#because chris should understand my pain

[loveandleases]

Full Disclosure, I went through PAGES of tags to find the Pregnant-by-Chris!MC asks so I could revisit the angst, and it also got me wondering. How would the ROs react if MC ended up pregnant with their kid? And with regards to the F!ROs and trans ROs, how would they react if THEY got pregnant by MC? I'm down with this going in a fluffy or angsty direction, as you gathered from my search for the previous asks about it, so answer however you like!

Oh noo. I swear I'll get to work on the masterpost so you can find things easier, it's been a long time coming and I need to stop procrastinating. I feel like I did this ask before...but I'm not positive. So I'll do it again with how the RO's have developed. Below the cut~ (Tagged with pregnancy for those who don't want to read.)

❤️ Cam - Ec-fucking-static. At first. Cam would be so pleased because finally his own family. Not that MC and Em weren't already. He would give all of his love to his child, unlike what he got from his parents. Then there would be the problem. What if he's just like his parents? What if he's unable to love them the way they need or support them when they need it. MC would have to have an honest heart-to-heart with him.

💙 G - Very nervous at first. There are a lot of things to consider such as school and childbirth. Is their current living space even safe for a kid? And what if MC or G has more than one kid, it's possible. G would need a bit to kind of come to terms with it. Once they have, G is golden. They're happy and don't bother to try and hide behind their cool demeanor.

Now if ex-G/MC had gotten pregnant. It would be so painful for them, because would MC want to be in the picture or would MC allow them to be. If the breakup still happened and MC had gotten with Chris, G would fight with everything they have to see their child, or to give MC the chance to see them. (it's bittersweet)

💚 Kara - So she would be scared more than anything. Happy comes way later, once she's sure this is what she wants. Because for Kara, she doesn't really get to make her own decisions so much of her life is decided for her. If her first real big decision is having a kid, she's going to ace it. First off by having a chat with her parents (who would to overstep), then MC's parents. About what is allowed and isn't. The grandparents don't get to dictate the pregnancy, the childbirth, the child. If they want to be involved then they will be expected to abide by Kara and MC's wishes or be cut out. That simple. (She will buy too many baby clothes ahead of time, it will be a problem)

💛 M - What!? Excuse you, whose pregnant? With a baby? Like an actual human being? How did this happen!? (This is M's reaction regardless of whose pregnant. )MC has to remind shocked M how in fact that did happen. In which case M turns blood red and refuses to look at MC until they've calmed down.) M is going to go through 5 stages. 1 being shock, 2 being really shocked 3 understanding 4 go back and repeat step 1, 2 and 3. 5 acceptance. Leading them all the way to joy. M will take a good bit before they get through those steps, but when they do they're happy, nervous but happy. M isn't sure how to deal with kids. If they have one should they just go ahead and have another too? M will want to call their mothers' immediately. Get some info about raising a kid and what to expect. They will order far too many books about kids and what to expect when you're expecting. (take their computer for their own good)

💜 Isaac - They very well might have a breakdown, and it's not due to not wanting to have a kid with MC. It's more of knowing that you're not promised forever, as someone who lost their mother. Isaac is going to take it hard. Because she will never get to see her grandchild, and Isaac will never get to have that moment with her. Now onto how they feel outside of that, Isaac will struggle. Because they realize they have something else to lose, and to someone who is afraid of committing due to that it's not an easy situation to be in. They would need reassurance, that this is what MC wants. That they'll work hard, and together will do their best for their child. Isaac wants to be there for everything, every checkup, every milestone. All of it. Proudest parent ever.

🖤 Ardent - The amount of breeding jokes to be told : 14. The amount of tears shed: Over 50. Which he will deny with every breath. They're happy tears. Happy to have a family with MC, happy for his niece to have a cousin to navigate the world with. He is too happy, so cocky. Rubbing MC's belly, giving it so many kisses. He did that, him! Can you believe it? Not to mention, Cupid is going to have to take classes now. That's the first step, Cupid learning how to behave around babies. Ardent is very big into reading, he will overread though. Like MC is going to learn the nitty gritty just like he is. Oh, and they'll probably have to move if they're currently living in the apartments. To a place with an actual yard, the kind his parents had back in Greece. MC will be spoiled, because Ardent will cook every meal. He will ensure MC doesn't have to life a finger, or even Cupid if they feel like they can't. He would be a great dad, plus he has been saving up dad jokes. I apologize ahead of time.

[joeshiestyslover]

pretty when you cry- c. sturniolo

pairing: toxicbf! chris sturniolo x reader

summary: you know chris doesn’t treat you well and that you should leave him, but you can’t help but stay. chris is well aware of this and wants to treat you better, but he just can’t. after all, you’re just so pretty when you cry.

warnings: so much angst, language, mentions of sex, drug use, chris is an awful bf

masterlist

lowercase intended

a/n: lana del rey + chris is just so 🤭

you felt as if you were slowly dying. all the life that you once held inside you slowly fading away until you were nothing but an empty shell of your former self. you used to be so happy and full of life, never seen without a smile on your face. now, you look sullen, with dark circles under your eyes and a permanent frown tugging on your lips.

everyone asks you what could have possibly happened to make you change so much in such a short amount of time. you always reply with “work is taking a toll on me” or “my boss is a pain in my ass”, but each lie is bigger than the last. you know the source of your constant pain. it’s your boyfriend, christopher sturniolo.

chris used to be the best boyfriend a girl like you could ever ask for: caring, compassionate, funny, etc. the list was endless, and to you, he was perfect. until six months ago.

chris became a completely different person. he was no longer the sweet, charming boy you fell in love with two years ago. instead, he was an angry, violent monster. nights you would spend at his house, filled with sweet nothings and soft giggles were now filled with harsh screams and glass breaking. days that consisted of talking and laughing, were now occupied with silence because you were both still angry about the night before. the once soft, loving sex was now replaced with rough, violent fucking. everything had changed between you, and all you wanted was for you two to go back to how you were a year ago, when everything seemed perfect.

you know that chris is doing drugs, you’ve known for months. every time you try to bring it up to him, it ends in a screaming match, and you storming out the front door. his brothers have tried to get him to stop, yet he refuses, saying it’s the only thing that gets him out of bed anymore.

your heart is slowly breaking, for both you and him. you know you should leave him for good, but you can’t. you love him too much to lose him.

on the other hand, chris knows how badly he’s been treating you and that you deserve so much better than him. however, he knows deep down that you’ll never leave him, so he never truly changes, despite the many promises he’s made that he would.

this leads to a continuous cycle of love and pain. you get fed up with how he treats you, so you confront him. you fight for hours before chris finally breaks down, telling you how much he regrets causing you so much pain and promising he’ll do better. he gets clean for a while and just when everything is beginning to look hopeful, he crashes and burns. he falls back into his old habits once again. then, the cycle continues, leaving you trapped.

you’ve lost count of the amount of times chris has promised to be better and get clean. right now, you and chris are arguing for probably the hundredth time about the same damn topic: him saying he’ll get clean, but he never does.

“this isn’t okay christopher! you have to understand where i’m coming from! i’m worried about you! i’m scared for you!” you yell. “i don’t need you to worry y/n! i’m fine! stop treating me like i’m a child!” he yells back in your face. you feel helpless. you’ve tried everything to help him, but he just won’t accept it. “you’re gonna kill yourself one day! can you even imagine what that would do to me?! to your brothers?! to your parents?! i just-” “don’t fucking bring my family into this!” chris cuts you off. you sigh and run your fingers through your hair. “look,” you start, lowering your voice. “you know i love you chris, but this is terrifying. i have to watch you slowly destroy yourself and i can’t do anything about it because you won’t let me help you.” “it’s because i don’t need your help! i’m doing perfectly fine! it’s not my fault that you want to make everyone else miserable just because you are!” your jaw drops. “i’m miserable because you’re making me miserable! i’m not this person! i’m not full of constant anxiety! i’m not constantly suffering! it’s you chris! i’m like this because of you! because of how you’ve been acting for the past year!” you scream hopelessly. you sit down on the couch in chris’ living room, trying to calm down and compose your thoughts.

“well if you’re so fucking miserable, then just leave, y/n!” you freeze and look up at him. he had never suggested you leave him before. “what?” you ask softly, hoping you heard him wrong. “if i’m so horrible to you, then you can leave! i’m not gonna stop you!” chris waves his arms around frantically.

without another word, you stand up from the couch and walk toward the front door, grabbing your phone and car keys on the way out. you open the door, walk out, then slam it closed. speed walking to your car, you try to keep your tears at bay, but you fail miserably. as soon as you get in and shut the door, the silent tears turn into heart wrenching sobs. trying to calm yourself, you put your car in reverse and back out of the driveway. you have no idea where you’re going to go, but anywhere is better than here.

you end up at a parking lot of a fast food restaurant, but not just any restaurant. it’s the same one where you and chris went out on your first date. you both didn’t want to go anywhere fancy, so you decided on grabbing fast food. you begin to cry even more at the memories of that night. you can’t help but remember how sweet he was and how much he cared for you. how the hell did it come to this? how did you get here?

everything in you is telling you to leave chris for good. you can’t keep going on like this. you love chris so much, more than you’ve ever loved anyone, but he’s slowly killing you from the inside out.

you decide to go back home and tell chris it’s over. you take a deep breath and begin driving. on the way there, the memories of you and chris are on a constant loop in your mind:

your first date,

chris had picked you up outside of your house that night, refusing to tell you where you were going, claiming it was a surprise. before you knew it, he had pulled into the mcdonald’s parking lot. “chris are we at a mcdonald’s right now?” you asked. “well, you said that your favorite restaurant was mcdonald’s so voila, here we are.” chris smiled at you. you laugh and throw your head back. “but if you wanna go somewhere fancier then i’m sure i can squeeze in a reservation-” “chris this is perfect. as long as it’s with you i don’t care where we go.” you smile at him, putting your hand on his arm.

your first kiss,

it was your third date, and you were sure you were in love with chris. he was the perfect guy. the date had gone perfectly, you had gone to a park and just sat on a bench and talked about anything and everything. at the end of the night, he walked you to your door. “tonight was amazing chris. thank you.” you smiled up at him. “y/n, i really like you and you make me laugh. i was wondering if i could be your boyfriend?” he asked you nervously while shifting on the balls of his feet. your smile grew even wider. “i would love to be your your boyfriend chris.” you reached your hand up to cup his cheek. chris leaned his head down to brush his lips against yours. “can i kiss you?” he whispered. you nodded, and before you knew it, he smashed his lips against yours.

the first time he told you he loved you.

you both were lying in chris’ bed watching bridgerton. after much convincing, he had finally agreed to watch it with you, and of course, he loved it. you were watching the episode where edwina left anthony at the altar, and you were hooked even though you had already watched the show a countless amount of times. you felt a pair of eyes boring into the side of your head, and looked up to see chris staring at you, disregarding the show in front of him. “chris? are you okay?” you asked him. “i love you.” he blurted out. “what?” you were shocked. those three words were the last thing you expected to come from chris’ mouth. “it’s okay if you don’t feel the same, i just needed you to know.” you reached up and pressed your lips against his. “i love you too chris.” you both smiled at each other and kissed once more.

all the good memories made you yearn for chris, but you know nothing will ever be the same. he’s not your chris anymore, he’s someone else entirely. he had made himself a stranger to you.

once you get home, you pull into the driveway and get out. you’re shaking with anxiety at this point. you notice the door is unlocked, so you turn the handle and walk inside. you can hear the tv going in chris’ room, so you know he’s in there. you shakily exhale before stepping inside. you immediately make a beeline for the closet, not bothering to look at chris.

“you’re back already, huh?” he speaks up. you ignore him as you rifle through the closet until you find your overnight bag. you throw it on the bed as you take as many clothes as you can carry and shove them into it. “y/n, what are you doing?” chris asks nervously. “i’m leaving chris. you don’t want my help that’s fine, but you can’t expect me to just stand and watch as you fall apart. i can’t do that.” you can’t even look at him because you know you’ll break once you do.

“baby” he begins as he makes his way towards you. “baby look at me please.” chris reaches out and cups your cheek, his thumb rubbing back and forth. you can’t help yourself and look up into his blue eyes. the same ones you fell in love with, and for a moment, you saw a glimpse of the sweet boy you fell in love with. “i didn’t mean anything i said. it was so stupid of me to tell you to leave. i love you so much. i’ll do anything to keep you. i’ll get clean and i promise i’ll do better. i’ll be a better man for you just please don’t leave.” chris begins to beg. you don’t want to give in to his empty promises, but you can’t help yourself. you love him too much to leave. “promise?” you ask weakly. “i promise baby, i’ll never hurt you again, i swear.” he complies. you smile at him before leaning up to capture his lips with yours. after a while, he breaks away. “you know i love you, even if i get aggressive sometimes, yeah? i’m just not good at showing it, but you know i love you. you know that right, y/n?” you want to believe him so badly, but deep down you know that this is just the beginning of the cycle you’ve found yourself trapped in for months. you’re just waiting for it to get bad again. “yeah i know baby.” you tell him softly, not even believing your own words. chris smiles slightly before kissing you again. to be honest, chris doesn’t believe himself either, but he wants to try, for you. and if everything goes south again, then it’s a good thing you’re pretty when you cry.

[vanteguccir]

Hey guys! I actually spent long minutes staring at these reblogs and debating whether it was worth responding and talking about or not. But as I'm not the type to take hate and keep quiet, I decided to talk about it.

First of all, Reia, you really seem like a person who doesn't read many fanfics for the way you put it in your text, so I'll explain the meaning of the word. Fanfic, short for "fan fiction", is a story written by a fan based on characters, universes, or real people (like the triplets). Fans create their own narratives, expanding or reimagining everything, creating their own version, which in real life does not exist OR, as writers, we often draw inspiration from real-life events too.

