#and I had the though ‘I just know she would give good hugs’ about eight

[irishironclad]

TTOI - Chapter Two - Labour Draft

“Niko,” Natasha said, she tried to sound exasperated, but she couldn’t hide her smile. Just him standing near her was enough to put her at ease. “What are you doing here? Finally decided to stop skipping the labour draft?” 

“Ha! As if they’d put my name in their damn list, nah, I’m working something of a business opportunity, and ‘course servicing these fine working gentlemen here,” Niko said, he took a last drag on his cigarette and flicked it away. Immediately fishing out another one and offering it to Natasha. “Smoke?” 

“You know I don’t,” Natasha said, crossing her arms and frowning at him. 

“Your loss. And don’t give me that look, I lead a stressful life,” Niko said, popping the cigarette into his mouth and striking a match on his boot to light it. Natasha rolled her eyes. The crowd slowly trickled away from around them, and it was just Natasha, Niko, and three others. 

Natasha was nearly toppled as three kids their weight into a hug. Issac was the oldest, barely fourteen, older than Niko had been when Natasha had met him. 

Little Alexi was always by his side, curly brown hair, round cheeks, Niko had found him when he was barely just a toddler; left in the cold by a mother who couldn’t keep him. Nat took special care to hug him back and kiss him on his head. 

Then there was Ewa, a tiny wisp of a girl with wavy raven hair and eyes the name colour as Natasha’s. She didn’t speak much, except when it mattered, but she saw everything. Natasha tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, and she smiled when Natasha kissed her on her forehead. 

Niko took care of them when no one else wood, lost children of Brudna they were. It was not uncommon for kids to end up parentless and alone, their mums and dads dead from any manner of things or taken away for some minor offence. The boys would often die, or be swept up by Red Guard recruiters looking for an easy way to fill their quotas. The girls, they’d just disappear, sometimes never seen again, sometimes they’d be seen looking strung out, worn; taken in by men who used their bodies for profit. Natasha thought often about how there were not many women in Brudna under the age of twenty-five, only her and little Ewa that she knew of. 

Niko had been like them, not lucky like Natasha was to be given to someone kind enough to take her in. He’d survived the cold streets by being clever and very lucky. Which was how they met, he’d snuck into the bins behind the café looking for scraps of mouldy bread, and Natasha, just ten years old, had cried and pleaded with Solotovich to let him inside and feed him what they could. Solotovich had pretended to be stern but still gently offered spoonfuls of soup anyway. 

From that day onward they’d seen each other often, and he was the only one that could call her Tasha. 

“So, what kind of business opportunity?” Natasha asked. 

“An honest and lawful one, I promise.” 

“So smuggling then.” 

“Oi! Keep your voice down!” Niko said, slightly panicked. 

“It’s not like you hide it,” Natasha knew even with the guard agitated they had too many reasons to ignore goods being brought into Brudna. 

“Oh, look who's a model citizen over here. Not all of us get a bed to sleep in and a half decent assigned work schedule,” Niko said.

“So what? You’re not going to cut me in?” Natasha dramatically pouted her lips and looked at Niko, she knew it worked when his face grew red, he maintained his composure though and grinned mischievously. 

“Who says I haven’t already? Hop up to the kiosk and get your assignment,” Niko’s crooked grin was enough to convince Natasha to go along with it. Besides it was a welcome distraction from the events of that morning. 

She went right up to the Overseer kiosk, the men politely letting her cut in line. It was the same young man as always. His blue overcoat was a lot more faded than Edward’s had been. 

“Name and number,” he said tiredly, not even looking at her. 

“Natasha, two-eight-three-seven-seven,” Natasha said automatically. 

The Overseer shuffled some papers, stamped one, he then turned to a machine adjacent to him. He stuck the papers in one after another. The machine whirred loudly, then shuttered with a series of ca-chunk! Noises before it produced a stamped punch card which the officer looked out and announced;

“Cargo hauling, next!” 

“Cargo hauling?” Natasha asked, returning to Niko. 

“Yeah, easy work, you move cargo from one place to another place,” Niko said. “And would you believe it, me and these three have the same job.” 

“Colour me shocked,” Natasha said blankly. “Alright, what’s the hustle?” 

“Hustle? Ah! You wound me! I am a good, dutiful citizen of our fair Commonwealth!” Niko put a hand to his chest in mock offence, 

Natasha’s eyebrow couldn’t rise any farther. Niko couldn’t grin any more mischievously. 

“You’ll see, come on.” 

Niko flicked his cigarette, and it was quickly replaced by another one, he led Natasha down a backstreet. Little Ewa held Natasha’s hand as they walked, and the boys joked, shoved, and laughed along the way; it made Natasha smile. 

“How’s old man Solotovich then, Nat?” asked Alexi, grinning at her with a mouth full of gaps. His proper teeth would grow in soon. 

“As grumpy as ever,” Natasha smiled. 

“Ah! Old bear loves to growl, but he's got no bite!” Issac exclaimed

“You’d best talk better of him, I know he leaves bread and meat out for you lot,” Natasha said. 

“Begging your pardon, miss, just harmless teasing,” Isaac said in mock gratitude, tipping his cap dramatically. “Send our thanks and regards to Misterz Solotovich.” 

“I’m sure he’ll grumble and complain about you freeloading kids all the same,” Natasha laughed, taking the opportunity to tussle Isaac’s messy black hair as he lifted his cap. She then felt a tug on her sleeve, and Nat leaned over, so Ewa could speak softly in her ear. 

“Has Misterz Solotovich been able to make the sweet buns?” she asked, those were always the favourite for any kids, but they hadn’t been able to get their hands on the glaze needed for the recipe for months. 

“Maybe soon,” Natasha said gently, and Ewa smiled. 

The boys continued to joke and holler without reprieve as they all followed Niko, a few angry faces poked out at them from the windows but softened when they saw who it was. They were a recognizable bunch in Brudna, Niko, Natasha, and their kids. 

Eventually the narrow alleyway opened, and the buildings ceased to give way to a small dock, gently rocking in the calm filthy waters of Brudna Bay. Rusted ships that looked like they could sink any moment were moored there, and the whole dock was practically empty of people or cargo. Save for a few pallets piled with crates, which were guarded by one lone bored looking Guardsmen. 

Niko approached him nonchalantly, pulling a carton of cigarettes from inside his coat and tossing them to the Guard, who caught it just as casually. 

“Go and have yourself a break,” Niko said, winking. 

The guardsmen shrugged and sauntered off, rifle shouldered, tobacco smoking trailing behind him. Natasha wasn’t surprised, for all their polish and marching in straight lines many Guardsmen had no sense of duty if left to their own devices; their discipline came when they acted in a pack. 

“Upstanding citizen, huh?” Natasha asked. 

“Of course!” Niko said. “These poor guardsmen, they stand all day and have no break! I’m just giving back to our dutiful servicemen.” 

“Uh-huh,” Natasha said. “What’s in the crates?” 

“Can’t give away all my secrets, can I?” 

“Niko, I’m not moving anything without knowing what it is,” Natasha said. “If this is dru-” 

“Oi! Don’t say that!” Niko hushed her, looking wildly around. “What are you nuts?”

“Well, what is it, then?” Natasha asked.

“Alright, have a look if you care so much,” Niko rolled his eyes with a solid kick to the nearest crate which popped open the top. Niko worked his fingers under the lid and pulled it free, revealing piles of burlap sacks tied tightly with twine. Niko worked one open to reveal it stuffed with a fine white powder. 

“Niko...” Natasha said tiredly. “I said no d-”

“It isn’t!” Niko looked over his shoulder again, then leaned in to whisper. “It isn’t drugs, it’s sugar.” 

“Sugar?” Natasha asked, she leaned forward to inspect it. The sugar rations they occasionally got came in the form of tins or jars of a sort of syrup, never raw sugar. Natasha couldn’t even remember the last time she had seen sugar like this. 

“Where does it come from?” Natasha asked. 

“Lestille,” Niko said. 

“Where?” 

“No idea, some island somewhere, and then smuggled into the Commonwealth somehow.” 

“Where’s it going to?” 

“Now, now,” Niko said. “You know better than to ask questions, listen the job is we gotta pour these bags into barrels and then put them on… that ship right there.” 

A small rusted collier with a single smokestack towards the back chugged along through the murky waters until it smoothly pulled into an open dock, mooring itself with its anchor instead of tying off. A man put down a gangplank and stepped onto shore, he seemed to pretend they weren’t there as he lit up a pewter pipe and leaned against a mooring bollard, offering them only a glance from his sea green eyes from under a mariner's cap. 

There were barrels on the ship, Issac and Alexi went about moving them off so they could be poured into without trouble. While Natasha, Niko, and Ewa began removing the bags of sugar from the crates and undoing the strangely complicated knots that bound them tightly closed. 

As Natasha worked, she glanced over at Niko, watching his hands. His fingers danced along the rope deftly and in quick precise movements he would undo the knot in a blink. Natasha had witnessed the speed and skill he had before, in a picked pocket, a shimmied lock, in how he caught a cigarette deftly from a pack and placed it in his mouth. 

His eyes were blue like the water sometimes was on a bright day, and they lit with simple concentration on skilful work, with a sparkle of humour in them as Natasha knew he enjoyed roping her into his schemes. It was all as well, Natasha enjoyed being roped into them. 

Natasha wanted to tell him then, of Edward and all that had happened. He’d have ideas, some clever plan to get Edward out. Ever since she’d known him he could read any situation and think his way through it, there was safety in that, an easing of tension. But as alone as they were you never knew who was listening, Natasha glanced around her shoulder. Later, she told herself, tell him later, when they were alone. 

It had been just past midday when they started, and by the time they had poured the sugar into the barrels and loaded them onto the boat it was well into the afternoon. They watched the boat quietly depart into the fog, a ghost in the dimming light. 

“No need to go back to the draft, we’re supposed to be cargo hauling all day,” Niko said. “How about dinner? My treat.” 

“Gunna, get the rest of us some grub, Niko, or just the pretty lady?” Alexi teased. 

“You lot get out of here, I’ll feed you parasites later,” Niko. 

“Oh, come now! These two worked hard today, they deserve a good meal,” Natasha said. 

“Oi, it’s my dime.” 

“It is, but can you say no to these faces?” Natasha wrapped her arms around Alexi and Isaac who pouted dramatically, Natasha mimicking their expressions, with Ewa poking her head out from behind them to stare. Nico spluttered on his cigarette. 

“Fine, whatever,” he grumbled, his face red, the boys snickered. 

“Who would strike you as a parent, huh?” Natasha said, smiling as she approached Niko only to jab him playfully in the ribs.

“Don’t you start,” Niko said, his cheeks even more red. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Do you want food or not?” 

“Since you twisted my arm.” 

Niko huffed but still walked along with them away from the docks, Natasha allowed herself to forget all about Edward and everything else for just a moment as she playfully hooked her arm into Niko’s. He blushed harder but couldn’t help but grinning at her, Issac and Alexi made mocking coos at them, even Ewa giggled at the display. Suddenly the city didn’t seem so cold and dark. 

They navigated twisting backstreets and alleyways until they came across a rather secluded corner. Here, in a thin little strip of street, the proper name of which had been forgotten, was The Kosz. 

No Red Guard marched here, and every inch of it were street stalls huddled together, handing out bowls of whatever food could be made hot, many of them peddling trinkets, curios, and shiny baubles galore often pilfered from one place or another. People in Cienma enjoyed the oddity or two when they could afford it. There were tables and bar stools set up, with old oil barrels filled with flames warming the whole corner along with the countless bodies crammed into the place. 

Even if the Guard didn’t come here it would be impossible to miss, the sound of talking, haggling and laughter echoed off the stone walls and seemed to carry for miles. It was a bright little spot that radiated warmth and the sound of simple happiness, as if in defiance of the hot slag and angry noise of the factories. 

They beelined to a familiar spot, not a stall but a wide open window that peered right into the kitchen inside the home. A wooden plank sat atop a barrel as a countertop and bar stools were set up outside under a patchwork canopy. Inside the kitchen, a bent-over old woman moved about, her head wrapped in a knitted shawl, and her weathered hands working ingredients into a stewpot. 

“Babica,” Niko called out sweetly. “How are you, my dear lovely Anastazja?”

“Compliments will get you nowhere with me, boy,” Ana said, peering at Niko with warm brown eyes. “You still owe me for the ruckus your band of troublemakers gave me last week.” 

“I believe I thanked you many times to count for you accommodating our late night celebration,” Niko said. He sat down at the bar stool, subtly snaking his hand into the kitchen, fishing for one of the peeled carrots that Ana had on her countertop. For his trouble, he got struck across the knuckles sharply with the spoon Ana wielded. 

“Hands outside the window, cap off, and no smoking!” Ana snapped. “And you two boys best sit still if you want food!” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Niko said obediently, removing his cap and flicking his cigarette.

“Yes, ma’am!” echoed Isaac and Alexi, mirroring Niko. 

“You’re lucky I let you lot even sit,” Ana said. She then looked at Natasha and smiled warmly, reaching over to push the strands of loose brown hair away from Natasha’s eyes affectionately. “And how are you, kochanie?” 

“Very good, Babica,” Natasha said. She kissed Ana’s hand. Ana’s other hand reached over to pinch Ewa’s cheek gently. 

“You are so thin, my girl! Does Gregory Solotovich not feed you properly?” 

“He does his best, but he isn’t as good as you,” Natasha said. 

“In another life I would have just married that man and then no one would have to suffer his cooking, alas!” Ana said, returning to her pot to stir it. “What is what is.” 

“You’d drive the poor old man insane, you would,” Niko said. 

“Keep talking, boy, you won’t get a drop,” Ana said. 

“How has business been lately?” Natasha asked. 

“Well, there have been better days, there’s always been better days,” Ana said, and an unpleasant look came over her face. 

“There’s been trouble?” 

Ana tapped the side of her nose and pointed north-east, towards the Iron Tower. Natasha let the matter drop; it was an old Brudna gesture. It meant I can’t say, the Iron Tower might be listening. It was safer to say nothing, though, the idea of the Guard harassing dear Ana made Natasha’s jaw clench. 

Her mood was improved when Ana put a steaming bowl of stew in front of her. The concoction was simple, carrots, onions, and other bits and bobs, with the meat being little more than minced offal; all they could afford in Brudna. But it was warm, filling, and made with love. 

They enjoyed their food in peace, Ana watching them contentedly with a smile. She cleaned up her kitchen and packed away the leftover stew into large mason jars which clasped shut, keeping the food warm inside. 

“My compliments once more, my lovely Ana,” Niko said, slurping up every last drop. He then reached into his coat pocket, coins jingling in his hand. 

“You put the money away, Niko,” Ana said. She took away Niko’s bowl and replaced it with three mason jars. “Take those to the rest of your gang of hooligans.” 

“Ana, I have the money to pay you-” 

“I don’t want your damn thieving money, Niko, now get out,” Ana said, brandishing her spoon. 

“Much obliged,” Niko said, swiping the jars and making a quick getaway. 

“One is for Solotovich,” Ana said, she placed ten jars into a box for Natasha to carry. “The rest is for your usual run, I put in an extra one for Adrien and Julia, their poor little one has come down with some sort of pox. I've been trying to get herbs for him, but you know how things have been.” 

“Thank you, keep safe,” Natasha said. She leaned forward to give Ana a kiss on the cheek before taking the box and following Niko. 

They walked back out into the main street in high spirits, turning towards Natasha’s home. 

“A fresh roll from Solotovich would go great with those, Nat,” Isaac said, eyeing the jars of stew in Niko’s arms. “What’s the chances the old man is feeling generous today?” 

“Tell you what, you help me hand these out, and I’ll put in a good word with him, deal?” 

“You gotta deal!” Alexi said, and the two of them took an equal share each and ran off to hand them out, Niko took Ewa’s hand and followed after his boys. 

Fortunately, each home was on the way back to the café, so they made quick work of it. Natasha had always made a habit of running food and other goods to her neighbours, either extras snuck out from the café with Solotovich pretending he didn’t notice, meals made by Ana, or treats smuggled in by Niko. Not everyone had such lucky friends as she, so Natasha had decided to be that friend for them. Besides, the smiles she got was all the payment she needed. 

First was Aurelian Proctov, a strange little man that Solotovich always insisted they keep in good favour. He lived in a small dwelling out of sight of the main road, and if you had looked at it, you would have thought it abandoned. 

Natasha knocked and was met with a distant “Enter!” She opened the door and went inside, the place was dimly lit by candles and lamps, and every inch of the place was covered in shelves filled to the brim with oddities and curios. Aurelian was a collector of sorts, often sold to the market stalls in the Kosz, and most usefully he could get you anything, no matter how odd or rare; for a price. 

Aurelian was at the very back of the building, at his work desk. He’d seemed to have grown smaller from the last time Natasha had seen him, his whole body was crooked from too much sitting and his brown hair tumbling down his face in messy waves. 

He was working on some contraption Natasha didn’t recognize. It was a square base with a few dials on it, in the centre of the box extended upwards a thin copper tube at the top of which was some manner or crystal, around the tube were several metal rings oriented in varying degrees around the centre, making a hollow sphere. Natasha blinked and peered closely, as the rings seemed to be suspended in the air with nothing keeping them in place. 

“Natasha,” Aurelian said, not looking at her. He was focused, peering through an apparatus of lenses, focusing on the movements he made with a screwdriver which adjusted something or other inside the mechanism. His hazel eyes were lined and tired. 

“I brought you soup,” Natasha said, holding up one of the jars. 

“Place it on the desk.” 

“What are you working on?” 

“Adjusting the resonance frequency.” 

“Adjusting the what?” 

“No matter,” Aurelian said dismissively, Natasha frowned. “Oh, and there’s a package for you.” 

“I don’t remember buying anything.” 

“This one’s from a secret admirer.”

“Oh really?” Natasha rolled her eyes. “Which one?” 

“His name was Charles, I think?”

“I thought this was supposed to be a secret admirer?” 

“He didn’t pay me enough for that.” 

“Never change, Aurelian, where’s the package?” 

“On the shelf somewhere,” Aurelian gestured vaguely. 

It took Natasha a few minutes to find it, a small package wrapped in brown paper. She stuffed it inside her coat and made on her way. Admirers weren’t uncommon for her, with so many girls getting plucked young for overseers or disappearing. The pool for women was very low, Natasha was certain half the men who fancied her wouldn’t give her two seconds thought if there were more women around. Though, Charles was different from them, which was the only reason she took the package at all. 

She stopped by three other houses on her way, one jar to Kuba Michalik who had lost an arm in a machine once, yet was always willing to offer the other one in help if he could. The next went to Nina Jakubek, who had been born without her hearing, she made a sign with her hands which Natasha had learned meant ‘thank you’. Another jar for Samuel Biedranov, who hands still shook sometimes for need of Fodder, he greeted Natasha warmly like a grandfather might and gave her a small box of nails to give to Solotovich to repair stools and tables with. 

Natasha made sure none of them had had any visits or trouble from the Guard recently, like young girls, anyone with bits missing or something broken had a habit of going missing all of a sudden in Brudna. Natasha made a point of checking in on them whenever she could. 

Eventually she came to the front step of the Piórkowski residence, and she was greeted by Julia, a lovely middle-aged woman with curly raven hair, who greeted Natasha with a smile but looked very tired. 

“Ana told me Sebastian down with the pox,” Natasha said, handing Julia the jars. 

“He is the poor thing, rations have been so tight, and I haven’t been able to get him any medicine, the soup ought to perk him up a bit, thank you.” 

“How’s the other one coming along?” Natasha asked, Julia smiled and rubbed her swollen abdomen. 

“Better than the first one, oh, but I worry about it, Sebastian came out so small…” 

“May I?” 

“Oh course, dear.” 

Natasha smiled and placed her hand gently on the baby bump, she swore she felt movement underneath, she smiled and felt her heart leap at the sign of life. 

“I’ll see if I can’t drum up some extra food for you somehow, and medicine for Sebastian.” 

“You’re too sweet, Nat,” Julia leaned over to kiss Natasha’s cheek. “But when can I expect to meet your own little one?”

“No time soon, I’ve got enough on my hands as it is.” 

“Your time will come soon, dear.”

“I hope so,” Natasha said, a noise caught her attention and she saw Isaac and Alexi pushing each other and laughing down the street as Niko strolled up behind them. She smiled at them and bit Julia a good day. 

“Best keep those boys out of trouble,” Julia said, giving Natasha a knowing look. “Be sure to send Adrien back home when you see him! Probably in that café of yours!”

Natasha went back out into the street and the boys ran up to her and took her hands in turn, spinning her sound while giggling, Ewa clung to Niko’s arm smiling at them. 

They walked all together, headed towards the café, though Natasha laughed along with the two boys and their jokes, but she couldn’t help the darker thoughts about Edward as they neared her home. 

“You’re frowning, what's the matter?” Niko asked. Natasha hesitated, they were close to the café, but the mounting weight of Edward’s presence hung over her. She opened her mouth to let it all spill out but didn’t get the chance. 

“You two! Stop!” 

The bark of the voice made them stop on instinct, and the sight of two Red Guardsmen marching up to them made them freeze. The one who yelled was an impatient looking officer, a pistol and sabre on his belt and his cap with golden wreaths on its brim. He was accompanied by a rather dull looking private who stood by passively, his rifle held casually in his hands. 

The officer stopped in front of them and placed his hands on his hips, glaring at them. 

“First of all,” he said, and leaned forward to snatch the cigarette from Niko’s mouth, a look of disgust on his face. “This street is a no-smoking area.”

“I was… unaware of that, sir,” Niko said. His usual confidence died as he stared at the ground, there was no fear, just learned passiveness. He and Natasha had quickly stepped closer on instinct, so the three kids could make themselves less obvious behind them. 

“Unaware,” the officer repeated, he crushed the cigarette under his boot before producing a thick handbook from his coat pocket, the Commonwealth state crest - a black eagle with its wings spread - embroidered on its cover. The officer flipped through it and landed on a page. 

“Right here, section twenty-four-two, addendum sixty-eight of the Lord Commander’s Orders and Regulations for the Conduct and Responsibilities of the Third Estate; it states that all personnel of the Third Estate shall not consume tobacco within a two-mile radius of a designated labour zone,” The officer turned the book over to show Niko. “You see?” 

Natasha knew this routine all too well, most Guardsmen were happy to overlook minor infractions and get on with their day. Then you’d have some like this officer, too eager, too angry, all too willing to swing around the power he’d been handed because it made him feel good. He’d either mellow out with time or be promoted out of the dead-end posting of Brudna. You just had to suffer them best you could. 

“No, I do not see, sir,” Niko’s face was flushed. “I can’t read.” 

“Of course you can’t,” the officer snapped the book shut in Niko’s face. “Fucking Browncoats. All the same, that is what it says.” 

“As you say.”

There was a moment of silence, the Red Guard officer tapping his foot as he stared down Niko with contempt. 

“What are you carrying?” he asked. 

“It’s-” Before Niko could answer, the officer snatched one of the mason jars from his arms and popped the lid. The hot stew steamed in the cold Cienma air. 

“As I suspected,” he said, before tipping the jar over so the precious food poured out and into the gutter, flowing down into the drain along with the filth. 

