#but I tried my best to explain fish eggs to her

[lightblueminecraftorchid]

Was on a panel of autistic college students last night and the last person who asked us a question asked about our special interests and I’m ✨💕💖 about it

[explosionkatsu]

Unadorned Love

Human!Alastor x Waitress!F!Reader

Warning: Gore

Alastor finds you to be quite similar to his deceased mother which made him enticed to you. He couldn't help but visualize you attending to him with a cup of hot coffee instead of the random stranger who ordered it. He couldn't also help his smile widen, yet at the same moment, his heart ached when he saw you smile at the man who appeared to be flattering you.

He didn't appreciate the thought of you, going home to a male who wasn't him.

Alastor has been visiting the same cafe for almost years now. At first, he would just simply walk in, have his breakfast then depart after dining. But once you began laboring at the said cafe, he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of you. He couldn't keep his eyes on how elegant you looked just as you gracefully cater to every consumer with a smile. That softly angelic smile seemed to capture his being.

This is why Alastor now spends most of his time dining in the cafe to catch sight of you.

Finally getting out of his daze, he looked at the same menu, scrutinizing every dish he knew he tasted these past few years. Nothing changed, only a few new meals were summed up but he couldn't bring himself to order them. After finalizing what to feast for this morning, Alastor raised a hand as he tried and catch the attention of the waitress who happened to be you.

“Ah. A lovely morning, Mister Alastor.” You bowed your head while clutching the clipboard to your chest. “What have you chosen to devour this morning?” You raise a question and pull the pen out to write his order, your glossy natural pink lips forming into a gentle smile.

Alastor glanced down at your lips which you caught on before he darted at you with his eyes half-lidded. “Good morning as well, Y/n.” He spoke. “My, how numerous times do I have to inform you to call me by my name only.” He chuckled telling this.

You laughed lightly after hearing this. “Mister Alastor, you are a paying customer. Every customer must be treated with respect.” You explained smiling at him.

Hearing your laugh was the best melody he listened to. He cannot help himself but gaze at you fondly whilst his pride swells up for his ability to make you laugh. “But not every customer respects you, don't they?” He expressed. “Do you still consider they merit the respect they can't provide in return?”

“Well, I presume there is no harm in disregarding that, as long as they won't provoke any physical harm..” You drifted off as you guessed about it.

“Hm.” Alastor hummed. Oh how easy it is to control you. You were indeed destined to be his wife. “Think about it, my dear.” He continued. “If things like this ever occur, do not hesitate to reach out to me.” He spoke before fishing out his calling card to his chest pocket and handing it to you. “Now! Please add these waffles along with the eggs! And don't forget the maple syrup!”

You took his card since you guessed you were never gonna use it in any way, but an incident earned you to consider otherwise.

No. It was not concerning her job. It was something else.

You didn't quite expect the cafe to finish off this late due to a colleague who wasn't able to arrive for work due to a crisis and the number of consumers suddenly increased. You, being an understanding person as you are, stood for their shift. The 16 hours of labor was finally taking a toll on you and you didn't appreciate it. Your back was aching and your heels were weakening. This is the first time you've had a tough time stepping on 2 inches heels on your way home.

11 pm is what it says on your watch once you inspect it. You were grateful though that your boss let you take an off tomorrow since the usefulness you provided today wasn't a joke. You were already planning your day when a sudden chilling feeling ran down your spine. You sense somebody is watching you, observing you. Just pondering about this made you clutch your purse to your chest as you fearfully proceeded with strolling on your way home. It’s still a 15-minute walk which caused you to swear under your breath.

Looking behind you will do no good so you pressed on, concentrating on going home safely. But the noise behind you urged you to run, but you didn’t. Instead, with your trembling hands, you took your phone out and attempted to recollect any number you could to dial down but nothing came up. It would be a hassle for you to take your contact book out of your purse and flip through it in a situation like this.

All of a sudden, you remember the calling card you hid in your bosom. With minimal movement, you seized it out and had to squint to read in the darkness of the pavement. After successfully dialing it down, you placed your phone to your ear as you hear it ring.

Your pace is now rapid as you hear the steps behind you grow closer. You were chanting in your mind for him to please answer.

“Hello-”

‘Finally!’ You thought. “M-mister Alastor.” You whispered getting slightly breathless.

Alastor was just finishing up after his broadcast. He thought he could use a liquor after his shift since his shadow is quenched for now which means he doesn't need to slaughter for now. Once he stood up, he took notice of his telephone ringing. ‘This late?’ He thought raising an eyebrow before proceeding to respond to it. “Hello-”

His eyes slightly widen when he hears your voice. It's you. You called him.

“M-mister Alastor.”

He immediately senses that something seems off. You were stuttering, whispering, breathless, and appeared to be terrified.

“I-i know I-it’s a bit late. But c-could you please escort m-me on my way home..”

“My darling, where are you?” Alastor muttered as calmly as he could as he gripped his telephone tightly causing his knuckles to turn white.

“I-I’m here walking alone near the- AAHH!!”

“Y/n!?” Now he was panicking. He instantly put on his ebony trench coat and fedora, fleeing his home in the middle of the woods. “Find her.” He spoke, his voice low and dark. “Keep the insolent fool alive until I arrive.”

His shadow nodded in response before finally fleeing.

When he finally arrived at the scene, his blood was raging as he gazed at the scenario in front of him.

You were half-naked, cowering to the corner of the alleyway. Your beautiful dress was ripped and torn, your hair was everywhere, and your smile wasn’t visible. He could see tears streaming down your cheeks whilst you made an effort and cover up under your thin arms.

Something snapped inside Alastor. His smile was crooked when he laid his eyes upon the drunk bastard who tried claiming you forcefully.

Before he could initiate his vengeful plan, he took off his coat and draped it on you. “My darling. Shh. You are safe now.” He whispered wrapping his arms around you and leaving a kiss on your temple. “My love, will you close your eyes and cover your ears for me? Do not open them until I said so, is that clear?”

You, looking at him with your terrified expression, nodded and did as he said.

“Such a good girl for me. You shall have a reward after this.” Alastor spoke before finally turning his eyes onto the guy who was being beaten down by his shadow.

“As for you..” Alastor smiled, his steps were gradual as he walked nearer to him. “You’ve made a great mistake of touching what’s mine.”

A cry of agony was the only noise through the night but no one appeared to hear this.

Alastor and his shadow feast on the organs of the now-dead man. The splatter of blood was everywhere when he tortured him for what he did. His intestines were shoved down his throat, his eyes were out of their sockets, and his heart was now missing, as well as his other organs. “Take care of the rest. Make sure there's no trace left behind.” He spoke before finally standing up and walking toward you whose eyes were still shut and ears covered.

Alastor carefully lifted you in his arms as he fled the scene and returned to his sanctuary where he planned on taking care of you. He was now replacing the nasty lewd kiss spread on your delicate skin and the marks that he was trying to cover with his own.

“Ma belle cheri... I shall take care of you.”

[axcel-lucci]

Fishman!Law X human!reader

A/n: so apparently fishes lay eggs... ehem... also, I tried my best :P

Tw: smut. Dirty... dirty smut.

My masterlist

(Y/n) and Law have been together for a long time now, Perhaps 2 years tops? Even she wasn't sure.

Law had saved her from nearly drowning one time, when she was thrown off the ship by her own fellow crewmembers.

He brought her to his home, which was just an underwater cave that had looped around to a big massive dome with a pond in the middle, how does it work? (y/n) and Law questions to this day.

"Hmm... law" she called as they had entered his home once more

"Yeah...?" Law hummed as he placed her down so she can change from her wet swimsuit to some dry clothes she keeps in there.

His eyes were gold with inky black surrounding it, his arms had scales but he had the ability to make them blend into his skin as he was drying off, his four arms looked so delicious with his muscled chest making her stare a bit before snapping back

"I was wondering, I researched some things about this and that."

"This and that?" He raised a brow at this and looked at her while she looked at him with a tilted head. 'fuck-- she looks so damn cute-' he thought to himself but played it cool

"Yeah. You know, about fishmen? I wonder if... fish and fishmen are the same? I mean... they are both fishes, one is just... human like?" She asked herself the last part

"And what did you discover?" He turned to now look at her fully as he was dried up

She hesitated for a bit before shrugging, "that fish lay eggs" she said before stepping over to him and look him in the eyes with pure fascination, "can you lay eggs?"

Law was beyond embarrassed and ashamed at this point.

Yes, fishmen do indeed lay eggs, after all, they're just evolved versions of fish so that's not really something that should change.

He cleared his throat, "i-i mean... we do but... it's weird to explain, so bare with me"

She got all excited and nodded before he motioned for them to sit down at his big soft bed

"We can lay eggs, but... the eggs usually form in the female's body. Though... some types of fish can lay eggs without any other DNA in it... I'm still researching how that is even possible."

"Oh..." she hummed, mesmerized, "so... you can't lay eggs?"

Law debated whether to be truthful or not, eventually he settled to be truthful. He sighed deeply, "my... bloodline can lay eggs without... you know..." he blushed intensely

"I see" she nods with a smile, "but how does that feel though? Like... do you produce eggs while cu-"

"Shut--!" He cuts her off with a hand on her mouth and him blushing furiously

She giggled, "I understand Law." She smiled before kissing his cheek, "do you mind if I use your desk for a bit? I need to finish my homework..." she cried

"Oh that's right, you decided to go back to college, right?"

"Yep...! I want to provide for myself not by stealing or fighting, I want honest money." She said excitedly

"Sure, go ahead." He smiled softly before pressing a kiss against her lips, "just make sure to clean up right after."

"Thanks Law...!"

Later...

"(Y/n)" he called as she hummed from the desk, "I've been thinking... I want to live with you." He states making her pause

"What...?"

"I want to live with you, I want to be with you, not just periodically. I want to move in with you, now that you're back to school, you need someone to take care of you." He states as she paused her studying all together to get up and sit down next to him on the bed

"Are you sure? What about... this? Your home? Aren't you gonna miss it? It's not like you can carry stuff in and out of here" she mumbled

"I can visit from time to time I suppose" he nods, "I can figure it out. Don't worry"

"If you say so..." she smiled and kissed him deeply

He smiled as well before reciprocating the kiss which eventually lead to one thing and the other, the two eventually making out heavily on the bed while slowly shedding off clothes.

Law only had a few articles of clothing making him growl and basically tearing her clothes off of her

"L-law...!" She gasped and covered herself in embarrassment

"Hey now. Don't be shy" he pouted before taking her hands and placing them over her head, leaving him with three free hands that started exploring making her gasp and whine at every whim.

"Those were my favourite pajamas...!" She huffed with a pout

"I can buy you another" he smirked.

Truth be told, despite being a fishman, he's a high paying doctor with a reasonable time. (Which itself was quite rare to begin with)

She just pouted even more making him chuckle and kiss her

She then gasped once more when he pulled her legs away and his other hand play with the wet flower that bloomed in between

"Mmh... I haven't done anything yet and you're already wet... this is our first time, no?" He asks before kissing her again and pushing his fingers inside.

She moaned and threw her head back, Law physically grinned darkly before biting and sucking on her skin as a way to mark what's his, which was all of her

"L-law...!" She whined as her back arched when his fingers brushed against the spot inside her

"Oh... here?" He smirked before playing with the spot making her see stars and eventually come undone with shaky legs and gasping for air. As well as being dazed enough to not realize his hold on her was disappearing for him to take off his own clothes.

"S-so big..." she muttered once she grounded herself when she saw his member, "would that... fit?"

"We can always make it fit" he smirked as his hand then trapped her wrists together over her head once more and his other two hands secure her legs over his shoulders and eventually holding unto her hips.

His remaining free hand took hold of his own member and rubbed it against her wet entrance teasingly making her whine, begging for him to continue

"Alright..." he smirked before starting to push himself inside.

The sheer size of him made her walls stretch unforgivingly as she gasped and moan at how hot it suddenly felt

"L-law...! A-ah... wait..." she gasped once he's fully inside, "s-so big..."

"So tight" he groaned with a chuckle as his free hand from before gripped her thighs and started to grind against her and bite his own lip

"Law-" she gasped before starting to moan and whine

"You're ready" he muttered before gripping her hips rather tightly and raising them to a comfortable position only for him to mercilessly start to pound and abuse her cunt in the most pleasurable way possible.

Causing her to toss and turn in her position while gasping, moaning, and even whining for him to go faster despite his already rough pace

"Faster? Heh... why not." He smirked before adjusting their position swiftly and fulfilled her request by going in and out of her poor sorry cunt as fast and as roughly as he could

It didn't take long for (y/n) to come around him once the tip of his own dick started pressing against her cervix with immense pleasure.

With her coming around him, it just fueled him more as she gripped him rather tightly, sucking him back in as it grew slippery around him, letting him go in and out as much as he wanted.

He could feel his own release coming and his dick feeling heavier and heavier with his eggs.

(Y/n) could already feel the outline of his eggs inside his dick, ready to burst

"W-wait law" she gasped, "I don't think-"

"Shh..." he leaned down to her ear and bite it rather harshly, "just keep moaning like the pretty human that you are."

She gasped and moaned as she felt another climax build up inside her and suddenly release.

Law couldn't take the heaviness anymore and just shoved himself deep inside and release all the eggs stored in his body along with his warm cum.

(Y/n) moaned loudly at the feeling of the eggs filling her up, some of it even pressed rather dangerously against her cervix, one move and the eggs would directly go inside it.

By now there was a bulge by her lower abdomen and the eggs kept coming making her moan and beg law to put it somewhere else

"What a GREAT idea" he grinned darkly before pulling her hips so that he could press deeper inside her and his tip basically pressing against the cervix, the eggs started to enter her deeper inside making her gasp and moan even more

"L-law...! Not in there- I won't be able to- ahh-!" She moaned loudly as her legs shook violently, her insides was now probably filled with his eggs and she doesn't know how to take them out.

It just formed a lumpy bulge on her abdomen making her pant heavily and moan even more until the very last one of his egg slipped past her cervix and deep inside her womb.

"L-law..." she moaned once he slowly pulled out and a few eggs were already starting to spill out but he only put them back and prevented any of them to get out.

"Shh... it feels so good, Huh?" He bit his lower lip once she started squirming and the eggs moving inside her rather deliciously.

"L-law... please... how-" she gasped once law plugged that hole up with some device most fishmen use on their partners so the eggs don't escape.

"I said shh" he rolled his eyes and laid down beside her, he felt her legs immediately close and tighten before rubbing against each other, "hey now. Don't tell me you're getting off of our babies being inside you, Huh?"

"B-but law..." she looked at him with such cute eyes but he already saw those eyes a million times before and not be affected by it

"This calls for some punishment" he chuckled before flipping her over so that her chest was against the bed, his hands once again trapped her in place before thrusting inside her unprepared ass making her scream in pleasure.

"L-law...! You're not planning to-"

"I so am" he smirked before starting to thrust more harsher than before.

Her whines and moans, coupled with her begging for more, despite complaining about what's inside her womb being rubbed against her.

"I'm close" Law chuckled making her moan, "law... please."

Her voice was hoarse at this point. And just like before, his dick grew heavy until he can't take it anymore and spill his eggs inside her now wet anus as she moaned with tears in her eyes.

It felt so much more erotic, being filled with eggs on both sides as he plugs the holes up tightly, not letting any of the eggs escape

"There. We can just clear them tomorrow" he chuckled before laying down beside her spent form, a now large buldge on her abdomen as he softly strokes it's lumpy surface, "you know... I don't mind you giving birth to my children" he hummed at the idea

"Law!"

"Just kidding, don't worry. We can take them out safely tomorrow, even the ones inside your ass and those that were pushed through your cervix." He smirked at the mental image of (y/n) being so full of his eggs they start to slip out themselves.

She grumbled before eventually drifting off to sleep while Law watches intently and kissing her cheek.

"I don't think I'll be able to control myself tomorrow..." he chuckled to himself.

He eventually drifts off as well with a hand on her abdomen.

[bipolar-sad-and-ready-to-cry]

I require oc lore

Any oc

Any fandom or original world

Pretty please? :3 👉👈?