And yes, you and Evangeline are trying to be "fanfic police" and even "sturniolo police", if you scroll through the thousands of Sturniolo Triplets fanfics, you will come across A LOT where Matt, Nick or Chris go through situations of anxiety attack, panic attack, OR where the "reader" herself goes through this, sometimes even involving situations way worse than that. Furthermore, there's thousands of fanfics describing explicit sex scenes with them, the famous smuts, does that bother you too? Because in the world of someone who writes a FANFIC in here, it doesn't.

And yes, I was indeed writing about the meet and greet situation, and this was nothing new to ANYONE in the fandom WHO READS THE FANFICS HERE. I even made a post the day before ASKING who would like to read the idea, and you want to know the news? All 200 people who voted wanted it.

I understand that you feel this story is disrespectful FOR YOU, especially because it touches on a real-life situation that may be sensitive or painful for some people. I want to assure you that it was never my intention to cause harm or disrespect anyone involved in that situation.

I myself am diagnosed with chronic anxiety, and even so, I didn't feel affected by the way I wrote. In fact, I described how I feel during MY anxiety attacks.

In no way did I make fun of the situation Matt went through, in fact, my intention in writing this story was to explore Matt's complexity and show how he deals with real problems, such as anxiety. It was a way to give more depth to his situation during the tour and highlight the importance of the emotional support he receives from "Y/N". It was not my intention to mock him, but rather to explore his humanity and the challenges he faced, and I know with all the certainty in the world that I did not mock him, much less affect the people who read the story.

Please, I ask you to reevaluate the need to throw hate at a person who has nothing to do with your outside the box opinions of what WRITERS ON THE STURNIOLO'S TUMBLR should or shouldn't write about.

There are thousands of posts on Instagram and TikTok from "fans" really mocking Matt and throwing hate at him about "their bad experiences" during one of the shows, these are the people you should be giving a piece of your mind to, not me. 🩷

[scoupsahoy]

i know people love a villain (especially an evil or emotionally abusive parent) in a network procedural but the helena diaz hate train is a little unfounded if not misogynistic

i am on eddie's side and i love him and im so excited for him to confront his trauma and his mistakes and for the characters on the show to show up for him. he's had a genuinely concerning mental health crisis basically once every other season since we met him and i want him to focus on himself instead of worrying about being a perfect father all the time and hindering his own healing in effort to put chris first

that being said sometimes children are betrayed by their parents and go to live with their grandparents for a while. chris has been whisked away and abandoned several times growing up by both of his parents including the time his mother died. eddie is basically put on suicide watch in season 5 due to an EXTREMELY TRAUMATIZING MOMENT FOR CHRIS. the thing with kim as a whole is a result of his inability to process his own trauma and pain and it keeps happening. at the end of season 7 CHRIS calls his grandparents because he cannot trust his father and it is not uncommon or unreasonable for a kid his age who has gone through what he's gone through to live with his grandparents

like this isn't "i'm mad at my dad for cheating on his girlfriend" it's "a woman who looked identical to my mother who died suddenly and tragically when i was like seven years old was in my living room embracing my father while i was hanging out with his girlfriend who babysits me regularly due to the fact that my father is a firefighter and i am a disabled teenager"

helena and ramon are presumably wealthy, presumably retired, presumably have a stable marriage, and chris trusts them. and im not saying that that's a requirement to take care of a child but that's clearly what chris wants and needs right now

being like "helena is taking advantage of the situation because she was never a good parent to eddie and should in fact be pushing chris back to him" is

1. ignoring chris' agency and the legitimate reasons he had for calling his grandparents in texas vs like buck or someone

2. USUALLY ignoring ramon's hand in it even though ramon was the parent to eddie that was neglectful and arguably emotionally abusive on some level

3. a bad faith reading of a nuanced situation where helena and ramon ON SCREEN IN TEXT believed, supported, and empathized with eddie when they were picking up chris

i understand the desire to have a bad guy in whatever situation but also like. a genuinely really lazy boring reading to me to be like "and no one has done anything wrong except for this horrid woman who has bad intentions and probably never loved her son"

PS i know no one is going to read this let alone agree with me but if anyone uses this as an excuse to say anything bad about eddie diaz. don't

[erenjaegerwifee]

Your Excuse To See Me

Request by: @twilightlover2007

Pairing: David 'Deacon' Kay x Fem!Reader

Summary: Deacon's case takes him to your bookshop.

Warnings: none, fluff,

Word Count: 2.4k

Disclaimer: all my characters are aged-up! If this makes you uncomfortable please do not interact with my account or any of my notes.

Main M.List | Deacon M.List

“Hey deac” Luca spoke up as Deacon entered the locker rooms. “Morning guys” he replied greeting the rest of the team. “Tan was just telling us about how Bonnie is jealous” Chris spoke up while they all got ready for their shift. “Bonnie is not jealous; I’m telling you guys she isn’t like that” Tan tries to defend. “What happened that everyone things she jealous?” Deacon asked.  

“Last night we went on a date and when we were walking to our apartment in the hallway this girl was getting harassed by this idiot and I helped her out. After he left, she told us she just moved in and it happen to come up she also spoke Cantonese. I happen to mention it was so rare to find another person who speaks it by coincidence and after that Bonnie’s mood has been off. She won’t talk, she’s basically doing everything she can to avoid making eye contact with me.”  

Deacon hisses feigning pain when he hears the story, “hate to break it to you man but that’s jealousy. I can’t believe you can’t wrap your head around this, she is jealous because that woman who speaks your language probably shares your religion and values growing up in a Chinese American home is now living next door to you. She feels less than now that she has someone to compare herself to.”  

Tan took a second to process his words before he finally understands how it all went wrong, he never even thought Bonnie would think like that. “How are you still single? You should have girls falling at your feet” Tan jokes.  

“Jokes on you bro, he does” Street says making everyone laugh as they walk out of the locker room to meet Hondo. Before much words can be exchanged, Hicks walks in with a case assigned to the team. “20-David, we’ve been handed over a case, apparently the financial crimes and the narcotics division can’t solve it and they want us to wrap up this up. Also, we have intel the man doing the money laundering are armed and dangerous.” 

Hicks goes on to explain the details of the case to the team, saying a man who supposedly goes by the name Authur Lopez has been moving money around through other people’s business. He also may be using them as a stash house. The problem is no one can seem to figure out which business he is using to clean his money. “They know he’s dealing but they can’t prove it, we need to find the proof to bring this guy in” 

“We may have a lead though, detective Chase that was previous the lead on this case said he found Auther has an old high school girlfriend who recently moved to town, we aren’t sure if they have had any contact but it’s worth checking out, she might know somewhere he might hide” Hicks finishes up letting the team take the case. Street and Tan both start researching your home and workplace addresses and they found something. 

“She owned a bookshop, just opened a couple months ago, around the same time we caught wind of Authur and around the time she moved into town, her business could be the one she’s using, she sells books, it can be a good cover if her business gets traffic, and judging by the location I think she’d be doing well.” Street says as he pulls up the location of your shop on the screen for the team to see.  

“I found her home address, it’s an apartment complex about 3 blocked from the shop.” Chris says and pulls the location for them to see. “Okay Street, Tan with me we’ll check out her apartment. Luca, Chris and Deacon you can check out her shop she might be there, she what she knows if she’s willing to talk.” Honda hands out their assignments and everyone jumps in a car their destination.   

When Deacon, Chris and Luca arrive at the bookshop they walk in and don’t immediately see anyone around. They walk a little deeper into the shop and you step out from one of the isles the shop isn’t so big that someone can hide, unless they are in the back room. “Hi there, is there something I can help you with?” you say in a sweet voice.  

At the sound of your voice Deacon whips his head, he stutters a bit when he sees you for the first time. Your hair fell curly down your back, you wore jeans that fit your hips but flared down over your ankles with cute brown sandals, you wore a gorgeous floral top that complimented your skin tone so perfectly. “Hi, Ms. Y/n? I’m Sergeant Kay, this is officers Alonso and Luca, we are here to ask you a few questions.”  

You look up at the handsome sergeant standing in front of you and your brain almost lags. “Sure, happy to help” you smile at him clasping your hands together. You gesture to the chairs and small sofas scattered around the room for them to sit and you do the same. “Ms. Y/n, we believe a man you know has been involved in some illegal activity and we wanted to know if you had any information you could share” the girl who’s name you learned was Chris spoke up. 

“Who?’ you asked her, “The name Auther Lopez ring a bell?” Luca asked you. Authur Lopez, you were never able to look at men the same after him, he was your high school sweetheart. You were going to marry him. That was until you found out he was dealing in high school and left him. “A couple months ago he found my shop, said he was keeping tabs on me and asked if I would consider giving him a job. Auther and I dated in high school, I broke up with him when I found out he was dealing, not only that but he was on them. I’m not sure what I never asked. When I hired him, he promised he was clean and so I agreed. Actually, his shift is meant to start in about 10 minutes, he has to come here.” 

“What is he involved in?” You asked them directly your question to no one in particular. “We believe he dealing again, or maybe he never stopped who knows. We need to bring him in a find the location of his stash house before he can distribute his product.” Luca spoke to you.  

“You’re welcome to wait here until he shows then, I had no idea he was still dealing” Luca made a call to someone while Chris asked to look around the shop and you agreed. Deacon didn’t move though, he sat right there in front of you the whole time. “Are you back together?” his voice was quite as he spoke but you heard him, “No, I’m not interested in starting things back up with him, he has done nothing but disappoint me, I only gave him the job because he said he needed it and he was getting clean.” you matched him tone while you looked at him. 

He was so pretty you could barely take your eyes off him, if you weren’t looking at his chest printing out in the tight SWAT t-shirt you were looking at his chocolate brown eyes, if not that, the you have never seen a man look so good with a beard and that usually wasn’t something you’d go for, the hints of grey just did something to your brain.  

Deacon wasn’t any different, he was too busy staring at you to realize you were staring back, he admired the way your curls look so full but not frizzy at the same time, the way he so easily got lost in your beautiful eyes, and let’s not talk about your figure, he has never seen anyone look so beautiful before.  

“So, Sergeant Kay-” 

“Deacon, call me Deacon” 

“Deacon, you’re a SWAT sergeant what is that like?” you smile when you ask him. He was confused for a quick second how did you know he was in SWAT? Until he remembered he was working, he was dressed in uniform. “It’s good, I like it, it’s dangerous and it’s a lot of work but it pays off in the end. So, books?” he returned the question.  

“Yea, I've always been a reader” you giggle as you continue, “It’s very calming to read, takes my mind off things when I’m stressed, a way to pretend you’re someone else.” 

“How could you want to be someone else?” his tone was breathy, it had a hint of a chuckle in it, it made you blush. It was so easy to get caught up in him you forgot all about what he was here for. Luca walked back into the shop; the noise of the chimes pulled you back to reality. He was met with the sight of you and deacon staring at each other with flirtatious smiles and cleared his throat to get your attention. 

“The others arrested Authur on his way here, they have him in custody. Hondo said meet back at HQ” Chris moves out with Luca and Deacon was about to follow them, “Wait!” you stopped him resting you hand on his arm to stop him from walking. You ran into one of the isles and grabbed a book off the shelf, “Here, an excuse for you to come back that isn’t work related. Now you can go” you smiled at him sweetly and he chuckled at your sweet gesture. “I’ll take you up on that.”  

Deacon walked out the bookshop with a wide grin in his face and he sees Chris and Luca waiting for him with matching grins, seems Luca had filled Chris in and they both clocked the book he didn’t walk in there with. “Ouu someone’s got a crush” Chris said in a sing song tone.  

A few days later the case was wrapped up and Deacon was sitting on a comfortable chair in the SWAT main room with his legs propped up as he read the book you gave him. He isn’t you paid attention to the book you handed in when you grabbed it but it was an interesting book.  

He has been teased non-stop by the team since they all heard about what happened, no one can see him sitting with that book in his hand without saying something about you. They even went as far as to make a bookmark with your face on it and stick it in his book so every time he opened it, he would see you. It was entertaining the say the least but now that the book was in his hand and finished, he felt nervous to see you again, this time he had no motive to hide behind other than he just wanted to see your pretty face again. 

“Hey Deac, we’re gonna hit up Luca’s food truck, do you wanna come with?” Chris asked Deacon as she packed up her things at the end of the shift. “I’d love to but, I have to swing by the bookshop and return this book y/n gave me” He waited patiently for the teasing and right on cue, “You going ask her out?” Chris was grinning like a school girl.  

“I want to, I will, I’m gonna...maybe”  

“Sergeant Kay is nervous? There is a first for everything. But seriously all jokes aside, I saw the way you looked at each other. She will say yes, no need to doubt yourself” Chris smiled at him and punched his shoulder as they walk out of the locker room.  

Deacon rushed to his car saying a quick goodbye to the team and driving to the bookshop before you closed. He opened the door and say you writing something sitting on a high chair behind the desk. “Hey” he said with a small smile.  

You look up from your book and smiled when you saw him, “You came back” you said matching his smile as it grew larger, “I guess my excuse to come see you worked, great book by the way, never thought I’d be into enemies to lovers but apparently I am” he chuckled and put the book down on the desk. 

“I’m glad you liked it; I wasn’t sure you were the type” you giggled. There was a moment of silence between you. A moment where you just stared at each other, admiring. “I have to close up the shop now, it was really nice of you to come back Deacon, it was nice to see you” Deacon smiled at your words knowing exactly how you feel.  

“It was nice to see you too.... hey do you want to join me for some dinner? I know a great food truck not far from here, we could swing by and get something” you wanted to burst with happiness, you didn’t think he had it in him to ask you out but he did.  

