#ask the status qvo

[qvid-pro-qvo]

If you had to be trapped in an elevator with any 1 character from TGM who would be your first and last choices?

if the result was a fun time or potentially a date? first would be phoenix or payback and last would be cain

if the result was the more likely situation where they would have to resuscitate me after i have a panic attack and curl into the fetal position on the floor? hondo or bob for first and last would still be cain

[greatvaluegirlfriend]

david payne has his glasses on and mike morgan has changed it tie i think twice so uh shits getting real for us tonight i love tornado time - 🦖

oh, friend, stay SUPER safe and sheltered. i know we joke about hanging out and watching but safety is always most important!!! <3 keep me updated!!!!!

[qvid-pro-qvo]

since i haven’t written for you guys a lot lately please feel free to send asks in! my bandwidth for writing is very low because of school but i’m always willing to chat!

fanfic writer asks.

1. What’s your favorite character(s) to write for? 2. What character(s) do you find the most difficult to write for? Why? 3. Do you have a favorite scene you’ve written from [Fanfic Name] story/chapter?  4. Did you have any ideas that didn’t make the final cut of [Fanfic Name]?  5. Do you listen to music when writing?  6. If you listen to music when writing, what were you listening to when writing [Fanfic Name]? 7. What story/headcanons do you feel the proudest of?  8. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi chaptered stories? 9. If you had to assign a theme song to [Fanfic Name], which would you assign?  10. What is the line you’re proudest of from [Fanfic Name]?  11. How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven, etc) 12. Who is your favorite author?  13. When did you start writing fanfic?  14. How do you feel about your older work?  15. What is the fanfic you’ve written that you’re most proud of?  16. What fanfic tropes do you avoid writing for? 17. What fanfic tropes do you gravitate to writing for?  18. Do you prefer editing as you write, or waiting until it’s finished?  19. What words do you think you tend to use the most?  20. What feedback makes you the happiest to hear? 21. Is there an idea you’ve always wanted to write, but haven’t yet?  22. Do you enjoy making OCs for your fanfics, or prefer sticking to canon characters?  23. How much do you stick to canon?  24. Do you prefer AUs with the characters, or sticking to the original universe?  25. What scene in [Fanfic Name] took the longest to write? What was difficult about it?  26. Are titles for your stories easy to come up with?  27. What time of day do you prefer to write? 28. Is there a part of [Fanfic Name] you’re surprised no one has picked up on yet?  29. What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? (Brainstorming, outlining, writing, editing, etc)  30. Do you write down all your ideas? What makes you decide to write one versus the other? 31. What was the development process of [Fanfic Name] like?  32. What story do you think showcases your signature style the most?  33. Have you ever stopped yourself from writing something? Why? 34. Have you felt emotional while writing a scene before? What scene was it? 35. Where’s your favorite place to write?  36. What fanfic of yours has the symbolism you’re proudest of?  37. Would you ever collaborate with another writer for a story?  38. What story of yours are you surprised that people liked as much as they did?  39. What area of writing do you feel strongest in? 40. What area of writing do you want to improve in?

[qvid-pro-qvo]

Hi! Could you do a rooster x wife!reader where the reader is a fellow pilot and is on maternity leave, and she comes in to visit him and the crew and he finds her crying over how much she misses flying? And he comforts her and it’s just super cute 🥹 I love your blog so much!

bradley bradshaw x female!reader.

it’s your call sign that finally sends you over the edge.

not roaming the halls with bradley with your baby on your hip. not the old photos that you get to show your daughter while you visit maverick. it’s the helmet you left behind three months ago, with dust collecting on the top, with your call sign so lovingly painted on. that’s you. that’s who you are.

hell, it’s everything, really.

you didn’t realize how much you’d miss it — you just knew you would. every day out of the air felt like a knife through the heart. it’s up there where you belong, up there where you fell in love…

but now all you can do is watch.

it’s mourning. it’s grief. it all hits you at once, and so when you ask mav to watch your daughter while you use the bathroom, it’s an urgent need to get out of line of sight.

