#at the end of the day I don't care how often you wash your dog as long as you're not telling me that you can't because it's 'bad for it'

[sparradile]

A dog that is properly washed with dog shampoo and conditioner can be washed very frequently. I've had a number of clients with double coated dogs over the years that bring their dogs for baths once a month, or even as often as weekly to keep up with shedding. Their skin and coats are always healthy.

I personally wash my heeler mix once every 2-3 months (or whenever the shedding gets too bad, but that's usually at about 3 months) and my Irish Setter monthly (his coat will start to tangle when it gets too dirty; he doesn't shed much). Both of my dogs are very clean dogs by nature though and their coats aren't the sort that tend to collect gunk. A friend of mine with the convenience of a salon in her home washes her dogs weekly to once a month (and she has an assortment ranging from powderpuff Chinese Cresteds to Aussie to husky).

There is a myth still at large that double coated dogs shouldn't be washed more often than every six months, but often all that really results in is people bringing in filthy dogs with heavily compacted coats, skin rife with dandruff, that have been very uncomfortable for months and are a ton of work to get clean and brushed out when they are groomed (and what's hard for me is also going to be hard on the dog). A dog with a long and/or thick coat should only go six months without a bath if it's getting proper brushing, generally with conditioning sprays/whatever relevant products, in between. And personally, I find washing and drying the coat is much easier on it than brushing it, so I rely on that a lot more than brushing, but I also have access to a setup where washing is convenient. But both of my dogs are double coated. My heeler could make it six months without a bath no problem (though I'd be suffering for it), but my setter, with an extreme coat bred for showiness and not practically, absolutely could not.

I think really short coats can get away with much less frequent bathing, but I still see a lot of boxers, bulldogs, pits, mastiffs, etc. coming in regularly to keep up with shedding, greasiness, or stink.

So anyway, speaking as a dog groomer, when someone says they only wash their dog every six months I am also mortified. There certainly are coats that are meant to be able to go a long time without being washed, but whether that's actually good for them depends entirely on how they're maintained in between.

I just saw someone say dogs apparently only need to be bathed once every six months and as a cat person I am mortified. Please tell me that's a lie

[yuulettte]

"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫?!"

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐮𝐣𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐮 𝐊𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐥𝐥 ✧ദ്ദി( ˶^ᗜ^˶ )

✰ Tags: gn!reader x various JJK men, fluff, reader has a cold oh NOOOO!!, sfw, just sugary sweet

✰Characters: Gojo, Yuta, Yuji, Geto, Megumi, Nanami

✰ A/N: I tested positive for covid so I decided to be self indulgent.. First time writing hcs for most of these boys ( ´ ▽ ` ) I apologize in advance

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 𝐆𝐨𝐣𝐨 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

You tell him not to come near you out of habit, but he reminds you about his limitless technique! Can germs touch him? Who knows~

Long movie watching sessions, he'll buy you whatever you want to eat. Shoko told him to make sure you're hydrated, so he might force you to drink. Good luck!

Still manages to make you laugh with his antics. He'll wave his hands over you, using that eccentric tone, "Get better~ get better~!" as if it'll magically heal you

One time you catch him reading articles online on how to take care of a sick partner. The expression on his face is that of pure focus

He eventually gets fed up and says something about how 'the strongest never gets sick!' And thus turns off his technique to cuddle with you. He catches your cold the next day LOL

Guess even the strongest isn't immune to flu season

𝐘𝐮𝐭𝐚 𝐎𝐤𝐤𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐮 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Attentive in every way. Is absolutely unafraid of getting sick. He always ends up catching whatever bug you have because he takes care of you no matter what

Runs you warm baths. He'll help you wash, dry your hair, and get dressed.

Rubs your back if you're feeling unwell, even when you're not sick ( ´ ▽ ` )

"What do you need? I'll go get it for you. Is there a dish you'd like for me to cook?"

He's an insanely good care taker (no surprise)

Has a habit of buying you plushies whenever you get sick, so your bed is over taken by them after a few years of dating. It's an army.. Or so you call it!

Will give you that sad puppy look if you refuse to let him hold you, even if it's out of love. He just wants to make you feel better

Doesn't let anyone else enter the house unless it's your family, he's your boyfriend and so it's his responsibility to take care of you! (he's protective)

𝐘𝐮𝐣𝐢 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Will show up at your place with a bag full of medicine and goodies

Also doesn't care about catching whatever you have.

"I've got a super good immune system, so it's no problem!"

It's true too, what takes you a week to get over he'll tank in two days. It's actually kinda scary

He'll do whatever he can to make you laugh. And if you can't, then he'll comfort you

You'll have video game tournaments in your bed, and by the end he's always curled around you like a guard dog. The both of you fall asleep like that often

He'll wipe the sweat from your forehead and give you a cooling pad when you wake up as an apology :'D

𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐮 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐨 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

He's not very good with germs, so he might keep his distance if you have a nasty virus

He still really cares! Just may approach you with a mask and some anti bacterial

Lots of praise. Reminds you that it'll be okay, you'll feel better soon and he'll make sure of it

"You'll feel better soon my love, don't worry. Just drink this,"

He'll sooth you with his voice to help you fall asleep.

Like Satoru, he'll ask Shoko for advice on how to care for you. He takes to it more naturally, though. It's the dad vibes! Care taking is in his DNA

You find yourself getting sick way less often when spending tons of time with him. He just has that sort of aura?

𝐌𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐢 𝐅𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐨 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Not the most emotionally attentive, but he'll come over and bring magazines/books for you to read and some medicine

Will sit with you in silence. He doesn't want you to hurt your throat from forcing yourself to talk

If you'd like, he'll summon his shadow dogs for you to cuddle with. He'd do it himself but he doesn't want you to feel sweaty

He's surprisingly strict about what you eat. It has to be homemade and full of nutrients

He cooks recipes that Tsumiki taught him for you ✧ദ്ദി( ˶^ᗜ^˶ ) they're delicious!

Even if he doesn't show it outwardly, he's honestly extremely worried. He wants you to get better as soon as possible!

𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

He takes time off work, you're his number one priority. He WILL be the one nursing you back to health

Husband material. He knows all of your favorite sick foods and most effective medications

Firm about you getting rest. "Please, allow me honey," and it's you literally reaching for a cup of water

He cooks meals that are easy on your stomach. Took the time to educate himself on what vitamins to give you

Will likely also catch your sicky, but he honestly doesn't mind because that means more time off with you.

The two of you will be wrapped around each other in bed while he reads to you, both with wet towels on your foreheads <3

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀ ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

[hannieehaee]

had a hard day in work so a member will j make u feel good with their mouth and hands mmmm

18+ / mdi

them helping their s/o relax after work

content: smut, established relationship, afab reader, oral (f receiving), mentions of sex, mentions of m receiving oral, etc.

wc: 690

a/n: thank u for requesting<33

masterlist

seungcheol -

you don't even have to ask. he knows the telltale signs of your tiredness and has an entire routine ready for the days when you come home a little extra tired. he'll bathe you, wine and dine you, and end the day with some head for you to fall asleep to.

jeonghan -

even as he attempts to relax you, he'll still tease you. he knows that the buildup will make it all even better, but he also just enjoys getting you to whine at him and pull at his hair with half-hearted demands for more.

joshua -

so cocky and annoying about it lol he'll make you have to beg for it, teasing you until the very last minute before going at you as if you were his last minute. and even then, he'll tease you by slowing down his touches every so often, asking you about your stressful day while between your legs.

jun -

at some point, he's learned to just let you take whatever you want on these extra stressful days. gets you sitting on his face and having your way with him, kind of broken by the way you whine at his nose touching you just right. would need some assistance after the fact to rid himself of his own arousal.

soonyoung -

he's like pavlov's dogs, he's just become conditioned to getting on his knees and ready to spread your legs when you come home in a certain mood. it's like a treat to him, knowing he can have you and that he's also helping you wind down after a stressful day. win win.

wonwoo -

will be between your legs, asking you questions about your day and expecting you to answer as he licks and licks and licks. hums along, keeping up with the conversation despite being otherwise occupied. feels this is the best form of unwinding for you, as it's both mental and physical.

jihoon -

ur tired? he's equally, if not more, exhausted. but it's okay, he can power through his tiredness to take care of the both of you! he'd get a bath ready and innocently help you wash the day away. naturally, he'd eventually grow distracted by the sight of your pretty, wet, nude body and become consumed by you, offering himself up for your pleasure to help you relax further.

seokmin -

it's become kind of a routine thing for him to let you ride his face any time you're stressed. you get to a point where you don't even have to communicate it verbally anymore. you just have to kiss him a certain type of way and he's already ushering you up his body.

mingyu -

this man is a much so he'll use any excuse possible to get his face between your legs for as long as he can. it's therapeutic for him too, so it's kind of self-serving to him in a way. will likely hump the bed until he comes as he eats you out.

minghao -

believes sexual acts to be incredibly therapeutic for couples, so giving you head when you're tired and stressed was probably his idea. didn't even think of it in a horny way but more in a 'i want to take care of you' type of way. happy to relax you and get you to sleep like this.

seungkwan -

he becomes pussydrunk so quickly he literally forgets why he was eating you out in the first place. forgets immediately that he was also tired to begin with, automatically relaxing as he eats you out. perfect bonding activity, he thinks.

vernon -

he'll be a little confused the first few times you ask him for this, but he'll never complain about it!! cannot help getting impossibly hard after he's done, always nudging your cunt with his nose to silently ask if he can fuck you to sleep.

chan -

it's like he's on a competition to impress you every time he's between your legs. he tries to outdo himself every time, sometimes even stressing you out as he eats at you because of how intense he is. needs you to reel him back by controlling his pace every so often.

[robertpattersonsleftcoochieflap]

FTM!Wanderer x Reader

Unexpected treats are the best kind of treats~

Wanderer x Reader

Contents: ftm!wanderer, eating out, fingering, wanderers god complex comes out.

Summary: Reader and wanderer are getting frisky but reader realises that something is not quite right and investigates (with their mouth)

Authors note: I've been a trans scara truther since day 1 and cannot handle the lack of content for my boy. Like, damn. Can a bitch not eat any boy pussy around here.

It was often that Wanderer and (Y/n) would meet up like this, now. Whether it be in an old storage closet or an empty office - they'd always end up in the same position. (Y/n) kneeling on the floor between Wanderer's legs, worshipping him in his most intimate places.

They could still remember the first time it happened.

(Y/n) and the famed Wanderer had always had this thing going on between them. They'd bicker constantly. It was almost an unspoken competition on who could annoy the other first.

This time, they were stuck together in the empty academia library. Sticking the new order of books on the shelves. It was late on a Friday, and all the academia students were out for the weekend. Yet the library was anything but silent.

"Will you shut up and do your job, unsightly worm." Wanderer snarked, purposely hitting (Y/n) in the face with his long sleeves as he flew past to place the next stack of books.

(Y/n) snorted.

"Y'know, for someone so short you do have a large temper," (y/n) smirked - they knew the subject of height was touchy for her coworker, "It's truly impressive how you fit all of it in one body... along with your huge ego."

Wanderer flew past again, shoving into them once again.

"It's a wonder how you keep that ugly, fat head of yours on your shoulders." The temperament blue boy sniped back, this time staying next to (Y/n) to stack books on the shelf beside them.

"Wow is that really the best you've got." (Y/n) faced him, crossing their arms over their chest.

Wanderer's perfect lips curled into a scowl.

"I have nothing else to say to pathetic losers like you."

(Y/n)'s face soured, "HEY. Don't. Be. Such. An. Asshole." They poked at Wanderer's chest between every word.

The Wanderer bared his teeth at them, roughly slapping away their hand.

The pair stopped and stared each other down like a pair of feral dogs. The tension was thick.

(Y/n) struck again, poking Wanderer's hard chest with more force.

Wanderer repeated his previous action.

They repeat a few more times, each action getting rougher, until they eventually escalate to shoving each other around the library.

(Y/n) gasped as their back hit the shelve, their chest heaving. Their hands still gripping tightly at the front of her assailants' clothes.

Wanderer glared deeply into (Y/n)'s eyes. The tension thick enough to cut with a claymore.

(Y/n) once again made the first move, roughly pulling the shorter man in and kissing him. The response was immediate. Quickly becoming another battle for dominance between them.

All the months of built-up frustration between them finally being released.

(Y/n) bucked their hips into his. Their tongues and teeth clashing together. Neither of them seemed to care though. Wanderer's delicate hands gripped (Y/n)'s waist, matching the rhythm of their hips.

They continued like this for a while, their hands groping and fondling each other, until finally (Y/n)'s hand trailed down to his crotch.

Their hand fumbled around the front of his pants, feeling around for the expected hardness. Only to realise they couldn't find it. (Y/n)'s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, still not breaking the kiss.

Is he not into it? They stressed in their mind.

Wanderer broke the kiss, his lips moving down (Y/n)'s neck, where he nipped and sucked. The recipient moved their neck, giving him more room for him, moaning at his actions.

(Y/n)'s eyes fluttered at the feeling, their anxiety washing away. He wouldn't be this into it if he didn't want me, right? Maybe his pants are too thick. They resumed fumbling with his pants, their hands unbuttoning them and weaseling in, continuing to rub around.

The man groaned into their neck, humping the hand between his legs. He was not used to this feeling.

(Y/n)'s eyebrows furrowed in concentration, continuing to search his pants for something that was apparently not there.

He's gotta be into it? Maybe he's just small-- Their finger made contact with the wet patch in his underwear. Oh.

OHHH.

It finally clicked.

They knew what they had to do now.

(Y/n)'s free hand came up and pulled the blue haired man away from their neck and resumed their kissing. Carefully navigating him backwards until he hit a desk.

Wanderer grunted at the movement.

(Y/n) pulled their other hand out of his pants and worked on pulling them down. Once his pants were down they moved back to look Wanderer in the eyes. The mans eyes snapped open and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Is this alri-" (Y/n) was cut off.

"Did I say stop, worm." The blue haired brat snarked.

(Y/n) blinked. "I wanted to ask can I-" They were cut off again.

"Yes. Now hurry up." Wanderer gripped the back of (Y/n)'s hair and brought them back into an impatient kiss.

Damn bitch, okay. (Y/n) mentally rolled their eyes at his behaviour. What did they expect. They pull away from his soft lips and start kissing down his neck. Making their way down to the waistline of his breifs.

Wanderer looks down at (Y/n) kneeling between his legs and he swears his nonexistent heart started thumping. He felt like he was being worshipped. Like a god.

(Y/n) stared deeply into Wanderers eyes, their fingers curling into the waistband of his underwear, before pulling them down. Exposing him.

The mans eyes widened in surprise and a ferocious blush bled onto his cheeks. His mechanical pump working overtime to push blood around his body.

"Wh- what the hell are you-" Wanderer was cut off abruptly and gasped.

(Y/n)'s tongue delved deeply into the wet heat between his legs. Groaning loudly at the taste. Their nose buried in the neat tuft of blue hair above his slit.

Wanderer's legs almost give out, causing him to prop hiself onto the table. (Y/n) took the opportunity to hike one of his legs over their shoulder, spreading him wider.

(Y/n) ate him out like it was their last meal, savouring every flick of their tongue. Their hand gripping the leg on their shoulder. Their free hand trailing up and sliding into Wanderers weeping hole.

Wanderer's hand flew up and gripped (Y/n)'s hair, his head falling back. His thighs trembled around their head. He had definitely never felt anything like this before. He felt like his artificial nerves were on fire.

A broken noise came from his throat.

(Y/n) sped their fingers up, curling them and latched onto his clit, suckling on it. The thighs around their head shook violently ans the fingers against their scalp tightened.

Wanderer felt something inside him tighten, then break. He let out an almost primal noise as he gripped (Y/n)'s head with both hands, holding them tighter against him as he rode their face.

