

Colin pulls back, slipping out of her with a slow, deliberate movement that makes Penelope gasp softly. He takes her hand, his grip firm but tender, and gently tugs her forward. "Come with me," his voice low, "I want to be able to see you." He leads her toward the bedroom, the soft glow of the lantern casting light across the room.

As they reach the edge of the bed, Colin turns to face her, his hands moving to her waist as he slowly guides her back onto the sheets.

Penelope watches him, a flush rising to her cheeks as he positions her in the center of the bed, his eyes tracing over her body. Before joining her, they lay on their side facing each other.

"Hey," he murmurs, his voice soft and warm. One hand props up his head as the other caresses her back, trailing slowly down to her hips and lower, lingering as if savoring every curve. Meanwhile, one of Penelope's arms rests under a pillow, and the other settles on Colin's waist, fingers gently gripping as she leans into his touch.

"What books are in our private library instead of downstairs?" she asks, her curiosity piqued.

"Works deemed a bit too… daring for polite society. The ones I deem inappropriate for anyone but your eyes," he replies.

"Oh? Such as?" she presses.

"Well, there's some of the classical works. Ovid's Ars Amatoria , for instance. It's poetry, technically," he says, his eyes locking onto hers with a knowing look, "but it's far from the kind of poetry you'd read to your mother."

Penelope lets out a soft laugh.

Colin shifts, thinking for a moment. "I have a translation of The Decameron by Boccaccio. Scandalous in parts. It's... an exploration of human nature, let's say."

"There's more, of course," he continues, his voice lowering conspiratorially. "I managed to get my hands on an old copy of Fanny Hill —don't ask how. And then there are a few manuscripts that were never officially published.

"Will the travel journals of a Mr. Colin Bridgerton be amongst the collection?"

"Perhaps," he replies thoughtfully, "although they may need some revisions. I plan to ask my muse for guidance and be my editor."

"And who might that be?" she asks, a smile forming.

"You," he says simply, his gaze intense as it meets hers.

"Not your French—"

He cuts her off, his voice firm and unwavering. "Nothing compares to this. Nothing is like the inspiration you provide me. I've been quite the prolific writer since our first kiss. You should revisit the journal, take a peek anytime you want, into my endless thoughts of you, my desire for you, how you spur my imagination, both mystical and here on earth."

"Can you read me the passage of our first kiss?" she asks softly, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Okay," he agrees, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Colin climbs out of bed and walks over to the private library. He opens the drawer of his desk and retrieves his journal, feeling a surge of warmth as he runs his fingers over its worn cover. Turning back, he heads toward the bed, crawling in beside Penelope. This time, Colin sits up with the journal in one hand, while Penelope shifts, resting her head on his chest as her makeshift pillow, her eyes glancing up at him expectantly.

Using his right hand, Colin carefully flips through the pages, finding the entry. As he settles on the right spot, his thumb grazes Penelope's cheek, his fingers trailing gently along her skin. She closes her eyes briefly before looking up at him again.

"Here it is," he murmurs, his gaze flicking to hers before dropping to the words he had so carefully penned.

I still cannot fathom what happened last night. I write this now with a hand that trembles, still feeling the warmth of her lips on mine, the taste of her lingering in my soul. Penelope.  We were in the garden—of all places, that damned garden I've walked through a hundred times, thinking it mundane. But not last night. Last night, it became enchanted, a place beyond time. The moon hung low, casting a soft glow on the roses, and there she stood, more radiant than I had ever allowed myself to notice. Her eyes, wide and uncertain, drew me in. And for the first time, I allowed myself to see her fully—the depth, the beauty, the quiet strength. One moment, we were speaking, her voice like honey in the night air, and then she asks for a kiss and I was reaching for her. My hand cupped her cheek, and she looked up at me with such surprise and hope that I swear it nearly broke me. I could feel the tremor of her shoulders, the way her eyes searched mine as if seeking some answer I could only give in one way. It was soft at first, barely a brush of lips. And that was it. I was lost. I pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, needing to show her everything I'd held back for so long. Her lips parted under mine, and she sighed, a sound so beautiful I felt it echo in my bones. I can still hear that tiny gasp of breath, like a secret shared in the dark. She tasted of tea and something sweet, something that was wholly Penelope. I paused for a moment, intending to kiss her again, but something made me stop. I wanted to look into her eyes to see if she was just as affected by this kiss as I was. Was this shattering her as it was shattering me? When I finally drew back, I took her face in, flushed and radiant. Her cheeks were a deep pink, her eyes glazed. And I... I was undone. But then, she did something I hadn't expected. She blinked at me, her lips still parted, and whispered, "Thank you." Before I could respond and decipher the meaning behind her words, she turned and ran. Ran. I stood there, dazed, my heart still pounding as I watched her disappear.  It took me a full moment to process what had just happened, to register the emptiness left in her wake. Thank you? For what? For making me crave more than I had ever allowed myself to dream of? She was gone, and I was left alone, I don't know how long I stood there, wrapped in that moment, but it felt endless and all too fleeting. I've kissed before, or so I thought, but nothing compares to this. To her. I walked away last night, my mind spinning and now, here I sit, trying to put what feels impossible to capture into words.

"You're astonishing, Colin," Penelope breathes, her eyes wide with admiration as she gazes at him. A hint of vulnerability flickers across her face as she looks down, biting her lip. "I ran because I was embarrassed," she admits softly.

"Embarrassed?" Colin echoes, tilting his head, his eyes searching her face for an answer.

"That I asked for a kiss," she confesses, her cheeks warming under his gaze.

He shakes his head, a gentle smile curving his lips. "Braver than me," he murmurs, lifting her chin with a tender touch so their eyes meet.

"I felt foolish," she admits, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Do you still feel foolish?” he asks softly, his thumb gently caressing her chin. “Knowing how it affected me?”

She shakes her head, a small smile forming on her lips. "No."

"That warms my heart," Colin responds, his voice softening.

"I'll keep your cock warm, too," she responds boldly.

"Penelope Featherington!" he exclaims, shock evident on his face. But almost instantly, the surprise melts into an awestruck grin. He grabs her, pulling her close for a kiss, his lips hovering just a breath away. Then, he pauses, his eyes gleaming with something more profound, "Penelope Bridgerton," he settles on, kissing her with all the tenderness and passion she inspires.

Penelope's fingers brush along his arm as she settles in, whispering in his ear, "I want you."

Colin kneels on the bed, positioning himself between her legs once more. His hands move to her thighs, gently parting them as he leans down, his lips brushing against her skin in a series of slow, teasing kisses as Colin moves to claim her once more. 

He enters her slowly this time, his eyes locked on hers as he watches her react to every movement, every sensation. The rhythm they find is different now—unhurried. Colin's gaze flickers over her flushed cheeks, her parted lips, and how her body moves beneath his. 

He watches her face, captivated by every expression that crosses it—the pleasure, the need, the trust.

[jamesirius]

“All he had to do was ask you out, not my fault he was too stupid to get around to it. This—” He gestured around at the Burrow, encompassing the entirety of the ridiculous fake dating scheme. “—Was a last ditch effort. If it hadn’t worked, we were about to give up.” “We?” “Me and Hermione.” Ron caught sight of the look on her face and smirked at her. “Oh, come on, you thought I came up with that on my own?” “It was an absolutely mental idea, so, yeah, I did think that.”

Keep Reading

Ginny is not totally looking forward to a Christmas spent at home with all her relatives asking her why she's the only unmarried Weasley child. Ron suggests she bring Harry as her fake boyfriend. There are a million ways this could go wrong.

Featuring happily married Ron and Hermione, lots of Weasley babies, the family curse to only have boys, Cedrella Black meddling in her granddaughter's love life, and endless amounts of sugar, mistletoe, and other Christmas shenanigans.

Well, happy new year! Fruitcake has been such a joy to write - I was working on it viciously all through Christmas because I really wanted to finish it in the holiday season. Everyone's responses have been so wonderful to hear, I am truly thrilled people read it and enjoyed it. This last chapter was really just an extra to show more of their life together so here are a few notes and future endgame thoughts in case anyone is interested:

Harry is not subtle. Honestly it's shocking that it took Hermione such a long time relatively to catch on to him in HBP. In this one, since Ron and Hermione are thirty, and have been married for years, and generally no longer have the emotional ranges of teaspoons, they caught on much faster.

Yes, Ron and Hermione's baby is a girl. Everyone except Harry, Ginny, and Cedrella is shocked by this.

Harry and Ginny also go on to have three daughters, which neatly parallels Cedrella and her sisters (although with less tragic endings): Aurora Lily, Felicity Molly, and Cedrella Ginevra. Aurora has the green eyes, Felicity has brown, and Cedrella inherited the Black family grey. Life has a way of working out.

All the other Weasleys did end up having more kids, all girls, once the curse was broken: Bill and Fleur had two more (I think this is less planned and more because they're one of those couples who is literally always having sex. By the way, please notice that Harry and Ginny are being disgusting on the porch swing exactly the way Ginny was making fun of Bill and Fleur for doing a few chapters ago.); Charlie and Steffan adopted a girl named Robin (Wren wanted a brother but he adapts quickly); Fred and Angelina have two girls; George and Cassie have one. And finally, way after everyone else, because Penelope did in fact swear she was done after two, Percy has a tail-ender little girl.

I like to think Ginny did eventually become an Animagus and join the Marauders on full moon nights - something the Marauder kids would bring their eventual spouses into once actually married (as obviously, Remus' secret isn't technically theirs to share).

Did you catch the initial canon divergence mentioned in this chapter? And now you know why Remus' secret has never gotten out.

Yes, Harry and Ginny did get engaged in 2010 so it might be a little quick but we do have to consider that Harry's been in love with her for two years and neither of them like wasting time. I do think they went traditional with it (marriage, then babies, probably when Ginny stepped back from playing professionally to coach) just because Cedrella would have had a fit if they didn't break the curse properly. And they do love her.

Is the curse ACTUALLY real? You know, it was very unclear...

Thank you again to everyone who read the fic, or these notes, or both! I hope Fruitcake provided a bit of joy in the holiday season for you; it certainly did for me!

[theultimatenonbinarynerd]

Eurylochus Reincarntes As Hadestown Orpheus Concept Au

Introduction

So I know nothing about Hadestown but thinking about the parallels between Eurylochus and Orpheus got me thinking about an au where after Thunderbringer, Persephone takes pity on Eurylochus feeling how anguished his soul is and decides to give him a second chance to ensure he isn't lost in the river styx forever. She also gives Eurylochus the gift of song and he reincarnates into Orpheus from Hadestown. So we in a sense get Jordan Fisher as Eurylochus lol. Also making it angstier I'm having the idea of playing with Ctimene being reincarnted as Eurdice meaning Eurylochus failed to keep Ctimene in his arms twice.

Yep I got so comfortable comparing Eurylochus and Orpheus parallels that I want to make them the same person. So Eurylochus gets to trade his giant ass sword for a guitar.

Basic concept is as Orpheus keeps returning to the Underworld he keeps bumping into people that knew him as Eurylochus on the way to Hadestown. He encounters Odysseus who helps him and warns that he should make sure his journey doesn't end up like it did the first time. Polites gives him advice on how to win over Persephone and Anticlea appears as a bodyguard protecting the now Hadestown. Worse Odysseus, Anticlea and Polites remember Orpheus but Orpheus has no memory of them. You could play with that concept and have Eurdice being confused and angry Odysseus tried to help Orpheus.