“Of course I’ll go with you, let me just grab my purse and lock up” you smiled you sweet smile at him and you giddily ran to the back room to get your stuff, hearing him laugh at your antics.  

When he opened the car door for you at the food truck you smiled and took a big inhale. He watched you fall in love with the smell of the food and you walked right up to the menu, “I don’t know what to get” you said to him, “Order for me”  

Deacon was about to speak when he heard his name being called out, his team was still here. He turned his head in sync with yours and watched a bunch of people walk up to you both. You instinctively stepped closer to Deacon but you quickly recognized Chris and Luca from earlier in the week.  

“I see you asked her out” Chris said. 

“I can’t believe it took him so long” another boy said who introduced himself as Jim Street 

“Oh, give him a break, it’s been a week” their team leader spoke up, Hondo. Their comments made you blush and you hid your face with your hands giggling. Deacon put his arm around your shoulder to shield you from the teasing while they laughed at the situation wholeheartedly. You're so happy Sergeant Kay came to your bookshop.  

🔹I hope you all enjoyed reading! I’d love for anyone to Reblog my work, Like and Comment so it can be shared! I’ve been wanting to write for Deacon for a while and I’m finally starting!

🔹On another note. Deacon is hot as fuck. And I want to write him in a nsfw kind of way. Eventually not atm I’d like some feedback on how you would feel after reading my work.

Taglist:

@twilightlover2007 @fluentmoviequoter @just-a-girl-who-wrytes @spnshortcake

[exhuastedpigeon]

Maybe I relate a little too much to Eddie because I'm also an eldest child in a Catholic family who was forced to grow up too quickly because my dad traveled 2-3 nights a week for work from the time I was 9 until, well he still does, but my god Eddie Diaz is my favourite guy.

He tried to drive his mom to the hospital when she went into labour because he was supposed to take care of her while she was nine months pregnant and his dad was out of town but he crashed the truck! They told it like a funny family story and Helena passive aggressively teased him by saying 'I thought he'd call someone not try to drive me himself!' as if they haven't been asking him to "drive" already. His parents had already put so much responsibility on him and so many expectations that his first thought wasn't to call for help, it was to do it himself. Because asking for help made him "weak". Because he needed to "be a man".

He got his first girlfriend pregnant and did what his parents wanted him to - he married her and he provided for her and his son. He just did it by following in his dad's footsteps and did that by running away. And then they threw it in his face and said Chris should stay with them because he needs stability and he barely knew Eddie because Eddie worked so much. Helena never would have said that to or about Ramon, but she said it about the son she turned into a mini parent to help her while she was raising her kids even though he was one of those kids.

His wife died and they tried to use that against him to make him move back to Texas even though he had put down roots in California. He built a good life for himself and his son without any of their help and because it wasn't the life they wanted for them, it wasn't the right life.

The second they had the chance to have Chris come stay with them they jumped at it. They will always view Eddie as the 10 year old boy who crashed the truck and not as the man he's grown into. He's learned how to ask for help and has built a family who offers help freely, without strings or guilt attached to it, but to him he's 10 years old and he's making a mess of things.

Ten years old is still a child. It's years away from being a legal adult. It's supposed to be an age where you make mistakes and learn who you are while having the safety net of your parents to help pick you up when you fall.

He was ten years old and he crashed a truck and they tease him about it still because they genuinely don't realize what growing up the way he did did to him. They (mostly Helena at this point) don't understand how they contributed to Eddie's pain. They don't see any of it because to them it wasn't important, they barely remember it. But he does. He remembers all of it.

"The axe forgets; the tree remembers"

[sturniccz]

Just for the night?

Chris Sturniolo smut. Part 1.

In which a girl whom enjoys the company of the loud, banging in her head, just needs a rest.

Warnings: dom!Chris, sub!Reader, use of petnames, degration, smut (no sex yet, just some sexy activities), friends w benefits situation?, rough!Chris, mentions of drug use, yelling/arguing, lmk if i missed anything!

Not proofread, feel free to send requests!

___________________🎀__________________

Parties were always your favorite thing. To say the least, you lived for the feeling of the freedom, and the bond with you and the people surrounding you in the one night that you experience with them. House parties were particularly your favorite because it was more likely you would know majority of the people there.

Tonight the triplets are throwing a party just for fun because you had mentioned a few days prior how much you had missed the feeling and the adrenaline. 

Less than two hours ago they had come back from their ‘plug’ with a decent amount of inventory. They had it all. Four vapes, one for each of you, a decent sized bag of weed and two packs of papers, not to mention the four Smirnoff bottles and maybe 500 Solo cups. Easy to say they know how to throw a party.

After receiving your bag of things that they got for you, your vape, a new mascara, some nail glue, and a new toothbrush, you head down to Chris’s room to begin your painful process of getting ready. Regardless of when they tell you that you don’t need all of the makeup and hair products, you can’t help but feel extra pretty once you have it on. 

you always keep a few things here and there in the house so you already have almost everything you need to get ready. Thankfully they picked up a new mascara for you, otherwise you wouldn’t have any.

getting comfortable and Chris’s bathroom, setting your stuff on the counter, and sitting on the countertop, you begin to apply some natural makeup. after maybe 20 minutes you had finished your make up and heard footsteps coming from the stairs of the basement. Turning around to meet eyes with Chris. 

“You look nice,” Chris says, not really paying any attention to anything other than your makeup.

“How sweet, you aren’t even looking at anything but my face,” You begin, “and you wonder why I never wear makeup.”

Chris looks up from his phone as you speak, finally taking the time to fully take in your presence. “Oh come on, you know I’m right.” Chris says, just above a whisper, leaning on the doorframe behind you, beginning to stare at you in the mirror.

Chris always knew how to get to you. He understands you better than anyone else, including yourself, and he knows what will make you feel better in any situation. But, this he also uses for his own entertainment, at times. He knows what you like. You dont.

“Oh Chris please, if you think I actually care, you’re wrong.” You state as you finish your hair, just a simple half up look.

Chris begins to protest but before he can get anything out you cut him off. “What one should i wear? Red or Black?” you begin to question, holding up a black satin dress which hugs your waist and stops right above your knee, completing with off the shoulder sleeves, slightly more sheer than the rest, and a simple red dress that looks almost the same as the black, except the chest, has a somewhat different cut, exposing more of your cleavage than the opposing dress.

Already knowing Chris’ answer, he replies quickly. “I like the red one, we can match, I have a red tie.” He states as he begins walking towards his dresser, pulling out a red silk tie from the very top drawer.

After a little banter you both eventually agree on matching and he also somehow convinced you to wear your hair down. This is going to be a long night.

After what feels like 30 minutes since you have last, talked to Chris, a considerate amount of people arrived at the house. The living room and kitchen is now full with guests and couples linger the halls and stairways, kissing and touching all over.

The sound of the loud bass coming from the speakers, and the mingling of the guests, brings back a feeling that you know you will never forget. You can tell Chris is on aux from the musical choices, but you weren’t complaining, that man has good taste. 

“Hey pretty lady, what brings you here?” an unfamiliar voice exclaims from behind you to your left, right as you finished walking up the stairs from Chris’s room in the basement. “Never seen you before, are you somebody’s plus one?” he finishes, now looking face on at you. You cant help but think where Chris is at, and how he knows this man. He seems to be in good shape, no older than 23, yet still weird considering nobody ever comes up to you unannounced like this.

“Oh I’m friends with Nick!” you begin to explain, hoping that’s enough information for this man to leave you alone.

The man seems to be listening well, making eye contact with you as you explain your relation to the hosts. You begin to walk away after saying goodbye, and immediately lock eyes with Chris from across the kitchen.

He’s seemingly comfortably sat next to Matt, chatting with some random person you’re sure you’ve never seen before. He keeps his eyes on you as you begin walking over to him, slowly pushing past some groups of people before finally standing next to him.

He puts his left arm around you, the other leaning against the wall as he looks down at you with a look you cant seem to read. “Who’s that?” he blatantly asks, obviously, not in the mood to hear anything come out of your mouth other than that he’s a stranger. 

“Oh I dont know just some guy,” you begin, looking behind you at the man you had previously stumbled across a few moments ago. “I’ve never met him before.”

“You alright? Did he say anything to you?” Chris finishes as he takes a long drag from a j Matt had previously rolled for the group to share, while looking into the back of the mans head, seemingly wanting to destroy him.

“Oh no he didn’t do anything dont worry about it Chris.” You say looking up at Chris and taking the j from his right hand, also taking a puff. Chris continues staring, and you break him from his thoughts.

“Chris.” You state, forcing him to look at you as you continue, “Dont stress about it, its all good. I promise.” You say as you interlock your pinkies, taking a final puff before handing the j to Matt, whom has been waiting very patiently, before returning your attention to Chris once again.

He releases his hand from yours and rejoins the conversation he had been in previously, reverting his attention to the group.

The night has been amazing. You’ve been having so much fun, catching up with old high school, friends, taking shots with your old girlfriends and throwing up once or twice. regardless of the love you have for nights like these, they always seem to eventually become too much for you. 

You begin searching through the house for Chris once again, moving from upstairs in the loft with a group of your old girlfriends to the kitchen, where you previously had been met with Chris. 

right as you notice, Chris from across the living room, sitting on the couch conversation with Nate, the same man from earlier stopped you in your tracks. 

“Hey pretty, yknow I never got your name?” he asks sweetly, obviously trying to play at your feelings as he steps closer to you, cutting off your field of sight to Chris.

Only wanting to leave the situation and finally get to some peace and quiet, you feel as the best answer is to just tell him your name, excuse yourself, and return to Chris once again, but he had other plans.

“Im y/n,” you start, clearly trying to look over his shoulder as to search for Chris. “Oh is that your boyfriend?” he asks in a genuine manner, willing to back off if you were taken.

“Yeah it is, Chris is my boyfriend.” You state, standing your ground and forgetting about looking over his shoulder. “Oh I’m so sorry then y/n, I’ll leave you guys alone.” he says before finally walking away back to his clique.

before you can even refocus your gaze to where Chris had been seated, you had noticed that he was gone. You thought nothing of it as you just wanted to get to some peace and quiet, so you finish your voyage from upstairs to downstairs as you finally reach Chris’ bedroom door. 

After knocking and hearing no noise from the other side, you let yourself in and begin taking your dress off to get comfortable for sleep. that is until Chris’s bathroom door opens, revealing a shirtless, high, and tipsy Chris.

you usually would think nothing of it, as you have seen him shirtless before, and he has seen you in a bikini before. Somehow some thing about this environment seems different as his gaze deepens from his frozen place from the bathroom doorway.

“You just gonna stand there?” You chuckle as you finish taking your dress off and begin putting on one of Chris’ hoodies.

“And look at you like this? Hell yeah?” Chris says from the doorway, slowly making his way over to you, leaning on his dresser listening to you speak.

“Well, I’m not gonna be ’like this’ for much longer, because I’m going to sleep, Chris. Now if you’d please, I would appreciate if I could take my makeup off.”  You say.

Chris just stands there. Staring, mouth agape, as his eyes trace over your features, almost sinfully. He knows you have clothing on, but you have never looked so beautiful to him in any other environment. Standing in front of his bed in nothing but your lace panties and one of his fresh love hoodies. God, he can’t seem to get enough of it.

“Fine, go to sleep but keep the door locked, i don’t want your new boyfriend coming in here and fucking you on my bed.” He states as he remembers who you had previously been talking to, and why he went downstairs in the first place.

“Oh Chris, what did I tell you?” You ask remembering your pinky promise from earlier as you take a seat on his bed.

“Its fine y/n just dont get my bed stained.” He says before opening the door, waiting for a response.

“Chris you can’t be serious right now!?” You raise your voice at him from across the room. “I pinky promised you! I dont fucking know who he is and I definitely don’t want him anywhere near me?!”

“Yeah then why are you in my room huh?!? to fuck him?!?” he yells louder than you, almost like a competition.

Your eyes go wide and your legs cross as you take in the sight of the man in front of you. Filled with mixed emotions of rage and jealousy. Something about seeing Chris in this state causes a small little match to start within you, and you cant get enough. All you want to do is make him even more angry at you just to see where this goes. God, you’re a mess.

“Yeah so what if I was gonna fuck him Chris?!? Im not a baby I can do whatever the fuck I wanna do!!” You yell in his face, and the look that those two sentences put onto that man’s face, you will never forget. He looked so strong and like he could do anything he wanted to you. And he did.

Chris loudly slams the door shut with his foot, locking it behind him as he pushes you by the shoulders onto his bed. “You wanna fuck him? Huh?!?” he yells into your face, just inches apart as he hovers over you, never daring to make contact to your skin. Not just yet.

You look up at him feeling helpless. The feeling you are getting from this is like no other you have ever experienced. A lust stronger than your insatiable love for the adrenaline of the party.

“I asked you a fucking question, whore” He says, just above a whisper, almost as though if anyone heard him call you such foul names, that he would be sentenced to death, as he begins softly kissing just below your ear, somehow, already knowing your sweet spot.

“Chris- I-I” you cry out, not being able to form a full sentence. The scent of him and the feeling of his teeth in your neck, his hair against your jaw, its unreal.

“Yeah not so bratty now are we, baby?” He teases as his hands move up your waist, softly running his hands up and down your sides. “You love the feeling of my big hands on your tiny body, don’t you, love?” he asks from your neck.

“Chris please-“ Is all you can get out, somehow you have already lost all willpower it takes to form a sentence.

“Oh yeah? What do you want, my love? You want me dont you?”

“Y-Yes-“ you whisper from below him, your arms now wrapped around his neck as he begins grinding down on your hips, and damn, he is hard.

“You feel that, baby? Do you feel my dick, baby? Fuck you love how hard I am for you, huh?” He knows just how to get to you, and fuck is it working.