(Y/n) let him ride out his orgasm on their face, his juices dripping down their chin and hand. It had a slight buzz to it, tingling on their tongue. It was addictive. They pulled their fingers out of Wanderer and gave him one last lick before standing up and taking his head onto their shoulder.

Wanderer leant his weight onto (Y/n) as he came back to his senses. They stayed like that for a few minutes before he sat back up and stared deeply into (Y/n)'s eyes, a lazy smirk rising on his face.

"Again."

Extra:

"EH?! WHERE DID THIS STORM COME FROM?! HURRY UP AND GET MY KEYS OUT ALHAITHAM MY HAIR IS GONNA BE RUINED!"

Me trying to convince you all that wanderer is trans.

[ideasarestuckinmyhead]

Caregivers for age regressor Listener HC's

Was wondering if you could do some hcs of the boys (Charlie, Alphonse, Seth and Auron) being caregivers to their age regressor listeners?

When I started this I sent it to the person who asked! So I was able to see if I did it correctly. I hope this post does the ask justice!

Alphonse

Tries to not give in and give you snacks when you ask everytime. Bc you already ate so much but you ask so nicely and he crumbles

Your on a candy limit bc one time he accidently gave u too much in your little space. Hearing you whine about the tummy ache made him feel bad

Color pencils are at his house, and yours. Tries to find cute color pages online if you wanted a specific one when your in little space.

He's right next to you watching the kid cartoons while your snuggling up to your favorite blanket he got u.

Since there isn't a lot of shops in town he gets most of the toys u own online. Making sure to get your input!

When you try and speak in little space you messing up while saying a word has his heart.

He's sitting there trying not to giggle as he watches you whine. Bc you didn't want to take a nap. (But you ended up taking one bc u were sleepy)

Seth

Is panicking if he is doing his part correctly. But chills pit when you tell him he's the best

Is good at telling you no if you kept asking for more snacks after eating too much. Says you'll turn into a snack monster and get tummy aches.

Seth was able to get some plushies for you! There's one you really like and it's a mothman one. You use that when you take a nap in your little space.

Finds weird coloring pages online. Makes sure to stock on coloring utensils bc u make lots of drawings for him. He keeps a lil folder of them.

When putting on cartoons he uses that time to go and prep your snacks for tomorrow. Tries to be productive bc last time he didn't and u cried bc he didn't have the snacks ready.

Loves listening to you ramble about your day. Then go off on how u saw a butterfly and thought of Seth. You messing up your words makes him smile bc it's so cute.

He actually made you a toy one time! It was a wooden one and was happy when you said u liked it.

Charlie

Charlie was lowkey suprised when you trusted him enought to be your caregiver. Now he's panicking trying not to accidently give u a snack u hate. (The long story short? You gave him the silent treatment for like 5 minutes)

Another one who folds when you ask for more snacks. He's trying but the puppy dog eyes are a critical hit to his heart

Has playful arguments with you, one time u told him he was mean (he didn't give u another snack) he said well ur short. You got offended and ignored him for 2 minutes. Then at a later time he gave u gummy bears and u forgave him.

Has a lost of shows u like om his phone. Ranked 1 to 5 bc your fans changes every so often. One time u whined that I didn't want to watch that one the OTHER one! Charlie was searching for 20 minutes and then finally found it.

You have a big hoodie he bought, it's soft and it's your favorite. One time u threw a tantrum bc Charlie had to wash it.

You threw yourself on the couch and cried for a little. Then Charlie gave it back saying 'see? I only needed it for a little I'm sorry honey.'

He tries to get lots of different things for u to play with. You really liked playing cars with him, bc he made silly sound effects for when they crashed.

Auron

Will say no. Don't try puppy eyes he's immune (in his head he's saying don't fold they'll get a tummy ache) he's strict on what he gives u.

Has to be careful on what to buy for u or he says fuck it and buys a lot. So he buys a few toys at a time, like if he's scrolling online and sees one you'll like he'd buy it.

Speaks softly to you bc he knows his voice sounds like he's pissed off 24/7. If you do act bad or get sassy he raises his voice a bit.

Enjoys having you draw on the floor as he gets a couple things done. Complements your drawings as he adds it to a wall he has for u. One of the rooms in the penthouse is a play room for you.

Reads to you when u don't know what to do. His voice sometimes lures you to take a nap so he does it at a specific time. Ends up being a little scheduled for you and if you don't take it you get cranky.

Has a limited screen time for you, since at work your staring at a screen a lot. So he tries to give you like 2 hours, then let's u play with your toys.

When ur in little space ur always clutching on one of his shirts. He had to spray a bit of cologne on it bc 'it needs to smell like youu!' You whine when it doesn't smell like him anymore. He finds it cute and makes sure to resent it at a certain part of the day.

[khaire-traveler]

🧼 Subtle Hygeia Worship 🐍

Practice hygiene to the best of your ability; wash your hands, brush your teeth, take showers/baths, etc.

Take care of your physical and mental health; see a doctor if you can, talk to a therapist if able, etc.

Take your medications if any

Drink herbal teas, especially those with healing or calming properties (stomache, headache, etc.; DO NOT USE HERBS TO TREAT SERIOUS CONDITIONS PLEASE)

Get a candle that reminds you of her (no altar needed)

Wear jewelry that reminds you of her

Keep a picture of her in your wallet

Support mental and physical healthcare or humanitarian organizations

Volunteer at a homeless or animal shelter

Donate hygiene kits to homeless shelters; these are almost always in great demand, actually

Keep your space clean; clean your bathroom and room regularly if able

Get a mug with a cute snake on it (here is one, here is another, and here is a third; I just wanted to look up cute snake mugs lol)

Have a stuffed animal snake (here is one, here is another, and here is a third; cute ones are weirdly hard to find, so I wanted to help lol)

Have imagery of cups, snakes, fruit, or healing objects (anything you associate with it) around

Drink white wine or clear sparkling grape juice (or anything similar, really)

Grow your own garden, especially herbs and produce of your own; tend to plants

Engage in activities that make you happy! Do things you enjoy

Learn about medicinal applications of herbs

Eat well; eat fruits, veggies, etc.

Drink water regularly; hydrate or diedrate, baby 👉😎👉

Practice compassion and love towards yourself

Write affirmations on sticky notes and place them in spots where you'll see them often

Take a self-care bath or shower, especially with soothing herbs like lavender or jasmine

Keep a self-care/self-love journal; write about things you are grateful for (small things like the fact that you liked your socks that door or you have something comfy to sleep on; doesn't have to be big), make a list of your personal strengths at the end of each month and see how you grow, write reassuring messages you think would help you to hear in that moment

Wash your hands/anoint yourself with salt water to cleanse yourself of any energy you don't want (only when necessary)

Have a skincare or body care routine

Try to get in enough sleep; work on your sleep schedule

Start your morning by stretching your muscles or doing some light exercises if you can

Engage with relaxing/calming activities at the end of each school day, work shift, or straining day; find a way to decompress

Be gentle with yourself when you're having a difficult day

Take care of a sick loved one or a loved one who is having a hard time; support those you love

Cook a warm meal for a loved one

Bathe or washcloth bathe a pet; make sure they're eating well; take walks or play with them

Cook a warm meal for someone in need

Learn about/research health conditions that you or your loved ones have; get a better understanding of these things

Know your healthcare rights; know your HIPPA rights (if in US)

Practice being more comfortable asking for help; everyone needs a hand sometimes

Take frequent breaks from screens; make sure to go outside for some fresh air

Take a walk/hike; doesn't matter where

Exercise; get some movement throughout your day, even just basic stretching

Start a morning and/or nighttime self-care routine

Spend time with loved ones

Eat three meals a day

Feed neighborhood dogs, cats, birds, etc.

Practice kindness towards others; holding the door for someone, offering to help someone carry their things, giving compliments to a stranger, etc.

Clean anything you regularly interact with; clean these things when it feels appropriate; mouse and keyboard, car, shower, toilet, doorknobs, sinks, etc.

Do any household chores, especially things like vacuuming, sweeping, or washing dishes

Acknowledge and celebrate even just the little ways you were able to take care of yourself in a day; even something as simple as brushing your hair or wearing a comfy outfit

Engage with a local community; join clubs, join support groups, volunteer at places, help with food/toy drives, etc.

-

I'll likely add more later on. This is my list of discreet ways of worshipping Hygeia! I hope someone finds it useful. Take care, y'all! 🩷

Link to Subtle Worship Master list

[gavisuntiedboot]

Crowded (Gavi x Reader)

28 day writing prompt challenge - prompts are here

Day 9: forehead kisses

"You're the cutest thing to ever exist. You're the love of my life. I don't know what I could ever do without you."

Gavi was about at his wits end. It was his first weekend off after the end of the season, and he was excited to finally spend some quality time with you. He woke up feeling like he ruled the world. As he got ready to head to your place, his phone lit up with a text message from you.

[mi sol <3]: good morning baby. we have someone joining us today. hope you don't mind <333 ilysm see you soon

His heart sank immediately. Who the hell had you invited to spend the day with the two of you? And more importantly, why? The insecurity started to fester in his head. Was he not enough for you when he was no longer Gavi of F.C Barca, but just Pablo Gavi? A normal young man who just wanted to be held by his girlfriend while they watched Netflix on the couch? Did he bore you?

Gavi got to your house and rang the doorbell, and you swung open the door not even 15 seconds letter.

"Pablo!" You yelled, throwing your arms around him in a tight hug. He returned with just as much enthusiasm, picking you up off the ground and spinning you. The neighbors probably thought you were weird, but this is all he ever wanted: a pretty girl who he loved, who loved him back, and who he could be soft and open around. He breathed in the scent of your freshly washed hair, and wondered why he bothered with football when he could be up against you like this everyday.

"Good morning mi amor. Miss me?"

"You know I have. All my hoodies smell like detergent now instead of boyish charm and Paco Rabanne 1 million."

He smiled at you, teeth on display, skin around his eyes wrinkling in pure joy. You had missed Pablo so much. The stress of the end of the season meant that you didn't get to see your boy as often as you wanted. You missed Gavi intensely. His cocky nature when he was around you, like he knew the effect that he had on you, coupled with his sweet gestures that showed how much he really cared.

"Your hoodies? You mean the ones you stole from me? It's a good thing it's July, otherwise I would freeze since you took everything I have with sleeves."

"Fine fine. They can be our hoodies. I'm a comfort communist. Come inside and re-scent them."

He laughed and followed you into the house. You ran up the stairs to your room with Gavi in tow. You opened your closet, trying to decide which sweatshirts you could part with and which would stay in your permanent collection.

"So... I have to ask: who is spending the day with us."

You giggled and turned to face him.

"You'll see."

---

You rushed down the stairs at the sound of the doorbell. Gavi lingered at the top, hoping to see who was here dividing your attention.

"Nicole, hi!"

"Hi dear. Thank you so much for doing this. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Of course of course. Where is Salvia?"

'Salvia? Like the plant?' Gavi thought to himself. A loud bark startled him out of his thoughts. You were being attacked with kisses from a long haired German Shepard. Gavi's eyes lit up. Your intruder wasn't a person - it was a dog.

When the door closed, Gavi approached you.

"Who is this?"

"This is Salvia. She's Nicole's darling baby. She's flying to Madrid for the day for a family emergency, so she asked me to dog sit. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

Gavi brought you closer, embracing you from behind and kissing your neck.

"Of course it's fine mi amor. I love dogs."

Or so he thought. Gavi did, up until that moment, really love dogs. He loved being around something high energy and cuddly, and loved getting wet kisses and excited tail wags. But now, he was ready to label himself a cat person. Every few minutes, your attention shifted from him to the dog, making sure she was safe and not tearing up the house. He could barely sit for two minutes with you before you had to get up to care for Salvia, either taking her out or feeding her or just giving her attention.

The sun had set hours ago, and he was sitting with you on the couch. Well actually he was sitting half a meter away from you. Salvia laid across your lap, her butt preventing Pablo from being closer to you. You were rubbing her sides, fluffing her coat and then smoothing it back down. Every few minutes, Salvia looked up at you resting her head against your chest. You scratched behind her ears, looking at her lovingly and and giving her several kissed on the head and nose.

Gavi was pissed. He was also cute and fluffy and wanted to lay on top of you, and yet he was losing your affections to a dog. A dog! He couldn't contain his disappointment. He wanted you to kiss him and say that he was the cutest thing alive. But alas. So he slid down on the couch, crossing his arms and pouting out his bottom lip, scowling at the Rom Com on the TV.

"Baby.." He whined, trying to put an arm around your shoulders, but unable to reach. "Come closer."

"I can't baby. She's asleep and I don't want to wake her up."

He huffed and got up from his seat. He went upstairs to where his bag was, opting to change out of his shorts into some sweats. He removed his shirt, and sprayed himself with more cologne. He decided to make himself irresistible to you. He sat back down, and looked at you to gage your reaction. You were too busy kissing Salvia on the forehead. Gavi began cursing every dog in existence under his breath. You were his girlfriend dammit. And he was sexy and Spanish and shirtless and within arms reach, and you could not care less.

At around midnight, the doorbell rang again. Salvia sprang off the couch, running to the door and letting out a soft bark. You got up after her and ran to the door, opening it for Nicole.

"Hi baby Sal - did you miss me? I missed you too. Thank you so much for taking care of her. Thankfully the family is fine. I really appreciate the help."

"Anytime," you respond, handing Nicole the bag with the dog things, "glad everyone is doing well. Have a good night."

You closed the door and went back to the couch, flopping down beside Gavi. He kept his arms crossed over his chest and turned to you, pout still very present on his face. You held his face in your hands, pressing your forehead to his.

"What's wrong Pablito?"

He wanted to stay mad at you. He really did. But you were looking up at him with your big beautiful eyes, batting your eyelashes at him and holding his face so delicately.

"You ignored me all day for a dog."

He tried to pull away, feeling stupid for admitting it. You pulled his head in, giving him a sweet kiss on the forehead.

"Awe Pablo. I'm sorry. You want me to pamper you like Salvia?"

"Not in this condition - you smell like dog."

You pushed his face away, enjoying the sound of his laughter. You loved the way Gavi looked when he was laughing - or happy in general. His eyes would get small and his cheeks got more round, making him more adorable than you thought possible. You grabbed the hem of your sweatshirt and lifted it off, leaving you in your bralette. You then removed the blanket from your lap that Salvia had laid on, throwing it to the corner of the room, and grabbing another one (with a Barca logo in the middle of the large fuzzy blanket). You grabbed the remote and a bowl of popcorn, relaxing back on the couch and extending your arms outward.

"Come here, Pablito. Let me love on you."

He looked at you skeptically, as if you were going to retract the offer. He uncrossed his arms and moved over to you, laying his head on your chest, legs tangling with yours on the length of the couch. He wrapped his arms around your waist, sighing deeply and allowing himself to relax against you. You covered the both of you with the blanket, and started a new movie. You placed one hand in his hair and began raking your nails through it. You scratched his head slowly, causing him to whimper out. You then brought the other hand up onto his bare back, rubbing circles into it. You let your fingers slide gently up and down his skin.

"Head scratches and a back rub at the same time, amor? How did I get so lucky?"

You looked down at Pablo, pressing another gentle kiss into his forehead, lingering for a long moment.

"Just be quiet and let me love you, Pablo. You're the best thing in my life, I hope you know. Anything to make you happy - just say it and it's done."

Gavi's mouth hung open, like he was in shock. He buried his face back into your chest, and you felt the warmth of his cheeks against your skin. You giggled quietly, pulling him closer into you. You placed another kiss at the top of his soft hair.

"I love you Pablo."

"I love you too, amor. So much it's causing me physical chest pain."

"Aw baby, I don't want to hurt you."

