#and I suspect prospective team bosses are going to mark him down for this

[alianoralacanta]

Could someone please explain to Carlos Sainz that avoiding hitting people is generally beneficial to one's race and career prospects? Especially when a given overtake is likely to spoil his race in the event of a clean pass?

[professortennant]

Their first kiss happens in the locker room in Manchester after a surprising, underdog win for AFC Richmond (though perhaps she should start reevaluating what is and is not surprising when it comes to the Ted Lasso coaching method). 

The boys are rowdy, jumping up and down, cheering and chanting and spraying water, sports drink, and a few stray bottles of beer like they’ve just won the bloody World Cup and not just another league match. 

But the energy of it is infectious. Now that she cares about the future of this time, now that she’s not working to actively destroy it--after all, it would be all the sweeter to take Rupert’s team all the way to the championships, a feat he could never manage, and then bar him from participating in club celebrations--she finds herself all the more invested and engaged. 

(She actually blocks out the thirty minutes in her calendar every morning with Ted and finds herself tucking her hair back behind her ear, eyes flicking to the office door as their time draws nearer, a strange fluttering of nerves and excitement at the prospect of being the center of Ted’s overeager focus.)

So in this dirty, sticky, smelly locker room, the air crackling with exuberance and excitement, she doesn’t overthink the impulse to grab Ted’s hand, yank him into the away team’s office, away from prying eyes, and press her mouth to his, both of them still smiling into the kiss, maybe neither of them as swept up in the moment as she believed.

It’s the exact outlet for all of this emotion that she needs, every feeling concentrated in the electric touch of his mouth to hers, her tongue sliding ever so tentatively against his, letting him share this moment with her. They break apart to gulp breath and that should be the end of it--just one little kiss. But he surges back against her, mouth covering hers, teeth tugging at her bottom lip and his tongue sweeping across the sting of pain to soothe it. Her fingers dance across his jawline and her nails scratch at the base of his neck, itching to bury themselves into the thick, floppy hair that’s teased her since he arrived in her office. His fingertips burn a mark into her hip, pulling her closer, and she just about stops herself from sinking too far into the kiss before pulling away, breathless and grinning.

Ted looks shellshocked, eyes still closed and his hand heavy on her hip. Beyond the office door, they can still hear the Richmond team chant, whoops and hollers and then the sound of music blaring.

“Wow,” he finally says, eyes flickering open and looking dazed in a way that makes Rebecca feel immensely proud. She’s still got it. “Listen, if this is a new employer-employee incentive program for winning, I gotta say, I’m all for it.”

She bites her lip and looks down, forces herself to step back, shaking her head ruefully. “I’m sorry, that was wildly inappropriate of me. I just got caught up in the moment. It absolutely won’t happen again. I apologize.”

It’s an out, she knows it is. From the slight head tilt he gives her, hazel eyes gentle and appraising, he knows it, too.

“No harm, no foul,” he agrees, putting extra space between them and reaching for the office door, ready to rejoin his team. He stops, fingertips on the doorknob and turns back to her. “But I gotta say, boss, feel free to get caught up in the moment with me any time.” He winces, wrinkles his nose. “Nope, nope, that sounded better in my head but came out a lot creepier than I intended, like that one time at homecoming when Ms. Fisher told me--”

She laughs, reaches for him--a gentle press of her hand to his arm--and the motion stops his rambling. "Go join your team, Coach Lasso.”

His eyes drop to her lips, just obvious enough that she notices and it makes her suck in a breath of anticipation. She could blame her kiss on excitement, but if he reached for her now, if he cupped her cheek and drew her back to him, she would be lost with no excuse and only the truth: She wants Ted Lasso. 

But he doesn’t reach for her, seems to sense her fear, gives her the space he suspects she needs right now.

“See you tomorrow, boss.”

She watches him go and leans back against the door, a hand pressing to her stomach to soothe the fluttering of nerves. 

She is unbelievably fucked.

[myheartrevealedocs]

Untouchable Ch 15- Help

Warnings: swearing, drugs

Ch 14 | Ch 16

~ ~ ~

Another few weeks of silence. Lydia got a few calls from the team during the first week, but slowly they thinned out and disappeared.

She dropped herself onto the couch after her shift at a nearby coffee shop. It wasn’t the ideal job, but she needed some form of income to pay rent until she was out of school.

Her professor and her were discussing getting her teaching credentials and getting experience as a student teacher before she retired. The plan was to have her prepared by the upcoming spring semester, still 10 months away.

That was it. She was going to be a teacher. It was a fine career path, especially for someone of her age. And she had time to do something else if it truly didn’t suit her.

Lydia’s eyes grew heavy and she was just thinking about leaving her grad school work for another day, when someone knocked on her door.

Huffing, she picked herself up once more and checked the peephole. Gideon was hovering outside.

“Did Garcia give you my address?” Lydia asked bluntly, not even fully opening up the door,

“Yes.” He looked relieved to see her and Lydia wondered for a moment if Hotch had actually told the team she died. “May I come in?”

She rolled her eyes, but swung the door open, walking back to her couch. “Feel free to sit. I’ve got nowhere to be.”

“Thank you.”

There was a chair beside the couch, which he quickly took advantage of. And then he watched her, closely. He watched her close up her computer, pull her legs underneath her, and wait patiently for him to say something. He watched her for some sort of sign that she was happy, upset, or confused to see him there. But she just looked bored.

“You didn’t tell me that you were leaving,” he began, his voice soft.

Lydia shrugged. “You weren’t my boss. Hotch was.”

“That’s not why I care.” He leaned forward resting his forearms on his knees. “Did you think I was going to try to convince you to stay?”

“Were you?”

“Would you have stayed if I had?”

She looked away, shutting her eyes briefly. “I should hope I know what’s better for me than you do.”

“People love things that aren’t good for them,” he argued. “No one at the BAU enjoys their job. There’s… something else about it that keeps us there.”