Orpheus ignores Odysseus's warnings as well as Hades and turns back. Odysseus looks after Eurdice and you can either have Ctimene apologising to Eurdice saying she loved the wrong man or Odysseus apologising for failing his sister again. Eurdice gets a promotion and Ody bargains that Hades will let Eurdice be a bodyguard until Orpheus passes on.

Eurylochus got a second chance but repeated all the same mistakes and let doubt creep in. He failed Ctimene by doubting Odysseus and this time fails Eurdice by ignoring Hades's warning.

Persephone reincarnted Eurylochus so he may get into Elysium but that doesn't mean his life is tragedy free. Orpheus/Eurylochus is always cursed to have his loved ones die and his luck run out. To make it up to Eurdice, Orpheus becomes a healer and travels around with his songs with the purpose of healing young souls and comforting souls on the verge of death.

So that's basically the au concept we are working with. I'm going to share Orpheus's Pov and then I'll share Odysseus's Pov.

Please be aware I'm dyslexic and this is not beta read.

A Returning Visitor

Orpheus's Pov

Orpheus followed Hermes instructions, kept his head down and tried to be unnoticeable. Unfortunately it seemed he didn't keep his head down as well as he thought as an odly familiar voice called his name.

"Eurylochus!"

That wasn't his name. It had never been his name. Yet still Orpheus paused. He turned to find a man roughly his height accept his clothes looked more old fashioned. The mans brown eyes haunted him and it scared him.

"I hope you find this Eurylochus eventually but I'm not him. I'm Orpheus." He said introducing himself.

"Odysseus of Ithaca." The man responded in return.

Something about that name left a flury of emotions in his mind. Love, hate, guilt, pain, joy and sadness. It confused him but he knew that at the moment Eurdice was his priority.

"Nice to meet you Odysseus, I don't suppose you could help me? I'm looking for someone."

"Who?" Odysseus asked.

"Eurdice. She's my everything and Hermes told me she ended up down here. I have to save her."

Odysseus's sympathetic face suprised him. Maybe Hermes was wrong, maybe not everything was out to get him.

"I can't come with you Orpheus but keep straight on the path without stopping and you'll find Lord Hades. Be warned though Lord Hades doesn't let souls go easily." Odysseus replied honestly.

"How do you know?" Orpheus asked.

"Cos I had to sacrifice an afterlife with Penelope in order to save my crew." He explained.

Disbelief. Again Orpheus didn't understand why the man was making him feel so many complicated things.

"I'll keep that in mind." Orpheus lied.

"Please do my friend. Don't let your luck run out." Odysseus pleaded sorrowfully.

Odysseus starred at him in a way that screamed familiarity. It confused Orpheus and worried him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"No you just remind of someone." Odysseus explained.

"Who?"

"An old friend. You have his spirit, Eurylochus cared for his friends and family deeply as you do Eurdice. I let him down."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Orpheus apologised. He didn't understand why but knew it was the right thing to do.

"It's fine, it's in the past now but Eurdice isn't. What ever you do, promise me you won't give up or look back." Odysseus pleaded.

"I promise." Orpheus said.

He gave Odysseus one last look before returning on his walk through the Underworld. Odysseus's last words shook him though.

"And Orpheus." He said.

"Yeah."

"Don't forget how dangerous the God's are." Odysseus warned.

With that Orpheus continued to walk forward taking Odysseus's heart in mind. Unlike Odysseus he vowed that he wouldn't let Eurdice down.

Odysseus Pov

Odysseus's heart sunk when he saw him here again. It had to be him. Eurylochus, his old friend and brother that he had betrayed. He may now have thick black curly hair and a guitar in place of his sword but it was still him. Odysseus couldn't stop himself as he called out to him.

"Eurylochus!"

The man froze. It gave Odysseus hope but then the hope quickly died when he saw his friends confusion. Eurylochus was a new man now, a new man he didn't have to crane his neck to look up at. The mans gaze looked like a distant memory and it hurt him so much.

"I hope you find this Eurylochus eventually but I'm not him. I'm Orpheus." The new man replied introducing himself.

Orpheus! The named suited Eurylochus more then anything and it made Odysseus proud. Trying not to embass himself, he did his best to reintroduce himself to his friend.

"Odysseus Of Ithaca." Odysseus replied, reintroducing himself.

"Nice to meet you Odysseus, I don't suppose you could help me? I'm looking for someone." Orpheus said

Odysseus tried to supress a sigh at that. After all they'd once been through of course Orpheus would be here recklessly trailing The Underworld for someone.

"Who?" Odysseus asked.

"Eurdice. She's my everything and Hermes told me she ended up down here. I have to save her." Orpheus explained.

Odysseus stared at his friend sympathetically. He smiles thinking about his sister Ctimene, who would be proud Eury-Orpheus is willing to sacrifice everything for his love. He then thinks about Penelope who he sacrificed everything for and abandoned in the afterlife. His heart aches.

"I can't come with you Orpheus but keep straight ahead on the path without stopping and soon you'll find Lord Hades. Be warned though Lord Hades doesn't let souls go easily." Odysseus warned.

"How do you know?" Orpheus asked.

He knows if Orpheus still remembered everything, he would be speechless over what he was about to confess. Eurylochus had died thinking Odysseus did not care about him.

Conclusion

So I have so many other Epic Au concepts I wanted to share but this one was one I definitely wanted to show off. I promise if I fully flesh out this au I will listen to Hadestown and do my proper research. I am studying Ovids Metamorphosis but definitely Hadestown is on the list to check out.

Honestly I did not think comparing Eurylochus and Orpheus would send me down this hole but here we are. I now have two aus where a God just reincarnates Eurylochus right after he had a traumatic death.

My asks are open if you are interested in me further fleshing this concept. It's a concept for now as i want to see how you Winions and Hadestown fans react.

Until next time.

-Melody-

They/Them

[inposterumcumgaudio]

dr. faraday!

I think Dr. Faraday is a very crucial character in terms of how she compares to so many other characters in the game. She gives us insight into how they might have fared under different circumstances.

The most obvious is Sally. They're both successful female scientists and yet, up until til Faraday's decision to stop enabling the police state of Wellington Wells, she seemed to have the sort of working life Sally could only dream of: a lab to herself with some guys out front to keep people from bothering her (granted, Roger and James were apparently not the best at this) with no expectation of entertaining anything but the science.

And this is why I rag on Sally so hard, aside from that she is one of the game's professed "three moderately terrible people" but how seems to escape a lot of players. One time I said as much in a WHF discord server, that she was just as bad as Arthur and Ollie, and whoo-boy! Several people were typing! All to tell me that I just didn't understand Sally's story. That. It. Is. About. Feminism! A lone woman and her precious baby against a cruel world seeking to exploit and abuse her at every turn!

Y'all.

Faraday is but one example of how women in Wellington Wells rose to and seized the opportunities presented to them by the town's lack of resources and ability to maintain status quo. And like many others (Gemma Olsen, Margaret Oliphant, Penelope Snug) she has done this without the help of men. Which Sally could do too, if she were so inclined. People hit me with the "but that's how she was raised!". Do you think these other women were not raised this way? Faraday herself had a husband and right up until he went on holiday, she lived Sally's same brilliant-assistant-who-gets none-of-the-credit role. But time's had appreciably changed by then. Instead of finding another man to play second fiddle to, Faraday hired a pair of houseboys to screen her calls and make her sandwiches, then went into business for herself.

I think her success up to the point at which she has her change of heart is also an interesting comparison to Verloc's role at Haworth Labs. That is, they have similar temperament and lack of emotional intelligence, but they are apparently brilliant when left the fuck alone. I think Verloc's chief problem is that he's in a role where he has to manage and delegate to others (others who operate at varying levels of detriment due to Joy use) and he is ill suited to the patience that requires. Faraday, on the other hand, fashioned for herself ideal work conditions for her similar personality: a private lab in her home with all her creature needs seen to and distractions minimized. Again, Roger and James aren't the best at providing this (although I think Faraday is unduly harsh in her criticism of them), but she only has to manage the two of them as compared to a whole factory, they try their best, and they are aligned with and supportive of her goals for the most part.

Another person we could compare her to is Percy.

Arthur surmises that Percy would have made a good scientist due to his analytical way of thinking and that "you don't have to talk much to be a scientist". This is, as said above, only true if you arrange things this way and don't find yourself in charge of an entire factory.

My close friends and I sometimes like to suppose especially hot takes for this game and a relevant one that comes to mind is that Percy would not have been able to conform effectively to Wellington Wells' society the way Edmund was able to because he has resting bitch face, he cannot tolerate any kind of discomfort, and his lack of social awareness does not endear people to him the way Edmund's does. As such, Arthur may have actually given him a shot at survival in abandoning him to the train.

But, I do think if somehow Percy had fallen into a Faraday-like circumstance before succumbing to any of the town's social perils, he would have done quite well for himself in Wellington Wells. Indeed, he might have even made a very good lab assistant to Dr. Faraday.

I do have some Fun Faraday Facts for you: there are cut lines in Cub Reporter/Start Spreading the News that state that she and Margaret Oliphant were schoolgirl friends and that Margaret's cat puzzle was designed by Faraday.

There's also a cut quest called Blow Up for Sally in which Faraday would task her with preventing the explosion of a motilene power station and would give Sally a walkie talkie to track her progress. The walkie talkie model used in They Came From Below is a salvaged asset from this quest.

One of the objectives for this quest involves Sally making a trade with Bobby Catesby, which she is reluctant to do.

126 Then you're going to have to set the snuffer charge! Otherwise the whole station will melt down.

128 You can't just go to Lionel Castershire and buy a bomb! You'd have to-- the only man I know who'd even-- I'm not going to bloody Robert Catesby for a bomb! He hates me!

130 If that station melts down, the whole motilene system will go up in flames. But I can understand how it's difficult talking to some men.

132 I'll find him. And I'll reason with him.

134 That's ma girl!

Tell her ass, Dr. F.

Dr. Faraday's idle waiting animation before you tap on her window is the sitting-on-the-floor-and-sobbing one.

Roger's idle animation is crying before you approach the house too though so I wouldn't read too much into that.

[imzsuzsis-blog]

—————————-

Previous day

"pole fuck me!!!"

I found a dance of joy where I knew I didn't even care who you looked like but I was damn happy.

"Lando, you're cute, but they have an interview and don't dance."

"Sorry, sorry, I know this is the first and then the dance of joy."

But I couldn't stop laughing and smiling at the same time.

"You're scary like that."

"How devilishly happy am I?"

"Well, I didn't say anything."

He grimaced at me and took my urine away, I held my nose.

"This is disgusting. For what?”

"Doping test."

"Here??? These are fried chickens!!!!”

I turned my back girlishly and started hating them. I left looking like a girl, it was visible on the palm of my hand.

"Lando, stop this girlish behavior, it's boring!!!!"

"That's how I am, Fony!!!!"

He's a friend from my old days, he's a drag queen by blood, he's my role model. He was our neighbor, we grew up without ever visiting him, and now he works in my healthcare team since 2018, so we can't get together forever.

"Relax mate, you're starting from pole, think about it."

"Good, but you don't understand this."

I leaned close to him, our faces met, we took a deep breath and a longer kiss clicked between us.

"Oops, it wasn't intentional, Fony."