"It's ok baby. You keep kissing it better."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A/N: Hey y'all! This was inspired by my roomie's doggie, who I love, and who napped next to me while I wrote this. I almost gave up on this little challenge until I realized all 3 of my top posts are writings from this series. Thank you all so much for the support. My asks are open, so pls let me knoe if you have any ideas for the rest of the prompts!!

AND ...if you haven't read my Gavi series "Just Pretend", please check it out. It's pinned to my profile. <333

[nei-ning]

I visited father and his spouce fast this evening. I was going to walk in but the front door walk locked, which is weird since it's never locked, so I started to knock on the little window. No response. I knocked 3 times before their dog, soon 12yo male German Shepherd (huge in size but is a true sweetheart!) heard me and he was RIGHT BEHIND THE DOOR! He then started to bark (he never barks at anyone and this was first time he barked at me) and it did the trick. Thanks to him, dad came to open the door, haha!

I had long and wonderful time visiting them, as always, while also petting Moksu a lot. Tho, it shows he's old. In many ways. Plus he has a lump on his neck and apparently it's sore. It very well could be cancer etc. not to mention he's mostly deaf and apparently going blind too. I told them to prepare themselves on letting him go. Propably soon too since there's no reason to make that sweetheart suffer.

I ended up telling them about my year after Verti's death, depression, anxiety, eating meds, autism etc. Dad's spouce was so wonderful and kind, has always been to me! Very supportive too. Not that dad wouldn't be either but he let us handle the talking.

She also saw my rash on my neck recommending sinc(?) lotion. Doctor had recommended it for her on her itchy skin disease. I could get the said lotion from local store.

Then we started to talk about hot waves, periods and hormonal issues and she has gone through the same as me! She, too, had suffered from early menopause, sweating so much she had to shower 2 times a day and change clothes often since they all had been soaked (in Finland you DON'T wash yourself twice a day. It's either only once a day or 2 times a week in sauna, usually Wednesday and Saturday evenings).

I told her I sweat like hell too and then I smell heck bad, needing to spray deodorant even between and under my breasts. She then looked at me and said: "You do have big breasts." Yes, yes I have, and I freaking love my girls :D I just don't like them getting sweaty since the smell is horrible, haha!

We spoke some more about my autism because she asked about it and I said something like: "I really need to kick my ass to get things done. Otherwise I just simply can't get anything done."

She said: "You need to be gentle with yourself. Don't force things. Let them come out naturally. Forcing only damages you more. Instead of aiming to do all tasks at once, do one little by little." She's right but at the same time I know I need to kick my ass a little bit, tho. She also encouraged me to keep crying whenever I start to miss Verti instead of bottling the grief in.

We spoke so more and I ended up saying: "I have never fit in society's mold anyway - and I don't even want to. I'll be my crazy self without giving a fuck what others think of me."

She smiled at me so kindly and said: "I really do like you as the way how you are. Always have. I've said this to you before. You always have felt like a daughter to me."

Just awwh! :D How much such words can lighten your heart! Someone in the past, probably my mother back in the days, told me what kind of whore this woman is since she was often with different men. Well, it's her past and she didn't know any other way of life back then. Who I am to judge her and hate her based on her youth years? We all have been young, some more "wild" than others, making mistakes too but it's not a reason to label someone for the rest of their life. I think this woman is actually nice and kind. I've never felt uneasy or uncomfortable around her. In fact, I get along with her better than with my aunts :'D talking with her is... Easy. Simple. Comfortable. I can honestly and openly tell her everything and speak with words I probably wouldn't use around others. I do like her.

Before I left, she and dad said to me: "Come visit us more often. You are always welcome here. This is like your second home. Take care of yourself."

Now, I know they like to be alone and in peace so that's why I haven't go there often. Maybe once or twice a year at max. Of course if I would have my own car abd license, I could visit them once a month.

[purple--queen]

Note: This belongs in the category: Things i have on my phone & would sink to the ground. Sunday night. short & sweet. nail polish. boys in love. It's just some domestic sweet shit.

Pairing: Clint/Marc

Warnings: none. Maybe bad grammatic and some words might be spelled wrong. I am to lazy to translate it.

It's sunday night.

Which means cheap beer. Cheap pizza. And bad reality TV. Marc dosen't know how they ended up like that, but he does not complain about it. He likes it. He likes the stupid domestic feeling. He likes that he feel like a normal dude, who can have a normal life and a normal relationship.

Well, so normal it can get, when one of them is fighting aliens doing the day time and the other fights vampires at nights.

But it works. It works horrific well.

"Which color?", Clint asks and holds up to bottles of nailpolish which looks exactly the same. He went through this with Marlene sometimes. She didn't wear nailpolish that often, but when she did she aksed him and was always annoyed, when he couldn't see the difference between the reds or the blues.

"And before you say anything. These are two different colors", Clint explains and Marc doubts it. They're both purple. Sure not as dark as the last purple Clint had on his nails, but still purple. "This looks good", he says and points at the bottle in Clint right hand. "You don't see the differnece huh?". It's a joking tone. Marlene would have rolled her eyes and saying something about men who don't care.

It is not, that he does not care.

He just doesn't matter.

He likes Clint hands no matter what color his fingernails are.

"It's both purple", Marc says and shrunks with his shoulders. "I don't blame you for not seeing it-", smiles clint. "i mean for a dude who is just wearing white 90 prozent of the time. It must be hard, to see it. Give me your hands"

And without even thinking about it Marc holds his hands toward Clint. Their is a ringing in his head, that feels familiar, but he just shakes it away. Khonshu isn't in his head anymore and he don't allow any throught about it.

Clint opens the first bottle and starts carefully to paint his nail. Their is a concentrated look in his eyes, that he normally has when he has a target to aim. Or when there is a dog he wants to pet.

It is a wierd feeling. He can feel that there is something on his nail and he wants to itch it away. It feels odd and he wonders if this feeling fades away. Clint never seems to care about that feeling. But Clint does this for a long time now, so probally he doesn't feel it anymore.

The first nail is done. Clint cloeses the bottle and opens the other one. He starts painting the other index finger. Again it is painited carefully. A calm hand and a focusing look. It flatters him, that Clint is doing his best to make it look good, even if he is going to wash it off the moment they have discussed the whole difference thing.

"And now we wait until it is dry" Clint smiles happyly and pleased with his work. "How long?" "Just a few minutes. You can shake your hands to make it faster", say Clint laughing and Marc rolles his eyes, but their is a small smirk on his face.

They start to watch the TV, with Clint complaining about the Bachelors bad decisions. By the end of the episode Clint says that he never wants to watch it again. They both know he don't mean it. He says it everytime and every Sunday he is watching it again.

"Lets see", says Clint and Marc holds up his hands. "Thats so pretty", Clint smiles and Marc sees it now. It's not a huge difference between these two, but it's enough to see it. "This one", he says wickels with his right hand. Clint smiles happyly and Marc wants to melt.

This all feels so unreal. Like a dream and at some point he will wake up in an empty bed, blood on his hands because he hadn't the energy to clean it, after coming home. He knows this won't last. He knows that Clint thinks the same. They're both terrible with relationships. But they try their best.

He watches Clint paining his own nails. The same concentrated look on his face, he had, when he did Marcs. "You want to help?", Clint asks, after finishing the left hand and gives him the bottle, without even waiting for an answer. "This won't look good", Marc complains but starts paining the thumb. "Don't worry. You can't fuck this up. I will clean it, if you color over the line", Clint laughs. "Oh good. This takes out the pressure", Marc answers. "When i started to help the girls in the circus, i would always put to much on the brush and i would hit the skin. It needed a lot of practis to get the right feeling for it."

"Of course you learned this for the girls", Marc says amusing. "Well their weren't a lot of boys who did this. I had to deal with what i was given" "Did it worked" "Well Mimi always gave me a kiss on the cheeks when i was done" "Sounds like it worked"

Clint has to fix some things and he has to clean of the polish from the skin. But their is a smile on his face that Marc wants to keep their. "You did good", says Clint happyly. "Thanks i tried my best", Marc smiles and closes the bottle.

Clint leans forward and presses a kiss on his cheek.

"Charmer".

[chlorine-queen]

So I'm possibly about to ruin swimming for many of you. Good. Join me in pool hatred.

Cleaning pools in Texas especially during the summer is a brutal and near thankless job where if I'm not absolutely drenched in sweat by 8am, it's a rather cool day. I am in contact with some pretty serious chemicals and it's not uncommon to feel a slight burn as you sweat and the chlorine dusting your skin activates and gives you a nice chemical burn. Not to infer I don't take precautionary measures to protect myself, but with a heat index of over 110 often in the summer I'll just allow myself a little chemical burn, as a treat.

Now if you're curious why I've worked this job for over five years the answer is actually quite simple. After a decade in customer service I was offered better pay, weekends off, and an unprecedented 3 weeks paid vacation a year, including the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas off. Starbucks would fire you for even hinting at not showing up on Christmas, a steakhouse chain where I met my wife also had mandatory holidays. So for the first time in my adult life, I got to enjoy most of the big holidays.

In America at a job that requires no degree and only that you don't commit crimes while on a customers property with these benefits astounded me, and within two weeks I went from Steakhouse Manager Trainee to Po Service Technician. The truest benefit of my new job, the thing that has kept me glued to this company like no other is that some days I will never see a customer or even interact with them even though I'm in their backyard.

When customers did visit with me by and far the interactions were positive. I don't drink anymore, but I get offered beer all the time. I think people are nicer because I can get into their backyard easily and most of their dogs loved me. I got Bluetooth headphones and started listening to audio books of books I had read to occupy time. FUN FACT: it would take me almost two weeks to finish a Wheel of Time audiobook. I crushed all of Campaign 2 of Critical Role in an unusually wet and humid summer. I went from being at the mercy of whatever rancid human decided to take out their all consuming rage to being able to tell a customer to go fuck themselves and leaving their house. I don't care how hot or cold it was outside, the price for peace was worth it.

Unfortunately for me, dead end job. I have zero interest in running my own pool company because I would then lose the greatest benefit and even worse the customers would HAVE MY PHONE NUMBER. No thanks.

So whilst it's a goopy gross job most of the time, it's worth it to never have to make another Frappuccino or explain to an older person there is no physical way to have a steak be well done and not dry. Also it's not blood it's myoglobin.

Edit: I GOT SIDETRACKED WITH STEAK POOLS ARE GROSS BC HUMANS ARE GROSS AND EVEN IF CHLORINATED PROPERLY OIL AND SCUM AND SKIN BITS TOO SMALL TO SEE FLOAT ENDLESSY TROUGH THE SYSTEM AND WHEN YOU OPEN A FILTER TO CLEAN AND SEE ALGAE INSIDE YOU WILL NEVER FEEL CLEAN AGAIN. THE BACTERIA THAT CAUSES DIARRHEA JUST GETS WASHED INTO THE WATER FROM PEOPLES BUTTS AND EVERYONE GETS SICK THERE IS NO CLEAN IT IS ONLY AN ILLUSION

[thepenultimateword]

Ik u literally just posted it but could u write a part 3 to the werewolf story 👀💞💞 i love it sm

Part One Part Two

"I need a favor."

Villain blinked at the hero standing in their doorframe. It had been several months since they'd talked outside of a fight. Even the clothes Hero borrowed after their last transformation had been placed in a paper sack and hung on Villain's doorknob rather than returned personally. It was as if they wanted to pretend nothing had ever happened, but no matter how Villain tried, they couldn't do the same.

Now that they knew Hero's secret, so many things had become obvious. Hero's amazing hearing and the way they cocked their head when listening to something far away, the strange habit of sniffing the air when entering unfamiliar situations; even the way they shook their shaggy hair when wet was doglike. A part of Villain wondered how they'd ever thought the hero normal, but seeing how three months ago werewolves had been nothing but a fantasy, they couldn't blame themselves too much.

"Okaaay?" Villain said, crossing their arms uncomfortably. They hadn't been expecting company, and now they were painfully aware of their unflattering pajamas and the messy apartment behind them. They didn't care what Hero thought of them, they were just some stupid vigilante who couldn't do their hair properly, but for some reason when they were around, Villain couldn't shake the impression that they were judging everything.

Hero shifted uncomfortably, fingers fiddling and broad shoulders hunching together. "C-could I stay the night?"

Villain stared at them, and the hero blushed. For someone so egotisical, they did that a little too often.

"I mean, it wouldn't really be me, it would be the Wolf. I-I don't know if that makes you feel any better. I know it's a weird request, and believe me, I dislike it more than anyone..."

"Why?" Villain interrupted, tone dry.

Hero full out twisted their hands now, unable to meet Villain's eyes.

"Well, there are only two people who know about my...er...condition. One is Superhero, and the other is you. Superhero is out of town, and I just..." Hero broke off, a strange grimace muddling their expression. "I've felt weird lately. I don't really know how to explain it... I just feel like something is going to happen, and with the blue moon and all... I'd just feel better if someone was watching me tonight."

"So you want me to spend my precious free evening watching you slobber and sniff around my apartment as a glorified dog?"

They were actually thrilled, but Hero didn't need to know that, so soaked their words in as much sarcasm as they could muster.

"If- If it's not too much to ask?"

If Hero had their wolf's tail right now, it would be between their legs. Villain almost felt guilty. Almost. They were seriously enjoying this humiliated, vulnerable version of Hero, might as well draw it out a little longer.

Villain cocked a hip and tapped their chin thoughtfully. "You are pretty mean to me...and I was thinking about going out... I don't know... I barely get any free time as it, what with you ruining half my schemes and forcing me to work double hours for my bread."

"I could--" Hero broke off, seeming almost pained to finish that thought, but after a hard swallow they said, "I could turn the other way. Just for a couple days!

"A week."

"What! No way! With your track record who knows how much trouble--"

Villain started closing the door.

"Wait!" Hero sighed and nodded. "A week."

Villain clapped their hands together. "Perfect. I think the sun set's in an hour, do you need anything from your place or...?"

"No, I might as well come in now."

A jolt ran through Villain's stomach, that was not what they had been expecting, but they ended up mechanically stepping aside. So much for straightening things up.

Hero strode into the living room and flopped down on the couch, legs sprawled in front of them, like they'd lived there for years. All signs of humility had washed away like light stains. "Could I get a drink of water and maybe a snack? I don't really like transforming hungry."

Maybe you should have thought about that before coming in, Villain thought bitterly, but instead of saying anything, they went to the kitchen and began spreading cream cheese on crackers. They could deal with this jerk for an hour if it meant they could cuddle with the Wolf for the rest of the evening. That was, admittedly, a little weird, but they weren't going to think about it too hard.

When they returned to the living room, Hero was unabashedly flipping through their sketch book.

"Hey!" Villain slammed the plate of crackers and water glass on the corner table and snatched the book out their hands. "Are you serious right now?"

"What? It was sitting right there." Hero pointed to a spot on the floor. "Open. There were the makings of a scheme sketched out clear as day, I couldn't not look at it."

"You're supposed to be turning a blind eye!"

"That's after tonight. Were those sketches of the Wolf?"

Villain felt the hairs on the back of their neck raise defensively. Just how far had the hero looked? "W-what about it?"

"Impressive for only seeing it once. You must have a good memory."

"Sort of. It's supposed to be amazing, but it only really works for things I'm interested in, so not actually that amazing."

Hero seemed to think about that for a moment. "Do you really like the Wolf that much?"

Villain was about to snap something vulgar, but then they noticed the genuine tilt of Hero's head. They weren't making fun of them; they seriously wanted to know.

"It's a big dog, why wouldn't I?"

Hero smiled weakly. "Most people are repulsed by Weres, in and out of their animal form. Even people who don't know what they are can sense the wrongness of them: a wolf that's not quite a wolf. It'd be more normal if it made you sick."