His lips attach to yours in a fast, filthy, makeout session. He kisses you like he had always wanted to, the way he fantasizes about.

Suddenly Chris’ bedroom door opens with a loud bang, and you both freeze and simply look at eachother. Oh, fuck.



[suvidrache]

Someone Like Him

age in bio when interacting. minors do not interact.

Word Count: 533 | Read it on AO3 | Masterlist

Mezo had never known love. He had always been treated differently, ridiculed, and even made a child cry. Simply because he didn't look like everyone else did. His quirk made him look different. He hid his face. He wasn't going to hurt anyone else. He didn't want to hurt anyone else. He wanted to be loved and to be accepted. It didn't matter how close he was to someone. He wasn't going to let them see his face. He didn't want them to feel the pain of seeing him. He didn't want to hurt anyone again.

When you came into his life, he was hesitant. Sure, you liked him, but it was nothing more than a friendship. He was wrong, but he wouldn't be the one to make the first move. How could someone love someone like him? 

“Mezo, do you want to go on a date with me?”

“A date?” He asked, stammering over his words as he spoke. Surely, it was a misunderstanding. There was no way that you would go on a date with him. Maybe you were going on a date and needed protection. That had to be it.

"Yes, a date, you and me.”

It wasn't a misunderstanding. Your intentions were clear. Maybe it was some sort of sick joke.

“You don't have to go if you don't want to.” You said, trying to reassure him, that it was optional.

“No, I want to... I just don't understand why me.” He asked, looking at you, hoping for some sort of explanation.

“I like you, I… just...” you said, taking the time to think about your words. “I like you; I just thought maybe I should try to ask you out. I wasn't sure if you would be interested or not… I always wanted to be more than friends.”

You couldn't see his face, but he was blushing under his mask.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“I've never had anyone like me before…” He said, his voice trailing off as he looked away.

“You don't have to show me your face if you don't want to. It's okay. I understand.”

“Thank you.”

You both went on your date, taking the time to get to know one another better. He was still slightly apprehensive. You were both friends, and he trusted you, but nobody asked him out. No one wanted to date him. Still, you continued to go on dates with him. He never voiced his concerns because maybe it was an actual date. Surely, if it were a joke, it wouldn't continue on for as long as it has. It had been months, and you still showed love and support for him. You never once asked to see his face. After months, you were both alone. He finally pulled down his mask to show you. He wouldn't be surprised by your reaction either way.

His face was longer than most. He had no noticeable nose. He had scarring on his face. You looked at him and smiled. He blinked.

“You look beautiful.”

He blushed at your comments.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

He was surprised that you weren't bothered by his face. In fact, you found it beautiful. No one would ever label him beautiful.

© SUVIDRACHE — do not copy, translate, modify, or plagiarize my work. reblogs are appreciated!

Tag List: @eli-chris, @ssbptigers / Join my tag list here!

[nightmarexdove]

SA victim! Reader × RE8 Chris redfield

Note: Made this honestly for myself, been struggling allot emotionally and mentally and I really just needed to write something to give me comfort. I decided to share this in hopes of giving others struggling with similar situations a comfort as well! :') I do want to apologize if this writing comes off as rude or ignorant in any kind of way, I've mainly used my own experiences to tailor this together but I've tried to use universal language to make it feel more personal to the reader. I hope you guys enjoy 💞

The day you opened up to him about your assault or rape was when you were having a particularly bad day in your head, you were having flashbacks of that very moment that ruined you for the rest of your life. Your depression, anger and confusion hit you like a train. You didn't want to be around anyone, not even the man who was trying so hard that day to get you to open up about what was getting you so down. But for whatever the reason maybe, you just couldn't. He worked during what felt like, every damn day of the week, he had enough on his plate. Plus, fear and apprehension was keeping you radio silent the longest. What if he just rolled his eyes, laughed and didn't believe you? Then what? Your relationship wouldn't be the same or just wouldnt exist anymore at all so you thought anyways. Chris would leave you in a heartbeat, no questions asked.

"Baby no- I'm sorry, I can for a fact guarantee you are talking out your ass right now. It's written all over your face."

You could imagine him, you could imagine him saying those very words and right there and then everything you've built with him over the years would fall apart in mere seconds.

I could imagine that in reality, he'd be always ready to talk no matter what or how he's feeling. Because right now, he could matter less. trying to offer you comfort in the forms of snacks, blankets hugs and kisses.

What alarmed him was when you'd force yourself out of his embrace, when you'd stay away from the comforts that you may have typically enjoyed.

He'd be worried sick alright, calling Claire for advice on how he could better help you and maybe get a idea of what your silent struggles where about lately.

You'd sit with him after a few days, and he'd listen face to face with you ears eyes and thoughts all devoted to you, his angel.

"Oh hun...I'm so so sorry, I should have been less pushy. I'm so sorry."

He'd whisper in a quiet, softer voice. Letting you throw yourself at him for a tight hug, all he could feel was- hurt. He felt hurt seeing you hurt, especially THIS hurt. He may not be able to fully understand your pain, but he empathizes and wants nothing more than to take care of you in any way he could.

You want a bubble bath? Say less, your his number one priority.

Takeout from your favorite place, he's getting something from there too.

Or if you just want to vent about it, if you just need his undying attention then so be it.

He'd listen to you all day, keeping you wrapped in his enormous arms safe against his chest and safe in the four walls of your shared space.

"You are so so strong sweetheart, so brave and stronger than you think. I'd say, your stronger than me and my men, your safe here and I'll make sure it stays like that. If you ever need to talk, you know you'll have me, whatever you need."

He'd reassure you in that warm voice of his, like honey his words fell from his lips if you needed to cry or already crying, He'd keep you held close against him, letting you get everything out.

If you needed sometime in therapy, Chris would search for the best place money could buy. He wanted you to feel well, to feel cared and loved and thought about.

I could imagine him to be a VERY patient man, if you were having a flashback that day or just very upset and angry he'd understand and let you express your needs. Weather through writing them down gesturing, or just out right telling him. He'll let you decide and be right with you to support your health and mind.

If there were certain things that especially reminded you of the time, Chris would ask you to either tell him or write it down so that way he'll know to not bring it up or bring a said object near you just to give an example.

If you liked to draw, paint or bake or just chill and watch movies. He'd definetly do these activities with you whenever he's available, he'd definitely check in with you more than previously either texting calling or just asking in person. He knows this is a very delicate moment and time for you, so he'll keep tabs on you 24/7.

When he's away and on duty for work, I can imagine him going to Leon and asking if he could find for him any Intel on your abuser. And during his time away from home, he'd make it his personal mission to find and take care of the waste of air who hurt his precious sunshine.

[ivyyisbored22]

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭— 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐅

Note: Check Description and other chapters first to understand the story ^^♡

Chapter 5

Aria

It's been a month since I got married, I didn't properly speak to Chris after that moment in the kitchen that morning, just occasional Good Mornings and Hi's whenever he passed by. For 4 weeks he had been ignoring my presence, the only reason why I'm still alive in this huge ass mansion was because of Deliah's company.

I tried my best within these weeks to try to talk to Chris, but he didn't even bother, he claimed he was busy or arrived home late every night. Pain stung in my chest. I don't know why I still had unwanted hope running in my heart, knowing he'll be himself when he's home and we're only pretending to be people we truly aren't when we're are in front of judging eyes.

I had enough of his bullshit and needed air, I grabbed my handbag and exited his mansion, hoping to find some peace outside of these walls. I called one of my close friends, Leia, she answered after a few rings.

"Hey baby girl" Her voice was warm and cheerful, a stark contrast to my own. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my emotions.

"Hey babe, you free today?" I asked, hoping to see her. She sadly missed my wedding as she was having a book tour in Europe, her debut book was a huge success after finally publishing it last year.

"Sure I am, wanna grab boba?" I chuckled behind the phone, "Absolutely"

"Send your loc, be there in about 15. See ya" She assured before hanging up. I sent her the location to Chris's mansion and waited for her to come. Even though I was all alone in here, I did roam around the enormous gardens and other places of this mansion and even took a swim in the pool, all while Chris wasn't at home.

I got down the small steps and walked to the infinity pool in the back, I spotted Daniel, he turned to me as soon as he saw me standing and raised a gentle hand smiling softly. I waved back at him, returning the smile, turning around to inhale the fresh of the autumn morning.

The sound of a car honk pulled me out of my reverie, I turned to see Leia's car approaching the gate. Relief washed over me as she parked and stepped out, her smile as radiant as ever.

"Aria! Baby girl I missed you tons" she called out, rushing towards me. We embraced tightly, her warmth and familiar scent instantly comforting me.

"Leia, it's so good to see you," I murmured, trying to keep my voice steady.

She pulled back and looked at me, concern etched on her face. "You look like you've been through the wringer. Let's get that boba and you can tell me everything." We headed to her car, and soon we were driving through the city towards our favorite boba tea spot.

The familiar sights of the city and the anticipation of spending time with Leia helped ease some of the tension I'd been carrying. We reached the best boba spot in the city and placed our orders and sat down at a comfy spot, I finally felt like I was out of a prison.

"Alright, so spill the tea, what's up"

I took a deep breath and told her everything meeting Chris for the first time and how he didn't look so intimidating. The night before the wedding, the contract and how he's been avoiding me for the past weeks and that little incident in the kitchen. He told me no one should know about the contract but fuck it. It was driving me insane.

"Wait. So this guy had you SIGN a contract BEFORE you exchanged your vows? What in the God's name is this madness?!" Her eyes kept widening as I kept talking, she was finally updated about everything.

I nodded, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness. "Yeah. It was all part of the agreement. And, it's only valid for a year" I said, looking down at my boba, unable to meet her eyes.

"And you agreed to this?" She shook her head in disbelief.

I hesitated for a second, then added "I had to. I didn't have a choice. After my last relationship, you know how my parents said they will get me married. And Chris's father somehow has blackmailed him or some bullshit," I caught a breath, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I didn't want this marriage and neither did he. But now I feel like I walked into trap and I'm unable to escape."

She tilted her head, "How did you meet him?" I looked up from the table, remembering when I met his father before I met Chris.

"You know my father works as head accountant for Aurelius and is well known among Mr.Bang's top employees," I told her how the CEO personally met with my parents and and convinced them into arranging this marriage. My parents were thrilled. They saw it as a golden opportunity for me, a way to secure my future.

After breaking up with my ex, a betrayal I never saw coming, I didn't want to wait for "my one" anyway. But this...this wasn't exactly what I envisioned either.

I wanted stability, but not at the cost of my own happiness. I could see the concern etched on her face as she listened to me recount the events leading up to this point.

Leia's hand gently touched mine, her eyes soften with sympathy. I looked at her trying to brush away the tears and thankfully this time I had control over them.

"Baby girl this isn't right. Even if whatever this hell is only for a year, you must speak to him" Her hand squeezed mine, her voice firm yet filled with compassion.

I nodded slowly, grateful for her presence. She was one of the fewest people I trusted and vented to, the first being my mother. I didn't have the heart to burden my mother that my marriage wasn't even a happily ever after. Chris's mansion was an hour drive from my mom's place. With the crazy traffic in the States, there's no way I could go and come back alone and also the fact that the driver only works for him.

Besides I can't leave without informing Chris anyway.

"You deserve clarity, Aria," Leia affirmed, her gaze unwavering. "You deserve to know where you stand and what this marriage really means."

She leaned forward, her eyes locked onto mine. "But more than this. You deserve someone who truly loves you, not someone bound by a contract."

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them away. "I know, Leia. I just... I don't know what to do. Part of me wants to break free, but another part of me feels like there's something worth fighting for."

Her squeeze around my hand tightened, "Whatever you decide, I'm here for you. Always."

We finished our boba tea in silence, lost in our own thoughts. I felt a renewed sense of determination building within me. As we left the café and Leia drove me back to the mansion, my mind crawled with thoughts on what I had to do.

When we arrived, we shared a tight hug and I watched Leia drive away before heading inside. But when I entered, I wasn't expecting the stoic, cold heir to be home by noon. I thought he'll come home late like usual.

My heart pounded hard in my chest as he was sitting on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, scowling and scrolling his phone. When I entered the hall, he laid his phone. I looked at him and headed to the stairs, when his rough voice called out my name.

"Where were you?" Irritation crawled up my skin. He didn't give a shit about me before, why does he care now?

"Somewhere with a friend" I said without looking at him, clenching my bag as I heard footsteps behind me.

"Somewhere? Where exactly? Don't you think you should tell me before you wander in the streets with someone?"

I turned to him glaring as he stood so close to me, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "Why does it matter to you, Chris? You've been avoiding me for weeks. You barely acknowledge my existence and presence in this house unless it's absolutely necessary. Now suddenly why do you want to know where I've been?"

His jaw clenched at the tone of my voice. I didn't care if I pissed him off. His expression was unreadable, his eyes were burning fire as he glared back at me, I was sure that stare itself could burn upto a thousand degrees.

"I have every right to know where my wife is."

I scoffed. "Oh, now I'm your wife?" I retorted, unable to hide the bitterness in my voice. "Funny how you remember that only when it's convenient for you."

"Don't speak me to me in that tone" He warned me. I took a step back, my hand clenched the strap of my bag more tightly.

I squared my shoulders, refusing to back down. "Or what, Chris? What are you going to do? Ignore me some more?"

His nostrils flared, his patience clearly wearing thin. "You know what, Aria? This attitude of yours isn't helping."

"Oh, I'm sorry. So now my attitude is the problem?" I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe if you actually talked to me instead of treating me like a stranger, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Chris took a step closer, his voice low and controlled. "I've been trying to give you space, Aria. That's what we both needed."