“i still have the bladder of a pregnant person,” you sigh. “you mind taking it from here?”

“i’ve got her, tiger. take your time.”

luckily the bathroom’s empty — a small blessing as you look in the mirror. would the flight suit even fit like it should? would they bother making the change to get you up in the skies one last time?

who’s gonna call you tiger anymore?

you don’t realize how long you’ve been gone until bradley comes to find you. how long you’ve been crying until you’re furiously wiping at your face when he peeks in.

“hey, baby,” he says. and there’s concern, there. real concern. it makes your chest ache because that’s the last thing you want, him being scared for you. “what’s going on?”

“nothing, i - i’m fine,” you murmur. “i’m okay. thought you were… with bob and phoenix.”

“i was, but mav said you’d been gone a while,” he repeats, peeking in further before daring to step through the doors. “but you’re… obviously okay.”

“really, bradley, i’m fine,” you urge. wiping your eyes again. “mom hormones. pregnancy hormones… whatever.”

“i’ve seen you split the gap between two fighters with barely an inch on either side without breaking a sweat,” bradley says as he gets close enough to rub your arms. “something’s got you spooked.”

and then it all comes apart again. no reason to put on a brave face for your husband. “i just miss it a lot,” you gasp to him. “i miss flying.”

bradley’s a careful flyer, but he doesn’t hesitate with you. he wraps you up, holds you close, and you grip his arms tight. “i know.”

“i’m scared i won’t be able to come back.”

“you’ll be back.”

your tears have slowed. “how do you know?” you ask him, voice tight.

“because i know you. and i know how you fly. you always come back. you will come back.” and he’s so sure that you can’t help but feel sure yourself. lean on him as he holds you close. “you’ll come back. we’ll make sure of it.”

“you know it,” you whisper. because somehow he does.

“i know you, tiger. you’ll fly again.”

[qvid-pro-qvo]

I am back, if you don't mind. 😊

Can I ask for some more fluff with Jake Seresin and female!reader? He's all I think about, lately.

fair. jake seresin x female!reader.

“you should talk to her.”

he’s broken from his melancholy, and jake’s brow lifts at the prompting from phoenix. smirks before looking around at either side. “i’m sorry, are you talking to me willingly?”

her scoff makes him chuckle, especially as she glares. “don’t tell anyone,” she urges him. “but i couldn’t just sit here when your pouting is giving the whole class hives.”

“i’m not pouting,” he sighs. reaching up to adjust the too-white hat on his head. the dress uniform always feels claustrophobic, especially when you’re in the room. “i’m just thinking.”

“thinking about talking to her? just do it,” phoenix urges, flicking his name tag. “at the very least so rooster loses twenty bucks.”

and with that she struts off, leaving jake open-mouthed.

betting? on his love life? it makes him grumble as he straightens his tie. if that’s the way they’re gonna play it, then fine, he’ll talk to you. but because he wants to, not because of a damn bet.

but as he gets close his mouth goes dry, something only you’ve been able to do to him. when you fly, when you laugh, when you do much as breathe in his direction. his collar feels tight against his skin, and as he approaches second and third thoughts rage in his head. but then you turn to face him, payback and fanboy graciously giving you space, your grin teasing.

“rooster bet you wouldn’t do it?” you ask him. your hair slicked back perfect, your smile teasing as your back stays ramrod straight. unlike him, your dress whites look perfect, your awards gleaming on your chest.

“he’s a bastard like that,” jake sighs. “but it was about time i picked up the courage.”

“i agree,” you say, making his eyes widen. “your pouting was giving me hives.”

and that - that makes everything click.

“you sent phoenix over.”

“i did.”

“you made the bet with rooster.”

“and i’ll get twenty bucks because of it.”

jake’s been played. he’s been had. he’s been conned into doing what he should’ve done all along. and seeing you smile, the orchestrator of it all, well.

there’s a reason he likes you so much, that’s for sure.