“According to Section Two-Eighty-Five of the L.C.O.R’s-” The officer tossed the mason jar away, the glass shattering against the cobblestone; before taking the other one Niko had and pouring it out too. The private was less gentle about it and merely struck the remaining jars from Natasha’s hands with the butt of his rifle, they hit the ground and cracked open dashing the broth everywhere including all over Natasha’s boots. 

“...Meals and foodstuffs not produced or approved by the State shall not be consumed nor distributed in any manner,” the officer said. “And I happen to know that the local approved Abulatorium is not handing out such well put together stew, are they Private?” 

“No, sir,” the Private mumbled. Natasha suspected he wasn’t really paying attention. “Was wheat porridge today.” 

“Exactly,” the officer pulled out a notebook. “Name and number?” 

“Niko Boryaski, two-eight-seven-zero-four,” Niko sighed. 

“And you, miss?” the officer said, flipping to another page.

“Natasha, two-eight-three-seven-seven,” Natasha said.

“Last name?”

“None.”

“Fine.” The officer finished writing and ripped out the two tickets. “Since you cannot read… These tickets are to inform you that you have been found in violation of one or more regulations put in place by the Lord Commander and his government; the account of these violations that has been accurately recorded by the Red Guard shall be forwarded to your local Civil Overseer office and based upon review of these violations may significantly increase your liability to the Iron Tower and the Lord Commander. A representative of this office shall contact you should further citations be required in order to correct these violations and assure compliance and the continued safety and stability of The Commonwealth.” 

Natasha had been through it before; she knew what all this really meant. They would file away this incident and never bring it up again until she did something they really cared about. That's when they would pull out their papers and bury her in citations. She’d known men brought in for smoking infractions only to be charged with hundreds of petty offences from half a decade ago. 

“Do you understand?” 

“Yes, sir,” Niko and Natasha said. 

The officer handed them both their tickets. When he handed Natasha hers, she managed to look him in the eye. He didn’t look at her with malice, but what must have been solemn conviction. Natasha figured he must have really believed in what he was doing, and would likely sleep tonight without even thinking once on their meeting. 

“Carry on, you’re dismissed,” he said, tipping his cap and walking away. 

Natasha and Niko were quick to get out of there. The moment they were out of sight, Niko lit a fresh cigarette. He also used the match on both their tickets and tossed the ashes into the gutter. They were of no consequence, just something to shame people with. 

“You don’t need to walk me home,” Natasha said as they neared her street. “I’m sure there’s a law against gentlemanly conduct.”

“Come off it,” Niko pulled on his cigarette. “Anyway, you were saying something before that bastard came about, what was it?” 

“I’ll let you know later tonight, usual spot, alright?” Natasha said. 

“Alright,” Niko said, as they approached the café, “I gotta make some runs anyway… gotta make up for those meals now.” 

“Alright, I’ll see you rascals later,” Natasha said. “Come here darlings.” 

All three of them approached eagerly, and Natasha Wrapped them in her arms, kissing each on the cheek. 

“You stay out of trouble now,” she said.

“Never,” Alexi laughed. 

“Not while we’re with this idiot,” Isaac said, jamming a finger in Niko’s direction. 

“Watch it, you,” he muttered. 

@west-end-lady @redheadedbrunette @bespectacled-ghost @clementimetodie @talesfromgringolandia @borgesperovago @thelegendofsqam @beakedwhalesyo @a-beautiful-crow @paula-of-christ @tinfoil-catholic @kasrkinguardsman n @rose-in-the-snow @supreme-leader-stoat @the-lost-alchemist @holbytlanna @edgar-allan-possum @cheerfullycatholic @cat-a-holic @the-writers-wrench @animeandcatholicism @lady-larklight @beaked-whales-in-exile @angsty-prompt-hole @tildeathiwillwrite @a-frogge-bip-a-smal-beastie

[the-worms-in-your-bones]

I keep she/hering the eighth doctor and I feel like this is going to lead to me doing this in front of someone who’s not a weird eight fan at some point and confusing them

[hcsiqs]

Kate being drunk and getting all shy w reader until its time for them to go home and she finds out that reader is her gf and just gets starstruck☹️

| my girl

• pairing: drunk!kate martin x fem! reader

• summary: ^^

• warnings: alcohol lol

i’m obsessed with this idea omg

The entire Iowa team was out celebrating after their win against LSU, over the moon about beating them in Elite Eight.

Kate was had just finished another drink, no one having an idea what number she was at now because of how many she had thrown back. You had kept an eye on her the entire time, but were letting her enjoy herself with her teammates as you stood off to the side talking to Caitlin’s girlfriend for most of the night.

But what you hadn’t realized is how absolutely drunk the blonde was. She had barely came up to you the entire night, which was different from her usual clingy and touchy drunk self. And every time she did come up to you she was shy and her cheeks were bright red.

As you were sat down sipping on a fruity drink while talking to Caitlin’s girlfriend about whatever it was, the Iowa team was encouraging Kate to go talk to you. Most of them dead about the fact that she had seemed to forgotten that y’all were dating and that she had already been through the whole ‘crush’ phase with you.

“Just go!” Jada encouraged with a slight shove as giggles left her lips. Your back was still turned away from the team, not seeing the interaction go down.

“No!” Kate argued back, terrified of your rejection. Plus she knew that she would completely shut down just due to your absolute beauty.

“Dude!” Jada dragged the word out before giving a final shove, making the blonde end up right behind you.

But then you felt someone tap on your shoulder, causing you to turn around. You were relieved when it was just your beautiful girlfriend standing there, but you noticed her avoiding eye contact, something she was usually good with unless she was nervous.

“Hi,” she smiled giving a small wave, “I’m Kate,” she introduced herself to you. “I just wanted to tell you that you’re really pretty,” her words slurred together as she rocked back and forth on her heels.

“Thank you,” you let out a small laugh, “Don’t know how my girlfriend would feel about you saying that though,” you smiled playing along with her drunken forgetfulness.

“Oh!” her face turned as red as a tomato in that moment, “I’m sorry, so sorry!” she apologized quickly. You could tell she was now completely taken over by nerves as she still stayed looking at you. After a couple of seconds your girlfriend walked back, seeming as though she had been defeated because you were already taken but then only a minute or two later Gabbie and Jada were using all their body strength to push the blonde back over to you.

“Hi,” you smiled at the girl in front of you, taking in her flushed appearance.

“Hi,” she tucked her hair behind her ears, as her eyes found a home looking down at her shoes. You hoped up from your seat so that were now standing in front of her.

“I’m ready to go back to the hotel baby,” you wrapped your arms around the girls torso, bringing her into a hug. Kates arms didn’t wrap around you though. They only ghosted your back, unsure how to respond in this situation.

“Shouldn’t you go back with your girlfriend?” she asked, utter confusion in her voice. And that’s when you realized this wasn’t a joke and she was so drunk she had forgot you two were together and wanted ti flirt but was too shy.

“Kate you are my girlfriend,” you laughed, placing your chin against her chest so you could look up at her.

“What?” her jaw practically dropped. Her blue eyes searching your entire face in all its perfection. “‘m so lucky,” her lips formed into the brightest smile.

“Come on let’s go back to the room,” you pulled out of the hug and reached for her hand. You said bye to everyone, but Kate was solely focused on you and the way you moved. Her large hands had now found their familiar place on your hips as you guided her out the bar.

Once the cold air hit the two of you she placed a kiss on your forehead, her earlier shyness disappearing. “I can’t believe you’re my girlfriend! Like—you’re dating me? That’s so crazy!”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the way she was so excited to be yours.

“You’re just so pretty. I can’t believe it,” her words were slurred, but that didn’t make it mean any less.

“You’re pretty,” you smiled back at her before going on your toes to leave a simple kiss on her temple.

“You’re my girlfriend,” she giggled and then continued repeating the word ‘girlfriend’ over and over again, never getting enough of it.

allies corner

i hope this lived up to ur expectations!! but this plot is so cutie patootie eeeeee

[probablyintensemuses]

how wwould armando react if he is in love with the reader, but she shows no sign of feeling the same way, (he's so devoted when it comes to the reader) And he'd like to know if she feels the same way, I wish it would end in a passionate way (you know what I mean) 🔥

Te amo 🌸💗

Wait For Your Love-

Armando Aretas

summary: Armando doesn’t wish you a happy birthday so you’re day is basically ruined, up until it isn’t.

themes: angst, fluff, smut.

warnings: smut 18+

authors note: I know this isn’t exactly like the request, but genuinely I tried. I hope y’all like it 🥹. Not edited btw, I wrote this on my lunch break.

Happy birthday to you,’ kelly sang, walking a candlelight cupcake over to your desk, Dorn, Mike, and Marcus following behind her. “Happy birthday to you.”

“Happy birthday, our sweet girl, happy birthday to you.” Kelly gives you a hug from behind and you lean into her.

“Thanks guys,’ you smile big, blowing out the candle on your cupcake.

“What your young ass wish for?” Mike asks, slinging a birthday girl sash over your shoulders.

Marcus slaps his chest. “You know she can’t tell you, that’ll ruin it.”

Mike smacks his lips. “Man, shut your superstitious ass up. Seriously, what you wish for.”

You laugh. “I wished for the second day at my cafe to run smoothly for my employees.’ Everyone shakes their heads, happily, saying your wish was a great one.

“Speaking of,” you dig into your bag, pulling out pink envelopes with hearts on their seals. “If you guys can make time I’d love to have you over there for small party. It’s nothing big, just a new cake recipe I was working on, some drinks, and food if you guys want to bring any.”

They all accept your invite, taking their cards with them and back to their desks.

You sit back down with a smile and continue to unencrypte the harddrive they’d found at a crime scene. Mike had told you it was very important they get it open with everything on it.

So that was the goal today before your party, so you could get as drunk as you wanted to and cry as much as you wanted too.

Hopefully not the latter, though.

The compound door swings open with a shriek before slamming shut, echoing through the whole place.

You turn and your heart stops in your chest as Armando Aretas makes his way through.

It was no secret, to the team anyway, that you had a mild crush on Armando. Despite knowing the things of his past, some desperate part of your self truly liked him. And corny enough, you saw the goodness and potential within him.

It’s why you went with Mike to the D.A’s office and fought for him to serve out his tenured in AMMO instead of prison. You knew he wasn’t all bad, he could be reformed, you’d seen it multiple times.

Like when he took all those stab wounds for Callie, the daughter of the woman actively hunting him. Or how he tried constantly, despite his past and his own convictions, to have a relationship with Mike. Even how kind he was to you at times, especially when you know it’s hard for him, training his mind to know that kindness isn’t a weakness after years of being a product to the cartel.

So you couldn’t help but smile when you see him walk down the stairs and take a seat at his desk across from yours.

“Armando,’ Mike says. “You’re late, we’re about to start debriefing in ten.”

Armando shrugs, slinging off his leather jacket and exposing his bulging, biceps and veiny forearms.

You check the glare in your computer, checking for drool, before eyeing his torso, the skin tight black shirt doing nothing for your unquenched thirst.

“Had to pick something up.” He says, eyeing you.

You turn, looking over your shoulder. Was he actually staring at you?

Everyone else must have noticed too, because before you know it, you have eight pairs of hungry eyes watching you both.

“Anything you want to say to her?” Kelly practically nudges Armando with her voice.

Armando eyes you up in down, taking in your typical appearance of a cardigan and jeans, your curls pulled high in a puff on your head.

His eyes pull away from you as he stands and walks over to the room where the team debriefs. “Nah,” he says.

You fell your heart crash to your feet.

Did he just?

Now, you could understand if he forgot it was your birthday, but you have a cupcake with a candle on it sitting on your desk not to mention the fucking sash that says “birthday girl,” no way he thought you were just wearing it for convenience.

You thought, just for once, Armando would show you even a slither of the same kind of affections you held for him…especially on your birthday.

But you were wrong.

Your heart chips a little at that realization, you feel pathetic like Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles as you ball up the invitation you had stored away for Armando, it yellow and bright unlike the others.

You were pathetic to think the man you liked would even consider you an option, let alone come to some dumb birthday party of yours. He was too busy for that, and you were too desperate.

Another year older, yet never wiser. It was clear in your delusions of Armando as you wait for his love.

###

You’re careful to not drop your cake as you push it through the swinging doors of your new cafe.

You decided to get this cafe as a side shop because you always loved pastries, and making cakes and sweet treats got you through the stress of school and the police force.

So now that you’re older, why not have a cafe for fun and passive income? Was it more stress, yes, but it was totally worth it.

“Wow, that looks amazing!” Dorn’s eyes light up as your bring the cake over to the booths and tables your friends occupy.

“You think so?” You smile.

“Oh hell yeah,’ Marcus likes his lips, clapping his hands together. “You know I’m for anything sweet so.”

You chuckle. “Forewarning. It’s a teramassu cake, so you old dogs might be up all night if you eat too much.”

“Damn! It’s like that!” Mike laughs.

You smile and begin cutting into the cake and passing out pieces. “Yeah, it’s like that.”

“And to think we basically raised you.” Marcus says. “I’m going to let you slide though. One because it’s your birthday. And two, because this cake is fire.”

You clap and squeal. “I’m so glad you like it. I didn’t want to mess it up, but it’s pretty difficult.”

“Mhm,’ kelly says, taking a sip of her wine. “So what’s harder, cake baking? Or admitting your crush to Armando?”

Your smile drops in an instant and you send an icy glare Kelly’s way. “Seriously?”

Kelly hiccups. “I’m sorry, but the way your face looked when he didn’t tell you happy birthday, I mean how can you like a guy like that? No offense, Mike.”

Mikes eyebrows rise. “I mean, it was a jerk move. But it’s Armando. Who knows, he might say happy birthday tomorrow.”

You shake your head. “Yeah, but it won’t be worth anything tomorrow when he knew today. I mean, I’m really pathetic to wish he was here when he couldn’t even do the bare minimum for me.” Your eyes well with tears.

“Hey, no.’ Dorn wipes your eyes. “Don’t cry on your birthday about him. Cry tomorrow, and then come see my therapist.”

You sniffle. “What?”

“Sorry, she’s just amazing, I always like to shout her out.”

You sigh. “Thanks, Dorn.”

Even with all this smiling faces around you, you couldn’t shake the anchor pulling at your ankle. You wished Armando would have just told you happy birthday, even pretended to care. That would have meant more to you than what you got.

But here you were, with all your friends who actually cared about you, about to cry over a guy who couldn’t even be bothered.

A tear streaks down your face and you look away. “You guys should go,’ you say. “I’m sorry.”

Mike pats your shoulder. “I’ll try talking to him.”

You grip his wrist. “Don’t. I don’t want him to know about this, he’ll think I’m insane.”

“Don’t sweat it too hard,’ kelly kisses your head. “I know plenty of guys at the department that would fall to their knees right now over you.”

“Thanks,’ you half smile, watching as your friends leave before you break down completely.

Tears streaked into your palm as you cried out. It didn’t hit you until this morning just how deeply you cared for Armando.

You truly liked him, and his blatant rejection had set all your emotions flaring.

Sniffling into your hands, the soft chime of your cafes door catches your attention.

“We’re closed.” You grumble, not bothering to look up.

“Even for me, ¿dulce niña?” Armando says.

Your head shoots up and the air is nearly knocked out of your lungs as you take him in.

He’s dapper in a black button up not all the way buttoned, exposing some of his tone chest and a silver St. Christopher necklace. His pants are the right amount of tightness, highlighting his muscular thighs, and his hair is dark and trimmed, just like his beard.

Armando, as always, is hard to look away from. But still, resist and play it cool, wiping the tears away from your eyes.

“What are you doing here?” You ask, crossing your hands over your small chest.

Armando walks towards you, hands behind his back as he observes your cafe, like some kind of museum tourist. “The cafe came together nice.” He says, stepping a bit too close to you.

For air, you take a step back, Armando notices and smirks. “Stop avoiding the question. What are you doing here?”

“I heard you had a party I wasn’t invited to. That’s not very nice, bebita.” He smirks.

“Yeah, it was invite only.”

“I don’t qualify?”

You scoff. “You didn’t even know it was my birthday.”

“I knew.”

“Oh, you knew, so you just didn’t care.”

“I cared.’ Armando gets close, pulling at the tule fabric of your pink mini dress. He lets out a shaky breath. “This is beautiful on you, by the way.”

You push him away at the chest, he hardly moves. “Stop it.” You whine.

“Stop what?”

“Stop acting like you like me!” You shout. “You don’t! And it’s fucking embarrassing, Armando!”

Armando swallows, and even in the darkness you can see the shame painted into the little creases of his face and the fast lifts of his chest.

Armando’s hands finally fall to his sides and you see now what he has done. In his hands are a large bouquet of flowers and a blue bag.

“No,” You say.

He steps forward. “This is why I was late to work, princesa, because I got this for you.”

“Armando.”

“Open it.” He says.

Reluctantly you take the bag from his hands, sharp rods of electricity swirling up your arm when your fingers meet.

Slowly, you open the bag and look inside. There, a small velvet box awaits you. Hesitant, you pick it up and open it.

You gasp at what you see. A necklace, tiny diamonds all the way around. It shimmers in the moonlight that peaks into the cafe as you hold it up.

“You bought this for me?’ You gasp. “How can you even afford this?”

Armando rolls his eyes. “I use to be a drug dealer, baby.”

You sigh and put the necklace, as pretty as it is, back into the box. “I can’t take this.” You hand it back.

Armando frowns. “Why not?”

You turn, holding yourself. “Because how do I know if you even like me?”

Armando’s eyes hidden and he holds the bag on display. “Baby, I just dropped bands on this necklace for you. I think that shows alot.”

“Yeah, maybe.” You step back, walking away from him.

He catches your arm, gently pulling you back. “Maybe?” He scoffs offended. “You didn’t even invite me tonight, yet I got you a gift, and you say maybe.”

You snatch out of his grip. “I didn’t invite you tonight because you’re an asshole!”

“I’m not!” Armando shouts back.

“Then prove it,’ you square into his space. “Stop making me wait for your love and tell me what you know I want to hear.”

Armando opens his mouth to speak, but the words are lost when he leans in, his mouth crashing onto yours.

Your shocked, your lips are still against his until something burst inside of you, everything you’ve been craving sealed in this one kiss.

This causes you to moan against his lips. Armando swallows it, slipping his hands into your curls and tilting your head to the side, turning the kiss hot and fierce.

You wrap your arms around the nape of his neck, scratching at his faded low cut, deepening your kiss.

Armando’s hands trail down the fluff of your dress until they reach the hem. He flips it upward and finds your underwear, growling as he feels the thin layer of cotton. You shudder at his touch, your pussy throbbing at the thought of him making contact.

“Fuck,’ he moans, slipping two fingers into your thongs, rolling his thick fingers over your clit.

Your head falls back as you let out a low, moan. “Fuck, baby.”

“You like that?’ He strokes his fingers up and down your soaking wet slit. “Tan mojado, maldita sea.” He growls in your ear.

“Yes,” you gasp. “Oh, yes.”

Armando grabs you by your waist flipping you around, the rounds of your ass pressed against the swells of his cock.

You gasp as Armando pushes you against his hard on, you imagine how it will feel once he’s deep inside your soaking, needy cunt.

Armando nibbles at the bottom of your ear. “You feel that baby. You feel what you do to me?”

“Y—yes,” you sputter.

He grinds against you, his face deep in your hair, taking a whiff.

“God I need to be inside you.” Armando whines. “I’ve always needed it.”

“Then do it. Stop holding back.” You moan out.

Maybe that was the wrong thing to say because in a flash Armando’s got your dress up, your thong to the side, and you bent over the counter of your cafe.

God you hoped no one walked past, because if they did, they get an eyeful of your ass and Armando’s bulging cock.

“Fuck,” Armando moans, rubbing the leaking pink tip of his cock against you sleek folds, shuddering as he pulls back, your slick dripping off his tip. “You ready, baby?”

“Yes, oh yes.” You moan, digging your head into the cold marble of the counter.

Armando strokes your entrance one last time before pushing into slowly. You both let out loud, pornagraphic moans finally being full of each other.

The strokes start of slow and deep, each smack creating friction between the top of your dress and your skin. The deeper and harder Armando fucks you, the lower your dress falls until eventually your boobs spill out.

Armando’s pace picks up and he begins to fuck you with speed that causes you to cry out. He reaches in front of you, grabbing your boobs and holding onto them, circling your nipples between his fingers, pounding deeper and harder into you.

“God, mama, you’re incredible.’ Armando growls. “I’ve dreamt of this moment.”

“More!” You moan.

Armando flips you over, lifting you up by your ass and slamming you onto the counter. He waste no time shoving into you and fucking you, your boobs bouncing up and down equivalent to his rhythm.

You reach down, rubbing your clit in circles, you’re desperate to come on Armando’s cock and have him come inside of you.

You can feel the knot in your stomach build and you know you’re close. The sounds of skin slapping and heavy moans echos off the walls of the cafe.

Your pussy leaks, leaving a white ring Armando’s cock as he drills into you, using one lifted leg as leverage.

Your knot builds, expanding, and you know you’re close to the edge.

You pull Armando close. “I want you to finish me, then I need your come inside of me.” You cry out.

Armando doesn’t even question your requests before obliterating you with speed and strokes.

Your knot unfurls and you moan out, shuttering as you

Come on his cock. Armando does the same, pumping all of him inside of you.

Sweaty and breathing hard, he pulls out, lifting you up bridal style.

He carries you to one of the larger booths at the back of the cafe, using his jacket as a blanket for you both.

“Are you on birth control?” He asks.

You shake your head no. “It’s okay. We’re fine. I’ll just get a plan B.”

Armando nods kissing your forehead. “And by the way,’ he pulls you into his strong arms. “Happy birthday.”

You snicker, eyelids heavy. “Thank you.”

[mandarinmoons]

Hi! So what about BAU!Reader and Spencer are fresh into their relationship. Like weeks into it. Reader is just as shy and nerdy as Spencer was in early seasons. (This can be any season of Spencer) anyways it’s Spencer’s birthday and Spencer begs reader to not buy anything for him so instead she knits him a replica of Dr. Who scarf because she remembers him mentioning to Garcia he was trying to find the perfect replica for his Dr. Who cosplay (7x23 when Garcia and Spencer go to that convention) so reader, who never watched it before, watches the entire series while knitting the scarf bc she knows how much Spencer loves Dr. Who and she wanted to understand his interests more. Maybe she makes herself a matching scarf or hand warmers in the process. And then she’s like “I have a ton of questions about the series though” and pulls out a notebook of her questions as she’s asking them Spencer realizes she’s THE ONE and it’s all just fluff and two nerds in love 🥰

I've never consumed any content about Doctor Who so I'm sorry if this is a bit vague BUT the idea was so cute so I had to give it a shot x

You and Spencer were both nerds, it’s what drew you two together and keeps you both joined at the hip. Even though you two had been together for less than eight weeks, both of you had your eyes on one another for a good while. When mutual feelings were finally admitted the only thing different from before was that you got to hold hands and kiss each other on the cheek comfortably without having to worry if it’ll make the other person uncomfortable.

Spencer’s birthday was coming up and with Spencer being the way that he is, he was adamant about not letting you splurge on his big day. You were a bit annoyed by it because a part of you did want to go out and treat your special boy the way he deserved to be treated. However, you did not want to argue with him so you decided to get a bit creative.