"Space?" I scoffed again, my frustration reaching its peak. "Is that what you call it? Ignoring me? Avoiding any real conversation? That's not space, Chris. That's avoidance."

"I fucking told you not to have any expectations of me. This is who I am alright? If you find this behaviour annoying, you shouldn't have agreed to this in the first place" His voice was thick, filled with anger as he growled at me, I began shaking, trying to stop myself from falling down.

"I'm not having any expectations of you or of us. But just—" I sighed. Whatever I say wasn't gonna change his mind.

"But what sweetheart?" His head tilted, a mocking smirk playing on his face. I hated when he called me that when he didn't mean it.

"Stop calling me that" I said pointing my index finger at his chest. "And yes I did expect more," I continued, my voice gaining strength despite my shaky resolve.

"I expected us to at least try to make this work. To communicate. It's fine if you don't want to treat me like a wife in these walls but I thought at least we could be friends"

Chris's face hardened at my words, a mixture of frustration flickering in his eyes. He opened his mouth as if to respond, then closed it again, his jaw clenching visibly. The air around us felt heavy with unspoken tensions and unresolved feelings.

"I didn't agree to this marriage expecting a fairy tale," he finally said, his voice quieter now, but no less intense. "I thought we both understood what this was."

"I do understand," I replied, my voice steadier despite the storm of emotions raging inside me. "But understanding doesn't mean I have to accept being treated like I don't matter."

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair in a gesture of irritation. I had enough of his bullshit. I turned away from him and walked upstairs to my room. He grabbed my wrist but I twisted it off his grip, running to my room and shutting the door behind me.

Throwing my bag and phone onto my bed, I pulled my hair down from my ponytail and headed to the shower. The lukewarm water cascading down my body felt better. Like a hug.

I stood in the shower for good half an hour before coming out wrapped in my bathrobe, to find Chris SITTING on my bed.

What the fuck

"What are you doing here?" I snapped at him, keeping my voice calm yet mixed with irritation.

"Waiting for my wife to come out of the shower" He looked at me, a sly grin playing across as his eyes roamed my body. Water was still dripping down my hair and droplets sliding down my chest, his eyes were on my cleavage before it met mine again.

Why didn't I lock the god damn door

"It's rude to enter someone's room without permission" I stated firmly, my voice laced with annoyance as I tightened the belt of my bathrobe.

"Didn't need permission since this is my house" He said coolly.

"But it's my room. You assigned this to me, so I want you to respect my privacy"

He scoffed and met my gaze again, he got off the bed and walked to me, closing the distance between us slowly. I stood where I was, feeling exposed under his scrutiny. "Your room or not, I will do whatever I want. You live in my house"

His tone was smooth yet edged with arrogance, each word deliberate and cutting through the air with a sense of entitlement. My hands curled into fists, I knew arguing with him will only escalate the tension between us further.

"You might own this house," I retorted, trying to keep my voice steady despite the unease churning inside me, "but that doesn't mean you can disrespect boundaries."

Chris's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. "Boundaries?" he echoed, his voice low and dangerously calm. "You don't get to set the rules here, Aria. You're here because of the agreement, remember?"

His words stung, reminding me once again of the contractual nature of our marriage. It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that our relationship was based on anything but love or mutual respect.

"What do you want?" I asked, closing my eyes and turning away from him, having enough of his shit for the day.

"To fuck that little attitude out of you" Chris replied sharply, his voice cutting through the tension in the room like a knife. His words held a cold edge, filled with frustration and impatience.

Don't slap him. Don't slap him.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself before I turned back to face him. "My attitude is a direct result of your behavior, Chris. If you want it to change, maybe you should start treating me with respect."

He scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Respect is earned, Aria. And frankly, you haven't exactly made it easy."

I shook my head, disbelief and anger mingling in my voice. "You think I owe you respect after the way you've treated me? After all the times you've ignored me, dismissed me when I tried to talk to you, or made me feel like I'm nothing?"

Chris's expression hardened, his jaw tightening.

"This marriage was never about love. We both know that. You and I were both pressured by our families and here we are. It's a civil arrangement, and in a civil conversation respect is earned through cooperation."

"Only 335 days more of your bullshit and I'll be out of this hell" I walked away from him to my wardrobe, indicating that he should leave.

He laughed a cold laugh before he left my room saying,

"Can't wait for the day"

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

Thank you for reading!

xx,Ivyy

Next Chapter

[thiswasneverthat]

wednesday

ㅡ seven masterlist

❅ chan x fem!reader

❅ smut, fluff (I think), a little bit of jealousy issue, praising

❅ wc: 1.2k

A few days ago, your boyfriend decided to create an Instagram account on a whim, also perhaps sparked by sheer curiosity.

Despite not being one to value social interactions beyond family and closest friends, you found yourself amused by his impulsive decision. Nonetheless, you offered Chris your undivided support. You even helped him to pick a profile picture and username.

And it was no surprise for you to see many of his coworkers and college friends follow him on Instagram cause he had always been a popular guy, even in the past.

When he uploaded his very first post, which was some pictures from your holiday together a month ago, a lot of his friends left some nice commentsㅡ complimenting how stunning he looked in the pictures that you took.

"I see you're getting even more popular on Instagram," you teased him when he just got home from work.

"Can you blame me? I have been told so many times that I am irresistible," Chris answered with a smirk, which immediately had you rolling your eyes at him.

"Just go take a shower, Your Highness. You reek of rotten narcissism."

Chris only laughed at your snide comments before he leaned closer and pecked your lips. "I will be right back, milady."

While waiting for Chris to finish his business under the shower, you seized a can of beer from the fridge and sat down on the couch in the living room. You then turned on the TV and immediately scrolled through the screen to pick a movie.

As you both had planned since the morning, the two of you would be indulged in binge-watching while cuddling. You both even made a pact to switch off your phones so you wouldn't be disturbed for the entire night. 

However, a few moments later, Chris' phone which was placed on top of the drawer beside the couch flickered several times.

"Whoops, sorry but he is mine tonight," you murmured to yourself as you reached for the phone with the intention to turn it offㅡ before you instantly changed your mind the moment you saw the screen.

There were Instagram direct message notifications from someone with a name that was not familiar to you.

sent a photo.

sent a photo.

Are you busy? Do you want to hit the gym together?

And maybe we can also hang out at my place tonight?

Your heart dropped to your stomach after you read the messages.

Well.. maybe it was a little exaggerated to say that your heart dropped to your stomach because it was not physically possible, but the point was, you were simply shocked. 

Not because another girl just sent your boyfriend direct messages on Instagram, but because of the extremely straightforward audacity to flirt with Chris.

So, without thinking twice, you launched the Instagram app to see the pictures that she sent.

"Holy shit," you then hissed harshly, eyes as wide as a saucer.

Displayed on the screen were two pictures of a girl with long hair. She seemed to be in a gym studio and she was only wearing a sports bra that flaunt her cleavage and a biker short that accentuated her plump ass.

And as if your hands had minds on their own, you zoomed in the pictures to see her face clearly.

"Damn, she is so stunning," the words slipped out of your mouth without you realizing.

She was devilishly luscious. She had a demure yet alluring smile etched on her face, while the glint in her gaze seemed to possess a spellbinding intensity that left you momentarily speechless.

Your very teeny-weeny jealousy that was previously ignited by her messages then was quickly replaced by your insecurities. 

As much as it pained you to admit, but if Chris was to cheat on you with herㅡ which you highly doubted, you would still understand his decision. Hell, even if you were a man yourself, you would love to date her.

"Damn, I definitely should start working out again," you said to yourself while still staring at her pictures.

"Why? Why do you want to work out again?" Chris asked from the doorway. He frowned at you while drying his hair with a towel.

"Uh, it's because.."

"Hm? Because of what?"

You thought for a moment as your pursed your lips. You knew he wouldn't be mad at you just because you read his messages, but you couldn't help to feel bad because it was also a part of his personal space.

 "Well.. I didn't mean to, but I accidentally read your DM from Instagram and.."

"And what?" Chris asked casually, he didn't even react when you said you read his messages.

"Come here then. You need to see this."

Once Chris sat next to you on the couch, you handed him the phone and observed his face for his reaction.

"Oh, she is a coworker and she had always tried to approach me at the office but I never gave her any response that was beyond a professional relationship between coworkers," Chris clarified with a shrug, still couldn't grasp what you were trying to convey. 

"No, that's not what I mean, babe. I know you wouldn't do that."

"Then what?"

"Look at the pictures she sent you," you pointed to the screen with your finger. "Isn't she gorgeous? Look at her ass.. and even her boobs. I really need to work out again, I swear."

"Baby.." Chris was visibly stunned for a moment as he raised an eyebrow at you. "Have you seen yourself? At least in the mirror?"

"What..?"

"Tell me you are joking," he shook his head before he put his phone on the table and cupped your face with both of his hands. "Please, tell me you are joking."

"No, I am not," you answered seriouslyㅡ which caused Chris to break into a very wide smile.

"She got nothing on you, baby. You are unrivaled, don't you know that?"

"Liar," you snorted and rolled your eyes. You thought he only said that to make you feel better.

"Oh, you silly," still with a wide smile on his face, Chris leaned forward to playfully nibble on your lips. "But, I can help though if you want to work out."

Shortly after he had finished kissing, nibbling, and biting your lips, Chris carried you to the bed and pinned you underneath him. He trailed feathery kisses along the column of your neck to your shoulders.

"I have just the perfect workout routine for you," he whispered next to your ear as he caressed your tits through your shirt.

And.. Long gone was your insecurity.

When he started to undress you, all you could think about was him.

"You are so beautiful and my heart is aching," Chris said against your skin before he latched his mouth on your nipple. He took his time to suck and lick your tits, leaving reddish marks all over your chest.

"You are the prettiest and you are mine," he continued with a smirk as he buried his face between your legs. He teasingly nuzzled the bridge of his nose against your folds before he spoiled your dripping cunt with wet kisses and delicate touches of his skillful fingers.

"I love you, baby. So, so fucking much," those words escaped his mouth as he glanced up to lock his eyes with you while rubbing your swollen clit with his thumb. "The only workout you need is this. Got it?" 

[bloodsoakedbuckley]

Snippet of my Chris leaves and then Eddie falls apart and into Buck fic anyone? maybe this way I'll actually finish it.

"Nothing Left to Lose"

The door clicks shut, an echoing finality, and with it, all the air is sucked out of the room, siphoned straight out of his lungs, suffocating, collapsing his chest inwards. Now, there is just him, somehow still standing, a wall erected large and undeniable between him and his heart, his reason for being, his soul. It's solid and impenetrable and suddenly, without warning, the tether holding him to the earth snaps, leaving a phantom pain stinging his skin where it snaps back against him, punishing and hot. He is raw, exposed, without purpose, without meaning. Every nerve in his body lights up at once, so overwhelming and all consuming, he thinks he should be bursting into flames— if he could think. If his brain wasn’t awash with grief and anger and pain so acute, there was nothing, except mind-numbing, empty cold. There are tears forming, building waves behind his eyes, and Eddie knows they should fall, he should let them drown him in his mistakes, but they stay stuck. The swell holds back at its peak. He doesn’t deserve the release; the catharsis of the crash. Everything he feels is steeped in shame and regret. He is lost in it; the gaping hole in his chest swallowing anything else. He is only reminded that he is still alive, still breathing and alert, because Buck’s hand sits against his shoulder, thumb stroking lightly, up and down with steady, warm pressure, keeping him upright. Guilt claws its way out of the depths as he remembers. Buck had come when Eddie called, no questions, no hesitation, ready to fix what he had broken. Except, it was beyond repair; that was the truth staring him in the face. He had failed. The worst part being that there was no one to blame but himself. Buck tried his best, he always did, fighting tooth and nail to hold Eddie together when he crumbled. But, it wasn’t enough. He’d fucked up one too many times, and now, he couldn’t see a way out. Christopher was gone, and with him went Eddie’s hope. Time slows, thick and restricting, and he hears Buck’s voice, as if underwater, muffled, distant, calling his name. The way he says it, always more than just a name. It rolls off his tongue, easy and familiar, usually filling Eddie with a sense that he is seen, that he is known. On a normal day, Eddie’s heart jumps at the sound of it. However, here, now, in the wake of what he’s done, he hears the way it forms on his lips and he just feels anger. Buck is speaking to him, looking at him, (when had Eddie turned around? ), his expression dripping with pity and understanding. His eyes are wide, wet and revealing, and Eddie can see forgiveness there. It makes him sick. Doesn’t Buck know that he doesn’t deserve it, the belief in his goodness? He’s never deserved it. If Buck can say his name like that, and look into his eyes, down to the very core of him, shouldn’t he know the depths of his irredeemability? Shouldn’t he know the hurt that Eddie is capable of inflicting? The pain that he has wrought? Rage bubbles up to take the place of guilt. “Get out.” The command escapes him, loudly, and despite the tremble that has started to flow through his whole body, his voice is steady. He watches the shock pass across Buck’s face, the betrayal wrinkling his brow and widening his nostrils. “What are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere, Eddie.” The gentle tone has him wavering. There is less force behind it when he repeats the sentiment: “I said, leave.” Buck’s eyes are achingly blue through a bloom of glistening tears and Eddie resents the love that he can see underneath, unrelenting. Like a lap dog kicked in the face, who just keeps coming back for more, he tucks his tail between his legs, and he doesn’t move, he stares Eddie down. “No.”

[lemotmo]

911 episode 7x09

Okay, I watched it.

I'm in pain. I can't stop sobbing.

What the F!?

THE PAIN!!!!!!!!!! The drama!!!!

All right, so let's see. Here are my thoughts in no particular order:

Bobby. Do not kill Bobby, I swear! If they kill him I will riot.

