#but not being able to make A SINGLE PENNY for almost a year is doing a number on me mentally

[thewintersoldierdisaster]

a/n: i’m almost shocked at how fast this fic got written?? thanks to anon who indulged my fun little request for a new hockey to write about (inspired by @wyattjohnston ‘s post earlier about how there’s only fics for certain hockeys in the nhl fic tag and also bc i have so much fun writing for new guys in the fic exchanges!!)- how could i resist vancouver’s own prince charming? hope you guys enjoy because i had fun writing! ☺️

word count: 2.7k

tw: single dad!brock, nanny!reader, dirty talk, minor daddy kink, fingering (f receiving), handjob, dirty talk, nipple play

summary: you’re nothing but the nanny for brock’s daughter, until one night all the lines get blurred

Kya snuggles closer to you in her sleep, blonde hair tickling the underside of your chin. Her cheek is pressed up against your collarbone and her little body is hot, making you feel all sweaty where she’s connected to you.

The TV casts the room in a faint blue light, the low volume serving as white noise along with Kya’s little puffed air snores.

You think about moving her to her bed, but she’s so soft and cuddly when she hasn’t been lately and you can’t find it in your heart to get up. Unfortunately, the four-year-old has your heart in a vice-like grip and you’d do anything for her. Including being a human mattress.

So you stay on the couch, stroking her back and humming softly when she stirs briefly. Eventually, the clock ticks over to the eleven o’clock hour and you know it’s only a matter of time before Brock’s home and your shift is over. Not that you have to go very far to get home - your pool house turned bachelorette nanny pad is practically spitting distance from the back door. If you tilted to the left a bit and angled your neck, you’d be able to see the little planter with multicolored flowers that Kya had helped you plant last week.

And by help, you mean crushed a few daisies in her little fists and ate a mouthful of dirt before you could stop her.

A+ nannying for sure.

You’re still thinking about it when a familiar voice startles you from your thoughts.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Brock’s voice rumbles through the dark room, laughter around the edges.

Without thinking, you reply, “just thinking about the handful of dirt I let Kya eat last week.” Then you wince, wondering why Brock’s presence always makes you say the stupidest things.

He laughs fully now, stepping around the couch and dropping into the armchair. He’s in his post-game look - rumpled suit pants and button down with the sleeves rolled up, bare feet with his loafers kicked off in a pile at the front door, and blonde hair darkened from his shower. His palm rasps over the few days’ worth of stubble growing on his chin and his face splits into one of those smiles that makes Twitter (and you) swoon.

“She’s gotta get vitamins and minerals from somewhere, right?” He teases and your cheeks heat.

This.

This is why he makes you say the stupidest things. Because he’s a real-life Prince Charming with the personality to match.

You smile back at him, a reflex. “There are some leftovers in the fridge, if you’re hungry and want to get in your own vitamins and minerals,” you joke back, shifting Kya on your chest when she starts to slip.

Brock shakes his head. “I’m good, thanks. I’ll take Princess Ky upstairs and you can get some rest,” he stands, arms out to grab Kya.

Weirdly, you shift and hold her closer. “It’s, um, I don’t mind. She’s been really snuggly today and it’s nice,” you shrug one shoulder. “She watched a little bit of the first.”

“Yeah?” Brock’s face lights up. He loves it when you bring Kya to games and he gets to wave at her during warmups.

“Mhm,” you smirk, “she was obsessed with Quinn.”

Brock narrows his eyes at you, scrunching his nose in disgust. “Real nice,” he shakes his head, “making fun of the guy that your best friend over there belongs to.”

Your cheeks lift in a smile, your arms holding Kya comfortably. “Don’t be jealous of my bond with Ky. Daddy’s still her favorite.”

Something flickers across Brock’s face, there and gone before you can analyze it. He chuckles, says, “I better be since I pay for all those chicken nuggets she inhales like a freaking vacuum,” and excuses himself upstairs to change.

You watch him leave, chewing at your lower lip while you study the curve of his ass in his slacks, feeling awful even as you’re appreciating his form. Kya mumbles in her sleep, nonsense words and a ‘Daddy’ and your name, eyelids twitching as she dreams.

Brock’s back a few minutes later, comfortable in sweats and a threadbare t-shirt. Still barefoot, now he smells like mint toothpaste in addition to the locker room soap. “Sure you don’t want me to take her?” He asks, sitting down on the couch with you, a cushion’s worth of space between your bodies. “Feels like I should let you off the clock and hold my kid now that I’m home.”

“I really don’t mind,” you promise him. “Kya’s…she’s exactly what I want my own daughter to be one day.” You think maybe you’re over sharing, but it’s late and Brock just looks so domestic and comfortable. It’s easy to pretend when he looks like this. His eyes soften as he studies you and the way you’re holding Kya.

“She’s a pretty cool little girl,” he agrees warmly, reaching out to run a hand over her head. His palm

makes her hair staticky, fine strands lifted into the air. You blow at them gently, giggling when they stick to your face even after you try smoothing them back with a hand.

“You know,” he says too casually after a comfortable pause, “she, the other day when you were off, she said that she never wants you to leave.”

A little piece of your heart breaks with his words because you know one day you’ll have to leave. It’s easy right now, nannying for Kya while you get your Master’s, but what happens next year when you’re finished with school and you have to find a real

job.

Your face must show your distress, because Brock coughs slightly and rushes to say, stumbling over his words, “I didn’t mean, she’s four. You know, they say stuff all the time. When you do have to leave, it’ll be okay. She’ll be okay.”

He means well, you know that, but it doesn’t help and to your horror, your nose starts to burn and tears well in your eyes. You don’t really want to cry in front of Brock, not over something that’s at least a year away, but you feel the dam starting to break.

“Um, I do think I’ll head out for the night,” you say quietly, trying to not let your voice crack. You shift Kya in your arms and transfer her to Brock’s, making sure she stays asleep. “She really should be out for the night. So, um, I’ll see you in the morning.”

He takes her easily, arms practiced with adjusting her weight against his chest and her head on his shoulder. You jump up from the couch and wave over your shoulder, heading for the back door, ignoring Brock’s whispered shout of your name.

It’s so silly, to get so emotional about Kya outgrowing her need for a nanny, her need for you. But you’re more attached to Ky and Brock than you’re willing to admit, even to yourself.

Right now, your best option is to play your sad music playlist and cry, just to get it out of your system before getting back to normal in the morning.

The music helps. The crying helps more. The two glasses of wine help the most.

And then there’s a knock on the door, scaring the ever living shit out of you. It’s so late your visitor can only be one person.

“Brock?” His name is a question on your lips when you open the door, your brow furrowed.

“Hi,” he looks upset and your brain works sluggishly to figure out what could be bothering him. “Can I-?”

He gestures a little and you nod, stepping back automatically. “Yeah, of course. It’s your pool house,” you say. “Is Kya asleep?”

He nods, holds up the baby monitor. You can see Kya’s little body sprawled out on her bed and a smile curls your lips - she sleeps like a starfish, arms and legs akimbo. “She’s done for the night,” he replies quietly, setting the monitor on the little table you have next to the door for your keys.

Brock’s been in the pool house before, a million and one times. But this time, the air crackles like it does before a thunderstorm, your nerves on edge.

“What are -“

“I’m sorry.”

You and Brock speak over each other, words getting jumbled in the air. You giggle a little and Brock smiles, his shoulders relaxing.

“I’ll go,” he says, still smiling. His hands run through his hair, the strands flopping over his forehead before getting pushed back into place. “I’m sorry, for what I said. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“Oh,” you aren’t expecting the apology and you start to excuse him, “I didn’t -“

“You did,” Brock cuts you off. “Your eyes are all red and I’m so sorry. I just thought, Ky loves you so much, that you’d want to hear what she said about you. I wasn’t thinking about - about you leaving.”

“I’ll have to eventually,” you shrug, the wine dulling the sharper edges of your emotions.

Brock’s jaw works and you wait for him to speak, patient like he’s Kya. A few seconds go by and he scratches at the back of his neck. “I’m not good at - I want you here, as long as you want to be here. I don’t care if Kya is a grown woman with her own kids, I’d want you here.” He pauses and his words sink in, battering at the boundary you’d built around your heart.

“What?” You whisper, hands fluttering at your sides. You suddenly don’t know what to do with them.

“I…I think, no, I am. I am definitely falling for you,” Brock says, tone firm and eyes soft, crinkled at the corners. Those damn blue eyes that have starred in a fantasy or two of yours. He reads your silence as negative, apparently, because he frowns and continues, “if I just made this uncomfortable, we can forget it ever happened.”

“No!” You nearly yelp, Brock’s eyes widening at your sudden increase in volume. “No,” you repeat quieter. “I don’t want to forget this happened. I’m just … surprised. I didn’t think you thought of me as anything but Ky’s nanny.”

His smile is contagious and you’re both grinning like idiots at each other.

“You haven’t been Ky’s nanny in my head for a long time,” he confesses. “Just been hoping you felt the same way.”

“Definitely feel the same way,” you giggle, feeling hysterical.

“Can I -?” He steps forward, into your space, and you nod, knowing what he’s asking. And then all you know is Brock’s mouth on yours, his hands warm on your waist, his hair soft under your fingertips. His tongue traces the seam of your lips, teeth nipping at your bottom lip when you open your mouth. A groan fills the air and you’re not sure if it’s yours or his.

Your chest crushes against Brock’s, bodies flush against each other. His cock is prominent against your thigh, hard and hot through the layers of fabric separating the two of you. For months, you’ve fantasised about this, wondered what it would feel like to get your hands on Brock and it’s better than you ever imagined. Hot and hard, his lips soft against yours, his hands gripping at your ass, dragging you closer and closer. Your hips chase his, involuntarily moving for relief.

“Brock,” you whine his name, surprising yourself with the neediness that colors your tone. He growls against your jaw and lifts you, arms braced under your ass, settling you on the countertop in your tiny kitchenette. He steps into the space created by your spread legs, your thighs at his hips, ankles locked at his lower back.

“Shit, wanted to do this for months,” he mumbles against your skin. His lips mark a hot trail down your neck and over the heated skin of your chest. His hands are down the back of your shorts, kneading at your ass.

His cock presses against your heated core and you moan, loudly and unashamed. Brock’s laugh is clearly delighted and he presses himself against you harder, drawing a strangled moan from your throat.

“Making such pretty noises for me,” he croons, dragging one hand up your side to grope at your breast, rolling your nipple until it’s a stiff peak. “What other noises are you going to make for Daddy?”

“Oh my god,” you keen, arousal flooding your panties. “Brock, oh my god, I need you to touch me.”

“What’s the magic word?” He replies, ducking his head to suck at your nipple over your shirt. The scrape of his teeth and the wet fabric makes you shiver, clit throbbing.

“Please,” you wail, grinding your hips against his.

“Please…?” He trails off and your heart pounds in your chest, pleasure coiling low in your stomach.

You sigh, a shaky exhale. “Please, Daddy, touch me. Please make me come,” you whisper the words in his ear, nipping at his earlobe.

Brock whips your shirt off, tossing the fabric to the floor. You’re not wearing a bra and normally you’d be self-conscious, but Brock’s staring at you like you’re the first woman he’s ever seen and you’ve never felt hotter. “Christ,” he mutters, palming your breasts and kneading them tenderly. “So fucking gorgeous. Just, just fucking stay with me forever, please?”

You nod, agreeing. “Yours, I’m all yours, I promise,” you cradle his face in your hands and kiss him deeply, leaning in as close as you can.

Somehow, his shirt ends up on the floor with yours and your fingers can trace each muscle on his chest and stomach. You drag a nail over his nipple and his skin erupts in goosebumps, so you do it again, skimming your nails over his skin and scratching at his biceps.

“Mark me up,” Brock encourages you, lifting your ass off the counter with one hand so he can tug at your shorts and panties. “Make sure everyone knows I’m yours.”

He’s certainly doing the same, sucking bruises onto your skin. There’s a bite mark over your breast and it feels like his fingers dug bruises into the flesh of your ass.

“Just want you,” you blink away a sudden rush of tears, still in disbelief that this is happening. “Been thinking about you for so long, Brock.”

Your fingers dance down to the waist of his sweats, pushing at them until his cock springs free and you can get a good look at it. It’s just as perfect as his face, thick and long and hard as steel.

“Come on, honey,” his fingers swipe at your clit, making you inhale sharply and arch your back. “Put your hands on me. Touch me.”

You obey, wrapping your hands around his cock and stroking him. Softly at first until Brock grunts and wraps his hand around yours to increase the pressure and speed. “Like that,” he instructs you, leaving his hand in place and using the other to smear your arousal over your clit and inner thighs.

“I don’t have any condoms!” You gasp, Brock’s index finger teasing at your entrance. The thought hits suddenly, annoyingly.

“Doesn’t matter,” he replies, kissing the moan from your mouth when he plunges his fingers into your cunt. “I’ll make you feel good just like this.”

Brock’s a man of his word.

He makes you come twice, once on his fingers and one on his tongue. The first time you make a mess of the counter, dripping all over the place. The second time he’s got you laid out on the couch, his stomach splattered with his own come from the handjob you’d given him.

And then he cuddles.

Wipes between your legs with a towel and wraps

you in his arms under a throw blanket. Kisses the crown of your head and tells you all the filthy things he’s thought about doing to you.

“Hey,” you pipe up, amusement bubbling in your chest, “do I get a bonus for every blowjob I provide?”

Brock’s surprised laughter vibrates at your back, shaking your entire body. His arms wrap around your chest and squeeze. “No,” he deadpans, sounding like he’s struggling to hold back his laughter, “but we probably should talk about your job.”

“Tomorrow,” you insist. “I love taking care of Ky. So we’ll work on a transition.”

The transition from Ky’s nanny to Brock’s wife and Ky’s mom takes about six months less than you anticipated.

“Best job promotion ever,” you tease Brock at the altar, Kya practically glued to your side and shouting her excitement when you kiss for the first time as husband and wife.

[just-some-little-lads]

My Love, Like Winter, is Eternal

Summary: You find you can't sleep, and your partner resting right next to you listens to your late-night thoughts.

Word Count: 1.3k

Tags: SFW, Fluff, Second Person POV, gn! reader.

It’s easy to forget what lies beneath a frost. When the world is coated in so much snow, one might lose memory of the blooms in spring. Most people think of winter as this harsh and cruel season. It often comes hand-in-hand with negative metaphors like death or apathy or the end of any good thing. There was a time when you thought much the same. Now…you can’t help but almost feel bad for winter- for snow. There’s so much warmth there that goes unnoticed.

Poetic thoughts like these came easy to you in the early hours of the morning. Especially during nights where you couldn’t sleep. Maybe that’s why you found yourself finding feeling sad for an environmental passage of time of all things. Well…you had to give yourself some slack. There was a reason why snow had such a loving space in your heart; why you found yourself telling your coworkers who dared complain about the cold all the wonderful things you could do in the snow. Even after all the odd glances you got most times. A noble task, you would tell yourself. One might call you a…polar protector? A Snow Spokesperson! A Blizzard Bodyguard! A—

A large hand covered your face, cutting you free from your thoughts. After successfully catching your attention, the hand moved back to the body it belonged to. “You’re thinking too loudly…” Voice low, tone slightly slurred with half-consciousness, Zayne brought a thumb and forefinger up to rub at bleary eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose.

You felt a bit guilty for waking him up, knowing he’d be heading back to the hospital in a few hours. “You can read my thoughts?”

A huff of a single chuckle escaped him as he turned on his side towards you. As he spoke, his arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you toward him. “I think I have a few years to go before I can read your thoughts, but I can read your body language. Tossing and turning, fidgeting hands, rapid breaths. Symptoms of someone far too awake. What’s keeping you up?” A note of concern seeped into his tone. He kept you close while fixing and straightening some wild strands of your bed-hair. Based off his smile, you could tell you looked a bit more on the disheveled side. Something he was all too happy to fix. Meanwhile, he still looked as refined as ever. Gorgeous, like a statue chiseled from ice plucked from heavenly mountain-tops. Or perhaps that was just the rose-colored glasses talking. You found yourself still falling head-over-heels for him, and crushing like you hadn’t been together for a while. “Hey…” Zayne’s smile faded, his hand moving from your hip to your cheek. Apparently, he’d taken you staring at him in silence as some sort of hesitation. “Talk to me. Is something wrong?”

Well, now you felt a bit sheepish. Zayne was probably thinking you were plagued by some kind of stress. “Just thinking…about snow.”

“Snow?” he asked, incredulous that something so simple was keeping you awake, almost looking more worried. “Don’t tell me you’re making winter plans already?”

“Not really…”

The mattress shifted as he propped his head up on his elbow and sighed. His forefinger began to trace the outline of your face. “Penny for your thoughts? I won’t be able to sleep if you continue being so cryptic.”