Really? They couldn't imagine anyone reacting that way to the Wolf. At least, not after getting to know it a little better. How often had Hero received such reactions? How long had they hidden this side to them? Perhaps Villain's first instinct had been right. When they met the Wolf, they'd felt an almost immediate kinship for it. Even if the Wolf was perfect-life Hero, maybe the wolf portion of them shared more similarities than differences: an outcast, misunderstood, fearful to the point of aggression...

"Whatever." Villain pointed to the side table. "Your snack is there. I'm going back to 'scheming.'"

They tucked their sketchbook under their arm and moved over to the table, only eyeing the hero once in a while with a practiced side glance. They were so big and awkward seated on Villain's couch. They might have entered with confidence, but they didn't fit this scene. Munching crackers and staring around at the mess without commentary? That was a strange sight, so it couldn't be helped if they ended up in Villain's sketches a few times. After the third one, Villain decided it was better for their work not to look up at all. Hero's presence was just too annoying for them to focus. Because of this, it wasn't until Hero let out a sharp cry that realized the sun had gone down.

Villain's head snapped up.

Hero held their head in their hands, fingers curled tightly in their hair. Their next cry was accompanied by a jerk of their shoulders and a loud crack!

"Hero?" Villain pushed out from their chair.

Hero's only response was a pathetic moan, then they collapsed sideways on the cushions. The bulky curve of their back was barely visible above the sofa arm, cloth shredding and giving way to thick fur. They howled. An unearthly, bone-chilling sound that made Villain feel sad and found all at once. The next time Hero came up, they had paws instead of hands.

"Wolf!" Villain cried, stumbling a few giddy steps forward.

The canine's ear flattened tight against their head, and it let out a blood-chilling snarl.

Villain froze.

The Wolf was not itself.

...

Bonus Wolf Music: "Wolves of the Revolution" by The Arcadian Wild, "You're a Wolf" by Sea Wolf, "Wolf" by First Aid Kit, "The Wolf" by the SIAMES, "Wolfsong" by Denny Schneidemesser (instrumental)

Part Four

[littlest-dark-age]

Damiano david headcannons

Tagging @daddydamiano @noshame-bb @mywritingonlyfans

Translations 1, my soul 2, angel 3, my love 4, my life 5, little star 6, puppy 7, bunny 8, sweetness. Please let me know if any translation is incorrect.

Damiano would always be pressing kisses into your soft skin, wherever he could reach at the moment. The two of you are cooking and you have a huge sleep shirt on that reveals your shoulders? Kiss. You're fiddling with his hands out in public due to nerves? He's kissing every finger while looking you in the eye with a grin. You'd think he's convinced its a carnal sin to not kiss you every five minutes

He would beg you to do his makeup, constantly. He loves the intimacy of it, you usually sit on his lap for it and the way you gently cup his strong jaw turns him into an absolute puddle. You lose count of how many times you have to make him look back at you because he just wants to close his eyes and sink into the warmth you radiate. But you can't be mad at him, not when he looks up at you with those puppy dog eyes, shining with love.

Damia would absolutely give you one of his rings, and if it doesn't fit your fingers, no worries. He'll just give you one of his chains to put it on. He loves to kiss it when you wear it, whether it be on the chain or your hand. It always makes his heart skip a beat, a claim to the world that he was the lucky one to capture your affections

Please play with his hair, please. He will turn into a puppy the minute your nails graze his scalp. It doesn't matter the length, he loves it. His eyes slowly shut as you scratch at the shaved sides but he'll deny that he's about to fall asleep. 

Spa nights. Just, spa nights. He will let you put the cute animal headbands on him to keep his hair out of his mask, even letting you put it on him. Dami would love to watch movies like Legally Blonde and Clueless while you paint his nails and the glittery mask on his face dries. Never wearing a shirt, saying he wants skin to skin with you as he raises your shirt up to your chest so the two of you are pressed together. He'd sit on the floor, letting you work the hair mask through his hair as the first movie goes off and he starts to hunt for another, one of his hands stroking your bare leg.

Sleepy make out sessions are his favorite, after he's had his tea and the two of you are dead tired but can't stop. Even going as far to tell you that the two of you really should go to bed, as he's sweetly kissing you. There's no rush to it, no need to hide away your love as it's just the two of you. Locked away from the rest of the world, where damiano david is just yours. Where his nose keeps bumping yours just so he can hear you laugh and have you rub your own against his, like a bunny. His hands snaking up the back of your shirt to stroke down the length of your spine with the tips of his fingers. Barely enough for you to be able to feel it. 

If you were okay with it, he would absolutely want to tattoo you. He would never pressure you to if you really didn't but he would try to convince you if you were on the fence about it. If you let him pick, good luck. It would either be something like 'i am yours', which he would get a matching one. Probably around his heart. Or it would be something for måneskin. To have something he worked so hard on, permanently on someone he loves so so much would have him ecstatic. 

The pet names. They're never ending and ever changing. He says he can't help it and that he just says what comes to mind when he sees you. Whether that's anima mia 1, angelo 2, amore mio 3, vita mia 4, stellina 5, cucciolo 6, leprotta 7, or dolcezza 8. You never know which one to expect but they all bring a smile to your face, nevertheless. 

Damiano would always ask your opinion on his stage outfits, not really for reassurance but more so to involve you in every possible thing he can. He loves your input and always takes it into consideration. And you help him remember some things, like something might make him too hot or might restrict his movements on stage. The practical things he doesn't always think about, more focused on the look and aesthetic of it. 

Pictures, pictures and more pictures. He loves taking pictures of you doing the smallest of tasks, especially for when he has to be away from you. If you hid your face, he would still adore the photo but pout a bit because he couldn't see you. Even if photos could never compare to the real thing, in his words. He just wants you to be able to love yourself the way he loves you. He doesn't care about some imperfections, they're what make up you and everybody has them. So, it's probably easier to just let him have his pictures. 

His lockscreen is a picture of you and him with the cats piled up between the two of you. You didn't even know he took it until you went to check something on his phone for him. Dami says you look so peaceful in it, pressing a kiss to the cat's head with your eyes closed, and that it always helps him calm down when he looks at it. That it reminds him of home when he's not there to hold you on the nights on the road. Although, his wallpaper is an entirely different story. A bit more...spicy, if you will. It's a picture of you laying in bed wearing black lacy lingerie with a camera in your hand, and Damiano's legs are able to be seen straddling your waist.

He might not always be able to call or facetime during a tour but believe it when he makes those calls worth it. He loves to be able to call you for hours at a time and if time zones allow it, go to sleep with you on call. If not, that's okay. He has your time zone saved in his clock so he can always be sure to send you a goodnight or good morning text, even if it's a bit late or early. Damia needs to have that little slice of normalcy to keep him from going crazy during the tour. He lives and breathes music, don't get me wrong. But you are his soul and his mind, without you, there would be no music. 

If you're out with the band, he will pull you as close as you'll allow. Even onto his lap if it's a more private place or just you and the others. But this also means you'll be poked and tickled the entire night, even if you slap his hands away. He can't keep his hands off of your ribs, no matter how sore his hands get from your smacks. He compares it to when a kitten nibbles on them.

Damiano needs to be convinced to take a break and slow down, often. He gets so swept up in it that he doesn't realize he hasn't had a proper meal in a couple of days or that he's been skimping on sleep to write lyrics and play around with harmonies. Getting him out of the studio is hard, but much needed. He will appreciate it, as well as apologize for neglecting you for the past days. A nice date or just something to get him outside is just what he needed. No matter how casual it is, being able to relax and spend some time with you is one of his favorite things to do.

Some of his favorite dates are the ones where the two of you are able to just do something and have a good time without the pressure of having to dress up and get ready. He still uses the heart shaped mug you made him on one of your dates, still listens to the record you got him when the two of you got all of your favorite albums and swapped. He still has the tickets from the first movie the two of you were able to go and see together, stuck in between the worn pages of some old book of italian poems he's had forever

His love language is a mix of acts of service and gift giving. He loves to give you little trinkets and stuff he finds while on tour, each item reminding him of you in some way or another. Even if it's just a rock he thought you might like, a pair of earrings you've mentioned before or even just something he thought you might could use. And he will give you one of his oversized blazers if the two of you are out and it's cool, even make sure you have enough to eat and offer you bites of his own food if you want. Hell, if you wanted what he ordered versus what you ordered, he would swap it even if your dish isn't his favorite thing.

Dami loves cooking with you, there's something so domestic about it that he can't help but imagine your future together. He always claims that the meals the two of you prepare together are the best thing he's ever eaten, no matter how simple it is. Just don't break the pasta in front of him, you'll send him into cardiac arrest.

He loves it when you trace and kiss his tattoos, they're something he's proud of and knowing how much you like them just makes him happy. Of course, he knows you don't have to adore every tattoo he has as long as he's happy with it, but it still makes him feel nice when you show his ink a bit of love. It always tickles him a bit when you drag your nail on the ones in his chest, sending shivers down his spine when you do. 

He is a cover hog, yet denies it with every bone in his body. He claims you push them onto him most of the time, despite the fact that you struggle to cover up completely whilst he's on the other side of the bed bundled up like a baby with almost the entire cover. Thankfully, he's warm enough that you can just curl up behind him or into his side and get all the heart that you need from him. He still denies that he hogs the covers when the entire comforter is in a pile on his side, almost like he's trying to build himself a nest

Showering together is one of his favorite things, he loves how intimate it can be. Holding you and helping you wash up without any need to be awkward and feeling comfortable in your own skin in front of each other means so much to him. Being able to be open with one another and not hide anything, even if it's insecurities about your body. He understands that the world isnt always the nicest place and that he can't undo how people's words might hurt you but he'll try his best to get you to love your body

Damiano would love to teach you italian if you didn't already and wanted to learn. He's so excited to be able to share something like this with you that he doesn't realize how hard it is to teach someone an entire language. He overestimates himself and how good of a teacher he is, but that doesn't mean he won't try his best. It just takes a little bit of time, for the both of you. He understands the struggles of learning a new language and wouldn't try to push you to learn it so soon. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day. 

[smurphyse]

Booger

Masterlist

Chapter 6 of Over Your Shoulder

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Jasper Donnelly Keaton (Long Lost Love AU)

Word Count: ~10k (WHOOPS)

Summary: The following day at the B&B! and then on to the station! Don't worry, after this chapter we're leaving Alabama and delving into the plot finally <3

Warnings: Talks of Torture/violence. There is a scene with a dog that attacks a character, but nothing happens and the dog is NOT hurt!

Animal House, Georgetown, USA- 15 years ago

“C’mon, kid,” Derek laughed as he pulled Spencer into the college bar, “All of these girls are your age, maybe you’ll get lucky.”

Spencer was still in the academy, but had already begun some of his work within various units in the FBI. Derek Morgan was one of his training officers and was working with him in his profiler training. He insisted on bringing him ‘out for a night on the town.’

Spencer didn’t want to go.

He didn’t like going to places like this. It was too busy, too loud, and he was too out of place. He somehow felt like a fly on the wall and the focus of the freakshow all at once. He didn’t like to drink much, and he definitely didn’t like to dance, so there was no point in him even being there.

“Girls there are smart. You wear that Caltech sweater of yours and you’ll get laid in no time,” Derek said, clapping an uncomfortable Spencer on the shoulder.

“But I don’t really care about ‘getting laid,’” he said, using air quotes, “I have this book I got at the Carl Sagan lecture I went t-”

“Kid, kid,” Derek hushed, “You gotta get outta that pretty little head of yours and meet some people your own age.”

He gave Derek a pleading look, but ultimately was forced into coming. Derek all but shoved the CALTECH emblazoned sweater over Spencer’s button up, then mussed up his hair like he was a toddler.

“Perfect. Let’s go, genius.”

So, there he was, standing awkwardly with a horrible drink in his hand while Derek talked up a group of co-eds next to the bar.

It was a relatively small place, packed to the edges with students and military personnel on leave. Cigarette smoke wafted through the air, and it made him itch for one himself. He was trying to quit smoking, it was a terrible habit. Even his mother, in her often distant state, noticed the smell, no matter how many showers he’d had or how many times he washed his clothes before visiting. She always knew.

A group huddled around the pool table, joking and laughing around a stack of beer glasses and cans. Others milled about the walls and chatted. Everyone seemed coupled up besides him.

He wouldn’t normally mind, but Derek was his ride home, and it looked more and more like Spencer would be taking the bus by the way he was flirting with one of the girls.

A set of booths lined one wall, a variety of couples sitting in them and chatting. From where he stood Spencer could see a pretty girl sitting alone at one, dark untamed hair poofing around her shoulders. She looked bored, adjusting her large glasses with one hand while she twisted a whiskey tumbler with the other.

Maybe Derek was right, maybe he should try and meet some new people. He really didn’t care too much about ‘getting laid,’ as Derek put it, but he definitely wouldn’t mind if it happened. Especially with someone as cute as her. It had been a while.

Just as he thought about going over there she looked up at him, big brown eyes meeting his and holding him in place. She gave him a polite smile, blushing a sweet shade of red before turning back to her drink.

“Alright, baby, here we go,” a man said behind him, scooting around Spencer with two drinks in his hands. He sat down at the booth with the woman, handing her one of the shot glasses. She didn’t look too excited about the drinks, but she flashed Spencer an apologetic smile before she took it.

Spencer turned away from them. Oh well, at least that ended before he managed to get himself punched. The man with her was large, not as tall as Spencer, but well-muscled and heavily tattooed with a nose that looked like it had been broken a few times. His dark hair was cropped tight on the sides, the middle left a little longer and curly.

He’d probably die if he took a hit from that guy. No thank you.

He people-watched for another hour or so, only half listening to whatever Derek was spewing at the girl he had his arm around. Spencer eventually decided he should go off on his own, a little tired of hearing Derek’s macho flirting.

He turned on his heel without looking and slammed into a waitress and her full tray of drinks. She let go of the tray to steady herself, dumping it’s entire contents on the small woman from the booth, who had been walking toward the door. The man with her side-stepped the whole thing, bursting into laughter as the whole bar seemed to focus in on the commotion.

Her grey Marines shirt was soaked through with various brightly colored alcohols, her curly hair drenched at the ends. She took off her glasses and shook them off, her mouth open in shock as Spencer’s face melted under a beet red blush.

“What. The. Fuck,” she growled, turning her anger to Spencer. Her dark eyes filled with rage as he looked down at her. Had the look on her face not been so fierce, he might have thought it comical how angry this tiny woman was, teeth bared and wild hair flying around her shoulders, barely coming up to his chest. The waitress took one look at her and scurried off to the back.

“I, shit . I am so- I’m so sorry,” Spencer sputtered, his hands clenching tightly at his sides as he tried to come up with some reasoning for destroying her clothes. Derek had turned around, watching the whole thing in amusement as Spencer stuttered. He could see him out of the corner of his eye, laughing to himself.

“This is my favorite shirt,” she grumbled, half-heartedly wiping the excess liquid down her body. Her nipples poked through the thin fabric, and Spencer felt his chest flutter a bit when he noticed that they were most definitely pierced.

Her friend was still laughing, his hands on his knees. He straightened a bit, reaching his hand out and clapping Spencer on the shoulder, “Thank you for that. Seriously, thank you. That was the funniest shit I’ve seen in months.”

“You’re an asshole, Jack,” she seethed, glaring at both of them as though they were in cahoots.

“Oh, Jasper,” he sighed happily, “you look like a drowned poodle.”

“Well…” Spencer offered, trying to ease the tension that was building up his spine. He was dangerously close to imploding. “I think you look just as good wet as you did before.”

The man, Jack, burst into laughter again, as did Derek behind him. Spencer’s jaw snapped shut as he realized what he said, while the woman took a predatory step forward.

“Shit, no. That’s not what I meant. Here,” he said, pulling off his sweater and holding it out to her. “Something dry to change into. I’m so sorry.”