Long before the relationship had been established, Spencer had talked about how he was searching for a replica of the Doctor Who scarf for his cosplay. Knitting was something you had learned before, although it had been quite a few years since you last picked it up, you decided to try it out again and hopefully make Spencer’s face gleam with joy.

After digging out your old knitting needles and yarn you looked up some tutorials online to familiarize yourself with your old hobbie. A few hours and some messy pathworks later, you managed to remind yourself of how everything went down and began work on the scarf. Luckily the pattern wasn’t difficult at all and as you began working away you thought about looking up the show and getting a feel for what Spencer talks about all the time.

After many weeks and countless trips to the store to get more yarn the scarf was finished and you were both excited and nervous to hand it over to Spencer. A million thoughts ran in your head as he undid the bow on the carefully packed present and removed the scarf from the paper, his eyes went wide and he was speechless for a whole minute.

“Y/N, how did you…”

“Surprise?” you chuckled and Spencer was still speechless, he ran his thumbs over the carefully knitted garment. He wrapped it over his neck and walked over to the mirror to have a closer look, his heart was melting over how you took so much time and effort to make him this. He walked over to you and placed his arms around you in a bone crushing hug which only made you laugh.

“I’m so glad you like it.”

“Like it? That doesn’t even come close to how I feel about it, I love it.”

Spencer held your cheeks as he kissed you and as you parted a thought came to your mind.

“Oh also, I watched a bit of the show!”

“Really? Did you like it?”

“Mhm, I have a few questions though, firstly…”

As you went on about your questions regarding the show Spencer stared at you while a smile crept on his face. He loved how you took interest in anything he was fascinated in, and in return he would do it with your interests as well, it was one of the ways you both showed love to one another.

Spencer guided you back to the couch, pulling you to his lap as he cleared his throat and explaining the questions you just layed out for him. You looked up at him and nodded along as he got into the topic and you were reminded of one of the reasons why you fell for him in the first place, his passion, and that same passion grew now that he had someone like you in his life.

Taglist: @radioactiveinvisible @whoisspence @sreidisms @lanascinnamongirls @luvkatryna @sp3ncelle @iluvreid @khxna @keiva1000 @reidstheyfriend @hiireadstuff @pleasantwitchgarden

If you want to be a part of my taglist go here!

You can find my masterlist here!

My requests are open so feel free to send one in! (SFW only)

[megalony]

We Made It

This is an Evan Buckley (Buck) imagine, it's probably my longest one yet I had so much fun with the fluff and angst in this. Thank you all for the 911 requests I'm slowly getting through them all. Any feedback would be great.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @rogmeddows @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez-blog @jonesyaddiction @milanosaurus @httpfandxms @saint-hardy @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls @mrsalwayswritex @rogerina-owns-me  @hellsdragon @im-an-adult-ish @crazylittlethingg @allauraleigh @onceuponadetectivedemigod @ceres27 @avyannadawn  @noonenuts @sleepylunarwolf @coverupps @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway

Masterlist

Summary: Christopher joins the Buckley family out for a day trip to the pier but when a natural disaster hits, they all fight to find each other and stay together.

Enjoy.

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

"Hey Eddie, everything okay?" (Y/n) leaned against the door and slung her bag on her shoulder.

A bright smile lit up her face and took Eddie by surprise but it helped to wash away the anxiety he had pooling in his stomach. He hated to turn up unannounced, after all he hadn't messaged or called either her or Buck to let them know he would be dropping by, but it was an emergency.

"Yeah, sorry I know I should have called… I need a favour."

"Sure, what's up?" (Y/n) opened the door more to welcome him in but her smile turned into a lopsided smirk when Eddie moved to the side and revealed the small figure hiding behind him.

Christopher.

A broad smile lit up his cheesy face, his curls were flopping all about his head and he had his backpack on.

"Did you get called in?" (Y/n) kept her voice quiet but Eddie's pursed lips and the small nod of his head told her all she needed to know. Eddie wasn't supposed to be on shift today but he'd been called in and he couldn't refuse. And he didn't want to keep imposing on his Abuela and asking her to have Christopher because even though he was a golden boy and never played up, he was still a handful.

"I get it if you can't have him, I just didn't know who-"

"Hey, he's always welcome here. And it just so happens we're off out on a road trip," (Y/n) leaned down to Chris's level and gave him a smile. "Fancy a day out with the Buckley crew?"

"Yeah!"

(Y/n) loved the way he smiled and adverted his eyes to try and hide just how happy and excited he was. She moved out the way and ushered him inside, letting him hobble his way through to find out where Bella was hiding. He was a great kid to look after and (Y/n) knew Eddie was always happy to take care of Bella if they ever needed or asked him to. The kids got along well together despite Christopher being eight and Bella being only three.

"You're a lifesaver, thank you." Eddie leaned forward to give her a quick hug before he glanced at his watch. He had to run before he was officially late for the first time.

"No problem, text when you want him back."

"Thanks."

He had arrived at just the right time, ten minutes later and he would have missed them. They had decided a little road trip was in need to cheer Buck up while he was still off work, waiting for a date when he could go back. He had been glad of the break which meant he could spend time with his girls.

While his leg had been in a cast, (Y/n) had helped him up and down the stairs, helped him shower and cook but the best part was Bella trying to look after him. Evan had sent thousands of pictures to the team of Bella trying to feed him, give him drinks, rub his head, draw on his cast and then the pictures where she fell asleep on him to 'keep him company'.

His daughter had been his saving grace, spoiling him and doting on him and Evan got through each day because of his two girls.

Now he was back in action, they thought a day trip out might be good for them all and Christopher was going to add to the excitement.

"Evan, babe we have an addition to the trip."

"Who?"

Walking down the stairs with Bella perched on his hip, Evan looked at (Y/n) before he looked around the apartment and a grin lit up his face when he saw a familiar flop of curls sat in front of the tv.

"Did Eddie need to work or something?"

"Yeah, do you mind?"

"Course not, he can go on the big rides with me. Chris, are you ready for the best day out ever?" They had already decided this morning that they would stop by the pier in the afternoon. It was the perfect place to play games, have some fun and food and there were a lot of kiddie rides for Bella. Evan waved his arm out to coax Christopher over to them since they were all ready and packed up to go for their day out. But his eyes turned back to look at Bella who was cuddled up into his chest.

She had her light sandy hair put up in two little pigtails and she was wearing a yellow jumpsuit with a big smiling sunflower in the middle. Both her hands moved to pat Evan's chest lightly and when she looked up at him with those wide eyes, he could feel his heart melting on the spot.

"What 'bout me? Will you go on stuff with me, daddy?"

"You know I will sweetheart." He moved his hand to cup the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss to her temple before he reached down to pat Chris on the back and guide him in front of them.

"Alright, off we go."

***

"Bella, babygirl I do need to breathe, you know?" Evan gruffed but his mixed expression gave away the fondness he was trying to supress. He squinted up at his daughter and rolled his lips together but the slight curve at the corner and the softness in the crease of his eyes showed he wasn't telling her off.

She was stood up on his thighs with both arms tightly bound around his neck and her chin resting on top of his head. It was endearing and Evan loved her cuddling up to him but he still needed to breathe and she was making it hard leaning against him like this and holding his neck with quite a lot of force.

She let out a small whine in response but loosened her arms and kissed his hair repeatedly before she moved her hands to swiftly hold his chin and tilt his head up towards her.

When she puckered her lips, Evan grinned madly and pushed up to give her a small peck, making a loud 'mwuah' sound that always made her giggle.

"Smile, I'm gonna send your dad a picture, show him how much fun you have with us." (Y/n) poked her tongue out between her teeth as she smiled at the three of them sat opposite her at the table. Bella had been sitting patiently with her waiting for the boys to finish the ride they went on but as soon as they came off, she clambered over the table and onto Evan's lap.

Evan tilted his chin up and grinned with one arm around Bella who smiled sweetly and pressed her cheek on top of Evan's head. And with his other arm, Evan reeled Chris into his side who held up the cotton candy he'd just got and started to laugh.

(Y/n) snapped the picture, catching in the food and drink splayed out on the table so show Eddie Chris was having a good time and had had his lunch and a rush of sugar.

"Alright team, what's next?" (Y/n) put her empty drink on the tray of rubbish next to her before she looked at them.

They had driven out and gone to a beach half an hour away, then they came round to the pier. Evan had gone on a lot of rides with Chris, (Y/n) took Bella on the smaller rides and all of them went on the waltzers which made (Y/n) feel sick. But they still had the ferris wheel to do, the water rides on the other side of the pier and all the games and stalls to try out. Dinner was ticked off their list though and after the pier they had the toy shop to head to before they went home.

"We need to win something," Chris stuffed the last of the cotton candy in his mouth and looked between the two people he thought of as family. His dad was always referring to them as uncle Buck and auntie (Y/n).

"Yes we do, what games are you good at?"

(Y/n) strapped her bag over her shoulder and rested a hand on Chris's shoulder when he slipped his hands into his crutches and started to look for a stall with good prizes.

"Come on babygirl, let's go win a load of prizes." Evan held Bella's hands and effortlessly hoisted her up until she was sat on his shoulders. He held onto her waist and she held his lower arms rather loosely considering how tight she had held him previously. But she was used to sitting on his shoulders, Evan preferred to carry her or hold her up like this because he was too worried of her running off and losing her in a crowd.

At least with Chris there was no risk of them losing him here.

For the duration of their walk around the pier, (Y/n) kept her hand looped in Chris's backpack strap to make sure he didn't wander too far or risk bump into people.

"Buck, this one." Chris turned to look back at him with a lopsided grin and squinting eyes, his way of looking sweet and cute to get Buck to agree and play the game of throwing balls at tin cans to try and win a stuffed teddy.

Evan turned his head and nodded but when he went to lift Bella over his head and put her down, she all but screamed and grabbed his forearm but her other hand dug into his short hair. She pulled his hair between her fingers to try and stop him from picking her up. Bella didn't want to move, she wanted to stay right where she was, safe and sound on his shoulders where she didn't have to move and she could be close to her dad.

"Ow that's naughty! No, you're coming down now girlie." Evan winced and grunted while he hoisted her over his shoulders and planted her down on her feet next to (Y/n) who quickly grabbed her hand. But Evan knew he wouldn't be able to stay mad at her because she was already biting her thumb and her eyes were welling up, ready to start crying because she had been told off.

Bella swayed on her feet, still biting her thumb and clenching (Y/n)'s hand in the other while she watched the boys. She would stay silent until Evan smiled at her or said something to her and she knew she wasn't in trouble anymore.

"Buck, I won!" Chris pointed at the enlarged teddybear that was about his size and weight which he couldn't carry all by himself. He watched Buck clap and give praise and move to grab the teddy but when Chris turned around, he noticed Bella was still pouting and looking uncertain. "Bella carry it,"

Evan froze for a moment, glancing between the two kids before his expression softened and he motioned for Bella to come over to him. When she stood in front of him, Evan leaned the teddy over her shoulders but kept hold of it by the arms. Letting her believe she was actually carrying it when really it was more like a hat resting on top of her head.

It was just the thing to make her smile and giggle and add a skip in her wobbly steps until she was prancing like a pony with Evan slowly walking behind her, going a lot slower than he normally would.

They all followed Chris towards the end of the pier until they could sit down on a bench. (Y/n) sat down on the edge next to the teddy bear that they put down on the floor, Bella stood up on the bench next to her wedged between her and Evan. And on the end, Evan picked Chris up and let him stand up and hold the barrier, keeping a tight grip on his shirt to make sure he didn't wobble over the side.

What a phone call that would be to Eddie, having to explain Chris had toppled over the side of the pier and took a swim.

"How you feeling?" Reaching across Bella who was transfixed on watching the tide, (Y/n) leaned over and brushed her fingers against Evan's cheek, trailing her fingertip down his jaw when he smiled and tilted his head to the side to look at her.

"I'm okay, I feel a lot better- oof," Evan closed his eyes and bent his head forward when Bella started to sway from side to side and reached her arm out on top of his head to steady herself on him. The amount of bruises Evan got from Bella was unreal, he could come home from the station unscathed without so much as a water mark and then the next day he would be littered with scratches and bruises from his little monster.

"You'll be able to go back to the station, the blood thinners aren't permanent, babe." (Y/n) continued to brush his cheek and leaned over to peck his lips, smiling against his lips when they could both hear Bella humming to herself. She could see just how far Evan had come these last few months, he had had three surgeries on his leg, did physio and exercises every day and he had followed the doctor's advice to the dot. All the hard work he had put in wasn't going to be for nothing, (Y/n) just knew it.

"How you doin' Chris? What are we gonna do next?" Evan looked over to his right and squinted up at him when the sun beamed down on them. There were still a few games they could play and they all wanted a go on the ferris wheel which Bella was the right height for. But it was up to the kids and since Bella didn't care what they did, it was down to Chris.

"Hook a duck!"

"Alright-"

"Daddy," Bella patted Evan's hair like she was smoothing it down and he turned to look back at her, smiling up at her until he saw her furrowed brows and the way she was bending her knees like she was trying to do some kind of funny dance.

"What, babygirl?"

"Where did water go?"

Both Evan and (Y/n) frowned at one another and quickly moved to turn around and peer over the side of railing the kids were clinging to. What was she talking about? There was a whole sea out there, why did she suddenly think the water had vanished? She had been watching it for the past few minutes, it couldn't have vanished before her eyes?

Something burned down in (Y/n)'s stomach and she could feel her lungs popping and deflating as anxiety broke out in her system.

It wasn't the lack of water at the bottom of the pier that caused her worry, it was the turbulant view of an appending wave that surged her panic. That was larger than the usual surfing wave that occured on this beach. (Y/n) had never lived anywhere where this had happened and she'd never been so close to see one in person.

A tsunami.

Before she knew what she was doing, (Y/n) batted her hand out until she found Evan's bicep and she dug her nails into his skin, clenching her fingers around him like he was somehow going to make this better or turn the wave away and demand it stop where it was. She wasn't sure what she wanted him to do but she couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

"Evan…" His name came out nothing more than a broken sound that she could barely hear but she felt the way his muscles tensed and he shot up from the bench without tearing his gaze away from the water.

"Get off the pier," His voice was barely above a whisper but he was getting into action mode already. "Get off the pier! Move back! Get off the fucking pier!"

His voice sounded like a siren to everyone else who had gathered round to see like it was some sort of beautiful spectacle instead of a harrowing omen. They shouldn't be gathering round to watch, couldn't they see how massive that wave was or work out what that implied? They all needed to leave, not rush closer.

Chris gasped but he didn't have time to react or talk when Evan hastily grabbed him and tossed him over his shoulder. There was no time for Chris to walk or he wouldn't get far and they needed to be as far away from the shore as possible, they needed to be in-land. Evan kept his arm secured over Chris's back and he pushed away from the bench, reaching his free arm out for (Y/n).

Terror had hold of (Y/n) by her heart and it made each breath and each pulse of blood feel horrid and broken but she had to push through it. With trembling gasps, (Y/n) hoisted Bella into her arms, holding her face against her shoulder and her other arm tightly wrapped around around her small waist. She kept her daughter cocooned to her chest and ran forward as Evan grabbed her elbow so he didn't lose her in the rush that was going to come.

The pair of them bolted back across the wooden pannels, aiming to keep going and going until the inevitable flood overtook them. If they could at least get to the end of the pier then it would be a little better but Evan doubted it.

And when he turned to glance behind him, the water was almost at the bench they had just left.

They were running out of time.

"Here! Down here!" Doubling over, evan placed Chris down behind a vacated shall and as swift as anything, he grabbed (Y/n) by her hips and hoisted her over the side before he jumped across.

(Y/n) snapped her eyes closed and buried her face into Bella's hair who was whimpering against her chest, unsure what was happening and why everyone was suddenly screaming and panicking. She pressed her back up against the wood and felt Evan kneel down beside her and hold his arm around her while his other arm deadlocked around Chris.

They had to stay together.

"Oh God, Evan…" (Y/n) nudged her forehead into his shoulder and felt his arm tighten around her waist until it felt like an iron bar was grafted into her skin but it was comforting. It was the only thing grounding her racing thoughts from making her pass out.

"I won't let go babe! I won't I swear-"

He couldn't breathe. He had underestimated just how powerful the water was going to be when it hit. Wood broke and splintered on impact and each broken pannel hit Evan in the head, the arm, the legs and his back like he was being beaten black and blue.

It didn't matter how tightly Evan kept his arms around his family, he couldn't hold them all or keep them safe at his chest.

When the water hit, Evan got twisted and lifted from the floor and that was it. He could feel his fingers scratching into Chris's shirt but (Y/n) left his arm after maybe five or six seconds at most. The water lifted Evan up instead of dragging him down like he expected and it gave him a chance to gasp for a deep breath before something smacked into his foot and toppled him into a gushing wave. He seemed to spin in a circle and race down towards the floor like a diver reaching for the ocean.

A panel of wood smacked into his forehead right across his eye and that was when his world turned black.

Something akin to a bubbling scream gurgled at the back of Evan's throat and he was sure if he could he would have been sick. Everything was water, his lungs were full of water, his clothes were weighed down by water, the current was holding onto him with deep imbedded claws and dropplets were rolling down his eyes.

A tree branch smacked right into his lower sternum and stomach, knocking the water out of his lungs and letting him take in a strangled gasp and open his eyes. It took a few seconds for his vision to clear but when it did, he started to scream.

Where were they?

Why wasn't he back at the pier? How far had the water dragged him? Evan couldn't tell where he was, the water was at a third story level, covering the road, the landmarks, the signs and the building names and distinctions. All he could see were towering buildings, floating cars, broken glass, bodies and unworthy items floating beside him. Everything from chairs to lamps flew past him at top speed and gave him no direction of where he had turned up. All he knew was he was no longer at the pier.

"C-Christopher! (Y/n)! God, Bella? Bella baby where are you?!" Each word became clearer when he took deep ragged breaths but his voice rose two octaves until it sounded like a teen who hadn't hit puberty yet.

Chris didn't have balance or coordination or enough ability to find something to cling to and stop from floating away into the next state. Evan didn't even know if he could swim. And (Y/n) was somewhere around here, she had to be but if she was injured she couldn't swim and if she could swim, what if she hit something?

What if she didn't have hold of Bella anymore? She was three, she couldn't swim, she could barely tolerate getting a bath. This was far too powerful for her to stay afloat or swim or avoid getting scraped or punctured by something.

Where was his baby girl?

"No, God no," Evan let the tears fall, he let awful, hoarse screams scratch past his salty lips as his eyes burned from the beating he had taken and the tears he was shedding. He couldn't get the picture of his daughter floating past him out of his mind. Her little body floating limply past him, never to be seen again. Evan wouldn't survive if he couldn't see her face again or hear her laugh or her calling his name.

Evan screamed all their names again and again until he couldn't do anything but gasp for air and spit the water that flooded his mouth when he tried to push up higher on the tree branch that was currently keeping him afloat.

"Buck! B-Buck!"

"Christopher!" Evan looked around wildly, blinking away the droplets clinging to his lashes but he couldn't see where Chris was. Until he squinted into the distance and noticed a small head and a pair of arms clinging to a telephone pole.

One down, two to go.

"I'm coming! Stay there, hold on bud I'm coming!"

Bringing his legs up, Evan awkwardly shuffled over the branch and dived back into the current that was thankfully heading towards Chris and not away from him. He seemed to be sat right in the middle of the current that flew him down the middle of whatever street he was on.

As soon as he was within reach, Evan stretched out in front of him like someone desperate to find the light in the darkness and when his fingers barely touched Chris's shoulder, Evan grabbed him. He punctured his fingers into Chris's shoulders until he was sure he had bruised him and he pulled him from the pole.

Evan turned onto his back and lifted Chris onto his chest so he could still breathe and stay afloat but his head turned madly to try and find somewhere to move. They couldn't stay floating through the street, it was too dangerous. They had to get somewhere high and safe and wait until the water lowered enough to walk through or help arrived.

Did the fire and rescue come out during a tsunami? It was a natural disaster, surely they had to come out, but how would they get here, a truck couldn't float?

"Truck, truck." Chris waved his arms out beneath the water to stay floating on his back but he tried to splash towards the truck that was elevated and sat on a slant. It was resting on something but he didn't know what.

"Good, good boy! Alright l-let's go there."

Moving yet again, Evan hooked his arm tight around Chris's waist and tilted until they were both trying to stand up in the water so they could kick, bat and shimmy towards the truck.

He wasn't sure where the effort or the energy came from, but they swam like eels through the water until Evan could grab the open window and reel them in.

"Up, up."

When Chris grabbed the rail on top of the truck, Evan moved him up onto his shoulder so he could keep him high above the water and so he could put his feet into the windowsil and lift them both up. Chris let himself go floppy so Evan could push him over the rail and get him safe on top before he flopped on his chest next to Chris, exhausted.

"Are you okay?" Evan crouched on his hands and knees, coughing up the last bit of water and trying to take a second to make sure he could see no injuries on Chris. He couldn't be telling Eddie he had gotten his son hurt during a tsunami and if Chris was badly hurt, Evan wouldn't be able to cope in this situation.

But when Chris smiled and shook his head, Evan merely gasped. How could he be smiling at a time like this? Wasn't he afraid of what just happened? Shouldn't he be crying and screaming and shouting for his dad, demanding help arrive and take them away?

He looked like he had a black eye coming along and there would no doubt be scratches and bruises but he didn't seem like he was badly injured and that was a big weight off Evan's shoulders.

Evan himself felt okay. His head was pounding, blood was starting to dribble down into his left eye along with the water seeping off him. his ribs hurt, his arm was scratched and he was sure a few lower ribs were either fractured or broken. But he was relatively okay, he could run off the adrenaline that was now coursing through his veins. He would be functional until he could find out what happened to the rest of his family.

Tears started to flood Evan's eyes until he could barely see when Chris leaned forward and cupped his face in his hands and gently patted his cheek.

"You're hurt." Chris tried to smear the blood off Evan's forehead and the action made Evan sob.

"I'll be alright, buddy."

"Auntie (Y/n) and Bella, are we gonna find them?" Chris started to brush away the tears falling from Evan's eyes that turned a darker shade of blue and started to twitch.

"God, I hope so."

***

"Daddy!"

"I know you want daddy, baby, I know. We'll find him," (Y/n) could barely keep her voice level but she had to try and sound promising and encouraging. She had cried too much already.

If she cried any longer Bella would realise she was lying. How was (Y/n) going to know if they would find Evan and Christopher unharmed and alright after this? She might find one and not the other. She might have to give Eddie the worst phone call of his life and break his world. She might find Evan too late and shatter her own world entirely.

It had been a miracle that (Y/n) had stayed so close to Bella. After Evan drifted, (Y/n) realised Bella had been sucked out of her arms and carried off further ahead of her. A branch punctured into the bottom of her chest and a chunk of metal smacking into her forehead had done nothing to deter (Y/n) away from chasing her baby through the water. She watched her daughter bob up and down through the stream, gasping and struggling to stay afloat until she got tangled up in a bush that stopped her from going any further downstream.

(Y/n) had managed to grab her and use some nearby rope to tie Bella to her chest so they couldn't separated again.

Leaning forward, (Y/n) folded her arms over the roof of the car Bella was perched on and she pressed her forehead on her arms. If she was going to cry she needed to smother her sounds and not let Bella see so she didn't panic and get upset again too.