You groaned a bit, not able to handle the thought of him getting no rest just because of your silly mind. “I’m just thinking about how sad it is that the cold gets such a bad rap.” As you explained that, you noticed how his face contorted into a mixed expression of confusion and amusement. You gave him time to speak, ready to hear him laugh or tell you to put you and your crazy mind to bed. Nothing was said by him, seemingly waiting to hear your intense thoughts at three in the morning. “It’s always talked about like some heartless, lifeless thing, but it’s not! Ice cream is cold and it’s one of my favorite things! In winter, you can wear cute coats and scarves, warm up with hot chocolate, and snuggle up by the fire. Plus, snow is so pretty. When it falls…it’s so comforting. I just… I wish people saw all the good in it that I do.” You glanced up at him, still waiting for him to roll his eyes.

Instead, he only looked at you softly- lovingly. With a little tug, he pulled you closer, lying back down while tucking your head under his chin. “I see. So, you think winter is sad that so many people dislike it?” He adjusted the blanket around you both, making sure your heads were comfortably on the pillows.

For some reason, you felt like crying. Maybe it was just because you were sleep deprived. Or perhaps it was because you tended to forget how safe of a space Zayne was. He’d joke with you, follow along with the bits you came up with, even listen to whatever you had to say running on four hours of sleep like he’d also gotten a degree in therapy. “I bet it gets lonelier than the other seasons…”

“Hm.” He closed his eyes, and for a moment you thought he’d fallen back asleep. When he spoke again, his voice lowered, his face nuzzling your head ever so slightly. “I think…that the snow is content enough being loved by you.” Zayne’s body was warm. Perfectly so. His hand ran up and down your back in slow hypnotizing rubs.

“I’m just one person in a world with millions of people… It deserves more than just me.” You were starting to feel drowsy now, eyelids going heavy at a rapid pace. A little moan rumbled in your throat as you shifted about to get comfortable, turning on your other side so Zayne was curled against your back. His presence was like a soothing blanket, your body enveloped and protected from things that might do you harm. Ever your valiant healer even outside of battle.

A kiss pressed into the back of your shoulder as you slotted yourself against him, fitting like a perfect puzzle piece. “I don’t think it’s greedy,” he whispered softly. “It sees the way you rush outside to greet it when it’s snowing, even if you’re not wearing something warm. It’s happy to take on the role of being cold so your hot chocolate tastes that much better, feeling the heat run down your throat…into your stomach…sinking down into your toes.” The way he was speaking was slow and purposefully melodic, like the narration of those resting meditation videos. He was trying to put you to sleep. Zayne took a deep breath, like he was minutes away from falling asleep himself, forcing himself to stay awake until he knew you were at peace. “It’s glad to make the world quieter so you can find yourself drifting off much easier.” He kissed the back of your head, resting his face against your body with a large exhale.

For a moment, you listened to the soft sounds of his breathing, staring at the subtle rays of moonlight seeping through past the curtains. All the strange anxiety that had kept you up melted away. You had to admit to yourself that you weren’t quite worried about the winter at all. But you weren’t sure where the doubt came from. Here he was, making you feel loved like you never had before. “You think so?”

“I know so. The winter will…always be there for you. Forever.” A small waver of emotion filled his voice.

“And my love, like winter, will be eternal for you…”

With one last squeeze, he laughs. “Oh? And here I was thinking we were talking about snow, but I’m flattered.” Words laced with mirth, he tried to pass off that he wasn’t aware of the true meaning behind your worries the whole time. You jabbed him a bit in the ribs with your elbow. In return, he used his Evol to press an icy cold hand against your back.

In the end, you both ended up not getting much sleep at all anyway, but neither of you cared in the slightest.

[boldlyvoid]

Sweet Nothing

Spencer Reid x Fem Reader

Summary: Penelope made a friend on the internet over covid who just so happens to live in the same town Dr. Reid just got a new job... and playing Cupid is her favourite thing in the world

Warnings: strangers to lovers, meet cute, 40-year-old virgin Spencer, Virgin reader (late 20's/early 30's), picnics, food mention, lots of Taylor Swift references, first times, Spencer is on anti-depressants, oral sex fem receiving, multiple positions, multiple orgasms, sweet sex, lots of communication

Word Count: 12.6

Making friends on the internet was never easy… it always came with its own set of unique difficulties. People lie, anyone could be secretly crazy and when actions don’t really have consequences on the web, they can get crazier. 

That being said, Y/N has recently made a wonderful friend in a woman named Penelope. 

Penelope’s Tumblr page was pretty normal, very pink and vibrant and happy, but normal nonetheless. She’s in her early 40s, an internet veteran, an ex-employee at the FBI and known for creating a brand new, very safe, social media platform for young people. She was very easy to trust, very forward and easy to open up to as well, which made the two of them bond instantly. 

And despite the age difference and the long distance, Y/N would consider Penelope to be her best friend. 

She knew everything about her from her favourite colour to her hope and dreams and favourite singer… and also the fact she was a virgin well into her adult life and dying to get out there. They’ve spent most of their friendship discussing their equally awful dating lives, would-be lovers and almost hookups. Both women have tried time and time again to find love, however, nothing ever seemed to work out… until the day Penelope got an idea. 

“I have a friend…” Penelope leads, something sinister in her eyes. “And he’s single and pretty cute, too…” 

“Do you have a crush?” Y/N lights up thinking this is a happy moment for Penelope. “Oh my god, Penny tell me all about him!!”

“Well, no, actually… I want to set you up with him,” she explains further, in a much softer tone. “He’s so soft and sweet and a few years younger than me… and still a virgin.” 

Her eyes grow impossibly wide and her jaw drops momentarily, “you’re kidding?”

“Nope.” 

“Wow,” she takes a moment to soak it all in. She sits back in her chair and lets her shoulders drop as she thinks about it. And for once, Penelope is quiet too. “How much older than me is he?” 

“He’s 41… which I know it’s a lot older than you but he’s what you’re looking for and you’d be so perfect for him. He’s so wonderful and he’s waited for so long to find someone who wouldn’t judge him and I know you’d love everything about him if I told you everything but I want you to meet him and find out for yourself… sorry, that was a lot.” 

“No, no, that’s okay,” she actually loved when Penelope went on little rants like that. “I just don’t really have the funds to fly to Virginia right now—

“That’s another reason why he’s perfect for you, he’s moving to Reno next week!!!” Penelope can’t help but shake her hands with excitement while her voice raises at least a pitch if not 3. 

“Is this the same friend who’s already from Nevada?” Her eyes light right up like a cat staring at a laser… she’s seen photos on Penelope’s personal Facebook, everything from selfies in new glasses to the parties with friends  and throwbacks from working at the FBI… “doctor what’s-his-name?” 

“Spencer, yeah oh my god? I can’t believe you remember him?” Penelope asks and she just shrugs, “See, this is why you’re perfect for Spencer, he talks a lot like I do, only about much smarter things but you’d be able to keep up.” 

“I’d love that, actually,” she swoons, feeling slightly embarrassed about how the possibility of having a boyfriend makes her so giddy. “I’d love to listen to someone talk about what they love and just sit there and look at them…” 

“Perfect, I tell you! Perfect!!” Penelope exaggerates, “he’s moving in a few days but all his things are already there. The department paid for his relocation and everything, I’m so surprised he actually decided to go this time, he’s been thinking about it forever.” 

“Ask him if he wants some help unpacking when he does get here and I’d love to give him a hand,” she agrees fully, taking a leap of faith and seeing where this could go without the fear of the unknown weighing her down. 

—

She shows up at Spencer's apartment 2 days after he arrives in Reno, a bottle of Welcome to the Neighbourhood sparkling cider and an assortment of muffins in her arms, thinking it would be quick and easy for him to take the muffins to work over the next few days, unlike a flower arrangement he didn’t need taking up space in his downsized apartment. 

She takes a deep breath before she knocks, her knuckles are barely off the door when he opens it. She barely has a moment to prepare before she’s smacked with the realization that this man is very handsome and incredibly smart… and so, so intimidating. 

“Hi,” he smiles at her. “Is that— you didn’t need to bring anything?” 

She looks down at the basket she’s holding and then back up to see those beautiful brown eyes, “I know… sorry, um, Hi, welcome to the neighbourhood,” she hands him the basket with the best smile she can muster, slightly embarrassed to be so flustered by the mere sight of him. 

“Thank you, come in,” he steps out of the doorway so she could walk in, he steps away from the door completely and sets the basket on a moving box. “Sorry, it’s a mess, the movers just put the boxes wherever they wanted, so I’ve been reorganizing where they were supposed to go,” Spencer explains, gesturing to the room around them. 

“It’s okay, that’s why I’m here,” she’s cheery as she shuts the door and starts to take her coat off. “Can I just leave this over here?” 

“Yeah, actually—“ he reaches for the closet door, “I found the box with hangers first so you could hang your coat when you got here.” 

“She said you were a genius,” Y/N teases, holding her coat up so he could slip the hanger inside and hang it on the bar. She sets her purse down inside the closet too, just for safekeeping. 

“I hope she hasn’t talked me up too much,” he’s honest with his fears. “I’m afraid I’m actually quite average, maybe tilted towards the strange side…” 

She gives him another smile, but ultimately shakes her head, “Don’t worry, she didn’t tell me anything really personal. I only really know about you from stories she’s told me about her old job, but nothing in detail… I was just starting to get to know her when you were hospitalized before the pandemic and she was by your side a bunch so she wasn’t online and I was actually worried something happened to her 'cause she’s never that quiet.” 

“Oh, yeah, that was awful,” he agrees, pressing his lips together awkwardly while he thinks about it. But then he takes a deep breath and his shoulders drop. “So I was thinking we could start in the kitchen? I’ve found most of the boxes.” 

“Yeah, lead the way,” she says, following him through the front room to the living room that was connected to the kitchen by means of an archway. “Oh wow,” she muses aloud, “this is going to be nice to decorate…” 

“You think?” He looks a mix of worried and confused, “I have no idea what to do with the place.” 

“I’m sure once we start taking out all your things we’ll figure something out,” she knows she can make a room out of anything, it's how she decorates her classroom each September. Just with sheer will and pure hope.

“I had to downsize a lot to come here, I donated most of my books so I wouldn’t cost the department a fortune moving them out, but I still have a lot,” he shares, both proud and a little embarrassed that 50% of his boxes are for books. “I don’t have many personal things or decorations… I honestly wasn’t in my last place enough to make it feel homey.” 

“You’ll be here often, though, right?” She asks, selfishly, she can already see them becoming somewhat good friends and she wants to be able to see him regularly. 

He nods, “Yeah, I’m going to be working with the sex crimes unit, 9 to 5 every day unless there’s a big case,” he explains. “Like human trafficking or a pedophile ring or something, but I doubt I’ll see an overwhelming number of those right now, it’ll be nice to downsize to just a city instead of dealing with the entirety of The United States.”

“I have 4 different groups of teenagers that I teach, which is like 120 kids alone, I can’t imagine being principal and having a thousand kids to watch out for,” she can relate it back. “I’m sure this will be less stressful for you… still awful sometimes but—

“But I’m good with stress,” he assures her. “Especially this kind of stress. You know, when I first started at the BAU I had a co worker who transferred over from sex crimes in New York, she actually had a great time cause she got to kick some creeps ass every now and then.” 

“Oh that’s cool, I guess,” she tries not to be jealous, knowing he’s probably had lots of meaningful relationships with women throughout his life, but that’s not going to stop him from getting to know her. 

She grabs a box that says mugs and lifts it to the edge of the counter island instead of dwelling on these bubbling feelings for who is essentially, a stranger. “Which cupboard did you want the mugs to go in?” 

“Uh,” he gets nervous then. “I have about 3 boxes of mugs… so wherever they fit?” 

“Sounds good,” she can’t help but smile, it was cute. “Do you like to collect them or something?” 

“Kinda,” he reaches into his pocket and takes out an exacto-knife, handing it to her so she can open the cardboard box. She pushes the knife out of its plastic sheath and starts to cut along the tape seam. 

The first mug she pulls out is a pink octopus, “oh, this is so cute?” 

“That’s Mildred,” he can’t help but smile, “I got that from Penelope on her last day at work.” 

“Oh,” she holds it to her chest in a sweet hug. “I can’t wait for her to come and visit, I just know she gives amazing hugs.” 

“Actually, she hugged me before I left and said that I was supposed to pass it along to you at some point…” he looks at her softly, slightly terrified. “Which is strange 'cause she knows I don’t like touching and we’ve never met before but for some reason, she knew I’d still want to hug you upon meeting you…” 

She can’t help but laugh, placing the mug down on the counter, “is that an invitation?” 

He nods, opening his arms and allowing her to step into his space. She wraps her arms around his middle and holds him close, feeling his large hands on her shoulder and upper back, his thumb lightly caressing the fabric of her shirt. 

She stays there in the hug for a moment and then pulls back, “I’ll be sure to tell her that you passed that along.” 

“Good,” he’s smiling like an idiot, bright red and flustered, falling head over heels for her already. 

At least, the little voice in her head thinks so. Making her smile back at him with the same giddy hopefulness that she’s longed for most of her life. 

—

He feels like the most awkward person in the whole fucking world. Hiding away in the living room to unbox something alone and give himself a moment of anxiety without having to play it cool in front of her any longer. 

She’s pretty, she’s nice, she smells like honey and happiness and new beginnings… Penelope raved about her for days when she heard he was moving to Reno and now he can see why. 

Y/N is amazing… it’s almost too good to be true.

She’s in his kitchen humming while she unpacks box after box of his dishes, moving around his new space like she was always meant to be here too. Like she’s a ghost or an extra piece of the pre-furnished listing. Like it was hers first. 

He can’t quite place what song it is that she’s humming, but it’s nice. He wanders over to the archway and leans against it, watching her in admiration as she slides some more mugs to the back of a shelf. He knows he wants to ask her out for real. Not just as friends, not just for help or convenience but because his aura is drawn to hers and the colour they could make together has never been made before. 

When she turns around to grab another mug she’s startled by his presence in the doorway, “gosh,” she gasps and places her hand on her chest to get over the initial shock. “What the heck, Spencer?” 

“Sorry, it’s just…” he licks his lips and thinks it over before saying it, “It’s so nice to have you here… it feels right.” 

“Oh,” she softens, he can see a weight lift off her shoulders and her eyes glimmer under the lights. “Thank you, thats the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me?” 

“Would you want to go on a real date, tomorrow?” He can’t help but ask. “I know Penelope was hoping for us to date and I hate that she’s always right but, I would really like to go on a date with you.” 

“Yeah, absolutely,” she makes her way around the counter and over to be closer to him. “I’d love that, what do you want to do?” 

“Um,” he really didn’t think that far ahead… “can I surprise you?” 

“Sure,” she gives him the sweetest, most hopeful smile that makes his heart swell. 

“Is there anything you don’t like? Or are allergic to? Anything I should avoid?” He can’t help but ask. The last thing he wants is to surprise her with something that makes her distance herself from him. It’s happened too many times before. 

She shakes her head, “not that I can think of?” 

“Okay,” he smiles at her, stepping into her space more. “I found my Alexa that Penelope got me years ago, did you want me to put on that song you were humming?” 

She looks like a dear in the headlights, she clearly forgot he could hear her when she was humming. “Oh, um… no? I don't think you’d like the song.” 

“It sounded nice when you were humming?” 

“It’s embarrassing…” 

“What is it?” 

She sighs and gives in, “Taylor Swift has this song that I listen to when I dream about the life I want and it’s been stuck in my head all day cause I’m in your kitchen… and the lyric is outside they’re pushing and shoving but you’re in the kitchen humming, all that you ever wanted from me was Sweet Nothing…” 

“That’s not embarrassing,” his heart swells. “Penelope is a matchmaker, has she ever told you about all the couples she created at the FBI? She’s responsible for 5 marriages and by proxy about 10 babies.” 

“Wow,” Y/N’s a bit taken aback by that. “So you’re saying she’s like Cupid?” 

He nods, “Or she’s able to see fate's design a lot better than us.” 

“One hug? That’s all it took?” She teases him. 

“A few mugs?” He teases right back. 

“Hey, you can tell a lot about a person by what they hoard,” she bites back, trying not to smile too hard. 

He just shakes his head and backs up, headed back to the living room with her in tow. “Hey Alexa, what’s the Taylor Swift song that says you’re in the kitchen humming.” 

“That would be Sweet Nothing by Taylor Swift on Midnights By Taylor Swift, released October—“ the British man's voice comes booming from the small speaker only to be cut off.

“Hey Alexa play Sweet Nothing by Taylor Swift,” he orders with a smirk plastered to his face. 

“Okay, here’s Sweet Nothing by Taylor Swift on Amazon Music.” 

Within the first few notes, he knows this is going to be their song. He extends his hand to her, silently asking her to dance even though he doesn’t really know how… and by design or some exquisite happenstance, she takes it. 