Oc lore you say???? My friend you have no clue what monster you have awoken! I’ll start with my tsams/fnaf ocs and then I’ll do my other ocs from a few original stories I have in my head (too many original stories help)

Rocket is ,as I’ve explained before, a run away from his own dimension, he gets damaged by others touching him due to his Eclipse using the star to try and isolate him from others, so Rocket is very touch starved. Rocket has the mental age of a child and really just wants to be a normal kid. Also Rocket isn’t completely defenceless/weak, even though he wants to hide it, his tail not only is the only part of his body that won’t crumble under any touch but the tip of the tail is very sharp and dangerous, not as dangerous as his Eclipse’s tail which has venom but still very dangerous. If you want to hug Rocket, swaddle him, it fools what ever his Eclipse did to him into thinking it’s just an object.

Nova! My adorable mute Nova! They used to be a she/her but changed into a they/them or he/him (depends on the day), they still love to embrace their feminine side only because they have no concept of gendered clothes, it’s only clothes to them! They have 3 older brothers and a cousin who all adore them (even though in the beginning their brothers and cousin were annoyed by them), they often hang out with the youngest of their brothers, Plazoo, even though he tries to teach them how to win in poker. Nova has been through a lot of trauma but refuses to let that keep a hold of them! It took ages for them to get over trauma, sometimes I hope to refuse to let my own trauma get the best of me like Nova has.

Now these are my original world ocs, I’ll put art with them so you know what they look like

Stevan! I made him back in high school but he only really started to develop when I became an adult, he was my hyper fixation for a good few years so be ready for lore galore! Stevan is an alien from a planet called Unver, he is pescatarian (meaning only animals he eats are egg and fish) but it’s not by choice, something is very wrong in his tummy but he can not afford to find out what is wrong because he has no money! He is homeless and has been since he was four when he was abandoned by an orphanage in the forest, even though his friends offer to let him live with them he just feels bad taking advantage of their kindness. He of course has a whole host of mental problems including DID (tried my best to research it). He is also a chimera, which means he absorbed his twin but don’t worry his dead twin lives in his head! His alters also out of some bizarre mutation to do with his family and all that has powers! Stevan cannot reliably control any of their powers unless the alter is next to him in the mind scape! That all I’ll do for Stevan, we need to give the others some attention hehe.

———

BB! My beloved BB! A very mentally unstable gooey boy! He also lives on Unver just very very far away from Stevan, he has I guess assisted living? Meaning he gets to survive and live on his own but he has people who come in to help him with certain activities like remembering to take his meds. He may or may not have bipolar and often hallucinations.

That’s all I’ll do for now! If you want to know more just ask and I’ll go digging through my pictures for them

[insomniaruler]

An origin story

In a time unknown there were two siblings. The older of the two was from an undamaged egg and was stronger. She only grew stronger as the last egg containing her sibling was being hunted mercilessly by salmon.

Since Lizzie and Jimmy hatched they’d be either fighting or running. They weren’t strong enough to do anything else. But they found slight joys, playing hide-and-go-seek among the grand coral reef they called home, Jimmy was always the best at the game making it his mission to find the most ridiculous hiding spots. His favourite was the time he found a coral grove and played with dolphins until a panicked Lizzie finally found him. “Jimmy! Thank the tide I was so worried. Don’t do that again.” Lizzie said, She stormed off to her room. Jimmy made his first bracelet that day. Made with kelp and coral charms he slid it under her door. She never took it off after that.

Jimmy had nearly lost an eye in the latest attempt on their life. An eye! Looking at her baby brother Lizzie began to pack all her belongings. “We’re not safe here anymore Cod-boy, we need to go to deeper waters.” Lizzie explained softly. The deep ocean was dark and fridged, they made a home in an abandoned ship wreck in the bottom of an indent. Jimmy detested the place his young mind not entirely understanding why they had to leave. “If the reef is over run why didn’t we go to the surface? There’d be no salmon up there!” He pouted, rubbing his icy tail. Lizzie sighed and tried to block out the complaints.

Somehow the red fish had found their hide out and under Jimmy’s panicked yells Lizzie heard the salmons hissing hunting noises. “Jimmy! Come here!” She grabbed his hand and with her stronger tail launched them both to the surface. The surface world was storming and choppy as they were tossed to and fro. Sometime in that storm she lost her grip on her little brother. “Jimmy!” She screamed. There was no response from anywhere around her. She screamed herself hoarse but still no response from Jimmy.

The royal guards found a girl washed up on the banks of Mezalea, she was battered and bruised with scars tracking up her legs. Young prince Joel watched the girl as she slept fitfully until his mother dragged him away, talking about how a flower will bloom no quicker if you stare at it. When the Girl woke Prince Joel was the first besides the healers to greet her. “My name’s Lizzie, I-I dunno where I’m from.” She shrugged, speaking formal and accented common.

A fisherman and his wife with too many mouths to feed found the little boy bumping against their dock. The small swamp land that the family occupied beared little fish except small boney things. “This is nonsense Elieen! Why don’t we just send the boy to Mythland!” The fisherman said as the wife set the boy down in their barn. “He needs help now Matthias! And I Mythland will not cherish this boy.” Elieen said her magics thrumming as she looked over the boy. “Fine but he’s being put to work as soon as he’s strong enough.” Matthias grouched.

- Years later-

a woman set out to find out the reason for the tugging in her soul. She left behind her dear friend, King Joel of Mezalea, the teen king well known for his clever royal advisor, Elizabeth.

A man stayed in the swamp building homes and schools for his little nation. The family who took him in left to bring their youngest daughter, Liche, to the Crystal Cliffs. They were all found dead one day out from The Cod Lands, bandits.

The woman raised platforms from the sea floor, and one day her king came sailing over the horizon waving a letter. It was inviting Joel and his advisors to a meeting amongst empires. “Joel, I’m only going as an emissary from the Ocean Empire.” She said firmly. “Of course.” Joel said bowing. “As Queen Elizabeth of the Ocean.” “Mistress of the Waves, Guardian of Axolotls.” Lizzie said absentmindedly going over blueprints. “Obviously.” Joel said waving and heading back to his boat.

As the man approached the meeting sight he realized with a sinking heart he got the day wrong. Ah well, turning on his heel he returned home. He’d have plenty enough chances to meet his fellows. But as he got home he realized how soon it would be. Sitting on his porch was a woman with striking pink hair. “Hello! I’m Lizzie, Queen of the Ocean empire!” She said holding out a hand. “Oh um The Codfather, my friends call me Jimmy. And I’m sorry have we met before?” Jimmy asked. “I don’t think so… you seem familiar but…” Queen Lizzie trailed off. “Not?” She offered after a pause.

[kamyru]

Hi! Could I request Toma (IM) taking care of the kids meanwhile MC is out for work, or visiting someone? Thank u!

A request with my favorite family bliss! YAAAAY! Thank you for this. Can't wait to write more about Toma. He is such a good character. Enjoy! ❤️

Home alone (Toma Kiriya & His daughter) (Scenario)

Summary: Toma loved his work, but he loved his daughter more. So, of course he did everything she wanted when she craved his attention.

Word counting: 1070

Toma had his notebook and laptop on the sofa, typing fast on the keyboard. From time to time, he looked through the pages of his notebook. When he stretched his hand to take his phone from the table, something caught his eye. Two small figures stayed motionless in front of him. Toma put aside his work and leaned forward.

"What?" he asked the larger figure.

"Takuro and I are waiting for you to love us. If we are more, there's a bigger probability you'll feel our energy and stop working," a high voice that sounded like a younger version of MC's explained.

For a moment, Toma tapped a few things on his laptop and put it aside after closing it. He planted himself in front of his daughter.

"But I already love you," the copywriter pat the girl's head.

A pout appeared on Baby Kiriya's face. She didn't want to look directly into her father's eyes. However, she still stole glances at him to make sure he saw how sad she was. The dad grinned but tried his best to hide it.

"What do you want me to do to prove my love?"

The girl fell deep in thought and rubbed her chin. She took Takuro in her hands and pressed her forehead against the cat's face. After exchanging universal knowledge of an unknown to Toma language, Baby Kiriya put the cat back on the floor and looked directly into her father's eyes.

"Firstly, UP!"

This time, it was impossible for Toma not to let out his chuckle. However, for teasing purposes, he leaned back and scratched his head. But when his daughter's eyes got bigger, and her lower lip started to tremble, he gave up the idea and picked her up.

"Now, what next?"

Takuro remained on the floor, so Baby Kiriya didn't have an advisor. Meanwhile, Toma had enough time to sigh. When did the time fly so fast? Yesterday he took Baby Kiriya home from maternity. Now, she was in her first class in school, having him wrapped around her finger even tighter than her mother.

"Let's cook omelet as grandpa does!"

The dad grunted, even if his daughter couldn't hide her enthusiasm. Why him? It was MC who could do it! Toma didn't even know the recipe. Of course, it couldn't be so hard. It was just eggs. However, he didn't want his daughter to compare him with her mother because he knew the battle would be lost. But who was he to deny his daughter the pleasure of cooking with her father?

Ten minutes later, Toma was fishing crumbs of eggshell out of the hot pan, failing every time, scared to burn his fingers. His daughter sat on her stool a few steps further, observing everything her father did. Without Toma noticing, she got near him and pressed her finger against the eggshell, taking it out on the first try.

"You have to spend more time with mom in the kitchen," she said. Her words hit Toma directly in the heart.

After another few minutes, the food was ready, and Toma's heart was beating faster than ever in anticipation of his daughter's reaction. However, he didn't expect Baby Kiriya's words: "We can't eat it right now. We have to wait for mom!"

The good thing was that MC would probably try to cheer on him in front of their daughter. The bad thing was that she would tease him for the rest of their lives, especially if Baby Kiriya said that she loved mom's omelet more. Toma's thoughts were interrupted by his daughter's bluntness:

"Let's do this time something you do better than mom. Let's sing!"

At least now, his daughter wouldn't be only his problem. He would share her with his neighbors. Toma let Baby Kiriya start, listening carefully to her singing and clapping at the end of every song. In the middle of the third one, she got lonely and pushed the mic against her dad's lips so they could sing a duet. The man took the girl in his hands and put his entire soul in the opening of his daughter's favorite cartoon. Baby Kiriya wrapped her hands around her dad's neck while her jaw dropped as low as possible. Even Takuro hopped on the sofa to look at all the commotion in the living room. It gave Toma the idea to give the mic to the cat in the middle of his performance. Poor humans forgot that the most pretentious creature in their home wasn't the youngest but the cat. So, Takuro pushed the mic from Toma's hands, which made the man drop onto the floor. However, the show must go on. So, Toma put his daughter down and knelt in front of her, stretching out his hand. Baby Kiriya took her father's hand, and they started to dance around the living room. Toma couldn't ignore his girl's "More, more!". They jumped, spun, and laughed at three more songs. Finally, an exhausted Baby Kiriya fell on her butt and stopped the music.

"Now I want you to read to me."

A less exhausted Toma took the sit in front of his daughter. Good thing he didn't give up on swimming. Otherwise, he would lose his stamina.

"What do you want me to read to you? The Japanese folk legends mom usually reads to you?"

For a second, Baby Kiriya wanted to agree. However, her initial plan was different, and she felt too guilty for keeping her dad away from his work when he was so busy.

"No. I want you to read what you were reading for work, so we do something you want to do too. Because we did what I wanted."

Toma turned his head to hide his tearing eyes. He patted Baby Kiriya on her head and kissed her cheeks.

"But I also wanted to spend time with you. I love you more than anything. So don't feel guilty."

The girl crawled to her father's lap and hugged him as tightly as her little body could. Toma returned the hug and pressed his lips on his daughter's head.

One hour later, MC returned to a sleeping Toma, who had their daughter sleeping on top of him, and all kinds of books around them. She kissed her husband's forehead, caressed their daughter's cheek, and headed for the kitchen, where a plate with a cold omelet was waiting for her.

[jemmaagentofshield]

Jemma quickly nodded, "Oh I love a good soufflé!" she said as her brother snickered under his breath. "What are you laughing at Q-Bert?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"You love a good soufflé? That's all you have to say after the Great Soufflé Disaster of 1999?!" Jemma gasped loudly, obviously surprised, "We said we'd never bring that up ever!" she reminded her brother...And her surprise was not put on. She looked genuinely shocked.

"Great Soufflé Disaster?" their Dad began while even Sherlock looked confused. "It's nothing, he's being funny," she quickly said, eyeing him harshly. James only laughed loudly, "Oh no, please tell us about the the Great Soufflé Disaster of 1999, my love..."

Jemma grinned as she continued stirring the butter in the small bowl, looking to her brother as he stood by the window. It was another weekend of their parents going off to solve mysteries while they stayed with their grandparents. Father and Dad were due back in a few hours and Jemma had kept the peace between Grandmama and Quentin quite well.

To welcome them back, she had the best idea of making a soufflé! And all by herself too. This not only too her seven year old expertise but also her brother's for keeping a watch out for their grandparent's. They'd already called in the big guns by suggesting that Uncle Mynny would come round for dinner tonight and called in a favor for Uncle Mynny to come by as well! Jemma just needed to get all the prep done before their grandparents came back from the grocery otherwise, they'd stop them...obviously.

"Jemma, do you need that much flour?!" Quentin asked with wide eyes as she tried to measure before a white puff of "smoke" engulfed the kitchen. "Don't panic!" she yelled, white dusting her face and hair. "We just need to get it into the oven and, then, can clean!" she reminded him as she began separating the eggs.

"If you'd like, you could clean the excess while I create this masterpiece!" she reminded him, standing on her cooking stool. Quentin didn't have to be asked twice as he grabbed a broom and began sweeping the excess flour.

Jemma continued following her grandmother's chocolate soufflé recipe (having picked out ALL the shells thank you), and just as she put it in the oven, their grandparents arrived from the store. She had quickly explained herself, wanting to prove herself in the kitchen. Jemma's grandfather had immediately went to the phone and called, he later admitted, their parents to make sure they were on time, knowing a soufflé had to be served on time. Thankfully, they were only ten minutes out and were able to grab takeaway fish and chips on the way in to pick them up. No one knew of the near disaster that was Jemma's first chocolate soufflé....

"I remember that, the souffle was delicious!" their Dad reasoned aloud. "Yes, only because I cleaned up the mess!" Quentin reminded him, "Imagine if Grandmama had come home to a house not only full of dirty dishes but ALSO a kitchen full of a flour?!"

Both Holmes Brothers and John winced at the thought. "It wasn't a disaster....Q-Bert just calls it that to irk me....

Phil smiled as she kissed him. "I should find a recipe to make my own after we get back home, huh?"

He gave the waiter his menu and turned his focus back on Jemma's parents.

"Sometimes having a break between interesting cases is a good thing," he remarked, thinking of how interesting had a tendency to be code for complicated missions in his experience with Shield.