"No, daddy!" Bella's tone changed and she started frantically pointing, her sobs now ceasing into nothing.

"What?"

Turning around as much as she could, (Y/n) almost screamed when she saw a familiar figure looming in the distance. How on Earth did Bella know that was Evan? From way over here, he looked like a broad figure standing on top of something. But then again, his hair was always dark and flat when damp and he had wide shoulders, thick arms and a reduced torso. He was distinctive, thank God.

"Evan? Evan, please, please be him!" (Y/n) tried screaming his name but it only made her injured side ache and her lungs burn. She let bella continue to scream at the top of her lungs and wave her arms to direct him over to them.

A fire burned inside (Y/n)'s knotted stomach when she watched him dive into the water. It had to be him, what stranger would answer to his name and head their way? They weren't exactly in distress, they weren't being carried away by the water they had managed to find somewhere to stay safe for the time being.

"Daddy!"

"I'm coming, baby it's me! (Y/n), (Y/n)!" Evan flung a floating shopping trolley to the side and pushed another wooden beam out of his way as he coarsed through the water towards his girls. He could feel Christopher's arms tight around his neck and his weight pressing down on his back, reassuring him that the eight year old was alright and still with him.

He had started to give up hope of finding his girls, it was getting harder and harder to stay positive around Chris until he heard a distant crying. He had been looking round and round for what felt like hours, then when he and Chris moved over to a broken building that had been safe to stand on, he heard the voices get clearer.

There they were. (Y/n) had managed to stay with Bella or at least follow her and find her again and when Evan reached them, they would all be together again.

As soon as Evan was within reach of the dark blue BMW the girls were clinging to, he scrambled onto the boot and manouevred Chris from his shoulders to the top of the car. He helped him shuffle slowly on his stomach until he was safely on the roof and out of harms way.

"Bella!" Chris wrapped an arm around her and started to giggle when she shuffled between his legs and cuddled close to him. She was desperate to jump down into Evan's arms but one look at his stern expression told her to stay where she was. And that meant the closes source of comfort was the person who she thought was her cousin.

"Oh baby! Oh I thought- I…" Evan couldn't repeat what had been rattling through his head, lest he wanted to have a nervous breakdown and sob in front of the kids.

He thought he'd lost her for good.

He gripped the edge of the car and shuffled along until he was close enough to dig one hand into the top of the car and use the other to wrap his arm around (Y/n)'s shoulders. He reeled her into his chest and felt how badly she was shaking when she let out a feeble mewl into his chest. Her face tucked into the middle of his chest near his collar bone and both her arms wrapped around his torso, digging her nails into his flesh to reassure herself he was actually here, safe in her arms.

"Evan…"

"I'm here, I've got you, you're safe."

He couldn't press enough kisses to her wet, matted hair and each peck made her cry harder until she was sobbing and bubbling and whimpering in his arms and all he could do was shush her. If she didn't stop he was going to breakdown.

"Get on the car baby, we need to sit up with the kids until the water goes down enough to walk." Evan let his arm slope lower down until it was firmly around (Y/n)'s waist but his head snapped up to Bella when she spoke.

"Mummy's stuck."

"What? Stuck how?" His head pivoted back down to (Y/n) and he coiled his arm back to his side so he could hold her chin between his fingers and tilt her head up to look at him when she kept her eyes adverted down. He thought it was strange that she had Bella on top of the car but she herself was still half submerged in the water. It didn't dawn on Evan that she might be sitting in the water because she was stuck, he thought she was just trying to test the level of the water or wait and get ready to move again.

"My leg," (Y/n) glanced up at the kids before she lowered her voice, "I- I couldn't swim properly and hold Bella, I tried to get to the car… my foot went through the window, the glass-" She broke off, breaths hitching higher with each word.

Bella had been screaming and choking at the same time and (Y/n) didn't know what to do. The moment she got her unstuck the current took them and a wave submerged them and both of them panicked. When the car came into view (Y/n) knew she had to do anything and everything to reach it and get them both safe but she couldn't let them continue to float away and risk drowning or becoming separated again.

One slippery hand on the roof of the car wasn't enough to ground them to it and (Y/n) was in such a hurry and frightened that in her haste, she tried to put her feet on the car any way she could to grab it and stay secured to it.

Her right foot went straight through the glass window up to her mid-thigh and she could feel every shard of glass imbedded in her leg to the hilt. If she moved an inch either way, a searing hot fire pulsed through her nerves and made spots dance in front of her eyes.

So (Y/n) sat with her left leg floating on the bonnet of the car and her right leg jammed in the window, waiting for help to arrive or for enough courage to filter through her so she could pull herself free and keep moving. She didn't have to wait any longer, the one wish she had been praying for had been answered. Both the boys were here in front of her, they found their way back to her and they were alright.

"Okay, brace yourself on the roof and I'll take a look," Evan pecked her forehead again before he reached down to grab the doorhandle so he had something to ground himself with like an anchor in the sea.

It was hard to see much in the murky seaweed coloured water. Bits of everything floated past him from socks and leaves to paintbrushes and cans of pop. But he didn't have to go far down at all to see the problem. There was a large shard of glass imbedded in the underside of (Y/n)'s thigh, that was why she couldn't move.

He pushed back up to the surface and looked around before he grabbed a floating branch that looked sturdy and thick.

"I'm gonna break the glass to get you free, then I can check the damage properly and patch you up. Deep breaths, this is gonna sting sweetheart," He whispered the last part in her ear before he submerged himself again.

Punching and using force underwater felt pointless when the water took over half his energy and his swing but he had to try. He jammed the branch repeatedly into each area of the glass until finally it started to give way and break off into smaller jagged pieces. And it gave Evan the chance to slowly hold (Y/n)'s upper thigh close to her bum and slowly pull her leg back.

When she was free, Evan rounded her side and scrambled up onto the bonnet before he crouched back down and leaned into the water. His smile was enough to calm (Y/n) down and she held onto his shoulders, letting him grab her under her arms and slowly hoist her up out of the water as both kids cheered.

"Alright, alright baby I'm gonna lay you on your front so I can check the damage, try stay still."

Evan lifted his leg over (Y/n)'s back so she was held between his thighs before he lowered her down until she was laid down on her stomach on the roof. The glass was in the back of her thigh and he had to sort it.

"I'm sorry baby."

"What f-"

Both Chris and Bella coiled back in fright when (Y/n) screamed before she smothered her mouth and nose with her hands and bit down into the palm of her hand.

Evan grimaced, swiping the tears away with his shoulder when he loosened his belt and strapped it as tight as he could around (Y/n)'s upper thigh. He pulled it so hard it sank into her skin like a new layer of flesh and it caused her leg to jerk out. When the pin was secured in the button, Evan kneeled down in front of her and pulled her so her upper half was laid over his knees.

He bent over her, smoothing her hair behind her ears as she sobbed into his muck-ridden jeans. Each sob made her shake and each jagged breath made her leg pulsate and throb and it circled back round to make her cry even worse and all Evan could do was shush her. He hummed into her hair, kissed the back of her head and pressed his fingertips into her skin to try and calm her down.

He couldn't remove the glass from her leg because it was stemming the bleeding and it would make her bleed out if it was removed. But Evan couldn't just leave it there and let the rest of the blood drip around the wound. He had to cut off the blood supply to the wound and the only thing he had that would suffice was the belt keeping his jeans up.

"Shh, it's okay baby, I'm so sorry but I had to. I love you so, so much."

After a few minutes, (Y/n) punctured her teeth into her lower lip to try and stop herself from crying, she had to be brave for the kids.

There was no way she could sit or stand up when the glass was still in her leg so she settled for pulling herself a little higher up on the roof like she was sunbathing and getting a tan on her back. She kept her arms folded and rested her chin on her arms, trying to smile through the tears and the pain that was making her delirious.

"I'm okay," She whispered quietly when Christopher reached a hand out and gently rubbed her shoulder, unsure what else he could do.

"Daddy…" Bella held her arms out towards Evan and shuffled out of Chris's arms. She hadn't seen him or touched him since before the tsunami hit and she was desperate for some comfort. She had been calling out for him for what felt like hours, days, years to the frightened toddler and now he was here, she hadn't even gotten a cuddle yet.

"Come here babygirl,"

That was all the encouragement she needed to scramble forward onto his lap and curl up against his sodden chest. She didn't care about his damp, musky shirt that now smelled horribly of fish, sewage and whatever else was floating in the water. All she cared about was that his broad chest was pressed up against her face and his strong arms were curled around her and when she felt him kiss the top of her head, she mewled quietly like a kitten.

***

"I think we can walk through this now, everyone is heading in that direction, there might be shelter or a hospital somewhere nearby." Evan tiredly looked down at (Y/n), trying to add a little hope to his broken voice.

They had been sat on this car for an hour or more and they couldn't wait much longer. Evan had kept watch of (Y/n)'s leg and her lower chest where he knew she had a puncture wound and both were leaking blood like a slow but steady river that trailed over the side of the car and dribbled down into the dusty caramel coloured water.

He needed to get her to a hospital before she lost too much blood or got an infection or something worse happened. They were safe but isolated here. There had to be a hospital or a make shift hospital nearby.

And (Y/n) agreed, she was growing tired and the longer they stayed here, the less likely she was going to be to move.

"Alright you two, we're going to find some help, wait there for a moment."

Evan sat Bella back down next to Christopher before he shuffled to the edge of the car and slowly slid down into the lapping water, annoyed that he was just starting to dry off and now he was going to be cold and sodden and sticky again.

The water barely reached his knees and it was thinning out by the second.

"Come here bud," Chris smiled and reached out for Evan's arms, letting him pick him up and slide him into the water as gently as he could in case anything sharp was hiding beneath. "Can you walk through this?"

"I think so."

"Good. Sweetheart, you ready?"

A tepid smile mixed with a grimace twisted on (Y/n)'s lips and she shuffled to the edge and looped her arms around Evan's neck. She took a moment to kiss his jaw and bury her face in his neck before she nodded and let him do the work. His hands were tight and secure on her hips and he pulled her closer, leaning her weight on his chest until he could lower her down into the water.

(Y/n) could barely feel her right leg. It was like an awkward sense of pins and needles but it didn't hurt, her leg felt like it was under anaesthetic, it was limp and felt thick and puffy and loose like it was disconnected. She had to lean all of her weight onto her left leg and loop her hands around Evan's bicep to make sure she didn't fall, but she was upright.

She would shuffle and hobble through the water, she had to.

"Baby girl come here so I can get you." Evan wrapped his free arm around Bella and swiftly picked her up from the car but the moment he leaned down to try and put her in the water, she screamed. A horrid, ungodly sound left her lips and rickoted through Evan's ears and make him wince and shriek in response.

"No daddy no! D-don't let me go! DADDY NO!"

Bella started to bash her tiny fists into Evan's chest so much she was starting to hurt him and each scream resonated through his ears until he had to shout her name to get her attention.

He pressed his hand against the back of her head, tangling his fingers into her crimped hair as he pressed his lips against her forehead to shush her.

"Okay baby girl, it's okay. I'll just carry you, shh you're safe I promise. Daddy's got you."

He didn't want to carry her all this way, as much as Evan loved holding carrying and cuddling his little girl, this was different. He had (Y/n) to think about, she could barely stand up and hobbling through this was going to be a big trek for her. Evan had been hoping the kids would walk beside him and he could either carry (Y/n) or at least take her weight and keep lifting her so she didn't have to move as much.

But he couldn't put Bella down, not in this state. God, she was never going to get a bath again.

They didn't know how far they trecked through the water slugging around their ankles. They didn't know how many people they had passed or how many bodies floated in the water nearby. No one could count the amount of cars, trees, electrical items, bikes, cupboards and shoes that had floated past them.

But each of them were getting tired.

Evan couldn't keep walking for much longer, his head and his heart could go on for miles because of the three people who were depending on him, but his body was past its limit.

He had Chris clinging to his left leg, one arm curled around his leg and the other hand was in his pocket so he stayed close and kept himself upright. Bella was asleep in his arm, her legs curled up on his chest and her head lolled on his shoulder. It was a relief she was asleep because neither parent wanted her to witness or remember the violent, horrifying images that were surrounding them.

And then there was (Y/n), both her arms around Evan's neck, her head tucked into his chest and her body stooped over. Her left leg was limp and useless now, she was dragging her foot behind her collecting mud and grime like a hoarder. Evan took half her weight and she hopped on her good leg or dragged her foot and shuffled awkwardly through the sludge.

It seemed like forever until the road actually became visible and the water drained away into a clear, if wrecked, street.

They had been given directions to the nearest hospital and all of them had been praying for some sort of vehicle to pass by and give them a lift but they had no such luck. They had to keep walking until they found what they were looking for.

"Evan… I can't," (Y/n) couldn't even voice what she was feeling or tell him what she wanted or needed. All she could do was stare up at her husband, her firefighter, her saviour, and bite her lip.

She wanted to sleep, she wanted to sit down and have a nap and wake up all better and patched up with this event far behind them in their past with their future ahead of them. But the longer they walked, the less sure (Y/n) was that she would be okay after all of this. She just wanted to stop.

"Bella, baby girl, there's no more water. I need you to walk with us, stay right between my legs if you want and hold onto me, but I have to carry mummy now."

Evan woke her up gently and peppered kisses all over her face to brighten her up and make sure she knew everything was alright. There was no water anywhere in sight to frighten her and make her cling to him in fear of drowning. He didn't care if she walked with Chris, walked between his legs or right behind him holding onto his other leg like Chris. Just as long as she walked so he could carry (Y/n).

Bella began to whimper and squirm but Evan didn't give her chance to panic, he crouched down with (Y/n) doubling over and leaning on him, and placed their daughter on her feet. She stood firmly on the floor, panic and uncertainty in her eyes before Chris reached a free hand down to hold her hand.

"Up you go sweetheart, this will be the safest way for your leg." He crouched and turned his back towards (Y/n), wiggling his brows to make her smile and lighten the mood.

He didn't want to carry her on his chest when he had a feeling Bella would stay in front of him. He couldn't carry her bridal style because it would be too awkward and he could hurt her leg. But a piggy back ride was the next best thing, he could keep her safe and still see where he was going and her leg would just dangle over his hip. He wouldn't be in reach of the glass to knock or disturb it.

With a smile that showed how weak and disorientated she felt, (Y/n) looped her arms around her husband's neck and let his hands hold her thighs. He scooped her up with ease and settled her on his torso before he straightened up and nodded at the kids to start walking.

"Off we go."

Somehow, Evan felt safer, more secure and had a slight boost of energy and adrenaline with (Y/n) on his back. He had her safe in his hold and he didn't have to watch her struggle and hobble, he had been desperate to carry her and now he could, he felt better. Despite the discomfort in his ribs that he was sure were broken and the dizzy feeling clouding his head, he pushed forward.

He had his wife on his back, Chris clinging to his leg and his daughter waddling slowly between his legs, holding Chris's hand for safety and reassurance.

The sun started to set behind the horizon when the four of them slowly shuffled, hobbled and dragged their feet towards the hospital they had been dreaming about for hours.

"We made it," Evan choked through his words and he could feel the tears suddenly spilling down his face like a waterfall. They did it; they got here, it took them all afternoon and a horrid start, but they got to the hospital. Now they just needed to find someone to help them and they could get patched up and finally relax. As soon as everyone was checked over and (Y/n) was taken care of, Evan could calm down.

He would think, breathe, eat, sleep, cry, when his wife was tended to and out of medical danger.

"You did it baby," (Y/n) whispered quietly in his ear and kissed the junction of his neck behind his ear and jaw. She felt him shiver beneath her touch and she nuzzled her cheek into his shoulder. It was hard to fight off the sleep that was fighting to win the battle.

"Cap, it's good to see you," Eddie patted Bobby on the shoulder and managed a bright smile despite the day's work that had unfolded. Staying at the hospital had kept him busy and being a temporary medic was a delightful change for Eddie. He felt a little more useful here than he had back there in the water a few hours earlier.

But whatever Bobby was about to say drowned out into static when Eddie looked just beyond him.

"Oh my God!" Eddie's fingers dug into Bobby's shoulder and he ended up yanking him down a little before he suddenly let go and bolted past the hospital reception that was crammed with people.

He stumbled down the path, his heart beating frantically against his ribs causing the vein in his neck to pulse and make him feel faint.

What had he done?

Why did he drop Christopher off with them this morning? Why did he add such extra pressure on the two most important people to him? He should have found some other childcare for Christopher, he shouldn't have turned up out of the blue and landed them with him. They looked like they had all been through the heart of the storm and then some. Why did he give them the added pressure of Christopher?

If he didn't they might have gone somewhere else on their day trip than wherever they took the kids.

Eddie didn't know what to do when he reached them. He wasn't sure whether to grab his son and hold onto him for dear life, check over Bella, confiscate Buck and wrap him up in a hug or take (Y/n) and carry her through reception. He froze in front of them all, his arms paralysed out in front of him as he couldn't make up his mind on what to do.

"Daddy!" Christopher let go of Bella's hand and stumbled forward, making the decision for him as he threw himself into Eddie's waiting arms.

"Oh, Christopher, are you okay?" He didn't look like he had been through the tsunami, he looked more like he had gone swimming in the sea than through a horrific natural disaster. "Buck, I- hey girlie, oh it's okay." Eddie kept one arm around his son but his free arm looped around Bella when she ran across to him and grabbed his leg.

"Uncle Eddie,"

She couldn't hold her dad properly when he was carrying (Y/n) and she was desperate for comfort. If she couldn't have Evan, she was sure as Hell going to have her uncle Eddie instead. Her little arms stretched up and grabbed at Eddie's neck until he understood and picked her up, holding her against his chest when she began to cry.

"Buck, what happened? Chimney I need help over here!" Bobby bypassed Eddie and stood in front of Evan whose legs were starting to wobble as floods of tears poured down his face.

"Buck, God where were you?" Chimney tried to look him in the eye but he wouldn't look at any of them, all Evan could do was cry, keeping his gaze down to his feet. "Stretcher! (Y/n) I'm gonna check you over real quick then we'll get you inside and patched up, okay?"

"Hm,"

She couldn't open her eyes any longer, her face nuzzled into Buck's neck again and her arms squeezed lightly around his neck. It took all her effort to smooth her fingertips over Evan's chest to let him know that he was okay and they had made it.

Chimney patted his hands all down her back, felt her ribs in case they were broken and observed the puncture wound in her lower chest that wasn't extensive but it would definitely need stitches. But when he looked down at her right leg, his lips rolled together and he eyed Bobby with uncertainty. Her leg was extremely discoloured from the cut off circulation, blood was still dribbling slowly down her leg and the glass could have any number of infections on it that could penetrate her soft tissue and cause damage.

She had to get into theatre now before her leg became unsavable.

"Pulse is good but her breathing is shallow and her leg is in bad shape, that glass needs to come out now and the blood supply needs to be reconnected before the leg is lost." Chimney turned to find two nurses had arrived with a slightly lopsided stretcher but it would do. (Y/n) was now a high priority and she would get first admission to an operating room. "Okay (Y/n) we're going to gently ease you off of Buck and onto your stomach on this stretcher."

"Stay very still Buck, we've got her don't worry." Bobby patted Evan's shoulder before he and Chimney both got hold of (Y/n).

They moved an arm beneath her chest each and carefully held her thighs before they pulled her back. Her head fell back so slow and floppy it looked like she was a ragdoll whose neck had just broken. Her arms were lifeless and useless at her sides and she felt like jelly, one wrong move and she would split forever.

Bobby moved round and leaned backwards so (Y/n) could lay on his chest and Chimney could manouevre her legs and they lifted her up onto the stretcher. He turned her head to the side so she could still breathe properly and they placed her arms on the stretcher tucked up against her chest before Chimney gave a thumbs up for them to take her.

"Buck, buddy let's follow them inside and stay with (Y/n). You and Bella can stay close by and we will get you checked out." Bobby pressed one hand on Buck's back and the other on his chest both to check his breathing and to try and comfort him and steady him when he looked like he would keel over.

He knew Evan and Bella wouldn't want to be separated from (Y/n) and if they went now, they could stay in the closest waiting room to her and get seen by a nurse. Evan's head looked bad and he could have other multiple injuries they didn't know about.

As soon as Buck saw Eddie take the kids inside to follow (Y/n), his knees gave out.

His hands latched around Bobby's arm, his body went down with a harsh thud to the concrete floor on his knees and his breathing turned shallow and limp.

"Wow, wow! Hey, you're okay. You're all here in one piece, you're all gonna be okay. Come here," Bobby spoke with a calm and unusually soft voice like melted butter and he pulled Evan into his chest when he didn't refuse the contact. He let Evan tuck his face into his shoulder, switching between little panting breaths and big gasps before he let out a shrill cry that sounded like his throat had been scratched raw.

"I- I got them all here. They're all safe," Evan started to rock himself back and forth until Bobby and Chimney both did the same, holding onto him and checking his vitals at the same time.

"You did it Buck. You did it."

[msmk11]

Five More Minutes

Finnick Odair x fem!reader

WC: 1.5k

CW: Fluff, angst, the games, illusions to death

Summary: Five more minutes. A phrase you say often but only now really mean.

Day 16 of mk’s mad dash

The cold waves crash against your legs as you run through the water away from Finnick. Two person tag is pointless, really, but at the young age of eight, practicality is not an important thing on your mind. You’re still at the age where you’re similar in height and strength to the blonde, so you pretty easily outrun his attempts at tagging you.

“Wah, wah, you can’t catch me Finny!” You tease, sticking your tongue out.

“I told you not to call me that!” he yells, a pout growing on his face.

By the way his brows furrow in concentration, you can tell that your best friend is more determined than ever to catch you.

You run back up onto the shore, your feet sinking into the wet sand beneath you.

“Hey guys!” A voice shouts distantly.

You stop running and look up to see Finnick’s mother at the back door.

“It’s time to come inside my loves, dinner is ready!”

Just when you’re about to respond, a cold wet hand presses your arm.

“Tag, you’re it!”

Finnick stands beside you, golden hair windblown and wearing a big smirk.

“Not fair!” You shout back, betrayal written all over your face, “the game was obviously paused.”

“Never said so,” Finnick answers, arms crossed bossily.

“I’m gonna get you!”

You look back at Finnick’s mom, “five more minutes!”

*****

“Five more minutes.”

You look up at Mrs. Odair standing next to you, arms crossed and an anxious expression on her face that she absolutely cannot hide from you.

“Five more minutes,” you agree, reaching out and squeezing her arm gently.

Five more minutes. Five more minutes until Finnick would finally arrive home from the Capitol.

Finnick. Your Finny. The Capitol’s newest Victor. The youngest too, winning at the young age of only fourteen.

After being gone for weeks, you’d finally get to see him again. You’d finally be able to rest easy, knowing that he’s alive, safe, and within walking distance.

You hear it before you see it- the horn of the large, silver train warning everyone to back away from the railway. As it glides smoothly into the station, your stomach erupts in anxious butterflies, equal parts eager and nervous to see Finnick after all this time.

The train door slides open and the first person to step out is Finnick’s mentor, Mags. But then, there he comes, your best friend.

It seems the entirety of District Four is crammed into the small train station awaiting Finnick’s return, so the whole platform erupts into cheers at the sight of him exiting the train.