With one hand in hers, his other hand lands on her hip while her extra hand is placed ever so gently on his shoulder. Chest to chest, eye to eye, they smile and sway along to the flow of the tune. Her hand squeezes around his own slightly tighter, the tune matches exactly how she was humming in his own kitchen and then he hears the lyric she mentioned. 

They said the end is coming,

Everyone's up to something,

I find myself running home to your sweet nothings.

Outside, they're push and shoving,

You're in the kitchen humming,

All that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing.

He spins her around making her laugh as she crashes back into his chest and holds him tighter. She wraps her arm around his middle and rests her chin on his shoulder. The music is loud, but his thoughts are louder. He wants everything this song mentions but with her. Only her. And it’s been only an hour and a bit that he’s known her. He doesn’t even really know her but he craves to. 

“Do you write poems?” He asks after the song mentions them. 

She shakes her head, “no, but I know you read a lot of them… do you write them too?” 

He nods, “Sometimes… maybe I’ll make you one.” 

“I’ll probably cry,” she admits. 

Industry disruptors and soul deconstructors

And smooth-talking hucksters out glad-handing each other

And the voices that implore, "You should be doing more"

To you, I can admit that I'm just too soft for all of it

She is soft-hearted. She’s sweet and kind and wonderful, too. She tilts her head to the side to rest against his own. Now cheek to cheek, he lets out a deep breath he didn’t even know he was holding. She hums along to the song, just soft enough for him to hear, not quite on key, but it’s endearing. 

They’re quiet for the rest of the song and keep swaying, knowing it’s going to end soon and they’re going to have to pull away. They don’t want to… luckily the song is on a loop. It starts right back up and so they don’t pull away. 

—

His place is still a mess when he gets ready to leave the next morning. After their dance, she knew she wouldn’t be able to focus on unpacking and he knew he’d be too tempted to hold her all night long… so she went home. He helped her into her coat, he hugged her goodbye and she left, taking a piece of his heart with her. 

He’s not as used to Reno as he was with DC, but one look at the map and he was able to find the grocery store quite easily. He walks there because he opted not to bring his shitty car with him. He sold it with the promise of looking for a new one here in Nevada, but it was actually a lot nicer to walk in a sunny place like this. And on days when it’s not as nice, taxis exist for a reason. He really didn’t need a car, anymore. 

He didn’t realize how much he missed Nevada until now. 

He spent a lot of last night thinking about what he wanted to do for their date and came up with the splendid idea of a picnic. The first thing he did was call Penelope, it wasn’t too late for her back in DC, so he didn’t feel too bad, but he had to ask her some questions. He wanted everything to be perfect. She talked his ear off and then gave him an extensive list of the things she knows Y/N likes from past conversations, it turns out they’ve spent a bit of time talking about snack foods and it was finally coming in handy. 

He comes back to his newly unpacked kitchen with bags of groceries, he prepares sandwiches on croissants and cuts up cheese and puts them on toothpicks with fancy slivers of meat… and he bought some new Tupperware so the meats and cheese can be in one and the fruit he bought can be in another. He bought her favourite drinks and some cute disposable cups to put them in because he didn’t have anything other than coffee mugs, which he was sure she wouldn’t mind, but he did. 

He wanted this to be perfect for her. 

All while he was packing their picnic basket, he listened to Taylor’s music, thanks to Penelope he had a playlist of her favourites to get himself caught up on them and ended up liking most of them himself. Especially one called Maroon. The lyrics are so powerfully written and wondrously sung, it’s as if a heart-stopping novel was put to music and all told within 3 minutes and 38 seconds. Taylor Swift is a genius, that much her lover got right in sweet nothing. What a mind, indeed. 

Just a little past her apartment, there is a little park with a lovely field of flowers beside it. It’s a perfect spot for a picnic, so once he’s finished packing their picnic, he sets off on a walk to her apartment, thinking a walk to the park together would only add to the ambiance of the day. 

He makes it to her place a little before 11, like he told her he would, and spends a few seconds in the hallway to catch his breath and fix his hair before he knocks. And when he does knock, it’s 3 times and he hits the wood pretty hard with his knuckles. Inside, it’s pretty quiet and then he hears her call out, “Just a sec!!”

He waits patiently for a minute or two and then she wipes the door open while putting in an earring, “Sorry, I didn’t realize what time it was.”

She’s breathtaking. She’s all dolled up and it’s all for him. He can’t believe it. 

“That’s okay,” he manages to breathe out, leaving his mouth hung open as he stares. 

She just smirks and reaches out for him, touching his chin and redirecting his jaw closed. “You don’t want to catch flies…” 

He blushes, uncontrollably, and bows his head, bashful as ever. “Sorry, you just look beautiful… I’m not used to someone getting all dolled up for me.” 

She lets out a huff of breath through her nose, settling all her nerves, her shoulders drop and she stares at him like he’s the only man in the whole world. “You’re so sweet, I almost can’t believe you’re real.” 

“That feeling is mutual,” he assures her. 

She finally looks down at his hands to see him holding a picnic basket. “Oh my god, are we going to have a picnic?” She lights right up. 

He nods, “is that okay?” 

“Okay? It’s perfect, Spencer!” She’s so excited and it’s real. She’s not playing it up or anything. She’s genuinely over the moon. “Let me just put on my shoes and grab my purse, you can wait in here.” 

“Okay,” he steps inside and closes the door behind himself as she runs off into he bedroom.  

It’s a small apartment. Her bedroom and bathroom are separate rooms, but the kitchen, living room and the washer and dryer are all exposed. She has it set up really nicely, it’s warm and inviting and happy and he could see himself making a home on her couch in the upcoming weeks of getting to know her. He couldn’t wait to learn about her favourite shows and movies and books. He wanted to hear all about her family and friends and co-workers, even her favourite students and the ones who irked her. He wanted to hear about it all. He wants to know her favourite colour and how she likes her pizza and her pasta and what her favourite baked good is. There’s an endless amount of personal things that he can learn, and he wants to know it all. He wants to love it all, too. 

When she returns, she has her shoes on, her purse over her shoulder and a blanket draped over her forearm. “I don’t want to sit on the grass, and I didn’t think you fit a blanket in there…” 

“Oh, shoot,” he looks down at the basket and realizes that was the one thing he forgot. “Yeah, we’re going to need that.” 

“Thought so,” she smirks. She walks back over to the door and grabs her keys, “anything else you need?” 

“Just you,” he replies without thinking it over. 

“Stop being so sweet,” she nudges him, staring up at him like he hung the stars, himself. 

“Or else?” He teases. It’s remarkable how easy it is with her. It just flows out of him like the script was already written between them. 

She steps even closer into his space, “you get a kiss for every compliment,” she says, standing on her tip-toes, she presses her lips to his cheek for 1, 2, 3 seconds of pure bliss. 

She drops back down to her normal height, a smirk plastered to her face, proud of the lipstick stain that’s almost as red as his blushing cheek. She reaches up to wipe it off but he pulls back, “don’t…” he’s adamant. “I want everyone to know you’re mine if you’re going out looking this beautiful beside me.” 

“Okay then.” 

—

Like a real man, Spencer insists on standing closer to the road as they walk along the sidewalk. A few moments into their walk, he transitions the basket to his right side so that his hand that’s closest to her is free and she notices it right away. She has draped the blanket over her left arm, leaving her right hand free… all but begging him to take it. But he’s shy and quiet and he doesn’t know how to just do it. 

So she does. 

She takes his hand in hers and interlocks their fingers, smiling up at him as they keep going forward, “have you ever been to this park?” 

He shakes his head, “No… is it nice? The reviews online said it’s clean and there isn’t a lot of illegal activity there.” 

She can’t help but laugh, “Yeah, it’s a nice park. Sometimes I hit up the bookstore down here and then I go read in the park. It’s nice in the summer when I have a week off between my regular job at the school and my summer job.” 

“Summer job?” 

She nods, “Mhm, you know, 'cause I only work at the high school when school is in session and I don’t make enough to take two whole months off so each summer I take a new job. Like last summer I worked at a daycare but the summer before that I was at a ladies' clothing store a few streets over.” 

“What are you going to do this summer?” He asks, intrigued. 

“I’m not sure yet… I’m still friends with some of the girls at the daycare so I might go back, but honestly, I’m also thinking of putting in my application for summer school and I might tutor some of the kids that need help graduating,” she explains. “Cause I know how hard it is to try your best and still just not get it. They shouldn’t be punished for having a hard time.” 

“You sound like a wonderful teacher, I’m sure they’d really like to have you in the summer, too,” Spencer compliments. “I was always closest to the kids that didn’t do very well in school. It’s not that I pitted them or felt like I could improve them, I just liked who they were as people, more.”

“They’re lovely kids, they just get pushed to the side because they either learn differently or they can’t do the work at home for whatever reason. And they shouldn’t be punished for that, it’s not their fault that most kids nowadays have to work to help their families or become a second parent to help their younger siblings. They barely have the time to take care of themselves let alone do 5 hours of homework a night,” she rants, “I genuinely hate how the school system is currently.” 

“My nephew is in high school currently and he isn’t having the best time,” Spencer shares. “He calls me for help on his math homework sometimes and it always floors me that even if he got to the right answer, if he didn’t follow the exact formula that the teacher uses then he gets a 0. There are many different ways to solve an equation, and as long as he shows his work it should count.” 

“Exactly!” She raises her voice a little and startles a lady passing them. “It’s frustrating to watch them struggle with shit they’ll never use again unless they’re going into a math-dominated field. It’s not fair.” 

“More kids need a teacher like you,” Spencer says, giving her hand a little squeeze. 

“Why, thank you,” she gleams. “If we weren’t in the middle of the walkway I’d kiss you again…”

“The books store is just up here, you can kiss me in the aisles… if you really want to?” he kids, but not really. She can tell he wants another kiss from her. 

So she drags him into the bookstore, they tell the worker that they’re just looking and perusing the store, calling out the titles they know and rating the backs of the ones that seem interesting until they’re in the back aisle. She turns to him with a smirk, “Are you gonna make me stand on my tip-toes every time, bean sprout?” 

He smirks and places the picnic basket down on the floor so his hands are free, “I could just kiss you, instead, you know?” 

“You wouldn’t be so bold?” She tempts, secretly hoping he will. 

He tentatively reaches out, placing his beautifully soft hand on her cheek and caressing her skin with his thumb before he starts to lean in. She closes her eyes in anticipation, just mere seconds before their lips touch and like the big bang, universes were created in the pitch-black darkness behind her eyelids. Colours she’s never seen before, feelings she’s only read on pages that surround them, and a warmth in her chest that seems so foreign… yet so right. 

He goes to pull away and she leans back in, dropping the blanket in the process to kiss him again and again until his tongue slips past her lips and it's more than just a kiss. It’s the start of something beautiful. Something more than Penelope ever thought possible when her two friends ended up in the same town at the same time. 

They’re brought out of the moment by the sound of a woman clearing her throat, “You actually have to buy something you can’t just make out back here.” 

“Sorry, sorry.”

“I’m so sorry!”

The two of them rush out with equally guilty mugs. She grabs the first book she see’s, “We’ll take this.” 

“I’ll meet you at the register,” the keeper replies rather snidely and over it as she walks away. 

Looking down at the book, it’s a poetry book by an author she’s never heard of before. “You know this one?” 

Spencer shakes his head, “surprisingly, no.” 

She picks up the blanket again, he grabs the basket and the two of them slowly make their way towards the cash. “Sorry, again,” Y/N says, pressing her lips together awkwardly. “I don’t know where that came from, we really just wanted a book for our picnic.” 

“I’ve been in love before, I get it,” she waves it off with a growing smile. “This is a good choice… it’s only 6 dollars as well.”

“I’ve got it,” Spencer steps forward, taking his wallet out of his pocket and handing the woman two 5 dollar bills. “Do you take tips or donations?”

“Always, it keeps the lights on,” she’s happy to take the extra money, exchanging one of the 5’s for 4 1’s and placing them in a jar behind the desk. “Thank you, I hope to see you back here sometime.” 

“Definitely, I’d love to have a real look next time,” Spencer teases as Y/N takes the book. He places his hand on her back, “thank you.” 

“Have a good rest of your day,” she adds for good measure, following Spencer towards the door. 

“You too! And enjoy your picnic!” The lady calls back just before they leave. 

“God,” Y/N scolds herself, “I can’t believe that happened.” 

“Spencer just laughs, “It’s not that embarrassing… believe me, I’ve walked in on much worse.” 

“I can imagine, I mean, Penelope told me about some of your cases,” she says with the roll of her eyes. “I really don’t know how you did it for so long.” 

“Honestly, me either,” he agrees with her there. “How much do you know about me? Because she never told me much about you and I’m worried we’re not on even playing grounds…” 

“Oh, not much!” She tries to sound as believable as possible. “She basically told me you’re a genius, she loves you like a little brother and some little anecdotes like you were shot in the knee once and were on crutches for months and you wear a lot of purple which I’ve also seen in the Facebook photos she has of you… but nothing super personal.”

“Okay, that’s good then… cause she’s seen me at my worst,” Spencer admits as they make their way toward the park entrance

“She was basically big brother to you guys,” Y/N teases. 

Spencer manages to laugh, “Yeah, she was.”

The gates to the park are open, there are children running about cheering with one another while their parents sit on the benches and talk, barely watching on. They pass everyone and head right back to the grassy area behind the playground, past the soccer fields and take cover under a baby Willow tree that still has lots of growing left to do, however, she’s still big enough to cast a good amount of shade on them. 

She lays out the blanket perfectly and takes a seat while Spencer gets down on his knees, placing the picnic basket in front of himself. All while they’re still talking about Penelope. He takes out two plastic champagne flutes and hands them to her first, then he sets out the bubbly drink he got, followed by 4 Tupperware containers. “Speaking of which, I called her last night and she told me about your favourite snacks…” 

“No way?” She can’t believe it. 

He simply nods, a smirk growing, “It would seem you two love food.” 

“Well, it’s always late when we call so she’s seen a lot of my nightly snacks,” She admits. “Is that? No way…” She takes one of the containers and opens it up to find little croissant sandwiches. “You want me to fall in love with you? Don’t you?” 

He’s startled to hear it and she can’t believe she said it. It was forward and real and incredibly honest. But Spencer nods. Of course, he nods. “Yeah, I do.” 

She looks at him like that 'I do' was the big one. The most important one. And to her, it’s almost more important. “Really?” 

“I’ve spent most of my life completely alone, I’m tired… and I’m not settling, not at all, no,” he stutters out and worries he’s offended her. “I just mean, I like you, you’re wonderful already and everything I look for in a person and if you loved me I’d be the luckiest man in the world.” 

“Wow,” she can’t believe it. 

“Sorry—

“No, no,” she reaches out, dropping the container so she could touch his knee instead, “don’t, I’m just shocked, really…” 

“Really?” 

She nods, “Yeah, not many people have just openly told me that they like me let alone want me to love them?” 

“Me either,” Spencer admits. He’s ready to lay his whole heart bare to her. “I really want someone to love me and if that someone was you then I could die happy.” 

“Not on my watch,” she manages to smile. “My love means taking care of you. My love includes worrying and obsessing and making you entirely mine… it’s driven people away before we could even start anything real, I don’t want that to happen here.” 

“It won’t,” Spencer is quick to reply. “It can’t drive me away, it’s exactly what I want… and I want to love you just the same.” 

“You won’t have to try hard,” she teases, smiling up at him. “Come on, get comfortable, grab a sandwich and talk to me. Tell me about yourself and watch it happen.” 

“Okay,” he follows her instructions. 

He gets comfortable on the blanket, taking off his shoes so he can sit crisscross applesauce and he pours them each a glass of sparkling cider. “I’m sober,” he shares first. “I had some drug problems in my 20’s and I find if I avoid all substances, except coffee, then I won’t slip.” 

“Wise man,” she compliments. “I don’t drink either, mostly cause drinking alone is sad and I don’t like how it makes me feel.”

“And I picked this pinky one cause of the line in Paris…” Spencer admits which makes her peak right up. “You know, fake wine makes believe it’s champagne…” 

“Oh my god, you listened to Midnights?” 

He nods, “I went back to listen to Sweet Nothing and thought why not?” 

She can’t help but shake her head and smile, “That’s so cute, you have no idea how cool this is for me. No one I know really likes her, everyone acts too cool for Taylor Swift and then you come in and listen to her on your own accord? That’s— that’s everything to me, Spencer.” 

“I think she’s amazing, well, so far, at least,” he admits. “I’ve only listened to the one album but it was a great album, I particularly enjoyed Maroon.”

“Her track 2’s are always my favourite,” Y/N raves. “She saves track 5 for her personal favourites or songs that mean the most to her, like on Red there’s this one called All Too Well and it’s originally 5 minutes but on the new recording of Red it’s 10 minutes and it’s so good. It’s insanely beautiful.” 

“I can’t wait to listen to it,” he can’t help but smile. “I love listening to you talk about her, you glow.” 

“Here,” she pulls out her phone and headphones from her purse and plugs them in. “We can listen to it now if you want?” 