[punkbakerchristine]

we thought this was going to be a new venture for us as it’s initially a bit cheaper than hellofresh, but as it turns out, the second week is twice what it is for hf 😅

we go back to hf next week, but let’s see how this week goes? something new and different the next few days, including fish (which i’ve been craving for months now).

okay, first observation is the prep time. it’s basically just: take off protective packaging, pop into the microwave for a couple of minutes/put in the skillet for a bit, done. one thing that hellofresh has done to me is made me a stickler for fresh ingredients and also using my hands. i like prepping veggies and proteins. i like getting the pasta or rice or couscous started and letting it cook. i’ve always liked using my hands and working with them, and it’s really picked up the pace since i got into cooking and baking.

i will say this: it is really healthy food, which i love and makes me feel better (i’ve been wanting healthy food lately, and it’s good for my mom, especially). it’s good to know that i’m eating food made from genuinely fresh ingredients and i again know where it’s coming from. it’s not the cheap garbage filled with preservatives and shit that you get from the frozen food section at the grocery store.

we had korean barbecue chicken tonight, which i was looking forward to (because i love asian barbecue). korean barbecue chicken with rice noodles and pea pods.

second observation: i guess i’m just acquainted with seeing fresh vegetables and packs of spices, rice, and things, but look at this packaging.

something about it says “food for soldiers”, or “food for astronauts” to me. i can’t explain it but there’s something off about it. it gives me the same feeling a person of my caliber would feel walking into a whole foods market, or how we felt walking into the dermatologist’s office last week: these almost feel… i want to say “out of place”? like i’m a poor bastard who gets her hands dirty, what the hell am i doing with this classy stuff from the health food section?

i see these noodles right next to the kosher section (i see them next to the egg noodles). this is like a $7 box of noodles here.

next observation: the box came with more stuff. we’re talking snack food and some breakfast things (compare this to the mere bonus item that we get from hf). my mom and i tried the packs of tiny cookies that came with the box yesterday: i actually really liked them (well, i’m a fan of cookies, crispy or not; she likes soft cookies by comparison), but i knew right away that this wasn’t going to last.

next: the instructions.

you’ll see that i have absolutely no idea what the hell is happening here. “2-3 minutes”, well, okay, how are the peas supposed to look? that’s what i like about hellofresh’s instructions is they tell you what to look for, like if the veggies are supposed to be slightly browned and softened (especially if you’re like me and you never really got a taste of how to cook until you were 18/19).

set aside… on a plate?

oh, and the chicken was like this big block of pre-cooked chicken. i had hell of a time trying to break it up with my spatula, too (i had to use the tongs and the kitchen scissors to cut it up in this odd awkward maneuver that made me miss the simplicity of my little blue spatula or the wooden spoon).

and again, akin to how the packaging looked: this is the sheet of directions for the week:

“cooked.wiki/“ works for recipe websites utterly littered with a shitload of videos, gifs, ads, and meandering blog text to the point they’re unwieldy and crash about 50 times in 10 minutes, not physical recipe cards. again. “food for soldiers”.

next is the taste.

the peas were the best part. i got lucky with the peas.

wasn’t a fan of the noodles, and i don’t have a clue if it was because they were rice or that i couldn’t salt a pot of water to cook them in.

the chicken, even though the package said it was seasoned and there was the bulgogi sauce on it, was weirdly bland.

and the whole time i was eating, i just kept thinking, “this is missing something, and not just salt or candied peanuts or something.” i’ve had food like that before, food from people who were absolutely miserable and hated their lives: something is missing and you can’t really explain what it is.

i’m glad this is only lasting until friday because there’s no freaking way.

[katsdreamdiary]

I can't find my original online dream diary so just going to share here.

Warning: gore, gross, insects, animal abuse.

In this dream [that was a nightmare], I can't remember how it started but as I can recall I was helping clean my mom's room. Then I went into the kitchen finding a pile of plates. There was also fish that was apparently fresh and fished out a river earlier.

My dad said "Mijita, can you fillet the fish?" I said, "Okay!" Suddenly I discovered the fish was still alive and I freaked out because I don't like killing things

[yeah yeah I know; the whole thing of being a hypocrite if you still eat meat... yeah I just don't like hurting/killing anything x_x seriously. my cousin used a... forgot what they are called. Those circles with magnifying glass with a stick underneath. He killed a worm that was struggling to get away from a fire ray created by the sunlight, then it proofed into a charred husk and my insides felt so upset. This huge sadness I couldn't explain. It just feels awful. and yeah yeah I know, over a worm, and I eat worms sometimes. i don't know what I am even going on about.] Anyways, so I was "oh man, oh man I don't want to kill it!" My sis' was motioning at me to follow her "come on, come on! we can just go throw it back into the river and then get fish from the store!" Suddenly the eyes of the fish fell off. I was "OH MAN we can't do that, its eyes fell onto the plate! It won't survive out there." Then I held the fish feeling it would be for the best to end its misery but then I cried with my sis' because there's nothing we could do. I don't remember what happened next. Suddenly I was back to helping clean my mom's room. A blue candy egg was rocking on the floor. I picked it up out of curiosity and suddenly a ton of insects exploded out it. I quickly ran to the front door to toss it outside. Suddenly I also had a Swifter mop thing. I chucked it outside into a tree. There were a bunch of people in the front yard. I couldn't find my Swifter mop thing and was sad because my sis' got it for me. I was suddenly in the garage that was oddly enormous. Some nice guy was following me around and saying "OKAY WE WILL NEED TO GET YOU THAT."

In the house a dog was going after Tomtom. I was ready to jump onto it to wrestle it to leave the poor elderly cat alone. The dog was huge, black, with sharp teeth. A person dragged it away.

I decided to keep Tomtom in the garage to not get attack by the dog that was in my house. Then I sat down. The guy was trying to get me go back into the house but I stayed to go through Tomtom's fur. Suddenly fleas and enormous bugs started exploding out. I tried brushing Tomtom's fur to remove them but he howled in agony. I was horrified and woke up from the shock.

[charlesandmiranda]

Kyoto part 2: Nishiki Market Food and Drink, Liquor Museum (2/10 evening)

Nishiki Market is one our of first memories of Japan from our first trip in 2017. Similar to Tsukiji, it's a fish and produce market, but unlike Tsukiji, it's a long covered walkway of sellers and shops along the inside. Because it isn't exclusively considered a fish market, it's a good place to try out dishes and snack as you go, as well as pick up food for dinner.

We started with a quail egg stuffed baby octopus and a small beer, then grabbed a bottle of sake to bring home after tasting some local sake. We found a section that goes into the buildings on either side and has a bunch of smaller stalls with specific food and standing area for eating, and tried everything we thought might be nice. These pork gyoza (steamed or fried dumplings, in this case fried) are the best I have ever had. The stall also had great karaage (fried chicken). Another stall carried several different kinds of locally flavored beers and highballs using whisky and shochu. We tried matcha beer, which was very refreshing, and strawberry blended whisky highball. Also pictured but we did not try was beef sashimi and sushi and tempura.

We did, however, have turban in the shell and grilled tuna with garlic. Before we left, there was a stall probably geared to first time visitors who are unfamiliar with sake that had glasses of sake for 100 yen, around 75 cents. They were tasty, too.

I placed a lot of markers on our map from the last few years of watching videos and seeing posts about different bars and restaurants, not expecting to make it to all of them but considering stopping in if we were nearby. Near the market is a bar called Kyoto Liquor Museum, which is more of a top end Western style cocktail and whisky bar than an izakaya. When we got there, we were one of the only customers, and the bartender asked us to sit somewhere that we we would be close to him so we could chat. He was a recent resident of Kyoto, having moved for his new wife, and originally from Turkey. He was very knowledgeable, and a little opinionated, about whisky and that was helpful for discovering new whiskies. I tried several that would have put me into the easy $100+ bill situation in the US, but ours was around $50. One was specifically bottled for the bar.

We wanted to grab a real dinner, and there is a very well known omurice (omelette over rice) restaurant nearby, but it has been featured on some well knownYouTube channels, so it's now very popular, reservation only yadda yadda. We didn't plan ahead to get one, and that's ok. One of my takeaways from this trip is that if it's been talked about a bunch on the English speaking internet, it's going to be difficult to try. We came across a small shop that served an original version of okonomiyaki, a grilled savory pancake made from cabbage and batter than can include anything from bacon to seafood and cheese. This shop served negiyaki and used a lot of spring onion (negi = ねぎ = onion). It was delicious. The tofu steak was also really good, grilled tofu with sauce on top.

On the way home we passed a liquor store that carried large cans of the sake we drank when we got engaged and this giant bottle of Japanese whisky for somewhere between $6 to 7 dollars. I cannot explain her mischievous face. Miranda got the glass bottle of sake with the sakura flower in it, as expected, because it's cute.

To be clear, we did NOT buy that bottle of whisky.

--Charles

[blackbat05]

It’s just a normal day out

A/N: How did I think of doing a headcanon and ended up with a full blown story instead? I guess it’s one of those good days~ I’m taking a bit of elements from TSS movie but I’m adding in my own ideas. You know the drill - like and comment if you wish and enjoy as usual!❤️

Genre: PG-13 (Mentions of other TSS members)

Warnings: A mixture of action, sweetness and spiciness at the end? Mentions of stalking, gangsters and harassment. One swearing? Another long ass story.(God, I’m terrible at doing warnings please forgive me😅)

(Leave me to be and allow me to put this gif here. I replayed this image a thousand times after watching TSS for the first time😩)

***

‘So, when are we going to tell them?’ Rick looks at you, raising an eyebrow. You pressed on with your question.

About four months ago, you had surprised your husband with a pleasant breakfast in the morning - toast with scrambled eggs and a small note reading, ‘Have a good day at work today Daddy!’ Rick could not have been more ecstatic as he wrapped you in his arms.

The question was your absence at the penitentiary. As a medic, you would make trips down to Belle Reve to do monthly physical assessments on the inmates. Thanks to Rick, you had grown close to a few of them - namely Task Force X. When your colleague and close friend Marianne had came in your place, Harley had bombarded the poor woman a thousand and one questions about your stark absence. Rick had apologized profusely to her on their behalf.

Yes, they were some of the most deadly super villains in the world - but it wasn’t that Rick didn’t trust them. Belle Reve had eyes and ears everywhere, mainly Amanda Waller’s. He could not afford letting that woman have leverage over him. Not when it came to his unborn child. He makes a mental note to tell them when the time is right. However, he makes a compromise with you.

‘Dubois,’ you looked at him. ‘If you want to tell someone, he’ll be the one first.’ You didn’t need him to explain further. Before Robert’s incarceration, you heard that him and Rick were buddies. Not chummy but close enough that made them loyal to a fault to each other. You were ok with that.

It was dinner time. The restaurants on the side walk had started to switch on their lights, attracting hungry customers. With your baby growing bigger by the day, somehow did your cravings. Today was Fish and Chips. You wanted the real Fish and Chips you had tried while on a university exchange in London and not some cheap knock-off. Rick knew exactly the place.

Neatly tucked away and in between the many pubs that were starting their business at this time of the day, the restaurant was ran by an old couple from Brighton who dedicated their entire lives to serving only the best to their customers. Did he mention their thick fries were to die for?

As you settled in, the elderly woman glides over gracefully making small talk with Rick before congratulating you on your little one. ‘You better take good care of her son,’ she chides like how a mother would before taking off again with your orders.

‘She seems nice,’ you looked at her retreating back fondly.

‘Yeah when I first came back from the Middle East, all I wanted was some good comfort food,’ Rick recalls. ‘I remember walking the streets for hours, not wanting to go back home, to be alone. I needed any kind of noise to know that I wasn’t alone. George and Emily here gave me just that and so much more.’

You snake your hands into his as he tells you his past once more. It was never easy for him so all you could do was to tell him how much you appreciated it. But Rick didn’t mind. If he never gone through that, he would have never met you let alone start a family. That’s life, he thinks.

The two of you break out of your intimate bubble that formed in the restaurant that was slowly filling in with customers. Emily comes back with two piping hot fish and chips, a glass of ice tea for you and a beer for Rick.

‘I added more chips just for you sweetheart,’ Emily winks. ‘I know how difficult it can be carrying your little one.’

Maybe it was your hormones because you were so utterly grateful for that extra bit of fries. It was sinful, but your hunger always comes first. Before digging into the crispy fish proper, you take a whiff, sighing in satisfaction. Rick stares at you in amusement. That was you - always enjoying the little things in life. That was what he loved about you so much.

The pink clouds started to be replaced by darkness as night time officially took over. Forty minutes in and the two of you were met with clean plates and an empty glass that once held your iced tea.

‘Satisfied?’

Before you could respond, you felt a kick in your stomach. ‘I think our little one is,’ you grin. ‘Their probably going to adopt the same taste as you when they grow up.’ Rick chuckles at the thought, taking another swig of the beer.

Just then, a teenage girl takes the remaining chair in front of you and Rick. The lights were dim but you could see enough. Her face was ghostly pale. With cracked lips and eyes filled with fear, her voice came out nothing more than a whisper.

‘I’m so sorry to disturb your evening…’ she tries to calm herself down, ‘do you see that man behind me? He’s been following me since I left classes and I don’t know what to do! I’m so sorry I just saw you and your husband and I thought maybe you could help me?’ Rick peers behind the girl’s shoulder to get a better look.

A man dressed in a casual polo tee and jeans was sitting by the counter, pretending to be interested in the soccer match that George had put on the television that was hung on the walls. He does a quick calculation - the man in question doesn’t look taller than 6 foot but he was bulkier than Rick.

Rick scans if there was anything he could identify the man by if needed, eyes landing on his neck. Bingo. A snake tattoo that seemed to crawl upwards towards the back of his ears. A gang sign?

As your husband assess the situation, you slowly make your way to the girl, sitting beside her. ‘It’s ok honey, we’ll stay with you and make sure he doesn’t disturb you.’ The girl momentarily looks confused upon your last statement and you know how stupid you sounded. All the guy needed to do was to pretend to leave, wait for you and Rick to make your exit before pouncing on his prey again.

Well, it wasn’t going to happen on Rick’s watch. Your husband signals to you. You pour a glass of water for the girl to drink before turning your attention to him.

‘What is it?’

‘Just turn about ten degrees to your right,’ you follow his instructions, sight landing on the dodgy man that Rick spotted. ‘Yeah.’

‘I think he’s one of Viper’s henchmen.’ You tried to keep a poker face. Viper was a notorious gangbanger that not only had influence in the States but his reach extended beyond North America and into Asia. Rick had briefly shared with you about it as Task Force X were assigned to hunt him down. So far, there was no success.

Until now.

Phone under the table, he sends a few quick messages. Presumably for back up. ‘Do me a favor and keep the girl calm ok? I’m going to go get the bill.’ He rises from his seat in an effort to remain casual. The two of you are left at the table. You try to ease her nerves.

‘What’s your name sweetheart?’

‘Alice,’ she responds. ‘Is he going to be ok?’ Alice refers to Rick who’s now paying the tab. You gave her a reassuring smile, ‘Don’t worry, he’s a tough one.’ You were glad to elicit a smile from the young girl. The screen of your phone lights up. Rick.

‘When we come out of the restaurant, we’ll split. Walk with her and turn into the 2nd alleyway. Dubois and the rest are waiting there.’

Over the years, you had learnt to read Rick like a book. No words needed to be exchanged. Calmly, you stood up with Alice, meeting with Rick briefly before splitting at the entrance. He doesn’t say a word during those few seconds. Rick is on full mission mode.

‘My husband has thought of something ok? But I need you to trust me.’ A motherly tone comes out of me - one that you were unaware of. It must be the baby. The girl looks much smaller now even though she is at full height. Like your future child, you feel the need to protect Alice.

The two of you weaved in and out of the crowds who were blissfully unaware of the drama taking place. You had to take Alice’s mind of momentarily before she goes into a full blown panic attack on the streets.

‘I came for the fish and chips because of these darn cravings,’ I rubbed my stomach and Alice’s eyes glitter for the first time.

‘I didn’t know,’ she replies. ‘Congratulations. Your husband seems like a good man.’ She bites her lips, afraid to cross the boundary but she does it anyways. ‘Do you know the gender?’ Alice knows what you’re trying to do and she’s reciprocating the efforts.

‘Soon. Rick wants a baby girl to spoil her rotten.’ You smile serenely at the thought of Rick sitting on the rocking chair at the baby room that was now furnished with pastel colors. ‘Me? As long as their healthy I cannot ask for anything more.’

The two of you have now crossed the first alley. You had to stay alert. Walking past a sedan parked on the side of the road, you used its mirrors to see where the man was. Honestly, he wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding himself. Maybe he thought that he could easily take out a teenage girl and a pregnant woman.

You knew that the Task Force was waiting at the alley upon Rick’s orders but you couldn’t help to feel jumpy. Probably the nerves. It was less than twenty meters now. You kept the same calm tone that you had used with Alice back in the restaurant.

‘Now I have friends that are going to help me. So for the next few seconds, I need you to do exactly as I say okay?’

The moment you get her consent, the both of you duck into the alleyway. Rick is standing behind a pillar, putting a finger to his lips. You guide Alice closer towards the end, to look as if you two had reach a dead end.