Athena asking Amir to talk to Bobby was such a bad idea. For all that this woman knows how to read body language, she should also understand that Amir lost everything because of Bobby. You can't ask a man who lost so much to talk to the man who caused it. He may be forgiving, but there's a limit to what a person can take.

Did Amir set the fire? I wonder. They made it seem like that, for sure. But I'm not sure if he really caused it. I hope not.

Also, that sequence with the song and Bobby going around, talking to everyone? Sobbing mess I tell you. But Bobby, giving Eddie a Bible? What are you thinking? The man is already a vat of Catholic guilt as it is. He doesn't need the Bible. He needs therapy. Give him Frank's telephone number. I think he has lost it.

Henren and Mara. Man, that Ortiz woman is brutal. But once again, just like with Amir, she is acting out of pain. We, as the audience, know that you can't just ruin the life of a young girl like that. But this woman lost her son and she's obviously filled with pain and anger and it's all pointed at Hen. What she is doing is wrong, but from her point of view it is the right thing to do.

Poor Mara though. And Denny hitting that guy. I'm just... no. Get that girl back to them Tim! I swear!

Eddie. Eddie, Eddie, Eddie... my love, what are you doing? This is soooo weird. At least he hasn't kissed her. That's something.

Buck meeting Kim was perfect. Once again Eddie and Buck's storylines collide. I loved their talk in the kitchen. That kitchen has seen some interesting Buddie stuff. I like how Buck expressed his concern and how Eddie admits that he is worried about his own sanity as well. He knows that what he is doing is wrong, but he doesn't know how to stop it.

I love how Buck talking to him and Kim showing up at the fire station, moved Eddie into gear to talk to Kim and tell her the truth. I'm so happy that he told her, because I was afraid she would find out in some other way and that would have been so much worse.

But what on Earth is Kim doing? I'm sorry, but that is some level of batshit insane. She is dressing and acting like Shannon to help Eddie release his emotions? That is so wrong and so weird. I would be out of there forever if I was in that situation. For a minute I thought he was dreaming and then they started talking. I'm glad it doesn't seem to be anything romantic or sexual though. It was literally a conversation to 'help' him move on.

Well, at least Eddie got to say what he needed to say to 'Shannon'. If this level of batshit insanity is what he needs to push the refresh button, then sure... why not?

And then of course Marisol and Chris walk in on them. The plot only thickens.

Poor Chris. This isn't going to end well. Hasn't that boy been through enough? He might just end up living with Eddie's parents for the Summer after all. Not in a 'We're taking that boy away from you' type of way. But more a 'The man needs some time to sort out his shit' type of way.

Marisol is bones, because no way she'll stick around. I don't know what Kim was doing, but she obviously has to go too. This isn't a way to live for Eddie. He needs to move on from Shannon.

Captain Gerrard being there? Oh, they are definitely going to make him the new Captain of the 118 in the finale. I can smell it. The firefam will be seperated for sure. Scattered accross different houses. Chim might be the only one left behind at the 118, having to deal with Gerrard again.

That's why Eddie will feel isolated. He'll be alone, no Chris, no firefam, no Buck to lean on because they'll have different shifts and hours. So they'll see less of each other.

As for Buck and Tommy? I'm not sure what to say here. They were kind of a non-issue in this episode. I think it's clear at this point that Tommy is a narrative foil and not some kind of great love for Buck. He is just there when he needs to be in Buck's storyline. Bobby telling Buck that Tommy is good for him harkens back to Abby as well, how he told him to step into it with Abby. Look how that ended. Not just that, it's the way it was just a throw-away line. He was trying to say goodbye and make amends, leave them all in a good place. And from what Bobby has seen so far, Tommy seems to be a good guy. It wasn't even as deep as the Abby talk and Buck didn't really care one way or the other.

Buck basically started the season in the locker room telling Eddie he had broken up with Nathalia and was single again. Now he's in the locker room in the penultimate episode and he's in a relationship again. Waaay too soon once again. He rolled into another relationship without having to make too much of an effort. Another person he met on a call, a firefighter sure, but they still met on a call. That hamster wheel keeps on turning. When will it end?

RIP to the Buck in the locker room sunset scene though. We had some great Buddie speculations for that, but alas it was just a capture that Tim liked because it looked artsy. So he posted it.

Buck and Eddie were in each other's orbit so much during this episode. They showed them cooking together, playing pool together, the kitchen scene... Eddie needs to work through a lot of shit and Buck is navigating his new relationship, but ultimately? I'm sorry, but they all but hung up a great big neon-sign that said: 'ALL OF THIS IS SOME DAY LEADING TO BUDDIE. BE PATIENT!'

Also, Lou said he isn't even in 7x10 right? If that is true... yeah, they aren't going to last long. How funny would it be if they gave BT the Bucktalia break up during hiatus?

Conclusion: What a great episode. I loved it all. They made weird choices this season though. The Shannon look-a-like is telenovella kinds of drama. But I'll take it in stride if it means it will help Eddie to move on. Bobby? Oh Bobby... I hope this scare with his own mortality will make him realise how much he needs to live for himself and his family. Henren just can't catch a break, can they? Give that child to them please! Do it next week too! I cannot wait months to see how this ends. I need that child to be happy with the Wilsons. The only people thriving right now are Madney. Good for them.

[inawickedlittletown]

And I've Been A Fool and I've Been Blind

Notes: And I am back with another fic. I was really interested in exploring Eddie's perspective a little because I couldn't get it out of my head what Buck's phone call to Eddie would be like with Buck still in the midst of discovering himself and so this happened.

Title from Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine.

Summary: Looking back at the last two weeks made Eddie feel bad. It’s not that he hadn’t noticed Buck acting a little strange, it was just that Buck was Buck and he wasn’t normal about things and sometimes it was better to just let it play out.

-

Or Eddie's pov after the basketball game and the days and weeks that follow while oblivious to Buck and Tommy dating.

Pairing: pre-Buck/Eddie, Buck/Tommy, Eddie/Marisol

Words: 3,977

On Ao3

-

Looking back at the last two weeks made Eddie feel bad. It’s not that he hadn’t noticed Buck acting a little strange, it was just that Buck was Buck and he wasn’t normal about things and sometimes it was better to just let it play out. 

Not to mention that Eddie had just been excited about hanging out with Tommy. He couldn’t remember ever finding someone that he had so much in common with before. Buck was his best friend and there was no denying how well they got on, but with Tommy it was about all the things that Buck didn’t understand. It was almost like back with his friends from the army, but even more. 

On the ship, he and Tommy had gotten to talking and Tommy had been in the army like Eddie and he was into MMA fighting. It hadn’t taken very long for them to make plans, first a night out for drinks and then Tommy was hooking him up with a ticket to a fight in Vegas. They did muay thai together one afternoon and when Eddie asked him about a pick-up basketball game, Tommy was excited about it. At some point they even got to talking about cars. They just clicked and Eddie hadn’t had a friend like this in ages. 

Maybe he hadn’t realized just how much time Tommy was monopolizing. It was just that after Eddie called him up and they went to Vegas, they just kept texting and calling and making plans and Eddie couldn’t say no. Even Marisol had been a little annoyed after Eddie had called her for a third time with the intent of asking her to babysit so he could go out with Tommy. He should have realized sooner. Maybe included Buck. 

Selfishly, though, Eddie had wanted to hang out with Tommy on his own. Maybe that made him a bad friend. He definitely should have known something was up when Buck showed up for the basketball game. It was just that he’d been a little annoyed when Chim claimed to have convinced Buck to go when Buck always turned him down. 

So, in some ways he only had himself to blame. His ankle had been the final victim. 

At the moment his leg was elevated, wrapped up to minimize movement and the ice pack was off it. Eddie had chosen his couch as the place to be for the time being. It was a minor sprain and he’d be good to go back to work in a couple of days. Bobby had pushed for Monday so Eddie got a bit more rest and Eddie didn’t argue. 

Tommy made sure he had everything he could need. His pain meds, snacks, even a blanket. He’d even helped Chris out with some math homework. 

“I think I’m to blame for all of this,” Tommy said as he set down a few water bottles on the coffee table. “I think I came between the two of you.” 

Eddie was quick to shake his head. “No. No. It’s on me. I should have known something was up when he showed up to basketball. He’s not a fan.” 

“No?” Tommy asked. “I just thought he was a sore loser.” 

“Well that too,” Eddie said with a chuckle. “But no, it’s just Buck. I don’t think he’s learned how to share yet. I’m surprised he didn’t show up here or call, actually.”

“I kinda jumped in to take you to urgent care,” Tommy said. “Maybe I am the problem.” 

“You’re not,” Eddie said. “I just have to learn to manage my time right.” 

Tommy nodded, lips pressed together. “He probably hates me now.” 

“That’s not Buck. He couldn’t hate anyone if he tried.” 

He saw Tommy take a glance at his phone. “You know what, I can’t go to work without trying to fix this. I have just enough time. Text me his address. I’ll go talk to him and give him an update on the patient.” 

Eddie watched him go. He wondered if he should give Buck a call as a warning, but he decided against it. Buck would have called if he wanted to hear from Eddie. Maybe it was better to let Tommy and Buck talk it out first.  

—

When Buck called, it was almost midnight. Eddie had made it off the couch to the bathroom and then into bed. His ankle twinged a bit from all the movement, but the pain meds were still working and he had his next dosage ready to take him through the night. A part of him regretted not asking Marisol to come over and help him out, but maybe a part of him had been hoping that Buck would show up and hadn’t wanted her around if that did happen. 

“He calls,” Eddie said. 

Buck let out a weak chuckle. “Yeah,” he said, “look, Eddie, I’m sorry. I was…well, I was behaving horribly.” 

“You don’t say,” Eddie said and let that linger. “I’m sorry, too, Buck. I didn’t even realize how left out you were feeling.”  

“I could have said something,” Buck said. “How’s your ankle? I really do feel bad about that.” 

“It’s gonna put me off trying to get you to go to basketball. Just a sprain, Buck. I’ll be back to work in no time.”

“Good. That’s good,” Buck said. “I’m glad it wasn’t anything worse.” 

“Oh, hey, did Tommy catch you? He said he was gonna stop by to clear the air. He felt really bad.”

“Um,” Buck said and then, “yeah…he was here.” 

Buck sounded a little weird. Was it because Tommy had showed up unexpectedly? Should Eddie have warned him it was going to happen? He had thought that Buck liked Tommy well enough, but maybe this whole thing had made Buck want nothing to do with Tommy instead and that was a shame because he knew for a fact that they would get along. 

“Did it go okay?” Eddie asked. 

Buck coughed. “Yeah…yeah, it went…it went fine. Tommy’s great. I really — he’s going to give me flying lessons.” 

“Oh. Okay. Good,” Eddie said, even while trying to figure out why Buck was stuttering a little and talking too fast all at once. “He really is a good guy, you know?” 

“I know,” Buck said. “Look, I should get to bed. One of us has a shift tomorrow morning.”

“Sure,” Eddie said and before he could ask if Buck wanted to hang out after his shift, Buck had already hung up. 

Putting his phone on his bedside table, Eddie leaned back against his pillow. That had been strange, right? It wasn’t that he and Buck talked on the phone a lot — they saw each other in person too often for them to call each other. Sometimes they texted, but that was usually Buck sending him random facts or memes. Except that they hadn’t seen each other outside of work for two weeks and there was plenty they had probably missed in each other’s lives. 

Eddie let out a sigh. He took his medication and settled himself into a comfortable position. He’d call or text Buck in the morning. 

—

He spent most of his day in the living room. Carla had made her appearance to take Christopher to school, and then returned to help Eddie despite his protests that he could walk. She didn’t want to hear any of it, and Eddie decided to stop complaining. 

He heard from Marisol around lunch time and because he felt bad about not seeing her and putting her off coming over, he asked if she wanted to get dinner on Saturday. She readily agreed.

Tommy called a little after. “How’s the ankle?” 

“Alright.”

“And Buck called you? He thought you were mad about the whole thing.” 

Eddie allowed himself a smile. “He did. I think we’re good.” 

“Good. Well, I just wanted to check in. I’ll talk to you soon, Eddie.” 

And then he was gone. Eddie dropped his phone on his chest. He picked it up again when he remembered that he’d meant to text Buck. 

Hey, you want to come over after work? Video games and pizza? 

Buck didn’t respond, but Eddie didn’t expect him to unless there was some downtime at the firehouse. He busied himself for a while trying to find something to watch, finally landing on that lawyer show from years ago that had blown up. By the time that Christopher was home, Eddie was a few episodes in and he was oddly compelled to keep watching. 

Sorry. I made plans with Maddie earlier. Another time. 

Eddie felt disappointed. A part of him couldn’t help but think about how often Buck had probably felt like that while Eddie was busy with Tommy. 

—

Marisol looked beautiful. It wasn’t what had attracted Eddie to her, as much as how after seeing her in the hardware store he’d felt like seeing her again. There hadn’t been anyone that caught his attention like that in a while. It was easy going, their relationship. Not casual, or anything, but not exactly serious either. The pacing was everything that Eddie needed, it was entirely unlike his relationship with Ana. He liked what they had and maybe it wasn’t forever, but it was enough. 

Marisol stood next to him as the hostess grabbed menus to show them to their table. They hadn’t made it too far, when Eddie spotted a familiar face. 

“Tommy! Hey!” 

Tommy threw him a large smile. “Hey!” 

Eddie and Marisol approached the table, just as Eddie realized who was with Tommy. “Buck! You guys are here together!” 

Buck looked startled. Tommy smiled easily. 

“Figured it was time we hung out,” Tommy said. 

“Uh. Yeah,” Buck offered, but he didn’t look at Eddie. 

“Well, we can join you guys,” Eddie said. “It’ll be fun.” 

“Eddie, I don’t think—” Marisol began. 