“Okay,” he agrees, taking an earbud and placing it in his ear while she moves closer to share the other. 

And for 10 minutes they sit there in silence, she eats her sandwich and he listens to the words with the most admiration. The hurt is palpable, the passion is gut-wrenching… he loves it and she can tell from the look on his face. He’s so focused and enthralled. She feels a warmth in her chest that she hasn’t felt before, something in this moment is what makes her really love him. She isn’t just infatuated, he isn’t just cute and nice… he’s special. 

“That was amazing—

“I never want to feel like that,” she whispers, staring at him intently. “don’t break my heart, please.” 

“I don’t plan to?” 

She lets out a deep breath she didn’t mean to hold, “I’ve never dated anyone before because I can’t go through the heartache. She made it seem so fucking awful I never want to feel it.” 

“It’s awful,” he admits, all the hurt he’s experienced comes forth, pooling behind his eyes as tears form. “I was in love only once. She died before I could tell her.”

“Oh, Spencer, I’m so sorry,” she can’t believe it. “When?” 

“In 2013.” 

“Have you been single for 10 years?” 

He nods, “Basically. I tried to date before the pandemic but she wasn’t really my type, it was more convenient so it didn’t last.” 

“Oh.”

“This isn’t like that,” he assures. “You’re kind and beautiful and you have a normal job and you make people's lives better… you’ve made Penelope’s life better. You are sunshine—

“Do not call yourself midnight rain I will laugh,” she cuts him off, biting back a smirk.” 

“I wasn’t,” he laughs too, “but it works here, too.” 

“I’m not always sunny,” she adds, making sure he knows that. 

“That’s okay,” he’s fine with it, really. “Even on gloomy days, the sun is just behind the clouds.” 

She can’t believe he just said that. It’s so beautiful and kind and about her? It makes her just stare at him, mouth opening to say something but nothing comes out. She doesn’t know what to say. “Oh, man… I’m going to fall in love with you so quickly.” 

“Me too,” Spencer smiles, reaching out to hold her hand. He grips it tight and doesn’t break eye contact with her, “and I’m excited about it.” 

—

He only lives around the corner from her which means they see each other every day for the next week. They wake up at the same time, they get coffee before work, she drops him off at the police station and then she heads to the high school. After school, she goes and picks up something for dinner and he Ubers right to her apartment to eat. They talk well into the night, they listen to music, they watch documentaries and movies and they cuddle… she knows almost everything about him and he knows almost everything about her. He’s going to meet her family in the summer, hopefully, and she’s going to meet Diana in a few weeks. 

Being together is the most fun she’s ever had in her entire life. 

And while they’re not going on dates to get to know each other, they are dating and Penelope is happy about it for the most part. She’s just upset she lost her nightly chats with Y/N on Zoom. They barely even text now. 

When Penny finally does get Y/N on the phone, however, it’s on a night that Spencer has an intense case in Reno. The BAU are back in town… 3 women have died this week, all online sex workers, they never walked the streets and yet that’s where they’ve ended up. It’s heartbreaking. 

“I called him today during his break and he just sounded so defeated, it breaks my heart,” Y/N says with her hand over her chest and pleading eyes, “it’s too bad you’re not working with them again.” 

“Their new tech guy is good,” Penelope assures her, “and he’s got JJ and Luke with him so he’s fine… he’s more than fine, he’s Spencer.” 

She rolls her eyes playfully, “he is fine…” 

“You guys really like each other?” Penelope digs, she wasn’t going to pry and press too many questions but she can’t help herself. 

Y/N nods, “Yeah… I think I love him.” 

“Really?” Penelope lights right up, “Oh my god?” 

“I know! It’s been so nice, we were going to go on another date tonight but, you know, duty calls…” 

“How many have you had so far?” 

“Uh,” Y/N doesn’t really know. “Well, we unpacked boxes last Saturday and then on Sunday we went to the park and I’ve seen him every day this week…”

“I know,” Penelope pretends to be mad about it but she can’t stay fake mad for long. She loves them both too much. “I’ve missed you.” 

“I miss you too, I just like cuddles with my boyfriend more…” 

“Boyfriend?” 

She nods, “Yeah, I think that’s what we are, I mean, we’ve already talked about what we want and he said he wants to fall in love with me so I think that makes us boyfriend and girlfriend?” 

“Spencer said that? Shy, nervous, Spencer Reid?” Penelope can’t believe it. 

She can’t help but laugh, “Yeah, I guess that’s him… I don’t know, he’s a lot less shy with me.” 

“Have you—

“No, no, not yet,” she waves her hands in front of the screen and looks panicked. “No. We haven’t even talked about it yet.” 

“No?” 

She shakes her head, “No… I mean, I want to and we’ve had some nice make-out sessions but we haven’t done anything more than kiss.”

“Wow,” Penelope is genuinely shocked. “I thought you would’ve jumped him by now.” 

“Hey,” she says with a cheeky smile. “I have self-control… so does he, I guess cause he hasn’t even tried to cop a feel or anything, he’s super reserved.” 

“Well yeah he’s spent 40 years being a virgin,” Penelope says without any malice, she’s just stating a fact. “He’s used to things not going there. I think you have to make the move.” 

“I was thinking that too,” she doesn’t sound excited about it. “I’m just really scared even though I know I shouldn’t be when it’s Spencer. He’s going to be very sweet and he’s already told me he thinks I’m beautiful and I feel it around him… it’s just so nerve-wracking.” 

“I was still a teenager when I had sex the first time and it was so scary, I wish I waited,” she really emphasizes Wish. “I wish I was mature and chose someone good and deserving and I wish he cared about me. But you have all those things right now, it’ll be worth it now.” 

“I know,” she tries her hardest to believe her. “I know it’ll be okay… it’s just the anticipation feels more like anxiety.”

“Which is totally normal, but it’ll go away when it happens, believe me.” 

“I do.” 

—

Spencer's cause goes on another 4 days. She brings him coffee and donuts after work, she meets his friends and ex-collogues and she understands now why he had to get out of it all. Emily is just a few years older than him and fully grey, JJ sneaks out to make phone calls to her family who she doesn’t see as often as she wants and Luke is still single no matter how hard he tries. The job takes things from them. 

She gives him a hug before she leaves each time, never a kiss, that would embarrass him in front of his new co-workers and his old ones would never let him live it down. So he gets just a hug. It’s long, they linger and then she goes home. 

It’s weird being home without him now that he’s been there often. She misses him dearly, every day. All through the weekend, he works. And then the case ends on a Tuesday at 3 in the morning and stays up just for her. He buys them coffee, he walks to her place and he knocks on her door right at 6:30, 15 minutes after he knows her alarm has gone off. 

She opens the door dazed and confused. “What are you doing here?” 

“I missed my best friend.” 

“Get in here,” she tugs him inside and makes him put the coffees down so she could have a proper welcome. 

She cups his face in her hands and kisses him with so much force and passion, it startles him. But he kisses her back. He wraps her up in a big hug, bringing her in closer, he deepens the kiss with the swipe of his tongue and she pushes him back against her door. It’s as fiery as the first time, it’s better than the kiss in the bookstore, there’s so much more feeling in it now. 

His hand roams up the flat of her back, over her shoulders and rests on the nape of her neck. His thumb caresses the skin under her ear, causing her to moan into the kiss and pull away, embarrassed. Her eyes go wide and she stutters on her way to find an excuse but Spencer just smiles, still caressing her, he brings his other hand up to cup her cheek, “It’s okay… you’re so cute.” 

Her cheeks heat up and she feels bashful as all hell. “Shut up,” is all she can manage to say. “I’m still half asleep, I mean, you should be lucky I already brushed my teeth before you surprised me.” 

“Mm,” Spencer hums, running his tongue over his teeth, “that’s why you’re so minty.” 

She just pulls away and reaches for her coffee, “And now I can’t drink this until the minty-ness goes away, so thank you.” 

“Should I go awa—

“No,” she rushes out. “No, you can stay. I can drive you home on my way to work.” 

“Okay,” he can’t help but giggle a bit as he makes his way closer to her, reaching out for her waist. “You like me…” 

“Shush!” She swats him away, “I have to get ready, don’t tempt me.” 

“Just one more kiss? Come on, isn’t it the deal that I compliment you and you kiss me?” He begs. “You’re so beautiful and smart and lovely—

She steps closer to him and presses her lips right to his only to pull back just as fast. He cups her face in his hands and stops her from moving away too fast and peppers kisses to her lips. “Spence— Spencer!” She giggles while trying to pull away, “Seriously, I have to go to work!!” 

“Fine,” Spencer sighs as he lets her go, only to pull her back in for one last kiss. “Okay, now you can go.” 

She just laughs as she pulls away and heads back to her room, “Come on, you can sit in my room while I get ready.” 

“Really?” He follows even though he doesn’t believe her. 

“Why not?” She doesn’t see why it’s a big deal, “I’m just doing my makeup and then I have to pick an outfit and I’ll change in the bathroom?” 

“Okay, yeah, sorry I just thought you meant you’d change in front of me and I didn’t think we were there yet?” 

“Oh, no,” she agrees. Taking a seat at her little makeup desk, she turns to him. “When do you think we should be ready for something like that?” 

“When do you want to?” He questions her right back. 

She shrugs, “I don’t know… this Saturday is 2 weeks of us being together so, I mean, most couples start moving further around then?” 

“We’re not most couples,” he reminds her. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well,” Spencer hesitates, he looks a little nervous but he sits on the end of her bed anyway. “I’ve never had sex before… I’ve wanted to, I’ve tried.” 

“I’ve never even tried,” she’s incredibly honest. “Making out is as far as I’ve gone with anyone.” 

“Really?” He almost can’t believe it. “Why?” 

She shrugs, “I’m over-emotional and incredibly soft. I can’t do one-night stands and I’ve never trusted anyone enough to experiment before.” 

“Oh,” Spencer softens, “you feel safe with me?” 

She nods, “Extremely.” 

He gets up and wraps his arms around her, resting his cheek against the top of her head. She snuggles into him and holds onto one of his forearms, they both sigh. Completely content with one another. 

—

They agreed to try and go further on Friday night. They both have weekends off, so they could spend the whole weekend together if they wanted to. 

And when Friday comes, she isn’t nervous. It’s just a Friday. 

She placed an order for Chinese food when she got home from work and texted Spencer right after so he could get it on his way over. It was closer to his place and convenient this way and he just liked to get it for them. And while he’s on his way, she takes the time to bring out some comfy blankets to put on the couch for their cuddles later and she lights some candles and turns on her fairy lights. Her whole living room is set in a soft, romantic mood with the hopes that they could do more than just cuddle tonight… 

Spencer knocks 3 times to let her know it’s him and then he walks in, “Hey, so they ran out of spring rolls but they gave us egg rolls instead, is that cool?” 

“Yeah, that’s fine,” she doesn’t care, rushing over to the door she takes the bags from him and puts them on the table by the door instead.

He slips out of his shoes and puts them beside hers, then he takes his bag off and places it beside his shoes, next he takes off his coat and hangs it up. He even locks her front door for her, these are all things he’s used to doing after 2 weeks of visiting. She clears her throat when he takes too long to turn back to her, “excuse me, I’m waiting,” she teases. 

“Sorry,” he steps closer to her and places his hand on her cheek as he leans in for his welcome home kiss. It’s a new tradition that she loves so much and clearly he does too as she can feel him smile through the kiss. He kisses her once, twice and a 3rd time just because he can, “there, happy?” 

She shakes her head and cups both his cheeks, pulling him in for a longer, more passionate kiss. His hands go to her waist, holding her closer to his body, he wraps her up in a hug as well. She pulls back with an audible “mwah,” and a smile on her own face. “Now I’m happy.” 

“You’re so cute,” he compliments. “I missed you so much today.” 

“I missed you, handsome,” she compliments right back. “Um, I missed you so much I was wondering if maybe you’d want to stay over tonight?” 

“Oh?” He’s only slightly surprised, “yeah, I’d like that… I just need to check my bag, hold on.” 

“Okay?” She’s a little confused about why he has to, but she doesn’t ask any questions. She just watches him open up his satchel and search the pockets. 

“Oh, good,” he says with relief in his voice as he pulls out a bottle of pills and his toothbrush. “I haven’t told you yet, but I’m on antidepressants… I take them every night before bed.” 

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she says without a second thought. “Do they help?” 

He nods, putting them back in his bag until later, “Yeah, I like them.” 

“Good, now, come on,” she grabs the bag of food and makes her way over to the kitchen so she can start dishing everything out. “Did you check that they had everything?” 

“You bet, after they forgot the red sauce last time I’m never not checking the bag again,” he says as he follows her. 

They spend a few minutes in the kitchen as they fill their plates with a variety of food. Spencer opts for a fork while she uses the chopsticks provided in the bag and then they move back to the living room. They put their plates on the coffee table and sit down criss-cross apple sauce together on the floor in front of the couch. The remote is on Spencer's side of the table, and the TV is on and ready for them to pick a show, but instead, Spencer asks how her day went. 

“Oh, it was okay with my juniors we worked on SAT prep and then with my 3 freshman classes we worked on their independent study unit and I’m now considered the cool teacher cause I let them listen to their music while they read,” she shares with a smile. “And then for my spare I filled in for Miss Tyndall, the arts teacher, so we watched a David Bowie doc while they all worked on different projects.” 

“Sounds like a fun day,” Spencer loves to listen to her talk about it all. “You’d be my favourite teacher too.” 

“I know,” she can’t help but smile. “How was your day?” 

He shrugs, taking a forkful of fried rice, he covers his mouth with his hand while he talks, “It was okay, no one died so that’s a bonus.” 

For the rest of their meal, they share little stories, about their day and things they heard on the news or on TikTok, funny anecdotes and memories from their separate pasts. It’s nice. She could listen to him all day and he felt the same. When their plates are empty, they both lean back against the couch and Spencer turns to stare at her with so much love in his eyes. 

“I’m really enjoying my nights with you,” he shares, and in the silence, she feels it. But he says it anyway, “I love you.” 

“I love you, too,” she says and a feeling of relief flows out of her in the form of a sigh. Her shoulders drop, and she looks over at him with a sweet smile, silent as they take in the moment. “I love you so much.” 

He places his hand on top of hers, both of them are in too much of a food coma to move closer or kiss or anything. They just hold hands and stare at each other. 

“I get it now,” she whispers. “I understand what she’s been singing about all these years… this feeling right here. It’s worth the heartbreak, I think.” 

“I can’t tell the future, but I know I never want to leave you,” Spencer replies, voice equally as soft. “I want everything with you.” 

Her heart starts to beat out of her chest but she knows she has to ask it. “Would you be my first?” 

“Only if you’d be mine?” 

She nods, tears bubbling behind her eyes, and she squeezes his hand. “I’d love nothing more… but I’m in a food coma right now.” 

Spencer breaks out in a burst of historical laughter first, causing her to laugh just as hard and lean into his shoulder. 

“Well, then it’s a good thing we have all weekend,” Spencer finally says, he wraps his arm around her and holds her close. 

“Even if we don’t do it tonight, do you want to sleep in my bed with me?” 

He nods against her, “Yeah… I’ve been thinking about that a lot actually. It’s really hard to leave here in the middle of the night knowing you’re sleeping alone in there when we were just cuddling right here,” he motions to the couch. “I want to wake up with you next to me every morning.” 

The warmth that fills her stomach is a mixture of extreme happiness but also anxiety… it’s almost too good to be true. She pulls away and looks up at him with fearful eyes, “is it normal to fall in love this fast?” The words just tumble out of her. 

Spencer shrugs, “I mean… I’ve always heard the saying ‘when you know, you know’ and I’ve read a lot about love at first sight and the way we pick our mates based on familiar facial structures that make us feel safe… and I’ve been in love before and I never met her—

“But I understand why you loved her, she was the only person in your life other than your mother to truly take care of you and listen…” Y/N cuts him off, remembering the night he told her all about Maeve. 

“Yeah, and from the first day I met you, you’ve done the same,” Spencer reminds her. “You brought me muffins so that I’d have something to eat before work and you wanted to help me unpack and every day since you have cared for me more than anyone I know. Onto of that you’re beautiful and easy to talk to and you’re not only wonderful to me, but to everyone, you know. It wasn’t hard for me to love you, I’m just surprised you love me.” 

“Why?” 

“Well, for starters I’m a 42-year-old man who’s spent the last 20 years of my life hunting serial killers and I had a drug problem and I’ve killed people and I was in prison… you know everything and you still love me?” Spencer really can’t believe it. 

“Mhm, I love you because despite all that shit that’s happened to you, you still have a sweet smile and a big heart and the best mind I know,” Y/N confirms everything he needed to know. “I love you because you’re you. There’s no other reason.”

He cups her cheek and looks at her with the softest expression known to man, “I’m going to love you forever.” 

“Show me?” she whispers, pleading with her eyes to know just how much he loves her. 