Finnick, ever the charmer, immediately puts on his best smile, waving to the crowd. Though you know a lot of it is an act, you can tell a part of him is genuinely happy to be home surrounded by his neighbors and friends.

His smile turns fully genuine, however, when he sees his parents and you waiting for him near the front of the platform. Finnick runs straight into his mother’s arms. Though he already towers over her, he looks so small at this moment, relieved to be back with his mama after all the trauma he had faced. When he pulls away, he gives his dad a hug too and then turns to you. If possible, his smile grows even wider and he opens his arms to you. You run straight into his arms at full force and he catches you, barely even stumbling under your weight.

You bury your face in his neck, “Welcome back, Finny.”

*****

You’re already ready to kill someone and the games haven’t even started yet. Interviews, in front of millions of people, are starting soon, and you’ve never felt more uncomfortable. You aren’t against dressing nice, but as a sixteen year old girl from the districts, you’re certainly against dressing uncomfortably and so lavishly. The big, poofy, blue gown you’re wearing is supposed to resemble the ocean, but you’re sure your stylist has gotten it all wrong. One is pleasant and good and makes you happy, the other is a stupid-ass dress with itchy fabric.

Luckily, your team has at least given you a few minutes alone before your interviews to collect yourself.

There’s a soft knock on the door and before you can even respond, it’s opening and closing quickly. Finnick is upon you in a second, arms wrapped around your waist and his chest flush against yours.

“Finnick,” you sigh, “what’re you doing here? I thought mentors weren’t allowed to be back here before the interviews?”

He pulls away a little and gives you a wink, “perks of being the Capitol’s Darling.”

You roll your eyes and scoff at him, but secretly you’re grateful for his status in the Capitol. Without his unwavering support at your side every second of your games journey so far, you certainly would’ve cracked. You’re not sure how you’re gonna fare in the arena.

Finnick looks you up and down, “you look….”

“Like an idiot?”

“No,” the blonde says, suddenly very serious, “You look beautiful, really. Though I suppose you always are.”

“Finn-“

You’re interrupted by the door opening. A backstage assistant peeks their head in the room, “you’re on in ten.”

When the door shuts, Finnick squeezes your waist gently, “okay, we should probably go.”

You stop him before he can pull away, “wait! Five more minutes, please.”

Finnick nods and pulls you impossibly tighter, resting his forehead against yours. As you stare into his seafoam colored eyes, a wave of calm overcomes you.

You’re so close that your breaths intermingle, and your stomach does a flip.

“Finnick-“

But you don’t need to say anything else, because his lips are already on yours.

*****

Even though Finnick never has to work another day in his life if he doesn’t want to, he’s still up and off to the docks every day before the sun even rises. It’s a habit of his you used to admire, maybe selfishly so, because he always showed up on your doorstep after a morning on the water with some sort of gift or breakfast in hand. But now, now that you and Finnick live together, you hate it. Even though you’re happy he’s doing something he enjoys, you, again, selfishly, want to keep him in bed a little longer.

When you feel him start to stir next to you, you instantly whine into his bare chest.

“Where are you going?”

Finnick’s strong arms squeeze you tightly, “gotta get up and head to the docks, sweetheart, you know this.”

“No,” you moan tiredly, “stay here.”

Your boyfriend places a soft kiss to the crown of your head and mumbles into your hair, “you know I can’t. Gotta work.”

You open your heavy eyes and look up at him, chin still resting on his muscled chest, “but you don’t have to. You could stay here and lay with me.”

Finnick sighs and you know he feels bad, but you also know you won’t change his mind. You find his stubbornness endearing, even if it works against you sometimes.

“Sweetheart, I’ll be back before you know it, okay?”

You huff dejectedly, “fine. But will you at least lay with me for five more minutes?”

The blonde pushes a strand of hair out of your face, “okay, pretty girl, five more minutes.”

The squeal of delight that escapes you makes your boyfriend chuckle, and you wrap yourself around him like a baby koala bear.

You look up at his pretty smile and long, soft eyelashes and place a soft kiss to his jaw, “Thank you, my love.”

*****

Much like all the mornings before, you cling to your husband tightly as you two lay in bed, preparing to face the day ahead.

But nothing about this morning is typical.

Instead of contentment you feel fear, instead of rested you feel restless, and instead of Finnick being eager to start his day, he clings to you just as tightly, head buried in your chest listening to the beating of your heart.

You mindlessly run your fingers through your lover’s curls, the only thing keeping you from completely breaking down.

Today is the day of the quarter quell. A day you never thought would come- when you have to enter the arena again. Even worse- when Finnick has to enter the arena again.

You’re still in shock over it all, and you can’t help the bitterness you feel towards the “girl on fire” for putting you and Finnick in this position again. Still, you try to keep your husband’s words in mind- it’s all for the revolution.

Only time will tell if you two would make it out alive.

Finnick’s rustling startles you from your daze and you look down at him, watching as he glances towards the clock on the nightstand.

“We probably should-“

“No.”

You pull Finnick towards your face, “just five more minutes, okay?”

Five more minutes. A phrase you’ve said countless times, but only now really mean in the face of death.

Five more minutes to hold your husband. To kiss him. To love him in the security of your bed. To pretend that the world doesn’t wait outside your door.

*****

Oh what you’d do for five more minutes.

[respectthepetty]

I crawled through sixteen episodes of Fourever You, so I could drag myself into the finale for THIS color coding! I had my doubts in some of these episodes, but here I am, living my best color-coded life because North is a Green Guy and Johan IS a Red Rascal.

And now that they are together, they perfectly complement each other as two chile peppers would!

Hill and Ter are also two great color-coded boys in love since bright and happy Yellow Yal Ter brought reserved and quiet Blue Boy Hill out of his shell.

EVERYONE IS COLOR CODED AND IN LOVE!

Well, expect for Typhoon, but his sad story is coming in Part Two, which I better be getting this year like Director New said. Or else!

Because I also want to know about his little friend Dao's spicy story with Arthit!

Oh, and apparently the continuation of Tiger and Duennao's story too.

Since they still aren't a couple; they just act like it six days a week.

But back to the couples who are official couples being cute.

Well, and Johan being so possessive that he won't even let his mom hug North. Peak Red Rascal behavior. Love to see it in fictional men.

Johan keeps up the behavior when they go home to visit their families. He hides his Green Guy behind him as he tries to not act his red color.

But that doesn't last long since he argues with his father at the slightest hint of his man's name on his dad's lips.

So even though The Alamo shirt looks blue, it feels green to me since North is truly the only thing keeping his man calm at any given moment.

All Johan needs is to look at North, and the entire world ceases to exist. Look at Johan. He ain't listening. He hasn't heard one word from North's pretty little mouth.

All he heard was North would leave him, and he jumped into sugar daddy mode. He said, "take all my money because I already gave you my heart." North, buy a bouncy house. No! A bouncy CASTLE! Use that man's money for good.

And invite your bestie Ter since he is going through it as he visits not only his family which includes the dad who yelled at him for being gay, but also Hill's family which includes the grandpa who separated them for being gay. It's a homophobe hoedown.

I know it's a lot, but they have each other!

And Ter has a sister and a mom rooting for them as the mom wears Hill's blue, and the sister is basically a Pride flag.

Plus Hill's grandma is not only supportive, but she kept the blue birthday jar Ter gave Hill in his room, so the women in these families are getting a spring wedding from these two even if Hill and Ter don't know it yet.

But I think these color-coded boys in love know it.

Well, at least Hill does.

Because his grandmother gave him the same necklace that his dad gave his mom when he knew she was the one.

And Hill has always known this pretty boy is the only one for him.

Sidenote: I actually gasped at how beautiful and young Cooheart looks here. That twenty-eight year old does not look a day over seventeen.

Kudos, Yellow Yal, for being the sun in Hill's blue sky, the star guiding him at all times, and the moon in his dark night. Way to be that man's everything, so now he can give you everything (like a bouncy castle!).

And even if Johan and North never get married, I'm sure they will be together forever too.

Since North probably already unknowingly signed no less than sixteen documents that Johan had his lawyers draw up which makes it legal for Johan to own North in at least twenty-three countries regardless of martial status and escape is punishable by death so . . . 'til death do you part, North. Congratulations, buddy!

Basically, every color-coded boy in love got his happy ending, and I was thrilled to witness it.

NOW BRING ME PART TWO!

[formulaforza]

—everywhere, everything

keep my hand in yours ('til our fingers decompose) pairing: daniel ricciardo x female reader warnings: parent death, angst, language, driving under the influence, underage smoking/drinking love, mackie... 6.6k. part two of this guy (but I think can be read stand-alone). I hope I make u all sad enough that you never ask me for a part two ever again <3

I hear you’re snooping around the old stomping grounds. I’d love to be there when you do it. Bring your dad if he’s free. It’ll be a good night, lots of strawberry wine—the real shit this time. All love, (always your) Danny.

— —

Danny is notably absent from your mom’s funeral. Granted, he is in Budapest at the time, and he had two races this weekend. You know this because you still keep tabs on him, even if he’s not yours to keep tabs on anymore, even if there’s nobody to blame for that but yourself. 

If you didn’t know better, hadn’t spotted Grace, Joe and Michelle a dozen or so people back in line to greet you and your dad, you would have been able to convince yourself Danny didn’t have a clue your mom was even sick. She went quick, less than eight months from her death sentence to… well. From death sentence to death. 

Two hundred and thirty-one days since her diagnosis means two-hundred and twenty-eight days since you broke things off with Danny. So even if he was in town, you probably wouldn’t have seen him. You wish you would have though, that he would have appeared in the plethora of grieving faces. Not for you, but for her. She always loved him, even before you did. 

Grace’s arms feel like the light at the end of a dark tunnel when she finally gets to the front of the line. She squeezes you tight, the only way a mother knows how to, and you cry in her arms. Grace doesn’t tell you how sorry she is, or that your mom loved you so much, or that she’s in a better place now. She just hugs you and wipes away your tears. 

“Danny wishes he could be here,” she tells you, but you don’t want to think about him and you don’t want to believe her. 

“Tell him I said ‘thank you?’” you say, a forced smile on your face. It’s got to be the hundredth of the afternoon. If there’s one thing your mom is—was. If there’s one thing she was, it’s loved. Tell him I hate him, is what you wish you could say to Grace. Or maybe tell him I love him. 

A million and two hugs later and you find yourself missing his arms more than you should. He was always a good hugger, and you could use a good hug right now. 

— —

You showed up at the property fifteen minutes after the event started. You’d hoped to slip in and out, to at least be able to say you went, that you tried. You had no intention of trying to find Daniel, and you figured it would be easy to avoid him, especially if you showed up after everyone else did—it’s his show, he’s the man of the hour, everyone will be fighting for his attention. 

You don’t even know why you came, really. Maybe it’s to figure out how the hell Daniel even got your address to send the invite in the first place. You’d moved half a dozen times since he last knew you. Or maybe it’s that you don’t believe, even after seeing it with your own eyes, that somebody actually had success with growing berries in the heat. It could be that you just… It could be simple, that you miss your Mom, and that everything about that place reminds you of her. 

Whatever the reason, you put on a long, flowing sundress, tied your hair back, and slipped on a pair of comfortable sneakers and a denim jacket. You didn’t even bother to tell your Dad—knew he’d want to catch up with Daniel, or maybe want to strangle Daniel. You didn’t want to give him the chance to do either. You park on the dirt road that leads to the vineyard, because the parking lot is overflowing, a pattern you’re beginning to notice since he’d taken over. 

The place looks the same as it did last time you were here. DR3 Wines still adorn the fleet of ATVs out front, and the wooden letters on the perfectly red barn are still perfectly white. You give your name to the woman working the door, regret it as soon as you catch her announcing your presence over the radio-headset she wears. 

Momentarily, you consider turning around and walking right back to your car. But, you aren’t one to waste a good outfit, not if you’d gotten all dolled up like this, so you walk into the Barn with your head down. 

It smells the same inside; wood, lavender, citronella and alcohol. There’s candles burning to make it feel cozy, but they do a poor job at changing the aroma in the air. The walls are still hung with photos, and the counter is still that slab of wood. It’s exactly the same as it was a few months ago, and manages to remind you of the place you grew up without wearing your childhood memories like a costume. 

Daniel has always been easy to find in a room. He’s loud, his voice and his laugh vibrate off the walls of whatever room he’s in. He’s loud and he’s confident and sometimes it feels like he’s the only person in a room that’s really alive. That’s how it felt then, at least. 

It’s been thirteen years since you last shared a space with him, but the fact you can hear his laugh on the other side of the crowded room assures you that while everything has changed, some things have stayed exactly the same. 

You can’t see him, but man can you hear him. 

You sign the guest book—proof, in case anybody asks. Proof that you did show up. It’s the top of a wine barrel, DR3 2023 branded into the oak—two tops, because so many people are here. It’s covered in signatures and messages from people he loves. You feel guilty even signing it, but you do. 

Congrats Dan—your marker pauses. You scoff at yourself. Congrats Daniel. Time flies, 13 years! The place looks beautiful. Wishing you continued success, you write, finishing it off with your signature. 

He still wears the same cologne, you realize, when you look up and he’s leaning against the table watching you write. He wears the same cologne, and the same smile, even if less crooked. Everything else about him is different. His hair is shorter, eyes older. His arms are covered in art, face is all together thinner, and his five o’clock shadow is less of a pipe dream and more of a full-fledged beard. He’s taller, maybe. Or you’re shorter. It doesn’t really matter, you suppose. 

You purse your lips into a curt smile. He matches—you didn’t even know he could smile like that. “Hi, honey,” he says, leaning over to read your message. 

“Hi.” “Who’s Daniel?” He teases, the smile on his face growing into one you’re much more familiar with. You look back at your writing, but you don’t laugh. If anything, you’re sure you look a little scared. “I’m teasing.”

“I know,” you nod.

“Okay,” he nods right back, slow, apprehensive over your apprehension. 

“Sorry,” you force out a chuckle. “I’m being so weird,” and you adjust the strap on your dress. He shoves his hands in his pocket, rocks back and forth on the sole of his shoes. Do you know how weird it is to be face to face with someone you were head over feet in love with? It’s really fucking weird. You put your best smile on your face, “Hi, sorry,” you continue, opening your arms for what you think might be the most awkward hug you’ve ever given. 

He’s quick to pull his hands back out of his pocket, like he’s worried if he doesn’t act fast enough you’re going to rescind the offer. 

His touch is uncanny; familiar and comforting and unsettling. It melts the years away and you feel just like you did some twelve years ago when you wished so desperately for one of his hugs. You’re nineteen again, and he’s twenty, and everything feels like it’s going to be okay. 

“How are you,” he asks quietly, his arms tight around you. “You look great.”

“I’m okay,” you say over his shoulder, and then again, as if you’re trying to convince yourself: “I’m okay. How are you?”

“Oh, y’know,” he shrugs, pulling away from the hug, gesturing your question away. “Same old, same old.”

“Yeah,” you nod, even though you don’t know. Even though it’s been eleven years since you forced yourself to ignore his existence, since you last kept any sort of tab on him. You can’t get over how different he looks. How you’d still recognize him without a second glance. “You look different.”

He laughs, looks down at himself. At his arms, his hands. He can’t look at his face, but it’s different, too. “Yeah, I guess so, huh?” He keeps looking back at you every time he laughs. He makes sure you’re laughing, or smiling at least, before he lets his slip. “Is your Dad here?”

“No. He uh, he wasn’t feeling well.”

Once upon a time, Daniel could spot your lies from the other side of the vineyard. You get stiff and stuttery, he told you, it’s easy when you know what you’re looking for. That was once upon a time, though, and this is now. Now, you don’t know if Daniel remembers any of those little things about you. 

His eyes go momentarily soft, worried, almost. “Just a cold, yeah?”

“Exactly.”

“Well, can I get you a drink? Give you a tour?”

You look around the place—not much to tour. Not when it used to be yours, not when one of his teenaged employees gave you a tour a few months back. He seems so excited about the idea, though, so you go along with it. “Sure. Yeah, that’d be nice.”

“Nice, awesome,” he says, looking around the place like he forgot where everything is. He claps his hands together, pulls them apart into a snap, and points at you with both hands. “Stay here? I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” you chuckle, and it’s genuine. “Staying here.”

“I know you, Bee,” he says, walking backwards away from you. B. He totally knows you’re full of shit about your Dad having a cold. “Don’t try to sneak out while I’m gone.”

“I won’t.”

“You promise?”

You nod. “I promise.”

— —

You, Daniel, and your Mom worked the closing shift that night. When he was around, that’s almost always how it went, because the two of you were the only ones who’d worked there long enough to know how to properly close up without a babysitter. 

Your Mom worked tediously in the office counting all the money—she was the slower counter of your parents, but it wasn’t like anyone was ever sitting around waiting on her. There was always something to be done, and Daniel was always good at making sure those closing tasks took up more than a chunk of the evening. 

You’d cleaned inside, swept the floors and vacuumed the rugs and cleaned the tables and the counters. You washed glasses behind the bar and restocked displays. The landline on the counter rang while you were writing up the day’s inventory, and you almost didn’t answer it, but your parents had told you to improve on your customer-service skills, even when you or the customer weren’t on site. 

To your surprise, the voice on the other end was Daniel’s. He was calling from the cellar, is too lazy to come over there to get shot down. “Is your Mom finished counting?” He asked, and you pulled the phone away from your ear to try and listen past the office door. 

“I think so,” you say, bringing the phone back to your ear. “We should be heading out soon.”

Sometimes you feel like you can hear Danny’s smile. “You wanna do the lock check with me?”

You slot the phone between your shoulder and your ear, returning your hands to the task of finishing up your paperwork for the night. You needed to be done when he got here, or there was no chance your Mom let you go with him. “How do you know I’m done with my shit?”

You can hear the lull of the old beat up golf-cart engine in the background, can almost feel the vibrations, can see clear as day Danny sitting there, lounging on the leather seat—tanned skin, unruly hair, toothy grin. “You always finish fast so you can daydream about your boyfriend,” he says, turning the last word into his own little sing-songy ballad. 

Your pen pauses on the paper, and you roll your eyes. “Jake isn’t my boyfriend.”

Danny laughs, and you roll your eyes again, pretend like you aren’t smiling. “Oh? But you knew who I was talking about!”

“Because you never shut up about him being into me.”

“Because he is!”

You set the pen down for good, now, grab the phone again because you want to make sure your next words come across loud and clear, even if it is the millionth time you’ve told him. “He’s my friend, Danny!”

“Oh, come on!” His laugh intensifies. “I don’t think a guy has ever been just friends with you.”

“You’re my friend, aren’t you?”

His laughter quells, and you’re sure he’s picking on the plastic of the steering wheel. There are so many scrapes on it from the same thing. He’s always picking at it, ever since you told him to give his poor nails a rest. He has to destroy something, you suppose—teenage boy and all—but you prefer a destroyed golf cart steering wheel to a destroyed Danny, so you let it slide. He sighs, and then he clears his throat, and the memory of your question dies in the silence. “Are you coming with me or not?”

“Are you coming to get me?”

— —

The air is chilly—nippy almost, especially with the sun dipping below the horizon like it is. You’re walking stride for stride with Daniel over the gravel path to the cellar, glass of sweet pink wine in your hand. He’s taking you to the strawberry field, per your request, because even after tasting it, even after telling you which field it’s in, you still don’t believe him.

“So,” he asks, one hand deep in his pocket, the other hanging in the space between your bodies. He’s very hesitant with you today, you’ve noticed. It’s nothing like the brash boy you called your first love. He’s gentle, softer, like he’s scared of his next words. “Who finally put that ring on your finger?” The threat of a smile is weak, but the idea of it alone is charming. 

You look at your free hand, carefully decorated with several different rings. “Which one?”

He drops his head to his shoulder, gives you a pathetic smile and a matching chuckle. “The only one an ex-boyfriend would ask you about, Bee.”

The sunlight—the little bit that’s left of it—catches the diamond on your ring finger. “Oh,” you shrug, dropping it back to your side. “It’s Mom’s.”

“I know,” he nods solemnly, and your head shoots over to look at him. You don’t know why he would remember that. “Who put it there, though?”

A smile pulls on your lips, and you bury it in the lip of your wine glass. “I’m not engaged, if that’s what you’re asking,” you laugh. “I just wear it… I don’t know, it makes me feel close to her.”

Sunsets at the property have always been gorgeous. When you were younger, you thought that maybe it was the most beautiful place in the entire world. The blues and the pinks and the yellows all mix together into some grand watercolor and tonight is no exception. 

The silence that lingers in the air should be awkward, but it’s not. It should be harder to be here, to watch the sunset, to walk the paths you have memorized, to stand next to Daniel after all these years. It’s not hard, though. It’s comfortable, like it was when you were sixteen and seventeen and eighteen and barely nineteen. Like it was all the time you knew him, even before you loved him. 

“I’m sorry,” he finally speaks. “She was really cool.”

You chuckle softly. It’s a familiar routine, consoling those attempting to console you about her death. “That’s what everyone says,” you say, even though Daniel might be the first person to posthumously describe your mom as cool. Lovely, you’d gotten more times than you could count. Beautiful and kind and oh honey, she loved you so much, you knew already. She was really cool, that’s a Danny-original if you’ve ever heard one. 

“I should have been at the funeral.”

“It’s okay,” you nod, because his presence wouldn’t have changed that your Mom was lovely and beautiful and kind and that she wasn’t around to be any of those things anymore. There wasn’t anything Daniel could have done to remedy that reality. “You were busy. We weren’t together,” and before he can come back with something, insists that it’s a bigger deal some decade later than it was, you change the subject. “What about you, though? Putting rings on anyone’s fingers these days?”

He laughs. A person can only get poetic about Daniel’s laugh so many times before it’s easier to just leave it at that. He laughs, everyone around him lights up, and he laughs some more. “Believe it or not, my work-life balance isn’t super great at fostering long-term relationships.”

You don’t exactly know what Daniel’s work-life balance looks like. The last time you paid any attention, he was racing with Toro Rosso. Every update you’d heard since had been one you weren’t looking for—commercials and posters and billboards and word-of-mouth; more than a couple ex-boyfriends and a few stray friends. 

You never cared much about racing. It was Daniel you cared about. 

There aren't a lot of specifics you remember about Daniel’s schedule, but you remember that he was almost always coming or going. There wasn’t much staying, and that was before he’d even made it to the big show. “You mean, women like it when their partners are around for most of the year?”

“They do, yeah,” he nods, dimples digging into his cheeks. “Crazy, right?”

“Crazy.”

— — 

Danny didn’t go down without a fight. He caught what had to have been the first flight home—home, you’re not sure that he can call Perth home now that he doesn’t live here. He caught the first flight to you, threw wood chips at your window at three-in-the morning. He didn’t need to wake you up, it’s been two weeks since you had any kind of meaningful sleep. You spend the majority of your time in bed looking at the ceiling fan spin or staining the sheets with your tears. 

You let him throw mulch for twenty minutes though, hoping that maybe he’ll give up and leave so you don’t have to face him. 

You’d done the breaking up over the phone for a reason. It wasn’t that you couldn’t wait until whenever he was home next. You could. It was that you couldn’t break up with him while looking him in the eyes, and you knew it. 

Eventually, though, you pull your pajama-clad frame out from under the warm covers, drag your feet the entire way to the window, pulling the curtains open just enough to confirm what you already knew—that it was him in the driveway. His entire face relaxes when he sees you there, forcing the window open. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“What the fuck am I doing?” He scoffs. “What the fuck are you doing?”