"Let's continue"

We turned our faces to the side and continued.

My words stopped, he kissed Fony in front of my own eyes. He promised he wouldn't do it, because he's known it for a long time and it's a forbidden zone.

"Fuck Lando, you and Loki just broke up, are you kissing Fony?"

I staggered back in shock and then got angry again, Oscar had nothing to do with it.

"Get it!!! you have nothing to do with who I'm kissing and where you stupid Australian bastard!!!!"

"Me bastard?"

I knew that it was her whore's past that was talking about her again, not herself, since I told him the whole truth in front of me like this, sometimes I'm a bored asshole.

"Find out if you are..."

When I remembered, I don't even know what it was, but I not only kissed them, but also smeared them with good taste.

"I'm sorry... It wasn't accurate."

"We know you're pregnant, but how pregnant?"

,,I'm really sorry."

I held my mouth, my eyes got teary and I ran away from there, I don't know where, but far away.

"Lando, and..."

I went after him, but he hit his head against the wall with tears in his eyes and I didn't understand anything he was saying.

—————

Saturday

Like, like I saw Lando crying against one of the walls.

,,Are you okay?"

"No, it seems?"

He shook his head.

"I fucked two boys at once, fuck you!!!!"

He held him face and continued to scream and cry at this.

“This is not a condition where my fucking hormones are so bad, fuck it!!!!"

"Calm down Lando... When... Let's leave it..." "What? Fuck you!!!!”

I started to scream in my ears, which I had to cover, it was so loud.

"Lando, you're too stressed again, calm down."

"Shut up Amanda, shut up your little London mouth, I hate you!!!"

My friend slapped her in front of my eyes, no matter how much of a star he is.

"Shut up, isn't the ploe pose enough for you???"

"I hate my life!!!"

He ran away again.

————

Sunday

"Lando, is everything okay?"

"It wasn't because of my behavior that it came up again..."

He struggled with tears...

"That the twins Leah and Penelope will be adopted..."

He fell on my neck and started sobbing.

"Jesus, what the hell did you do again?"

"A lot, apart from the fact that I'm having sex with two guys one of these days."

"I hope..."

"Sex? No, it didn't cross my mind. I'm not that stupid."

"Me for the swim..."

"Fuck me..."

He did it again in public a couple of days ago in Monte-Carlo, then he got into his car and left... And then I found out afterwards that he didn't give anyone an autograph, so he got mad at me.

"If you cause premature babies..."

"Calm down..."

"Ollie?"

“Yes?"

"It was just a tip from Amanda..."

"Get out Pansexual bastard!!!"

"You got off on the wrong foot, calm down."

"It's not fucking true."

He looked at him with tearful eyes and held him top and bottom, then started stroking him.

"Only Amanda tells bad news, the worst news of my life. How would you react to this?"

"He also told me, I told him that I tore up all the papers for this, so he doesn't have a big no."

"I would look for another gynecologist who, yes, is as good, but he didn't threaten me with such things, especially a couple of weeks before giving birth... When he sees that the patient is already having trouble and maybe he won't do it at the scheduled time, but a week earlier."

"There is no problem with giving birth, I have no aches and pains. There is a trial problem with which I dreamed the whole thing and Loki was also there and there was also a strange woman who tried to comfort me."

We couldn't believe he was holding his back and gasping for air, his bottom was wet, and luckily all this happened after the race.

. “Yes?”

“The labor has started... You have a baby here, the feeding for premature babies is damn good."

"No, not Carlos, I have two weeks until 28 weeks. They are still very small."

"I know, but..."

We heard his name and put him in an ambulance. We can only hope that it is not that, just a fake thing and that he can come with us to Belgium.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Sahara (2005)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

On paper, Sahara sounds like a slam dunk. It’s Indiana Jones meets James Bond with big stars like Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz and armed with a budget to make all the stunt-filled adventure come to life. In practice, it’s devoid of any joy or excitement. Director Breck Eisner makes 124 minutes feel so much longer than two hours.

In 1865, the ironclad CSS Texas disappeared with the last of the Confederacy’s treasury gold. In present day, Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) has finally found a clue to its final resting place: Mali. With his longtime bud and fellow treasure-hunter Al Giordino (Steve Zahn), he investigates. Along the way, the meet WHO doctor Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz) as she investigates a mysterious plague she fears will soon ravage the country.

Based on the novel by Clive Cussler, this film adaptation tries to do too much. Sahara is essentially two movies slammed together. The first is a swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Indiana Jones. Boat chases, car chases, fist fights, impromptu survival techniques in the desert and a long-lost treasure? There’s no mistaking it. The other movie has an inconspicuous, beautiful doctor embroiled in a plot that begins as a threat to Africa but could endanger the whole world and includes a solar-powered laser beam, a mad dictator and businessmen devoid of morals. The problem is that these two plots exist independently and are not well blended. In one scene, Dirk and Al are dodging entire clips’ worth of bullets with big smiles while coming up with crazy ways to take down the villains on their tail by blowing up their own boat. In the next, a single bullet is treated with enough gravitas to give you a headache.

Also problematic are the actors. Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz are talented actors. Here? they’re awful. They’re even worse together. They have no chemistry whatsoever, which makes their plots feel even more akin to a mix of oil and water. You know they’re going to fall in love from the beginning but you’ll believe a metal boat from the American Civil War will make it across the ocean on no rations before you’ll believe that romance.

From the unfunny humor meant to endear you to the characters to the action scenes that prove the actors couldn’t throw a decent punch if their lives depended on it, Sahara suffers from major problems. It also gets the little things wrong. When Commander Rudi Gunn (Rain Wilson) approaches the United States Embassy for help, he's warned it’s unlikely aid will arrive in time because “No one gives a shit about Africa”. They're not wrong. Even this movie doesn't care about Mali or its people because moments later, we learn the thing that’s gruesomely killing en-masse will soon spread to the entire world. So it wasn’t enough that Mali would become the world's biggest graveyard; the entire human race has to be at risk? Yikes.

Then, there’s the climax. This is one of those movies where the villains must have the greatest employee benefits package of all time because the baddie's top bodyguard decides to get into a fistfight on top of a building that’s rigged to explode in a few minutes. How was he going to get out of there once he got the job done?

I can give a movie slack and accept a preposterous story but you’ve got to give me something in return. When your actors have no chemistry between them, the bad guys are completely forgettable, the humour falls flat on its face, the action scenes are badly shot & choreographed and none of what you see is interesting, you want to find some way to entertain yourself, perhaps by having some laughs at the film’s expense. You'd think it'd be easy when the Los Angeles Times listed this film as one of the most expensive flops of all time but you'd be wrong. Sahara is too dull to provide any form of entertainment. (Full-screen version on DVD, January 29, 2021)

[papacopia-crucified]

Heya. Since you all like my first bat!Copia fic and sent me some heart warming comments and messages, I fell that I cannot let you all down. ❤️❤️ thank you so much ❤️🦇

After Dark pt. 2

🦇🦇🦇

It was a busy week, but not just for you but for Copia too. Me made some mayor changes. His wing finally healed to your joy and he seemed happy too. Always cuddling with your rat Penelope, and it was just so cute. It was finally Saturday morning, cause you finished another long night shift.

“Good morning guys.” You greeted your two favourite companion and that’s when you realised that Copia was gone. You immediately started to panic and checked the window in your room, it was slightly opened, to your uttermost horror.

“Oh… no. No. No. No. Please no!” You went to look after him everywhere in your flat, but he was nowhere, did he flew away from you?

“You’re such a fool (y/n), you cannot prison him here all for his life.” You just happy that he’s fully healed. After all that you went back to check on Penelope, who was peacefully drinking and when she looked at you, you saw something in her eyes, like she was sad.

“Ohh. My poor girl. You miss Copia too? Yeah me too. He was so adorable.” You get her out of the aquarium and placed her on your chest, hugging her close. She burred her little head into you, while you sat down on your bed and sighed.

“I guess it’s just the two of us again.” Your head hit the pillow, Penelope laid down by your side, just resting. As you closed your eyes you felt your eyelids close and your world faded away.

In your dream you opened your eyes. You were not home anymore but I’m the woods. You instantly sat up and you saw that you were indeed in the woods sitting on the ground which was surprisingly warm to the touch. In the distance you heard chanting, it may be Latin so you got up and followed the sound. As you approached the spot you saw that the clothes you wore changed into a crisp white dress, floor length, almost transparent, what made you blush, wore no shoes and a veil or something like that caged your head. You also noticed that a upside down cross necklace was in your neck, and you knew immediately what it was. It was a Ghost necklace, you wore once, but unfortunately lost it years ago. As you were close to the chanting, you stopped to hide behind a tree, only your face what was still visible. And that’s when you saw a group of…….nuns?

“I. Papa Emeritus the Fourth, Child of the night, shall receive the blood of the Unholy Gods Under.”

“And I. Vlad Tepes the Third, Father of all children of the night, Impaler of enemies, The immortal Dracul shall give you my blood, to be the creature who brings chaos and darkness into the World of mankind. You shall receive my blood, to spread my word.” You cannot believe what you seen at that moment. Dracula is real? As you witnessed the ceremony you felt a sudden pull to Papa Emeritus.

“Now to begin with the ceremony, I’d have to drain almost all of your blood, Papa Emeritus the Fourth, and after that you shall drink mine, to close the circle, and to make you my apprentice, my descendant. Do you accept that?” Papa kneeled down in front of his and bared Vlad his neck.

“I accept my Lord.”

“Your body needs to die, your consciousness will remain. Do not fret Papa. It’ll take only minutes, and after that you’ll wake up as one of my kind.” Vlad leaned into Papa’s neck and closed his eyes, after his fangs shoot out and bit down on Papa’s neck. An agonising moan left Papa’s mouth as he grabbed onto Tepes’ arms. His eyes rolled into his skull, as Vlad drink almost all of the blood out of his body. Your body shivered, and you almost felt the fangs enter your neck too. The nuns started to chant something again, it’s Latin, you felt sudden dizziness, headache and nausea. Vlad stopped drinking from Papa’s neck and he fell to the grass, almost lost all consciousness.

“And now Papa Emeritus the Fourth, receive my blood, become the creature of the night.” Tepes sliced his skin with his long and sharp nail and blood dropped onto the floor. He took it to Papa’s mouth and he latched onto it, drinking the warm liquid. Vlad tossed his head back in pain? You did not know, but sure it was weird to see. He looked into your way and you hid your body behind the tree. After a while you went to see what’s happening but Tepes was gone, only Papa was waking up from the ground, sitting.

“There you are Lady (y/n). We have been waiting for you.” He smiled blood dried oh his lips, his hand stretched out for you to take. And you did. He led you out of your hiding spot and approached the still intoxicated Papa. That’s when you realised that what he had become.

“Vampire?”

“We better like it the creature of the night Love. I knew I chose well. And now, we shall crown the new Prime Mover of Papa Emeritus IV. Lady (Y/N) Tepes. My child, daughter of a human, daughter of an immortal.” Your eyes widened at his words.” Do not fret my child. It’s your destiny.” Your dad was sure he’s doing the right thing. You looked over to Papa who was now standing in front of the two of you, his eyes fixated on you. Looking into your eyes and you felt your heart flutter.

“Papa.” It slipped out of your mouth like a prayer.

“Lady (Y/N).” He said in a raspy voice

“I see you’re awakened fully. Now to seal the marriage you Papa have to drink from her.”