“There’s nothing to keep me there anymore. Enough said.”

He paused again, watching her posture. It had tightened, but still she gave up nothing.

“You’re such a good actress. If I didn’t know you so well, I wouldn’t be able to tell that you were scared.”

“Scared?” she demanded, biting back a chuckle. Normally Jason frightened her with how well he did his job. But saying she was scared? No way.

“Of course.” His responses were so nonchalant, that she couldn’t bring herself to argue until she knew what had him so convinced. “Hotch told me that something happened between you and Reid. I’m sorry. I know you two were close. But I also know that the only time you back away from something is when you know you aren’t emotionally ready for it. Not because you’re afraid of anyone else, but because you are scared of yourself. You think you’re a naturally violent person, Lydia. When you and Reid had a fight, you thought you might go too far and someone would get hurt.”

“Amazing job,” she said sarcastically. “Stellar profile. Except that if I was going to quit anyway, why hold back?”

“There’s something more to it. You're not worried about those consequences. There must be other consequences. Does he have something on you?”

Did he? He knew more about her than anyone on the team. Was she actually afraid of anything she told him?

“Sure. He has my trust and I don’t have his. I thought I did, but he made it abundantly clear that I mean nothing to him. So yes... sure… I left because Reid made me feel unwelcome. And yes, I’m afraid that if I become too involved in the team again, he might threaten me or ruin my relationship with the other agents. But maybe, in the end, I quit because I realized that there might be better things out there. Better people.”

“Reid cares about you so much. You probably are the person he trusts the most on the team… That’s why I need your help.”

Help? Was he joking?

Lydia laughed though she was in no way amused by the prospect. “With him? Why? Is he being an asshole to you, too? Maybe everyone on the team should consider leaving him to his own devices. You did say once that if we compared our skills to Reid, he’d run the team on his own. Why not let him?”

“Lydia, Reid’s not an asshole. He’s a genuinely good person. But he’s acting out emotionally because he feels abandoned by the team. Tell me that you can’t understand that.”

Shit. He was right about that. That sounded just like her when her father got arrested. Lashing out, driving others away, demanding justice. Maybe she was the asshole here… But there was no way she could bring herself to admit that.

“I’m not seeking out someone who’s only going to hurt me. Maybe he does need help. But I’m not his mother. I have my own life to lead.”

He sighed, audibly. Knowing him, it was probably all part of his act. Gideon taught her well to manipulate suspects. “I just came here because I thought… I wanted you to understand him a bit better.”

“Well, thanks.” Lydia stood up from her couch, headed towards the door to not-so-subtly tell him to leave. “Now I can know that he hates my guts and feel like an asshole for not being the first person to try and make up. Goodbye, Gideon.”

When he got up, he just stared at her for a moment, not wanting to leave on such a bad note. “Please… please talk to me soon, okay?”

Not wanting to look like he’d caused her to feel as conflicted as she did, she rolled her eyes and said, “Yeah… Sure I’ll do that,” before walking him out.

~ ~ ~

“-and Beck claims she’s close to committing a murder.”

“She used to find it endearing,” Lydia replied, laughing with Sonia. “Lydie and Becky. She thought the rhyming was cute.”

“That’s because they always said it together. Now they run around the house yelling ‘Becky! Becky!’ and she screams ‘Don’t call me that!’”

Lydia could hear her sister complaining from across the country. She never liked being called Becky until the twins came along. To everyone else it was Beck or Rebecca. That was how Lydia and Sonia knew she liked them. She put up with it for them.

And then, they turned eight.

“She insists they’re doing it on purpose. She says she can just tell by their tone of voice that they’re mocking her.”

“To be honest, who’s to say they’re not?”

Sonia chuckled. “Yeah, they’re kind of a lot. Why did I agree to take in twins?”

“Because you’re a good person,” Lydia said.

It was true. The foster care system wasn’t kind to siblings. Especially older siblings, who struggled to get adopted. Sonia took in her and Rebecca knowing that they would be separated otherwise. And then, she was told about the twins, two toddlers, and her heart just couldn’t let them lose one another.

There was a soft knocking at Lydia’s door. She figured it was Gideon again, here to check up on her, so she decided to say her goodbyes.

“Make sure they know that their gifts are on the way! Sorry I fell so far behind!”

“Take care of yourself, honey. They aren’t even worried about the gifts they were so excited to get to talk to you on the phone.”

“Miss you all loads!”

As she put her phone down, there was another knock, this time, somehow, even more timid.

Standing, she peaked out the peephole and almost shrieked in surprise, throwing the door open before she could think better of it.

“Spencer…?” Lydia did a quick sweep of the hallway for anyone else. “Can I help you?”

His head was hung low, occasionally glancing up at her before dropping it again. “Yeah, I… May I come in?”

That’s what set off the alarms in her mind. His voice was a hoarse mirror of it’s usual self and the fact that he wouldn’t look at her made her think he’d been crying. Whatever caused him to show up here, it wasn’t about their relationship. This was about him.

He needed someone. And although, after everything, she wasn’t sure why he’d come here, she stepped out of the way and let him in.

“Thank you,” he mumbled.

She saw him shuffle over to the couch, then made over to her kitchen to get him some water. She didn’t know what was wrong with him. She doubted he’d be so inclined to tell her. But obviously he’d been through a lot and she knew the basics of how to handle someone in this state: water, blanket, patience, distraction.

He didn’t speak as she handed the glass to him. His mouth moved as if to thank her, but if he did, it wasn’t audible. He was frightened, it seemed.

Maybe something had happened on a case. Someone had gotten hurt. Maybe it was just nightmares from the kidnapping over a month ago. She didn’t even consider the thing he might be scared of was her. Speaking to her.

“Spencer, if you need me to talk you off some ledge, I’ll do it,” she started. “I’ll stand there and hold you up before you step away from the drop willingly. But I’m not sure what to say.”