You cross your arms over your chest. The night air is cold and your pajamas are scarce. “I’m trying to sleep.”

He rolls his eyes, always dramatic, always over-the-top. “Come down here, honey.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

You stand there in silence, shivering in your bedroom window. He stands there in silence, thick jacket on and a handful of wood chips from the garden in your driveway. It’s a stalemate, and you don’t know which of you is more exhausted. Appearance points to him, but you dread that fact that you’re standing, that you’re tired enough to give up the fight this quick. 

“Fine,” you relent, and it’s less than two minutes before you’re running into him on the back porch, slowly closing the sliding patio door behind you so as to not alert anyone else in the house of his presence. “What do you want?”

“Where are your clothes?” He asks, and is already taking his coat off to wrap around your frame. You huff and puff the entire time he’s doing it, because your lack of clothing was a choice—you were hopeful that he wouldn’t keep you long if you were shivering. 

“What do you want, D?”

“I want you to talk to me,” he says. “Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”

Your lip trembles, and you bite down on it to try and stop it, chew on the skin until you taste copper and then it still trembles. You don’t look at him, you can’t. “You can’t fix it.”

“No, no,” he argues, grabbing your elbow in a plea, stepping closer to you, speaking hardly above a whisper. “Just tell me, baby.”

You yank your arm away, tone a direct contrast to his when you insist: “You can’t fix it this time, okay!? Nobody can fix it.” You point an accusatory finger, like there’s actually something he’s done to deserve this. There isn’t, there never will be. “You can’t fucking fix everything just because you want to.”

He matches, points his finger at you, presses it into the middle of your chest. Your heart races. “You can’t just fucking break up with me because you want to.”

You swat his hand away, offended by the accusation that you wanted this, that any part of you is enjoying this, finding relief in this. You hate this. Fucking loathe it, but it doesn’t change any of the facts. “I don’t want to,” your lips downturn into a frown, all pathetic and trembled, and your voice cracks and shakes half as much as your lips. The tears that burn in your eyes are reflected back in his, tired and bloodshot and wet. 

“Then don’t do it,” he pleads. 

You gulp around the lump in your throat, voice leaving your body meekly through tears. “I have to.”

“No, you don’t,” he assures you quickly, his hands slotting on either side of your face, the pads of his thumbs wiping your tears, his fingers locking into the hair at the nape of your neck. He shakes his head before he speaks, brown eyes searching yours, begging you to change your mind. “You don’t.”

His hands on your face are what push you over the edge, turn you from poised and sniffly to half-wrecked—choking on sobs and swallowing snot. It all hits you at once, all the weeks of testing, the days of trying to come to terms with a diagnosis, the hours spent grappling with the fact that nothing will ever be the same about you. You’re changed, now, and you’re only going to continue to change. It’s not Daniel’s responsibility to see you through any of this fucking shit.  “I do, I do,” you sob. “I have to, I’m so sorry, I have to.”

He presses his forehead against yours, your tears mixing with his every time your noses bump. It calms you, if only slightly, and your eyes close, mind focused on remembering this, on remembering what it feels like to have his skin on yours, to feel his voice in your bones, to breathe in the same air, the same space, the same atoms. 

Your breath is shaky, but the pattern is steady. In, out. In, out. Your nose is so stuffed you can’t breathe through it. Your lips are all but touching his, a stray tremble holding the power to force them together. You don’t know if you want to kiss him or not, if it would make things better or so much worse. 

He swallows hard, pulling your faces apart. “I love you,” he mutters softly, like a wounded animal, and then he presses a long, hard kiss into your forehead. 

You sniffle, your hands holding onto his wrists. “I’m sorry.”

He nods, drops his arms, your hands falling into his. “Yeah.”

He lets your hands go, lets you go. You feel like you might be sick watching him walk down the steps of the patio, along the path of pavers to the gate. A shiver runs up your spine, and you pull his jacket closed over your chest. His jacket. 

You wipe a new set of tears from your cheek with the back of your hand. “Your jacket,” you sniffle, “hold on.”

He doesn’t stop, doesn’t even turn back to face you. “Keep it,” he says, unlatching the gate and slipping through to the other side. You sigh, and then you cough, and then you cry some more before finally finding the ability to move again, to go back inside and up to your bedroom, and that was that. That was the last time you saw Danny. The last moment that he was yours. 

— —

You’re walking back from the unbelievable strawberry field, quickly approaching the still lively barn, people and smiles and conversations pouring out into the adjacent spaces. Someone appears in front of you with a camera, with two cameras—one professional, and one a cheap polaroid. Smile, they said, and you laughed, your cheeks burning red. 

Daniel slinks his arm over your shoulder, and you step closer to his side. He flashes a toothy grin and a shaka sign to the camera. You hear the shutter of the camera take a dozen photos, and then the photographer holds up the polaroid—one for the road, she says, and Daniel pulls you that little bit closer, you blush that little bit harder. 

There’s a flash, and then you both relax, the photo printing out of the bottom of the camera. She holds it out Daniel, but he nudges you with his elbow to take it. You do, even though you aren’t sure you want it. 

You shake the polaroid while the two of you make your way into the barn. “What do I do with this?” You ask, looking carefully at the developed print. 

Daniel shrugs, leaning over. You flip the photo in his direction so he doesn’t have to lean as far, but he still does. “It’s cute,” he says. “You don’t want it?”

“I mean, I’ll take it, but…” But. But I’m going to throw it away when I get home. But it only reminds me of you. But it only represents what won’t be. 

He looks to the wall of photos behind the counter, eyeing the display carefully. You follow his sight line, your eyes going to the exact place you remember the photos of you being. You don’t know why you’re surprised that they’re still there, like you knowing they exist means they’d vanish. “Hang it up,” he says. 

You laugh. “Where?”

Daniel shrugs. “Anywhere you want.”

— —

The best part about only being able to afford cheap workers, was that you spent every day at the property with a new teenager looking to have just as much fun as you were. Between that, and the plethora of college kids that were constantly leaving to go back to school, to get a grown-up job, to get any job that paid more than your family could offer—there was always an opportunity for going away parties. And party, you did. 

You and your coworkers turned friends had slept down by the river more summer nights than you could count, hiding six-packs in the staff locker-room and hiding ziploc bags of joints behind the six-packs. 

Tonight, the going-away party is to honor someone whose face you won’t remember in a year, much less thirteen. He’d worked there for the holidays and not much more, and there wasn’t much memorable about him. 

The bonfire on the back of the property snaps and crackles, sparking off into the night and lights everyone in flickers of orange and yellow. The breeze has picked up after dark, and the tank-top and shorts you’d donned earlier in the day aren’t appropriate any more, one of Danny’s hoodies—a purple one that sits in his locker just for you to steal and smells like weed and wood from all the past nights just like this one—takes the chill out of the night and keeps the goosebumps off your exposed legs. 

The sky is clear and cloudless, a big moon staring back at you and a million shining stars fill the night sky. It’s times like these you think there’s no prettier place on Earth, nights like these where you feel completely rich. 

Two joints are being passed around the circle lazily, laughter and conversation filling the air. The first one comes your way from the left, from Daniel. He takes a long hit, the embers at the end of the paper burning orange with his inhale. He holds it in, nodding his way through someone else’s joke, and exhaling into a laugh. 

He looks at you, hesitates to hand it over. “I really don’t want a lecture from your parents tomorrow morning,” he teases, playful smile pulling on his lips, mischievous glint in his eye. 

You roll your eyes. “They won’t know,” you insist, to no avail. Daniel chuckles, but holds his resolve and passes the joint around you to the next person. 

Undeterred, you keep your eyes on the joint that moves clockwise, that comes to you from the other direction, a path with no Danny-sized roadblock. With practiced ease, you take a hit, exhaling slowly, savoring the warmth in your chest. You meet Danny’s eyes on exhale, find them half-amused and half-concerned, brows raised and smile drawn. 

“Whatcha got there?” He laughs, gently taking the joint from her. “I told you not to,” he continues, taking a hit himself before passing it along again. You grin, a wave of giddiness washing over you. It always goes like that when he laughs—makes you all warm and fuzzy and silly. 

“It’ll be okay, Danny-boy,” you laugh, leaning against him. Lazily, without hesitation, he tosses his arm over your shoulder and pulls you that much closer. You like being closer, can feel his laugh instead of just hearing it. You like the way his arm rests on your shoulder, the way his fingers trace patterns over the fabric of his sweatshirt, every touch echoing on your skin for minutes. You like being close, even if it makes your palms a little sweatier and your heartbeat a little faster. You could get used to being closer, you think. 

The fire is starting to die out now, and the air gets colder. You wonder how long your parents waited up for you to get home. The original excuse was that Daniel had forgotten the lock-check, that you wanted to come along and really, it’s no problem to drive her home. After about fifteen minutes, you’d snuck away from the newly-built fire to make a phone call, to let them know you were grabbing food on the way home and don’t wait up for me. You’re sure they did, though, even if only for a while longer. 

Anyway, the air is colder and the joints have been smoked through and the beers have been drunk—not by you, you’re too messy when you’re crossed. And not by Daniel, either, who refuses to drive drunk but insists on driving high. 

You yawn under Daniel’s arm, find a way to somehow lean in closer. “Sleepy?” he asks, and you nod. Carefully, like he’s done it a million times before, he presses a kiss into the crown of your head. It’s not the millionth time, it’s not even the second time he’s kissed any part of you. It’s the first time you've felt the press of his lips and you think that you’ll feel it there forever. “You wanna go?”

“No,” you say. “I’ll stay, make sure the fire gets out and everything.”

It’s not much longer, anyway, until the fire is being doused with water bottles and beer and everyone is taking turns spraying the same perfumes and colognes over their clothes in a poor attempt to mask the smell of smoke and weed. 

Daniel drives you home. It’s not the first time you’ve been the passenger in his old Ford Bronco. It’s not even the first time you’ve been in the truck while he was high. Usually, car rides with Danny consist of cranked down windows and loud music, of louder conversations and excessive laughter. This drive is quiet, though. 

His hands are steady on the wheel, eyes focused on the road ahead. There’s no music, the windows are up, and he doesn’t talk. You watch him carefully from the passenger seat, study him in your paranoia. You haven’t done anything, you don’t think. There’s no reason for him to be mad at you. Unless there is. 

“Did you have a good time?” You ask. Danny nods. “That’s good.”

He turns to face you at a stop sign. “Sorry,” he laughs. “I’m trying to focus.”

“It’s okay,” you nod. 

“It’s harder,” he explains. “It’s hard with you here.”

— — 

The evening you’d anticipated is far from the evening that unfolds. Fifteen minutes, maximum, in and out. That was the plan. But then Daniel—Daniel, and all the far-fetched dreams of him making himself at home in your life, all the passing thoughts you’d had over the years about the what-ifs; the grocery bills and the taxes and the white wine and the rusty barn doors. He glues you to his side for hours that feel like minutes. 

The event is winding down, people keep coming up to him, firm pats on the back and handshakes and hugs goodbye. They tell him how great the place is, how great the wine is, how great he is, and you move around like his shadow, smiling awkwardly whenever someone catches your eye and waiting for the next joke Daniel has to crack quietly, just to you.

You stand at a high-table next to him, elbows on the tabletop, shoulders bumping everytime one of you moves. There were people around the table, a reason—an excuse—for the proximity, but they’re long gone now.  “You know,” Daniel says quietly, dropping his head against his hands, speaking to nobody in the room but you. “I’ve missed you a lot.”

“Yeah,” you nod, speak just as softly. “Me too.”

He takes a long drink from the wine glass in front of him. Liquid courage, you know now, for what he was going to do next. The glass returns to the tablecloth with a soft pat, and he lets out a heavy exhale. “I heard there’s a new coffee place opening in Northbridge?” He asks, and you assume it’s because he knows your neighborhood, wants to know more about it. The wine has made you naive, or maybe you’d just pushed the reality of his implication so far from your mind that it’s an impossible thought. 

“Yeah,” you nod. The new coffee shop in Northbridge is a seven minute walk from your apartment, and is on your way to work. You’ve been eyeing the place since the empty building went up for lease. “It’s got this super cute bakery right next door,” you add. “I think they opened last week.”

Daniel nods. “I’d love to try it out.”

“Yeah,” you continue, still genuine and naive and oh-so silly. “You should. I’ve heard good things.”

He laughs, then. Laughs this specific kind of Daniel laugh that you used to get so excited to hear. It meant he was going to do something for—or to—you. He’d laughed like that before he kissed you for the first time, and he’d laughed like that while orange juice ran down his arm and he asked you out for the hundredth time. He’d laughed like that on every anniversary, every birthday, every holiday. It’s Danny’s you laugh. “I’d need someone to go with, though,” he says. And the laugh and the words and the whole thing clicks. Daniel is trying to ask you out. “I don’t really know my way around Northbridge.”

A lie, objectively. One that confirms the assumption you’d just jumped to. Daniel’s first apartment was in Northbridge. He lived eleven minutes from where you live now. He knows the place like the back of his own hand, knows the streets like he used to know you. 

You nod into the bottom of your wine glass, watching the liquid spin around the clear glass. “You don’t?”

He purses his lips, looks all deep in thought. “No,” he shakes his head. “No, I don’t think I do.”

“Oh,” you frown, your eyes meeting his. It’s really hard to mess with him when he looks at you like that. Hard, but not impossible. “My dad’s usually around.”

He chuckles. “Your dad, huh?”

“Yeah, yeah,” you nod, a smile pulling impossibly hard on your lips. “Retirement and all, you know.”

“Oh, sure.”

“I guess…” you shrug, stop spinning your glass and set it down altogether. You push it slowly across the tablecloth towards the center. “I could always show you around, too.”

He leans back, stands up straight and scratches his beard, makes a piss-poor attempt at wiping the dimpled smile off his face when he cocks his head to the side and says, “As much as I like your dad…”

“As much as you like my dad.”

And, because Daniel was never really Daniel, because he’s always going to be your Danny, no matter the time or the distance or anything else that should get in the way, he says: “You’ve always been my honeybee.”

— —

“Don’t call me that, Mom,” you shouted from the office, gathering your morning gear. You were working tours with Danny, today, and the two of you had spent all morning bickering over who gets to be lead and who has to be secondary guide. While you shoved the batteries into the walkie-talkies, you could overhear Danny successfully pleading with your Mom. Honeybee, she’d called out to you. Let Danny take Lead today, won’t you? 

She laughs. You roll your eyes, slipping behind the counter where she leans, where Danny lounges on a stool. You toss Danny’s walkie at his chest, and he catches it before it hits him. She raises her brows pointedly, meets Danny’s eyes in some shared language, a shared silent remark about you. “Why not?”

“Because. It sounds like something Grandma would say.”

Your mom smiles, twirls the end of your ponytail around her finger. “But you’re so sweet”

Danny chokes on his laugh, shooting up straight in his seat to clear his throat, to cough into his elbow. “She is NOT sweet.”

You scowl, shove his shoulder gently. It only makes him, and your mom, laugh harder. “Hey!”

“You make my life sweet, baby girl,” she hums. 

Danny nods, falling back into his comfortable spot, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re kinda like a bee,” he says, leaning back even further. Your entire day would be made by him losing his balance and falling flat on his ass. “You make her life sweet but for me…” he pauses. “You’re just this annoying little buzzing I can’t shoo away.”

Silently, you hold up both middle fingers to him, walking backwards out from behind the counter, towards the back door. Your mom only laughs at you, always laughs at you and Danny. “Love you, Bee,” she calls to you, and winks at Danny. 

“Yeah,” he calls, the stool creaking underneath him as he properly stands up. “Love ya, Bee!”

[syndrossi]

October Trick or Treat Fill #9: Jon getting his hair braided

At long last, the "Jon gets his hair braided" prompt, which I think I wrote either first or second, gets its day! This takes place fairly close to the current chapter, as far as time-frame.

x~x~x

“When do I get to see?” Jon asked, hands folded in his lap to keep from touching or fidgeting.

Helaena had begun braiding a good twenty minutes before, humming quietly to herself throughout, halting only to answer the occasional question Jon asked to fill the silence. He didn’t have nearly as much hair as she or Rhaegar did, so he would have expected it to take no more than a few minutes.

The humming stopped. “Do you want to go?”

The trepidation in her voice made him regret asking. She had been so excited when he’d offered at supper last night, and even more thrilled when he had come calling upon her today at the end of her lessons with the septa. Jon would guess she had few visitors, even amongst her family.

It is not just our uncle. Aegon and Aemond think of her as both a girl and a baby. Daeron is too young. It is likely just her, her nurse, and occasionally her mother.

“No, I like it here.” He took a slice of raw carrot from the plate she had shyly asked her nurse to fetch from the kitchens. “Thank you for the carrots. Did Rhaegar tell you that I like them?”

“No. But Darra says that if you eat enough carrots, you can see in the dark.”

Jon grabbed another slice from the plate and held it up beside his ear. After a brief hesitation, Helaena took it, and he heard the loud crunch as she bit into it.

“What do you want to see in the dark?” he asked.

“Everything.” Helaena fell silent, hands pausing in his hair. “I don’t want to need a candle.”

Jon forced himself to remain relaxed so as not to alarm her. “No? Why not?”

“I’ll burn,” she whispered, so quietly he could hardly hear.

His instinct was to turn around and pull her into a hug, but he was still mostly a stranger, even though they were kin. Instead, he picked up another piece of carrot and offered it, then took one for himself, the quiet of the room broken by their chewing.

“I won’t let that happen,” Jon said.

“It won’t burn you,” she said, a statement rather than a question, and Jon wondered, alarmed, if Viserys had shared that knowledge with everyone or she had just overheard, as Aegon sometimes did.

“Me and Rhaegar will protect you,” Jon said, and her fingers began working again, nearing the bottom of his hair. “What about a lamp?”

She hummed in thought. “Lamps are safe. Their flame can’t reach.”

Although she could easily have meant that the flame was contained, Jon couldn’t shake the sense that she was speaking about the dragonglass candles in a roundabout way.

“Have you ever seen dragonglass?” he asked, keeping his tone even.

“Dragonglass?” The mixed curiosity and delight in her voice proved answer enough to the contrary. “No. Do dragons make glass? Can Shadow make glass?”

“I do not know,” Jon admitted. He had asked Samwell the same once, whether dragonglass came from dragons, and his friend had been unsure. The dragonglass candles themselves seemed worked in a way more like glassblowing than through carving. He wondered if Daemon might know. “It is a dark, shiny stone.”

“Like Shadow.”

“Like Shadow,” Jon agreed. The description hadn’t seemed to prompt any recognition, so he let himself relax, dismissing her words earlier as coincidence.

“Done!” she announced, tying off the last of her work with another ribbon—her eighth so far.

Jon was guided over to the mirror, and as he turned his head to various angles, he could see that each individual braid was more than passable—it was simply that there were eight of them, of varying degrees of thickness, sticking out at various angles from his head. He shook his head, feeling them pull at his scalp in unexpected ways.

“Thank you,” he said, forgetting himself and leaning to give her a kiss on the cheek.

She froze, and he pulled back, abashed, but although her eyes were wide, she did not look frightened or upset—just startled. Jon’s heart ached as he wondered how many times her brothers had ever done the same. “You like it?”

“I feel very secure,” he assured her. “If I must fight, I know my hair will not impede my vision.”

A well-timed knock at the door announced Rhaegar’s arrival, likely on his way back from afternoon training at the yard, and Helaena seemed unsure what to do with her sudden popularity, nodding silently at her nurse to allow him entrance.

“Princess Helaena,” Rhaegar said upon entering, bowing his head in greeting. “Thank you for—” His gaze had finally landed on Jon, and his expression stilled. “Oh. You braided Jon’s hair.”

“Do you like it?” she asked, face so hopeful that Jon prepared himself to glare Rhaegar into a polite answer.

It proved unnecessary. Rhaegar smiled at her, eyes dancing. “I think it suits him perfectly.” He went up to Jon, inspecting each braid. “You have mastered the triple strand. I can show you a four-strand sometime, if you like. We can practice on Jon together.”

Her gasp was audible, and she turned back to Jon, as though worried he might refuse. He raised a brow at Rhaegar and silently resigned himself to his fate. “Tomorrow, then.”

[jeonsbabygirlsworld]

CHAMPAGNE CONFETTI

SUMMARY: It was supposed to be a perfect night to spend with Jungkook and his mom, though you are nervous Jungkook helps you to calm down but after a few hours the things take a toll on you both .

PAIRINGS: FWB TO LOVERS (rockstar Jungkook x Reader)

WORD COUNT:2.1k

WARNINGS: AGNST, SMUT, FLUFF at the end kind of not really...? also Jungkook rides a bike, has a beef with his brother. Reader slaps Jungkook once .

SMUT WARNINGS: Unprotected sex, Fingering in elevator, oral m,f , missionary, cream pie as always, fingering, so many kisses, squirting, making a sex tape for like 2 minutes?

A/N: oh god 3D jungkook has an effect on me you guys I hope you enjoy this . As always please like, comment, follow and reblog sweet pies. <3

“I don’t know Jungkook are you sure about it?” You ask nervous about the fact he had invited you to his mother's birthday party. 

“I’m sure baby, please come. I'm sure she would love to have you there, also wanna have champagne confetti there?”He said and you just know he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Fine kook I’ll get ready. Can you come and pick me up, also I’m always up for it”You answer him chuckling right away.

“Yeah, baby I’ll be there in a few get ready yeah baby, and great.” Saying goodbye, he hangs up. 

Present

You get ready soon after his call doing a slight makeup, hair styled in wavy curls and wearing a new dress you saved for a special occasion the dress ends right above your knees. 

There was a knock you heard while wearing your black heels. Opening the door, you meet with the site of Jungkook dressed in a suit his hair-sleeked blazer resting in his hands and a few buttons unbuttoned. 

“Hey pretty girl, you ready?” Jungkook whispered while extending his right hand, nodding at him you allow him to guide you to His bike. “Hop on pretty girl,”he says giving you a helmet. Make sure to not ruin your hair. 

“Hold on tight baby,” he says starting his bike, the speed of his bike fastened while you reach the venue safely “Kook I’m nervous what will she think about us,”you say nervously while jungkook walks you into the elevator“Relax she is gonna love you,”he says huffing out a chuckle “I’m just stressed,” you say entering the lift and staying by the railing. 

“Can I do something to make you relax baby?”Jungkook says pressing his body to yours “Jungkook you crazy” you answer not believing him “Come on y/n we’re going 28, you’ve got 25 floors to come” he heaved “fuck go for it, kook” you say his fingers coming up to circle your clit rubbing them in eight shapes and inserting his fingers “cum baby” he said while you whined “oh my god gonna cum” you say slightly griping his blazer not wanting to ruin it. 

“Gonna cum jungkook” you moaned yeah’s leaving your mouth soon cumming on his fingers and removing them he sucks on them “mm came so much” he teases you “Shut up let’s go”You kiss his cheeks. 

While the elevator Dings and opens to the Room directly, holding his hands he guides you to meet his Mom woah she looks amazing you say loudly in your mind “Hi, good evening Mrs. Jeon, Happy Birthday” you say a bit cheerful “Oh hello dear and Thank you so much” she says hugging you both “Son make her comfortable all right?” She stated “Yes Mom don’t worry”Jungkook exclaimed. 