“i can think of a good way to spend twenty dollars,” he says with a grin. “a couple of beers at the hard deck? some greasy food that’ll be sure to stain?”

“i wouldn’t have it any other way, seresin,” you laugh. “but if you think i’m paying, you’re out of your mind.”

he definitely is a little crazy. as all pilots tend to be. but if it gets him a date with you, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

[qvid-pro-qvo]

okay okay okay i’m back i can’t help myself-

i gotta ask for my favorite boy bradley bradshaw. perhaps some domestic fluff?? or any kind of fluff because he’s adorable and i love him?🥺

bradley bradshaw x gender neutral reader.

“you look good.” bradley’s sunglasses are halfway down his face, and he takes them off fully as you come down the stairs. “really, baby, you look —“

“i’m wearing jeans,” you laugh, shaking your head. “down, boy.”

“what, i can’t be excited?” he says. “come on, i’ve been waiting for weeks to see you. you could be wearing a paper bag and i’d take you out on the town.”

“i’m not saying that at all,” you tell him, reaching up to cup his cheek. “and you know that.”

his lip twitches up one side as leans into the feeling of your hand on his cheek. you drop your fingers, but not before you feel his mustache tickle your skin.

after a moment he sighs. “i know,” he finally murmurs. “i just missed you a lot. wanted to say that.”

and at that, what else can you do but kiss him? press your lips to his, laugh as he wraps his arms around you and dips you because he can.

“i missed you, too,” you tell him, which just makes him kiss you again, and again, and another time just for kicks. until you’re laughing and pushing him away, patting his cheek once more. “but we do have places to go and people to see, bradshaw. leaving the house is a necessity.”

“of course,” he says, his dog tags jingling under his shirt as he shrugs. you can’t but press your hand over his heart, feeling the outline of the metal beneath your palm. you grab your purse and move to the door, laughing again as he leans close to murmur in your ear. “but i promise if we’re late, then we’ll still show up before pete.”

you can’t help but snort. shake your head at his urging. but you turn around so you can kiss him once more, just because he’s home and you can. “point taken, but unless you plan on feeding me here, then we have dinner plans.”

his groan is loud, too loud to be anything but playful, and you pat his chest again. “come on, rooster. let’s go to your homecoming.”

[qvid-pro-qvo]

prompts!!!! i’m so excited!!!!

i feel like this will come as no shock, but give me the fluffiest fluff with my love jake seresin perhaps??? 🥺🥺🥺

i love you!!!!🥰🥰

“Hey, sweetheart!” 

You almost don’t hear him. The beach is a little too good to be true, and your eyes are almost blinded by the sunset. Bright, shining, warm oranges and reds and at the edges, tints of purple. 

You love it here. You both love it here. And on the days that he’s gone, at least you have the beach. A place to remember him. And welcome him back when he makes it home. 

But you do hear him. So when he calls, you answer, and you whirl around expecting a man with a kilowatt smile and bright eyes looking at you like you hung the moon. 

What you see instead is empty air. That is, until your eyes look down. 

Jake Seresin is used to flying high. That’s where he belongs, in the sky, flying jets and laughing while he does it. But at this moment, he’s got his feet on the ground, and… well. One knee, too. 

“Hey, darlin’?” he asks. Grinning from ear to ear. He’s got something in his hand, something you can barely see as tears spring to your eyes.

“Hey,” you whisper back. “Jake, what are - what are you…”

“Well, I’ve got a question for you,” he says. “And it’s a pretty big one. D’you think you could hear me out?”

[qvid-pro-qvo]

BROOOO IM GONNA BE IN HERE ALL WEEKEND LONG

can I please request a (x female!reader) for our boy toy jake seresin

boy toy, indeed. jake seresin x female!reader.

“I’ve been conned.”

There’s not really much more to say at that point. You’ve taken all the words right out of his mouth. Besides the break, he hasn’t needed his cue.