His eyes were wet. Not full tears yet, but it terrified Lydia to know what he wanted to tell her.

“I’m- I’m not… Lydia, I’ve done-“ He fumbled desperately for the right way to say this to Lydia, but came up empty. There was no way to say this. Frustrated, he reached for his sleeve and ripped it up at high as it would go.

Lydia felt sick as she recognized what was afflicting him. There were red needle markings and bruises inside his elbow.

“Oh my god, Spencer. What is it?”

“You know that I wouldn’t have-“

“No! God no, Spencer! You don’t have to defend yourself!” she cried. “It doesn’t matter to me. I’m here to help you, not judge you. But you have to tell me what it is.”

Her fingers ghosted over the abused skin. He wanted more than anything for there to be another reason he was here. With her. He wished he’d had some other excuse to come see her. For her to hold him.

But he’s gotten himself into this whole fucking mess and there wasn’t another reason. He was here because he needed help and she was only agreeing because that’s the kind of person she was.

“Dilaudid.”

She bit down on her bottom lip. Fuck. “Okay. And Spencer? Are you here to get help or because you need to get it off your chest? I’m glad you told me, I really am, but if you aren’t planning to stop, I think you should find comfort elsewhere.”

It felt so harsh that she regretted it the instant the words left her mouth. But it was true. If Spencer wasn’t committed to getting clean, he wouldn’t be able to. And she wasn’t going to waste her energy on someone who wasn’t trying to be better.

“I need help. I thought I could figure this out by myself, but I… I don’t know anymore. I lose my will and I feel helpless and I thought you might… I thought you might understand. I know that’s horrible to assume, but with your family history I thought-”

“You aren’t assuming anything, Spencer,” she informed him. “You’re right. I know a lot about addiction and drugs and your brain chemistry right now. So, I’m going to be completely honest with you. I will help you, no questions asked. I won’t tell anyone unless absolutely necessary. And you don’t need to apologize or explain yourself. But if I feel you stop caring about getting clean or if I find out you’re using me for sympathy, that all goes away. I can’t help someone without… determination.”

He grabbed her hand suddenly. “I promise I’m determined. So determined. Please… Please fix me.”

Her heart tore to shreds. He was begging. Desperate. He truly felt alone.

But at least she was sure he’d get through this.

“You’re going to stay here for the next few days, at least,” she ordered. “The nights are going to be the most difficult right after going sober. If you can call in sick with Hotch, do that. Because the next few days are going to be hell if you don’t have any time to yourself.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll, uh… I’ll tell Hotch that I can’t come in for the next few days.”

“Good.” She sighed. “Once you’re sober, we can work through how to deal with the cravings. But for now, I want you to keep track of your symptoms and let me know what’s going on so I can help. Even if it’s just a hot flash in the middle of the night, I want you to tell me immediately.”

“Lydia, I…”

She paused her rambling, waiting for him to tell her she was overwhelming him. She felt overwhelmed herself, but then again, this was not how she expected her night to go.

“...thank you.”

Her heart missed a beat, but she pulled herself back onto track, rolling her eyes. “What did you think? I was going to send you away because you were mean to me? We aren’t children, Reid. I’m willing to-”

“I was on it then, too,” he whispered. “The dilaudid. Tobias gave it to me to help me deal with the torture. That’s why I got mad at you… It wasn’t because I thought you had abandoned me. Or because I thought you didn’t care. I was just… I knew I was messed up. That I wasn’t going to get over this. And I wanted to keep it away from you. I know that it doesn’t work like that, but I wanted you to know now that none of that anger stemmed from something you had done. It was on me. All me.”

“It wasn’t… totally your fault.” Lydia started to categorize her thoughts. What had really happened that night?

She had felt guilty for leaving him and going back to California. She was terrified after hearing he’d been taken hostage by a dangerous unsub. And the stress of leaving Sonia, if only for a few days, had her stomach in knots.

And from Spencer’s perspective, he was overcome by guilt. He’d felt indebted to Tobias, who went against his father (or the version of his father that he inhabited)’s wishes in order to save his life. And in return, Spencer had to kill him. Throw into the mix an intense craving for heroin and he wasn’t exactly in the mood for calm debate.

“I’m so sorry that I was insensitive to your feelings,” Lydia apologized. “At the time I wasn’t prepared to hear what you had to say and I reacted harshly… We’re too stubborn, you and I.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, more than said. “Either way, I can’t believe what I said to you. And I don’t deserve your forgiveness or help. I just… I couldn’t tell the team and you were the only other person I trusted with this stuff.”

“You’re already forgiven, Spencer. Don’t worry. I know what these… things do to people. I’ve said worse to my sister and my father and my foster mom. Believe me, you get a pass for this one.”

She smiled at him and he hesitantly returned it.

“So… I think we should start by having you grab some stuff from your place, because I wasn’t kidding. While we get you sober, I want you to stay here.”

“Okay… Yeah, let’s do that.”

“And you’re going to call Hotch?’

“Yeah. I’ll tell him I’ve got the flu.”

The trip was quick and before she knew it, Lydia was back in her own apartment. Her and Spencer spent the rest of the evening talking about the cases he worked while she was gone and what she was up to in California. Lydia was glad they could fall back into being comfortable with one another. Friendly, even.

She still avoided her conversation with her father, not sure how to bring up his imprisonment to Spencer, especially now that Spencer had his own problems.

It was growing later, the two of them having drifted off into their own minds on the couch.

“You were too good for me, Lydia,” he said out of the blue. “I couldn’t stand not feeling worthy of you anymore.”

“‘We accept the love we think we deserve,’” she quoted.

“That was profound,” he muttered.

“It’s Stephen Chbosky,” she explained. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

“I don’t know it.”