“No, no, it’s fine. I’m just so glad to see the two of you together. And you can meet Tommy properly.” 

Eddie had to move the table over on his own, neither Tommy or Buck standing to help him while Marisol watched and the hostess moved a chair. Eddie wound up sitting next to Tommy with Marisol across from him. He smiled at her and she smiled back. 

“Tommy, this is Marisol.”

“Ah, yes, the girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you, and I should apologize for taking up so much of Eddie’s time.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Marisol said. 

“I’m going to the bathroom,” Buck announced, standing up so quickly he almost knocked over his chair. 

“Is he okay?” Marisol asked. “Seems kinda jumpy.” 

Eddie was putting the behavior off the feeling awkward about not inviting Eddie along to hanging out with Tommy after how the last two weeks had gone. Tommy, however, stood up. 

“I’m gonna check on him,” he said. 

That, however, felt weird. Except that it was the type of guy that Tommy was. He was nice and he cared. Maybe Eddie should have been the one to go after Buck, but Eddie wouldn’t have thought to do that. He would have let Buck have his moment. 

Buck and Tommy were gone so long that Eddie and Marisol managed to look at their menus and put in their orders. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t have asked to join them,” Marisol said.

Eddie shook his head. “What are you talking about?” 

“I don’t know, I just don’t think Buck was happy to see us. Maybe we’re interrupting something.” 

She said “us”, but Eddie thought she actually meant “you”. That wasn’t possible, though, Buck was always glad to see him, wasn’t he? Except that since he’d gotten injured, Eddie hadn’t seen Buck and the one phone call had been kept short and then he hadn’t wanted to hang out with Eddie the next night. 

“I think it’s fine,” Eddie said. 

Buck and Tommy came back together. They were talking as they walked back to the table and Buck was smiling as Tommy said something, breaking into a laugh. 

“Sorry we were gone so long,” Tommy said. 

“We ran into Lucy,” Buck added as he sat down. 

“She’s jealous I got to fly you guys out to save Bobby and Athena,” Tommy said. 

“I’m glad it was you,” Buck said. “Fake mouth statics and all.” 

Tommy’s grin was wide and he stared at Buck for a long moment. Eddie watched them as their eye contact finally broke and Buck quickly grabbed his beer and drank a large gulp. His cheeks were tinged pink. 

“How’s the ankle doing?” Tommy asked, facing Eddie.

“Good. I’ll be back at work on Monday. Has it been alright without me?”

Buck shrugged. “Nothing crazy.” 

“Personally I think everything you guys do is a bit crazy,” Marisol said. 

When his and Marisol’s food came, the same waitress took Buck and Tommy’s empty plates. Clearing the table and leaving a dessert menu behind. 

“Did you want anything, Evan?” Tommy asked Buck. 

“Ah. No. I’m — I think I’m good.” 

“Alright. But I think I want some tiramisu for later.”

Buck smiled in Tommy’s direction, and then turned to Eddie and Marisol. 

“Hey, who’s watching Christopher tonight?” Buck asked. 

“He’s actually at a sleepover,” Eddie said. 

The more his kid grew up and the more independent he became, the less time that he spent at home or that he needed Eddie. In some ways, he was glad that his son was getting to be so well adjusted. Sometimes he did miss when Christopher was younger, and yet there was a lot to be said about watching him grow up. 

“Did Eddie tell you I had to talk to Christopher about his dating life,” Buck said to Tommy.

Tommy shook his head. “No. That’s hilarious. Eddie, you couldn’t handle it yourself?” 

Marisol giggled. “Well, Chris had a video game date and then later, Eddie caught him facetiming a different girl.” 

“What?” Tommy asked with a grin. 

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “What was it…he was texting five different girls. I figured with Buck’s past, he’d handle it better.”

“Evan’s past?” Tommy asked, eyebrows raised. 

Buck’s eyes widened. “Oh. I…I guess back in the day I—”

The waitress interrupted and Buck jumped at ordering Tommy’s tiramisu and then asking for the check. 

“Well I just thought Buck had more experience in that department,” Eddie said. “I got married right out of high school and between the army and Christopher it’s not like I really dated or anything.”

“Ah,” Tommy said and then looking to Buck, “well, I’m sure you gave good advice.” 

When the check arrived, Tommy reached for it first, but Buck tried to grab it instead. 

“I’m the one that owed you a beer,” Buck said. 

“This was more than a beer, Evan.” 

“But—”

They had a kind of stare down, until Buck relented, but Eddie thought that he was pleased. 

Eddie had the thought that when he and Tommy had hung out they had split everything. Same with any time Buck and Eddie had dinner or lunch together. He watched Tommy stick his credit card in the slot. It didn’t take long for the waitress to come back to pick it up and when she returned it was with a small take out bag handed to Buck.

“Well, I think Evan and I are heading out,” Tommy said. 

Eddie almost wanted to protest and keep them there a bit longer. 

Buck nodded and he was on his feet pretty quickly. “Nice to see you again,” Buck said to Marisol. “See you on Monday, Eddie.” 

“Bye, Eddie, we’ll hang soon,” Tommy said, lifting his first for Eddie to pound and giving a nod to Marisol. 

They didn’t wait for a response. Buck walked in front of Tommy and Eddie couldn’t help but notice that Tommy pressed a hand to Buck’s shoulder and that his hand then fell down to the small of Buck’s back. And then Buck turned his face, smiled at Tommy and they continued to the door. 

“Was Buck acting a little off?” Eddie asked. 

Marisol shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, Eddie.”

He had been. Eddie was sure of it. 

—

On Monday, he arrived at the station just in time to see Hen throw her arms around Buck. The hug didn’t last long and after a pat on the cheek, Hen left Buck where he was standing. Buck looked after her with a starstruck look and a slow smile that grew into place.

“What was that about?” Eddie asked. 

Buck’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped open, smile disappearing. “Oh, um, nothing.” 

Eddie didn’t press. If it was something, Buck would tell him. He did catch Hen and Buck talking again. At one point, it also looked like Buck and Bobby were having a serious conversation. It felt weird to not be in the loop. 

Things fell back into normalcy, though. Buck was still right there next to him for every call. Bobby called the shots while the rest of them listened. If Buck sometimes pulled out his phone to send a text and he had a strange look whenever a text came through, that was his business. 

“You doing anything after work tonight?” Eddie asked a few hours before their shift ended. 

“Actually, yes,” Buck said. “Tommy was talking about this exhibit and I said I’d go with him.”

“Oh,” Eddie said. 

He waited for Buck to ask him to go along, but that didn’t happen. And that was unusual for Buck. Buck always invited him along to things, unless his plans happened to be a date and this wasn’t that. 

“We can hang out tomorrow,” Buck offered. 

“Sure,” Eddie said even though it meant he’d have to move plans with Marisol. He hoped she wouldn’t mind. 

—

The next day, Eddie arrived at the station just in time to see Buck get out of Tommy’s car. 

“Something wrong with the Jeep?” Eddie asked as he approached. 

“No,” Buck said and he looked a little nervous. “Just…I was with Tommy and it was faster if he dropped me off here.” 

There was something that Eddie was missing and as Buck walked away, Eddie felt like he needed to get to the bottom of it. For the rest of the day, he watched Buck closely. He didn’t act like anything was different, instead he seemed lighter. Happier. He was still texting and laughing a lot. 

At the end of their shift, Buck got into Eddie’s car. He was sending a text, but turned to Eddie. 

“Should I order food?” 

Everything seemed normal. Buck called in their usual pizza order. They stopped to pick up some beer. By the time they were settled on Eddie’s couch, Christopher joining them, it felt like everything was normal. The only abnormal thing was how often Buck got a text. 

“Who are you texting so much?”

“It’s…it’s Tommy.” 

“Oh,” Eddie said, but noticed afterwards that the frequency of the texts stopped. 

But when Eddie offered to drive Buck home, Buck shook his head. “My car’s at Tommy’s apartment so he said he’d pick me up so I could get it.”

“You guys are spending a lot of time together,” Eddie said. 

“He’s a cool guy,” Buck said. 

“I’m aware. We should all hang out soon.”

“Yeah. Definitely.”

“Not basketball,” Eddie added.

Buck laughed. 

—

It took another week for things to get stranger. There was the day that Tommy showed up at the 118, sticking around for lunch and sitting next to Buck, the two of them seeming way closer than Eddie had expected and talking about a movie they’d caught and how Buck was horrible at Karaoke. How at one point, Hen had pulled Tommy off to the side and they had come back smiling. And then Buck walked him down and out of the firehouse when he was headed out and didn’t come back for almost ten minutes. Twice more, Tommy dropped Buck off at work. One of those times, he also picked him up. 

The week after that, Eddie finally found a night for the three of them to go out for some drinks. Eddie found himself on his own at one side of the table, watching Buck and Tommy with their shoulders pressed together. Tommy’s arm had wound up behind Buck’s chair at one point and Buck just leaned back without question. It was the night Eddie realized they were spending a whole lot more time together than he realized. That they even had inside jokes. 

Buck had replaced him with Tommy as his best friend and that night when he got home, a little buzzed from the shots and beer they’d drunk, he found himself hating Tommy…except that he really couldn’t. 

Then, it came to a head, the night that he and Christopher headed over to Buck’s for pizza and video games. When Buck answered the door, he was just shrugging on his t-shirt and as he and Chris headed in, Buck’s bathroom opened and Tommy stepped out. 

“If it isn’t the coolest kid,” Tommy said with a grin directed at Christopher. 

The two of them had met all of twice, but Chris was very much a fan of Tommy. 

“I didn’t know Tommy was gonna be here,” Eddie said. 

“Oh, I’m heading out. I got a shift.”

Eddie was weirded out by how pleased he was that Tommy wasn’t sticking around. He’d actually just seen Tommy the day before and everything was fine between them, it was just that the three of them together somehow always ended up being TommyandBuck with Eddie as some kind of third wheel. It was strange and didn’t make sense. 

“I’ll walk you out,” Buck said. 

It seemed unnecessary to Eddie, but Buck walked Tommy to the door and the two of them stepped out. Buck returned several minutes later, smiling a bit. Eddie couldn’t help but stare at him. Something was definitely different. 

“What?” Buck asked. 

“I should be asking you that.” 

Buck’s shoulders drooped. “Yeah, okay. There is…I’m…that is…”

Buck was nervous. He was rubbing his neck and not looking right at Eddie. 

“Whatever it is, Buck, you can tell me.” 

Buck did that thing when he was unsure, laughing a bit breathy. “I thought out of everyone, you’d just figure it out. That I wouldn’t have to say it.”

“Say what?” Eddie asked. 

“Tommy and I are dating. I’m bisexual, Eddie.”

Eddie’s entire world changed. 

“The other night,” he said, “that was…that was a date.” 

“Yeah.” 

Buck’s behavior, the way that he and Tommy were spending all their time together. Tommy driving Buck to work. Tommy picking up Buck from Eddie’s. Tommy at Buck’s apartment. The inside jokes. The change in Buck’s demeanor. All of it was adding up and Buck was staring at him, biting his lip. Eddie reached out to him, hands landing on Buck’s shoulders. 

“I’m happy for you, Buck. You know this doesn’t change anything, right?” 

Buck let out a breath. “Right.” 

Internally, Eddie didn’t know what to do with the information. Buck was bi. He was into men. He and Tommy were dating. He could settle on being supportive, he could settle on showing Buck how nothing changed between them because of it. Later, he would deal with his own confusing feelings because while Buck looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Eddie felt like he’d been saddled with it. 

“Come on, video games?” Eddie asked and he hoped his voice didn’t sound strange. 

Buck smiled. “I’ll get us a couple of beers.” 

As he walked to Buck’s living room, aware that Christopher had already turned everything on, he tried his best to act normal. He didn’t know if Buck wanted to discuss it and he didn’t want to cross any lines. This was all just new. It was different. Eddie would get used to it. He had to. 

[ash5monster01]

Truths of Our Past Part 1

Pairing: Older!Charlie Dalton x FemReader

Warnings: mentions of suicide, depression, depressing thoughts, past trauma, facing trauma, romance, understanding, fluff.

Summary: You had met Charlie in University, were married shortly after, and had become accustomed to a beautiful life together. When you receive a wedding invitation to one of Charlie’s previous classmates weddings you discover that Charlie had a dark past, one he had been trying to forget. In the midst of it all you try to help him through it while finding out that he’s not the guy you thought you married at all. Maybe he’s even better.

word count: 2.6k

Intro ←→ Part 2

Masterlist

10/3/69

Day 1/8

You loved the drive to Vermont. You and Charlie did it at least two times a year and it had never gotten any less beautiful. There was something magical about the scenery turning from giant skyscrapers to deep forests. You always told Charlie it was so romantic, poetic, and all he could ever do is smile at you when you said it. You knew he was uneasy, like always, but a small part of him was still comforted by it. The sad thing about reminiscing was it always held the good with the bad. So every time you made a trip out here you made sure it held more good because even if it didn’t erase the pain maybe it could somehow make it less.

"Recite me something darling" you asked sweetly, sliding across the front seat of the car to be pressed against his warm side. Charlie smiled as his hand curled in your own, resting on the plaid of your skirt.

"What do you want to hear?" he asked as you flew down the country roads, orange leaves spiralling up behind you. You loved the countryside. Especially in the Fall, it was so much more magical.

"Something about the season, how everything is so pretty this time of year" you told him, head coming to rest on his shoulder. You felt his lips brush softly against your forehead.

"O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.”

You hummed in contentment as he recited this to you, the golden sun kissing the tops of the trees as you reached the town of your destination. The beauty of it painted exactly like the poem.

"Robert Frost, how lovely" you told your husband and a small laugh fell from him as he took the familar route to Knox and Chris' large white house on the edge of town, miles of field behind them.