‘Time is up ladies,’ a heavy accent booms from behind. You turn around and you see a heavyset men in a fancy plum suit, clearly standing out from his lackeys. ‘The name’s Ashminov. Nicholas Ashminov.’ He puts out a stubby hand with rings on each finger to shake. You don’t. Instead you push Alice behind you, tightening your grip on her arm.

Ashminov clears his throat, ‘I see you prefer getting to the point.’ How you wished you could see wear he was looking underneath those black shades. ‘I want the girl.’

‘I don’t know where my father is so stop looking for me! I don’t know what he owes you but I don’t!’ Alice cries.

The head of Viper blatantly ignores her, eyes fixed on you. ‘You my lady, seem like a sensible woman.’ You swore his eyes trailed down to your growing stomach. Heart racing, you tried to naturally cover yourself.

The man is bold as he takes a few steps forward, ‘I think you would know what happen if you don’t do as I say,’ his slimy hand reaches out, inches away from your bump.

‘You just made a fucking big mistake,’ a growl comes from behind him. Before Ashminov can react, Rick slams the boss to the gravel. Boot on the side of his head.

His lackeys were no better. You didn’t even know the alleyway had such intricate hiding places as Dubois, Cleo and Harley jumped out of their spots, each taking one henchman. In no time, all four were subdued, Harley was still going at her target with a metal rod. Thank god for Dubois as he places a firm hand, to tell Harley that it was enough.

Rick was immediately at your side. ‘Did he hurt you?’

You shook your head, quickly making sure that Alice was not too shocked by what just happened.

‘You…’ Alice stutters, ‘you guys… Corto Maltese… saved a whole nation…’ she trails off. Cleo steps into sight, smiling at Alice. ‘No one’s ever called us that. Thank you.’ That did the trick as the girl regained her composure.

‘So what is this about a little Harley junior coming along eh?’ Harley pipes up, swinging the rod in one hand. All three pairs of eyes were on you and Rick. Time to let the cat out of the bag.

Cleo and Harley squealed at the news, giving you hugs while Dubois claps Rick on the back. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Harley doesn’t spill,’ Rick mutters a quick thanks, knowing what his team mate was well implying.

‘Can I be the godmother? Please? Pretty please?’ You were unsure of how to respond so you were grateful for Rick who swooped in to save the day. ‘We can discuss this another day. Right now we have some cleaning up to do.’

Rick leaves you for a while with Alice as he works with Dubois on the nitty gritty details to send Ashminov to Belle Reve. He comes to collect you afterwards as you said your last goodbyes to Alice.

‘Thank you. Thank you for helping me. I don’t know what would have happened if I didn’t.’

You gave Alice a hug, ‘If you didn’t call for help, my husband would have never been able to catch them.’ Rick waits beside you patiently. ‘Stay safe and if you ever need help, you know where to find me.’ You pass her a torn piece of tissue paper with your number scribbled down. ‘The call will take you to my workplace.’

You finally part from the young girl as she stands beside Cleo who assures that they’ll take it from here.

As you walked further away from the drama, exhaustion had slowly creeped in. Getting into the car, Rick looks at you. ‘You and our little one did well today,’ he rubs his hands on your stomach, grinning when he felt another kick.

‘Hey, I couldn’t be missing out on all the action can I? That girl needed help.’

Rick thinks about the events that had transpired. Your child had yet to be born but you were already so motherly, so protective. If Rick knew any better, he was turned on.

You knew that look anywhere. So you decided to play the same game. ‘To be honest Rick, the way you showed that slime ball who was boss? That was incredibly sexy,’ you whispered seductively. After going through that adrenaline earlier… I don’t think I’m ready to stop.’

His breath gets caught in his throat as his hands tighten on the wheels, resisting the urge to take you there and then in the middle of a busy street. You were really something else - face to face with a dangerous gangster and still so nonchalant.

‘Alright darlin’,’ his drawl had appeared whenever things between you two started to get spicy. ‘Let’s get the show on the road shall we?’

It usually took Rick thirty minutes to get back home from where the restaurant was.

He reached in fifteen.

***

A/N: Oh my god this idea just came out of my brain like FIRE🔥 I was so afraid if I didn’t write it down I would forget. Interesting how on some days I have ideas that I just have to pen it down and on some days my brain is point blank. It was interesting how I wanted to do a fluffy pregnancy write up but it turned into action? At least that’s what I think? Thanks for reading this loooong fic! See y’all again when I have another idea that comes out as fast as this HAHAHAHA.

Tag list: @lacontroller1991 @torchbearerkyle @loverhymeswith

- Thanks for supporting loves!🙆🏽‍♀️ 

Anyone else, if you wish to be tag be it for Rick Flag or any other fics, let me know and I’ll get you in asap! 

[maddiwrites]

The Hybrid (Prologue)

Pairing: JJ x Reader

Summary: The Pogues rekindle their friendship with their old childhood best friend and JJ’s first crush, Y/N. Old feelings resurface for JJ and Y/N, possibly leading to a summer neither one of them could ever forget. Due to past trauma, Y/N is reluctant to let anyone into her heart, but JJ never backs down from a challenge, even if he knows it will come back to haunt him in the end.

Note: So happy to be back with another series!!! I honestly really missed posting. Unlike Secrets of the Shore, updates will be slower because I don’t have them all written out yet. A couple things I wanted to let you know before you read. I based Y/N’s family off of Gilmore Girls. I thought they were the perfect fit for this story and the show in general and I just love their dynamic. (Including Luke who I renamed Steve for obvious reasons). Chapter 1 will explain more obviously but I wanted to give you guys a little snippet of the characters and relationships. So let me know what y'all think!

Word Count: 3.3k

Outer Banks. Paradise on Earth. It's the sort of place where you either have two jobs or two houses. Two tribes, one island. As you know, the Outer Banks is essentially divided into two groups. If we want to be blunt - it’s the rich and the poor. Figure Eight is home to the rich. Aka the Kooks. With houses bigger than necessary with extra rooms that go untouched, boats the size of homes on the Cut - the other side of the island. Most people who live on Figure Eight are your naturally raised assholes. People who don’t know the value of a dollar and take advantage of people who do most of their dirty work that lets them prance around the island with perfectly manicured fingernails. These hard workers are the Pogues. They live on the south side of the island where most Kooks wouldn’t be found dead. They serve fancy meals at the country club for shitty tips, mow lawns, and work their asses off at any other job for minimum wage. The drastic difference in lifestyles tend to cause many spats and arguments between the two communities. Especially between the teenagers who still don’t know how to control their raging emotions or know when to bite back their tongue. For the Kooks, every fight is a fight for dominance where as the Pogues fight for equality - to put the Kooks in their place. Many of these fights happen at summer parties where the two groups clash to find a good time with their friends filled with alcohol, drugs, and good music.

That’s where they find themselves tonight. The infamous Pogues. John B, JJ, Kie, Pope, and now Sarah Cameron. Although born a natural Kook, she’s earned her spot next to the adventurous teens and her boyfriend. Unlike her brother Rafe who basically is the leader of his notorious group. Topper and Kelce are his best friends who follow him blindly.

The Pogues watch them from their spot surrounding the keg. Kie purses her lips in distaste as the boys cat call for the ladies around them. Somehow most of them finding it flattering. Sarah sips on her beer to hide her embarrassment, often wondering how she and her brother grew up to be so different. Pope and John B stay mostly disinterested, only worried if they try to make a pass at an unwilling girl or fire a degrading comment at their short tempered friend. JJ Maybank is known around the island for his trouble making behavior. Usually if he gets in trouble for fights, no one ever asks who the other people were in the scuffle. Because if JJ Maybank is in the fight, he’s the one who started it, right? Wrong. In fact, JJ usually is never the one to start it. He’s good at keeping his head down and only speaking when spoken to when it comes to the Kooks - the only form of advice worth taking from his father. But his short temper is something the Kooks his age loved to take advantage of because they liked getting a rise out of him. It was like an adrenaline rush.

Luckily, tonight both groups were keeping their distance, either only talking to each other or random Tourons that have found their way to the party. This is usually JJ’s favorite part of a boneyard party. Finding his one fish in a sea of many that he can reel in just for the night and never have to worry about seeing them again.

He has his eyes set on a beautiful blonde making her way to the bonfire when all of a sudden Kie’s voice pulls him out of his trance.

“What’s she doing here?”

JJ follows her line of vision, spotting you walking down the wooden steps that lead to the beach, pulling your best friend behind you by his wrist. He first notices your smile and how it brightens up your entire face. Then of course his eyes scan down your slim but athletically toned body. You’re wearing a pair of jean shorts and a cropped white T shirt that says UNC across the chest. Who knew someone could look so good without even trying?

Well JJ did. He’s known it for a while.

“Careful. I think you’re drooling,” John B whispers in his best friend’s ear.

JJ pushes him away and mutters, “Shut up. No I’m not.”

But maybe he was.

Y/N Y/L/N is a unique resident of the island. Unlike majority of the island, she doesn’t fall in either Kook or Pogue category. She’s what everyone calls the Hybrid.

People who work hard for what they have but haven’t fallen to be Pogue status. Quite literally living in the middle in a place they call the Crest.

Your story is well versed among the gossipers of the island (which tends to be just about everybody).  And mainly that’s because of who your grandparents are.  Claude and Doris Y/L/N. Two of the riches people on the island, living in a three story house on the beach. Many people fear them, others envy them. Most feel both. Even Ward Cameron walks on egg shells around them, which is quite often, considering he works for Claude. They’re the kind of people who have never heard of Barefoot wine or Walmart. They keep their noses up and turn a blind eye to the suffering communities around them. Thirty four years ago, Doris gave birth to a daughter that couldn’t be more opposite than them. Lorelai Y/L/N was a wild child. A rule breaker. She snuck out at nights, dated boys her parents would never approve of, dabbled in breaking the law here and there. It didn’t matter how many times her parents disciplined her. She always managed to make her parents’ life a living hell. 

No one was surprised when word got passed around that Lorelai had gotten pregnant at eighteen. Although it was with another Kook, she brought shame upon her family name when she refused to get an abortion, even when her mom tried dragging her by her hair. 

Lorelai risked everything by running away from her parents’ home in the middle of a windy night. With only one suitcase, the baby daddy out of the picture, and less than a grand in her pocket, she managed to make a life for herself on the South side of the island. She worked two jobs, found an affordable apartment for cheap rent, and managed to save some money before her babies were born.

Yes, babies. As in more than one. Five months after running away from home, she gave birth to twin girls and they instantly became her entire life. With the help of her best friend Steve, who she met one month after being on her own, meeting him at his automotive shop when she very much literally rolled her junky car into the garage, she raised you and your sister on the Cut. The two of you are her greatest accomplishment. Every now and then, she mentally throws up a middle finger to everybody who doubted her, proud of who the two of you have become. 

Right before you turned ten, your mom took a business risk and opened her own Cafe. The Bikini Beans cafe, very popular amongst both Kooks and Pogues. The business did so well that she was able to move the three of you out of your shitty apartment into a beautiful one story home with three bedrooms in between the Cut and Figure Eight, aka the Crest, the summer going into your freshman year.

You actually used to be best friends with John B Routledge, JJ Maybank, and Pope Heyward. It was easier being friends with them than the girls, finding more joy in sports and rough housing than makeup and gossip. 

Doing the same summer that you moved, your mom pulled you out of Kildare County High and placed you in Outer Banks Private Academy. Aka Kook Academy. Around this time, your grandparents had also become more involved in your life, and you wondered if they had somehow bribed your mom into forcing you to transfer schools. You tried asking her during one of your many fights that started with you begging her to keep you at Kildare County High, but she quickly shut you down and told you to be grateful. That was ironic coming from the woman who ran away from the people giving her an expensive high school career. 

You had no choice but to do what your grandparents wanted and attend Kook Academy. Making friends was a lot harder there than it was in Kildare County High. You managed to make one friend in your freshman year. Andre Cortez. Due to an incident a couple years back, you built thick walls and Andre was the only one able to break them down. You were grateful for your friendship, but hanging out with him was nothing like hanging out with the Pogues. 

When you transferred schools, you lost touch with the Pogues slowly. Your life became busy with school and playing dress up for your grandparents and the boys were starting to work. Eventually all contact was cut and ever since, you’ve felt a void in your heart.

“Look,” You tell Andre. “I told you I would be your wing woman and I’m not backing down from what could possibly be the most important role in my life.”

You didn’t notice the Pogues or any of the stares around you. It’s true you’re not much of a party girl. I mean, you’ll go out here and there, have a drink or two, but you felt more comfortable at places where you weren’t surrounded by drunk and horny teenagers. 

“He’s probably not even here,” Andre says. He’s trying to look nonchalant but you notice the way his eyes dance from face to face of the people around him. 

“He told you he was going to be here, right?” You ask him with one brow raised. Andre nods. “Then, we’ll find him.”

Sarah and Kie never made any effort to talk to you at school, but to be fair, neither have you. You’ve heard mixed reviews, some people call them spoiled brats, ungrateful...some even go as far as calling them ‘The Cut Sluts.’ Of course you never take any of those things to heart. You can’t judge a book but it's cover. Plus, they’re friends with your old best friends. They can’t be that bad for John B and JJ and Pope to be hanging out with them, right?

“You think she'll come over here?” Kie asks. No one’s ever said it out loud, but her friends wonder if deep down, Kie was a little jealous of you. Because you were their first real girl friend. You were the first girl they ever let in and opened their heart too. That was a tough pill for Kie to swallow when she originally thought she was that girl. Of course the boys don’t like you any more than Kie and vice versa. But sometimes Kie wishes she could have grown up with the boys the same way you had. 

“Probably not. Unless she’s drinking,” Pope says and motions towards the keg they’re near. 

“I have an idea,” John B says and fills up a red solo cup. He hands it to JJ. “Why don’t you go offer her a cup.”

JJ snags the cup out of John B’s hand and glares at him. “Fuck off, dude.” 

“Do you guys ever see her around at school?” Pope asks the girls.

Sarah shrugs. “Not really. She doesn’t really get a long with my old group of friends.”

Kie rolls her eyes. “No one gets along with your old group of friends.”

Sarah playfully shoves Kie by the shoulder and they laugh. 

“I heard she turned down Raymond Easterling a couple weeks ago and he didn’t take it very well,” Pope says, remembering the words he heard from the kids in his class roaming the school hallways. 

Raymond goes to Kildcare County High with the Pogues. He’s known to be a trouble maker and a class clown. He works with JJ at the country club. The kid can make JJ laugh sometimes, but he wouldn’t necessarily say he likes him all that much. He can be an arrogant asshole with an ego bigger than it should be.

“She turns down everybody,” Sarah says. “Some people at my school call her ‘The Heart Sucker’ because she can pull people in with the snap of her fingers and break their heart just as quickly.”

Something stirred in the pit of JJ’s stomach.

“Hey! Where you going?” John B calls out to JJ who’s making his way deeper into the sea of people on the beach. 

“Taking advantage of a good boneyard party, my friend,” JJ calls back and slugs the rest of his beer. Looking left and right, he searches for the blonde he had eyes on earlier. Because right now, he needed a distraction. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

The party starts to die down a little after midnight. Some people leave to find another party, some are passed out in the back of their cars, and others had already found what they were looking for - someone to leave with. 

The boneyard party wasn’t as bad as you expected it to be. You had found a couple of kids from your school who were nice enough to make small talk with you while Andre left to find a guy named Devon, a Touron he’s been talking to who’s renting for the entire summer. 

Now you’re waiting for Andre to come back so the two of you can walk home. You find comfort under a slanted palm tree towards the back of the beach, scrolling through random apps on your phone to pass the time.

“Y/N?” You look up from you phone and smile when you see your former best friend inching closer to you, squinting in the dark to see if it’s really you. 

“Maybank? What are you still doing here?” You stand up and pat the sand off your hands on you thighs. 

Your heart skips a beat in your chest when you look at him. He’s beautiful. Lucious blonde hair, perfectly tanned skin, piercing blue eyes. You always knew JJ was going to grow up to be gorgeous. He was cute when he was younger. At least you always thought so. 