She gasped loudly. “You don’t know The Perks of Being a Wallflower? But Reid, it’s a classic!” She held up a hand quickly. “-And I don’t want to argue about the definition of ‘classic’ right now. Just trust me, it’s good… I think I brought my copy with me.”

Lydia got up, wandering into her room to look for the small novel. It sat in the middle of a stack of books on her bedside table. Smiling, she slipped it out, flipping through the pages fondly.

A thought struck her and she walked back to the door of her room to speak with him again.

“Get in the bed.”

Spencer blinked up at her, looking shocked. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

“No,” she chuckled. “I’m going to read you to sleep, doctor. Get into bed.”

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish, his cheeks tinted pink. “I was going to sleep on the couch…”

“Have you seen your legs?” she demanded. “You wouldn’t fit on the couch with your knees touching your chin. Just sleep in my bed and stop whining. You asked for my help and now you can’t escape me.”

“Clearly,” he replied, but there was amusement in his eyes.

He grabbed his things and went to get changed into something more comfortable for sleep. Then, he slowly crawled underneath the covers beside her.

At first, he sat up against the headboard with her, but Lydia shook her head. “You aren’t going to sleep like that.”

“This feels wrong, Lydia. We aren’t dating.”

“Do you think I’m going to take advantage of you,” she joked. “If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll sleep on the couch, but you are sleeping here, and that’s final. Now then, lay down.”

He did as she asked, sliding down so that he was fully horizontal. “I won’t be able to sleep,” he complained. “When I’m listening to something I give it all of my focus. I’ve never been able to sleep when my mom read to me.”

“Alright. We’ll read a little bit. A few pages, that’s all. And then we can both try to get some sleep. Will you finally stop your whining so I can begin?”

He looked a little startled by her insistence, but finally nodded for her to continue.

“‘August 25, 1991,’” she read. “‘Dear friend, I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn’t try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have. Please don’t try and figure out who she is because then you might figure out who I am, and I really don’t want you to do that…’”

~ ~ ~

The first two days were the hardest. Spencer didn’t get any sleep the first night, shaking and sweating fitfully. It had just hit the afternoon the next day when the nausea started. He stayed in the bathroom for most of the day. Lydia wrapped a blanket around him and brought him cold glasses of water and warm tea to help relax him.

At one point, she found him crying from the stomach cramps, his arms wrapped around himself protectively.

But after another day, his withdrawal symptoms had peaked and the rest was just cravings and an underlying uncomfortable feeling. Every night, she read him a few of the letters in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

He didn’t understand it. Not really. The main character, Charlie, contradicted himself a lot and danced around explaining hard topics, but Spencer still listened to her intently. She read it the same way she talked about her family. Her eyes glazed over slightly, her voice hesitant, fitting for the character.

After the first two days, he had to go back into work. Lydia sent him with a ton of painkillers to get him through the day without his brain exploding. And once he was done for the day, he’d end up right back at her door.

“Now that you’re sober,” Lydia had told him, “the biggest challenge will be the cravings. It’s really common for people to relapse. If you feel like relapsing, no matter the place or time, I want you to call me. And even if you do relapse, don’t be afraid to tell me. I’m here to help, remember?”

And she was. She was helping so much.

...and he was starting to reach a point where he wished she wasn’t.

He missed her. He missed her like hell. He missed walking around the park with her. He missed her ordering ice cream for them so that he didn’t have to interact with the cashiers. He missed the way she tousled his hair after kissing him. He even missed working with her.

“I didn’t just leave for you,” she had tried to assure him. “When I went back home, I realized that working for the FBI caused me to miss a lot. I didn’t mind at the time, missing a Christmas or birthday with them. But they deserve more from me.”

“I wish you would come back,” he admitted.

She just laughed. “You told me to pursue this opportunity to become a professor. It’s a good job. I’m excited for it.”

Every moment he was with her, he missed her more.

Asking her out now wasn’t fair to her. She might feel compelled to agree because of the fragile state he was in.

After coming back from his first case since getting sober, he went to stay with her again, excusing it as the stress of the job making him want company just in case. But he was simply in denial about the fact that he still loved her.

Or perhaps denial wasn’t the right word.

Lydia was reading to him that evening, the two of them almost done with the novel, when she realized how tired he was. She wanted to finish up on some grad school work before she went to sleep, so she told him to get some rest and started to go when he called her back.

“Yes?”

“I just… I love you, Lydia,” he mumbled sleepily.

Her whole body froze, her stomach tightening uncomfortably. “Spencer?”

He smiled, his eyes still shut. “Yeah?”

Maybe she’d misheard him? He was far too tired to be thinking sensibly. She shook her head and started to leave, but he peeked an eye open.

“Aren’t you going to say it back?” he asked.

Fuck… was he actually on something? He was acting drunk, but she didn’t think so. He hadn’t been acting weird when he got there so he’d probably just gotten… really, really tired.

“Say what?”

“That you love me? Don’t you… love me?”

It was actually sort of pathetic to hear from him in his distant state. But something possessed her to respond honestly.

“Spencer, I love you so much,” she told him, walking over to where he lay and kneeling beside him. “But you aren’t thinking straight and I don’t want you to say something you regret.”

He shook his head childishly. “I could never regret telling you how I feel unless you don’t love me back.”

Lydia gave him her softest smile and kissed him on the forehead. “We can talk about your feelings tomorrow, all right? Go to bed.”

He hadn’t meant to do it. His exhaustion had won over his common sense. And there was no way to take it back.

But did she mean it?

~ ~ ~

Lydia smiled, hearing Spencer leave the bedroom the next morning. She’d been anxious all night about having this conversation with him, but now that the time was there, a part of her felt relieved to be able to put it all out on the table.

“Do you ever feel like we got together too fast?” she inquired, not looking at him, instead relaxing on the couch.

She could hear him clear his throat awkwardly, probably far more afraid to speak with her than she was.