"I love that you know old dead poets" he told you, shifting the car into park, and you leaned your head up to smile at him.

"I love that I married a dead poet" you told him earnestly and his lips met yours in a soft kiss. You only pulled away when you heard the screen door on the porch slam shut. That could only mean one thing. Charlie was out of the car in an instant, helping you out beside him as the six year olds feet thumped fastly against the hard ground.

"Johnny!" your husband bellowed as he squatted down to meet the height of the small brunette boy.

"Uncle Charlie" the boy was squealing right back before launching into his embrace. You laughed as he lifted the boy to his feet, spinning him around and tossing him into the air.

"Careful Charles!" Chris was already calling from the front porch and you snickered lightly at the fact he was already in trouble. It had only been a minute.

"Sorry little man but your Mom would not hesitate to suffocate me in my sleep if you get hurt" Charlie said as he placed the boy down to the ground but the six year old didn’t care before he was already barreling over to you and wrapping his small arms around your legs.

"Hey kiddo" you said, hand ruffling through his hair and he smiled up at you.

"Aunt Y/N! Do you want to see my new toys?" he asked sweetly and your heart instantly melted.

"Of course I do" and then you were holding hands with the six year old and walking forward towards your husband. Johnny reached for Charlies hand as well and you were both swinging the small boy between you as you moved the rest of the way to the porch.

"I hope the drive went okay" Chris said once you were up the short three steps and you smiled, letting go of Johnny to give her a hug.

"Beautiful as always, Charlie recited a poem for me" you grinned and Chris chuckled as she looked to the boy, his hair shorter than the last time she saw him.

"Our boys, such charmers" she grinned and Charlie was leaning over, pressing a sweet kiss to Chris' cheek.

"You tease but I recall a poem or two that Knox wrote you and won you over" Charlie said and she just laughed at the fond memories as Johnny curled his hand back in your own, tugging you towards the house.

"Knox is inside finishing up some work, save him Charlie I beg" Chris said, putting her hands together to convey her seriousness and Charlie chuckled as he let himself into the home and made his way to the study. You and Chris followed Johnny to the living room where he did indeed show you all of his new toys.

"Hey Mr. Lawyer man, work is over" Charlie’s hands clapped down on the shoulders of the boy who sat hunched over his desk, pencil danglng from his lip.

"Charlie, you made it" Knox was turning with a wide smile, meeting Charlie in a hug. No longer concerned about the extra work he needed to get done in his week off for the wedding.

“Yeah well, Todd is getting married and I had to come check for myself that it was actually happening” Charlie said and Knox laughed, reaching to tug his tie loose.

“Yeah, it’s shocking honestly but we’re happy for him” Knox responded, shuffling over to the bar cart and pouring out two scotches for them.

“I hope me and Y/N aren’t intruding. Todd did offer a room if we needed” Charlie said as Knox handed him the crystal glass half full of amber liquid.

“Nonsense, we all want you here. Chris and Johnny would’ve had me hung if I didn’t offer it to you first” Knox said before taking a sip from the glass.

“Either way it’s good to see you, good to be back in Vermont” Charlie said but Knox didn’t miss the way his eyes nervously darted around the study, a shaky hand reaching the crystal to his lips.

“Since when did you start telling me half truths?” Knox asked and Charlie sighed, dragging a hand down his face, gold wedding band glinting from the desk lamp.

“Sorry, it’s just. It’s Vermont, I wasn’t given much choice in leaving and I didn’t have much control of what happened either” Charlie said and Knox gave him a tight lipped smile, hand falling on his shoulder.

“I know, you get used to it though. Take the week and you might find it’s not as hard anymore” Knox said, him and Todd being the only ones to stay in the neighborhood but that was mainly because of family. Charlie stayed in the city after attending Columbia and Meeks and Pitts had an apartment together somewhere in Boston.

“I heard Chris wants Johnathon to be a Welton blazer boy” Charlie said, directing the conversation in a different route.

“She suggested it. I’ve been considering. It’s tough because I know Welton is the better school for him and he’s crazy smart for a kid, but when I start thinking about all these successful things I want for him I worry I’m turning into my own parents. Forcing a kid to conform who just wants to enjoy life the way it is” Knox explained and Charlie nodded knowing exactly what he had meant. Getting older made you realize you didn’t give your parents the benefit of the doubt at the time. Maybe they really truly wanted what was best for you and not just them.

“Listen, as the guy who did not survive Welton maybe give it a shot. I heard that old bag Nolan isn’t in charge anymore and maybe you can attend classes, see the curriculum, determine if they’ve changed the last ten years” Charlie offered a suggestion and Knox’s eyebrows rose.

“I’m surprised Charles, you hated Hellton more than the rest of us” Knox exclaimed and Charlie just shrugged, sipping more of the scotch that made his insides buzz.

“If anyone can be different Knox it would be you. You wouldn’t force him to do anything, if he said he didn’t want to go to Welton anymore you’d let him leave in an instant. You’d actually have him come home on weekends and for holidays. It wouldn’t be like how it was for us” Charlie said reminiscing one too many lonely winters where his parents had yet again sent a gift instead of bringing him home for Christmas.

“I know, which is why I think we might enroll him next Fall” Knox said and Charlie gave him a smile.

“At least you can trust he’ll make good friends” Charlie told him and Knox realized he had agreed with his decision. It was possible Welton wasn’t a soul crushing machine anymore.

“Lifelong friends at that” Knox told him before clinking his glass with his own.

“Boys, dinner!” Chris called for them and Knox gave Charlie a grin before finishing his drink and heading for the door.

“Let’s go Nuwanda, Chris made meatloaf” Charlie was chuckling at his friend, finishing his own scotch before following him out the door.

Vermont made Charlie feel uneasy of course but the five of you sitting at the dinner table felt like the safest place in the world. Even if it had been months it felt like the most natural thing, easy conversation, bottomless glasses of wine, and collectively keeping Johnny from spilling his milk. Charlie realized it was the first place since Welton that made him feel comforted like that. It was funny how the worst of places could be the ones you felt the most comfortable in. So after a short prayer you were all digging in, catching up as if you didn’t call each other at least three times a week.

“Y/N dear, please tell me you brought some copies of the times. I so wish to read some of your latest articles” Chris was saying as she passed the potatoes to Knox who scooped them onto Johnny’s plate. Charlie was the one to catch the milk glass when Johnny hit it with his fork.

“Of course I did, and I brought my famous blondies for Knox” you said, pointing to the man who just smiled wide.

“That’s why you’re my favorite” he told her and the group was laughing again.

“How about you Charles, how is Wall Street, you know stocks, and money?” Chris asked, everyone laughing again at her confusion over Charlie’s work.

“It is so good Chris, our company is doing very well” he informed her and Chris smiled widely, pouring some wine into your glass.

“I’m so glad you all could get off of work for this week, we have so much to prepare” Chris said, starting to dig in to her own meat loaf.

“In layman’s terms that means the girls decorate while we do all the heavy lifting” Knox explained, reaching for a napkin to wipe Johnnys chin that had gravy dripping down it. Charlie leaned over, pointing to his own mouth to which Knox just rolled his eyes.

“He’s exaggerating. Tomorrow my mother will come over and watch the kids and we’ll go over to the Anderson’s to build centerpieces. I think the boys are going over to the venue to start setting things up” Chris explained to you, hand patting your own, and Knox chuckled.

“See heavy lifting” but Chris rolling her eyes at him was enough to shut him up.

“Kids?” you questioned and Chris suddenly beamed.

“Yes! Todd’s older brother Jeff has two, Michael who is eight and Clara who is five. She’s going to be the flower girl, isn’t that so sweet” Chris grinned, eyes blown wide at the thought of so many young kids. After her own complications during Johnathons birth she had been waiting before considering more children but you all knew she wanted at least five more.

“Wow, I bet she’ll be adorable” you tried to beam back but Charlie could see the uneasy look on your face, how you both hadn’t been able to conceive yet. It wasn’t that you were necessarily trying but you were never that careful either.

“Either way I am so excited, the whole week has been planned out. I haven’t been in a wedding since yours and Ginny Danbury’s” Chris smiled, clearly excited, and feeling the love in the air.

“We’re excited as well, I mean Todd. Forget the blushing bride we’re going to be having a blushing groom!” you teased, pivoting the conversation from children as quickly as you could.

“I’ll drink the that” Charlie said to his wife, raising his wine glass, and the group just laughed.

“I’ll serve breakfast at eight and then we can ride together to the Andersons after” Chris told you and you nodded quickly, eager to agree with any terms because she was so kind to have welcomed you in her home.

“This will be a wedding for the books” Knox said before shoving a large bite of meat loaf in his mouth that made Johnny incessantly giggle at the goofiness of his father. This also cause Charlie to follow along and when Johnny went to try himself Chris stopped it, muttering about choking hazards, and you were so thankful for Charlie allowing you to be apart of this life.

“I’m glad we’re here” you told him later that night in the guest room, hanging your dresses in the closet after folding all his dress pants into the dresser.

“Me too, Johnny has grown at least five inches since we last saw him” he said, now propped up nicely in the bed wearing an old Columbia sweatshirt and plaid pajama bottoms. You admired his wife rimmed glasses tucked on his nose and the way his thumb kept his place in his book despite his attention being on you.

“You ever miss it, the countryside?” you asked curiously, closing the now empty suitcase, and reaching for the curlers to put in your hair.

“Sometimes, I forget how quiet it is. I like the quiet” Charlie said and you were smiling, sitting beside your husband. A man of many trades and attributes. Gentle but overconfident. Teenage him must’ve been relentless.

“You do not like the quiet, I think you like that this is still home” you told him, hand resting on his knee from your spot on the edge of the bed.

“Well that’s where you’re wrong dear, because wherever you are is my home” he told you, permanent flirtatious smirk on his face, and you hoped one day he could share everything about this place. The good and the bad, because all of it shaped him into the man you loved today.

“Sweet talker” you teased, leaning forward to kiss him but before you could pull back he was tucking you softly against his chest.

“Only for you Mrs. Dalton” he told you and you couldn’t help the butterflies that flapped in your stomach, there permanently for the last six years.

“Keep it that way Mr. Dalton”

Comment if you want to be added to the taglist :))

[velvetcloxds]

Hey sunshine! Could i get 📮DITCH THE WHOLE SCENE- send me a character and any option from my request guidelines and I'll write a baby blurb/dialogue for..

With Chris maybe where reader has a caffeine induced migraine because her tiny 5’0 body can’t take too much and because she brought a new coffee machine she’s a little too obsessed, and we’ll just say it causes a very hyper active reader with a raging headache 😭

definitely not me right now..

CATCH ME | S.R.

word count: 0.6k

warnings: bby I don't write for chris on here so I did actor!steve instead, age gap because it's me, migraines - haven't written for steve in a while, not sure this is some of my best kdsjds

Steve was sure he tucked you into bed a few minutes ago, you weren't all that pleased that he insisted on cleaning the kitchen all alone but he was always playing police when your migraines came to pay a visit. So, when he heard the clinking of the spoon against the mug as you pattered into the living room he was surprised, to say the least.

You pretended not to see him yet, eyes stuck to the bottom of your empty coffee mug as his followed your every move. Your head was still pounding, so you were very lucky that Steve preferred the house a little darker at night, but the caffeine rushing through your veins wasn't doing your busy mind any favours.

"Sweetheart," it was the sweetest sound, you determined, his soft little pet name sounding even softer when filled with so much care. You turned around to look at him, managing the purest little hum, eyes large despite your pain as your fingers drummed soundlessly over the outside of the mug. "You should be in bed," he cooed looking the perfect domestic sight while folding up the drying cloth and abandoning it next to the sink, socked feet sliding over the cold tiles to get to you.

"I can't," you breathed and offered your hand as a reason, the lovely smell of the little droplets of coffee letting him know just what was to blame for your current state. "My brain is awake," you explained further and he couldn't help a small smile, nodding lightly in understanding before placing the mug clad in his face on the display table.

"Coffee at night, huh," he began and you were prepared to be reprimanded, surrendering simply because his hands found a place to settle on your waist, squeezing lightly as he took his time to rake his eyes over you. "Thought we talked about that."

"We did," you agreed and your hands were just a little too eager as they grabbed at his arms, making him sigh lightly, not upset at all, amused more like, it was hard not to be but he was trying really hard to focus on getting you to settle down. "But it's so good Steve, there are so many different types and flavors and don't even get me started on the little espresso cups, you know they're too cute to resist."

"Baby," his reprimand was even more amused this time around, much less serious and it made you smile, and giggle even despite the strain it put on your head. "Did you drink your meds?" he knew that he put them in your hands with a glass of water before he had to pick up a call from his agent and now he realized that it gave you the perfect chance to make yourself that coffee. "Thought so, okay, let's get you back to bed."

"Steve," you began and he wanted to kiss the pout from your lips, the little steps you took away from him made it very clear that this was going to be no easy task. "I really don't want to go to sleep," you wasted no time sprinting across the living room, your own socked feet making it much easier to move around as you giggled, pausing to close your eyes for a second, willing the pain to settle long enough for you to get your way. Steve sighed, arms folding over his chest in familiar worry as he looked you over, waiting patiently for you to open your eyes again.

"What am I going to do with you, trouble?" you giggled again, softer this time as your restraint was fading but still you leaned your elbows onto the back of the couch and shrugged.

"You need to catch me, silly," and he did, after a rather short-lived chase around his apartment and many grumbled comments from you as he lead you right back to bed, making sure to steal as many kisses as possible as he tucked you in once again. He made sure to watch you swallow the pain meds before turning off the bedroom light and crawling into bed right next to you, all objection fading from your system when you sighed in satisfaction in his arms.