“Do we just leave our plates here?” He teases, going to stand up. 

“I guess we can put them away,” she agrees, she moves to her knees and gathers up her own plate while Spencer does the same with his. 

They meet again in the kitchen, placing both plates in her dishwasher, she turns to the leftovers and starts to pack them away while Spencer moves back over to his bag. He grabs his phone and something else while she’s not looking and he opens up Spotify. He doesn’t have many songs saved to his account, just some classical music and the most important song… Sweet Nothing. 

She turns to him within milliseconds, “Spence?” 

He places his phone on the counter and hands her a little rock, one he picked up on his walk over to see her before work last week. He never had the time to give it to her between all their kissing and her getting ready for work. “Here… it’s only May but I can get you another rock in July.” 

She doesn’t want to speak or she’ll cry, but she manages to say: “okay,”  as she takes it from him and steps into his space to dance again. In her kitchen this time… 

She rests her head on his shoulder, his arms around her waist, they sway to the sound of the music and hold each other close. And then he kisses her shoulder and the side of her neck up to her ear. He cups her face in his hand and stares into her eyes, “bedroom?” 

“Bedroom,” she agrees, taking his hand in hers, she leads him back into her room and turns on just the one table lamp she has beside her bed, “should we light candles and stuff?” 

“Do you want to?” 

She shrugs, “I don’t know, isn’t that what people do when they have special sex?” 

“Special sex?” 

“You know, first times, birthday sex, anniversary sex… emotional sex,” she redefines what she meant and surprisingly she isn’t embarrassed. 

“Candles would be nice, then,” Spencer agrees with a smile. “Do you have condoms? Are you on the pill?” 

She smirks, “I bought some condoms on Tuesday after work.” 

He watches her open her bedside table and take out the box of condoms and a lighter, she hands him the condoms, “Here.” 

“Thanks,” he reads them over, latex-free, real feel, they’d work perfectly. 

While he’s reading over the box, she lights a few candles in her room and he takes a seat on the side of her bed, watching her. When she returns to him, she stands between his legs and rests her hands on his shoulders. “You’re sure?” 

“Absolutely,” Spencer smiles up at her and reaches out to hold her hips. He plays with the hem of her shirt, “how do you want to do this?” 

“Can we strip down to our underwear and get into bed and kiss for a bit and see where it goes?” 

“Of course, yeah, that sounds good,” Spencer agrees, he pushes up her shirt and she lifts her arms to help. Spencer has to stand up to pull it all the way off and then he looks down at her in her bra. “wow…” 

“Thanks,” she smirks, shaking her head as she reaches for his shirt to undo the buttons, “they’re just boobs…” 

“Just boobs,” he repeats with a small chuckle. “I’ll have you know everything about you is spectacular.” And with a rush of confidence, he cups both breasts with his hands, he runs his thumbs over where her nipples are hidden under the fabric and she has to bite her lip so she doesn’t moan. 

“Do you like that?” 

She nods and pushes his shirt off his shoulders until it's discarded on the floor. “Yeah. I don’t think you’ve ever noticed but… your hands… I watch them when you talk and when you’re tracing a page as you read really fast and you use two fingers instead of one and I’ve wanted you to touch me from the moment I saw you.”

“Mmm,” he turns her around and motions for her to get on the bed and she moves quickly, she’s resting her head on the pillows when he’s suddenly hovering over her. 

He runs his pointer finger from her chin, down her neck and between the crease of her breasts before cupping them both again and places kisses on her exposed chest. She arches into the contact and his hands follow both her arms until his fingers are interlocked with hers. Holding them over her head as he kisses her neck and shoulder. 

“So beautiful,” he whispers, “how’d I get so lucky?” 

“We have a great mutual friend, remember?” She teases,

He groans “Don’t mention her when I’m about to go down on you…” he says as he nibbles at her skin and it makes her moan, grinding her hips up against him, she wants him so bad but she still has her pants on. He sits on his knees between her spread legs and undoes the button as she lifts her hips, helping him glide them down her legs and off. He tosses them to the floor and goes right back in, gripping her by the hips he leans down and kisses her stomach… something she never thought any man would do. 

He wants her just as bad as she wants him and it’s prevalent in the way his eyes are blown out as he looks up at her, pleading with his eyes, all he says is “Can I?” And she nods. He pulls her underwear down and tosses them off only to lift one and kiss from her ankle and all the way up to her knee and then he dips in closer, smothering her inner thigh with kisses and nips and then he sucks a deep purple mark into her skin, lapping over it with his tongue before blowing on it softly. 

“Holy fuck,” she moans as he gets closer to her pussy and all she wants is his hands on her. 

Almost like he reads her mind, he moves to the other leg and hurries along until he’s kissing right along where her underwear used to meet her thigh. Then, he spreads her pussy and licks a broad stripe along her cunt. He presses a kiss to her clit next as she bucks her hips into the sensation, “Oh my god, Spence?” 

“Shh,” he whispers, looking up at her from between her legs like a man starved. “Just enjoy it, I’ve always wanted to do this.”

She’s so turned on from the teasing alone, and then he adds a finger, he gently circles it around her hole before inserting it slowly, seeing how much give she has before he takes it all. The feeling of his tongue on her is unlike anything she’s ever felt before, he’s soft yet rough and sweet yet disgusting with the noises he’s making. She can’t help reaching out and gripping his hair as her hips lift from the bed again. With only one free hand, he pushes her back down against the bed and she whines. When he adds a second finger, the stretch isn’t too much to handle, he’s so much better with his hands than she figured he’d be as he finger fucks her. His tongue on her clit and freehand trails from her hip up to grip her tit as he grinds against the mattress, he’s so into it she’s worried he might not get to really fuck her. 

“Spencer,” she pants, “holy fuck Spence, please, oh my god,” she can barely make it through the sentence when his fingers curl and her legs tremble.

“Cum for me,” he growls against her and her body listens as she jolts forward and she feels the rush flow through her bloodstream. 

“Oh!” she cups her breast and arches her back, oblivious to how he watches her while still lapping at her clit. 

When it gets to be too much for her, she grips his hair tighter and pulls him off, “fuck me, now… please?”

“Is it an order or a suggestion,” he teases as he kisses back up her body with his glistening and wet lips, “well?”

“Please?” She looks at him with the sweetest, most fucked out expression. “That was amazing, baby.” 

“Fuck,” he groans and drags himself off the bed so he can push his pants and boxers off in one fell swoop. Now, only in his mismatched socks, he doesn’t really have the time to take them off as he reaches for the abandoned box of condoms at the foot of her bed. 

She watches contently as he hastily rips it open and rolls it on before he gets back on the bed. He gets right back to where he was, between her legs, he places his hands on her knees and soothes them down her inner thighs, “you sure?”

She nods, “I’m ready.”

“Okay,” he says with a deep breath, readying himself in the meantime, he grips himself at the base and pushes the head into her, inch by inch, he watches as her mouth opens in a silent gasp. 

“My god…” he coos, “it’s like you were fuckin made for me.” 

She’s speechless, reading out for more of him, she’s desperate for his touch. Her hands land on his hips, his skin is so soft and warm and then they’re flush together. He bottoms out and stills, he drops down so that they’re chest to chest and she cups his face instead, “Hi…” 

“Hi,” he manages to laugh, holding himself up with one arm, his other hand pushes her hair back off her forehead and stays there. “I love you.” 

“I love you,” she says as she pulls him in for a kiss, tasting herself on his tongue, he collapses onto her and wraps his arm around her, angling her hips up as he starts to thrust. 

The kiss gets hungrier, and they moan into each other as he picks up the pace, really fucking her just like she asked him to. She has no idea where this side of him came from but she can’t explain how much she likes it, the hand that was once in her hair is now pushed into the pillow, bracing himself as he hovers and fucks her deeply.

She absentmindedly runs her hand along his forearm and takes his hands in hers, interlocking their fingers before he holds it over her head again and fucks into her with vigour. Her legs wrap around him, every trust grinds his pubic bone against her clit and she’s still so sensitive, she’s so incredibly close that all she can do is sloppily kiss him and moan into his mouth.

His hips snap faster and faster as he fucks her and she can’t hold back anymore when she tosses her head back and sucks him in more. “Oh my god,” and “Holy fuck,” is all she can say, making him smirk. 

He’s trying his hardest to keep his composure, breathing quickly, it’s the best workout he’s ever had trying to keep the pace and please her right. “I might,” he says between pants, “I might last a while… cause my meds—

“I don’t care,” she uses her free hand to cup his cheek again, “I want to stay here forever, holy shit.” 

“Yeah?” 

She tosses her head back again, “Oh my god, yeah!” 

He just laughs and it’s the sexiest thing she’s ever heard. She’s right there at the edge when he retrieves his hand from behind her back and rubs his thumb over her clit, “you can cum, if you want.” 

“No, no, it’s fine,” she says, running her hand down his chest and looking between them to see what he’s doing, “I want to finish with you.” 

His grip on the hand she’s holding gets tighter, he’s sweaty and losing stamina and nowhere close to being done. “Do you want to switch positions?” She asks, “It’s okay?” 

“Can we?” He slows to a stop, “you’re okay with that?” 

“Spence, I love you,” she reminds him, “It’s fine, it’s better than fine, actually… I’ve heard all my friends talk about dudes who last 5 seconds, this is more than I ever expected.” 

“I’m just anxious, you can see why I take them,” he gets all blushy and bashful as he lets go of her hand, pulls out and sits back up on his knees. 

She sits up too, taking her bra off in the process. She tosses it to the floor and his jaw drops when he sees her naked chest, “fuck..” He mumbles under his breath. 

“Here, you sit up against the headboard,” she suggests, moving out of the way so he can take her place. 

Once he’s settled she straddles his hips and takes his cock in her hand, angling it toward her entering as she sits upon it. Once he’s fully inside she drapes her arms around his shoulders and smiles at him, “We can do it this way… now you’ve got a face full of tits.” 

His hands soothe down her bare back down to her hips, he licks his lips as he looks at them and helps her glide her body against his. “My god,” he all but moans, watching her boobs jiggle as she starts to really ride him. 

“You’re so deep,” she moans, tossing her head back again to free up her neck, he pulls her in and kisses her from her shoulder up to her ear, lighting sucking at her earlobe, he brings his hand up to cup her cheek and ends up gripping her hair at the nape of her neck and pulling her to the side so he can messily smother her in kisses. “No marks, I have teenagers to teach, ‘member? They’re fucking ruthless.” 

“Mhm,” he mumbles, too into it to really care, his other hand reaches down to thumb at her clit, he’s getting close and she wants to finish with him. 

He finally does cup her face with the hand that was just in her hair, he caresses her cheek with his thumb, pulling her back in for a kiss that’s all tongue. She moans into his mouth, running her hands down his chest, she uses his as leverage to keep pushing back before grinding down on him, he’s right against her g-spot and so fucking deep she can feel him everywhere, “Spence,” she whines, pulling back from the kiss, “are you close?” 

“Uh-huh,” he pulls her back in, kissing her deeper, he wraps both his arms around her back and lifts her up, laying her back against the bed and slams his hips into hers over and over. 

Her back arches again and she opens her mouth in a silent moan, it’s so good she can barely breathe. She reaches out for him, gripping his biceps, he attacks her neck again, covering her in sloppy kisses and hot breath. His pelvic bone grinds against her clit, again and again, bringing her right to the edge again until she finally peaks, moaning, she arches her back as her orgasm rushes through her but he doesn’t stop. He fucks her through it, chasing his own high. 

“Fuck, I love you, I love you so much,” he mumbles, through his last few thrusts, and then he stills with a groan, filling the condom, he drops down against her. 

they’re a ball of limbs, holding each other so close she doesn’t know where she ends and he begins. He buries his face in her neck, still kissing her, she holds him tighter, “I love you so much, too, Spencer.” 

taglist:

@reidsbookclub @samuel-de-champagne-problems @superskittles @thedancingcostumeyoungadult @midnightreids @ncsls0515 @stevesmunsons @sweetyyhippyy @manuosorioh @mrs-dr-reid @k-k0129

[sorchathered]

Break my heart again 🖤

Pairing- Jake “Hangman” Seresin x reader

Warnings- language, angst, Jake being an idiot, Bradley being a douchebag

Summary- Jake broke your heart and regrets it more than he can say, what happens when he sees you again but you’ve moved on? Or have you?

Jake Seresin could be a real son of a bitch. He knew it, everyone around him knew it, and after he broke your heart that rainy September night you knew it too. It played out like a bad romcom, “it’s not you it’s me, I’m just not ready to commit” all the pathetic vague bullshit that really just meant that he wanted to be able to be single and hang out with the boys instead of being “tied down” to you. It hurt, especially when it felt like it came out of nowhere. You had been thinking of forever, and apparently he’d been looking for an escape route. So you did what any heartbroken girl would do, got a new look, drank too much with the girls and blocked him from every social media you could.

That was nearly 4 years and two duty stations ago, all of Jake’s drinking buddies had grown up and had families, and now he was on the outside looking in a very different window. Longing for something he should have held on to, knowing it was too little too late.

He’d been back in California for almost a month, the special detachment had become permanent and it looked like the Dagger Squad was here to stay. He was in his own head while everyone headed out for the day, Coyote finally breaking him from his trance with his suggestion to meet everyone at the Hard Deck for dinner and drinks, a couple of the guys' families had made the move to Miramar and it would be a full house. Jake agreed, still in a fog but at least pretending to be interested in the prospect of meeting everyone.

Every night at the bar seemed to go the same these days, he’d drink a few beers, beat the brakes off everyone in darts, and take some pretty girl home only to kick her out in the morning. It was getting sad if he was honest, he hadn’t planned to be nearly 35 and alone, he figured he’d have a wife and at least a kid by now, he was tired of feeling sorry for himself. He needed to stop this endless cycle of bachelorhood, something had to change. He grabbed his beer from Penny and made his way to the pool tables, jolted from his pity party by the sound of the prettiest laugh he’d ever heard. He knew that laugh, hell it had haunted him for far too long. His eyes scanned the area, frantically searching for the face it belonged to, when there you were. Long hair in loose waves down your back, in a red sundress that could make a supermodel jealous, and your arms wrapped around none other than Bradley Bradshaw himself.

It was like all the air had been sucked out of the room, it was too hot and too loud, Jake felt like his skin was suddenly too tight for his body and he couldn’t seem to school his face to at least look normal. Javy’s wife Britt caught on that something was off, Jake was standing at the entrance of the pool area with his eyes wide and mouth gaping, so she kicked her husbands foot and ushered him to figure out what had his friend so shaken up.

But when he looked at Jake’s field of vision he knew, Bradshaw’s girl had looked familiar when they’d walked in but he couldn’t place her until now. He’d known you were Jake’s biggest regret, and he imagined seeing you in the arms of his biggest rival, probably stung like a bitch. He calmly made his way over, grasping his friend by the elbow and pivoting him towards the side exit, the night air would help, and maybe he could get him to spill his guts in the process.

Fuck this was a nightmare, he’d been thinking of you more and more lately these days, and seeing you in Rooster’s arms was enough to make him nearly throw up the contents of his stomach. He’d never felt this unsure of himself in his life and this was the final nail in the coffin. Coyote was worried, Hangman was never off his game, always the most cocksure bastard you’d ever met whether it be in the air or on the ground but this version of him was someone he’d never seen.

“Man come on, you gotta level with me. Was that y/n back there? I know that’s a sucker punch Seresin but you can’t let this drown you, it’s been what? Almost 4 years? You can’t seriously still be hung up on this” he shook his head in disbelief, his best friend had a wild reputation as a Casanova but somehow 30 seconds around this one girl had knocked him to his knees.

“She was everything. Everything you could hope for if you wanted to start a real lasting relationship and I tanked it before we even had a chance. I wanted to fuck around and sow my oats, what the fuck did that even do for me?! I’ve got nothing at home to keep my going, no one to miss me when I’m gone, and now she’s with fucking Bradshaw? Jesus. I don’t know if I can do this tonight man, I think I’m just gonna head out.” He smacks Javy on the arm and heads out to the lot, hating the sympathetic look he knows he’s getting from his friend.

Back in the bar everyone has noticed Jake’s abrupt exit, especially you. Leaning in to press his lips to your ear Bradley says “Well that took less time than I thought, you sure have got him twisted up honey.” He’s grinning, the little shit stirrer, and while you had expected more of a reaction you knew you were in for it when Jake finally got his head on straight.

You’d met Rooster in Japan, working as a medic while he was on a rotation around six months before. It had been a fun friends with benefits situation, no strings and while you couldn’t deny that the sex was phenomenal you were still in the mindset of settling down. Bradley knew that and had told you whenever you were ready to cut things off he’d respect it, you were a good friend and great company but he wasn’t marriage material and he knew it. So when he’d headed back to California and found out that not only was Hangman there, but that you were still hung up on him he had a golden opportunity. Fuck with Jake a little, and maybe get you your happily ever after, it made perfect sense to him even if you thought he was crazy for suggesting it. You couldn’t deny that it was working, Jake had been rattled and ran for the hills, maybe Rooster’s plan wasn’t so half brained after all.