“No…?” he responded, shyly. “We’d known each other for almost a year when I asked you out. I’ve known people to get married in less time.”

“Not what I meant… Also, can we really call what you did ‘asking me out’?”

“I was the one to ask if you wanted food,” he argued.

“Yeah, and when I asked if it was a date, you got all awkward and said no. I think I asked you, more than you asked me.”

“That’s not fair!” he cried, walking around the couch to face her. “All you did was insist that it was a date!”

She laughed, seeing him all flustered. “Alright, alright. I call it a team effort. How about you?”

He rolled his eyes. “Sure, whatever.”

“Anyways, I don’t mean that we didn’t know each other long enough. I just… were we ready? You spent the whole time fretting about me being in the field and I was so worried about keeping your secret that I didn’t tell my family-- who live in California-- about you! A healthy relationship isn’t built on fear and that’s all we made ours. Fear.”

“I didn’t mean to make you scared,” he worried. “I just couldn’t stand the whole… the whole conversation. The whole ‘we’re dating: Here’s a look into our personal lives’ thing.”

“I respect that!” she said, quickly. “I didn’t need the team to know. But after we broke up, all I could think about was how much wanting to make you happy affected me. I know better now. If you weren’t happy around me being myself, it wouldn’t be a good relationship. Haven’t you learned anything?”

“Don’t yell at your girlfriend?” he tried. “Don’t tell me that worrying about you was wrong, because I’m always going to worry. It’s who I am.”

“I guess my point is, if we were together, would you let me keep working in the field? Would you be comfortable with that? Because when we got together, I thought that was part of the deal. I wouldn’t expect you to risk or stop yourself from doing your job for me and I expected the same. And yet, every time I got back from something dangerous, you would act as if I was being stupid and I should never do it again-”

“No! No, no.” He began repeating himself, his fingers tugging at his hair by the roots. “I never wanted you to- It’s just that this job is… I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”

She smiled at him, standing up to meet him at… well almost at eye level.

“That’s all I want, Spencer. I want us to be happy. Not afraid of our relationship. I want to be me and not worry about how to make you happy, because you already are. I mean, I’m so happy with you. You just being you.”

“Does this mean… you’re serious? You actually want to get back together?”

“Unless you have a compelling reason not to,” she teased.

Lydia was so distracted by the look of excitement in his eyes, she barely even noticed him getting closer until his lips were pressed against hers.

“Woah,” she mumbled, barely pulling away an inch. “Right to it, then?”

“I’ve wanted to do that for two months,” he admitted. “I really missed you.”

She gave him another peck. “I missed you, too, dumbass.”

~ ~ ~

Tags: @kris-stuff​, @wooya1224, @spencerelds​, @anotherr-fine-mess​

[naferty]

stevetony fic recs!!!! please!!!!!

Oh no there's just so many to choose from!! So many wonderful stony fics from so many wonderful authors. This is hard. Don't do this to me 😭😭

I hope you enjoy these just as much as I do!! 

(topTony and bottomSteve are also included)

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

What Lies Inside by Penumbren

     When the Avengers discover Captain America in the Arctic sea, they find more than just a new team member: Tony Stark discovers his fated mate. The problem is, Steve Rogers is a man out of his own time and apparently straight, and Tony's not about to force anything on the man he loves--even if it means his own death. Besides, Tony's spent his entire life keeping secrets. How can he possibly tell Steve that he's really Iron Man, let alone a werewolf?

Birds of a Feather by LoquitorLatinae 

     Tony only ever wanted to be an Alpha with bright feathers, a huge wingspan, and attitude. But he was an Omega, and while he still has the attitude, his lot in life as dictated by society leaves a lot to be desired. But he was Tony Stark, and he wasn’t going to let anything get in his way—though he wouldn’t necessarily be against the company of a certain Alpha Capsicle.

Killing Monsters in the Rain by snoozingkitten

     Tony is a werewolf in name only, he’s also a genius and a playboy and the Lord of the house of Stark. When he’s forcibly reminded of his heritage by a crash landing in the East River Forest things go a bit differently than he’d expect. Fantasy AU

Man Out of Time by samptra

     Closing dark eyes he tried to center his wildly gyrating thoughts. “This isn’t happening this isn’t real…” he wacked his head a few more times, “I did not go through a weird tear in the air again. There was no crazy terreract driven machine…and I defiantly did not go back in time.” This was all some sort of dream he was having a nightmare one that he’d awake from in his bed, in Avengers Tower, in the year 2013.

That Has Such People by samptra

     Captain Tony Stark has found himself in a strange time and place. Billionaire, genius Steve Rogers has no idea what to do with a man from the past. Together perhaps they can teach each other a little about the past and future.

Dulce et Decorum est by samptra

     Badly wounded in Afghanistan Lieutenant Tony Stark had been deemed unfit for combat. His life now stretching before him a bleakly; a company he wants nothing to do with, a legacy he can barely tolerate, and a life he never wanted. Until he’s given the chance to be something he never imagined; a superhero.

Thumb, Index, and Pinky Extended by Eudoxia

     Tony Stark is twenty-one when he loses his voice. It shouldn't matter, but in a world where the first words your Soulmate says to you are marked on your skin, it can be pretty damn annoying.

Living In The Future by Closer

     Eighteen-year-old Tony Stark is the boy genius who woke Captain America, and now he's stuck with him. That's not a bad thing, but between Steve's wide-eyed wonder at the new world and Tony's little fanboy crush, the awkwardness just keeps happening.

Engaging the Enemy by tsukinofaerii

     Iron Man is one of the more persistent villains that the Ultimates face, with a special fondness for one Captain America. As Steve starts to findout more and more about him, the lines between hero and villain begin to blur. Sometimes, you don't have to be on the right side of the law to be in the right.

The Tower of Yesterday by manic_intent

     Tony is the WWII hero waking up in the future. Iron Man Noir.