She snatched it from his hands, her little jaw set tightly in place. She watched him for a moment, a look he would later recognize as her sizing him up, “What’s your name, Stick? ”

“Dr. Spencer Reid,” Derek chuckled, coming to stand next to Spencer. He put a protective hand on his shoulder, letting him know he was there now that he’d gotten his amusement out of the situation.

“Spencer,” she said, pointing a finger at him with the hand clutching his sweater, “I’m gonna remember that.”

She turned and stalked off toward the bathrooms, flipping off her friend as she went. He stayed behind laughing. He wiped his eyes as he turned toward the other two men. He had a smile that put you at ease, and a laugh that made you want to laugh with him, but Spencer couldn’t muster it. He was horrified at himself.

“That was fucking beautiful.” He thrust his hand out to a mortified Spencer, “Jack Keaton. It was nice to meet you before you died.”

-----------------------------------------------

Americana Inn, Ellison, Alabama- 4:52 a.m., Present Day

Jasper’s eyes flew open, her chest heaving as she launched herself upwards and onto her knees. Sweat poured off her in waves, her brain trying to catch up with her body as she scanned the room around her for details.

Nightstand, dresser, mirror on top of dresser.

Bathroom door- open, east facing door- closed, probably an exit.

Table- badge, gun, phone.

Badge, gun, phone.

Badge.

Alabama. The FBI. She was in fucking Alabama in a stupid B&B looking for a serial killer… with goddamned Spencer Reid.

After coming in from the porch, Jasper had collapsed on the floor of her room. She spent a few minutes letting the tears stream down her face in silence before she heard Spencer’s footsteps outside the door.

Jasper knew it was him. He shuffled nervously for a few minutes, mumbling to himself too quietly for her to hear whatever he was saying. She held her breath, listening until she heard his door open and shut.

She’d dragged herself over to the bed, pulled the covers over her head and fell into a fitful, sweaty sleep for a few hours, only to be woken by another memory.

She was still coughing. As soon as she cleared her throat, another cough hit. She watched the blood spray against the wall every time another sob wracked her body.

Blood trickled down her arms and along the sides of her neck. She had long since given up on trying to hold herself up, instead letting the full weight of her body hang on the wires securing her wrists to the piping.

The blood that had pooled over her shoulders was beginning to dry, painfully crusting and pinching her skin when she moved. Her eyes were sluggish, closing and opening slowly as she tried to stay conscious.

It was no use, she was dying. She was going to die here. After everything, she was going to die in a drug den in fucking Texas.

She might as well be her mother. This might as well be the trailer she grew up in.

“Baby,” a voice came suddenly, next to her and worried. She hadn’t heard anyone come in. Her eyes fluttered open, and she began struggling against the hands that cupped her face.

She had nothing, nothing but the inability to die quietly, so she snapped her jaws at the warmth in front of her, trying to catch flesh and tear. She’d leave them something to remember her by.

“Baby, stop!” a voice pleaded as the pressure around her wrists eased. Her arms flopped uselessly at her sides, the pain beginning anew as blood rushed back to them, only to flow back out of her open wounds.

She fell limply into someone’s arms. She could see the bones sticking through her skin, and she sickly wondered if she could use them as weapons against whoever was manhandling her.

“I’m gonna take you home, Sugar, I’m gonna get you safe.”

She knew that voice.

“Jack?”

Jasper ripped back the covers. She couldn’t stay here. She needed to get out, run, run, run.

She pulled on a sports bra and some running shorts before tugging on her Nike’s. She jogged down the stairs, trying to keep as quiet as possible, but also hurrying to avoid anyone else who might not be able to sleep at five in the morning.

As soon as the front door to the hotel shut behind her, she sprinted off. She could stretch later, but now she needed to go.

The B&B’s yard was expansive. The grass could have used a mowing, but she relished the dew brushing against her ankles as she set off toward the woods. The hot early morning sun filtered through the trees, setting the yard ablaze with streams of glittering haze as it peeked over the horizon. The birds chirped as they zipped back and forth across the sky, and she felt her heart lift a little watching them.

She hit the trees at a sprint, beelining for the small path she had noticed when they arrived yesterday. She didn’t know where it was going to lead, but she didn’t care. If it took her off a cliff, she just might just swan dive down to the bottom.

She hated running before. After she lost the ability to walk for months because of Wren’s bullet, she took up running just to take advantage of her legs. It took a long time for her to be able to run with the tight and efficient form she had now, but that’s what over ten years of near daily practice got you- perfection.

There was no limp in her step anymore, she didn’t struggle to breathe as she pushed herself harder, faster, further.

Keep going until your legs collapse and your lungs start comin’ out of your nose, Sugar. Keep going until you forget. Until your body hurts more than your mind.

Memories. The ones she’d hidden away years ago kept bubbling to the surface ever since she set foot in the States two days ago.

There was no use in trying to run from memories, from pain. She had learned that long ago. It always caught back up with you. It always found you. All you can do is make new pain to ease the old.

Just like Spencer Reid, catching up with her. She walked out of his door fourteen years ago and hadn’t looked back, running from the pain he caused her by getting herself shot, stabbed, blown up, beaten with a bat . Yet, here he was, in the room next to her, touching her in the hot night and setting her skin aflame.

Jasper wished Jack was here. She wished she could just call him up and ask him what to do. He’d probably tell her to stick it out, to think about the good parts of dating Spencer, and not the parts that had shredded her to pieces.

Spencer had almost killed her, and still, his hand resting on her neck the night before had felt like a safe haven. She wanted to lean against it, wanted to have him hold her like that all night long.

You can’t trust him, especially not with something so fragile as your scabbed torn up excuse for a heart. He was so careless with it a decade and a half ago, what’s to stop him from hurting you again?

That’s what love is, isn’t it? You hand someone a knife, hold it to your own throat and tell them where to cut you, how to bleed you like a pig. The real danger is in trusting them not to. Trust is more important than love.

Spencer had pulled a part of her to light that she thought was gone. She had lost most of her hope years before, when Sam died, and then a little more when Eli found her, took her to Church and ripped the rest of it out of her tired body. She thought she had died in that place, but Spencer had shown her that a piece of the old Jasper survived, and that some of the girl that Sam had loved was still there.

She had trusted him not to cut her, but he did anyway. He did it so efficiently, it was as though the thinnest, sharpest blade sliced right through her heart in a single swipe, and then everything fell to pieces. All the blood rushed out of her.

Maybe she finally died that night.

Maybe she had been a ghost ever since, wandering the Earth in search of the life that had been stolen from her time and time again.

Jasper eventually rounded back to the edge of the property, the house coming back into sight as her chest began to ache. She could see a figure sitting on one of the rocking chairs on the porch.

It was Luke, holding a coffee cup and sipping from it. He lifted one from the table next to him and held it out for her as she climbed the stairs. He didn’t flinch at her scars, didn’t even look twice at them. He had seen them all before.

“Heard you take off like a bat out of hell,” he yawned, swiping a hand across his chin, “thought you could use this when you came back.”

“Mmm,” she grunted as she took the mug. Jasper leaned against the railing across from his seat, taking a sip of the coffee and avoiding his gaze. The dew from the grass began drying on her ankles and socks, the morning sun warming her back as she glared into the dark liquid.

“Luke, I can’t do this.”

“Can’t do what?” he asked, but the look on his face when she glanced up at him told her that he knew exactly what she was talking about.

“This job,” she said quietly. She trusted Luke, she really did. Jasper had done nothing but lie to him ever since she met him, but she really did trust him with her life. She almost felt guilty for lying so much to someone who cared about her as much as Luke did.

“Did you love him?”

“No,” she lied.

Luke nodded, taking another drag from his cup, “For a minute I really thought you wanted to work for the BAU.”

Jasper looked up at him, her mouth set in a grim line. Now she didn’t feel so bad.

“I do.”

“Why are you here, Jasper?” he asked, his tone laced with annoyance and disbelief.

“I told you. I wanted a change.” Never give in. Always stick to the lie, always stick to the cover. There’ll come a day when the lie is the only weapon you have to protect yourself, Sugar, and if there’s even the smallest crack in your cover, you ain’t makin’ it out alive.

Luke leaned forward in his chair, his shoulders rounding and tense as he rested his elbows on his knees. She steeled herself, his pose threatening her comfortability, her upper hand.

“I’ve always trusted you, Jasper,” he began, clenching his jaw in between sentences, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “Always.”

“I understand that in Iraq, over there , you had to lie to me. I was a Ranger, I was there to be your support team, not to be your supervisor. It wasn’t my job to know what your job was. It was my job to make sure you got where you needed to go, and that you came back.

“Even when you went into a building and came out covered in blood and brains and bruises, I knew you were doing something you had to, and I didn’t need to know what that was.”

He pointed to her scars angrily as he spoke. “Even when Jack showed up at my place at two o’clock in the morning and dragged me to a crack house in Dallas to find you beaten within an inch of your life, I didn’t ask why.”

“What’s your point, Luke?” She watched him with pointed disinterest, keeping her features calm and schooled though inside she was bristling.

“ I trust you. Even now. You don’t have to tell me why you’re here,” he sighed, “I know it’s got nothin’ to do with me, but these are good people. They’re not throw-aways like we were in the desert. These people, Jasper? They see for a living. All they do is theorize, observe, think . Eventually they’ll wonder why you’re here, and Spencer is just going to be another wrench in whatever plan you have.”

“Point?” she asked again, her jaw tight and her back coiled, ready to lash out if needed.

“ I don’t know what happened between you and Spencer, but the way you’re eyeing each other? That’s not something that’s just going to go away.”

“I’m leaving the BAU, Luke. I can’t move on with my life if he’s here. I can’t get the change I need around him,” she lied again. Never give in, never give up the lie, even when you’re caught. Especially when you’re caught. “I want to have a life here.”

“Fine. You want a change. You want a home. This is what you’re looking for,” Luke smiled smugly at her, “I’m not helping you leave the BAU.”

“What?” she growled dangerously, standing up straight from the railing. Luke rose from his chair, crossing his arms and looking down at her, his jaw set and his gaze full of steel.

“You’ll never admit it, but you trust me. You trusted me to have your back in a war-zone, and I’m asking you to trust me again. Get to know these people. If you ever decide you need help with whatever mission you’re on, this is the team that’s gonna get it done. I’ve got your back, just like I did in Iraq.

“And maybe, when you’re done causing whatever murder and mayhem you have planned, you’ll settle back down. Maybe with Dr. Reid in there. Make a baby or two, have a life. After everything he’s been through, God only knows he deserves it. You do, too.”

Jasper’s mask of emotional detachment dropped in an instant, “What the hell do you mean, ‘all he’s been through?’”

Luke shrugged, “It’s not my place to talk to you about that, Jasper.”

“Is he…” she started, bringing her free hand up to rub her forehead, “is he at least… okay?”

“He’s doing a lot better than he has any right to, considering.”

She thought about that for a moment as her chest tightened painfully. She never wanted anything bad to happen to Spencer. In fact, all Jasper ever wanted to do was protect him. He had said he wanted to do the same but still he was the one who went and...

Fuck that. Fuck him. Fuck them both.

“I’m not on a mission,” she said, putting the mask back on. Back to the matter at hand, getting out of the BAU.

“You’re a talented liar, Jasper. The best I’ve ever seen,” Luke shrugged, throwing his hands up in defeat, “I’m gonna keep on trusting that you’re here because you have something important to do. But don’t you dare use your history with him to back out of this. You got a job to do? Get it done. Figure your shit out with Spencer and move on.”

They stared at one another for a few moments. It was the first time she’d seriously thought about killing Luke Alvez.

Not really. Well, not completely. More like, incapacitate so he can’t fucking look at her like that anymore. Like he knew her.

He didn’t know shit.

-----------------------------

Spencer did not sleep.

He had been in complete shock when he saw Jasper’s scars. The protective part of him that tried to hold her broken pieces together so long ago had lurched out of his chest without his permission.

He hadn’t meant to touch her. In fact, he had made a mental note not to. Her skin was seething hot, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if his hands had molded to her soft skin.

God, she was soft.

Even with all her cracked and sharp edges, Jasper was soft. He still burned from where he’d touched her. His hand slid up her neck so easily, resting under her jaw with practiced ease and comfort, his fingers tracing that scar on her thigh without any hesitation, just trying to soothe.

Fourteen years. He had gone fourteen years without touching Jasper Donn- Keaton.

It was like coming home.

It was like she never left him.

Back then, she had always relaxed under his touch, sighed deeply and melted into his arms. Hours ago she had stiffened up, her whole body turning rock solid and tense as he touched her. That deer in the headlights look haunted him.

Was it his touch that had frightened her? Was it his touch? Was it his touch?

He didn’t want to think about that.

He had hurt her, he knew that. After what he did, Spencer was lucky Jasper hadn’t slapped him for daring to put his hands on her. He was lucky all she’d done was pull away and leave him on the porch with his mind racing.

What happened to her? He didn’t have the right to ask her. He didn’t have the privilege of knowing anything about her anymore.

Jasper moved to his lap on the couch, her strong thighs cradling his hips as she ground down against him. She muttered to herself in between kisses, about how stupid it was that he wore shirts like this in the first place, how he didn’t need this many buttons.

Finally he slapped away her hands and unbuttoned them himself, smiling against her mouth as she huffed in annoyance.

“I could’ve gotten it off myself,” she grumbled, running her hands over his chest as he tugged the shirt off his shoulders.

“Yeah, in a decade,” he laughed, kissing her again as he reached for the hem of her t-shirt.

She stopped him, resting her hands over his and squeezing once. Spencer looked up at her, moving his hands to her thighs, giving her a light squeeze back as she nervously held his gaze.

“I didn’t come back from Iraq because my tour ended,” she said quietly, her voice hardly above a whisper.

He didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to push her. The few times he had asked about her time over there she had changed the subject. He only nodded, moving one hand to cup her jaw and trace light circles behind her ear. She leaned into his palm, sighing softly.

“I have… a scar.” Jasper’s voice shook a bit as she tugged on the edges of her shirt, “It’s not pretty.”

“It’s yours,” Spencer whispered back. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose, smiling when it scrunched up. “It’s beautiful.”

Jasper said nothing, her eyes searching for any hint of uncertainty. He had none. He knew he would love every piece of her body, scarred or not. He didn’t need to know what happened to know that.

She pulled her shirt over her shoulders slowly, clutching the fabric to her chest when her arms came down. She grabbed one of his hands from her thigh and pressed it against her chest.

He gasped when he felt it. It was big. He could feel the raised skin, hard and hotter than the rest of her under his touch. Spencer lightly tugged the shirt away from her chest so he could see the scar properly.

He smiled as it fell away, happy to know his hunch about her nipples being pierced was right. He placed a kiss between her breasts, smiling once more as she sighed and leaned into him.

The scar was big. It ripped from her ribs in a jagged line around to her back, smaller healed rips in her soft skin peppered around the biggest parts of it. An explosion? That made sense to him. What happens to soldiers? They get blown up with IEDs.

“Told you,” Spencer said, leaning down and kissing her ribs. She sucked in a breath as she watched him, and he just grinned back at her. “Beautiful.”

“You’re a sap, Stick.”

“That might be true,” he laughed, “but I’m always right.”

He stood suddenly, earning him a yelp as Jasper wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked into the bedroom and dropped her on the bed. She leaned back on her arms as she watched him unbuckle his pants and drop them.

Her wild hair flew around her shoulders as she hurried to pull hers down. She kicked them off, leaning back once more as Spencer admired her.

“Now,” he said, hooking his hands underneath her knees and tugging her toward him, “let’s see just how right I was about you looking good wet .”

Spencer scrubbed his face with his hands and sighed. He didn’t want to think about this, about how good things used to be. In the beginning they were happy. They were totally and completely in love with each other from the first- well, the second day they met.

The first night he met her he’d been terrified of her, but the very next day… that had been different.