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” you counter, leaning forward to take your last shot. Or what he assumes will be your last shot. All you have left is the eight.

“You said you’ve never played pool before,” he laughs, shaking his head as you sink it with ease. Game over, and he’s done little more than stand there with his mouth open.

“I said I hadn’t played in a while,” you retort. But even as you stand, you can’t hold back your smile. “Didn’t say I’ve never played.”

“You implied — I mean, I assumed —”

And then you’re laughing. You’re really, really laughing, and Jake’s cheeks go a little red.

“What did you assume, Hangman?” you ask him, wiping a little tear from your eye. “That because I’m a girl you would wipe the floor with me?”

“No —“

“Or that maybe I wouldn’t be able to match the wiles of one Jake Seresin once he got the ball rolling?”

“Now, hold on —“

But you’re chuckling again, and he watches you finish the beer he so kindly paid for. “You know what happens when you assume, Seresin? You make an ass out of you and me. Now come on, let’s go. You owe me another drink.”

You’re walking away before he can respond. And he was going to respond. But now he’s left with a pool table full of stripes he never had a chance to hit, a beer of his own that he’s barely touched, and a chest that feels full to bursting.

Oh. Oh, no.

God, you’re never gonna let him live this down.

[qvid-pro-qvo]

I need a Barba X Female relaxing, smutty, I can’t come up with anything specific

rafael barba x female!reader.

his fingers trace your spine. that’s what wakes you. not the sunshine on your skin, or the chill on your bare legs. it’s rafael’s touch, gentle, earnest.

your eyes open slowly. you don’t really want to wake up. his bed is softer than your own, and it’s warm when he’s there beside you. but when you turn your head to face him, you’re welcomed with a smile, and to be honest it’s worth waking up when that’s your view.

“hey,” you whisper. voice thick from a heavy sleep.

“good morning,” he whispers back, fingertips moving to the back of your neck.

slowly the night before comes into full focus. the drinks, the banter, a kiss and another and one more for good measure. his words before you started to sleep. “i thought you had to go in to see liv.”

he smiles, kissing your shoulder. turns on his side so you do, too. “i told her i couldn’t meet until noon. more important matters to attend to.”

“mmm. wonder what that could be.”

“a mystery indeed.”

the sun shines on him now. turns silver hairs golden. green eyes brilliant in the light. you reach out to touch, and he catches your hand, kisses your fingers until your face feels warm.

“you know, i could stay,” you tell him. “until you come back.”

“i’d like that,” rafael tells you. “someone to come home to.”

“i could always be that,” you admit. hand cupping his cheek. “i want to always be that.”

the moment after that lasts a lifetime. a pause where the possibilities unfold. and then his smile outshines the sun in the window, and you feel your toes tingle as he pushes forward to meet you.

“me, too,” he breathes out, against your skin. “me, too.”

[qvid-pro-qvo]

If requests are still open, could I ask for Sonny x f!reader in which she finds that his neck is ticklish, maybe from a kiss? (If requests are closed, feel free to delete this!)

sonny carisi x female!reader.

“don’t you dare.”

the way he says it is stern, but his eyes shine with something you can only describe as mirth. he’s having fun with this, whether he wants to admit it or not.

“it’s revenge, carisi. i’ve gotta take it where i can get it.”

it’s been a standoff for three days since you figured it out. an accidental brush of your fingers making his head launch backwards, cutting off your touch on the back of his neck. at first you’d thought it was just a one-time thing, and then a trail of kisses after work one day had led to the same reaction.

sonny carisi was ticklish. and you were having a lot of fun with that information.

“revenge for what?” he asks, loudly, the two of you facing off on opposite sides of the island in the kitchen. he stands straight to cross his arms over his chest, and you start counting off on your fingers.

“for making me blush every time liv or one of my friends comes in the room. the texts you send at very inopportune times. stealing my favorite pens without giving them back. buying me lunch and then eating half of my fries —“

“okay, okay,” he laughs, hands up in surrender. “i get it, i get it.”