Got the Cream by YourFavoriteRobot

      Steve is coasting through life after leaving the army without making any real connections to anyone around him. Until a mischievous deity turns Steve's only friend, his cat Tony, into a human being.

Tony Stark and the Sentinel of Liberty: A Marvels Adventure by Sineala

     When Project Rebirth fails, leaving the super-soldier serum inert in his veins, Steve Rogers is forced to bid goodbye to his dream of defending his country -- at least, in the way he'd always envisioned it. But his prospects in that regard aren't entirely bleak: he takes a job as chronicler for Tony Stark, the former Marvels adventurer who now serves his country in his typical unorthodox style, hunting down mystical relics before the Nazis can find them. At Tony's side in the jungles of Peru, Steve discovers that the serum works after all -- but it works in ways he could never have imagined.

Not This Omega by Annehiggins

     With Stane dead, Tony has to find a mate or lose controlling interest in his company, so it's time to throw an omega ball. Tony has a plan, but doesn't count on the drug in his drink. Now he's stuck with a mate who doesn't seem all that into him. Based on this prompt in the avengerkink meme. Set it a world where no one, not even Pepper, knows Tony is Iron Man and the events of Iron Man 2 never happened.

Unknown Caller (do not engage) by gottalovev

     Steve had one job: exchange a couple of texts with a guy who thought he had Natasha's number, and let him down gently. It ends up being a lot more complicated than that.

A Little Too Not Over You by jay_girl88

     "Steve had experienced torture before. This was a cruel and unusual form of it."

Sometimes, you can't see what's right in front of you until it isn't there anymore.

Colour Me In Love by starksnack

     [5:12 AM] Hey so I know you modeled for me like two years ago, but I really liked the work we did and was wondering if we could get together for coffee and talk about your possible participation in my upcoming project. Please let me know when you’re available. - SR

Tony models for Steve.

Basically two idiots in love.

Parabol Series by chaoticcollectorchaos_me

     When a dead body is discovered, the Avengers become murder suspects.

Rockabye Verse by BladeoftheNebula

     Cute alphas didn’t appear out of nowhere to help ruined omegas. That was a widely accepted fact.

Tony Stark had always known his life wouldn’t be easy as a genius omega in an alpha’s world. But not even he predicted getting knocked up and forced to move to a small town in the middle of nowhere.

A Gentleman's Guide to Centaurs by BladeoftheNebula

     All of Marvyl is a-twitter when Captain Rogers comes to town and takes up residence at Brooklyn Hall.

A single alpha in possession of a large fortune is an interesting prospect for any unmarried omega - especially when he has hooves.

You Have Me by ShesLikeTexas

     Tony Stark is a twenty year old college student trying to get by after being cut off by his father. Enter: Art student Steve Rogers, otherwise known as "The Captain," one of the most powerful crime bosses in New York.

Home by Saber_Wing

     Desperately, he reached back and grasped for the carving knives on the block behind him, because damned if he was going down without a fight. Then the bilgesnipe's razor sharp teeth clamped down harder on Tony's leg, and this time, he heard something crack. All rational thought fled with it.

Tony's vision went white. He thought he might have screamed, but he couldn't be sure.

Oh god, it hurt. Fuck, fuck, fuck-

Thor really should learn to keep Bilgey in his room.

The Red String by masterlokisev159

     As Prince Anthony stands by the window and watches his kingdom burn, he can only hope and pray that the barbarians will be kind. After all, what good would it do to have more bloodshed after so many lives have been lost?

It is inevitable though. Whether he likes it or not, he is the prince, the son of the cruel and powerful King Howard. And princes such as he do not last long once their kingdom has been claimed.

Tony knows these will be his final hours. He knows the barbarian leader is coming for him.

He just prays it will be a quick and painless death.

Sweet on You by MiniRaven

     It’s the 1940’s and Tony is working as a Donut Doll for the Red Cross. His job is to go around to various military bases and offer comfort food and conversation to homesick soldiers. He’s come to expect a lot of things in this job, but he doesn’t expect to fall in love with Captain America, the hottest most awkward soldier Tony has ever met.

Clan (of the Stranger and the Outcast) by greymantledlady

     The Stranger holds out his huge hand towards Tony, palm outwards and upwards.

Tony watches him warily, baring his teeth a little, not yet a snarl but a warning. But the Stranger simply holds his hand there, waiting, waiting; and his knife is lying on the ground between them, and there is no threat in the lines of his body.

Tony lets out a little breath he’s been holding. And he’s trembling, but he slowly reaches his own hand out, tentative and uncertain, and brushes the fingertips against the Stranger’s calloused palm. And the Stranger smiles a little, his eyes soft, and wraps his fingers around Tony’s.

The Long Way Back (To You) by Pearl_Unplanned

     After mouthing off to the wrong God of Mischief, Steve and Tony find themselves stuck as a cat and mouse, respectively. Either they work together to get home without being picked off by one of the many everyday dangers like stray dogs, cars, rat poison and each other, or they die trying. And maybe they can just come to terms with how they really feel towards one another.

The Future is Now by Pearl_Unplanned

     After a villain's failed 'time machine' is used on Tony and Steve, it leaves them both far older than anyone had been expecting. Tony, unsurprisingly, is having trouble coping with it, especially since there's a chance it might be permanent. Steve, on the other hand, tries to make the best of the situation.

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I have plenty more but I think this is a good list. Enjoy!

[365footballorg-blog]

Premier League predictions: Lawro takes on comedian James

Will Manchester City’s bad week get even worse when they go to Wembley on Saturday night?

In-form Tottenham will be trying to inflict more misery on Pep Guardiola’s side, who failed to wrap up the Premier League title last weekend and are out of the Champions League too.

BBC Sport football expert Mark Lawrenson says: “The wide open spaces of Wembley will suit City but I have a sneaking feeling that they will drop more points against Spurs.”