Bradley made it his mission to irritate Jake as much as possible the following week, making sure to let everyone in his radius know he was taking lunch to his girlfriend, loudly answering your phone calls, even dropping flowers off at your office one day. It was maddening, Jake felt like he’d been deflated, he couldn’t even bring himself to string together a sentence when you were around not to mention how much you being around was affecting his ego.

He still hadn’t spoken to you since you saw him at the hard deck, you were so frustrated, you’d really thought he’d come show his ass and the two of you would have it out but it was almost like he didn’t even care you were here. You were so in your head as you headed for the elevator that you ran smack into a warm wall of muscle, dropping your files and your bag. “Oh shit I’m so sorry, I wasn’t even looking are you o-“ you cut off as you looked right into the pretty green eyes of your ex.

“Hey, yeah I’m ok, you alright? Here let me help you” he made quick work of gathering your stuff, accidentally brushing your hand as he handed you one of the files. You knew he felt it too by the sharp intake of breath, just being around each other was enough to bring it all back, it made you want to climb him like a tree and beg him to take you back. You were far too stubborn for that so you stepped away from him like his touch had set you on fire, for someone so uninterested in your presence he certainly looked offended by the action, brows creased with that pesky forehead vein poking out that you always used to pick on him for.

This was awkward, you’re not his anymore but being this close to you may drive him insane. Your perfume is the same, your hair is a little lighter but it suited you, and you looked so damn beautiful, just like you always had. He needed to say something, just staring at you was going to freak you out but he couldn’t find the words. Jesus when did he get so weird?! He muttered out a “see you later” and started to head back down the hall, but you grabbed his hand at the last second, yanking him back towards you.

“Ok what gives?! You’ve been so weird since I got here, I know things ended badly with us but you left me remember?”

“Oh trust me sweets, I remember. Biggest fucking mistake of my life.”

“I’m sorry…what?” He had to be fucking with you, this wasn’t what you expected at all.

“I did leave, and it’s the worst thing I’ve ever done. Fuck y/n I think it about it every damn day, I was stupid and thought I wanted to party my life away, all it left me with was a broken heart and an empty house. I know you’re with Bradshaw now so we shouldn’t even be talking like this-“

“I’m not with Bradley.” You blurted out. “I mean we dated for a little while but he knew how much you hurt me and couldn’t help himself. He certainly knows how to get under your skin.”

“Yeah well, I probably deserve it.” He said as he ran his hand over his face.

“You do” you said with a grin, but noticed he hadn’t let go of your hand.

“So you’re saying that you’re single then?” He said with his smug grin, all it took was knowing he had a chance to bring back the Hangman persona, you shook your head with a laugh, he was already reeling you in. “Yeah, yeah it looks like. Who’s asking?” He chuckled as he pulled you closer, hooking a finger under your chin.

“I am baby, and if I have it my way you won’t be for long.”

Stubbornness be damned, you’d had your fun and now all you wanted was to give in to whatever was causing the butterflies in your stomach, so you let him kiss you. Hot, heavy and definitely indecent considering the environment, you basked in what it felt like to have his lips on yours again. He pulled a way a little, reveling in the way you tried to chase his lips; maybe he had affected you more than you’d let on too. One thing was for sure, he wouldn’t break your heart again, he was already dreaming up ideas of forever, it finally seemed like you both were on the same page.

🏷️ Tagging- @mamamaystbr @mamachasesmayhem @attapullman @roosterforme @bradshawssugarbaby @bobgasm @sailor-aviator @goldenseresinretriever @sarahsmi13s @hangmansgbaby @sebsxphia @mynameismckenziemae

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Could I get a ScarVio Latios, whichever, Reader who pretended to be human to attend school? He can do what the Latias from the anime movie could do “bend light” to make himself look human. The Latios does have to be careful of anything accidentally bumping into him could go through the illusion (he isn’t a zoroark), but otherwise he has been enrolled for a few years. He already caught himself and hid his own Poke Ball so that worry is gone.

Latios can speak the native languages through telepathy.

Can you do Clavell, Arven, Kieran, or Penny’s reactions to being invited to the Latios’ dorm and he decided to reveal himself? Maybe he looks up to Clavell as a second uncle while the other three remind him of his sister who’s on the other side of the world. The point being he decided it might be time to finally tell someone he was actually a Pokemon, in case y’know the government looked closer at his records.

I just think it would be funny.

Waahh I love that movie!! I was hoping for a request like this!

Couldn't think of anything for Arven and Penny so hope Clavell and Kiki are okay!

Director Clavell

For years you've been able to disguise yourself as human to attend Paldea's academy, having always wanted to experience the daily life of one.

Aside from your red eyes, inability to speak (at least verbally), and your hair looking like the fins on your true form--you'd say you've blended in pretty well!

Not a single teacher nor student suspected you were a Latios, and you had every intention to keep it that way..

Until one day, a few months into your treasure hunt, you overheard Director Clavell discussing something with a few teachers..who claimed they saw you flying over Mesagoza.

Of course...you may have been chasing after something that day and forgot to turn invisible.

With telepathy, you're able to hide and hear their full conversation...and your heart drops when he suggests finding and capturing you so no other student risks their life trying to do the same-

It damn near terrifies you into almost breaking the illusion as you bump into a table whilst fleeing (you keep forgetting that you're no Zoroark, who are master of illusions).

It hurt a little to hear that from Clavell especially, who you looked up to like an uncle ever since he personally reprimanded the same bullies that the former director failed to punish for harassing you (the latter basically said it was your fault for never speaking up).

You've been attending this school since that huge fallout between Team Star and their own bullies, and you wanted to believe Clavell could be better than him in every way.

You just didn't wanna be shunned, expelled, and/or caught if he did find out about your records..and the lies you told on it.

But after he learns the truth of Team Star and allows the leaders back into the Academy, you find enough courage to request a meeting outside your dorm room, insisting you knew about the Latios that was recently sighted.

Although you quickly insist that he comes inside, and he grows concerned.

Surely this discussion could have been done inside his office..

However, Clavell soon realizes why you wanted him to come here specifically, as you revealed yourself to be that Latios, telepathically sharing everything:

Why you wanted to disguise yourself as human, the passion you had as a student at his Academy, how you admired him ever since he defended you and spoke up against Team Star, how you caught yourself in your own pokeball, etc.

You were fully ready to be expelled for this.

Not only have you lied to him and everyone else in the Academy..but you've also caused an uproar within the student body over your presence around Mesagoza.

Plus...surely he'd never believe a Pokémon could be a student. Something like that couldn't and shouldn't happen..

But while Clavell did have his suspicions when he looked at the records you submitted for enrollment...

Now he sees that even a Pokémon could have the same dream as a human student: to go on their own treasure hunt.

And to deny you that would make him feel guilty.

In the end, he allows you to continue your studies and promises to keep your identity a secret.

He only asks that you don't go flying around the plaza nor skip any classes.

Kieran

Having attended BB Academy for a few years and being a League Club member, you'd see Kieran from time to time, struggling to make a name for himself and hiding behind his sister 24/7.

He keeps assuming you never spoke to him because he did something to make you mad...

Until one day when you defended him from some bullies and patched up some minor injuries he got from a Pokémon battle gone wrong.

In a way, he reminds you of your sister Latias..who lived on the other side of the world, yet was always in your heart.

He opened up surprisingly fast afterwards, and you became his first official friend! The one he'd always ramble about Ogerpon to, alongside some other legendaries he's read about.

He mentions Latios, which makes your heart skip a beat as he mentions dreaming about flying across the sky on one some day--but meeting Ogerpon is his greatest wish.

However when he left for Kitakami on a trip and came back less than a week later....he changed. Not for the better, but for the worst.

No longer did he cry to you about any bullies..but rather became just like those bullies.

The moment he walked into the club room with his hair up and jacket open, you sensed a strong shift in his aura.

It was dark, foreboding, cruel..anguished.

You already saw into his mind: being rejected by the Legendary he idolized, his dreams crushed by an outsider, being lied to over and over again...and a constant whisper that he is weak and has to be stronger and stronger and stronger.

He was hurting. But..what could you do?

Now he looks at you as just another club member, asking if you've been training your team and getting annoyed when he remembers you don't talk.

When Drayton says something snarky, he slams a hand on the table and startles you into nearly dropping your illusion.

Somehow nobody else sees it--except Kieran.

And he looks shocked, but you rush out of the room and flee the Academy, diving into the water as you turn into your true self.

You don't come back for a while, afraid that he saw who you truly were and believed he'll despise you for keeping this secret from him.

Eventually, though, you find yourself flying around the academy entrance again, invisible as you overhear him give a humble apology to Florian/Juliana...and you realize he has changed again--for the better this time.

It warms your heart, as you sense his aura is good.

Soon you invite him to your dorm, promising to explain everything to him.

And Kieran is surprised by your memorabilia of Latios and Latias, along with photographs you managed to take of the legendaries.

"Wowzers..you got to meet them both? You must've been a huge fan of them! Haha, kinda like how I was a fan of Ogerpon.." He chuckles.

You realize he's not fully understanding, so you ask him if he remembered the day you suddenly fled the club room..and it finally dawns on him.

"Wait, I remember..you did kinda look like Latios for a split-second. But I'm sure my eyes were just playing tricks on me. No way could you be-"

In a small bout of frustration, you show him that you are indeed a Latios, and he's absolutely stunned when he sees your true form and hears your actual voice inside his head.

He almost yells (out of amazement, not anger)--but you keep him quiet...and then he just starts awkwardly gushing and stammering like he used to about Ogerpon, but instead it's about you and the shock that he's been friends with a Legendary after all this time.

He feels bad for nearly exposing your secret, but you forgive him, answering any and all questions he had to the best of your ability.

You trust him enough to reveal the pokeball you caught yourself in--having managed to "cheat" the system by registering yourself as a trainer so that your Latios-self couldn't be caught by anyone.

Kieran just finds you to be SUPER cool fr.

Since he's always wanted to fly on the back of an Eon Pokemon, you decided to fulfill his dream and take a small flight around Unova's ocean.

He's terrified as HELL but at the same time couldn't be happier, clinging to your neck and grinning.

[azucarmorena97]

Money Ties (Jungkook Love Story || Pt.3)

Pt.2 || Pt.4

Your parents have worked hard to get to the top and have made sure to teach you everything you need to know to be successful in this business: from tough but lucrative financial decisions, down to the right ball gown for any given banquet. A promising and extravagant future awaits you- that is, if you agree to one teensy detail...

Son of Mr.Jeon Sr. and heir to June Company, Jeon Jungkook is an immature playboy with nothing to offer a woman but good looks and a crap ton of money, and he stands to inherit much MUCH more, so long as you both enter into the arranged marriage contract that was drawn up before the pair of you were even born.

You're more than willing to try, but you're not sure you'll be able to stand each other long enough to inherit a single penny...

Series Warnings: There will be smut in the near future and I will label those chapters as such. As I say before most of my pieces- I do not endorse any themes, ideas, or behaviors in this series. This is all purely fiction/fantasy! Feel free to inbox me suggestions/ideas/what you'd like to see in this series and I'll see what I can do! Enjoy <3

Recap: "I hope you know you didn't ruin anything. My husband and I feel very strongly, even more so now, that you're the perfect fit fr our family." Your heartbeat picks up in your chest; you were sure you blew your chance to bits, but here she is, offering it all on a silver platter for you.

On your way back to your suite, you try calling your dad three different times, and each time the calls go straight to voicemail. For the most part, you've gotten used to getting his voicemail and can even recite it word for word- but right now, him being here for you is crucial. Even though your mom couldn't make the time to actually be here, at least she shows she cares, even if it is through blowing up your phone every hour; at least it's something. She even helped pick out the gifts for the Jeons: gold cuff links for Mr.Jeon, a lovely pair of jade earrings for Mrs.Jeon, and a silver chain with a medallion fo Jungkook. All your life, your dad said he couldn't wait to be there for when you would finally sign the agreement that they'd spent years tailoring and planning, only to cancel last minute because of work. Well, if he wants to leave you out in the cold to figure this out by yourself, then you're gonna do it your way.

Once inside the suite, you peel off the pretty little outfit you'd carefully put together for tea and toss it onto the bed, switching into a pair of baggy sweats and an oversized sweater, and the warmest socks you packed. You're finally going to dive into the manila envelope. You plop yourself into bed and take out everything, ignoring the initial feeling of being overwhelmed at the sight of the busy papers, looking past the legal jargon to find the bare bones of it all. In a matter of twenty minutes, you're completely locked in; you highlight, circle, annotate, even cross out some parts. You slowly realize how little your parents are settling for in this "partnership", as your dad likes to call it. According to this contract, their precious daughter is only worth 15% of the 'Jeon Empire', while Jeon Jungkook will be the majority owner of June Company, including hotels, restaurants, as well as owning shares in your parents' company and other smaller endeavors. Well, that just won't do. If you're going to be committing yourself to a marriage, it's for the long haul. All of your adolescent and teenage years were spent avoiding boys like the plague for fear of getting too attached and ruining your parents' dream for your life. Even your college years have been all about work and climbing up the ladder to get to this point- 15% is horse shit.

After three agonizingly long hours, the contract looks like a Frankensteined version of itself; torn apart and put back together. You hold it up in triumph- you almost want to take a picture just for the memories. "Proud of you," B/f/n says through a loud yawn. You had to call her about an hour in for moral support. "No, don't be tired. You can't be tired. It's still early!" "Hun, it's 3AM here." "Oh right..." You sigh, stuffing the contract back in the envelope, "I forgot about the time difference... ugh, I'm just so bored here. I have nothing to do." "Girl, you're at a whole luxurious hotel, all expenses paid- if I were you, I'd be doing a spa day, visiting the restaurants, drinking up all their liquor- you just don't like being alone." You roll your eyes. She's right, of course, but you're not gonna give her any validation. "I guess I'll just try to get some sleep...I have a big day tomorrow." "What time are you meeting them?" "We're meeting for brunch at 11." "First it was 'high tea' and now Brunch," She echoes with a sleepy smile, "How classy." You roll your eyes, "Good night, B/f/n," You laugh. She waves lazily and then you hang up the phone. "Well, since this is an all expenses paid hotel..." You bite your lip and look over at the door, "...I'm gonna go use their copier."

AT 6AM, your alarm goes off scaring you violently awake. It had taken you hours to finally fall asleep in the first place. You'd tried to close your eyes after your face time, but ended up tossing and turning until 2AM. This jet lag is something else. Or maybe it was stress for today; I mean, you are preparing to sign a contract to marry a man you hardly know (and also kinda hate), which was essentially created when you weren't even a thought in your parents' mind yet, which will, in turn, lead to lifelong stability for you and your family as well as further growth for your family's businesses so everything is kind of on your shoulders and will all fall apart if you don't do your respective part- oh God, you might have a panic attack and you haven't even gotten out of bed yet.

You speed through your morning routine so that you can look over your edits again, though as soon as you sit down, your phone begins to buzz with all your incoming notifications. You scroll through, ignoring some texts, answering a few emails- and then you come across one from your dad from an hour ago. You take a sip of your coffee as you open up the message and, when you do, you almost spit the coffee out against the pretty clean white hotel wall. Staring at you is the "finalized contract" (or so it's entitled) that your dad made 'edits' on for you to print out and sign. You look over the entire thing and with every sentence you read, you feel the anger rising in you. The "edits" he made didn't even make the deal that much better for you, not to mention, how can your dad flake on you in regards to coming on this trip, ignore your calls and texts, but still have the nerve to send me this shitty contract at the asscrack of dawn on the DAY OF the supposed signing? Fuck that. You're gonna send them your draft and your parents can cry about it. You're done doing things their way. You open up your laptop and quickly go to your saved files, opening up YOUR finalized version that you'd scanned and re-typed. You cue it up in a message and type in Mr. and Mrs.Jeon's email addresses, along with their lawyer's email. For a moment, you hesitate, letting the mouse hover over the 'send' button, but then you count how many times your parents have made you feel completely alone in just the duration of this trip, plus every time you've had to make yourself small for others to be big- "Fuck it." You hit send and then close your laptop to put your outfit together for brunch.