“What?”

“My daughter. You chose Papa Emeritus to be yours so I shall give you that dream, but he must……..”

“Vampires!!!” You heard sudden shouting, and felt sudden pain from where your heart was. You only hear Papa as he shouts and catches you in his arms. He sats down with you, holding you close.

“This will hurt love.” He said and with his remaining energy grabbed the arrow which pierced through your lung and tossed it aside. Blood started to flee from the wound and you looked at your Papa.

“Please don’t waste it. Drink from me.” You showed him your neck and he was hesitant.

“I…. I don’t want to it to hurt… cara mia.” He stroke your cheek and you grabbed his hand.

“Please.”

“Alright amore mio.” You sat up and hugged him, also baring him your neck, which he bit down on shortly after.

“Ahh…” you moaned out, not because of pain but because of pleasure, heard every gulp while he drink your remaining blood. He sensed that you’ll pass soon and stopped.

“I…. Ti amo, mia dolcezza. Remember me.” He said and kissed your already cold lips.

You suddenly woke up in a cold sweat, checking your surroundings, you saw that Penelope was still next to you, still sleeping peacefully. It was late afternoon, almost dark outside. And you just processed what had happened in your dream.

“Oh my Satanas Penelope. You cannot believe what I dreamed of….”

And that night you told every little detail about your dream to Penelope,listened to all of your words.

Little did you know that your favourite Papa’s watching you from afar. Still in his bat form, waiting for the perfect moment to meet you again.

Oh boy. There it is part 2. I genuinely don’t know what I’m doing😂😂 but if hope you like it🤭❤️

🦇🦇🦇

[radiant-reid]

Impress Me

Summary: Spencer really can't cook, but he doesn't let it stop him from being the absolute best, most thoughtful boyfriend ever.

1. Hello! Can you please write a fic where Spencer decides to learn how to cook for y/n? 🥰 2. can you do a fluffy valentine’s day of readers first relationship and spencer spoiling her (maybe some smut) and just being the best s14/15 guy

a/n: wes is literally the loml so of course, i had to make #2 v-day fic using this gif. i didn't exactly do a s14/15 so you can imagine this with any era. chronologically, it's their first valentine's day

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader (Fluff)

Content Warning: swearing | tiny sexual themes towards the end | little bit of self doubt spencer

Word Count: 2.8k

Masterlist Navigation

In his life, Spencer had never had someone who he wanted to impress as much as he wanted to impress Y/n. Spencer still felt like he had a lot to prove to her since he was her very first Valentine, and there was nothing he wanted more than to be her last.

He was so concerned about how to make it perfect that he joined Garcia and JJ in the Batcave during their midmorning gossip session. The wall full of computer screens, and his two longest-running colleagues had to be able to help.

"I need help." Spencer declared, sitting on the spare desk chair with a pout. They were both looking at him with frowns, confused about how they could help him when he usually knew everything but prompting him to continue. "It's Y/n."

Penelope's concerned face took over. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know what to do for Valentine's Day," Spencer explained, blushing about it.

One of the newest things he'd learned was how to stop doubting himself about being a bad boyfriend, and now he was back at stage one, unsure of how to do what had become his favorite job in the world.

"You haven't made plans yet?" JJ asked him, and he shook his head. "Spence, it's the twelfth."

He knew that. And he knew that meant there were two days to go, but he didn't understand it. "Yeah?"

"If you wanted to take her out, I think you probably missed your chance," Penelope explained, causing him grave concern. "It's okay. Just choose something else to do."

Spencer's brain was overclouded with possibilities, but he wasn't sure what was perfect. "Like what?"

"You want to impress her, right?" JJ asked, already knowing the answer that Spencer confirmed with a nod. "Do something intimate. Like have a picnic or cook dinner or build a blanket fort or cook her breakfast." She spewed out recommendations. None of which sounded doable to him.

"Ooo, make her pasta. Rossi has that great recipe." Penelope suggested, recalling the mouth-watering dish Rossi had made a year ago, so memorable it was his signature dish.

Spencer bit his lip, thinking about it for a moment. "I've never cooked for her before." Or cooked for anyone else. He was a kid in college with no time or skill to cook anything but ramen. It couldn't be that hard, though, could it?

"See, that will impress her." Penelope convinced him, smiling at the older version of the young boy, who was so unsure about talking to anyone.

"O-okay." Spencer nodded before his insecurities sunk in, and he bit his bottom lip. "What if it's not perfect? It needs to be. For her, but also because she's never had a valentine before."

Penelope pushed him on the shoulder lightly. "Boy wonder, don't worry so much."

"I just want her to be happy," Spencer mumbled, eyes cast downward at his shoes.

"Give me your phone," Penelope demanded, holding out her hand. Unsure of what she wanted, Spencer slid it out of his back pocket. She turned it on, showing him the lockscreen that he saw every time he looked at a text message or got a phone call. A little moment of joy between the gruesome crime scene details or photos. "See, happy."

The photo was the epitome of happiness. Taking in Rossi's back garden, it was Y/n and Spencer in their best clothing. His arm was around her waist, and their faces were inches apart, close enough they could probably kiss, but instead, they were grinning. Wide grins filled with pure joy as they forgot about their surroundings while getting lost in each other's eyes. Even if he was having a bad day, it made him smile.

Believing her, Spencer nodded. "Thank you." He said to both of them, getting back up to leave them to all the other gossip.

"Make sure you get wine." JJ reminded him.

"And dessert," Penelope added.

Spencer flashed them a thumbs up, slipping out the door and making his way to Rossi's office.

Once he had the recipe that Rossi was more than glad to give him, Spencer knew he had two days to get everything else perfect. With everyone's reassurance, he felt like it would be okay.

Until he had to actually cook.

The kitchen in his apartment should have been used a lot more than it was. All he usually did was pour cereal and reheat leftovers. Nothing as complicated as the pasta dish Rossi had assured him he would be able to make. After all, it was just math, right?

It started out okay. Spencer managed to make the pasta by hand once he brought fresh eggs then cut it into scientifically perfect strips. The accuracy took far too much time, and Y/n was knocking at the door when he started the complex sauce.

"Hi, lovely." Spencer greeted her, softening when he saw her. "You look gorgeous."

His reactions were something she adored, and he looked stunned when he saw her in a new dress- red, of course- with her hair and makeup done nicely.

"Hi, handsome." Y/n leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek as she walked into his apartment. "I got you something." She mentioned, handing him the gift in her hands.

"Thank you," Spencer replied, kissing her on the lips to show his appreciation. He guided her through the apartment she'd been through a hundred times like a maître d' at a restaurant.

Y/n's eyes widened when she saw his dining room, a black table cloth over the table perfectly set with cutlery, flowers, and wine. It even smelt nice, like vanilla-scented candles and his cologne. Definitely something he'd spent a lot of time on, and, like everything he did, it made her feel special.

"Spence." Her eyes already felt a little watery as she beamed up at him. "You did all this?"

He chuckled from beside her, nodding as he pulled her body closer to him. "I did." He answered. "Just to see that smile." How did she get so lucky?

He placed the gift down on the table in the seat that didn't already have a present then uncorked the fancy bottle of Italian wine he'd brought for the very occasion.

"You." Y/n started, taking a glass of wine he'd poured. "Are the most amazing person ever."

Spencer shook his head, picking up his own wine glass and holding it up so he could make a toast. "To you, my girl."

She shook her head, moving her glass so he couldn't clink it. "To you." She proposed a different toast.

"To us." He settled on what she thought was an acceptable toast. She tapped her glass against his, wrapping one arm around his neck while he held her waist. "Did you know the tradition of clinking glasses came from medieval times when lots of wine was poisoned? The host would pour wine from the guest's glass into their own and drink it to prove it wasn't poisoned, and the guest would clink the glasses if they trusted them."

Chuckling down her sip of wine, Y/n giggled a little more. "Spence, why would you tell me that when I'm drinking the wine, you might have poisoned?"

Spencer clenched his teeth together before breaking out in a chuckle. "You saw me open it."

"Hmm, but you are a magician." She countered, tipping her head to the side like she was considering if he spilled her some poison. Playfully rolling his eyes, Spencer took a sip of his wine to debunk her hypothesis. "I really wouldn't have cared if it was poisoned, though, because it tastes damn good." She commented, swirling it around like she was a wine connoisseur.

"I'd love to say I picked it, but I didn't." He truthfully admitted he outsourced help.

It only made Y/n happier. Just the fact that he cared enough to ask for advice made her heart warm. "Well, thank you. For all of this, I really appreciate it."

"I really appreciate you," Spencer reciprocated, eyes drawn to her lips before looking back up at her eyes, definitely having been caught.

Y/n leaned up to kiss him, starting out softly before ditching her wine on the table in favor of tugging on his bottom lip until she could properly make out with him. Spencer gave in quickly, fumbling with his glass so much he almost spilled it because he was too enamored with kissing her to put it on the table.

Apparently, oxygen wasn't a necessity to Spencer because when she pulled away to breathe, his lips were on her neck.

Oxygen was also necessary to keep a fire going, and there was a lot of that in his kitchen. "Uh, Spence." She tried not to moan it out. "Is that your smoke alarm?"

It took him a second to snap out of what he was doing, pulling back and looking in the direction of the kitchen, which was smoky. "Fuck." He groaned with an uncharacteristic swear to express his frustration.

Y/n followed him towards the kitchen, seeing what had happened. Physically, she could taste the smell, wincing when she walked in. "Spence, what is going on?" She asked, noticing the pans and pots on the stove and how messy his kitchen actually was. Clearly, the perfectly set table was a facade for the chaos going on in his apartment. The water in a pot had boiled over, and the pasta had started to burn. Whatever was originally in the pan was now black.

Once he got it under control and she opened the windows, he turned to her with a distraught look. "I'm sorry. I really wanted to do something special, but, evidently, I can't cook even with Rossi's instructions designed for two-year-olds." He apologized, feeling terrible about the poor job he'd done at cooking her dinner.

More than anything, she hated seeing him sad, especially when he thought she wouldn't be delighted with something he'd done. He'd always been her first, and he wanted to do everything possible to ensure he was her last.

"Baby." She cooed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and hugging him. "It's the thought that counts."

Spencer scoffed. "That's something someone says when they're trying to make another someone feel better about the terrible job they'd done."

Y/n pulled back, making sure he could see her shaking her head. "No. Well, maybe sometimes." She lightened the mood, getting him laughing. "But I'm not lying. You cared enough about me to make me dinner even though you can't cook." She flashed him a light smile, and he smiled back. "But you care, and that's all that's important to me. That's all I've ever wanted. You're all I've ever wanted."

By the end of her declaration of love, Spencer felt much less like crying. "Thank you, and I'm so sorry."

"You know what else is Italian?" She asked with the award-winning smile back on her face from cheering him up. "Pizza!" She cheered.

"Well, technically, it's not also Italian because pasta is usually credited to a dish Marco Polo brought back from his voyage to China." Spencer delivered the correct information. Some people found it annoying, but Y/n didn't love anything more than his facts.

Cupping his cheek and stroking her thumb over his cheekbone, she kissed him. "So, we can order pizza?"

"Yes." Spencer agreed, already reaching for his phone.

"Pineapple." Y/n reminded him.

She shoved his shoulder when he jokingly shook his head. "That's a crime against Italian food. I'll tell Rossi." He threatened, eyeing her carefully.