Lawro is going for a 1-1 draw. Do you agree? You can make your predictions now, take on Lawro and other fans, create your own league and try to make it to the top of the table by playing the BBC Sport Predictor game.

He will be making a prediction for all 380 top-flight games this season, against a variety of guests.

This week he takes on comedian Elis James.

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James is a Swansea fan, who interviewed the Welsh club’s boss Carlos Carvalhal for this week’s The Premier League Show.

“It is very sad that we are fighting relegation for a third season on the trot but I was hugely impressed with Carlos,” James told BBC Sport.

“I think he is a fantastic manager and it has been miraculous what he has done since coming in at Christmas – so fingers crossed we will be OK.”

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Swansea were bottom of the table when Carvalhal was appointed on 28 December but are now 15th, four points above the relegation zone with six games remaining.

James added: “I must admit, when Carlos took over I knew he was manager of Sheffield Wednesday and I knew they had got to the Championship play-offs last season, but that was it.

“I looked at his Wikipedia page and he had been at a long list of clubs that you have heard of from the Europa League.

“But in terms of what he has done for Swansea, I could not have asked for anything more. I think he has been superb.

“I really thought we were doomed this time, so I am absolutely thrilled with the way it has worked out because our destiny is now in our own hands.

“Jordan Ayew has been one of our standout players this season, certainly since Carlos took over, and obviously Alfie Mawson, who I think is a wonderful footballer and fully deserving of his England cap.”

You can listen to more on Swansea and Welsh football from Elis James in his Feast of Football podcast with Danny Gabbidon and Iwan Roberts, here.

Premier League predictions – week 34 Result Lawro Elis SATURDAY Southampton v Chelsea x-x 1-1 1-2 Burnley v Leicester x-x 2-1 1-0 Crystal Palace v Brighton x-x 2-1 2-2 Huddersfield v Watford x-x 1-1 1-2 Swansea v Everton x-x 1-1 1-0 Liverpool v Bournemouth x-x 2-0 1-0 Tottenham v Man City x-x 1-1 2-1 SUNDAY Newcastle v Arsenal x-x 1-1 1-0 Man Utd v West Brom x-x 3-0 3-0 MONDAY West Ham v Stoke x-x 2-0 2-1

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.

LAWRO’S PREDICTIONS

All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless otherwise stated.

SATURDAY

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Southampton v Chelsea (12:30 BST)

Chelsea dropped more points against West Ham last time out, and I think they realise now they are going to miss out on the top four.

Mind you, things are even worse for Southampton – West Brom are the only team they have beaten in the league in 19 games since 26 November, and Saints have now lost three on the bounce.

At least there is some light at the end of the tunnel for Mark Hughes’ side because they put on a better display against Arsenal after their non-performance against the Hammers.

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I think their biggest hope now lies with the return of Charlie Austin from injury. He has come on in Saints’ past two matches, and scored against the Gunners.

They need Austin fit, because a partnership of him and Shane Long might get them out of trouble.

Manolo Gabbiadini has been looking a little bit lightweight so Saints boss Mark Hughes can always play Long on his own up front and then throw Austin on later in the game if he is not ready to start yet.

These two teams meet again in a few days in the FA Cup semi-finals, so it will interesting to see how Chelsea approach this game – some of their players are almost winding themselves down in the league now.

Saints cannot do that, of course, because they really need a win. I am not sure they will get it.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Elis’ prediction: 1-2

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Burnley v Leicester

Burnley come into this game on the back of four straight wins, and another victory in this game would all but guarantee seventh place and, possibly, European football.

I think the Clarets will do it. Leicester were a little bit unlucky to get turned over by Newcastle last week, because they should have had a penalty, but I would back Burnley to win this one at Turf Moor.

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Sean Dyche’s side are finishing the season they way they started it and they have already surpassed all expectations.

Back in August, if you had said to any of their fans that they would reach this stage of the season with a chance of finishing seventh, then I suspect they would have told you to jog on.

Leicester have not had a bad season either of course. The interesting thing for them is that it looks like Riyad Mahrez is leaving in the summer and they have to work out how to replace him.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-1

Elis’ prediction: Burnley are a difficult prospect at home. 1-0

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Crystal Palace v Brighton

There is no love lost between these two sides, who have already met twice this season – they drew at Brighton in the league and the Seagulls won in the FA Cup.

I am backing Palace to come out on top this time, though.

Brighton slipped up badly last week against Huddersfield and gifted the Terriers their equaliser. That was a poor result at home against one of their relegation rivals.

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As I have said before, the Seagulls’ run-in is very tough, against Tottenham, Burnley, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool – so they need points now.

Palace are fighting for their lives and this gives them a chance to drag their rivals back into the thick of the relegation scrap.

I am expecting it to be a noisy afternoon at Selhurst Park, and for the Eagles fans to be celebrating this time.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-1

Elis’ prediction: This is one of the odder derbies. 2-2

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Huddersfield v Watford

Watford are still not out of trouble after taking only one point from their past four games.

The Hornets have not won away for a long time – their last success on the road came on 25 November and all four of their away wins this season came in the first three months of the campaign.

Huddersfield are on a poor run too, though, and in much deeper trouble at the bottom of the table.

A point would be enough to inch the Hornets closer to safety but it would leave Huddersfield looking very vulnerable down there. Mind you, they have looked vulnerable for quite a few months now.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Elis’ prediction: 1-2

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Swansea v Everton

Everton were disappointing in the 0-0 Merseyside derby draw against Liverpool but Toffees boss Sam Allardyce was always going to approach it the way he did after his side were turned over by Manchester City in their previous game.

A run of one win in five has left Swansea with work to do to get clear of trouble and I am sure they will see this as a winnable game because of Everton’s poor away form.