“I was just leaving, but I thought I saw you sitting here and wanted to make sure you were all right.” He knows it’s not like you to stay this late at a party, especially all by yourself. When he first saw you sitting there, he didn’t know if he should say something. Mostly due to nerves of seeing you again. But the other Pogues had already left and he didn’t trust anyone else at the party to be near you alone late at night. It didn’t matter if you were sober or not. 

“Aw. Was JJ Maybank worried about me?” You tease. Talking to him felt easy. As if you never stopped being friends. A few years ago, you and JJ had the best banter. Despite constantly bickering back and forth, John B always swore the two of you would get married one day. The two of you just always clicked like a natural connection. And even now, when only seeing each other every now and then for a few minutes at a time, it felt normal. You smirk when JJ rolls his eyes. “I’m kidding. Yeah, I’m okay. Just waiting for my friend to come back from his little rendezvous,” You say. 

JJ nods. “Did you have a good time? I feel like I never you see at these things.”

“Yeah. Parties aren’t really my thing. But Andre was nervous to meet this guy he’s been talking to for a little while so I came for moral support.”

“Looks like he didn’t need much of the support.”

You shrug. “It’s better that way, anyway. I don’t mind waiting for him. What about you?”

“What about me?” 

“Did you have a good time tonight? I hear your quite the ladies’ man at these things.”

“Come on, Sparky. You know better than to believe everything you hear.”

Your face lights up at the mention of your old nickname. You use to always be busting out the seams with energy. On days where the boys just wanted to chill and play video games, you would drag them to the park for a game of kick ball. Or when they wanted to sleep in after a long week, you showed up at 8 am to drag them out of bed to catch the morning waves. So one day JJ started calling you Sparky, and it stuck with the rest of your little gang. You always pretended to hate it, but secretly you loved it. 

“Oh I don’t believe everything I hear. I do, however, believe what I see. And your arm around that tall blonde in the little black dress looked quite convincing.”

You first saw JJ at the party when he was making his way to the pretty girl by the water. Your teeth involuntarily clenched and there was a twisted feeling in your stomach you couldn’t shake whenever you looked at them. 

In that instant, JJ felt grateful for the dark sky. He felt the rush of heat rise up his neck to his cheeks before he could stop it. He knew the motivation to see that girl was because of you. He just wished you never saw it. But he didn’t know why. 

“I walked her home. She wasn’t my type,” JJ plays it off. 

“I didn’t realize you had a type,” You giggle, but a small part felt relieved to hear this. “So what is it? Your type?”

Hybrids with a Pogue attitude, bright smile, beautiful eyes, and a mouth that could make any sailor turn around, JJ thought. 

“I don’t know. Haven’t figured it out yet.”

You roll your eyes playfully. “Well, when you figure it out let me know.”

“Why? So you can transform into my ideal girl?” He teases.

Now you’re the one thankful for the dark sky. “In your dreams, Maybank. But so far, I do have the perfect wing-woman track record, so if you needed help -”

“I don’t think I need any help in that department. Thank you very much.”

You throw your hands up in fake surrender. “Ooo. Touchy subject.”

JJ rolls his eyes at the same time your phone pings with a text message. You pull it out of your shorts pocket and open the text from Andre, telling you to leave without him because he’s gonna stay out late with Devon and won’t know what time he’s going to be done.

“Everything all right?” JJ says, watching you read the message.

You lock your phone and stuff it in your back pocket again. “Like I said. Perfect wing-woman track record.”

“That was Andre?” 

“Yeah. He’s most likely not coming home tonight.”

“Lucky bastard.”

“At least one of us is,” You joke. 

JJ’s grin slightly falters but you don’t catch it. You have no idea how much he wishes the two of you could be equally as lucky. Together. 

“Well, I should probably go,” You say and bend down to grab your flip flops.

“Let me walk you home,” JJ offers. 

“Oh no. It’s okay -”

“You’re cute. It’s wasn’t up for debate. I’m not letting you walk back by yourself.”

You scoff lightly. “I’ll be fine.”

“Just humor me.”

You roll your eyes and smirk but choose not to argue. In fact, you’re excited to spend more time with JJ. It’s been so long.

“Fine.”

“And here I thought you might’ve grown out of your stubborn phase by now.”

You shove him playfully by the shoulder. “Shut up!”

And just like that, it felt like old times.

[yandere-toons]

It's almost 1 in the morning, lets go

part 2 of… whatever i can call this

Dr. Von Goosewing is wary of the young vampire but after a while comes to understand that she's as vicious as a bunny, when she's had her coconut milk as she's explained to him. Unlike with Count Duckula he's more willing to listen to her, they are both on neutral ground. Her brother has specifically stated that his quarrel is with the mad scientist and wishes to not burden his young sister with their fighting so she is to not help anyone in any scenario whatsoever. Although Von Goosewing's first encounter with her wasn't a very pleasant one he can see that she's a lot better than she was a month ago.

Although Igor was very disappointed with how she turned out she grew on him, and after a while finally started to acknowledge her as Little Lady, subtly confirming that she's respected by him and is now a part of the “family”.

Both her and Duckula are big fans of video games, she's really into Doom much to the young masters horror. Otherwise they play co-op games together, like Spy vs Spy or Bomberman.

Isn't very talkative.

She sometimes bakes with Nanny, or tries to at least.

Has a habit of mimicking some of Duckula's day to day routines or gestures.

Through Duckula's impulsive decisions he's taught her something, that even though he's smart, strong, brave, annoying, there's always gonna be people who are gonna make fun of him. So she makes a silent promise to slight anyone that opposes her brother verbally.

She sometimes has night terrors from being abandoned and looks for comfort either from Nanny or Duckula. Even if Igor doesn't seem like he could handle a situation like this there was that one time when Igor heard her crying and somehow put her back to sleep.

Her ideal vacation spot is a cottage in a thick forest close to a lake.

Sometimes she and Duckula play pretend with their favorite stuffies.

Knows that the castle will come back if it teleports away without them but follows her friends 80% of the time, otherwise she stays in Transylvania. Occasionally Goosewing will pop up looking for Duckula but be met with nothing and chat with her.

There is a recurring joke about her not having a pulse or a working heart.

Was born in Sweden but moved after she became height years old. She had a pretty heavy accent but it died down after a few years. It's hard to tell but if you pay close attention you can still hear it.

Once went fishing with Rory and Igor, she wasn't allowed to use an actual fishing rod so Rory gave her a wooden toy one made by him to pretend with. She saw Nessie but Rory dismissed her.

They took a photo of themselves with their catches with her polaroid camera, she had a smal wooden toy fish wrapped on the string while Igor and Rory had visibly larger fish. Secretly Nessie is in the background too.

Is protective of Nanny and whenever Em threatens to get violent Igor eggs her on and helps her.

One time when she got lost in the dungeon she used her glow in the dark stickers as waypoints to know where she's been.

Duckula tries his best to be a good role model that she was robbed of at such a young age, if Duckula is the angel on her shoulder then Igor is the devil… AND NANNY IS THE MOTHER FIGURE SHE DESERVES.

Igor straight up just gave her a fancy knife that one of the Counts incarnations had as her christmas gift, Duckula was very unhappy with it but she kept it in secret. Just for Igor. Also her dress has two hidden pockets.

I try to at least think of two songs that would fit a character but at the moment I can only think of one that would fit her aesthetic. And that would be “Alphabet boy”, talking about characters and songs, my two pics for Duckula would be “No One Lives Forever” and “S.T.A.R. Child”.

Yo what if she came back as a ghost when 2015 Duckula accidently knocked down her urn or something and she could mimic the appearance and voices of people she met. And if she was with 1988 Duckula in that one episode where they went back in time then she could potentially disguise herself as his ancestors, or at least a few of them. She wouldn't do it often unless Duckula is in danger or things aren't going his way.

She unknowingly shows traits from her deceased friends, like Nanny's kindness and worry over Duckula's health, Her brother's confidence, something she didn't have much before she died. Igor's persistent but instead of telling Duckula to be evil she tries to convince him to do less evil things.

Can't go beyond the castle's walls.

She's amazed and confused by today's technology, so many new games to try out, I think she would like ACE of SPADES or Terraria.

She's trying to extinguish her brother from the current Count, she knows it isn't him and doesn't wanna accidently put unreasonable expectations on him, like Igor did to the previous one.

Bro imagen, Duckula is in trouble with nowhere to run, the enemy is closing in but out of nowhere a horse jumps over the adversary and stands between the two blocking the unwanted guest. Upon the stead sits one of Duckula's ancestors in shining armor staring down the opponent with malicious intent behind them. But if one were to look close enough they would realize that it's all fake, just a trick of the eye.

Likes old retro music.

She can manipulate electrical devices.

Duckula didn't know that she was a vampire until she said something, when he inquiries on what she meant she reveals her bite mark. At this point she isn't that bothered by her past anymore (or so she thinks) so she tells him her tragic tale. Though the story meant nothing to her it made Duckula's stomach drop, something about his reaction reminded her of her brother.

Can't physically touch anything but can make the illusion that she's holding them or “create” things out of illusions.

Sometimes wonders if his cousins are still alive.

Out of all the things Duckula owns in his castle she's the one thing that truly feels like home to him, in a strange way.

Is protective of him and only shows herself to him, mainly because this is a new world and although he probably could fend for himself it doesn't stop her from not trusting anyone else. She learns to open up later on though.

Knowes how to play the piano so she uses that talent to make interactive background music for him but won't shy away from slamming all the keys if he sees something she doesn't agree with. From an onlooker's perspective it looks like he's talking to his automatic piano, or arguing.

She can never look or be in the presence of a bow, Duckula thinks that it might have some association with her death but in reality it's because she lost to a bet so bad that it embarrassed her for weeks.

Is scared that the sudden change in the castle might not be coincidental, she theorizes that it's losing its power because this is the last Count of the bloodline. She doesn't tell him this so as to not scare him.

Berates the Narrator for being so mean to her brother, she warns him that if he doesn't stop she will make him go into a deathmatch with the old narrator (1988).

Despite her sass she really likes playing along with him and his oversaturated performances.

Sometimes the fact that she's older than the current Duckula kinda gets to her head.

Strangely misses the two annoying bats that told jokes.

Also this

https://youtu.be/iayYQmeKTZ0

Duckula playing Doom would be a nightmare.

"Nanny! Nanny! Watch me decapitate this monster!" Duckula repeatedly jabs a button on his controller while looking between the screen and Nanny, who is standing in the doorway.

"Oh," hums Nanny as she raises a finger to her beak in thought. She approaches Duckula and his new sister with slow and curious steps, but when a monster gets too close to the screen, Nanny rushes to Duckula's side.

"I'll protect you, Duckyboos!" She hugs Duckula and lifts him from the ground in an attempt to shield him, which accidentally gets him killed in the game.

[barzzal]

between halls and thin walls → part two

summary: friends who fool around almost never work. almost.

↳ pairing: mathew barzal x you

↳ warnings: swearing, sex toys, masturbation, sexual/suggestive themes, and yenno, mathew :(

↳ genre: angst, smut, roommates au, best friend’s best friend, friends with benefits, 18+ minors dni*

↳ length: series; part one, part two (5.9k), part three, part four, part five, part six

↳ masterlist: the barn

↳ track: listened to a lot of beyoncé for this one !!

note: part two’s here!! and i know it’s late for an update but i just wanna thank everyone for commenting on the first part 🥺 really glad that you guys liked it. reading your tags are everything to me it means a lot! happy reading <3 (gif used: mine)

You come out of your bedroom dressed and ready for work. Your handbag was slung over the depth of your forearm as you headed for the kitchen and the other, scrolling past emails on your phone, admittedly bracing yourself for the mess you know will eventually greet you.

To your surprise, what you see instead were Mat Barzal’s guns rippling through the jet black sweater he had worn last night. A memory that sent your mind to less than eight hours ago, before eventually landing on what happened shortly when the two of you had woken up.

“Thank god you haven’t burnt the house down.” you kid, placing your handbag atop the island.

Mat spares you a quick glance, rolling his eyes whilst he lets you watch him whisk some eggs for breakfast.

“Like it?” he cocks, pertaining to how your eyes were pinned hard on his biceps that he was, for the most part, effortlessly sporting. It’s true, though. He didn’t need to flex because it was just there.

“Coffee or Juice?” he asks, as the kind friend and roommate that he is. 

Anthony, as surprising as it was, takes incredibly long showers. If people hadn’t known him well, they’d easily think he’s abusing himself there. But you’ve got to admit that not having him around felt nice for you didn’t have to feel so seen with Mathew.

‘Course, there’s nothing more, like a fix-in on the side, to your set up. You just appreciate the feeling of not having to lie to Beau about all the ugly concealed underneath all the innocent gazes you and Mathew exchange.

“Coffee.” you answer shortly, realizing that you forgot the material you need for today’s meeting.

“Where are you going?” Mat asks when he catches you receding out into the hallway. You didn’t bother looking back, “Forgot something!”

He gets back to whisking the eggs when a chime comes off his phone. He takes it from the counter, placed just before the plates he left to dry last night, absent-mindedly putting the bowl he was holding onto the island, toppling over the green juice he has prepared for himself. 

“Shit.” he curses as soon as he sees it for it was already spilling all over the place, making the mess you’ve been secretly anticipating the moment Mathew said he’d make breakfast.

Panicking at how you’d see he’s successfully screwed such a no-brainer task, Mat grabs the first thing he sees on the marbled surface and uses it to clean the mess he’d made.

“Huh.” he muses to himself, realizing that the silk fabric didn’t do much in helping him clean up. He tosses it over the sink carelessly and grabs a few napkin rolls from one of the cupboards. 

So much for making an effort to feed Anthony Beauvillier. 

“Now, that was fast.” you say with a smirk once you’ve entered the kitchen, startling Mathew as he continued cleaning up after his mess. 

“Ha-ha. Very funny.” he sarcastically laughs, discarding the paper towels onto the sink along with the used ones. 

Thankfully, your stuff was at the other side of the island so it was very much safe from all the chaos happening at the other end of the marbled surface. However, your laugh dies down the second you realize that your handkerchief was no longer where you’ve last put it.

“Hey,” you call on Mathew, “What’s up?”

“Have you seen my handkerchief? I know I left it somewhere.” you anxiously ask, eyeing every corner of the room hoping to see Nana’s handkerchief, the one she gave to you on your 18th birthday.

“What does it look like?” Mat asks, now holding a pan in his hand as he prepares breakfast.

You proceeded to describe your grandma’s handkerchief in the most specific and perhaps excruciating detail Mathew has ever heard someone talk about something as mind-numbing as a handkerchief.

Despite that, Mat lights up the moment it hits him, not realizing the bigger mess he’s about to walk into. He rejoices at how he knew exactly what you were looking for, “Oh! You mean this?” 

With clueless eyes, you watch Mat go over the sink after he wipes his hands dry, fishing out an all too familiar fabric from the sink. Once your eyes land onto the cream colored silk handkerchief, with details carefully sewn by hand, drenching in what seems to be Mat’s morning drink, your heart falls to the pit of your stomach. 

“What did you do??” The sudden rise in your voice startles an unsuspecting Mathew. You eagerly went over to his side and hastily snatched the smooth fabric off his hands, “It’s ruined!”

“What? I didn’t know it was yours!” Mat’s eyes are wild with confusion. Puzzled at how you were so fixated on the useless fabric. It didn’t help him anyway. There’s nothing much left to do but to throw it. It’s garbage. 

“You ruined it!” you lash out, letting Mat get eaten up by the sudden anger bubbling inside your guts but he was rather quick in defending himself, “I didn’t know it was yours since I grabbed the first thing I could find. Why are you getting upset over a shit-ass handkerchief?” 

Your mouth falls and you shake your head, finding his defensiveness quite appalling. “You’re an ass.”

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was yours.” he explains, “Come on, it’s just a stupid handkerchief I’ll just buy you a new one.” he tries to laugh the tension off, sporting his signature grin.

Mat take shots of the stunned expression on your face, “Stupid?” you repeat what he said, your eyes already starting to sting with tears. Clearly, you were far too overwhelmed to even acknowledge Mathew’s half-assed apology.

“You’re a fucking asshole.” your words bite and that’s when things took a turn for the worse. 