“i’m just saying.”

“i’m a fantastic boyfriend,” he counters.

“you are,” you laugh. slowly coming around the island. “i would never say anything different. you cook for me, you clean the place. you always make sure i’m smiling, and i’m never lacking for affection.” when you finish, you’re standing right in front of him, reaching up to cup his face for a sweet kiss.

right before sticking your fingers on his neck.

“ack!” he shouts, head shooting back, and then you’re giggling and darting away. “all right, you’re asking to be tickled yourself!”

“it’s called revenge, carisi!” you sing at him, running to your bedroom. “and it’s best served with a kiss!”

[qvid-pro-qvo]

BOB I WANT BOB FANFIC WHATEVER YOU HAVE wait no I want Bob snuggles while I’m sick

robert floyd x gender neutral reader.

you don’t want any company today. the sun is hidden behind the clouds, there’s a chance of storms that’ll probably knock your power out, and you head feels full of cotton thanks to the flu you haven’t quite shaken.

but then there’s a familiar, rhythmic knock, and even your strong need for isolation melts once you sees who’s on the other side.

“hey, i brought some stuff,” bob says, and he looks a little sheepish. “i hope you like chicken noodle.” the bag is pretty full to bursting, and you’re trying not to fall in love with the guy in that moment because it’s only been a few months since you’ve had him in the first place.

“i specifically said not to bring stuff,” you tell him, but with your stuffy nose your insistence sounds pretty weak.

“yeah, well… tough,” bob says with a shrug, and you laugh as he gives you a smile.

the next few hours are a blur. mainly because the medicine you take works really, really well. but when you come out of a haze of recovery, emerge from the pile of warm blankets and hot soup and cough drops and tissues so soft you barely feel them, bob is right there next to you.

“sorry for such a lousy day,” you tell him, before you sink into a nap. “and being such bad company.”

“you really think i’d wanna be anywhere else?” he asks you, feeling your forehead with the back of his hand.

your brow furrows at the response, blinking back watery eyes from your last sneeze as you curl against his chest. “you don’t?”

“not in a million years,” he murmurs, and the last thing you feel is his kiss instead of his hand on your forehead.

[qvid-pro-qvo]

Qvo!! It’s so good to see you back on my TL. Couldn’t help myself so can we pls get a hotch x fem!reader ? Something soft pls 🫶🏽

hey, babe! you got it! aaron hotchner x female!reader.

you’re a light sleeper.

no fault of anyone, really. it’s just the way it is. and there are pros and cons, of course, but. really it’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

but nights like this… you don’t mind one bit.

your eyes flutter open just as the door does. a little bit of shuffling you hear aaron’s tie loosen. you don’t hide the fact that you’re awake, instead turning to face where he comes into the room, rubbing at your eyes to see him as clearly as you can.

“good flight?” you mumble, loud enough so he can hear. he hums in acknowledgement.

“not bad.”

you smile a little as the layers come off. tie, shirt, undershirt. a clean t-shirt on before he steps to the bathroom. brushes his teeth, does his routine. when he comes back he has clean boxers on, too, and he smiles as you open your arms to him.

“you sleep on the plane?” you ask. when he shakes his head, you beckon him close. “well, come on, then. you’ve got some catching up to do.”

see, in the morning, aaron’ll tell you what he can of the case. a little debrief when he’s awake enough to talk it through. but tonight, he’ll let you hold him. wrap your arms around him, press your face and a kiss into the back of his neck. he’ll sleep in your arms because he can, and you’ll hold him because you get to.

that’s the routine. that’s the joy.

and all the other times you wake up that night, you’ll get to remember that he’s right there beside you.

there are good things about being a light sleeper.

aaron makes up the majority of them.

[qvid-pro-qvo]

Qvo! Hi! I'm so excited we can send you prompts! How about some more fluff for Jake Seresin and female reader? The reunion after the mission, perhaps? That man looks so damn good in the flight suit.

jake seresin x female!reader.