Spencer had been hurrying to a profiling class when he heard a voice call his name. He’d turned, and there stood Jasper, still wearing his CALTECH crewneck, a pair of tight jeans and some Chucks, looking like she hadn’t slept all night.

She flashed him a tired smile, a cigarette in one hand as she leaned against a building. Sleepless bruises stained into her warm skin under her glasses. The sweatshirt hung halfway down her thighs, and she had the sleeves cuffed at the wrists so they wouldn’t hang over her hands.

If he thought she was pretty the night before, in the haze of the bar, she was stunning in the morning. The orange light from the rising run bounced off her curls, revealing a depth in the color he hadn’t noticed before. Her sleepy grin sent a warmth pooling down his spine, and suddenly he was glad he was such a klutz.

You ain’t getting this back, Stick.

I was gonna say, you should keep it. It looks better on you.

That was the first time he’d ever skipped a class. Derek had been furious with him until he told him that he’d managed to talk her into breakfast at Moe’s, even though he had just left there twenty minutes before. Derek listened with a big grin on his face as Spencer recalled their impromptu date.

He watched her make a little house with her waffles and some toothpicks, while he showed off his building prowess with a pancake hut of his own. The owner, Maureen “Moe'' McArthur, had been thrilled to see Spencer there with someone, and told Jasper she was tired of seeing him reading in the booth alone, much to Spencer’s embarrassment.

Jasper had smiled sweetly and asked for more stories, grinning as Moe prattled on. He watched her from across the booth, thinking about how he never wanted to eat pancakes again if it didn’t include an architectural adventure with Jasper.

Derek was proud, but told Spencer never to ditch class again, or he’d track him down and really embarrass him.

That had been a good day.

Spencer decided now was as good a time as any to get out of bed. He showered quickly and made his way downstairs, only to find the team standing in the dining room. They all were facing the windows, craning their necks to look out onto the porch.

“What are you guys doing?” he asked as he made his way into the room, looking around the buffet table for the coffee.

“Looks like the Wonder Twins aren’t getting along,” Rossi said over his coffee mug, pointing out the window.

Spencer moved to see Luke and Jasper standing on the porch. Jasper’s jaw was tight, her eyes narrowed as Luke spoke to her, standing tall with his arms crossed over his chest. Her anger seemed to drop off her face at one point, a look of shock taking over her usually stoic features.

The team scurried to look casual when Luke and Jasper came inside, chatting idly and sipping their drinks as they hit their seats. Spencer turned to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup without thinking.

Jasper came up next to him, holding her cup out for a refill. She glanced over to his mug, her brows knitting together as he filled hers.

“Since when do you drink your coffee black?” she asked.

Shit. He had been so busy trying to look busy that he hadn’t put any sugar or cream into his mug. Welp , he decided, can’t tell her I was watching her on the porch like a creep. He picked up the cup and took a sip, trying to school his features as the bitter liquid hit his taste buds.

Disgusting.

“Whenever the feeling hits, I guess,” he shrugged.

Jasper watched him take another drink, a smile playing along her lips. He scrunched up his nose at the taste. Black coffee really was the worst.

“I saw you guys spying from the window,” she laughed, her shoulders shaking as she watched him try to choke it down.

“Then why are you giving me grief?” he grinned, a bit proud of the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled at him. He finally grabbed the sugar and dumped it into the damned cup.

“Stick, you’ve never been able to fake nonchalance. It’s good to know some things never change.”

“Alright, maybe I was distracted. You’re not wearing any clothes,” he said, motioning to her scantily clad body, trying to ignore the scars that sent a violent shock down his spine when he saw them. She looked down, like she’d forgotten she was only in a sports bra and shorts.

“Not like you haven’t seen it before,” she shrugged, as though last night never happened, as though his reaction hadn’t been what sent her running back inside. She avoided his gaze, looking into her cup instead, but she didn’t move away.

“You look pretty much the same,” he said, chewing on the inside of his lip. This was so damn awkward. Would this ever not be?

“You don’t,” she said quietly, finally looking up at him. She only came up to his chest. He didn’t know why the thought always tickled him, it’s not like she was going to grow , but he liked the fact that she was still so small compared to him. “You grew up, Stick. Well, you’re not really a stick anymore, are ya?”

Spencer patted his belly, a little self-conscious. He’d bulked up a bit, finally taking up working out after leaving prison, never wanting to feel that vulnerable again. He’d never tell Derek, but he enjoyed lifting weights, but that probably had to do with the fact that Luke was more fun to exercise with than ‘Give-Me-One-More-Pretty-Boy’ Morgan

“I didn’t mean like that, you goober,” she chuckled, shaking her head, “I meant you… you look good, Spence. You look like you’re good.”

“I am, Jazz. It’s been a… heavy couple of years but I am good ,” he made a face as he said ‘good.’ After all, it was all relative, but he had felt good as of late.

“Heavy, huh?” her brows knitted together again, concern coating her soft features. Spencer's arm twitched, yearning to brush that stray curl behind her ear and have her lean into his palm. To make that sad face of hers change into one of comfort.

“I’m sorry about Jack,” he said suddenly, bringing up the only bad thing he knew that had happened to her since he last saw her. Dumbass, why would you say that?

Jasper’s eyes widened a bit, his change of conversation throwing her off balance. She opened her mouth and closed it, then opened it again as she shook her head, “You don’t have anything to be sorry about.”

“I mean it, though. I know what he meant to you.”

Her eyes hardened, soft puddles of brown backed by steel for a swift moment, “You don’t have anything to be sorry about, Spence.”

She smiled at him again, moving on , taking a step away from him and turning on her heel, “I’m gonna go take a shower and I’ll be back down.”

She took the coffee cup with her, poofy ponytail swinging behind her, and Spencer couldn’t help but smile as he remembered her fondness for drinking coffee in the shower. It was such an odd thing to enjoy, but he’d found it endearing, even when he started finding coffee mugs on the tub wall every morning.

They watched her climb the stairs, then all turned on Spencer.

“Stick?” Emily laughed, a big grin splashed across her face. Tara chuckled beside her, trying to hide her amusement behind her coffee mug.

“How’s she still walking around with scars like that?” Walker asked, “They look brutal.”

“Jasper’s tough, man,” Luke sighed, plopping himself down at one of the chairs. “Always has been.”

“She wasn’t kidding about that sniper taking off her leg,” Rossi said, “It must have taken her months to start walking again after that.”

“I remember when it happened. I visited her in the hospital. She said at the time she thought she’d exploded,” Luke nodded solemnly, “Said it took a few seconds for her brain to catch up to her body. She didn’t even feel it at first.”

“And the others?” Rossi leaned forward in his chair, “Did she feel those?” Luke watched Rossi for a moment, seemingly to decide what to say, “I, uh, I’m sure she did.”

“Do you know what happened?” Emily asked.

Luke glanced over at Spencer and scratched his temple as he thought, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, just in the line of duty stuff. You guys know how it goes.”

“I shouldn’t have pushed her,” JJ spoke up, having been quiet since he came down, “Last night, I mean.”

“I’m sure she doesn’t care,” Spencer smiled at her, patting her shoulder softly. “She probably liked that you were so straightforward. As much as she avoids her own feelings, Jasper likes when people just say what they mean.”

“Yup,” Luke nodded, “I bet you ten whole dollars she would’ve done the same thing to someone who was ignoring obvious questions about a significant other.”

“That’s a very specific set of parameters,” Emily chuckled, leaning across the table and thrusting her hand out to Luke, who took it with a grin, “You’ve got a deal.”

“You watch it, sister, I’mma win that money.”

--------------------------------------------

Jasper was about to snap.

Sure, she understood that she cut an interesting figure. Crazy hair, rage-backed eyes, tiny frame that gave her an unassuming air, sure. But what she could not understand was the capacity for straight men to continually hit on women even after they explicitly show disinterest.

She looked over at Spencer. He was already looking at her, watching as she half-listened to whatever the sheriff’s deputy was spouting at her. She tried to focus on the murder board in front of her, focus on the dead boys who needed her help. Focus on the mission.

“...you never know, you might have fun,” Deputy… Dunlop? Dunlap? Was saying to her.

“I’m sorry?” she asked, turning her attention to him, away from Spencer’s gaze.

She’d decided to wear the cardigan again over a linen tee and jeans. She didn’t normally like talking about her scars, or showing them off. People either got awkward, or they were too interested, wanting all the gory details. She peeled it off as she stared down the much taller man, revealing the deep scarring around her wrists and arms.

If the ring on her left hand didn’t deter him, the scars surely would. She saw Spencer sit up straighter out of the corner of her eye, sucking in a breath as he saw them once more. She knew it bothered him, but fuck him. They weren’t about him.

Jasper crossed her arms as she glared at the deputy, “I wasn’t listening.”

“Oh,” he sputtered, his face turning red as he eyed her scars and ignored the look on her face. Spencer stood from his chair, his hands snaking into his pockets as his chest puffed out. Luke glanced over at them, no doubt recognizing the beginnings of a situation.

The deputy was handsome enough, and in another situation she might take him up on whatever sexual escapade he was not-so-subtly suggesting to her, but right now her mind was being pulled in too many directions to teach Deputy Dumbass how to give head in a remotely satisfying way.

“I was just saying,” he drawled, pulling back some of the confidence he’d lost, “after we catch this guy I could show you the flower fields over the hill. They’re real pretty.”

“Are you asking me out in front of the pictures of a bunch of dead kids?”

“Uh- I-”

“I’m going to assume not,” she took a predatory step forward, eyes narrowed, backing him up against the wall, “because if you ask me out one more time after I told you no three times yesterday, I’m gonna have to take that pathetic little pants pinkie of yours and toss it out to the squirrels just to drive home how little I want to do with you outside of this precinct.”

“Alright,” Luke said, coming up behind her and putting a protective hand on her shoulders. He pulled her closer to his chest and away from the deputy, who looked seconds away from pissing himself. “Let’s get back to what we were doing.”

“That’s all we need from you, Deputy Dunlap,” JJ smiled sweetly, eyes following him as he high-tailed it out of the room.

“Rough being this good lookin’, huh?” Rossi joked, sidling up next to her at the board. Luke gave her a squeeze before letting go of her arms, warning her to keep her temper intact. He knew how she could be.

She liked Rossi. He was tough and grizzled but soft enough that you just knew he had your back. She didn’t like that , didn’t like that she wanted to trust him, but that’s what teams do. They trust one another.

She trusted her team.

Ugh. When they found out about this, they’d never let her hear the end of it.

“Oh, you’d know more about that than I would, sir,” she smiled, her peripheral vision still trained on Spencer’s staring problem.

“Good answer,” he laughed. He gestured to her arms, and then to the chair behind them she’d tossed the cardigan on. “I’m surprised it took you this long to shuck that thing.”

Jasper shrugged, “Sometimes it’s easier to cover them up than to talk about them.”

“You don’t seem like the type to be ashamed of something that trivial.”

Jasper turned toward him, smiling. She really liked Rossi, but he scared her. This whole team did. They saw too much, and Spencer knew too much about her.

She’d loved him too much. She showed him too many parts of herself that before she had kept hidden from everyone. He knew her tells, her fears- how she sounded when she was scared, waking up screaming and crying, trying to run from the blood and guts and piss and violence that was now part of her daily life.

“I’m not,” she said slowly, “I guess there’s someone here who knew me before I had them, and I’ve never really had that before.”

“Move on a lot?”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

She looked at him again, studying his face. He wore a nonchalant smirk, and had she not known of his profession, and not been so good at hers, she might see it as passive disinterest. But it was the opposite. Rossi was curious. They all were, all hungry to know more about the girl who’d slept with Spencer Reid.

She knew Spencer. In the past fourteen years he probably hadn’t had too many serious girlfriends, instead shrinking in on himself and not putting himself out there. The team probably hadn’t met too many exes of his. Hell, the only reason she even looked at him twice was because he was standing in the middle of the bar as Jack went to get those stupid shots all those years ago.

She’d been clocking Jack’s movements, struggling to be in such a public place without a gun on her person. Jack had made her leave them at home, though she never told him she’d kept the knife in her Chucks. He’d probably known, but let her keep it anyway.

He wanted her to unwind that night, to take a breath and reintegrate with a society that had long-since thrown her away. She didn’t think she needed it. Doing the job they did, she could easily go the rest of her life not creating relationships or talking with any of those people. If it were up to them she’d be locked up in a six-by-six cell with no windows. That’s probably where she should be.

Jack had been furious when she came back from the mission in Iraq nearly split in two by a humvee door. She thought for a moment, in her drug-fueled hospital bed haze, that he might actually kill Eli for sending her to a warzone. He’d been against it, been against her going out without him for backup.

She’d awoken in so much pain in some Army hospital in Germany. Her ribs crackled with every breath and her head was pounding as she took stock. After she’d gotten over the shock of being in a safe room instead of the desert, she finally noticed Jack’s hand clasped in hers as his head rested on the bed next to her, fast asleep.

Eli was sitting in the chair in the corner, his face lighting up when she finally noticed him. A shiver had run down her spine. She hated seeing him smile. Bad things happened when Eli smiled.

Welcome back to the world, Sugar. I thought I lost my best girl there for a moment.

Rossi was still looking at her expectantly. She decided she might as well get it over with quickly. She held her arms out in front of her and twisted them, showing Rossi how the scars went through both sides of her forearms.

“Someone tied me up and decided to play whack-a-mole.”

“Looks like it hurt.”

“It did.”

“Did you get the guy?”

“Something like that,” she said, giving him a pointed look.

Rossi measured her gaze, trying to look past the steel and into whatever she was hiding. She knew he wouldn’t find anything, she was too good at putting it in a box and walking away from it.

“Good girl.”

“I want you to say goodbye, Sugar,” Eli said, chewing on the end of his cigar as he pointed toward the approaching building. Church, as he called it.

“A piece of you is going to die in there, and you’re never going to get it back. You might not notice it’s gone tomorrow, but ten years, hell maybe even in two months, you’re going to feel a piece of you let go. You’re gonna bathe in this shit. You’ll be up to your goddamned eyeballs and you don’t have the luxury of holding on to the hope that things’ll just work out in the end. You either make it or you don’t. Survive or die.”

He pulled a pistol out of his hip holster and pointed it between her eyes. She didn’t flinch, and she didn’t blink in surprise as her fucked up brain thought about how much colder the metal was than she’d thought it would be.

“Your choice, Sugar. You comin’ inside with me or am I leavin’ you out here?”

“Who’s Sugar?” she asked, turning away from the gun and looking toward the horizon. She could say the piece of her that had hope died right there, but with how easily it seemed to slink into the ether, she wondered if she hadn’t lost it long before.

“Good girl.”

Teams like the BAU, ones who see the nitty gritty, but don’t actually have to wade in the blood themselves, they don’t see self defense as anything more than ‘that guy tried to kill me, so I killed him.’ In Jasper’s world it was different. You didn’t wait for someone to kill you, you killed them before they even saw you. Any other margin of contact, any bit of error, could be the life and death of hundreds.

She wasn’t scared to kill, or to die, but she was scared of Eli.

Thank God he was dead.

“I forgot that people do that,” Spencer said, plopping back into chair, leaning back as he flicked a pencil between his fingers anxiously.

“Do what?” she asked, painfully aware of the rest of the team milling about the room. They had no doubt seen the bit with her arms, probably watched as the deputy hit on her while she was lost in thought.

“Ask you out even if it’s highly inappropriate,” he smiled awkwardly, nodding to himself.

“Oh,” she said. She had forgotten, or at least she had gotten used to it over the years. When they had dated, people did that constantly. They had no idea she was so incredibly in love with the skinny genius she didn’t even notice them until they poked her on the shoulder and interrupted her ‘let’s stare at Spencer’ moment.

“It’s not like anyone could ever pull me away from you, anyways, Stick,” she said without thinking.