Now both you and jungkook and his mother were sitting on the sofa chatting about the new song he was going to release “Hey Kook let her listen to the song you going to release”you say excitedly “ Yes here you go Mom”he smiled. 

In the middle of the song buzzing he gladly told his mother to dance with him “Oh Mom, I love you” The room was completely filled with laughs and giggles while saw them happily dancing while his mother called you too “Come here honey, join us” she says forwarding her right hand accepting it you both started dancing “oh twirl sweetie “she says while Jungkook stood there looking at both of you with a wide grin. 

“Oh, looks like someone is having a great time over here”Then there came someone whom Jungkook wished never to see. His older brother. While you squeaked a tiny “hi” to him. Jungkook stopped the music looking at his mother “Mom? You said it was going to be only us, didn’t you?” He hounded “I said it because I knew if I told you he was going to come you wouldn’t have come here” she said grabbing his arm “Leave Mom I don’t wanna stay” he said removing her hands, Jungkook eyes his brother “Oh she’s the new one kook? Good taste indeed” his brother laughs “You always bring someone new, you going to push her off too soon? Using her just for her body, right?”He says with a whiskey glass in his hand “Baby get your purse we are leaving” Jungkook warns “Did I get on your nerves, Kook, you had one girl, but it was too boring right? So two girls are cool for you?”  His brother laughed away. 

It happens really quickly Jungkook grabs the glass from which he was drinking and hits him luckily his brother misses it his mother yells “Jungkook are you crazy?” She says raising her voice, never batting an eye he grabs you by your hand while you stand still scared “y/n get it together let’s go” he growls. 

Getting back to your senses you “Jungkook are you fucking stupid? What would have happened if it would have fucking hit your brother?” You bombard him with questions only to receive a low groan “fuck”. 

Jungkook had it even with you asking him questions “Y/n can you shut the fuck up, please?” He says pinning you to the elevator railing and grabbing your cheeks making your lips pout out. “Be quiet, can you? I know what I did” Shutting you up you were scared to see Jungkook like this.

Exiting the elevator you follow Jungkook who is walking at a fast pace “Jungkook wait” you call out “Walk fast y/n we are going back to my place” he says handing you the helmet “Jungkook no, you need to tell me first what the fuck happened up there” you exclaimed, oh boy that was his last straw “fuck y/n can you not stay calm for a fucking second I know what I did and who are you to ask me this stuff you're not my girlfriend and that’s right I keep you for your body , and your acting as if you didn’t knew I have many girls , you anyways will get boring ” he exclaimed, hearing this made your blood boil you slap him across his face and leaving from there. 

Tears run from your eyes, and you call for a taxi you go home crying, you and Jungkook were fuck buddies but staying with him didn’t feel like you were just using your bodies, you went on dates, play dates with bam, showering together, hell you both have gotten so close to each other he has a fucking tattoo of your initials( “or maybe it was just an illusion, and it's just the initial letter of all his fucks”) on his Adonis belt and the aftercare made you more than just fuck buddies.

Reaching home, you unlock the door and collapse on your knees you cry loudly when you hear a continuous ring of the bell and a loud banging noise. “Open the door baby I know you in there, I’m sorry baby, and I know I messed up listen to me, will you?” Jungkook banged harder and pushed open the door finally, instantly getting on his knees hugging you.

“Baby I’m sorry I didn’t mean that at all baby” Jungkook said kissing your forehead you cried harder in his arms “That really hurt Jungkook, you saying you use me just for your pleasure hurt me like shit I know that’s the point of our deal but still” you speak in between the sobs. “I know baby I’m sorry I really didn’t mean it, you can yell at me, curse me, just don’t leave me” he says his face levelling yours while you slightly chuckle at him through tears.

You slightly peck his lips not intending on making it last longer, but Jungkook grabbed your chin and kissed you roughly the kiss soon turned into make out when he carefully takes you in his arms and kisses you.

He lays you down on your bed coming to kiss your neck leaving wet kisses and also sucking on few hickeys on his way down towards your pussy. Fuck you were already wet, his fingers soon finding your clit he groans “Fuck baby wet already?” He says rubbing them over your panties. Going face to face he removes your panties whining when he sees your slick connecting a string to your panties.

“Fuck Jungkook I’m so wet need your fingers now” you grab onto his hair already whining “yeah baby? Moan my name I like it when you say it” he smiles teasing is finger in your pink hole “mm put it in” demanding he inserts one “what a sight y/n” teasing you with his long fingers he fastens the speed hitting your g-spot making you moan loudly “kook right there” you say, “here baby?” He asks making sure just to hit the spot right after.

The feeling of his fingers inside you was overwhelming “too much” you whine when his tongue comes to press kisses on your clit “no kook sensitive” you cry “No y/n it’s never too much cum, pretty baby going to squirt?” He teases you knowing damn well Jungkook and his work with his fingers “cumming Jungkook” you say while squirting all over his fingers “that’s write made you a fucking mess” he growls.

Hovering over you his slick covered fingers make way in your mouth you suck like how suck his pretty cock removing his cloths his cock was now out of the boxers the tip swollen and red begging for attention when you slightly palm him.

Pushing him you were the one on top of him kissing him on the cheeks you make your way to his abs licking them and laying kisses all over them and pressing bunch of kisses on were your initials are tattooed “Fuck kook they look so hot every-time I see them” you moan now giving attention to his cock “take it in your mouth baby "you palm him giving kitten licks on the tip and fastening your pace “ oh shit” Jungkook groans his head moving backwards because of pleasure while your left hand comes near his to choke him  while hand hands make a ponytail for you hair  Such a head pusher “ fuck y/n, no baby going To cum inside you” he says swatting your hands in few seconds .

“Come on sit up on the bed yeah show me that pussy again yes baby?” He says while you’re slightly confused while he goes and grabs his phone asking for your consent “can I baby?” He asks while you verbally consent him “yeah go-ahead kook” his fingers coming back to your pussy he slightly rubs in between your lips while you grab in his palm telling him to touch you there, and he angles his phone perfectly “oh yeah kook” you murmur “moan baby moan” he praises you. Your pussy makes wet sloppy noises.

You grab on his hard on gently circling his tip. “Now want you inside kook” you say grabbing his phone and throwing at the end of the bed “hm lay on your back come on ready for some real champagne and confetti? “He asks giggling.  “Yeah, always ready for it” Missionary his favourite

Jungkook rubs his swollen tip sliding them in your pussy lips to wet himself enough to not hurt you. “Fuck such a tight fit” mumbling he starts delivering rough thrusts while your pretty manicured nails claw on his shoulder, his fucking sliver necklace swinging in front of your face makes him look ten times hotter than he already is.

“Fuck Jungkook, so big” you moan getting closer to your orgasm “kook cumming” you say while he backs away to look at the creamy mess between you both the white ring of your slick makes him thrust back even further roughly “fuck y/n, love fucking your pussy, love you baby “in the heat of moment you say it back not minding while you both soon chase your orgasm.

He cums right after you pulling out to make a mess with his spilling cum pushing it inside. He backs away collapsing next to you while you hug with your legs tucked on his

“Did you mean what you said Jungkook because I meant what I said” you asked hoping he would mean it too “Yes baby I’ve been in love with you like forever now but I was bit scared to admit it” he says hugging you tightly. 

“And about what happened in the door don’t think about we usually never cross paths but yeah he did get on my nerves” he explains so you would calm down about the matter “But kook it would be really dangerous if it would hit him on the head,” you said worrying “yeah baby I know I’ll talk to mother tomorrow morning let’s sleep? I know you are tired” he tucks you down and kissed your lips. 

Good night baby …. Jungkook whispers slightly humming a tune good night Jungkook hugging out a breath. Jungkook is left there thinking all night about the events.

Taglist : @babybella337 , @jungk97kwife , @kimmingyuswifee .

[tgmsunmontue]

Season to Taste - 35/42 WIP

Explicit Hangster - Celebrity Chef Bradley and Naval Aviator Jake Seresin who have a relationship spanning the globe before they realize how tightly bound they are to one another.

PROLOGUE/ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN (interlude) ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN FORTEEN FIFTEEN SIXTEEN SEVENTEEN EIGHTEEN NINETEEN TWENTY (interlude) TWENTYONE TWENTYTWO TWENTYTHREE TWENTYFOUR TWENTYFIVE TWENTYSIX TWENTYSEVEN TWENTYEIGHT TWENTYNINE THIRTY (interlude) THIRTYONE THIRTYTWO THRTYTHREE THIRTYFOUR

Family tree if you need/want it.

(No new warnings apply if you've been reading along, but explicit sex, very mild (soft?) D/s, little bit of praise kink raising its head and some pins put in conversation points...)

CHAPTER THIRTYFIVE

                “Do you ever want to get married?”

                “One day. Why? You asking?”

                “You’ll know when I’m asking,” Jake says, poking Bradley in the side and making him squirm away from probing tickling fingers.

                “Yeah? You going to ask me huh? What about if I ask you first?”

                “Not really particular about how it happens to be honest… can’t imagine marrying anyone else. Can’t imagine my life without you in it…”

                “Jake…” He’s pretty sure Jake hadn’t said any of that to be overly romantic, just his natural sweet nature coming out and Bradley loves how soft he is with him. “I can’t imagine my life without you either. Don’t want to.”

                “Good. Glad we agree on that.”

                “Would you wear a wedding ring? Or engagement ring?”

                “Of course. Might be with my tags rather than on my finger though. You okay with that?”

                “Yeah. Of course I am.”

…            …            …

                Maria has been very fucking smug, tugging or patting his dog tags and the newly acquired ring that now hangs around his neck every time she gets within touching distance. She’s definitely not let him forget that she suspected Leo had a ring ready for him as well. He’s hugging everyone goodbye, and it’s odd flying out of Corpus Christi with so many of his family there, Leo and the Gallos as well, because usually he flies to New York to see him for a brief twenty-four hours before heading to his new station. But he’s going further inland for once, back to Fallon and he’s looking forward to it.

                He kisses Leo goodbye, ignores the catcalling and wolf-whistles his assembled sisters give. He’s newly engaged and he’s allowed to be very glad it’s only three months and that Leo already has plans to come and visit in only six weeks. For three whole nights, an entire weekend. Jake’s already looking forward to it, suspects he won’t step outside his base accommodation for the duration of Leo’s stay, given how his previous shore and liberty leave has panned out when Leo is there. He can’t wait.

…            …            …

                “You know… we could open a third Tartaruga in California. Now that you’re, you know, talking to your godfather…”

                “Don’t say godfather like that, we’re not part of the Mafia…”

                “I don't know, the family drama of it all, there being one man who holds all the power and everyone follows their orders or fears the repercussion? Sounds very Mafia like to me.”

                “Vi…”

                “Bradley…”

                “It’s… I don’t know if I’m ready to spread myself so thin again. Not with Ice’s health the way it is, and then the whole family thing. And now a wedding to plan…”

                “If you think you’re getting any say on the wedding with Jake’s sisters in the picture coupled with Silvia? I mean… I’d tell you to elope if I didn’t think they’d kill you both.”

                “Ugh. I know… and we don’t care about the wedding you know? We both care about the marriage, and having that little piece of paper to show just how committed we are. But…”

                “But it’s going to be a massive fucking family reunion of epic proportions and you better be prepared for your wedding ceremony to simply be one of the highlights.”

                “We’re both okay with that. It’ll be kind of nice. But I’m glad I’m not going to be around while they fight out where the wedding should be.”

                “I still think you should have two…”

                “Can you imagine trying to organize two?” Bradley groans, banging his head against her shoulder in an attempt to elicit some sympathy but she pushes him off.

                “You aren’t going to be doing any organizing anyway… Nonna’s olive grove would be nice. For a small and quiet ceremony anyway.”

                “Huh. Yeah… it would be. Civil ceremony anyway.”

                “Yep. And that will be the ace in Jake’s sisters’ hands…” Bradley snorts, rubs at his face and eyes, feeling very tired all of a sudden. “So. New restaurant?”

                “Ugh. How, why, is that an easier topic of conversation than my wedding?”

                “Because we don’t actually have to follow through on the restaurant,” Violet says with a laugh and Bradley groans, but she has a point. “And I was thinking, staying on theme but without using russo or arancione. How do you feel about Scheggia?”

                “Fuck no… that sounds awful. No-one will be able to pronounce it. And Splinter? Really?”

                “Thought it was fitting with the whole old-mentors living there… and how your relationship with them was for so long…”

                “Splintered. Haha. Very clever… Not like that now though.”

                “I know. How did Jake take it anyway, when you told him?”

                “Fuck. I completely forgot.”

                “Forgot? Or too busy fucking?”

                “Uh… both?”

                “Well, at least you’re honest.”

                “Yeah… I don’t know how to tell him. But I really need to.”

                “Well, you said you wanted to do it person, but you keep either conveniently forgetting or getting distracted…”

                “Sue me. My boyfriend is hot.”

                “Fidanzato,” Vi corrects and Bradley can’t help the fact that his grin gets wider.

                “Yeah. Fidanzato.”

                “Ugh. You’re sickening.”

…            …            …

                “I’m a promised man Phoenix.”

                “Yeah? Your Rooster finally propose huh?”

                “I asked him. Beat him to it.”

                “Of course you did. Well, I admit I have ulterior motives, but I’m happy for you Bagman…”

                “You’ll actually have to meet him now. Probably at the wedding if you’re on leave…”

                He wonders if he should try and introduce them when Leo comes to stay, except those are precious moments and he knows he doesn’t like sharing when he’s not on proper leave.

                “You don’t need to invite me to the wedding Bagman…”

                “With how much food there’s probably going to be, I need people that know how to eat…”

                “What are you implying?”

                “That you have a healthy appetite and you’ll appreciate the food, if nothing else.”

                “Hmm. I guess I can come. If I’m available.”

                “Glad to hear it. Date is still… undecided. Turns out my ancestors and Leo’s are all like, related.”

                “Uh… okay?” Phoenix says, and she’s grimacing and Jake runs through the words and realizes his mistake and laughs, shakes his head.

                “Oh. He’s not… he’d be like my fourth cousin once removed I think? But he’s adopted pretty much so… we’re not actually related. Fiancés now though.”

                “Yeah… what has that got to do with the date being undecided?”

                “Oh. Our wedding is going to be a massive family reunion I guess. I just left my sisters in charge with Leo’s parents, told them they can hash it out because as long as I’m married to Leo at the end of the day I don’t care what else happens…”

                “You don’t want to look good?”

                “Trace, I always look good.”

                She rolls her eyes at that and Jake just laughs, because nothing can bring him down.

…            …            …

                Six weeks fly by, and he flies out to California to visit Ice. Vi has insisted on coming with him, both to finally meet Ice and Maverick, and then to Fallon, saying she’s more than happy to get her own hotel room and entertain herself. It’s a little out-of-character but he doesn’t want to pry, because she’ll tell him if he needs to know. They don’t get as much time just the two of them any more so he’s happy to go along with it. He gets the taxi to drop her off at the hotel first before settling back for the drive to the base. He remembers vaguely coming here once as a kid, visiting Ice he thinks and he still has to figure out exactly how to break the existence of that relationship to Jake. Not that he expects Jake to be upset or angry, or even really surprised. Jake knows Slider and a couple of others that Bradley is more friendly with. None of them are as highly ranked as Ice though. None of them have quite the same reputation that Mav does.

                He hitches his bag over his shoulder, knocks on the door for the address Jake gave him and waits. Then the door opens, he’s being pulled inside by the strap of his bag, then it’s being taken from him and thrown toward the sofa and Jake’s mouth is on his for the briefest of moments before Jake is then kissing along his jaw. His fingers are on Bradley’s fly, pulling the zipper down and unhooking his belt with practiced fingers and he groans, wiggles a bit to help them fall down.

                “Fuck Jake…”

                “Mmm… missed you.”

                “Yeah? Never would have guessed…” Bradley says with a laugh, his head hitting the wall behind him as Jake palms his cock through his underwear. He’s been half-hard for the last twelve hours, since this morning when he’d fingered himself and slicked up the plug Jake has deemed his favorite. He’s rapidly shifting to full hardness with the attention and he wonders exactly what Jake has planned.

                “First time we’ve been apart since we got engaged…” Jake murmurs into the shell of his ear and he’s reminded just how sweet and sappy Jake can be. “I’m going to make you come so hard and so fast. Then I’m going to spend all day tomorrow keeping you right on the edge… see if we can make a new record.”

                “Fuck…” Bradley breathes, because sweet and sappy Jake is also hot and possessive Jake. Bradley lets himself melt and relax under his fingers and lips. “Yes please…”

                “Mmm. Thought you’d like that idea. Come on, let me take you to bed.”

…            …            …

                He learnt early on in their relationship that Leo really likes it when Jake marks him up, which is good because Jake has come to really enjoy leaving the marks. Learnt that he can make Leo come even harder if he presses on some marks a little. So he’s started leaving a couple the first time the have sex after they’ve been apart; has caught Leo looking at his reflection and running fingers over the marks with a soft smile on his face. Seeing that had made Jake finally feel like Leo liked the pain, wasn’t just saying words he thought Jake wanted to hear.

                “Did you do what I asked?” Jake asks, and he knows Leo will have, he’s never not followed Jake’s suggestions or instructions. But it’s how Leo responds to the question that Jake waits for, to judge just what kind of mood Leo is in. Jake will let it guide him, trusts Leo now to also say what he needs or wants.

                “Why don’t you check and find out…”

                Little bit bratty it is then, and he’s never spanked Leo, but sometimes he wonders. When he’s slapped his ass in passing, Jake’s definitely noted the sharp inhale, and if he’s looking for it the widening of Leo’s pupils with arousal. Of course, it’s not exactly conclusive evidence but maybe something worth exploring. To talk about when they have more time. Right now though he wants to simply gather him in his arms and sink his cock into him. Leo is so relaxed and trusting, it turns him on more and more each time.

                Their clothes get shoved off without any ceremony and he loves that they’re still like this even after three years. He runs a curious finger between Leo’s ass cheeks, feels the flare of the plug, the slickness of lube. Captures Leo’s lips in another kiss, bites at his bottom lip and lets his fingers dig in hard on his hip, savors the prickle of Leo’s moustache against his lip and the jerk of his body toward Jake, savors the way his body jitters a little before he settles under Jake’s hands.

                He thinks of the times when he’s tied Leo’s hands with his apron strings, stopping him from touching himself, even though he won’t if Jake tells him not to. Remembers seeing the faint red marks the strings had left afterwards, not deep or cutting, but pressed into Leo’s skin and yeah, he really wants to talk about that as well, when they don’t barely have longer than forty-eight hours together. Right now Leo is shuffling up the bed on his back like an awkward looking crab, trying to push off the blankets with one foot while he reaches for Jake at the same time. Everything they need is already at hand and he follows Leo up the bed, presses him down and licks over a nipple before sinking his teeth in just to the side.

                Leo’s body arches off the bed but Jake is used to it now, was already pressing him back and digging his teeth a little harder, feels Leo’s cock jerk against his thigh where he’s grinding against him. Hard and fast. That’s what he promised. He reaches for the pump bottle of lube, gets his hand slick and then wraps it around both their cocks, slotting them together as he shifts and grinds, not letting go from where he’s sucking what will be a purpling bruise on Leo’s chest. One he can suck and press later and make Leo see stars.

                “Jake…”

                “Uh uh uh… hands above your head baby.”

                Leo squirms but does exactly what he asks, there’s no headboard with convenient slats for Leo to slip his fingers around. Instead Jake watches as he grips a pillow tightly, muscles in his arms flexing and he hums his approval, goes back to sucking at the same spot. He pulls back and sits up, stops stroking their cocks and lets go completely, looks down at the flushed splotches all over Leo’s body, mouth slack, eyelids flickering and Jake grips Leo’s hip and digs his fingers in hard before letting go and reaching up to slide two fingers into Leo’s mouth.

                “Make them nice and wet for me…”

                While Leo sucks on his fingers Jake taps on the base of the plug, a little meanly because he knows it’s resting on Leo’s prostate. Leo’s cock jerks and dribbles a little and Jake knows Leo probably hasn’t gotten himself off for two days; Jake just asked him to try. He’s pretty confident he has maybe done very well.

                “You been waiting for this a while?”

                Leo nods around his fingers, doesn’t stop sucking and Jake presses a quick kiss to the middle of his chest.

                “You’re so good for me…”

                Unlike Leo, Jake has come recently, but he’s hard, thinking about what he wants to do. Wants to fuck him until Leo comes. Twice. Hard and fast and then Jake can just lie behind him and grind away, take his time, really drag it out until Leo is almost crying from the overstimulation. He’d promised hard and fast. But he’d kept this up his sleeve, wants to surprise Leo with it because it’s something he’d mentioned in one of their phone calls. They’ve gotten very good at phone sex, but also talking when they’re apart is good too. Let’s them really dig into things sometimes. What they want to do to each other when they’re next together is usually a favorite, especially after they’ve already gotten each other off.

                He slides the plug out, gets more lube. Leo was clearly generous but Jake has plans so he uses more than usual and then wipes his hand in the towel. Looks back at Leo to find him being watched under hooded eyes and he slips his fingers out of his mouth and bends down to kiss him, wiping his fingers on the bedsheet. Leo is shifting, getting impatient and he slaps a hand on his hip to still him and Leo’s entire body shudders.

                Okay. Definitely talking about that then. Later though.

                He urges Leo over onto all fours, urges him to the edge so Jake can stand, knows this is going to be best for leverage and fuck he’s a gorgeous sight, body all flushed, ass in the air, hole slick with lube, shoulders pressed into the bed like he’s already bracing himself and yeah, Jake isn’t going to make him wait. Quickly wipes himself and reaches for a condom when he hears Leo mumble and he pauses.

                “I… you don’t… uh… we should talk about that…”

                “What?”

                “Condoms. I’m… uh.”

                Oh.

                Jake thinks he gets what Leo is trying to say, but yeah, they should apparently have several more conversations when they aren’t naked and in the middle of sex. He can talk about it though, pretend he is, watch Leo fall apart thinking about it. Knows he can’t see what Jake is doing so tries to be quiet as he tears the foil and slides the condom on.

                “You think about me fucking you bare?” Jake asks as he pushes in, and the little high-pitched whine Leo makes telling him more than enough. “So hot and tight around me baby. Feel so good. Always do…”

                “Jake…”

                “Yeah baby, I’ve got you…” He let’s his fingers grip as hard as he needs to, pulling and holding Leo’s ass and hips as he fucks into him, setting a brutal pace. “You want to feel me come inside you huh? You jerk off thinking about that?”

                “Yes.”

                Jake groans, thinks about it, thinks about just letting himself come and then going soft while still inside Leo’s body.

                “Fuck. Touch yourself… don’t hold back Leo, want you to come as soon as you’re ready. Come on…”

                He pulls out every little trick he knows, lets his pace pick up and shifts his angle to ensure the head of his cock is pressing into Leo’s prostate with every inward thrust, his fingers on his hips pulling and holding Leo to him, reaches around and scrapes his nails over one of Leo’s nipples before letting his hand travel around and scrape down the long line of his back, watches the skin turn white from the pressure as he watches Leo’s arm jacking himself off.