Allardyce will have other ideas.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Elis’ prediction: It did not go brilliantly for Swansea against West Brom last weekend when we only got a draw, but I do fancy us to beat Everton (takes deep breath). 1-0

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Liverpool v Bournemouth (17:30 BST)

Liverpool are just on top form. As everyone knows, they had a little bit of luck to get past Manchester City in the Champions League, but they are entitled to that good fortune and I think they make it for themselves most of the time.

I am not expecting them to have too many problems against Bournemouth. The Cherries will come to Anfield and play an open game and I think that will suit Liverpool.

Eddie Howe’s side are the comeback kings, but I don’t see that happening again if they fall behind this weekend.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Elis’ prediction: I will be fascinated to see how Liverpool react after what happened against City on Tuesday night. 1-0

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Tottenham v Man City (19:45 BST)

Tottenham were not having a good spell when they got hammered 4-1 by City earlier in the season, but things are very different now.

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I think City would take a draw after the week they have had. That will delay the title party a little longer, but they are still going to win the league – it is just a matter of time.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Elis’ prediction: Again, I am fascinated to see how City react to going out of the Champions League, and Tottenham are playing very well at the moment. City’s season will be in tatters if they lose this game too. 2-1

SUNDAY

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Newcastle v Arsenal (13:30 BST)

Arsenal have won their past six games in all competitions but that is what they always seem to do at this stage of the season, when the pressure is off them.

Newcastle are also on a good run, winning three in a row. They are pretty much safe now and are in the top half, which is great for them because most of this season has been a slog.

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I am going to go for a draw but it is hard to predict a result for this one because I have no idea what sort of team Arsene Wenger will put out after Thursday’s trip to Moscow.

Winning the Europa League to get into the Champions League is obviously the priority for the Gunners now.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Elis’ prediction: 1-0

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Man Utd v West Brom (16:00 BST)

West Brom could go down if Saturday’s results go against them and then they lose this game.

It is hard to see anything but a defeat for the Baggies at Old Trafford but, more pertinently, I want to know which Manchester United team we are going to see – the one from the first half at Etihad Stadium, or the one from the second half.

After the break, when United roared back from 2-0 down to win the derby, it appeared they were just let off the leash, which manager Jose Mourinho does not normally do.

They looked very good and players like Alexis Sanchez and Paul Pogba came alive. United fans will want to see more of the same.

Lawro’s prediction: 3-0

Elis’ prediction: 3-0

MONDAY

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West Ham v Stoke (20:00 BST)

Things are pretty rosy for West Ham at the moment after their point at Chelsea gave them a bit of breathing space above the bottom three.

If the Hammers win this game they are virtually safe, while Stoke would be left in all sorts of trouble. Things look bad enough for them already.

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The Potters need to start winning games but they just don’t have enough firepower in their side and they are not good enough defensively to buy themselves time to nick a goal.

In contrast, West Ham carry a threat at the moment through Marko Arnautovic, who is flying after making a slow start.

He will not need any extra motivation to continue his good form against his former club.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Elis’ prediction: 2-1

Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.

How did Lawro do last week?

From the last round of Premier League games, Lawro got four correct results, including one perfect score, from 10 matches for a total of 70 points.

He beat comedian Russell Howard, who got two correct results, including one perfect score, for a total of 50 points.

Total scores after week 33 Lawro 2,930 Guests 2,470

Lawro v Guests P33 W19 D3 L11

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+/- DENOTE POSITION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAWRO’S TABLE AND ACTUAL POSITION POS TEAM P W D L PTS +/- 1 Man City 32 26 5 1 83 0 2 Man Utd 32 25 6 1 81 0 3 Tottenham 32 25 6 1 81 +1 4 Liverpool 33 20 13 0 73 -1 5 Chelsea 32 21 6 5 69 0 6 Arsenal 32 16 11 5 59 0 7 Leicester 32 14 6 12 48 +1 8 Bournemouth 33 10 10 13 40 +3 9 Southampton 32 11 7 14 40 +9 10 West Ham 32 8 16 8 40 +4 11 West Brom 33 11 6 16 39 +9 12 Burnley 32 9 10 13 37 -5 13 Stoke 33 7 12 14 33 +6 14 Everton 33 7 9 17 30 -5 15 Crystal Palace 33 7 7 19 28 +2 16 Newcastle 32 6 9 17 27 -6 17 Brighton 32 4 13 15 25 -4 18 Swansea 32 5 4 23 19 -3 19 Watford 33 4 6 24 18 -7 20 Huddersfield 33 1 11 21 14 -4

GUEST LEADERBOARD

SCORE GUEST LEADERBOARD 160 Justin Hawkins, Chris Shiflett 130 James Anderson*, Joe Johnson* 120 Russel Leetch*, Will Poulter, Moeen Ali 110 Aron Baynes* 100 Cesaro & Seamus, Wretch 32 90 Arni and Justin from The Vaccines, Pete Wentz 89 Lawro (average after 33 weeks) 80 John Cena, Darren Campbell 70 John Bishop** Brendan Foster*, Mark Strong 60 Jimmy from Django Django, Will Ferrell, Nish Kumar, Non Stanford, Rick Witter 50 Steve Cram, Michael Dapaah, Russell Howard, Channing Tatum, Joe Root, Margot Robbie and Allison Janney, Dario Saric, Osi Umenyiora and Jason Bell, 40 Craig David, Ed Lay 30 Rhys James, Felix White 20 Charlie Cooper, Richard Osman, Emmanuel Sanders and Josh Norman

* Shows weeks where Lawro had more than one guest, and only the highest score contributed to the guest total.

** Shows weeks where guest total does not include rearranged games.

Lawro’s best score: 170 points (week 30 v Arni and Justin from The Vaccines)

Lawro’s worst score: 40 points (week four v Umenyiora and Bell, week five v Non Stanford, week 21 v Darren Campbell and week 23 v Saric and Baynes)

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Premier League predictions: Lawro takes on comedian James was originally published on 365 Football