“Stick?” Tara asked amusedly, a deep grin on her face as she turned toward them.

Jasper felt the blush rip up the back of her neck and over her cheeks. Stick . She only ever called him that in private, as he would get embarrassed by it in public. He didn’t mind when she called him that at home, prancing around in one of his shirts, happily sinking to her knees to make up for it. To tell the truth, she could’ve stayed on her knees forever for Spencer Reid. She would’ve done anything to look up at any moment and see his head thrown back in bliss, a soft blush patching over his shoulders and face as he lost himself in her.

“What do you think of this guy? Mark Halsten” she asked, looking away from Spencer and his stupid staring and holding up a file. “Hits all the right places- super-pedo, anger issues, lives in a remote area.”

Luke snatched the file from her hands, flipping through it quickly. Emily reached over and snagged it from him as well, nodding as she read.

“How about you and JJ go and interview him? We’ll keep going through the paper files and see if we can find anything else.”

Jasper and JJ glanced at one another, unsure eyebrows cocked at the idea of a partnership. Jasper understood JJ, understood why she was the way she was. She was protective of Spencer, and could probably see that having Jasper around had stretched the team dynamic just a bit.

“Cool,” Jasper smiled, picking up the SUV keys from the table, “I’ll drive.”

------------------------------------

Halsten’s house was about ten minutes outside of town, somewhere in the boonies. JJ and Jasper rode in silence, JJ rubbing her temple and looking over and over again like she wanted to speak, only to turn back to the window and snap her jaw shut.

Jasper ignored her for the most part, focusing on the terrain in front of her. As soon as they left Ellison city limits the road turned to gravel and remote fields. It was a desolate countryscape, and not knowing the lay of the land was making her nervous. There could be snipers in the treeline, or camouflaged men lying in wait in the tall grass.

“I’m sorry about last night,” JJ finally blurted. Jasper had figured that was what she’d been so upset about. Walking on eggshells when yesterday she wouldn’t stop pestering Jasper with questions.

“For what?” she deadpanned, taking a turn up a small hill. She kept scanning their surroundings. She had a bad feeling about this.

“I shouldn’t have pushed you to talk about your husband.” “Did you know he was dead?”

“What?” JJ asked, turning her body toward Jasper in shock.

“Did you know he was dead? Did you kill him?”

“No,” she shook her head, “of course not. How could I?”

“Exactly,” Jasper grunted, already over this conversation. Nobody needed to know about Jack or their relationship. “It’s not a big deal. He’s been dead for over a decade. I’ve moved on.”

“Why do you still wear your wedding ring, then?”

Jasper’s jaw clenched, her thumb moving to rub the small band. It was a small diamond set with two pearls on a gold band. It was one of the only personal possessions she’d consistently kept with her. The rest were in a storage unit in Arlington.

“It’s not really my wedding ring,” she sighed, “Someone gave me a ring but then he died. After Jack was gone, I melted both bands down and had them remade with the gems from both of them. Jack’s gave me a diamond, the other gave me the pearls.”

“Were you and this guy together?”

Jasper turned into the driveway of Mark Halsten. She stepped on the brakes just a little too hard, jerking JJ forward in her seat. She glared at the blonde agent, trying to contain herself.

“Yes,” she whispered through clenched teeth. “This was the easiest way to keep them both with me while I was working.”

She kicked open the driver’s door as she turned off the ignition. JJ followed out from her side, hands on both their holsters as they approached the Halsten residence.

It was a run-down ranch style home on a big property with a sagging porch. There was a barn behind the house that looked like it hadn’t been used for farming in years. The grass was long, almost up to their knees as they stepped up the stone path to the door. Jasper could smell that familiar scent, rancid heat-soaked remains, but it could be anything this far out in the country.

Suddenly the screen door flew open, a streak of brown fur and teeth shooting out toward them. JJ bolted back toward the car, climbing the hood, but Jasper stood her ground. As the pitbull followed JJ for running, Jasper waited for it to pass her, grabbing his collar and twisting tightly.

The dog jerked back in her grip, his jaws snapping and snarling. JJ’s gun was pointed toward them, but Jasper just twisted the collar tighter, kicking the dog's legs out from underneath it and pinning it to the ground in one swift movement. She set one knee down on the back of the dog’s neck, just under her grip on the collar, the other on it’s back hips.

“ Stay,” she snarled into the dog’s ear, pinching the collar tightly against its neck. It whimpered and stilled underneath her, looking up at her in fear.

“ Hey, hey, hey! ” a voice burst from the door. A young white man in jeans and an old t-shirt shoved it open and stepped onto the porch. “You best not hurt that dog!”

“Sir, you ne-,” JJ started, still standing on top of the SUV, pointing her gun at the man.

“Give me a leash, or I put a bullet in it , and then you ,” Jasper snapped, holding her gun against the dog’s head. She wouldn’t really shoot the damned thing if she couldn’t subdue it, but this asshole didn’t know that.

“ Slowly, ” JJ warned as the man opened the door back up. He sluggishly pulled a leash from behind the main door, shaking it like an asshole toward Jasper before he threw it to her.

She clipped the dog’s collar, twisting the leash tightly in her hand so it was taut. She let the dog sit up slowly, holstering her gun as they both stood. It watched her, unsure what to make of her.

“Booger, come ,” the man said, patting his thigh. The dog glanced back up at Jasper, who tugged the leash tighter. It looked back at the man, but stayed in it’s spot.

“Are you Mark Halsten?” Jasper asked.

He glared at her, looking between her and Booger before answering, “Yeah, what’s it to you?”

“We’re with the FBI, we’d like to ask you a few questions about the child murders that have been going on over the last few months.”

“I ain’t had nothin’ to do about that. I don’t need to talk to feebs, anyways,” he sneered, hands on his hips. Jasper just wanted to shoot this pedo and be done with it.

“You’re on parole, right?” JJ asked, stepping down from the hood of the car. “All it takes is one call to your parole officer and your little property is crawling with us feebs .”

Halsten looked at her for a moment, bouncing on his toes. He bolted, taking off toward the barn.

JJ and Jasper followed, but he was taller than them both, and faster. He made it to an old pickup behind the house before they could stop him, throwing it in drive and tearing ass back toward them.

“Move!” Jasper yelled, tackling JJ out of the way of the truck. As it passed she pulled her back to her feet and dragged her back toward the SUV. The dog watched it all unfold, sitting obediently where Jasper had left him.

Jasper jumped into the driver’s seat, barely waiting for JJ to climb into her side before pulling the SUV into reverse and following Halsten down the driveway. She flipped it into drive as she exited the driveway, wincing as the bumper hit a tree before she switched gears.

“Be advised,” JJ ordered into the walkie, holding onto the ‘oh-shit’ handle, “Agents Keaton and Jareau are in pursuit of an 2000’s model Chevy pickup truck, color blue, down Route 6 toward Ellison. Suspect’s name is Mark Halsten, twenty-nine, white male, blue eyes and blonde hair, approximately six-foot three.”

“Affirmative,” Luke’s voice cracked through the speaker, “We’re five minutes out.”

They followed his erratic driving around the hills for a few minutes, just making sure he didn’t hit anyone else and didn’t crash until backup could arrive. She wished Billy was driving, he was their pilot and driver. He was way better at this shit than her.

Jasper turned another bend, closing in on Halsten’s pickup. He made a hairpin turn, using his vehicle as a battering ram as it came back toward them.

“Jasper!” JJ screamed, holding tightly to the handle and the center console. Just before the truck hit them, Jasper pulled the emergency brake as hard as she could, turning the car so the impact would hit just behind the driver’s seat.

Jasper tried not to squeeze her eyes shut as the grill of the truck slammed into their car. The sound of crunching glass filled the air, followed by the airbags smashing into Jasper’s nose and launching her into unconsciousness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kudos and Comments are writer fuel! Please let me know what you enjoyed so far! Let me know your feelings on what's going on!

Do you guys like the long chapters? I feel bad writing short ones when you wait a week to read the chapter? And I never know how to stop prattling on.

- Smurph❤

Forever Tag:

@simplyparker, @spencerreidsmommy

(Lol I know this is Chapter 6, but like... yeah I've been posting these all day)

[rfadaydreaming]

𝗯𝗼𝘆𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻𝘀; 𝘆𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗶𝗺

a/n: if you have any of your own yoosung hcs send them in please !! id luv to see them, help me cope with my yoosung brain rot </3

• you already know from the RFA’s banter that yoosung was pretty popular back in highschool, yet it’s no secret that he’s never had a s/o before. you’re his first… well, everything. he’s a bit embarrassed sharing that in the beginning, but you assure him that it’s nothing to be shy about, it’s actually quite sweet.

• your first kiss wasn’t storybook, but yet it was perfect in its own right. the two of you were out late, gazing up at the stars. he got caught up in how they reflected in your eyes. you took notice. he shyly broke the silence after a few moments, “can... i kiss you?”

• it was messy, smiley, sweet and soft all in the same breath. his inexperience just added to the charm. it felt like him.

• texts and calls you often, not the type who’s shy about texting back the second he gets your message. he likes to send you little updates about his day, sweet messages, ask about how things are with you, things that remind him of you, something you might find cute, or even just some selfies here and there. here’s some examples of the types of messages i feel he would send his s/o throughout the day > ⭐️ ✨ 🌟 💫 ✨

• it’s no surprise seeing how affectionate he is. always holding your hand, kissing your cheek, brushing back your hair, or wrapping his arm around your waist. he adores closeness, being around you. not shy at all when it comes to pda, especially if there’s other guys around. really lays it on then.

• on the topic of other guys, yoosung has a tendency to get a little possessive. struggles with his insecurities and all that. sometimes when you play too much into zen’s antics, laugh too hard at seven’s jokes, he starts to doubt himself a bit. you’ll have to reassure him that no one will ever compare.

• brings you little gifts often whenever he thinks of you. your favorite takeout, a beautiful bouquet of flowers, cute little knickknacks that he just knows you’ll love. if you ever start to feel guilty about anything, he shuts it down as soon as soon as possible.

“yoosung… wasn’t this expensive?”

“don't worry about it, you’re worth it!” 🥺

• one of his favorite things in the universe is when he’s playing video games and you come to cuddle with him in his lap. he’s all smiles as soon as he sees you, switching between having his hand on the mouse and running his fingers through your hair, he’ll pull you into his chest and press a big kiss against your forehead. swears to you that he plays much better whenever you’re around, but inwardly you think that’s just an excuse for you to cuddle in his lap more often.

• he streams often, so you come in to bring him snacks and water, or else he has a tendency to forget.

“oh, mc is here everyone, say hi!! that’s my s/o you guys!” his audience can see right away the way he lights up whenever you walk into the room, his whole demeanor changes. definitely has youtube compilations of him getting starry eyed over you. i think it would be super similar to how mark and amy act on stream [x]

• struggles to get his work done, a big procrastinator. you definitely have to help him out here. no games until after your studies are done. if he pulls the puppy dog eyes, which he often does, you have to find ways to tempt him with a reward instead. all the kisses he wants as soon as his work is done. you don’t think you ever see him move as fast as he does then.

• steal his clothes. it’s impossible not to do it. he’ll be like “is that my hoodie?” whenever he stops by your place, “maybe…”

• he’ll start leaving his hoodies at your place purposely after awhile. he finds he really likes the way you look in them, it never fails to make his heart race.

• if you’re ever out of it, drunk, high, or just straight up don’t wanna do it, he’ll do your entire night routine for you. and he will do it to the max. takes your makeup off with expert precision until he’s sure all of its off, brings a little bowl of warm water to wash your face for you, brushes your teeth and squishes your face around playfully while he does it. puts moisturizer on your face, lotion on your body, whatever you usually do at night. not once does he complain, or seem unhappy about it. he adores taking care of you in little ways like this.

• his body temp is warm, super warm. takes his jacket off and puts it around your shoulder whenever he sees that you’re cold. it’s always cozy and soft inside when he wraps it around you.

• you help him touch up his roots, making sure there’s no spots missed. if you dye your hair too then he’s more than happy to help, gets super focused while doing it, tongue poking out and everything.

• you two fall asleep on calls together a lot. he puts his phone on top of a pillow so it feel like he’s cuddling you, sometimes when it goes silent, he’ll laugh a bit to himself.

“what is it?”

“nothing. i just really love you.”

• dates with yoosung are always fun no matter what, he has a set date night every week, so you guys go on and off between who gets to arrange them. some staples he goes for are ice skating, ramen shops, picnics, boba dates, game nights, theaters, arcades. but sometimes all he really wants is to just wants to be close to you. laying together in his dorm, a movie playing on the laptop at the end of the bed, the two of you are entangled in each other’s arms. that's his favorite type of quality time.

• absolutely loves cooking for you, especially breakfasts after you stay over at his place for the night. he’ll add a little ketchup heart to the eggs, spend extra time cutting shapes into your fruit, brings it to you on a fancy tray while you’re still cuddled up and cozy in bed. wakes you softly with a kiss and a smile before showing you his mini works of art.

• adores praise. give it all to him. praise him for getting his work done on time. praise him for eating dinner at a normal time. praise him for finding the willpower to make his bed in the mornings for once. praise him. no matter what, he’ll get all blushy and starry eyed.

• he likes to write you little notes or reminders and leave them around your place whenever he stays over. i love yous, date reminders, random little doodles and such.

• matching couples outfits!!! likes to pair his outfits with whatever you’re wearing that day, his favorite thing ever is when people notice the both of you are matching and comment on it. practically beams the second they do.

• matching jewelry too. totally has the lego heart necklace with you. if you ever get him anything, you best believe he��ll wear it all the time. sentimental at his core.

• he has rough days more often than not. mental fog, overwhelmed with school, or just things not going his way. after days like that, his favorite place to relax is safe and sound in your lap. your fingers running through his hair, maybe a movie playing in the background but neither of you are paying attention to it. if he cries or vents for a little too long, you never make him feel guilty or embarrassed about it. you assure him with kindest of words, wipe away his tears and give him soft kisses all over his face, let him fall asleep on top of your chest, humming soft melodies to him as he drifts of to sleep. it’s the little things like this that mean the world to him.

thank you for reading! posts similar to this one:

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[liibrii]

Kita Shinsuke x gn!Reader

Synopsis: Hitchhiking through the countryside you catch a ride from a handsome stranger, which just might turn out to be the greatest decision of your life – or your greatest mistake.

wc: 2k || thriller-ish, mystery-ish

a/n: heavily inspired by one of my all time favourite songs; The Count of Tuscany. tbh this fic was just an excuse for me to listen to it on repeat for several hours :P as always feedback is greatly appreciated!

In the bathroom of the roadside gas station you change into your best clothes and brush through the tangles in your hair, wash your face, scrub your hands to make sure there's no dirt beneath your nails. No one in their right mind would pick up a scruffy looking hitchhiker.

You decide to stand outside where everyone who drives in to fill their gas tanks will notice you. On a small chalkboard you bought for a few hundred yen in a convenience store you write the name of your destination with the prettiest writing you manage and even add a smiley face. That should do the trick of gaining attention.

You've almost reached your destination already. The western sea of Japan. Being born on the eastern coast you have watched the sun rise above the ocean your entire life. At least once in your life you want to see it sink in the vastness of the sea hugging your homeland.

Would a train or a bus bring you to your destination faster? They would, sadly your wallet disagreed with that option. Hitchhiking really was the best option even if you often waited for hours with no luck. Still it wasn't all bad; one time an elderly lady stoped to give you a lift. You sat in the back as the front sit was occupied by her dog who excitedly turned to sniffle and lick your face, begging for scratches. She made you stay for dinner and even prepared a futon for you to sleep. “All my children and grandchildren moved to the big cities.“ She scratched behind the ears of her dozing four legged companion as you drank tea while sun slowly set behind the hilltops. “Slowly but surely we are bein' left behind. Seein' someone so young come 'round makes these old bones incredibly happy.“

Following morning she wished you good luck on your journey. Her name and address are written in your dairy. When new year comes in a few months you mustn't forget to send her a gift. You watched her stroll away, one slow step after another, dog trailing behind, her back bent under the weight of years. Is that what the future holds for you?