His name is Jake Seresin.

That’s all you really get out of him the first time you see him. All you get that’s real, at least. Because Jake flirts and he teases and he smiles and he winks, but he also does that with anyone who’s got a damn pulse. He buys you a drink and offers to dance, but you wave him off and head out the door, laughing with your friends about him.

-

His name is Jake Seresin, and he’s a pilot.

You can’t believe you’re asking him what he does for a living. Maybe it’s just the fact that it’s been a while since you’ve gone on a good date, or maybe because you’re bored, but you find out that he’s a pilot for the Navy, and according to him, he’s pretty good at it, too.

And that, that’s real. Because when he talks about Top Gun (“TOP GUN,” he corrects, “you gotta say it like you mean it”) he lights up a room. He talks about flying like it’s in his blood, and he drawls out the words like he can’t help but linger in the memories of jet fuel and fighter jets.

-

His name is Jake Seresin, he’s a pilot, and he’s leaving on a mission he might not come back from.

He didn’t know he was going to be leaving so soon. He’d just got settled at this post when he got the call. But he’s nothing if not a man who does what he’s told, and he tells you that he’ll miss you with all the earnestness you never thought you’d see.

It’s been a few months since you’ve started dating. You wonder why he means so much to you. But he does, and he always will, and you can’t help but wonder when the pit in your stomach will go away when you get a call from a number you don’t recognize. Wondering when it’s gonna be a guy on the other line with a name and rank and the knowledge that he’s gone and won’t be flying anymore.

“Ma’am, we regret to inform you” or “we’re so sorry for your loss” or “he was a good man” haunts your dreams. But you realize that it’s what he does. Saves people. Loves them, in his own way. That’s real. That’s the Jake you know. That’s the Jake you pray comes back.

-

His name is Jake Seresin. He’s a pilot, you see. He’s one of the best in the world, was taught at TOP GUN, and yes, he finally taught you how to say it right. He flirts with you on your dates, and he teases you on the phone, and he winks at you across a pool game you’re losing.

He leaves on these missions but he goes because he cares. He tells you he might not come back, but promises you he’ll try. He says goodbye, and you say you love him, and that - that’s real, that’s what you know to be true.

Because when he comes back, still smelling of jet fuel, he says he loves you, too.

[qvid-pro-qvo]

Can we get a xfemale reader for Sonny Carisi or Barba? Thank youuu

rafael barba x female!reader.

“this is cruel and unusual,” raf mutters to you, arm linked in yours as the two of you walk towards the big open doors. “i feel like we’re being punished.”

“we’re here for jack,” you murmur back, eyes scanning the crowd for familiar faces, summoning a courageous smile as the two of you walk through the slack. “it’s the nature of politics, and he is the district attorney.”

“oh, yes. because when jack mccoy thinks about his best and brightest, he certainly mentions the two of us,” he responds dryly.

you glance toward him. his eyes drag towards you.

you break first. a little smirk, a curve of your lip. you cant help as he gives you a dead-eyed look, so completely dull that you start to giggle.

“you’re a menace, rafael,” you tell him, before squeezing his arm. “you’re lucky i like you.”

after a moment he smiles, too, resting his hand over yours. “i am lucky,” he says, before the two of you reach the ballroom. “in more ways than one.”

it warms your heart. you almost wish the public eye wasn’t so present at the fundraiser, so you could do what you really wanted to. adjust the tie that so perfectly matches the color of your dress. kiss him firmly, until the pictures really start flashing.

instead you just smile. nod in acknowledgement, in a promise for later. and together you walk, attorneys at law, partners in crime, favorite menaces of jack mccoy, and in love to boot.

[qvid-pro-qvo]

ok bestie we knew this was coming…

i kindly ask that you give me some hurt no comfort for jake seresin

oh, now you're speaking my language. jake seresin x gender neutral reader.