                “Come on baby… want you to come for me… be good for me now…”

                Leo comes with a sob and Jake runs soothing hands down his back and over his hips, lets himself just enjoy the closeness and the feeling of a job well done, a little smug that he knows Leo so well. He pulls out carefully, encourages Leo onto his side and further up the bed, makes a half-assed attempt at wiping away Leo’s come from the bed sheet. His hands are gentle now that he’s left plenty of marks to make Leo happy and for him to pay attention to later.

                Now is for him, and as he settles behind Leo and he thinks about the next time he does this, maybe even an early morning, not having to worry about fishing out a condom. Just sliding into Leo’s body and he groans as he pushes back in, rocking his hips in a slower longer drawn-out pace, because he’s going to keep doing this until Leo gets hard again and then, and only then will Jake let himself come.

…            …            …

                “Back with me…?” Jake asks, pressing soft kisses along his hairline and Bradley feels woozy, his blood still far too occupied elsewhere in his body to assist his brain with coherent thought.

                “Mmm. If that’s engaged sex I cannot wait for married sex…”

                “Baby, we’re like fine wine. We’re only going to get better as we age.”

                “You don’t like wine…” Bradley mumbles and feels Jake laugh rather than hears him.

                “God I love you.”

                “Mmm. Love you too…”

                He lies there in the quiet, lets Jake hold him close, obligingly takes sips of water when offered the bottle, can’t help the smile on his face. He’s just so profoundly happy, can’t imagine life getting better than it is right in the moment. His stomach rumbles and he feels Jake laugh again and it’s one of his favorite feelings, Jake holding him and happy.

                “I am planning on feeding you. I was hoping to take you out to dinner and introduce you to one of my friends, but she apparently has better things to do. She passes on her thanks and gratitude though, apparently I’m always in a much better mood when I come back from seeing you…”

                “Hmm. I wonder why that is.”

                “Sounds like something we should look into…”

                “Yeah? Do some research?” Bradley asks

                “Yeah. Definitely. Come up with a scientific method. Test it over and over…”

                “Yeah, okay. Let’s do that.”

THIRTY-SIX

[adventuringblind]

Oscar the Matchmaker: Chapter Eight

Oscar Piastri x Reader x Max Verstappen

Summary: Reader travels back home to see her family with Max and Oscar. Things escalate a bit more then intended.

Warnings: religious things/trauma, sucky parents, talks of sexual activity

Notes: As someone who comes from a toxic church… this was much needed

Masterlist

Normally, Oscar is not a smug person. He doesn't rub things in people's faces (unless it's Lando). But in this moment, he allows himself to be a little smug.

The trio had made their way back to the females home for a weekend of their summer break. The last interaction he had with her parents was in formula two when they’d come to watch a race and got a glimpse of her terrible partners and her kissing around the corner.

He had to hold back his anger when he saw how uncomfortable she looked. Then he expected maybe her parents to do something about it. Instead they ridiculed her. Berated her. Essentially told her the devil had invaded her life.

She just stood there and took it. To the point where he stepped in and pulled her away because she looked distant. Numb to the world.

He hadn’t seen them since, and neither had she. Though he knows they talk occasionally.

Max, on the other hand, has never met them. Oscar had tried to give him a few pointers, but he'd already seen the fire behind his eyes. This was going to be a long weekend if Max had already settled for being an agent of chaos.

The trio makes their way to where their car is waiting to take them. The car where her parent are standing and waiting for them. Oscar wants nothing more then to see them pass out over their daughter and how well off she is. How successful she’s become without them.

She hugs them both when they get to the car. They look uncomfortable with the other two being around. “Welcome home. I thought it was just going to be you?” Questions her father. Oscar and Max both smile and go to shake his hand to introduce themselves, but he doesn’t reciprocate. Instead he frowns. And turns his attention back to his daughter.

“I said I wasn’t coming without them. If that makes you uncomfortable then we can always get back on the jet.”

“It’s fine- just be… decent, please.”

Oscar can hear Max inhale sharply. A look of annoyance crosses his features.

The Aussie is shocked that Max even agreed to such a thing. The entire point in coming here is to go to church with her parents, prove they aren’t possessed (or something like that) then leave. and frankly, max doesn’t seem like the kind of person to try to hold his tongue about his opinion for an entire weekend.

Their things go into the back and they climb into the (smaller then imagined) car. It’s certainly not something they normally travel in, but it feels like cuddling since its the three of them. So- Oscar can hardly complain much.

The majority of the ride is awkward small talk. Max eventually starts animatedly explaining something and in the heat of the moment his filter slips.

“Sorry- we don’t normally talk like that.”

“Good thing I can swear enough for the both of us then.” Max chuckles and the other two in the back start wheezing.

Yeah… it’s going to be a long weekend.

~

The house is relatively standard. Definitely not what they are used to seeing. Or at least, that’s what the female thinks as they they enter the house.

Her room has been emptied. It’s a little heartbreaking since they didn’t tell her. It’s like any trace of her existence has been erased. The bed is bigger then her old one and the room is void of any kind of decoration.

“Home sweet home.”

Max closes the door behind him. “I’m shocked they are letting us sleep together. They aren’t going to attempt an exorcism are them?”

all three of them toss their bodies onto the bed. “You have no idea how glad I am your here. It would suck to do this alone.”

“So- anyone up for purposely being as loud as possible and making the prudes out there think we’re having sex?” Max looks entirely to innocent. But Oscar looks even more so.

“Why fake it when we can do the real thing?”

“You two are terrible.”

The next morning is what she is absolutely dreading. Waking up when it’s still dark outside is not something any of them are good at. Add in that it’s for a religious event- They are rushing around getting ready.

It’s also sucks when they step out of the room, ready to go, the strength to face the inevitable.

“You’re not leaving in that.” Her father looks her up and down and her jaw tightens. The nerve of the man. She’s a fucking adult!

“I mean- she could be naked.” Oscar shrugs. It’s Max’s turn to keel over at a comment made. In reality, he’s not wrong. She wonders if it’s the lack of leggings for a dress that brushes the backs of her thighs. Or maybe it’s that he can see her shoulders.

Her parents start on some tangent that she tuned out about two sentences in. She makes eye contact with both boys. One looks exasperated like her and on the verge of just leaving early. The other is seething. Entirely red in the face.

Max’s hand hits the wall with an unrelenting force. “Sorry, I was compelled by the spirit… of anger! What the fuck are either of you talking about? either we leave here to whatever cult event this is, or we go home. But let her wear what she’s going to wear.”

The car ride is silent. Though she’s glad, because her nerves pick up immensely when they arrive. Max and Oscar pick up easily on her shaky hands. The product ends with her in-between them, the two males swinging her back and forth. She feels mildly like a child, but it’s calming, so she could care less.

The church is dead inside. Only a singular office light on. One that she dreads as she spent many hours inside of it. “Please tell me we’re not here to meet with the pastor.”

Her worst fear are come to life. Sitting on the sofa between Oscar and Max. Her parents on the other side and the pastor in a chair staring directly at her.

“I didn’t think you’d be back, y/n.” The voice she hates makes her shiver when it says her name.

“That makes two of us.”

“Are these your… friends?”

Max clicks his tongue. “Boyfriends.”

“It’s impossible to have two partners.” He sighs. Dissatisfied with Max’s correction. “You can’t possibly have a good sexual relationship between three people.”

Oscar coughs. “I beg to differ.” He shrugs and the pastor eyes him suspiciously.

“And why’s that?”

“I mean if you really want the details- just remember that you asked for it.” Oscar sits up in his seat and leans over his elbows. His hands now clasped in front of him. “Me and Max have a game we play that usually ends up in some kind of unpredictable scenario. I wouldn’t say we fight for control, we just race for it. She’s a bottom through and through and will do anything either of us says so that part is pretty easy. Plus, not to brag, but my rope work is getting better.” There is a few breaths of stunned silence as Oscar sits back into the couch.

The pastor looks at her parents. “Can we step outside for a moment?” Then the three get up and leave.

“That was the most brilliant display I have ever seen.l Max finally lets out the laughter he’s been biting back. “Did you see their faces? Priceless!”

“I don’t think my parents will ever talk to me again after this.”

“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing? All they do is make you feel horrible about yourself. It might not be a bad idea to cut contact for a while.” Oscar draws circles on to her thing. The pattern being one of comfort that he uses often.

“Can we call a cab or something? I am very ready to go.” She sighs.

“Great plan! But first I think we should really piss them off.” Max’s suggestive smirk can’t mean anything good.

~

It doesn’t take the three long to locate her parents outside of the office. They gasp when they see what she looks like. A few lovely hickies down her neck and shoulder. Her hair misplaced in all kinds of directions. They say nothing about it.

“It’s been nice seeing you, but we’re going to head back to Monaco now. Also, please don’t try to contact me again.”

They jump into some kind of lecture, but it’s to late. The trio heads for their ride that’s waiting for them outside the doors

Max, however, takes the opportunity to flip them off as they walk away.

[rebelliousstories]

XOXO

ValenFics

Relationship: Spencer Reid x Reader

Fandom: Criminal Minds

Request: No

Warnings: Fluff

Word Count: 1,031

Main Masterlist: Here

Criminal Minds Masterlist: Here

Summary: You thought Spencer knew an absurd amount of Halloween trivia? Oh, be prepared for this.

Consider Donating: Here

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Where there is love there is life.”

Waking up the day before Valentine’s Day to an empty bed was not ideal, but that was what she signed up for. Late nights and early mornings, and times where she would be without her lover for days on end because he was in another state for a case. A residual warmth was emitting from Spencer’s side of the bed as the clock on his side read out 6:45 a.m.

Must have been a very early morning then, if he was up and away before eight. Knowing that she was not going to be able to go back to sleep, she sighed gently, and made her way out of bed, to begin getting ready for the day. And that process started with coffee. Normally the pot would already be on if Spencer got up before her, but that was not the case. There was no coffee at all. Not even remnants of some that he had made earlier. The pot was bone dry.

Right as she began to make her own coffee, grumbling about it the entire time, the front door burst open. Her tall boyfriend with wild flailing limbs was carrying several trays and boxes. After putting back the grounds that she had gotten out initially, she went over to try and help him.

“Hi honey. I’m home!” Reid announced with glee. “Whoa!”

“Spence, you good? What did you get, sweetie?” She rushed to save a box of something that was teetering dangerously over the edge of the stack in his arms.

The both of them set down the boxes and cups, which is when she noticed that her boyfriend was beaming from ear to ear. “Well, I figured since tomorrow was Valentine’s Day and I’m not sure if I’ll be here for it, I thought we could have a small celebration here today. That is until we have to go to work in seventy-five minutes.”

“Spence…” trailing off, she noticed that all the logos were from their favorite spots around where they lived. Checking that his hands were clear, she launched herself into his arms, hugging him close as she felt her heart leap with the gesture. “Thank you sweetheart.”

“Of course. It’s not Halloween, but it still gives me another excuse to spoil you.” He pressed a kiss to her head, tightening his arms around her.

Releasing each other from their hold, the couple began to dig into their breakfast. He had gotten them coffee, donuts, and a special treat of some avocado toast that she had gotten him addicted to. But only if she made it, or it came from a very specific bakery that made it with sourdough.

“Heart shaped donuts?” She asked, picking one out to begin eating the delicious pastry.

Chewing on a bite of donut, Spencer tried to clear his mouth as fast as he could. “Even though they bear no resemblance to anatomical hearts, the symbol of one can be traced back to Ancient Greece and Rome where it’s thought that a species of giant fennel, called silphium, was used as a sign of love and sex. When you cut one open, it looks similar to the heart symbol we have today.”

Letting him speak, she just continued to eat and drink her coffee. Having him ramble about something random was her favorite part of the day. She could listen to him go on and on, and never get tired.

“Speaking of Ancient Rome, Valentine’s Day was modeled after the pagan festival called Lupercalia which was originally held on February 15th. They had animal sacrifice to the Roman god of agriculture and the two founders of the empire Romulus, and Remus. And- honey? You okay?” Waving a hand in front of her face, his brows were scrunched in concern. While he was talking, she had apparently zoned out, but was still looking at him like he hung the stars and moon.

A little shake of her head later, she rejoined the present. “Sorry sweetie. I promise I’m listening.” Her words tumbled out, slightly embarrassed.

“It’s okay.” Spencer reassured her. “Hey, you need to be getting to the academy. Go get ready and I’ll pack you a lunch.”

Being ushered off to their bedroom, she smiled as her boyfriend started his usual methods of taking care of her. When he was home, Spencer loved to pack her lunch with simple things like sandwiches and fresh fruits and vegetables. He was not trusted to make most things that involved a stovetop, which is why he made her lunches so simple. But when she came back out, ready for her day of teaching, Spencer could feel the breath leave his body as he stared.

“You’ve got that look again, ‘Cer.” She teased, fixing her watch back onto her wrist.

“You just look so amazing. I’m glad I can celebrate you everyday of my life.” Reaching for her hips, Reid pulled his girlfriend in close. With her in this close, he was able to capture her lips with his own. They relished in the contact for a moment, before unfortunately departing.

“I need to get to the academy, and you need to get to Quantico.” She lamented, patting his chest.

“Okay,” he chuckled, “don’t forget your lunch. I should be home around seven tonight.” Giving her one more kiss, Spencer left for the train while she grabbed the keys to the car.

Unpacking her bags at her office in the academy, she began to settle down into another day of teaching the next generation of agents for the bureau. But because of this morning, she was just counting down the minutes until she could dig into her lunch. Which meant that as soon as her 11:00 a.m. class had ended, she was packing up and heading off to eat just before the clock hit noon.

When she opened up her lunch bag, a slip of paper fell out. Recognizing her lover’s messy scrawl, she smiled, leaned back in her seat as she read the note.

“Love doesn’t make the world go ‘round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” Franklin P. Jones

[howlingday]

So I just thought of an angsty Rwby au involving jaune being Ravens kid. But here’s the kicker Raven would y’know still be behind the scenes watching Yang as she does, but with Jaune and his siblings she actually gets to be a mom for them in ways she couldn’t for Yang.

And I just imagine Jaune being a huge mamas boy and having a great relationship with raven.

And I just also envisioned him with statkillers sword skills for some reason

Is this idea evil? Yes.

But it is a good idea imo

"I can't wait!" Nora bounced in her seat like a little kid going to the fair. She got some odd looks from the other hangar patrons. "We're gonna meet Jaune's whole family! His mom, his dad, his brothers-"

"Sisters." Jaune corrected.

"-his brothers and sisters-" Nora continued.

"No, Nora, I only have sisters. I'm the only brother." Nora looked him up and down. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." She looked away. "Figured a brother would be bigger."

"Huh?"

"What's your family like, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, steering the conversation away from Nora.

"They're great!" Jaune said with a smile. "Though, not everybody is gonna be there. Saph's moving into her new house in Argus and getting ready for her wife to give birth, the twins are living somewhere close to Vytal, and Mom is probably on a mission again."

"Oh, is she a huntress?" Ruby asked.

"She used to be. Now she's in charge of her own mercenary company. She gets really busy."

"Wow..." Ruby had stars in her eyes. "Your mom sounds really cool~!"

"Well, she clearly dropped the ball on you." Weiss rolled her eyes. "Seeing as you arrived at Beacon with no training." Jaune gave a sheepish chuckle. "Honestly, how did that even happen?"

"To be fair," Jaune gave his cheek a scratch, "Beacon was kind of a last minute decision. Mom didn't know until it was too late."

"What was her reaction when she found out?" Blake asked.

"Well..."

'Flight 2314 for Ansel is now boarding.'

"Let's just say she wasn't too thrilled."

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

"Jaune!"

"Hey, Dad!" Jaune walked up to and hugged an older man with faded blond hair. Twice Jaune's size and wearing a white and gold t-shirt and business slacks, he looked exactly what everyone expected Jaune to look like in twenty years. "These are my friends. This is Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren from my team, and my sister team of Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang."

"Hi~!"

"Hello!"

Greetings."

"Hi!"

"Weiss Schnee."

"Hello."

"Hey, 'sup!"

"Pleasure to meet you all! I'm Nick, and Jaune's told quite a bit about you kids." Jaune's dad shook each of their hand, shaking some off their feet. "So where's baggage claim? Don't want to keep everyone waiting at the house."

"I don't know about everyone." Jaune chuckled.

"Yup, everyone. Even your sisters came down!" He grinned. "I'd hate to keep your mother waiting."

"Mom's home?!" Jaune asked with a gleam of excitement in his eyes. At a nod from his dad, Jaune lept for joy and walked quickly to baggage claim.

"Huh." Yang smirked. "Never seen someone so airsick move so fast AFTER throwing up."

The group hurried after Jaune, weaving around other passengers to catch up. Meanwhile, Nick kept a close eye on Yang. There was a scowl to his face, andhe knew exactly why.

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

"Here we are." Nick sang as he parked the... well, to call it a 'car' would be misleading. Turns out, it was a vehicle well suited for ten people and their luggage, eight of which would be teens and younger. "And how is the man of the hour?"

"Uh..." Jaune took deep breaths. Even as a kid, he got carsick easily. Thankfully, cars were a lot easier for him now than bullheads. "I'm good."

"You sure?" Nick chuckled. "Wouldn't want your mom to see her only son thrown up on himself."

"Like it's the first time." Jaune climbed out and looked at his home. It was a fairly big house in the country-side; two-stories, basement, attic, outdoor pool with patches of tape. He couldn't help but smile.

"Wow..." Nora gasped in wonder. "So this is where you grew up?" She nodded. "Guess it makes sense. Nothing about you says 'city kid'."

"Uh, thanks, Nora?" Jaune wasn't sure if he should take it as a compliment or an insult. What he did know, though...

"It's about time you showed up!" ...was whose voice that was.

Jaune whirled and saw an older woman with long, black hair and piercing red eyes. He smiled back at the woman who raised him almost all of his life. He raised his hand in the air.

"Hey, Mo-"

"RAVEN!" Jaune whirled again, catching a bit of motion sickness, and saw Yang huffing like a bull, ready to charge. Her eyes were red, just like when she was mad. Just like his mom's always were.

"Oh..." And just like that, Jaune had another sister.

[pjoxreader]

Glad to have you back! Hope your mental health is going good.

Since requests are open again, could you do a reader x leo, annabeth and Jason (separately) where the reader was just walking besides them then the next minute just disappeared, something like no clipping with the backrooms, and how they react to it and end it with them reuniting (you can change parts of it, if it seems confusing to you)

Reader Disappears 

TW: Slight panic attack

((Thank you! I'm glad to be back and writing again! 🥹))

Leo Valdez

-It’s funny how the best day in the world could so quickly turn to the worst. You were both just enjoying a beautiful picnic date in the park, it was rare for you both to get time off at camp. Leo always kept himself busy with building things and you were always helping out however you could for any cabin that needed it.

-”I have to run to the bathroom really quickly.” Leo admits as he gives your cheek a gentle kiss before he scurries off to the bathrooms. What he didn’t expect was that you’d be gone when he came back. 

-”Huh…” Leo takes his seat back on the picnic blanket trying to not panic. Maybe you just decided to go to the bathroom too and you missed each other? That wasn’t a far-fetched idea so he waited. And waited. And waited. 

-After about thirty minutes Leo starts to imagine the worst. Did a monster attack happen while he was gone? Did Hera kidnap you and take your memories? His blood runs cold at the thought of that. 

-Everything you did together, all of the time you spent could be gone, just like that. The thought scared him to the very core. He’d have no idea where you are, if you’re safe… “Leo?” Your voice snaps him out of his spiral of an oncoming panic attack he didn’t realize he was slipping into. -Leo looks at you in utter shock mixed with relief. “Where… Where were you?!” he asks in horror, quickly getting to his feet making sure you were unharmed before he pulls you into a tight hug. You let out an ‘oof’ of surprise as he had gotten quite strong with his time in the forage. “I left you a note in the picnic basket! I had to get to a payphone to talk with Hazel, she sent me an Iris message and asked to talk.” Leo can’t help but laugh at that. He was so stressed the thought of the picnic basket let alone eating had slipped his mind. ”Don’t… Don’t do that again.” he pleads, his voice quivering slightly.

Annabeth Chase

-You two were just enjoying some peace and quiet, leaning against each other’s back as you read in comfortable silence. It was rare you both had a day off and thankfully you both shared the same hobbies. So when you do get the rare date night it’s normally doing one of your hobbies.

-”Did you know spiders have eight eyes?” you ask mostly to tease her. Annabeth turns getting ready to smack you but suddenly she falls. Thankfully you were both on her bed so she just plops back into the bed. Though she looks around in utter confusion as one moment you were there, then the next you were gone.

-Her heart instantly starts to race, no, no, no, no, not again. Not again. She quickly gets up looking around the room for you “Where are you!?” she calls desperately hoping this was just some cruel prank and that you were invisible or something. “This isn’t funny!” her voice showed she wasn’t joking, a slight shake from her anxiety.

-But once again without a response she could feel her mind starting to spiral and her breath quickening. You were gone, just like that, and there wasn’t a thing she could have done to stop it. At this  point she was convinced the gods were just using her life as a toy, seeing how far they could push her until she broke.

-She fights back a choked sob as she refuses to break down, not yet. She can’t give in just yet. She gets her sword quickly running out and scanning the camp. Everything seemed to be normal, campers going about their daily activities. Which just made this whole thing worse, no one would know where you were…

-”Annabeth!” you yell as you quickly run over. She nearly takes your head off with her sword but thankfully she stops right at your neck as you put your hands up in surrender. “Woah! Woah! I surrender!” you say quickly. “I forfeit!” Annabeth looks at you, eyes blown wide in panic but she lowers her sword when she realizes it was you, the tears start to stream down her face. “Where were you!?” you laugh sheepishly not sure what to do when Annabeth cries. “The Hecate cabin accidentally summoned me an-” Before you could finish you end up judo flipped onto the ground. 

Jason Grace

-You were both enjoying your time in New Rome, Jason had been busy going between camps and he had finally come back. So you both decided to celebrate and go get some hot coco. It was the perfect date option, he’d be able to relax and you’d get to enjoy your time together.

-You both run out of hot coco so Jason decides to get up to get you both some refills. “I’ll be right back.” he promises you with a kind smile as he goes to get you refills. He ends up getting stuck in the line but he does make his way back to you.

-”Sorry for the wait there was-” before he could go on explaining why there was a wait he realized that you were gone. He hesitates looking around as he sets the drinks down as he scans the area around him. It was the afternoon so New Rome streets were packed with people chatting happily amongst themselves.

-He couldn’t see you at all, which made him anxiety start to rise. Sure you were in the safety of camp but there were so many things that could go wrong… He takes a breath to soothe himself. Maybe you had just wandered off… Or… Or maybe you saw Hazel and Frank and decided to talk to them!… -He sets the hot coco’s down and controls the winds to fly up to get a better view of the streets. You had to be somewhere…. You… You had to be, he couldn’t imagine losing you. Just as his panic was starting to rise he spotted you, there you were, in line for some food. 

-He lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, heart pounding in his chest as he lands, ensuring that he doesn’t knock over the hot coco he got you both. Once safely on the ground he sits at the table to try and play it off. He didn’t want you to feel bad for making him worry that much but he could still hear his heart pounding in his ears. Despite his anxiety he gives you a kind smile and a wave as you head back over with food you got for the both of you.

~Masterlist & Rules~

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