"I think it's a crime to burn both pasta and sauce." She countered. A firm believer in it never being too soon to make a joke. "So, if you don't tell, I won't."

Spencer held out his pinky, waiting for her to lock hers around it. "I promise." She sealed the deal, smirking up at him.

"So... we have, what, 20 minutes until it turns up?" She questioned, with something mischievous in her voice.

"Yup," Spencer confirmed with a nod. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Y/n nodded affirmatively. "Most definitely." She grabbed his hands and pulled him out of the kitchen and back to the living room. "Presents!" She cheered, earning a smile from Spencer, who was infatuated by how adorable she was.

She took his one again, switching it with her one in his hands. It felt like Christmas morning, and the anticipation was brewing for the big reveal.

Tearing off the pink wrapping paper with hearts like a little kid, Y/n beamed when she revealed the gift. "You didn't!?" She exclaimed.

"Oh, I so did," Spencer replied, delaying opening his gift in favor of watching her reaction. A box of red eternity roses. Something she had talked about once that he must have remembered. She was lightly crying with the box in her hands. "Because roses symbolize love and my love for you is infinite."

"Stop," Y/n complained, pushing his shoulder. "You're so charming that it's making me cry." She wiped the tears up while trying to hold the roses she'd treasure forever.

Spencer helped her out, cupping her cheeks as he placed a passionate kiss on his lips. "My turn." He declared in a whisper. Delicately, he picked up the gift, unwrapping it before grinning. "How did you even find this?" He asked, utter bewilderment on his features.

It was an original copy of a book Spencer had been looking for in almost perfect condition. "Some serious sleuthing on every book nerd platform out there." She answered, smirking at the nickname she'd given him. Confused, he frowned. "Penelope." She changed her answer.

"Well, thank you. I love it." So much that he was going to struggle to read it that night when all he could do was think about her.

"There's more." She nodded to the rest of the gift bag.

Spencer dug through the tissue paper, pulling out a pair of socks. "What? These are amazing." He said, fascinated with them.

They were hand-knitted socks because she knew his feet got cold when the blood failed to travel down his long limbs and to his extremities. Of course, they were mismatched. One pink with hearts and the other with a purple gingham print.

"Mm, I'm glad you like them." She said, watching him sit down and take off his current socks so he could put the new ones on.

"So comfortable." He sighed, fascinated with the softness and how warm they were.

It took so little to make him happy, and all she wanted to do was spoil him every day. "My sweet boy." She cooed, pulling him back up so she could kiss him again.

Eventually, the pizza turned up, and Spencer hesitated when he went to put it on the table. "Should we eat on the couch?" He offered, glancing at the more comfortable option.

"Please." Y/n nodded. Wherever they spent time together, it didn't matter.

They sat down to eat the pizza, laughing at each other's jokes and unable to stop their grins. Every day, it felt like they couldn't love each other anymore, and, each day, they were proven wrong. It was almost like they'd known each other forever, bonded on such a deep level it seemed unachievable. It wasn't always flawless, but it was always outstanding.

Spencer turned to her once they'd almost finished eating. "I'm really sorry this didn't go as planned." He apologized, the guilt making his heart plunge into a dark place.

"Spencer, I don't know how it could get better than this." She truthfully admitted. Did she think she'd end up eating pizza on his couch? No, but did it matter when he made her laugh and feel more loved than anything else? Not at all.

"It will. If you'll spend next Valentine's Day with me." He promised, taking another bite of his pizza.

She needed to see how he'd rise to that challenge. "Sure, but I love this." This pure bliss that they'd created.

"Noted." Spencer nodded, pulling her even closer into his side.

"I feel bad you set up the table." She guiltily admitted, looking up at him with a pout.

Spencer shrugged, not finding a single problem with their situation. "I did buy Tiramisù for dessert." He mentioned.

It earned Spencer a wide smile. "Oh, you really are perfect." Y/n reminded him before smirking when she thought of something else. Sitting up, she threw a leg over his hips, coming to sit on his lap. "I know something else you could have for dessert." She offered, cheekily grinning.

"Yeah, alright, okay." He stuttered out all at once, not wasting any time getting down to really impressing her with his skills.

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[parkerslatte]

Life’s Too Short

Spencer Reid x Reader

Warnings: mentions of injury

Word Count: 2.1k

Summary: Spencer is shot in the neck and Y/N sits in the hospital with JJ and Alex talking about her future with him.

MASTERLIST

***

The white lights in the waiting room shone brightly as Y/N bounced her foot up and down anxiously. Even though there were many people around her, Y/N felt alone and isolated. Obviously being in the FBI had its fair share of injuries but this particular injury to a particular team member had left Y/N unable to comprehend it.

Her hands shook as the memory of the traumatic incident replayed in her mind over and over again. She could still feel the blood pouring out of Spencer's wound as she applied pressure to it. She remembered how he looked at her - dazed but afraid to die. She remembered how everything around her seemed to happen in slow motion.

"Don't die on me Spencer, you hear me? Don't die," Y/N pleaded with him, "Stay with me, okay? Stay with me Spence, please."

Her final words to Spencer before he was loaded into the ambulance were frantic and slurred together. Y/N stood there and watched as the ambulance drove away. She didn't go with him in the ambulance. Now sitting in the waiting room, she regretted that decision. She had been told that Spencer was trying to ask for her in the ambulance before he passed out. If he died, Y/N would hold the guilt of not going with him in the ambulance for the rest of her life.

Alex, who had been sat next to Y/N, placed a gentle hand on her knee causing her to jump.

"It's only me." Alex calmed her. Y/N only nodded before her foot resumed it's light tapping.

"He's going to make it, he's strong." Alex tried to comfort Y/N although Alex herself was filled with the same fear as Y/N - though not as strong.

"He needs to." Y/N's voice was barely audible but Alex heard her fine.

JJ took a seat across from Y/N and Alex, her face was filled with stress and worry - for Spencer but also for Y/N. The blonde had never seen Y/N look or act like this. Y/N would always try to give people words of encouragement whenever something bad happened. But now, seeing her sitting there looking pale and worrisome caused a wave of sympathy to wash over JJ.

Y/N zoned out as JJ and Alex fell into a conversation. She wanted to be alone, although she knew that neither of the two would allow that. All she wanted to do was wake up from this nightmare she was living and be safe and sound in the arms of Spencer - alive and well.

"Could you imagine Spence as a dad?" JJ said, bringing Y/N out of her mind space.

Y/N felt like she was frozen. Her and Spencer had discussed before the topic of kids but Y/N didn't think she was ready and the topic was dropped respectfully. But now, Y/N realised how short life was and how it can be cut even shorter in an instant.

"Y/N, are you okay?" JJ questioned, "You're crying."

Y/N looked at JJ through teary eyes. Shakily, she brought her hand up to her cheek to find it damp. She didn't even realise she was crying. Hastily she wiped away the tears and let out a long sigh. There was a long pause where no one spoke. JJ and Alex both looked at Y/N waiting to see if she would speak. They both wanted to comfort their friend.

"Spence and I were talking about kids," Y/N broke the silence with an unsteady voice, she sounded like she ould burst into tears at any second, "It was about six months back."

"What did you say?" JJ asked softly.

"I said I wasn't ready," Y/N admitted, "And I wasn't, not then. With our job and everything I didn't think that having a kid would be the best thing at the moment," Y/N explained.

"I see it all the time but today I realised how quickly a life can be taken away. I never thought I would nearly see Spencer lose his life - he's fighting for his life in there and I can't do anything about it," Y/N paused for a moment, "I now see how short a life is and how easy it can be taken away. I've been desensitised to it for a long time but once it was the man I loved in that situation - I can't act normal. I feel like I'm deteriorating and nothing can stop it until I know that Spencer is out if surgery and safe."

JJ quickly moved next yo Y/N as both she and Alex comforted her as he body began to shake with sobs. Y/N felt like everything was closing in on her. JJ shushed her as her hand was rubbing up and down Y/N's back. After a while Y/N began to calm down. Her face was red and puffy, she for sure did not look attractive in that moment.

***

Not too long after JJ left to go and work the case. Y/N was told not to continue on it and be there for Spencer - and also considering the state she was in, she wasn't fit to work anyway. She was now left with Alex and Penelope. Y/N was glad to have Penelope around since the blonde could always make a smile appear on her face. Penelope Garcia was like a guardian angel.

Speaking of angels, a doctor had come into the waiting room. Y/N immediately clocked her and shot up from her seat. Her legs were slightly wobbly due to her sitting in the same position for however long she was. But Y/N didn't care, she needed to know is Spencer was okay.

As she approached the doctor, a small smile grew on her face causing Y/N to fill with hope.

"The surgery went well and he's in recovery," It was in that moment where Y/N almost ascended to heaven. Spencer was alive. Her Spencer was alive and was okay.

"I can show you to his room if you would like." Y/N nodded, not trusting her voice to speak. She was elated. All the worry had dissolved from her body and was filled with happiness.

The doctor led her, Penelope and Alex to the room where Spencer was in recovery. Every step Y/N took, the closer she was getting to Spencer. The doctor stopped in front of the room and gestured for the three to go in.

Y/N rushed in first. Spencer was sleeping on his bed. His head was slightly tilted to the side, his lips parted and hair messy. She walked to the chair beside his bed and took a seat. He looked peaceful in his sleep, a completely contrast to the last time Y/N had saw him when he was loaded into the ambulance.

Y/N took her hand in his and laced their fingers together. She brought his hand up to her lips and placed a gentle kiss on it. Spencer was okay, all that was left was for him to wake up.

***

The next thing Y/N knee was being shook awake. She groaned and slowly opend her eyes. For a moment she forgot where she was but then remembered as soon as she saw the hospital bed. She looked up and saw Penelope, who had shaken her awake. She had a smile on her face.

"Look who's awake?" Penelope said, looking to the hospital bed.

Y/N looked over at the bed and Spencer's eyes were open and he was staring at Y/N lovingly. Even though he was still a little drowsy and spaced out, he still thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on.

"Spence." Y/N spoke quietly.

"I'll give you two some privacy." Penelope said before leaving the room.

"Hey." Spencer said, his voice was raspy and sounded like how it did in the morning - Y/N loved it.

"You're okay, thank god." Y/N sighed, placing another kiss to his hand.

"Are you okay?" Spencer asked, squeezing her hand slightly.

Y/N let out a small chuckle, "You literally just got shot in the neck and you ask if I'm okay."

"You're eyes are bloodshot, they're red around the outside, your cheeks are puffy and-"

"Okay, okay, you don’t need to profile that I've been crying, it's obvious - even to someone who isn't a profiler." Y/N said, standing up. She hovered over him and placed a soft kiss to his lips before sitting back down.

"What was that for?" Spencer questioned.

"Because you're alive," Y/N stated, "I thought you were going to die Spence. When you stated at me before you were taken into the ambulance, I thought that was the last time I would ever see you alive."

"Y/N, look at me," Spencer said and Y/N looked up from their joint hands to his face, "Do you feel me?" Y/N nodded, "Can you feel my pulse?" Y/N nodded again, "Am I alive?" Y/N nodded a final time, "Then there's nothing to worry about." Spencer gave Y/N's hand another squeeze.

Y/N smiled and rubbed her thumb over Spencer's knuckles. He was real. He was here. And most importantly, he was alive.

"I was doing some thinking." Y/N started.