“I said I was fucking sorry! What the hell do you want from me? Shit a fucking hanky?” he rans a hand through his hair, “Do you realize how childish you’re being right now?”

Outraged, and perhaps disappointed by how he was too high up his horse, your voice takes up a higher tone, entering what seems to be an early screaming match between you and Mathew.

“Could you just–” you breathe, “for one second– stop being so goddamn stupid and get over yourself!?” were words that welcomed Anthony the moment he stepped into the kitchen, towel wrapped around his waist, a grin on his face visible as he poured himself a glass of water, inviting himself in the screaming match you and Mathew have exclusively put forth for him.

“Stupid is not when you’ve already apologized a hundred times! Stupid is being such a crybaby and a bitch about it!” Mathew retorts, gaining his better end of the argument.

“What a beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Anthony chimes in, a hand resting on his chin, adoring his two best friends upon getting used to the best worst duo he’s ever known in his life. 

“Shut up, Beau.” you say, throwing him a glare.

“Well, beautiful is definitely not in Y/N’s dictionary.” Mathew chides with a smirk, enough to earn himself a scoff from you. 

“You know what? I don’t have the time for this bullshit.” you cuss, finally retreating, your already heavy heart taking a better hold on your thoughts, blocking your ability to even come up with a clever remark to come back at Mathew.

You throw the delicate, yet already ruined piece of fabric towards his way as hard as you could before marching out of the kitchen and head off for work.

“Fucking unbelievable.” Mathew curses under his breath once he catches the silk linen, shaking his head as he turns his attention back to the morning task at hand. 

You were fucking unbelievable.

Once the boys were left alone, Tito raises a brow, briefly looking back after your footsteps, “What happened here, anyway?” he asks, having realized what must’ve caused such a heated argument so early in the morning. 

“I used this handkerchief to wipe the whole thing off and she just went ape shit! I mean–” Anthony cuts Mathew the moment he recognizes the thin cloth he was holding.

“Woah, woah. Wait a minute, you used this?” he muses, stressing on the possibility of what might have been Mathew’s biggest mistake of the day, his eyes darting between him and the fabric.

With furrowed brows, admittedly weirded by how Anthony reacted almost the same way you did a while ago. “It’s just a handkerchief, man. I can go buy her a bunch if that’s what she wants.” he says defensively.

Anthony shakes his head wildly, his irises now dilated as he examined the stain already sitting on the material. “No no. Oh god no.” He says, snatching Mathew’s phone from the counter to google quick remedies that might remove the said stain from the already ruined cloth. 

“What do you mean no? You guys spend way too much time together, you’re beginning to be as weird as her.” He scoffs, sipping on a glass of water. 

“No, you dumbass. This was her grandma’s!” Anthony says, eyes fixated on the delicate handkerchief. Remembering how you’d told him how long it has been in your family that having Nana give it to you after all the years you’ve spent admiring it from afar meant so much to you than anything anyone could have possibly given you.

“So?” Mat casually replies, closing his arms to his chest before adding, “Is she dead or something? Didn’t you guys visit her for the Holidays?” 

“What?? Why would you even say that?– You’re such a jerk.” Tito shakes his head, appalled by how Mathew easily shrugged the matter off when he knew full well how sentimental he himself could be.

“Well, how am I supposed to know?? If that thing’s so important I wouldn’t leave it on top of some random shit lying around!” He counters, defending himself for reaching for the nearest cloth he could find when he did whatever he does best when he’s in the kitchen.

Tito clicks his tongue and looks at Mathew exasperatedly, “Tell me, where did you find this exactly?”, to which Mathew only answered with a quiet voice, “It may or may not have been placed on top of her purse…” he avoids Tito’s gaze, finally catching on how he was the one in the wrong. 

“See? Jerk. Now, go figure out how you’ll take the stain off.” Anthony demands, his voice embraced by a definitive tone. One that made Mathew know he wouldn’t be able to persuade him into letting this go. 

Tito takes one good look at Mat’s catastrophic attempt to feed the house, striding his way out of the kitchen, “And make sure you apologize!” he adds, footsteps receding into the hallway, leaving Mathew scratching the back of his head out of guilt and frustration.

You have spent the following days either avoiding Mathew or ignoring his existence completely. Anthony talked to you the night that incident happened and assured you that he would do his best to have it fixed. You didn’t want to bother him nor take time off his already busy schedule, but you were just so bummed to even say a word.

That night, you spent the entire evening in your room, facetiming your mother, saying how much you’re missing home. You can’t bring yourself to tell her about the handkerchief. For some people, and that people being Mathew, it might’ve been just some silly thing but Tito knew how much that small piece of cloth meant to you. 

Mathew, on the one hand, was for sure guilty to his bones. He didn’t see you that night nor the nights that followed. He didn’t think much of it but when he found himself searching for that same handkerchief in the hopes of replacing it only to find out that it was nowhere to be found in the market, was when he did realize that ruining the one thing that held you closer to home was the last push your non-existent relationship with him had to have for you to finally lose any ounce of amour nor civility you once had for him. 

Anthony wasn’t a stranger for said changes either. He began waking up to a still apartment enveloped by a wall you profusely built between you and Mathew. You even unknowingly shut Tito out in the process as well. It was like you were grieving. Like, it was a whole different kind of heartbreak he knew he can’t get you out of that easily. 

You tried making it up for your best friend of course. Knowing that you haven’t been yourself since that day. You thought about the possibility of having taken the whole thing too seriously that you might’ve overreacted a bit. Nonetheless, no matter how much you try to push it in the back of your head, Mathew’s mere presence began irking you in ways it never did back when you used to enjoy the bickering you exchange with him, especially in bed.

“Thanks for dinner, belle.” Anthony politely says, earning a smile from you so effortlessly upon hearing the pet name he uses for you. Something Mat only shrugged off, trying to piece out the same gratitude, “Thanks, y/n.” he genuinely adds. But as expected, he had nothing.

You pick up all the empty plates, including Mathew’s, who was sitting in front of you while Anthony sat at the end of the table. Tito hurriedly wipes his mouth with a napkin and takes the plate from you, “Let me help you with that.” he says with the same kind eyes that has never failed to win you over. 

“Yeah. Okay, sure.” you shortly answer, leading the way towards the kitchen, leaving one Mathew Barzal feeling small and alone at the dining table. 

𖥸

If there was one thing you’d gladly acknowledge after all the years of watching people kiss Mathew’s ass was that he was is really good. He’s fast and he can do unimaginable damage on the ice. There’s no denying that he deserves to be the face of the New York Islanders. But we know you don’t care about any of that. The only thing you care about was how unbelievably good he is at everything he does that not even you or your pink rubber toy could suffice. 

He was just that damn good. 

As your eyes shut whilst you mount your pleasures on your own, biting your lips to choke in your own moans, Mathew handling you was what circled your mind since you started defiling yourself in the bathroom. You let your arousal be washed away by the warm water trickling down your skin, envisioning Mat’s rough hands grazing your body, touching your core like his hands were meant to do nothing else but that. 

It was wrong and pathetic, but you couldn’t think about anything else. You and Mathew have been avoiding each other for days. The dynamic went so much worse than when you weren’t sleeping together and you know that Tito was bound to notice it soon. Thankfully, the boys were on another roadie for a week so you had quite some time to think things through about your current sitch with Mathew. You didn’t like any of it because it felt like you gave a fuck (which obviously, you didn’t). You just feel obligated to sort things out with the biggest ass that ever lived because you didn’t want to involve Tito into the mess you’ve wrongfully made yourself. 

You hop off the shower feeling unsatisfied. You haven’t gotten laid since the last time you were with Mat. Which is sad, not just for you but also for her. You’d think considering the boys aren’t around you’d bring someone home, maybe even one or two. But just thinking about going on bars alone so you could find a potential bone-mate is already far too tedious and you weren’t in the right state to do so. You had so much going on at work, anyway. And you can always use a wand to scratch an itch. Neither would satisfy you more than how someone-who-will-not-be-named could, but you might as well be pathetic without having to hook up with some random dude whose name you’ll eventually forget in the morning. 

You opted to wear an old pull-over you borrowed (took) from Tito years and years ago and partnered it with some leggings so you’d be comfortable enough for the rest of the night. You have nothing else to do and you are already fed up with your workload that watching a crappy movie off of Netflix doesn’t sound like a bad idea. 

With a giant bowl of popcorn and two bottles of beer in your hands, you march your way into the living room, ready to spend the night binge watching romantic comedies, crying and laughing in between. Or maybe just fall asleep on the couch while your comfort TV series is on. 

The boys won three games out of the four that they had during the trip and you only saw the ones they won so you were thankful that you didn’t have to sit at home alone watching their faces fall after that OT lost against the Flyers. Anthony phoned you that night and you can just feel the relief in his voice that you didn’t have the time to see it. They weren’t playing like they should. Thankfully, they were able to bounce back. 

Your eyes were beginning to grow tired halfway into the movie when you hear the front door open, followed by luggages dragged into the house tirelessly. 

“Y/N?” Anthony calls out.

You hit the movie on pause and hurriedly make your way towards the hallway. “You’re home already?”

They were already taking their coats off when you met them halfway, Tito was putting his away while Mat had just taken off his toque and was running his hands through his hair, unconsciously meeting your eyes upon hearing your voice. 

You quickly break it off when you give Tito a quick embrace and plant a small kiss on his cheeks, “I texted you.” he says, eyebrows quirked, surprised that you didn’t know. 

In an effort to avert any more of his questions you immediately point towards the movie you had on, “Haven’t checked my messages, sorry.” 

“So, you guys ate dinner?” you ask, passing Mat a quick look. One that came as a surprise because he wasn’t even hoping to hear a word from you given the way you two left things a little too on the edge, screwing with the whole thing even more. 

Mat avoids your irises and faintly nods. 

“Big win tonight huh? Told you, you can do it.” you say with a beaming smile, nudging Tito with your hips as you get back to watching your film. “You gotta do what you gotta do, babe.” he winks, lugging his stuff around towards his bedroom. 

“Barz, don’t stay up, Trotz needs us first thing in the morning.” he looks back, reminding Mat who was already standing in front of his door, “Yeah. Sure.” he replies shortly with a tired voice. 

You and Anthony bid your own goodnights whilst Mat mutters a quiet “Night.” when you nodded his way, clearly not enjoying any of the first awkward encounters he’s yet to have with you. Seven days is quite a reasonable time for your anger to dissipate, a short yet seemingly long period of time that’s just enough to kill off whatever guilt Mat had initially felt before you parted ways.

𖥸

“Alright, I’m off.” Tito casually declares, putting on his watch. “There’s food in the fridge, and tell Mat to go easy on my beers.” he gives you a knowing look as he bends down to give you a kiss on the cheek. 

Tito had been seeing some mystery girl for quite some time now. He hasn’t told you anything spicy in particular but by the looks of it, you could already tell that she has him towed. 

“Good luck, loverboy.” you say, swatting his hand away and pushing him out to the door. The two of you cringe at what you said, sharing one last laugh before you watch him disappear out into the hallway.

The apartment was cramped the whole day because Anthony and Mat had the day off. Tito had plans for the night, obviously. As per you, you had plans lounging in the living room, switching through channels in the hopes of stumbling on a show that isn’t half as bad than the rest. 

Thankfully, a Sandra Bullock film was on HBO.

The Proposal, to be exact.

You decide to dive in the film with a cold bottle of beer on your hand. There was no way you’d be washing down the effects of a naked Ryan Reynolds with a glass of water. You haven’t gone mad. 

The film was already at the part where Sandra was proposing to Ryan when you hear Mathew’s door open. You haven’t talked since the night they came back home other than the small nods you exchange upon passing by each other. All of which are mind-numbing and impossible to swallow. The awkwardness has not dissipated completely unlike what you presumed. You were just grateful Tito was always around that you didn’t need to be alone together. 

Alarmed by another impending awkward encounter, you clear your throat and turn up the volume a little to remain focused on the film, investing your sole attention to it even if you have seen the movie countless times. 

Mathew, in his sweats and a gray shirt on, carefully makes his way out the hallway and into the common area after snatching a glass of water from the kitchen. You see him move further into the room but you make sure that he knows you weren’t paying attention. You take that he must’ve been thirsty and needed a drink but you don’t see him move further in the corner of your eye like he was making his way back in his room. It almost seemed like he was actually waiting for you to look his way.

Hesitantly, you follow your gut feel and see him standing a few feet away from you. “Yes?” you ask when you catch him staring. 

Mat blinks a few times, “Hi.” he takes a deep breath, trying to shake off the awkwardness circling the two of you.

When the only thing he gets from you is a tight lipped smile, he shakes his head and proceeds to walk where you were seated. 

“Mind if I join you?” he asks, his voice deep and clear enough to send your mind elsewhere. 

Regardless, you contain yourself and return a polite smile, “No. Not at all.”

“So, what are we watching?” he sits once you gestured onto the other end of the couch. 

“The Proposal.” you answer before throwing a question yourself, “Aren’t you supposed to be resting now?” you shake your head, absentmindedly chuckling. Not intending to make him feel that you’ve forgotten about what he’d done weeks ago. 

“I couldn’t sleep.” he props his back and lets himself sink in the cloud couch, his legs spread wide eating up most of the space left for the two of you to share. “Oh. I only like him when he’s Deadpool” he points out, cringing at how you were watching another one of your romantic comedy films.

You roll your eyes, admiring how he’s trying to break the tension between the two of you despite his unsolicited sentiments, “I like it when we were on not-speaking terms.” 

Mat mocks you for a while but decides to watch the movie so you let him be and get back to the film, letting a giggle slip every now and then. Something you thought Mat wouldn’t notice.

Watching the remainder of the film went with ease. ‘Course, Mat would steal a few glances here and there (ones he thought had gone unnoticed), but overall the quietude between the two of you was bearable. Almost like it was just two buddies hanging out. 

Although, not long after, your eyes were torn away from the huge flat screen when Mat spoke, “By the way,” he looks at you and calls your attention. 

Puzzled, you watch him take something from his pocket, “Here.” 

Once you see what he has in his hands your heart froze. Mat carefully hands you the cloth with an apologetic smile; his eyes soft with a hint of hope as he watches your reaction. 

“What– How?” you ask in bewilderment, failing to comprehend how he was able to fix the handkerchief. It looked the same as before. All of its details were in place, it was good as new. You were holding Nana’s handkerchief. 

Mathew didn’t bother to dance around and just offered you a quiet chuckle, evidently enjoying the wide smile painted on your lips. “Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.” he apologizes, shielding you from all the strings he had to pull just to get that cloth fixed up.

You hold the smooth and delicate piece in your hands as you look at Mat, letting your feelings get a better hold of you, “Thank you.” you say, unknowingly reaching out, your arms wrapped around his neck as you give him a quick peck on the cheek. 

Mathew’s hand instinctively finds your back to support you, startling himself in the process. Nonetheless, the thought was easily shrugged off by how close your faces were, your smiles fading once you meet each other’s gaze. You feel the same rush you felt the night you and Mat got involved for the first time. Your hand was placed rather endearingly on his cheek, your faces, just like all the other times, unreasonably close to each other. Mat then clears his throat and only looks you in the eye. 

Afraid that the innocent hug would lead to something more, perhaps another mistake to be jotted down on the board, you breathe a laugh and break away, “Uh, thanks again. It really means a lot.” 

Mat must’ve sensed that you were being cautious so he puts his guards up and returns a chuckle, “So… we good?” he asks, reaching out a hand your way. 

Your fingers slide into his, gliding its way perfectly, your hands fitted well with his despite the obvious difference in proportion. His grip tightens in the most comfortable way possible. 

A smile breaks off his lips once he hears you answer, “We’re good.”

“I should probably get some sleep.” Mat tells you the moment you pull your hand away.

“Are you gonna be okay here?” he adds.

You looked at him, not wanting him to be obligated to keep you company, “Oh, yeah. I’m a big girl.” you say, making Mathew grin, shaking his head.

“Alright. I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”

Not picking up on whatever sloppy insinuation Mat has thrown out carelessly into thin air, he hears a simple “Mkay.” 

Thus far, letting him know that his subtle invitation was far from being RSVP’d.