Brunch is held on the balcony at their hotel restaurant, Juniper. The vibe is definitely upper class, and you see it's bustling with guests. "Hello, Miss; will you be dining alone?" The hostess asks. You shake your head, "No, actually- I'm with the Jeon party." Her eyes widen for a second before she bows, "Oh yes, Ms.L/n, allow me to show you to your table. You smile and bow in return, feeling slightly embarrassed that she clearly felt the urge to kiss your ass a little extra just for being associated with the Jeons. She leads you around the corner to a wall of windows, much like the ones on the roof top when you'd gone for tea. As she opens the double doors, you see Mr. and Mrs.Jeon sat at a table straight ahead, Jungkook's back facing you. Your heart starts beating rapidly in your chest; it's happening. This is it. The entire ride here, you were psyching yourself up saying you'd be confident and strong and that if they didn't like the changes you'd made to the contract, they could kiss your ass- but right now, you feel your legs might turn to Jello. "Y/n!" Mrs.Jeon calls out excitedly, getting out of her seat and running over to you. Mr.Jeon and Jungkook look over in your direction; one giving you a big smile and the other...with a rather unreadable expression on his face. You smile and bow, "Good morning everyone." She politely dismisses the hostess and guides you to the table, where Mr.Jeon and Jungkook are standing to greet you. "Annyeonghasimnikka," You bow again. "So polite, isn't she Jungkook?" Mr.Jeon says, lightly hitting Jungkook's shoulder. You bow slightly, "Hello, Jungkook." He nods, "Hey." "Please, sit," Mrs.Jeon says. You immediately notice that Mr.Jeon is wearing the cuff links you'd gotten him, and Mrs.Jeon is wearing the earrings; Jungkook seemed to be the only one not wearing his gift. Figures. "We haven't ordered just yet so you have some time to think about what you want." "Oh that's okay, I'll take whatever you recommend." "Oh, I love that. I'm getting you my favorite- the praline french toast is so good paired with the fritata and...the eggs benedict with salmong." "Sounds good," You laugh, finding it endearing how excited she is. You wonder if she ever chews Jungkook out like your mom does to you You spend most of the time talking to Mr. and Mrs.Jeon; basic chit chat about life, how the food was, and other pleasantries- until Mr.Jeon receives a call and excuses himself from the table for a moment. Then, Mrs.Jeon says she wants to check in with the chef about something really quickly, leaving you and Jungkook at the table alone. You take a sip on your mimosa and then turn to him, "How are you, Jungkook?" He straightens up a bit and clears his throat, "I'm fine. How about yourself?" "I'm good...I- I'm hopeful that today's meeting goes well." He nods slowly, seeming deeply pensive about what you've said, "Well, it should be quite lucrative for you if it does." His tone is almost bitter-sounding. You furrow your brows, not liking how he's making it seem that you'd be the only one benefiting. "Well, according to the contract, it should be quite beneficial for the both of us, wouldn't you say?" "Oh, please. What are pennies to bills," He scoffs. "I mean, considering you can't even get a penny of mommy and daddy's money unless you get married, I'd say we're in the same boat," You lean back, deciding you're done with the niceties. He wants to be a jerk? Two can play. He glares at you, knowing you're right but, of course, refusing to admit it. "Don't you ever get tired?" "Of what?" He asks, face scrunching in annoyance. "Of the stick up your ass?" You smirk, crossing one leg over the other as your swirl your glass from the stem. "This whole thing is fucked and you know it," He says, throwing himself against the backrest of the chair in defeat. You nod slowly and thoughtfully, "Maybe, but as I always says, 'Anything worth having is worth fighting for.'" He rolls his eyes, "Whatever."

"Sorry, Kids. I just had to get that done before I forgot. Is your father still not back yet?" Mrs.Jeon asks, sitting back down at the table and looking around. "No, I guess he's still on the call," You say, "He sounds like my dad." Mrs.Jeon laughs, "Well, birds of a feather flock together." "I'm sorry everyone- Y/n, I just got off the phone with your father. Goodness, it's such a shame he couldn't come," Mr.Jeon says, a big smile on his face as he sits down. "You- you spoke to my dad?" "I sure did. I'd called him this morning about the finalized contract he'd sent me last night but he didn't get back to me until now since he was on the golf course." It takes everything in you to keep your eye from twitching. The golf course. Priorities. You plaster a fake smile on your face and clear your throat, "Actually, Mr.Jeon, the one he sent you is not the finalized version." He looks up confused, "No?" You shake your head and reach into your purse for the crisp new manila envelope, "I had to make some edits of my own." They all look at each other and then back at you, "Oh- alright," Mr.Jeon takes the envelope and he and Mrs.Jeon look over it together. You can practically see the gears in their heads turning, meanwhile, Jungkook is looking at you with his eyes narrowed wondering what it is you're up to. "Y/n," Mr.Jeon laughs nervously, "This is...substantially more than what your father and I had previously discussed." You nod, "Oh yes. 40% more, to be exact." "Mhm..." Mr.Jeon hands the paper to Mrs.Jeon who continues reading. "I believe the 15% we'd originally agreed upon was quite generous as even a fraction of the money we receive from the various businesses would be quite a profit for you." You purse your lips as you listen, trying your best to be as respectful as possible, "Yes, that's true. It would be quite a lot, however, I think it's reasonable to divide assets 50/50 between spouses, seeing as how I'll not only be a part of June Company itself but also be behind the scenes as a wife. Not to mention, when I have kids, there is no longer incentive for Jungkook to stay married to me, is there?" Mr.Jeon looks at his wife, who is looking back at him with the same concerned expression. "Y/n, our motivation for having you marry our son isn't to...produce an heir," Mr.Jeon says, "It's to help him mature and give him something to work for." "Dad, I don't need to get married to mature. I'm capable and I'm ready to run the company. Please, just let me show-" "You shut your mouth. With all the debt you've gotten me in with your incessant partying, the charges in property damage-" Mr.Jeon's face is turning more and more red, while Jungkook just looks away. He's completely quiet as he his father continues hurling criticisms and but Mrs.Jeon puts her hand on his chest to keep him from saying any more. "Mr.Jeon, I want to be able to help all of you- but I think both I and Jungkook are sacrificing a lot, and a large portion of that sacrifice is on yours and my parents' behalf. He and I will both be turning our lives around for the sake of our families. I just want to make sure we're both getting what we need from this." Jungkook turns slowly to look at you, his expression softening, along with his father's. Mr.Jeon is silent for a little while. "I understand if this is something you and your family cannot get behind and if that's the case, we can rip up this contract and put it all behind us, no harm done- but if you all want this as much as we do, these are my conditions," You say as gently as possible. You glance at Jungkook, whose eyes are fixed on you- causing for you to quickly look back at Mr. and Mrs.Jeon. "Well...I think we'll need some time to think this over. I'll have my lawyer look this over and we'll let you know what we've decided by tonight. How's that sound?" Mr.Jeon asks, giving you a tired smile. You nod, "That sounds just fine, Mr.Jeon. Take all the time you need."

You grab your bag and stand up and everyone else follows suit, "I had a lovely brunch. Thank you so much for putting it together for us to have this meeting." You turn to Jungkook, "I hope we're able to move forward together," You say with a bow and, for the first time, he bows in return. "Please have a good rest of your day," Mrs.Jeon says, stepping forward and hugging you goodbye. "And as always, please let us know if you need anything," Mr.Jeon says with a genuine expression. You nod, "I will."

Of course, not two hours since your brunch with the Jeons, and your dad was already blowing up your phone. How interesting the way that works, isn't it? Your dad only calls when you don't do things exactly as he asks. You sent every single call to voicemail until they stopped coming in altogether- though he'll most likely call right before bed. You'd spent the rest of the day out and about near the hotel; something you thought you wouldn't get a chance to do this time around. It helped to get your mind off things for a minute. You'd even gone to a cute little cafe and answered some of your work emails (you can't ever completely disconnect, though it doesn't hurt to at least have a change of scenery).

By the time you come back to your suite, it's already 8PM, though of course you're not even a bit tired, so you decide to bother B/f/n for a bit. "Mm...hello?" "Hello," You practically sing into the phone, "did I wake you?" "Mhm..." "Well, wake up- I gotta tell you what happened today." "Y/n, look, I promise I'm interested but I do not have the mental capacity to receive any new information right now..." "You're no fun." "Hey, I already told you, you have other options for entertainment." "The spa's closed right now, I've already gone to the eateries inside this hotel, I've used the free wifi and even the copier. I've done everything, there's nothing left, B/f/n," You whine. "Not everything..." She says, sleepily eyeing you. You instantly know whatb she means and you violently shake your head. "Nope. Uh-uh. I am NOT getting a drink by myself." "Oh come on, if you wear one of those skimpy little dresses you packed, I promise you won't be alone for long." You narrow your eyes at her, "How do you know I packed skimpy dresses?" "You just told me," She smirks. How does she do that? "And what am I supposed to do if a man walks up to me and offers me a drink thinking he's gonna get some?" "Oh come on, you're not even engaged yet. Live a little." You roll your eyes, "Clearly, you're very sleep deprived and that's why you're talking crazy. Call me when you're rested." "Sounds like a plan," She says before abruptly hanging up the call.

You sit and look over at your suitcase, contemplating your next move... "I guess a drink won't hurt."

The hotel bar is nicely tucked away on the first floor, a small ways away from the lobby. It's decorated with gold trim and pretty golden flowers along the cherry-wood walls. The vibe is definitely dark and sultry- you suppose you dressed appropriately: off the shoulder a-line mini dress and some simple strappy heels. You put a lot of effort into looking effortless tonight. It's not as packed as you expected, though it's definitely not empty; people are sat at various tables, holding conversations, the occasional stray laugh reaching your ears over the soft music. You'd hyped yourself up before coming down, saying you weren't gonna worry about who was or wasn't looking at you; you were just going down to have a drink and then go right back up- but when you realize the room is full of mostly men, you hesitate to take a seat. "Welcome in- can I get you anything, Miss?" The bartender, a kind-looking older gentleman, asks when he sees the lost puppy look on your face. "I-uhm, yes. I'll take an espresso martini, please?" "Of course." You set your clutch down on the bar and then take a seat. "Meeting anyone?" The bartender asks. You laugh sheepishly, "No, just...wanted to get out of my room." "I suppose that's a good thing," He says. You furrow your brows, wondering if he's gonna take the opportunity to be creepy, "And why is that?" "Because that young man over there has been watching you since you walked in," He says, nodding behind you. Your heart flutters a bit, and you feel flattered by the possibility of someone actually checking you out.

You turn slowly to where he'd nodded and scan for a moment before finally seeing him. How did I not notice him before? "That's the hotel owner's son, you know," The bartender adds. Jungkook's expression is a bit unreadable, but he's definitely looking at you. His eyes are completely fixed. You turn around quickly and bite your lip. You can't leave now, he'll know it was because of him and you can't stand the idea of him feeling like he drove you out of that bar. No way. You straighten out your back, forcing your body to relax as much as possible- or at least have the appearance of relaxation. The man puts your drink in front of you, and you gingerly take your first sip. "How can you drink those things?" Jungkook's unmistakeable voice says from right behind you, causing you to choke and spit some of your drink back into the glass. Your eyes widen in horror. "Bless you," He smirks. He looks over at the bar tender and signals holding up two fingers, to which the man nods. "Jungkook," His name feels so strange on your tongue; up until this trip, you've just refered to him as 'the Jeon's son', and using his name still feels so...intimate, somehow. He leans back in his seat, looking at you as though he's sizing you up, "And who, might I ask, did you dress up for tonight?" "Myself." You say, side-eyeing him. He's very brazen for someone you've only just met again after so many years. "Hm." "Hm, what?"

"Oh nothing...it's just, well, humans are performative beings, you know? Everything we do, whether consciously or not, is to attract." "Oh? And you're saying this to imply that I'm trying to attract someone?" You take another sip of your drink, trying to hide your unexpected nervousness. He shrugs, a cocky smile spreading across his face. "And who do you think I'm trying to attract, Jungkook? You?" You scoff. "Hey, you said it." You blush slightly and look down at your drink, your fingertip running up and down the stem of the glass. He definitely smells like he's been drinking- a lot- but you also catch hints of musk and wood- even burnt cinnamon. Shitty men shouldn't smell this damn good. You glance down at his neck and squint your eyes; is that-? "You're wearing the necklace?" He furrows his brows for a second in confusion before the realization sets in, "Oh- yeah. I look good, don't I?" His lips turn up into a coy smile. You clear your throat and shrug, "I think I'm just good at picking out jewelry." He chuckles and shakes his head, "Your disdain for me is quite amusing." "Almost as amusing as your insistence on flirting with me." "Well, don't get too flattered, you might fall in love." "Ha," You scoff. The bartender sets two shots down in front of Jungkook, who then slides one over to you. "What's this for?" You ask, immediately suspicious. "To celebrate." "Celebrate what?" "Us, of course." "Oh please," You roll your eyes, "Just the other day you were yelling at me and accusing me of attacking you, then you implied that I was some sort of gold digger and was just trying to mooch off of you." He nods thoughtfully, "Yes, that's true, I said some pretty...crass things. I suppose I should apologize for that. As far as the shot, well- I've decided to accept it." "Accept...what?" "The fact that this train is leaving with or without our 'yes', so we may as well enjoy the ride along the way, right?" As he says this, his eyes fall slightly, and only for a moment. You almost wonder if you'd seen it at all. "And what's caused this change of heart?" "Truthfully...this entire arrangement has been hanging over my head all my life. It felt like a noose slowly getting tighter and tighter. But seeing my father so stunned by your demands...it felt like my first deep breath in a while." You're surprised at how genuine Jungkook is being right now, though before you're able to respond to what he's just said, your phone buzzes in your clutch. "Excuse me," You say. It's a text message from Mr.Jeon. You quickly swipe it open and your mouth drops in shock. 𝙼𝚛.𝙹𝚎𝚘𝚗: 𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘, 𝚈/𝚗- 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝚆𝚎'𝚟𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝. 𝚆𝚎'𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝟷𝟸𝙿𝙼 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚠𝚢𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝.

You look up back up at Jungkook, who simply picks up the shot and holds it up in the air, "To the ride." Your shocked expression turns into a smile, and all you can think to do is pick your shot up as well. "To the ride."

[bridgyrose]

Jaune arc waking up from a nightmare only to learn he is not in his room. He soon discovered he is the older brother to penny as he has somehow gone back in time 1 year before beacon as penny big brother.

(Well, if we're going to do this, we're going to do this right with a time travel au)

Jaune fell out of bed with a yelp, heart still racing from the panic he had felt in his nightmare. Watching his friends fall one by one off the bridge into the void, seeing Winter grab the relic and going through the portal as the bridge under him finally dissolved, plunging him down into what seemed like an endless void. And yet, as he untangled himself from his sheets, he found himself in an unfamiliar bedroom. A single bed, no hand-me downs from his sisters, just bare wooden walls with Atlas tech integrated into it for lights. 

“Are you up yet, Jaune?” Pietro asked between a couple of coughs. “You’re uh… you’re going to miss coming up to Atlas with me. I know you’ve been wanting to train to be a medic and I-I’ve managed to get you an interview.” 

“A-a medic?” Jaune asked as he started to get dressed, still trying to wrap his mind around the idea that he was living with Pietro. Not that he minded, what he remembered of Pietro made him enjoy the idea, though he never really thought about a life without his sisters. “R-right! My uh… my dream… job!” He fell back a bit as he pulled his pants up, falling onto the ground and almost hitting his head against the dresser. “I’ll be right out!” 

“Thirty minutes.” 

Jaune sighed and picked himself up as he finished getting dressed, pushing the thousands of questions that ran through his mind to the side as he grabbed a quick breakfast before following Pietro out and to the airship to Atlas. He pulled his coat close as the cold air nipped at him, a sudden realization that he hadnt unlocked his aura yet just like before. Though, he had to admit it was better than the alternative of what could’ve happened falling into the void. Though, if he was here, then Ruby and her team had to be too, right? 

He shook his head to try to push the question away for now, wanting to focus on what he could find out about this life he was living first before trying to worry about his friends. If they were here then they’d be fine, but if they werent…

“Everything okay?” Pietro asked. “You’re quieter than normal.” 

Jaune nodded as he was pulled out of his thoughts. “Y-yeah, I’m fine. Lost in thought is all.” 

“What about?” 

“About a few friends of mine.” 

Pietro smiled a bit. “I’m glad you’re making friends. Though, you do have to make sure to spend some time with your sister.” 

Jaune almost wanted to ask what Pietro meant until he realized who he was talking about. Penny. His hand shook at the thought as the image of him running a blade through her ran through his mind, heart racing as his breathing started to shallow a bit. “She’s okay then,” he muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” 

“I-I’ll make sure I spend plenty of time with her!” 

“I have no worries about that.” 

Jaune relaxed a bit as he boarded the airship with Pietro, heart still racing as he saw Penny’s face in his mind. She was here and okay, then that meant his friends were still here as well. He pulled out his scroll and started to search up where Ruby and her team ended up. Weiss was the easiest to find, still heiress to the SDC, a bit of a relief to what she could’ve been. Ruby and Yang were a bit harder to find, but thanks to the Atlas network, he was able to find that they were still in Signal Academy, which meant Beacon was still a year or two away, plenty of time to get back into training to get himself back on track. Blake seemed to be a mystery on her whereabouts, the only information being found on her was a missing post from her parents, which he’d normally worry about if he didnt already know about her past from before. 