"About what?" Spencer said, getting slightly worried.

"About us."

"What about us?" His worry increased slightly.

"I realised how short life is and how easy it is to be taken away and I thought why wait."

"Wait for what?" Spencer asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I want a family," Y/N confessed, "I want to start a family with you Spencer."

Spencer's heart felt like it could jump out of his chest. Ever since he had met Y/N, he knew that she was the one. The one he would love. The one he would cherish. And the one he knew he would grow old with. There was no other person he would want to start a family with other than Y/N.

"I thought you weren't ready?" Spencer questioned. Even though right now he was internally jumping for joy, he didn’t want Y/N to feel pressured into doing anything.

"Well I am now. Life us short, why wait?" Y/N said.

Spencer smiled. His heart felt like it had expanded three times the size it usually was. He was going to start a family with Y/N. However there was one thing he wanted to do before.

"Can you do me a favour?" Spencer asked.

"Anything."

"Can you go in my trousers pocket and grab the box that's in there?"

Y/N nodded and began to rummage through his belongings bag. She reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

Y/N was frozen. Only one piece of jewellery came in a box like this. She was stunned. She knew she wanted to start a family with Spencer, there was no other person she would want to start a family with. However, he had no idea he would propose, especially not now.

"Is this what I think it is?" Y/N asked, her voice slightly unsteady.

"Open it." Spencer said smiling.

Y/N complied to Spencer's request and opened the small box. Inside was a simple diamond ring but it was the perfect ring for Y/N. Tears began to brim Y/N's eyes as she stared at it.

Spencer reached forward, signaling to Y/N to pass him the box. She placed the box in his hand and he took the ring out and held it to her.

"Y/N, I know that this isn't exactly the circumstance that either of us wanted this to happen, but I wanted to ask you - will you marry me?" Spencer said, "I originally had a big speech planned and I memorised it and everything but I don't think that the situation matches the speech anymore."

Y/N stared at the ring in front of her and the man holding the ring before she nodded, "Yes, yes I will marry you Spencer."

Spencer smiled as Y/N leant forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, this kiss more passionate than the one she had given him when he had woken up. This kiss was filled with pure love and adoration.

Y/N pulled away, smiling bright. Spencer's eyes were filled with pure love as he looked back at Y/N.

"I love you, you know that right?" Y/N mumbled.

"Of course I do," Spencer said, "And I'm one hundred percent sure that you know I love you back - so much."

"I'm not as big of a fan of statistics as you, but that is one statistic I know for definite," Y/N replied, "But promise me one thing."

"What?"

"When we get out of here, I want to hear the full speech you had planned."

Spencer chuckled, "It may take a while, it's five pages long."

Y/N smiled, "I would expect nothing less from you Spencer Reid."

SPENCER REID TAGLIST:

@spenxerslut @averyhotchner @drayshadow

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[tyrantzeye]

ykw fuck it its not like i have a ton of other things i should be doing rn(sarcasm).... NOW LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND OTHER ASSORTED FOLK, I NOW PRESENT: ASTOR LOSES HIS SHIT OVER PENELOPE SCOTT'S NEW EP, GIRLS' NIGHT!

verse 1: I've been over the moon for you ever since I met you / You drew the poison from my bloodstream and the salt from both my eyes / You were on loop inside my soul and in my bedroom / And the blood from your mouth drew my eyes up to the sky

verse 1 might be my favorite verse ever written on the face of planet earth....we have the iconic song title mention that almost doesnt match up w the metaphor???? idk ive never seen over the moon used as like aterm for love but rather for happiness in general and based on the other lyrics its not like yk. THAAAT happy. anyways line 2 implies healing and could be interpreted one of two ways - "you make me stop crying" or "you make me cry more" , i personally prefer the latter for reaons to be seen☆ but eifhsr way its such a beautiful line that just fucking CLICKS yk? next one music reference!!!!!!!!!!! i like to think this is where the Depressioncore comes out in tbe song,☆ bc if u play a song on loop for too long u get sick of it no matter how much u love it n every1 has different limits but it all runs oit eventually and the final line of the verse kinda sorta makes a reference to the bloodstream line, maybe implying the poison removal required a vampiric extraction of the blood itself as opposed to just removing the poison, ultimately hurting more than helping, leading to falling over backwards WHICH BRINGS US TOOOO

chorus¹: And on God, I love you / I'll keep you here with me / If I have to fight every devil in Hell / Then I'll run out of blood to bleed / Before I lose you

DIES DIES DIES DIES DIES DIES so we have a lot of blood motifs in this song and i personally like to thnk its sort of a monster reference thing and this tie to the moon and night and these traditional horror.monsyers everyone knows about and how you could use vampire shit as a general metaphor for like affection(of all forms cough cough) and werewolves for a loss of control yk.?? but also blood is what keeps us alive and shows the more ACCURATE observation of "you are worth so much to me that i would give up my Life Juice in your name"bc tbis wbole song is ab longing and wishing that a dead relationship woukd rise again(HAHAHAAHAH VAMPIRE) and that yr js not ready to let n matter how much pain it causes and ws see that escalate with each verse☆ and its fuckinf BEAUTIFUL my dude

verse 2: Every war has its casualties and mine are no exception / I've lost young and handsome soldiers, and it haunts me behind the eyes / In my most recent endeavors I burned six or seven lovers / They were beautiful and innocent, and I had to trade them for my life

we move on from these vague maybe monster references to war similies and metaphors , which is probably a reference to current world events but also showcases how this sort of thng makes you feel inside bc theres this thing ab loss and war thats so emphasized overall even if in the wrong way and penelope compares it to how she feels ab her previous relationships n how she had to sacrifice them so she could find what makes her happy but at what cost? at what point is ANY of it worth it if she has to live with this guilt of feeling like shes betrayed these people forever and ever who were innocent and full of joy and hopes just like she once was before it all came to this? it haunts her like trauma would and it probably is trauma bu UGHDDHDDHSHDH THE WAR METAPHOR MAKES IT HIT SM MORE DIFFERENT sorry next one next one

chorus²: And on God, I love you / I'll save you from that fate / If I have to kill every angel in Heaven / I will snatch you back from the grave / And you will live to see my bed another day

GRAAAGDHHEJSJENSJNHESJ THIS IS MY FAV CHORUS EVR ALSL i feek like this is where everythung kinda ckicks in yr head n u get what shes talking ab SO we start off with a reference to the previous verse, stating that she wont let that happen to her current partner at evwey cost, rven turning to the evil of the world("killing every angel in heaven") just to mane sure this relationship that was doomed from the start stays afloat N BREAK 4 A MOMENT MID SENTENCE i woild like 2 point out the contradiction of "on god i love you" and "if i have to kill every angel in heaven" n ik ong is a figure of speech or whtvr tf internet vernacular but i feel it hits so hard in this chorus??? the very nature of this dilemna is contradictory itself and theres nothing she can do about it and it all ties back to this idea of inevitable love and ievitable failure of tjat love but having this deep need for human connection that youll dtick with it even if it hurts you to the core even if she has to bleed out and kill and fight and struggle she will keep this alive and going because what else is there to fight for? and what else is there to do but wake up in ned the next day with someone she can at least pretend she loves?

SUMMARY: over the moon is a song about yearning for love in a loveless relationship and refusing to give up at all costs, and this is showcased in every verse and line and woven deep into the core of the song and emphasized by the way everything conflicts and every sentiment eventually just leaves one person alone in the aftermath despite all the efforts taken to avoid it.and yeahsjes!!!!!

might cave in and post lyrical analysis of my favorite songs

[safespacespence]

SOCKS !!! FOR CHRISTMAS !!! HAPPY REID !!!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: 1 DAY LEFT

[summary] it’s your first christmas together and you struggle to find the perfect christmas gift for spencer. [pairing] spencer reid x gn!reader [warnings] none, i mention leisurely drinking briefly [category] fluff [word count] 1.5k [a/n] i havent watched me before you, but i know there’s that sock gift scene so i thought of that. also, spencer’s christmas gift to y/n is the cutest fucking thing if anyone ever got me id ask them to marry me. thank you. this was also the first one that i wrote, and saved it for last heh. reblogs are appreciated!!

“i’m really excited, i can’t wait to see your reaction.” spencer chuckled.

“and i hope you like mine.” you lied.

spencer gave you a cheeky grin and kissed you on the forehead. as he disappeared into the living room, the panic you hid started to settle in. gift-giving wasn’t your strong suit at all, and seeing spencer so excited for the exchange only made you feel worse about the fact at hand--you had absolutely no clue what to get him. sure, you knew him well, you knew his quirks and little joys in life, but he seemed so absolutely content with life that you had no idea what he could possibly want for christmas. you had less than a week left to find something for him, something that could possibly equal what he had gotten you. so, so, easy.

spencer and the team left on sunday for a (hopefully) quick consultation in los angeles, and you decided that you would properly use the week to find a gift for him.

on monday, you went to a bath store. maybe, somehow, a little bath set would be nice? you knew how much you both loved to take long, quiet baths together to help him unwind after a bad case. but like, baths? wtf are you thinking. you walked out of the store with a candle, a pity purchase after spending an hour pestering the staff with questions on soothing scents and the products they carry.

spencer called you up that night to talk about the team’s jet discussion on dumbledore being a villain in harry potter. harry potter was your favorite, and he read all the books in a day to learn about it because of how much he loved you. darn spencer reid and his ability to show his love language.

on tuesday, you drove to a specialty coffee shop to maybe, somehow, get a custom coffee blend for him. it was one of those pretentious, overpriced, so-called ‘artisanal’ coffee shops. does he even like coffee that much, though? you’re his girlfriend. literally anyone could buy him coffee. exasperated, you debated calling up penelope for help. but that would be the easy way out, and you wanted to give him a gift that was fully your making. spencer didn’t call that night, but he texted that he’d be back on thursday. okay, you have one more day to do find the perfect gift. you spent the night awake, listing things you knew about spencer and how you could translate them into a gift.

at 4:23am, you finally figured it out.

on wednesday, you got up groggily and drove around town to gather what you needed for the gift. it took up your whole day, but after four youtube videos, an accidental nap, and an unhealthy amount of coffee, your gift was finally finished. you packed it away and kept it where he wouldn’t look (your shoe cabinet) and immediately crashed on the couch.

“afternoon nap, huh?” you heard spencer’s voice break the silence of the apartment.

your eyes adjusted to the light and you felt his fingers brush the hair out of your face.

“hi.” he said, seeing that you weren’t as disoriented.

“what time is it?” you asked, slowly sitting up.

“two-thirty pm.” he said softly.

what he said just registered, and you jolted up. “i’ve been asleep for ELEVEN HOURS?”

his eyes widened. “yOU’VE BEEN ASLEEP FOR ELEVEN HOURS?”

you made up an excuse that you were up watching tv and fell asleep, and quickly went to start a bath for the two of you before he could question you any further. you’re not giving him any clues that you crammed his christmas gift.

the two of you spent the day catching up and settling back into your routine, preparing your joint gift for each team member, and buying a cake to bring to rossi’s bau christmas eve celebration.

you greeted each member of the team with a warm hug, with a lingering one saved for penelope.

“oh you look amazing!” pen giggled.

you couldn’t help but smile. “thank you, pen.”

penelope made a face that you easily read as ‘please tell me what you got reid for christmas’.

“i’m not telling you what i got him, you know that.”