You try to keep a positive outlook, at least you get to see the beauty of the countryside. The green hills and vast fields of rice swaying in the wind are a sight that takes your breath away. Summer's coming to an end. It will soon be harvest season.

Your legs are starting to hurt. Hours have passed and nobody pays you even a second glance. Under the hat your hair sticks to your skin, droplets of sweat trickle down your back. You're all but ready to give up and start looking for a place to stay the night when a man about your age approaches.

He has caught your eye before. Something about his overalls and silvery hair glimmering in the sun made him stand out from the others. He kept glancing over at you while filling his tank.

“I'm not goin' as far as ya want,“ his eyes glance over the chalkboard you're holding. “But if ya want I can give ya a ride to the next town over.“

You eagerly nod. “That would be great!“ You offer him a hand. “You can call me y/n!“

His hand is calloused. Hand of someone working outside. “Kita.“

Ride is comfortable. Kita is more on the quiet side but once you mention how pretty the landscape looks with all the swaying fields he laughs . It's a bright sound that makes your heart skip a beat. He tells you he works the fields, not all you see, but many of them. Talking to him quickly becomes easy. To your surprise you find you have a lot in common. When you arrive to the town and he stops by a small inn offering rooms you're almost reluctant to leave his company. He hesitates when taking your backpack from the back seats. “I know we just met,“ he softly says, “but could I take you out for dinner? Maybe tonight?“

How could you possibly say no? You've been travelling on your own for the past two weeks and the loneliness is starting to get to you. And he's cute.

When he picks you up a few hours later he's wearing a nice button down. He combed his hair though you preferred it when it was all messy. “I'm not late am I?“

“No, I'm just a bit early.“

“Here,“ he shyly averts his eyes when he hands you a small bouquet of spider lilies that have yet to open in full bloom.

Your cheeks flush. It has been a long time since anyone gifted you flowers. “Thank you,“ you say, sincerely.

Kita takes you to a small family owned restaurant down the street. He opens the door for you and pours you tea while you skim through the menu. Talking to him is so easy. He mentions he used to play volleyball back in high school, that many of his old teammates went on to play professionally. Embarrassed you have to tell him you know very little about volleyball. As you speak his eyes linger on your face. Sports have never been your strong suit, you admit.

“Don't feel bad over it,“ he reassuringly smiles. “So how come yer travellin' these parts?“

Your dream of seeing the sunset over the sea seems so simple when you tell him but Kita nods. There's wisdom in his eyes you don't usually see in your peers. Why are you so relieved he doesn't find your dream childish? “I just want to see the country, get to know the land and the history,“ you eagerly continue.

“There's an old castle ruin not far from the town. Tourists often visit it. If ya want I can show ya 'round,“ he offers.

A trip to ruins does sound nice. Even a little bit romantic. One more day staying around couldn't hurt, right?

Kita's smile widens when you agree. “I'll pick ya up tomorrow. Would around midday be alright?“

For the rest of the night you're all giddy on the inside. You can't wait for tomorrow to arrive. Kita walks you back to the inn and waits till you're inside before heading his own way. What a gentleman, you think to yourself. Meeting someone like him was the last thing you expected.

Whatever road lead to the castle in its days of glory has long since been claimed by the nature. Kita walks with steps of someone who has walked this path a thousand times before. You trail behind him, your clothes getting caught in branches all the time. When he sees you struggling he slows down and even offers to carry your small backpack for you.

“This castle used to be really important back in the days,“ he explains while you catch your breath. “It's strategic position is really important. There's a legend my grannie used to tell me. Durin' the Sengoku period the youngest son of a shogun fortified himself in this castle and defended it for months. Then his enemies dug tunnels beneath.“ He offers you a hand to help you climb over a pile of rubble marking what once were the castle walls. “Filled them with wood soaked in fat and set it aflame. Castle crumbled and buried hundreds of soldiers beneath it. Some say the son of the shogun still haunts this place.“

“An interesting story,“ you say, ignoring how every hair on your body stands up.

By the time you reach the ruins you're drenched in sweat and yet once the view of the valley beneath opens up you forget all about the fatigue. You step closer to the ledge and peek over it. The side of the hill plunges straight down. Deep below you see tree tops. If you slipped -

A hand grabs your shoulder. “Careful. The stones 'round here often crumble.“

You murmur an apology. Kita's hand lingers on yours, his eyes following when you walk away to have a closer look at the ruins. They're covered with grass and small trees sprouting from the crack between stones. Funny, you can't see any tables with information about this place. Having a map would surely help with orientation. You can't be the only tourist with a knack of getting lost.

Kita approaches you with a smile. “Wanna see somethin' really cool?“

You follow him inside the ruins. “Watch yer step,“ he holds the branches of a lonely tree so they don't smack you as you walk by, “it's easy to trip 'round here.“

Walls here are better preserved, higher. The shadows they cast seem longer. You follow Kita inside the labyrinth of crumbled stone. An uneasy feeling of being watched grows inside you as your approach scares off a flock of birds.

Kita pushes away a curtain of poison ivy to reveal a gaping hole where the walls lean on the cliff towering above. Cold gust of wind makes you shudder. “Here,“ Kita offers you a torchlight. Your hands are cold. Fingers barely capable of wrapping around the black plastic.

He turns to you, his eyes carefully examining your face before he enters. “Ya comin'? Be careful where ya step, the stairs are slippery.“ He offers you his hand. It's warm.

“There's a natural cave beneath the castle.“ His calm voice echoes through the winding staircase. “Apparently it used to have a small pool for the nobles to cool in durin' summer. It's filled with rubble now.“

Light of the torches casts eerie shadows on the walls. Stone surface under your fingers is cold and damp. You follow Kita through a narrow hallway and soon enough you reach a small cave. It probably used to be bigger but a part of the ceiling caved in.

Rubble crunches under the soles of your shoes. In the eerie silence all you hear is your breathing and unsteady thumping in your chest. Somewhere in the distance perhaps a ghost of a long deceased soldier- you curse yourself in your head. Why are you trying to scare yourself?

You look up to see stalactites growing from the ceiling. How many thousands of years old must they be?

“They only grow about a millimetre per year. Must be tens of thousands of years old.“ Kita's voice makes you jump. How did he know exactly what you were thinking?

Only now you notice he's standing between you and the exit to the hallway. His eyes are fixed on you. He's closing off the only exit. Pounding in your chest quickens. This place is starting to suffocate you. 

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

You really did follow a complete stranger into a cave beneath an abandoned castle. What an idiot. Naive, trusting idiot.

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

Slowly, like water dripping from the ceiling it sinks in you may not make it out of here.

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

Ah, don't be stupid! You still have years to live! A boring office job to take on! When was the last time you spoke to your friends?

Kita's eyes never leave yours as he steps closer. In the dim light it all seems so- Kita wouldn't- But you don't know him, do you? Torch rolls from your shaking fingers.

Is this really how it ends? Hidden from the sunlight, caught like a mouse in a trap of stone and cold cutting to your bones? You can't breathe. Will they ever find you? Tears well up in your eyes. Why? What have you done to deserve this?

You're shaking. Will you ever see the sunset over the vastness of the sea? Will you lay beside the unfortunate soldiers from centuries ago till you become only clean, nameless bones?

A shaky plea for your life is all you manage to stammer. Through the tears his face is just muddled colours. Is this really how you die?

Warm touch of his hands cupping your face, thumbs wiping away tears, his soft, gentle voice, paralyse you. “Hey, why are ya cryin'?“

[xxtraord1nary]

𝐶𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝐿𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠

Fandom: Open Heart

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x f!mc (Charlotte West)

Word Count: 1.9k

A/N: Pretty angsty I guess.

Summary: When a lonely soul decides to spend her morning on a beach she is unpleasantly surprised to find that she isn’t alone and a lot has changed except her feelings.

Warnings: None

Taglist: @katkart122 @missmiimiie @maurine07 @custaroonie @romewritingshop @lucas-rennells @omgfheishot @schnitzelbutterfingers @openheartfanfics

A dreamy sea has a rhythmic pulse to it unmatched by any other part of nature. It forges its own sounds and kindles its own symphony as the waves crawl gently to the shore. Maybe that’s why she admired the Aruban beach so much or maybe it was the isolation of it all. Something she’d come to be so accustomed to. Her loneliness is like standing in the middle of a bustling city, watching people rush by without feeling like you're even remotely connected to them.

No, it's not the same as being alone; being alone is more a state of physical being than it is a state of soul and emotion. You're surrounded by all these people who never seem to truly understand you and who seem like they will never understand the fears and deepest thoughts that tug at your heart. It's not that they don't care about you or truly try to help you -- it's simply that feeling that they will never understand you, no matter how much you explain. It's that craving for love and connection beyond the surface level. Loneliness leads you to feel like you're literally watching the world go by, not part of anything in particular.

Being physically alone though on the beach was nothing new she had to say, but much to her displeasure she wasn’t alone. She spotted a figure in the distance much closer to the shore bare feet in the sand because washed by the gentle waters inching closer. The figure was tall and held a domineering stance and rigid posture she couldn’t shake.

He stood with his face up toward the sun as if taking in the rays of shine and simply basking in its warmth like a bath. He donned white shorts and a plain light blue short sleeved shirt just regular beach attire she shrugged off. He ran his hand through his tussle of chocolate brown curls and visibly breathed deeply taking in the silence quiet and free from disturbance but loud enough to be calming all the same.

It wasn’t until he turned around and they locked eyes from her sitting position did her grow wide and her posture go rigid did she realize this was no mere man or stranger on the beach at all. It was him. Her one that got away. The man that used to make her heart skip a beat with just a simple touch or look, the love of her life. The one that got away. After all this time he was still a part of her. She could still feel the way she beats nearly out of her chest at his mere presence and there’s a certain ache that still makes her feel like she is still in love with him.

For years he’d been the last thing on her mind before she went to sleep the reason for the teardrops on her pillow. Why even after all this time she hadn’t been able to get over him even after deciding to let him go which was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. She tried to get rid of them, the memories, yet she still cannot, because those memories are so ebullient and hard to forget. They're still in her heart's chamber.

She wanted him to know so much, that she loved him. Still she did, her feelings were never a joke and that everytime she told him “I love you” way back when it came from the bottom of her heart. The moment she told him that his embrace made her feel so much comfortable and forget all her problems in life, yes she was honest with that. She was so honest for all the feelings she harbored deep inside. She cherished the moments shared and wouldn’t ever forget how she felt every time she was with him and all she’d put them through.

She wanted to go to him. Her heart told her to run into his arms and rekindle what they had once had but body stayed situated and stuck in place as she continued to stare at the once love of her life and the man she couldn’t ever seem to get over. That she still held a flame larger than life for. He sent a gentle smile but his eyes told a different story of love, so much love. But her happiness died disgustingly hard when realized he hadn’t seen her at all. Instead his attention had been directed behind her where his eyes alighted unfathomably bright at the sight of a woman and a small girl with a little brown dog.

The woman was absolutely stunning. She truly was what women paid to look like, if perfection didn’t exist she was an exception truthfully. Her tanned brown skin could’ve been glowing in the bright sun and beautiful features were highlighted stunningly by the carefree smile alighted on her face. As she held the smallest girl who took after her seeming to be mother exponentially. The girl held their mother’s golden brown complexion and dark curly hair but those eyes; they were unmistakably blue. A bright blue that resembled those indigo blues she knew all too well.

They were Ethan’s and the woman’s children. Her thoughts were only confirmed when the little girl wrestled her way out of her mother’s arms, raising a laugh from the woman as she ran into her fathers arms with the puppy trailing behind her. She hadn’t ever seen him look so happy and at peace. But when the woman made her way to him and hugged him from behind the way his face lit up was foreign to him; even in their time together she’d never made him look like that with just a simple hug.

He wasted no time in bringing her into his embrace and kissing her deeply, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, and being borderline affectionate. There was no doubt in her mind that Ethan Ramsey, a man who had no time for marriage or family loved the woman that donned a heavy diamond ring on her finger as he held it up and kissed each knuckle tenderly earning a moan of discontent from the little girls. It was adorable really they looked like a picture perfect family. What you’d see in movies really. Hell they even had a small dog with them that she hadn’t noticed till now.

It had finally hit her, she had to move on. She needed to let go of all that held her back: her love for a man who’d absolutely moved on, after all he was her first love. The very first love that she had experienced in her whole life. It felt melancholic for she had lost him. Maybe they were meant to spend the good times together, it’s just fate took its turn, she was able to hurt him and he did too and well she guessed that was inevitable. Then they parted ways and new beginnings came their way, you chose her over what a naive girl thought was forever kind of love. But it’s okay because she’ll get used to it. She promised herself and hopefully soon it’ll be without bitterness or anger.

Her therapist had told her some time ago before she left for the medical conference in Aruba that when she needed to get something out and she wasn’t available to try and write it out, in a letter of sorts. So she did just that and she wrote a goodbye later her lost love would never receive and not for him but for her. So she swiftly left the beach as undetected as when she arrived and made her way back inside the resort and found a pen and paper in her hotel room and got to writing. She wrote till her hand cramped and her tears stained the paper.

Dearest Ethan,

I wish you happiness love, even if that happiness doesn't include me anymore. It's just that I have to accept the fact that I was no longer a part of you and you of me. Thank you for everything. If I would be given a chance to get back from where we started I will still have that small talk with you in the hallway about her physics class we had together. I will still choose to fall in love with you because you're the best thing ever happened to me, maybe our bittersweet love story has ended after I’d hurt you the way I did. I thought the grass was greener on the other side and I was wrong but I found out all too late. But the last thing that I want to say is in another life I would be your girl so I don't have to say you were the one that got away. And I’m sorry not only to you but to myself...and Tobias.

Love,

Someone you used to know

As she sealed the letter she closed a chapter to her life that wouldn’t ever be opened again. And somehow she moved on. Ethan belonged to the beautiful with the brown skin and curly hair and somehow someway Suparna had to be okay with that. She wasn’t thinking when she sent the letter via bell boy to his room she only asked that it be deliverers to Dr. Ethan Ramsey and lied saying it regarded information about the medical conference he’d been invited to. And with that she went to her bed and fell into a restful sleep dreaming of what could’ve been.

————————————————————————————————

After an eventful day at the beach which was great until Charisma decided to put sand in Jenner’s fur. The act prompted the family to make their way back to the suite and give the girl and the pup a good bath before dinner which was much harder than it looked. Jenner was absolutely refusing and kept shaking his wet little sandy body as often as he could making the largest mess he possibly could. He had given up on chasing the three year old who’d decided that baths weren’t her thing and decided she’d rather run naked throughout the hotel room. Finally he’d washed and dried Jenner and put him in the dog bed with some toys to keep him busy. His love thankfully relieved him of his daddy duties and got Charisma ready for bed. A knock on the door interrupted his short reprieve that involved what he needed most at the moment a glass of scotch.

He answered the door and was met with a bellhop delivering him a letter that he took suspiciously wishing the boy a good night. He wasted no time in opening the letter and reading its contents that quite confused him. His thought process was soon interrupted by a warm hug from the love of his life as she placed her chin on his chest.

“Who’s it from?” She gently inquired. He only shook his head and shrugged in response. “No one important.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah I’m alright.” And with that he took his wife’s hand and couldn’t help but to admire the diamond ring that was just made for her and kissed her ring finger tenderly as he and Charlotte made their way to their daughters room to read her at least three stories before she finally turned in only to have her come in their bed later. But they wouldn’t have it any other way.