"there a reason you're not talking to me?" you ask, eyes on the horizon as the sun sets. the beach sand is warm between your toes, heated from the peak of the day, but all you feel is the chill on your shoulders, the spray of the ocean waves as you wrap your arms around your legs.

you glance towards him, jaw clenched. jake's eyes don't leave his drink.

you were so excited to see him again, too. so excited to have him back. but since he showed up at your front door, something's different. something's wrong. and no matter what you try, you just know that one day, jake seresin decided not to come home.

"jake, please," you whisper. he feels so far away, and you know you've already lost him when he doesn't reach out for your touch. "just tell me what's wrong. we can - i don't know what we can do, but - but it's better than doing nothing at all."

his gaze drifts up from his own fingers, slowly looks you over. you've never seen him so downtrodden, and yet somehow, you know, he's made up his mind.

"you wouldn't understand," he whispers, barely audible against the crash of the tide. "it's... complicated."

suddenly, it all bubbles over, up and out of your mouth. "the thing is, jake," you snap, driving your fingers into the sand as you say it, "you never gave me a chance to."

he winces. you almost regret the ferocity. but there's a lot in your chest and none of it is goodwill. you stand, pushing yourself to your feet.

"i'm sorry," you hear, as you start to walk away. words that you know he means. but it's too little, too late, and he knows that.

"i'll see you around, hangman."

[qvid-pro-qvo]

Can I ask for some fluff with Sonny Carisi and female!reader? She was always attracted to him but it was never the right timing. She runs into him after such a long time and they take each others breath away when they run into one another at a gala or party.

sonny carisi x female!reader.

“would you like a drink, sir?”

sonny looks up from his thousand-yard stare to glance at the waitress, shaking his head as she offers the platter of wine glasses his way. she steps back with a nod, and he goes back to, well. brooding.

he doesn’t know if he’ll ever get used to this part of it. the cameras, the flash, the pomp and circumstance. when he had events with the police force, he felt like one of them, but at these things? it’s all outside looking in. he can charm with this best of them, truly. politics in the district attorney’s office, though, is a whole ‘nother ball game.

“the joys of being an a.d.a.,” he sighs, glancing toward the door. “didn’t mention this part of the gig, barba.”

when the next waitress comes by he takes a drink, smoothing down his tie before going to find someone to chat with. might as well make his presence known so he can leave sooner rather than later. but about halfway through his first lap around the room, he gets caught behind a crowd, and that’s when he feels an elbow dig into his side.

“oh, excuse me,” he starts, turning in the crowded space to face whoever was trying to pass through. “let me get out of your way —“

“i’m sorry,” the person begins, eyes wide, “i was just trying to —“

it’s then sonny realizes. your name leaves his lips in a huff of disbelief.

“sonny,” you gasp out. his name sounds perfect when you say it so fondly.

“i didn’t - i didn’t see you there,” he stammers out, blinking a few times to get past the sudden dryness in his mouth. “i’m sorry, i was just walking around.”

“same here,” you tell him, before glancing behind you. “i kind of got pushed through.”

it’s been a long time since fordham. sonny’s grown a lot. no more mustache to keep up with, and all silver hair thanks to the job. but you…

“you look fantastic,” he breathes. in a rush, echoed by the ache of his heart. “really, it’s a great dress.”

your laugh sounds the same, too. almost musical, the twinkle of a church piano. “thank you,” you tell him. “i rented it myself.” you gesture to his suit, clearing your throat. “it looks good. you look - you look great.”

“thank you,” he chuckles. “got it on sale.”

“you’ll have to tell me where you got it,” you say, smiling. “i love a good clearance buy.”

“i remember,” he blurts out. “i - uh. i haven’t forgotten your pointers.”

the party is close to bursting. sonny feels the heat on the back of his neck. but you, you’re smiling from ear to ear, and even in the crowd, you’re a breath of fresh air.

“you wanna get a drink?” you ask him, brow raised. “assistant district attorney?”

“you took the words right out of my mouth,” he says with a nod. because some things never change.