“oh darn you!” she huffed. “you’re no fun.”

you laughed and sipped your wine.

you felt spencer’s hand wrap around your waist. “what are we laughing about, here?”

“oh, nothing, nothing.” you responded.

the late afternoon was of flowing wine, endless laughter, and teasing. at nine-thirty pm, everyone started going home slowly to spend the hour countdowns with their families. will and jj left first with their kids, knowing that they’d be asking to open their stockings. hotch too, having to make sure jack got to open his gifts from everyone in the comfort of his own home. derek and penelope left together, derek having to drive a very tipsy penelope. emily left about the same time, too, to partake in her own christmas traditions (most likely with sergio). you and spencer left last, with a ton of leftovers that rossi forced you into taking home.

when you got back into the apartment, spencer immediately got to making hot chocolate and grabbed a sweater each for you and him. you smiled and got cozy, melting into his warm embrace.

“we’re exchanging at exactly twelve, right?” he asked, all giddy.

“yeah, that sounds good.” you nodded.

“five, four, three, two, one!” you cheered.

“merry christmas, my love.” spencer said, coming in for a kiss.

you softened when his lips made contact with yours, and felt your cheeks warm. you could feel his smile forming against your lips, and you slowly pulled back to find an overjoyed spencer reid. in all of his complexity, you couldn’t help but admire the way his face looked when he was genuinely so happy. god, you really love him.

“me first! i can’t wait.” spencer stood up and went into the coat closet to fish out a box or chest. he was dragging it across the living room to get close to where you sat. you were confused, trying to figure out what this could possibly be. probably not a dog, we said we wouldn’t get a dog.

“go, go, open it!” he was elated.

you tore through the wrapping he so-clearly-had-done-himself, as he sat beside you, almost on the edge of his seat, waiting for you to open it. when you finally got to opening the actual box, your eyes were filled with parchment covered books. you picked one up to examine them closely. it was definitely a book, but it was wrapped in brown parchment, so you couldn’t see the title. what you could see, however, was permanent marker in spencer’s handwriting, ‘OPEN WHEN YOU WANT AN ESCAPE’. you processed what it was and a smile involuntarily formed on your face.

he started rambling to explain. “it’s a collection of open when books! if you’re feeling sad, or-or you miss me, or you want to learn about music, there’s a book for it! and there are corresponding annotations inside! so-so if you’re sad there’s a happy book and i put comments to make you happy so that you can be happy when you’re sad because i wouldn’t want you to be sad and--”

you slam your lips onto his. “i love it, spence. this must have taken forever, i-i’m at a loss of words.” you kissed him again. “thank you. so much.”

you hugged him tightly.

“your turn, your turn!!” he said.

“okay, okay.” you stood to grab a little bag kept inside your shoe cabinet and sat next to him as he opened it.

you were suddenly nervous again, worried that maybe your gift would be too simple.

he pulled them out, ten pieces of socks in a flurry of colors and textures. he went silent. he only stared at them, ten different socks in crazy colors and patterns, some with lines of fluffier cloth, some with small quirks sticking out.

“spence--?”

and a split-second later, you were in his arms in the tightest hug he’d ever given you.

“I LOVE THEM! THEY’RE SO DIFFERENT AND NONE OF THEM MATCH AND THEY’LL KEEP ME OCCUPIED AND THEY’RE PERFECT!”

you relaxed and gave a belly laugh. “they’re from different cloths, so there’s different textures. and this one has beads on the hem, they spell S.R., you see? and this one has a little trinket, it’s a book! i found it at this little bead shop. oh, and this one is kind of a glitter cloth, so it’s texturally different too and you can mix and match, because i know you don’t like matching, so--”

“is that what i sound like when i ramble?” he smiled at you.

you blushed. “um--y-yeah possibly.”

“this is the most thoughtful gift anyone could have ever gotten me. you don’t know how much this’ll keep me occupied when i get all fidgety. it’s perfect. you-you’re perfect.”

he brought you in closer.

“merry christmas, spencer.” you said against his cheek.

“merry christmas, my love.”

read the rest of the series: athena's twelve gifts of christmas

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[babymetaldoll]

I've been working out a little bit (Spencer Reid/Reader)

Requested: Yes.

Summary: Spencer has been working out with Penelope, and they are doing their best to keep it a secret. Until (Y/N) finds out and tries to help. And though he doesn't want to because he is embarrassed about his poor athletic performance, somehow she manages to help.  

Category: Fluff

Warnings: Curses, frustration. Good old fools in love.

Word count: 3.8K

A/N: Hello, pretty people! I've missed you! I hope you like this little story. It's one of the last requests pending on my list. Tomorrow I can finally visit my grandparents, I'll be taking care of them for at least two weeks, and though I know it's hard work, I am just so happy I can be with them again!! I miss them! Take care, whenever you are! Love you!

Masterlist

                                    𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

- "No fucking way, Spencer!" (Y/N) widened her eyes and laughed so hard tears filled her eyes. She was sitting at her desk at work, staring at her best friend, who could barely walk due to the two hours he had spent that morning training with Penelope.

- "Please, don't tell anyone."- he whispered and looked around the bullpen. He was too embarrassed already to let anyone else know he had to take the mandatory fit test. He wanted to avoid the jokes, especially Derek's.

- "Your secret is safe with me, as always, chipmunk"- (Y/N) smiled and bit her lips, trying not to laugh anymore- "But why on earth are you working out? You have enough case hours to cover a fit test!"

- "Apparently, I can't skip it this year. Both me and Penelope have to take it."- Spencer whispered and sat down very slowly, pain written all over his face.

His best friend stared at him reading the mix of embarrassment and physical pain he felt with each movement he made. (Y/N) smiled and opened one of her drawers, looking for the last Snicker she had hidden in case of need. Watching Spencer in pain was precisely the case. She stood up and handed him the candy, making his heart skip a beat. Spencer did his best to hide the blush on his cheeks and just looked away.

- "I can help you if you want."- (Y/N) whispered and cut him the most adorable smile she had.

- "Help me what?"

- "Working out."- she replied and bit her granola bar- "I can teach you how to kick ass, and I do look hot wearing sweat shorts."

Spencer nearly chook. He flushed and closed his eyes, trying to cover up his embarrassment. But (Y/N) giggled and turned around. Her job there was done. Now Spencer had to be picturing her in her sweat shorts.

Of course, he was. He couldn't stop, actually.

The two agents were the youngest of the team, and somehow sometimes in-between cases, it showed. Especially when they were on their own, and their conversations ended up in casual flirting.

(Y/N) was head over feet in love with Spencer, though she was never going to face it. God knows Penelope had tried to force her to deal with her feelings. But she was closed as an oyster. No matter how much Garcia insisted or how drunk they were, (Y/N) kept denying her true feelings in public.

Spencer wasn't indifferent. Not at all. As a matter of fact, he was in love with (Y/N). Everything about her bewitched him. Ever since the first time he laid eyes on her, he felt it. She was tailor-made for him. If only he weren't a nervous wreck each time he saw her...

After two years working together, Spencer had managed to overcome part of my shyness and awkwardness around (Y/N). They were best friends, and they would usually hang out in their free time. The little free time they had in the BAU. But even when they could playfully flirt all the time, Spencer was sure she didn't like him that way. He convinced himself she was just joking.

--

(Y/N) headed to the Batcave holding a large frappuccino and knocked on the half-opened door before walking in.

- "Penelope García, I had the feeling you were running caffeine low."

- "Oh my pretty little thing! How do you do it? You read my mind!"- the tech analyst nearly hyperventilated as soon as she held her ice and creamed coffee.

- "Reid and I were out for a little break, and I knew you would like one of these to cheer up your afternoon"- Garcia sipped her frappuccino and nodded. But as soon as she had finished savoring the perfect coffee, she asked.

- "So, you and Reid..."

- "We were out getting coffee, like the best friends we are."

- "But, there's coffee here in the kitchenette. There's no need to go out and get coffee unless you want to find an excuse to be alone with him."- (Y/N) raised an eyebrow and sighed. Garcia did that every single chance she got.

- "You and I know the FBI doesn't share our concept of "good" coffee."- (Y/N) looked at her friend and just smiled- "Besides, I told you, I felt you needed some extra sugar and joy in your life after your early workout session this morning."

- "That little snitch!"- (Y/N) chuckled and shook her head.

- "Don't get mad at Reid. He didn't tell me anything. I kind of figured there was something wrong 'cos he looked in so much pain just breathing."

- "Oh man, he is sored, but I am sure he would be way sorer if you train with him."

- "I offered myself to help him"- Garcia raised an eyebrow at (Y/N) 's words, and the young agent wide opened her eyes, blushing- "Stop staring at me like I'm a perv! I meant helping him train for the test. I could help you too."

- "Thank you, but no, thank you. I trained with you, and there's no way we are going to do all that boxing again."

- "Come on! You said you had fun!"

- "I did! I really did... but I could barely move the next day! And I had a date! I couldn't even dance, less doing... other... nevermind"- Penelope stopped herself in her tracks and shook her head.

- "Shit, PG!"- (Y/N) closed her eyes and chuckled- "Spare me the details."

- "Sorry... anyway... you and the little genius should definitely train in a more... horizontal way."

- "Garcia! Stop it!"- (Y/N) laughed and stood up- "I'm gonna go back to work 'cos clearly you have some hormonal issues today, and you are projecting."

- "Stop acting like you haven't thought about it!"- Garcia said and chuckled as her friend walked away.

- "I'm not telling you anything."

- "That means yes!"

- "No! it doesn't!"- (Y/N) was blushing; that's why she refused to turn around and look at Penelope.

- "Oh! It so does!"

--

The end of that day found Spencer even more sore, hungry and weary than he had felt in years. All he wanted to do was go home, eat pizza leftovers from the night before, and go straight to bed.

Until...

- "Hey, chipmunk!"- (Y/N) looked at Spencer, gathering all his things and getting ready to go home.- "Dinner at my place tonight. My treat."

- "I can pick the take out tonight?"- he said immediately and asked himself where did that come from if, a second earlier, all he wanted to do was to go to bed. Probably from the same place that kept coming back to the image of her in sweat shorts.

- "Even better. I'll cook"- (Y/N) answered and winked, playfully- "You deserve a proper homemade dinner after all the workout you did this morning."

Spencer looked at her and didn't even notice the silly smile on his face. If he had known how in love he was looking, he would have probably slapped himself. (Y/N) sighed and stood up.

- "I'm gonna take that silence as a "Great (Y/N)! Thank you! How considered! I'm so lucky to have you in my life".

Spencer rolled his eyes and shook his head.

- "Thank you, (Y/N). But I'll give you more praise if your food turns out to be eatable"- the young agent gasped, pretending to be insulted by his words, and hit Reid's arm with her knuckles.

- "Auch! (Y/N)!"

- "I'm being nice, and you are insulting me! I'm having second thoughts about driving you over!"

- "I can take the subway! You are such a slow driver I can actually be there faster."

Spencer stuck out his tongue at her and ran to the elevator, 'cos his friend widened her eyes and ran after him, probably to hit him again.

Morgan and Prentiss stared at the scene in silence, sharing a few looks, both of them thinking the exact same thing: "When are these two goofs ever going to hook up?"

- "They are annoying"- Rossi stood next to Emily's desk and crossed his arms on his chest.

- "They are in love"- she corrected, but David shook his head and sighed.