𖥸

“You’ll be in your room?” Mat scoffs, staring at the ceiling while he lays on his bed, “The fuck was that, Mat?” he scolds himself for always coming up with the worst things to say. 

Mathew would be lying if he’d say he hasn’t thought about you (or doing you) for the past week of not being around home. But he definitely wouldn’t deny that the roadie kind of made things easier for him because then he didn’t have to stomach seeing you walk around the flat looking like the hot piece of ass that you were in his eyes. 

Mat knows he needs to pull his shit together. He wasn’t some 13 year-old boy raging with hormones. He needs to control himself around you and he could only do that once he learns how to push this whole thing between the two of you behind him. 

What happened with you and Mathew shouldn’t have happened at all. It was just a moment of weakness, and he hated that he’d let his dick (and apparently, him being one) ruin the relationship he once had with you. 

Before that night, seeing you do yoga and work out on the terrace was just seeing you drenched in sweat, and in your work out clothes looking icky and constipated. Something he’ll later on tease you about and he’ll end up catching the water bottle you throw in his face. But now, after all that fucking, seeing you sweaty and all worked out in the same yoga pants is just like walking into a porn commercial. Like the ones they show before the actual porn. In fact, he doesn’t even have to watch any of it. Tents and Boners were pretty much sponsored by you from then on. It’s sick, and he knows it. 

However, the tension he feels with you is palpable that he’s even certain that you feel it too. But how can he be wrong? He sees how your eyes blink a few times when he’s fresh out the shower, he sees you follow his trance when you thought he wasn’t paying attention, and you never fail to slide him shadowed hints with every touch you “accidentally” pass at him. The kind that’s short enough to remain innocent but not so much as to keep him at bay. Mat hated everything about it. He hated that he wanted you– and he hated that he thinks he might be right about you wanting him too.

All that self-loathing aside, did he regret it? 

That was one of the things he feels bad about. Because as much as he wants to lie and push it aside, he didn’t regret any of it. He didn’t like you that way and just thought about you sexually but he just wishes that you could push past this and just be friends. He was still sexually attracted to you, yes. But he knows he’d eventually get over it and be back on his game. That is if he can ever find someone who’d be as good as how you were the last three times you’ve let him be with you because it would really help him a lot if he could stop picturing your mouth getting stretched by his cock every time he hops into the shower.

Mat was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a knock on his door. The shy banging sound made his heart beat rapidly in an instant, knowing full well that the two of you were alone in the house and that Tito was, in no way, going to be home for another hour or two.

A faint knock follows the first one before he gets to the door. 

“Hi.” you greet him, a moment unfolding like it was déjà-vu.

“Hi.” 

“Did I wake you?” you sheepishly ask, your hands balled into fists before eventually settling down to hug your own build, unsure of where to put your hands exactly.

Mat quickly shakes his head, “No. I couldn’t sleep myself.”

You offer him a smile, acknowledging how he’s been nothing but good to you ever since they got home. Of course you wanted to get your hands on him being that you were completely dry and horny ever since you’ve ignored him completely, but you haven’t gone mad and you weren’t a complete neanderthal. You can keep your hands to yourself and act like a decent human being. 

“I’m sorry for making things weird between us.” you say, your eyes heavy with guilt. “But I’m only apologizing for being so unreasonable for the last couple of weeks.” you reiterated.

To which he only answers with, “You shouldn’t be. You have every right to be unreasonable– and I know that I’ve been a giant prick that day. It’s what I deserve.” he bites his lower lip, scratching his brow as he continues, “That’s why if there’s someone who owes someone an apology, it should be me. What I did was pretty crappy, so… I’m sorry.”

Like all the other times, Mathew towers over you wearing the same confidence he does when you’re around. Your bodies were reasonably apart from each other but close enough to mean something else if someone had walked by. Mathew was still in his room while you were out in the hallway, separated by the thin line made by the door frame. 

You feel Mat’s steady breathing and everything went still. He looks down at you, pretty eyes drowning yours. His messed up bed hair ridiculously makes up for how dressed down he was. No, actually, he looks fine even when he is. And all of that sight instantly makes your throat dry as you feel something curl in your belly, enough to make your hands sweaty as the thought of tasting his lips again cruised your mind entirely.

Mathew was no stranger to the said feeling either. He watched you punish him more at how plump and inviting your lips were. Or how your hand brushed on your clothes as you remain uncomposed under his gaze. 

Mat was becoming accustomed to how the two of you meet. Same time, same place, only this time, a different hallway. He steps further and crosses the line that divides the two of you, making you take a deep breath as his scent floors every nerve in your body. Waking what has been awake ever since that moment you shared back in the living room even more. 

“Yeah, okay.” you gather yourself, “I– I should probably head back.” 

Just by how his shoulders dropped, you knew you had said the wrong thing. And you hated that you did. Mat clears his voice and swallows, breaking off his gaze, “You probably should.” 

“Good night, Mat.” you smile, trying to regain yourself. 

“Good night.” he replies as he watches you turn your back before finally closing the door behind him. 

Frustrated for he was already starting to feel things more than just being “sorry”, Mat leans against the door and runs a hand through his hair. He takes a deep breath and tries to get you out of his head. 

He was about to walk away from the door and sleep off his frustration when he hears your faint footsteps on the other side of the door. He rests his head back on the wooden surface and sighs, “You’re still out there, aren’t you?”

There was a total silence for a moment, devoid of the knowledge of how you had your fist, ready to knock yet again, suspended in mid-air. 

Mathew hears you deny sheepishly, “No.” 

You hear him let out a small laugh, knowing that he was trying to contain himself. 

The door sprung open again, and for a second you thought how what you’re about to walk into will start another mess for you and Mathew. But how could you possibly think about it that way when you have nothing else but this man standing at the other end? 

A friend that took no seconds to waste as he finally lets his thirst and perhaps foolishness, get the better hold of him once he cages your heated face in his hands, crashing into your lips as fast as he’d taken you to his end of that thin gray line that has once irkingly parted him from you. A gray line you’re both willing to cross if that meant sharing another night in between halls and thin walls.

[tomtenadia]

Remember Us - part 6

Monday surprise!

As some of you might have read from my post from yesterday, I officially finished this fic and it will have 10 parts. this was the original plan and I am glad I kept it. The idea of having many more chapters of Rowan not recognising his family was far too painful.

Chapter 9 and 10 are so sweet that they will probably give you cavities, but I just thought they deserved the best happy ending.

Also, i got very attached to Thomas and he is a great fan of his parents.

Well, I hope you will enjoy this.

-------

Rowan had been staying at Lorcan’s while Aelin still kept her distance. It had been two weeks and they had been horrendous. She had blocked him off of her life. She was not answering his calls or texts and apparently had told Elide not to tell him anything about her. He was furious. They should be together and face such a tragic moment in their lives, together. But Aelin would not listen. He had tried everything to talk to her.

Someone knocked on the door and, since he was home alone, he went to open it.

On the other side he found Aelin. But the woman in front of him had a lifeless stare and deep shadows under her eyes. She was the ghost of his wife.

“Ro…” she said in a thin voice and then broke down in heavy sob.

Rowan didn’t even think. His arms pulled her at his chest and kissed her head. The sight of an Aelin so heartbroken was a shot to his heart.

“I am sorry.” She added, hiding her face in his chest and inhaling his scent that always gave her comfort.

“Shhh… I am here. I am never letting you go again, no matter how much you shout at me.” Another tender kiss “I am coming home and we’ll get through this.”

Rowan was in bed and staring at the ceiling after the dream woke him up. The Aelin from the dream was a shell compared to the version sleeping at his side. He turned his head and stared at her sleepy face and a deep part of him hoped she was fine. That the baby was fine. Because he knew for sure he didn’t want to see her again in the conditions she had been in the dream. Seeing Aelin in pain or sad hurt him.

He sighed and got off the bed and walked to the kitchen but once he got there he realised he had no idea where anything was. Aelin had said he would make pancakes but could not remember the day she had said. 

A splitting headache hit him and Rowan sat down on the sofa, head in his hands and then for a moment he felt disoriented and could not recognise his surroundings. Panic hit him. He looked up and saw a boy staring at him. He jumped up and almost fell.

“Dad.” The boy’s voice was almost tearful.

And as quickly as the moment of disorientation came, just as rapidly it went away and lucidity returned.

“Tom,” he ran to the boy and hugged him to console him as soon as he started crying. He had scared him “I am sorry I frightened you.” Thomas hugged his father and stopped crying and Rowan relaxed for an instant.

“Do you want pancakes?” He asked his son, still not letting him go.

“It’s not Saturday.” Said the boy, looking at his father in his eyes.

“Shhhh…” said Rowan with a finger against his mouth “You can have pancakes all the time.” He lifted the boy in his arms “but you need to tell me where everything is.”

Thomas grinned and pointed to the kitchen and once in there he started pointing at the doors and Rowan finally found a pan. Then he grabbed his phone and searched for a recipe, grabbed eggs and milk from the fridge and joined Thomas back at the counter who, in the meantime, had grabbed a chair and was kneeling on it so he could follow his dad.

“Will you be my assistant?” the boy nodded eagerly.

After ten minutes he was mixing the batter making sure it was smooth as the instructions recommended.

“Ok, Tom, are you ready for the first one?”

“Pancakes,” he shouted happily and Rowan smiled. He might remember a very few things about his son but he was definitely going to cherish that moment. It didn’t matter if it had been only a day. He was already in love with the two children. He just hoped he could become a good father to them once again.

*

Aelin woke up and found the bed empty and for a moment she thought it had been only a dream, but as she rolled over she noticed Rowan’s side was crumpled and gently caressed his pillow. He had always been an early riser and it seemed that some things had not changed.

She sat up, grabbed her fleece from the chair and left the bed looking for Rowan.

As she exited the bedroom she heard laughter coming from the kitchen and followed the sounds and once inside she could not believe the scene. Thomas was kneeling on a chair beside Rowan trying to cook something.

“Pancakes on a Wednesday?”

Thomas turned to her “shhh mum, it’s a secret.”

Aelin walked to her son and kissed his head “good morning, my love.”

“I am helping dad with pancakes. He doesn’t remember how to make them.”

Rowan flipped one and Thomas clapped “that is mine.” He grabbed a plate and placed the pancake on it “go and sit while I make more.”

Thomas climbed down the chair and walked to the table with his plate.

Aelin moved to Rowan’s side “did you sleep well?”

Her husband nodded and hesitated for a moment wether to tell her about his episode. Then he sighed and told her what had happened and Aelin looked at him with a doctor’s eye.

“A TBI can have such effects. It can cause moments of disorientation in which the person doesn’t know where he is. It can also affect short term memory, making it difficult to learn new things or even remember things you just did.” She placed a few more pancakes in Thomas’ plate “but there are ways to help you. We can do lists, have notepads and clipboards in the house. Have a note book and note down things.” She explained going back at his side “long term memory is stored already in your brain,” and playfully patted his head “you actually haven’t lost them. They are still all there. It’s just your brain has to sort through them again. It’s very complicated and technical, but they will come back. Short term memory is another issue. Do you still feel confused?”

Rowan shook his head and passed Aelin a plate with pancakes and then grabbed the jar of Nutella “go and scoff your breakfast.”

Aelin grinned “see? You remembered I take them with Nutella.”

In that instant they heard a cry and Aelin realised Freyja had woken up. She was about to stand when Rowan stopped her “Eat,” he commanded and again she had a glimpse of past Rowan. The one who would made sure she ate.

A moment later he came back with his daughter in his arms “I think our princess wants to join the breakfast club as well.” Freyja threw her chubby arms around his neck, snuggling close to him “what does she eat?”

Aelin went to the fridge and grabbed one of her pressed meals and Rowan began feeding his daughter.

It was an hour later when Aelin was ready for work “mum should be back very soon and I am taking Thomas to the nursery. Will you be okay with Freyja for half an hour tops? I changed her and she is fed, it should be easy.”

Rowan lifted the little girl in his arms “we should be fine.” And gave her his best reassuring smile.

“You call me if you have any problems.”

Thomas went to hug his dad before following Aelin out of the door.

Once he was alone with his daughter he stood, with her still in his arms and hobbled around the living room and stared at their impressive bookcase. Freyja leaned forward and with her hands tried to grab a book “ ‘tory” she babbled.

“Do you want me to read you a story?” He asked her and the girl green eyes were fixed on him and then she nodded.

He placed her down on the carpet and turned to the library in search of a storybook for her.

“I think I— ” he turned with a book in his hands and froze. Freyja was gone. Shit.

“Freyja.” He called her, panic rising in his voice. She couldn’t have gone far. How fast could a 18 months toddler go? He took his cane and started looking around the house “Freyja?”

In that instant Evalin came back and he breathed in relief.

“Rowan, are you okay?”

He was the worst father ever “I lost Freyja. I was looking for a storybook and when I turned she was gone.” He was preparing himself from some lashing from his mother in law but the woman burst into laughter.

“She does that. Thomas has been teaching her how to play hide and seek,” the woman explained calmly walking around the house and then going to the girl’s bedroom. Rowan followed her.

Evalin lifted the blanket from the side of the bed and pointed at under her bed.

Rowan heard a faint giggle.

“I wonder where my girl is.” Said Evalin keeping up the pretence. She opened the wardrobe “no, she is not here.” Rowan observed her and then joined in “she is not in the toy box either.”

Evalin placed her hands on her hips and grinned at Rowan then crouched down “here you are.”

The little girl screamed in delight as her grandma caught her.

The three of  them went back to the living room and Evalin passed Freyja back to Rowan and went to unpack her shopping bags.

“Do you need a hand?” He offered.

“No, it’s just fruits and veggies and a few more things. I love to go down at the market in the morning and buy fresh ingredients.” She told him, “you love to go too on your day off, wake up early and also go to the fish market and get the first catch.”

Rowan sat on a chair at the big table with his daughter in his arms.

“Aelin can cook, but you are the chef of the family.”

He smiled back and gently bounced Freyja on his knee and she giggled.

“How does it feel being back home?” She asked her son in law while stashing away the groceries.

Rowan sighed “it feels good and strange at the same time.” It was hard to explain how he felt without sounding like a lunatic “Some things are starting to feel familiar. But others feel totally new and others scare me.” He confessed but the woman in front of him looked at him with tenderness “the kids for example, I feel like I love them madly already but it pains me that the memories with them are still fuzzy. I want to give them back their father.”

“And Aelin?”

Rowan sighed “I think I feel something for her. I would not call it love yet. But yesterday we kissed and it felt like the most normal thing ever.”

Evalin smiled.

“But my memories are a jumble in my head right now. I have them, they are there and I found that being at home is triggering more and more of them. I want to do this. I want us to be a family again.” He grabbed his phone and showed her the photo on his home screen. The one on the beach, all of them smiling and happy. “I want this again. I just don’t know how to get there.”

“Rowan,” Evalin walked to him once done with the groceries and sat at his side “you have been awake for a month and at home for two days.” She patted his knee “both Aelin and I think that being home will help trigger more of your memories. Look through photo albums.” She stood and opened a cabinet and took out a box which once opened he discovered it contained a lot of photo albums. “Digital is good, but you and Aelin both love to print out the photos and make scrapbooks.” She rummaged in the box for a moment and then passed him an album “start with this.”

Rowan took it and it noticed it was their wedding album “Her friend Chaol took all the photos and then Aelin made a scrapbook and added notes and comments on it. She said she did not want the usual boring wedding album.”

He opened the first page and in big colourful letter and nice calligraphy it said Buzzard & Fireheart: the beginning of an epic tale.

The second page it had a picture of the two of them in an armour, back to back and swords drawn.

“You two hired some costumes for that photo.”

Rowan laughed and kept on flipping through the photo album. It was organised like a story, with small narrating paragraphs near the photos and he read each one of them.

“You two got married on a beach, then had a gigantic barbecue for all your friends and then when night came you lit a bonfire and had your first dance as husband and wife in front of the fire. Both of you barefoot.”

Rowan smiled “it sounds like fun.”

“It was a great day.” She bounced Freyja on her lap “all the albums tell a story. You did all of them like that so when looking back you could also remember more of those moments.”