- "I know, and they are adorable, but it's so annoying staring at the same scene over and over again, waiting for something, anything, to happen between them."

- "Are you turning into a bitter old man who completely forgot about the charm of being young and in love?"- Prentiss raised an eyebrow and turned to Rossi. The Italian stared right into her eyes and shook his head.

- "I'm just saying someone should try to tell them something."

- "I've tried to talk to him about her a million times. But Reid is one private kid."- Derek said from his desk as the three of them stared at Spencer and (Y/N) getting into the elevator, still arguing and playfully playing.

- "And he is so insecure. He doesn't think she likes him."

- "Likes him? She is clearly in love with him!"- Prentiss said, annoyed- "I swear, if nothing happens between them this weekend, I'm going to intervene."

- "Now who is forgetting about the charm of being young and in love?"- Rossi joked and sighed- "Come on guys, dinner's on me."

--

(Y/N)' s dinner was a success. Spencer ate two portions of honey mustard-glazed chicken bake. She even managed to make him eat vegetables. And Spencer didn't even argue. Not only because it was delicious, and his body really needed some homemade dinner. But also 'cos (Y/N) got him wrapped around her fingers, even without knowing it. And if she asked him to eat veggies, Spencer (no matter how much he would argue) would eat his damn veggies. And he could actually enjoy them.

- "Ok, chipmunk, you ate all your food. You earned your dessert"- (Y/N) smiled and picked the dirty dishes from the table.

- "Let me do that. You already fed me. The least I can do is do the dishes."

Spencer followed her moves and took the dishes to the sink. (Y/N) didn't argue with that. It wasn't the first time Spencer cleaned the kitchen with her, after all. They had been good friends, close friends, for a long time, and they were used to being around each other.

But this time, it felt somehow different. Like there was something in the air warning them things were about to change for good.

- "Ok, doc. Do you wanna eat your dessert watching tv for a while?"- (Y/N) handed Spencer an ice cream bowl with chocolate chips on top and some whipped cream.

- "A smiley ice cream bowl?"- Spencer chuckled as he stared at it. He loved it.

- "Yes, you are never too old to eat food with a smile on it. And that's a life lesson, Spencer Walter Reid."- she said and walked to the couch, holding the remote control.

- "You are filled with wisdom, (Y/N)"- Reid teased her and sat by her side.

- "I know. It would help if you let me train you. You would pass your fit test in a blink."- she said and continued surfing channels.

- "Thanks, but no thanks. I wanna do it on my own."- Spencer glued his eyes on the screen and ate his dessert. (Y/N) just nodded and continued surfing channels.

- "Why?"- she asked him after a few minutes. They had been watching an old movie in silence, just eating their ice cream.

- "Why what?"- he whispered and looked at her just for a second. He didn't trust himself around (Y/N), especially under those circumstances: alone in her house. She had changed into leggings and an old extra-large sweatshirt. Her hair was in a messy bun. And Spencer didn't feel able to look at her into the eyes, 'cos he was going to cave in. He was going to grab her face with both hands and kiss her right there. No questions asked.

Which is why he avoided looking at her.

- "Why don't you want me to help you train?"

- "Just because"- he answered and glued his eyes to the screen. But (Y/N) knew better. She moved closer to him on the couch and held his hands. Spencer shivered right away at the sensation of her skin. It was so warm and soft. All he craved was some more of that. He wanted to feel her. Touch her. Taste her.

His head was going way too fast, and just because she held his hand.

- "Spencer, look at me"- she whispered and practically begged her friend to pay her attention- "I just wanna help. It's just a stupid fit test. It ain't hard."

- "For you."- he mumbled and looked down at his hand as her fingers played against his skin.

- "I didn't want you or anyone to help me 'cos I'm a fucking SSA who should be perfectly able to perform a simple fit test on his own. But no. I can't! And do you know what that means?"

- "That finally I know there's one thing you are not good at?"- she answered and smiled at him. Spencer raised his eyes and met hers. He knew his cheeks were all shades of pink, but for once, he just didn't care. He just wanted to look at her and see if she meant it. Or if she was just teasing him.

- "Right"- he snorted and shook his head.

- "I mean it, Spencer. You don't have to be good at everything."

- "It's a fit test. It's basic to be an agent. I need to be able to catch an unsub."- (Y/N) frowned and tried to understand where all that self-doubt and insecurity was coming from. To her eyes, Spencer had nothing to be ashamed of. To her, he was perfect in every single way.

- "You already catch unsubs, chipmunk. Everyday. You don't have to kick down doors to make a profile. And you don't have to run six miles to get the bad guy. Everything that you do every day at work is what an SSA is supposed to do. And you excel at it."

(Y/N) sighed and smiled at her best friend, trying to push aside the urge she felt to kiss him. His golden-brown eyes looked so big, like honey pools, she could stare for a lifetime. Spencer didn't know what to say. He really wasn't good with praises. He wasn't used to them. Not in that way.

- "Besides"- (Y/N) added after a few seconds of silence when she realized she might have said too much and started panicking.

- "It feels good to finally know there is one thing I am better than you at."

- "What are you talking about?"- Spencer answered right away, in the sassiest tone of voice.- "Just because I suck working out doesn't mean you are better. Even at my lowest, I'm still better than whatever you can do in a gym."

Reid was obviously joking. He knew (Y/N) could kick ass. Not only had she saved his life many times on the field, but also, he had seen her working out. And she could definitely kick his ass if she wanted to.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to tease her just because.

- "You take that back, Reid!"- she threatened him and

- "No"- he sentenced and crossed his arms on his chest

- "Last chance. Take it back, or you will pay for it."

- "Make me."

And that was it.

In a second, (Y/N) was on him tickling him, and trying to practice a chokehold on him. But Spencer was faster, and somehow, stronger than her. Maybe it was because he was struggling with himself. A part of him wanted her closer, and a part of him didn't want her too close, 'cos he knew his pants were going to start feeling too tight if she did.

Whatever the reason was, after two minutes of wrestling, Spencer had (Y/N) pinned down against the couch. And the way she panted against the fabric of the cushion wasn't helping him with his pants.

- "Spencer, it hurts"- she cried and tried to move from his grip, but he didn't let her go.

- "If you want me to release you, you have to say I am the best agent in this house."

- "Never!"- (Y/N) quickly answered and continued struggling.

- "Just say it, I've got you held, and I'm not going to let you free until you say it."- something in his tone of voice, it was teasing but also... sexy? (Y/N) knew Spencer wasn't trying to act that way, but it was working for her in a way she hadn't imagined. He would be so soft. And now, there he was, acting like a dominant man, holding her tight, not letting her move, literally pinned against the couch.

If only it were all happening in a different context.

- "Let me go, Spencer Reid!"- (Y/N) battled against his arms, but it was useless

- "Just say it"- he leaned in and whispered in her ear, and (Y/N) sword she could almost feel his smile as he spoke.

- "You are the best agent!! There, happy?"- she mumbled, making her best to sound annoyed and not turned on. Spencer released her, and she quickly sat down properly, rubbing her left wrist.

- "Did I hurt you?"- Spencer whispered and noticed how flustered she was. That was a first.

- "No. But I gotta tell you, you are stronger than I thought."- she said and stuck out her tongue to him, trying to be playful and innocent, though you could feel it in the air. That moment was anything but innocent.

- "Yeah, I've been working out a little bit."- Spencer answered and chuckled at his own words.

- "Well, you are going to have to learn how to control your new strength, 'cos this is going to leave a bruise"- (Y/N) whined and showed him her sore wrist. Spencer winced, ashamed he had been so hard on her without meaning any harm. He moved closer to her and held her wrist carefully. (Y/N) just looked at him as he kissed her wrist a few times.

That man couldn't be real. He was such a tease.

Did he know all the things he was, in fact, doing to her with that simple touch?

He surely had to know. Otherwise, there was no explanation, she thought.

- "Thanks"- (Y/N) whispered and fixed her eyes on his lips, still landing small kisses on her wrist.

That was when she stopped breathing. Spencer was literally breathtaking. He smiled at her, and she just couldn't help it anymore. (Y/N) leaned in and kissed him. It was a soft, short peck. But she had dared to do the unthinkable.

She kissed her best friend.

Spencer widened his eyes, shocked, and looked at her, not saying a word. They just stayed still for a good thirty seconds until Spencer finally made his move, cupping her jaw carefully with both hands and pulling her face against his.

The way she moaned into the kiss made him feel more in control than he had ever been before.

It was a soft kiss but intense. Spencer's lips rubbed carefully against her mouth, and his tongue moved carefully, making its way until he could taste her. (Y/N) moved closer to him until she was basically sitting on his lap, and his arms wrapped around her body, locking her against him.

They were in heaven.

Until it was over. Their phones buzzed at the same time, breaking the spell, ending the charm. (Y/N) jumped from Spencer's arms and grabbed her phone.

- "We've got a case"- she whispered and turned to him. He was agitated, his cheeks were red, his pants felt tight, and he was starving for more of those kisses.

- "Ok."- he replied but didn't move.

- "I'm gonna change, then we can go."- (Y/N) added, but he didn't say a word. To be fair, Spencer wasn't processing what was going on. He was still trying to elaborate a coherent thought. And most of all, he was fighting the boner in his pants that didn't let him stand up.

You could blame all the sugar in his body after the massive bowl of ice cream, or all the praising (Y/N) had given him, but Spencer found a new level of courage in that kiss. He decided it was time to stop overthinking it. It was time to act on his feelings.

- "(Y/N)"- Reid knocked on her bedroom door and heard her from the walking closet.

- "I'm almost ready. Did you talk with Garcia?"

- "No, but I don't wanna leave things like this. I wanted to talk about what just happened."

(Y/N) sighed and took a look at herself in the mirror. She could still feel her cheeks burning after that kiss, after feeling her best friend hard underneath her body, holding her against him. But she wasn't sure she wanted to hear what Reid was about to say. Most of all, because she was sure it was going to be something along the lines: "That kiss was a mistake, you are my friend. I don't wanna ruin this."

- "That kiss was..."- he mumbled and walked to her as soon as she showed up in the room, but words were hard to find when she looked at him that way.

- "Spencer, I..."- she tried to speak, but he just continued.

- "Would you like to..."

- "Pretend it didn't happen?"

- "Go out on a date with me?"- the two of them said at the same time and widened their eyes in shock.

- "What?"- (Y/N) questioned and stared at her best friend in shock- "You want to go out with me?"

- "You want to pretend it never happened?"- he asked her, scared he might have rushed to the wrong conclusions.

- "No, no, no, I don't... I can't pretend it didn't happen"- (Y/N) quickly answered and held Spencer's hand, afraid she might have ruined everything.

- "I was just scared you were going to reject me or..."- (Y/N) bt her lips and dared to look at him- "I wanna go out on a date with you"- she whispered and watched his whole face change as a big silly grin drawn on his lips.

- "Really?"- he murmured, still not sure it was actually happening. He asked her out. She said yes. He was sure that was never going to happen in real life.

- "Really"- she assured him and leaned in slowly to kiss him one more time. But her phone rang again, and so did his. This time it was a message from Hotch. Wheels up as soon as they reached the FBI.

- "But after we catch the bad guy."- (Y/N) added, and Spencer chuckled.

- "Sounds like a plan."

Spencer Reid’s taglist: 

@calm-and-doctor @all-tings-diego

Requested by @shilohpug​