Rowan reached the page where they were standing in front of Aedion, who officiated the wedding, and he stared at Aelin. Her light blue dress was gorgeous, but he was stuck on her smile. In the photo he was looking at she has the brightest of smiles and he realised that falling for her would be so easy. She was caring, brilliant, funny and sarcastic. She had passion. She had fire.

She was his Fireheart.

[notmrskennedy]

Friendliness

A/N - ha so i just wrote this - no editing we die like men. here’s the alternate ending to my other post Likeability (this one is the more predictable one y’all will probably like whoops) if you’ve read the other one, just skip to the end it’s all the same in the middle 

Summary - The Team meets a very unfriendly scientist which Spencer’s taken a fancy to

W/C - 2.9k (whoops)

Warnings - Mild Anatomy/bones/etc discussion, a pinch and change of swearing

----

Luke is holding his stomach in his hands. He could usually pride himself on keeping his cool, keeping his head—and stomach—together during a case. He’d seen enough dead bodies that this shouldn’t have thrown him like he’d just sailed twelve foot waves in a dingy. 

But he is, after all, standing over a mass grave. Watching a too giddy scientist dig up the bodies. 

You’ve captured everyone’s attention, for various reasons. Rossi is vaguely amused by your joyous shouting of bones and your rat moustached assistant. Luke can’t tear his eyes away from the car wreck—are you supposed to swing bones around like baseball bats? Reid seems more interested in your bad jokes and coveralls than he is in solving the case. 

The rat assistant—Stewart Walsh—squeezes between Luke and Reid, scuttling like some kind of diseased turtle. “Doctor Y/L/N!”

You barely stop pouring over the mud covered pelvis in your hands to even acknowledge him. 

“I just thought you should know that Dr. Evanston just got here.”

You look up, toss the bone to him, and snort. “Tell him the soil samples are four miles due east from here.”

“What’s wrong with Evanston?” Luke asks to no one in particular it seems, waving Stewart off to run for a group of approaching nerds in coveralls. 

Ignoring the question or maybe Luke, you just turn back to your search. Elbow deep in mud, being nice must not have been on the to-do list. Reid leans over, hands in his pockets, and whispers, “Evanston stole one of her research papers. I thought he was going to get his teeth kicked in—“

“Skull!” you holler. Luke isn’t stupid enough to miss the glare reserved for the sheepish Dr. Reid.

He clears his throat. “Thoughts so far, doctor?”

“I’m thinking beetles,” is all you say before turning back to your skull. Luke might not know many scientists, but he doesn’t think that most of them look at human skulls like its the Mona Lisa. Like this fat piece of bone held the answers to the universe inside its empty eye sockets. 

“Beetles?” Luke coughs. Rossi just shakes his head. Pretends this isn’t a conversation he’s having. Reid is still studying you like Luke might study infiltration schematics. Stewart runs up, out of breath, very rose coloured. 

You’re eyes are sparkling as you wade over to them with a new radius bone in your hands. Everyone bends like they know what they’re looking at and you point along the edge of the bone. “It’s a subtle difference but these bones have been cleaned before being buried. My guess is carrion beetles. They’re very hard workers. And—“ you switch to pointing at the radial head— “minute scoring and kerf marks. These look pretty old, so I’m assuming we’re getting close to the bottom.”

“So our unsub dismembered his victims,” Rossi begins, “then cleaned the pieces?”

You nod and hand off the bone to a very blushing Stewart. “I won’t know for sure until I’ve had a chance to examine all the bones. There’s nothing definitive yet. What a hobbyist though, right?”

You chuckle to yourself and dive back into fishing out more finger and wrist bones. Luke turns, runs his hands over his face, and hikes a thumb over his shoulder. “Where did we find her?”

Rossi shrugs, “FBI easter egg hunt.” Luke blinks, while Rossi chuckles at his gullibility. “Come on, the doctor’s the best in the field. Good kid, I can tell.” 

“Y/N’s great,” Spencer absently adds on, too busy staring at you. You’re explaining different types of dismemberment to Stewart like you’re discussing the rain. Luke grips onto his stomach just a little tighter. 

“Y/N, huh?” Luke teases, momentarily forgetting the unsettling feeling in his gut about you. “You two, uh, friends or something?”

It’s Reid’s turn to stumble. “Yeah, but it’s—we’re just—we’re just—.” 

Rossi shakes his head, slaps Reid on the shoulder. “Oh yeah, just friends. So, tell me. Do you talk about dismemberment before or after you make out?”

#

JJ wants to beg Emily not to make her go down into the basement. You’re down there. She knows it’s childish to be this avoidant—you are just a person after all. A creepy, psychopathic weirdo that makes JJ’s gut churn. She gets why Spencer’s taken to you—shared love of science and random trivia. She does. But that doesn’t mean JJ enjoys the cold ass morgue, smiling along as you ramble. Most of everyone’s limited contact with you has involved random facts and Stewart’s too intimate knowledge of fracture patterns. 

There had been ten minutes of reassurance from Emily that you were, in fact, not a horrible person. Ended with JJ making the cold and dark trek down to the morgue. She couldn’t imagine working down here all day long. No one to talk to, no one to strategise with, no where to go. Maybe it suited you. No one would have to listen. 

“—don’t know what to do!” echoes across the bottom of the stairwell, the morgue’s doors cracked open. The distress breaks JJ’s heart. Your voice stops her dead in her tracks.  

“They don’t hate you,” Spencer’s voice comes after. Gentler, softer. “They—they just don’t know you yet.”

“They don’t want to, Spence!” and JJ winces with the words. It always hurt more when the truth came out in that tone. “I get it! You know? I work with human remains and don’t bring my people skills with me when I’m on the job, but—that shouldn’t matter!” 

JJ winces again, tries to ignore how those are nothing short of teary sniffles echoing through her ears. She leans back against the wall and has no idea what to do. Spencer had obviously been down here for hours. Knew you well enough to get the teary truth. What could she do now? Interrupt? 

She’d walked into hostage situations less freakin’ stressful than this. 

“You’re right,” Spencer soothes, steadfast and strong, “it doesn’t matter. This isn’t—“

“It’s not your fault,” you sigh. JJ doesn’t want to hear the strangled touch to your voice. Doesn’t want to hear the break. “They’re your friends and I’m just your—“ 

 “Doctor!” Stewart calls and JJ could scream. You’re his what? 

At least, it’s as good as any moment to intrude. 

“What, Stewart?” you snapped, already broken away from Spencer with wet cheeks and stained glasses. You wipe them off haphazardly with the tail end of Spencer’s sweater sleeve—JJ couldn’t help but smile, even if it’s a little strangled. 

Stewart jumps like a wet cat and tosses a bundle of files into your hands. “Beetles.”

One word snatches the tears from your face. Snatches you away from Spencer’s side for one of the dozen skeletons on the tables. There was no reason to think that she’ll get her report from you now. With a rib bone in one hand and contemplation in your features—JJ can’t decide how unnerved she is—you’re a little too concentrated. 

Stewart scuttles around you. A little too attentive. A little too cherry tinted. Yep. No reports to be had from either of you. JJ turned to Spencer instead, hoping that maybe he’d be helpful. Plastered up like a billboard, JJ knows that saccharine smile isn’t going to get her anywhere. 

“Spence?”

He hums, halfheartedly tearing his eyes away. “Yeah?”

“I need the latest report for Emily, but I don’t think—“

“I’ll—just a second, JJ.” Spencer grins, sugary sweet, and slips away. JJ doesn’t miss how he places a hand on your shoulder as he passes. How you barely even notice that quite intimate contact. She also doesn’t miss how Stewart’s face sours at the action, how his eyes narrow enough that Spencer feasibly should’ve noticed. 

Reports in hand a minute later, JJ leans over to Spencer. Elbows him in the arm. “Stewart seems pretty jealous. Any reason for that?”

Spencer shrugs. “Wouldn’t know a thing about it.”

#

Rossi doesn’t have an opinion. Everyone keeps asking—oh Rossi, you’re the wisest of us all, what should we do about poor little Y/N? He doesn’t know, doesn’t care. You are just some scientist who is doing a thousand percent better job than any other forensics ‘expert’ he’s had the pleasure of working with. 

Your lab doesn’t smell. You don’t smell. Is there anything more to ask for? 

But he does get the brute of having to make the trek down to the morgue—god, his knees alone—and receives most of the reports from the not as horrible as everyone thinks Dr. Y/N Y/L/N. Who is joyfully humming while squinting over one of the skeleton’s hands. 

“Hey, doc,” he calls and you look up at him with an adorable sort of grin. “Got anything new?”

“Sure,” you chirp. Hesitate to wave him over. “If you want the details, that is.”

Rossi shakes his head, pulls up a stool to sit next to you and your subject. “I like to have as much knowledge as I can. You never know what will lead you to your un-sub.”

You settle your elbows on the table, straighten a stray finger bone. The team shouldn’t be worried about you being a psychopath. You’re dedicated, careful, attentive. Rossi hopes that if he ever gets turned into human remains, you’re the one looking over him. There’s been more care put into one skeleton than into his three combined marriages. 

“You’re in luck,” you answer, “I’ve got a lot to tell you about our attacker. You’ve got time, right?”

Rossi nods, smiles. “Plenty.”

#

Penelope still hasn’t met you and that kind of pisses her off. You haven’t made it upstairs once? She flies into some dingy Wyoming hovel of a police station for like a week and no one’s thought to bring you upstairs? Rude. 

She’s sitting in JJ’s desk chair, waiting for her and Luke to get back from interviewing a potential lead—some ex-felon who fit your makeshift profile. Reid’s scouring over some boring geographical profile, trying not to get annoyed as she nervously—angrily—rants about the case to him. She knows he’s tuning her out, but her work’s been put on the back burner until someone comes up with something to give her. 

There’s only so much a computer can find and she’s no profiler. 

It’s about five minutes after Reid snapped and left to get a coffee refill, when she picks up a call from the desk. “Hello?”

Creaking metal and shuddering breathing comes first. “Set the scalpel down” comes second.  She swallows, silent, and panicking. What the heck is she supposed to do? Paying attention to those hostage negotiation seminars that she definitely didn’t go to would’ve come in handy right about now. 

Said scalpel clatters onto some metal table, followed by a strong, “You really don’t want to do this. Please put the gun down.”

Oh god, this is happening. 

“You just—“ a male voice snips, bellowing out, “YOU DON’T LOOK AT ME.”

“I do look at you, Stewart,” you plead just as JJ and Luke clamour through the bullpen’s door. Penelope puts the call on speaker, mutes it, and screams for them. 

“I don’t know what to do,” Penelope sobs professionally, “someone’s got a gun.”

JJ runs for Emily’s office while Reid returns heedlessly. Luke puts a soft hand on Penelope’s cold one and squeezes. Newbie or not, it’s appreciated as the man’s voice returns. “I’ve tried for so long to get you to—to just—just look at me! I’ve done so much!”

“I know, Stewart,” you ease and Reid tenses. Nearly drops his coffee. “It’s not your fault. You’ve worked so hard.”

“Yeah,” Stewart sobs; Penelope can only imagine how crazy this kid must be. 

“Did you leave all those bodies for me, Stewart?” you question and everyone holds their breath. Luke squeezes harder on her hand. Reid’s twitching like a rabbit’s nose, a death grip on his mug, frozen as a Michigan pond. 

Stewart sniffles. Probably nods. Penelope doesn’t know whether to run or sit or cry. She decides it’s probably cry, but instead her fingers start moving to record the call, trace the office origin. 

“It was a great puzzle, Stewart, it was really genius. It was a fun case to follow, you know that.” You swallow hard, metal tinkles through the speaker. Please, Penelope begs, don’t let them kill each other. I haven’t met the doctor yet!

“Why did you kill these girls, Stewart?” your voice is so gentle and lulling Penelope almost forgets that she’s listening to you try to save your own life. 

 “I wanted you to look,” he says, sniffles. “I wanted you. I want you, Y/N. I want you to love me.”

It’s either her computer beeping or someone falling through a table or a gunshot. She doesn’t know. She’s crying too hard to care. 

#

Tara doesn’t know when she started to run—probably just after JJ, Luke, and Reid barrelled passed her by the bathroom shouting about the situation—but she’s almost to the morgue doors, right on Reid’s heels. Lord almighty, she feels so stupid. She’d had enough little one on one chats with Stewart to know he was some sort of psycho in disguise. To know that something was wrong with that kid. No one could last more than three minutes with your grad student assistant without wanting to take an eyeball out—his or theirs it didn’t matter. She’d let herself believe you when you told her that all forensic anthropologists seem like that. That there was nothing to worry about. 

Nothing to worry about her ass. 

Luke’s the first to storm the morgue, expecting what Tara is: you, dead, on the floor with Stewart on the brink of killing himself. But they stop and they stare and Reid beams on with the absurd look on your face. 

You’re shaking with rage, pointing a gun at a very unconscious, crumpled, bleeding Stewart Walsh. Your teeth are bared in what Tara would consider out of a comic book—ludicrous and of someone who’s completely lost their mind. JJ makes the mistake of asking if you’re alright.

“Alright?” you chirp, feral and ravenous. JJ and Luke shrink back as you shout, “I lived in Honduras for three years! This isn’t even the worst thing that’s happened to me. It’s my third fucking kidnapping!”

“T-third?” Luke croaks. 

“Third!” you shout again and recklessly set your gun on the table. Spencer grins, which sets you off further. “I’ve been nice. I’ve been accommodating. But this is my fourth psychotic grad student! I fucking swear—!”

Stewart groans—thank god he’s alive—and Spencer, thankfully, rushes forward to catch you before you can take anything else out on the kid. Tara’s heard rumours about mysterious other instances of your being under arrest. Illegal transportation of goods was one thing, police brutality was another. The scalpel sticking out of his knee is bad enough. 

She helps Luke haul Stewart to his feet, reeking of desperation and a much needed psych eval. JJ follows close behind, closes the morgue doors behind them. But not before they hear your muffled sobs and Spencer’s smiling. 

“You got him, Y/N.”

“No, Spence,” you correct, and Tara can’t help but be proud, “I kicked the snot out of him.”

#

Emily is barely awake when she sees it. JJ’s soft breathing next to her is lulling by itself, let alone if you add in Rossi’s rhythmic snoring and Luke’s idle whispers of sleep talk. Emily could do with some sleep and maybe a few days off. They could all use a few days off, especially after coming to terms with the fact a grad student had killed 12 women just to get a little action. 

From a scientist who freely admitted to enjoying the company of bones over real people. 

Alive people. 

No wonder Stewart had done what he’d done. 

Emily turns in her spot, lays back against the wall of the airplane and the seat. After nearly five decades—she’s never thinking about that again—of plane rides, she can comfortably say she can sleep anywhere. With any amount of noise, or cold, or pain. 

But her eyes are accidentally open when she peaks around the seat cushion. Spies the Wild Dr. Reid in his natural habitat, reading some ridiculously long book and…carding his fingers through your hair? He’s got a lock curled up around his finger, gently twisting it as he reads. You’re sleeping—knocked the fuck out—in his lap, gripping loosely onto his leg. 

You deserve the sleep, Emily decides with a smile. You’d worked the hardest on the case, up for nearly four days with as little rest as you can manage. How Stewart managed to stay awake enough to attack you is beyond Emily. She’s missed out on a few hours just today and she’s losing the battle with her eyelids. 

No one ever asked her opinion of you. Probably didn’t have to. You were not the easiest to like, but you’d captured her respect and a bit of her heart when you’d said at the beginning of the case: “I’m an excavator by trade—I’m at archeological digs most of the time—so it’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that these ladies are murder victims. I don’t think I’ll sleep until I’ve got names for them. And maybe the murderer on my table.”

Emily understood the unease, the apprehension. Why everyone was relieved when you’d turned down the plane ride she’d offered you. How they all bit back groans when Emily had insisted. But they’ll have to get used to it, Emily thinks and she settles again. Because they’ll see you again. No doubt about it. The way you’re wrapped up around Spencer, how you hold tighter when the jet bounces a touch, says just that much anyway.