Then, he found himself searching up Pyrrha, staring at her picture in an article about her winning her fifth tournament, a first for someone as young as her. Jaune tapped on her picture, running a finger down it as a few tears welled up in his eyes. He was pull back in time into a different timeline, his friends were okay, Beacon was still standing, and he now had another chance to do things right with Pyrrha.

“Another friend of yours?” Pietro asked as he looked over Jaune’s shoulder. 

“N-no,” Jaune answered as he put his scroll away. “Someone I would like to get to know though.” 

“I’m sure you’ll get to meet her one day.” 

Jaune nodded as the airship landed in the Atlas Academy hanger, nervously stepping off as he followed Pietro through the Academy. It looked just the same as it did before, a bit of a welcome sight all things considered. Though the alarms were still fresh in his mind, listening to the soldiers going after him and his team in order to arrest them after Ironwood declared them enemies. Though what really made his heart stop was hearing his name called, and then feeling a familiar, mechanical body slam into him.  

“Jaune!” 

He froze when he realized Penny was there hugging him, alive and well and mechanical just like she was before Beacon. His breath hitched as he remembered plunging his sword into her, his body shaking as he saw himself in that same nightmare, the look in her eyes as she asked her to trust him. 

“Is… is everything okay?” Penny asked. 

Jaune slowly nodded and hugged Penny tightly, thankful she was here. “Y-yeah, everything… everything’s fine. Had a nightmare last night and… and a bit shaken up by it.” 

“Then we should take you to get checked-” 

“No, I’m fine, really.” Jaune took a deep breath and relaxed himself. “I’m fine. The nightmare felt a lot more real than it was.” 

Penny pulled away and smiled at him. “If you are sure. But I do have to go train, so I will see you later.” 

“Training?” Jaune paused for a moment. “PIet- dad… I… I want to train to be a huntsman.” 

Pietro paused in his step. “A huntsman?” 

“Y-yeah, to help protect people. A-and Penny.” Jaune pulled out his scroll once more to show an application for Beacon Academy. “We can both go to Beacon. It’ll be safe, no one will know she’s an android and she can make a few friends. It’ll help her be ready for whatever she’ll face.” 

Pietro looked at the application, and then to Jaune. “It’ll take a bit longer than a year to get you ready for this.” 

“I know, but I can do it.” Jaune smiled a bit. “I’m ready to be a huntsman.”

[foundedroses]

*credit to artist for fan art!*

★⋆. ࿐࿔ "play me like a game of poker"

smut warning head!! mdni!

pairing: sigma x f!reader

plot: being the first to gamble against the manager of the sky casino also meant being his first.

wc: 3.2k

cw: fem!reader, cursing, fingering, mentions of squirting, unedited.

a/n: oh how i adore sigma with all my heart 3 this may or may not be my first posted drabble and, holy shit im actually pretty proud of it!

───｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧───｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱

The sky casino was always a busy place, especially past the hours of 10:00pm. That was when the casino grounds were definitely more packed than usual. People drinking, others losing their entire life savings, the casino was always bustling with customers, and that you knew when you first ever stepped into the establishment.

Gambling was never really your thing. You never really cared for it, and you definitely didn’t want to lose every last penny that was sitting in your bank account by attempting to win a game.

───｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧───｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱

You clutched the little black purse of yours as you headed inside of the gambling room of the sky casino. It truly was a grand place just like others’ were raving about. Your expectations certainly weren't let down. The room was loud with the sounds of chatter from other customers, the sound of dies rolling against the playing tables, and also the sounds of glasses clinking against each other.

All those sounds were foreign to you, as someone who had honestly never stepped foot in a casino before. The idea of gambling away never really intrigued you like it would most people. What really interested you was the manager of the casino. That is what piqued your interests deeply.

The casino manager, Sigma, really was a remarkable man. Being able to control and maintain an entire casino on his own as one person was truly something impressive to you.

You never really believed in the whole love at first sight thing, but the second you stepped into the building and was greeted by Sigma himself, you knew that your believing was clearly wrong. You almost admired the man in a way not many other people did. Thinking it was love was silly, but maybe, just maybe it was.

You tucked your purse under your arm as you bustled through the crowds of people. You weren’t quite fond of large crowds. You tightened your grip to your bag as you made your way through the large room.

Glancing around the almost open space, you spotted an empty table at the far end of the gambling room. You let out a small sigh and speed-walked over to the table, trying to get there quickly in case you’d lose it.

You kind literally tossed your bag onto the other chair, securing the table as yours and pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. You exhaled softly and leaned back against your chair; you leaned your elbow onto the table, chin rested in the palm of your hand as you gazed upon the busy people in the same room.

Everybody had their own thing going on. They were either chatting with one another, gambling or drinking. You, on the other hand, were doing none of the above. Instead, you were seated alone at a single table, staring into the lively group of customers. The only reason you had decided to come out that night was to hopefully catch a glimpse of Sigma, or even strike up a conversation with the man, which you knew would never happen in one hundred years.

Seeing all the people communicating with each other, having the time of their lives sort of made you feel bad about your own, single, almost pathetic life. You breathed out a sigh and watched on in silence, for what felt like hours, but was actually mere minutes as you were so suddenly broken from your maladaptive daydream by the sound of somebody placing a champagne glass on the table in front of you.

Annoyeddly, you groaned out loud, making sure the person who had approached you could hear the irritation that laced your exclamation. “Seriously, just because you bought a woman a drink means I owe you nothing.” You spat out without looking up to see who was there. ‘So, instead of buying me a drink please me, why don’t you start by leaving me alone.’ Normally you were never so rude to strangers, but you seriously weren’t in the mood for random flirting. You had your own things to worry about.

The man who had approached your table, seemingly surprised by your crash out, cleared his throat before speaking. “Oh, I apologise. I had just assumed you were waiting on somebody. You don’t owe me anything at all.”

You let out a scoff. “Please, when a man buys a lady a drink, he automatically thinks-” You raised your head as you uttered the last part of your sentence. Your waterfall of words quickly dammed up when you saw that Sigma was in fact the man who approached your table with the glass of alcohol.

Your eyes widened two times the size and you fought back the urge to drop your jaw in surprise. “Shit, oh shit. I really gotta look up before I speak…” You thought to yourself, regretting your every life choice at that second. With almost a shaky voice, you quickly mouthed. “Sigma, I am so sorry. I had no idea you were the one who gave me the drink!” You practically shouted your apologies at him, frantically trying to gain his forgiveness for your improper behaviour.

The man must have thought you were insane, yapping on to him like a chicken with its head cut off. A small smile escaped his lips and he only nodded his head. “I don’t expect an apology, y/n. No worries at all.”

“He said my name! Sigma said my name!” You resisted the urge to act like a massive fan girl and forced yourself to stay composed. You smiled back softly, straightening your spine as you looked on. “W…What are you doing over here? Don’t you have a whole ass casino to run? That mustn't be an easy task to do all by yourself.” You said, slowly sliding the glass of champagne closer to yourself.

“Actually, I came to speak to you.” Sigma responded, pulling out a chair and sat down in front of you. “Me?” You pointed your finger at your chest, looking around for a moment, just in case somebody else happened to be standing around the two of you. Nope. It was just you two.

Sigma nodded his head. “Yes. I’ve noticed that you don’t enter the gambling room as often as my regulars do. It’s strange to me as you’ve been staying at the casino for quite a while.” He began.

The fact Sigma was wondering about your whereabouts wasn’t what was confusing you, what was was the fact that he knew all of his customers by heart, and knew your name, even considering the fact the two of you have never spoken before, apart from when Sigma had greeted you on your arrival a few weeks ago.

You forced a nervous chuckle and crossed your arms on the table. “Really?...I guess I’m not much of a gambler, huh?” You giggled awkwardly. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever gambled a day in my life. I’d assume I suck at it.’

“I guess that is true, I have never seen you in here before…” Sigma trailed off. He stared back at you, his greyish eyes piercing into yours. ‘If you’ve never gambled before, how do you know that you suck?’

“Huh?” You raised an eyebrow, sitting up straight, totally involved in the conversation that had started between the two of you. “I don’t know…I just have really bad luck when it comes to chance.” You explained. It was true, you had bad luck when it was a simple chance, like bidding and betting. You always lose at those.

Your response must have amused Sigma, as he chuckled at your answer. “Gambling isn’t just about chance, y/n. It’s about strategy.” He mentioned before slowly rising from his chair. ‘I’ll show you. Please give me a moment.’

With that, the multi hair coloured man left you, alone at the table, just like how you were the second you entered the room. You didn’t even attempt to stop his leave. You just sat there in plain silence, hoping that he’d return and not just leave you there in quietness.

A few minutes went by and Sigma had returned holding a deck of cards in one hand. Your (e/c) eyes followed him as he returned back to the chair he once resided at.

“Sorry for the wait, y/n.” He always apologise so professionally. Sigma began to shuffle the deck of cards in both hands, with your eyes watching him do so. He cleared his throat and raised his gaze to your face. “I'd like to play a match with you. If that’s alright, of course.”

The question he had asked totally flew over your head for the first half. Your brain didn’t process it at first, only until Sigma asked the question again. “Y/n, would you care to gamble with me?”

Now understanding and hearing his question, you didn’t hesitate to nod your head frantically. “Yes. Yes, I would love to.”

Sigma smiled softly and bobbed his head in what seemed to be approval. He stopped shuffling the deck of cards that he was holding. “I don’t think this is the best place.” He said. ‘I can take you somewhere more secluded if you’d like?’

A secluded area? With the man you were sure you were in love with? That was more than a reason for you to agree.

───｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧───｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧

Now, you were seated across from Sigma at a small booth in a rather confined area. The room the two of you were in was not too illuminated, dark enough for the glistening glow of the small lightbulb to make visible your shadows, but light enough for you to be able to read the numbers on the cards you held in front of your eyes.

Poker. A simple game which included a deck of cards and chips. That was certainly something you could follow along to without making too many mistakes.

Sigma sat across from you, holding seven cards fanned out in one hand. “Y/n, you understand the rules?” He soon asked you, passing the cards from one hand to the other.

Did you understand the rules? No, not at all. You wanted to say that you did, but that would be nothing but a lie. You had the faintest idea on how to play. An uncomfortable giggle escapes your lips and you shrug your shoulders. “I mean…I wouldn’t say I’m entirely knowledgeable on the game.”

With narrowing eyes, the man before you tilted his head to the side before uttering in response. “Did you just want to use this time to get closer to me?” He questioned. The ability to know what somebody’s true intentions were would be insane to have. Sigma didn’t have that ability, but yet he read you like a book.

A little bit stunned, you wanted to deny the accusations that had just been thrown at your face. But yet, you didn’t. You didn’t try to deny it. Instead, your brain compelled you to do the next best thing. Or, your heart made you do the next thing you could think of.

You set the cards in your hand down onto the table and stood up. You slowly strided your way to Sigma, your eyes reflecting an almost lustful glare. You didn’t hesitate once when you just so quickly slammed your lips against his, earning a shocked gasp and panicked look from the other person.

Sigma reached for your shoulder, confused, he didn’t dare pull his lips away from yours, almost as if he was hypnotised to keep his body connected with yours.

His readiness of his actions spoke for itself. You leaned more into it, soon finding yourself straddling his lap with your arms hanging around his neck. You let out a soft, shallow breath when you finally pulled back for air. You stared into the casino manager’s eyes with your own, eyelashes battering flirtatiously.

“Y/n…” Sigma trailed his eyes and his focus away from your face and down lower. His gazed down at your body, eagerness painting the sclera of his eyes when he glanced back up at you.

Seated across his lap, body pressed against his, you could almost sense the feeling of lust radiating from the two of you. You could also quite feel the heat that was seemingly pooling in between your thighs as you ever so desperately needed more than just some simple kissing. “Sigma…” You whispered his name in almost a sultry tone. You shuffled your body up closer to his, your breasts colliding with his chest when you made your way up to his view.

The duo hair coloured man gazed at you in sheer silence. He didn’t even have to speak for you to know that all he wanted was to feel you.

Your lips curved into a sneering smirk and you straightened up your body. “Sigma?~…” You hummed, snaking your arms around his neck, staring into his eyes with your own. ‘All I need…is you~…that is all that I ask for~”

Your words came out nearly lewd as you begged for his attention. The sound of your slight breathy voice was enough for Sigma to cave in. The man firmly nodded his head and took hold of your hips with his hands, swiftly manoeuvring your body onto the table in front of you two. He looked almost starstruck when he took notice of your breasts lightly bouncing when he seated you upon the table, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink and he looked away.

With your body planted on the surface of the table, you squirmed around to get comfortable, your short cocktail skirt rode up your thighs as you writhed over. Sitting like this in front of the manager was never a part of your to do list, but you were glad it had invited itself on because you were soon becoming restless with the dampening wetness of your own arousal that had been seeping through the fabric of your panties. You slowly opened your legs apart as you tried to get more comfortable on the table top.

All Sigma could do was open his eyes wide and blush heavily. He, in almost all silence apart from his slight heavy breathing, nestled himself between your now parted thighs. In all honesty, he had no idea what the hell he was doing. He knew he had a job to make you feel good, but he just didn’t know how.

You couldn’t lie and say that his confusion wasn’t adorable to you, but you had no choice but not to react as you were keeping all your attention on your body’s responses, trying your hardest to keep your composure and to hold back from losing control on the spot. “Sigma~…” You reached for the man’s hand and slowly placed it down between your open legs. You gazed up at him with half-lidded eyes and slightly parted lips, mumbling back to him. ‘Play me the way you play poker…that’s all I want…all I ever wished for~”

Confessing to him just made Sigma panic the slightest bit more. Now more determined and motivated, he slowly began to slide down your lacy panties, strings of your arousal connected to the fabric only made the man blush harder. He pulled them down to your ankles and lifted up your dress above your thighs. He took a good hard stare at your now exposed pussy, eyes tracing the fixture of your cunt ever so quietly.

The almost stone cold glare of his made you shiver. You were desperate. Desperate for his touch. Desperate to feel the man five inches deep inside of you. You suddenly grabbed Sigma by the hand and pulled him towards you even closer than he already was. “Don’t keep me waiting~…”

“Of course, y/n~…” Outing those three words for his mouth, Sigma slowly moved his hand closer to your weeping core. Long slender fingers slowly glide along your slick folds, tracing each and every curve of your pussy lips with pristine gentleness.

A soft moan tumbled past your lips and you threw your head back. Your fingers circled around the edge of the table as you opened up your legs wider to give him better access.

Sigma took that as an invitation to keep on going. His two fingers slowly made their way higher up your anatomy, reaching your most sensitive point as he began to gently tease at your already swollen clit.

“F-Fuck!~” You gripped onto the tabletop, knuckles turning white from how hard you clutched the wooden table as you felt the man just so carefully tease you. “Hah~…keeping over, oh fuck~”

Moan after moan fell past your pouting lips when Sigma started to get the hang on it. He gently rubbed the pads of his fingers around against your puffy bud in circular motions, drawing more and more heavy moans from you. “Like this, y/n? Is this right?”

His complete obliviousness was evident that this was his first time. And that just made it all the more enjoyable for you. You nodded your head to his question, your hand reaching down to the top of his head. “Yeah…just like that~” You whimpered, gently threading your fingers through his two-toned coloured hair.

Sigma felt almost pleased with himself as he didn’t stop his near repetitive motions. He moved from stroking your clit, to gently teasing at your wet entrance with two fingers, the anticipation driving you insane.

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes when he traced your wet folds for the eleventh time. Those tears threatened to spill past your lower lash line as you panted out to him. “Sigma, so help me…if you don’t finger-fuck me in the next three seconds…”

Your warning almost seemed threatening to the man in front of you. Taking your words into consideration and without thinking about it for a second, Sigma plunged two fingers deep inside of your wet heat, tearing a moan straight from your mouth.

You clenched your eyes shut tight and dipped back your head, Sigma’s name spilling from your lips as you felt his fingers stretch you out good. You raised your arms to hook around his neck to draw yourself more in.

Despite being almost constricted by your tight grasp, Sigma didn’t dare to stop, thrusting his fingers in and out of your tight cavern at a slow and steady pace. The slapping sound of your slick meeting his skin soon filled the room as the manager finger-fucked you plain stupid.

You started to ease up with your lewd moans as the coil within your body began to snap, leading up to your chasing climax. You groaned out more moans and yelps when you felt Sigma hit your spongy sweet spot multiple times, that being your breaking point, the final straw that would break the camel's back. Your eyes rolled into the back of your head, your vision going blank as a guttural moan was torn straight from your throat. You tightened your arms around Sigma’s neck as you came with a loud groan, your words broken into separate syllables as you squirted straight on his hand, back arching as your body convulsed and trembled.

“Y/n…do you know how beautiful you looked just then?” With his fingers still deep inside of your dripping cunt, Sigma spoke softly to you as you slowly came down from your high. His voice was clear and calm, his face still flushed but still, he was calm as ever.

‘You are better than any poker game I’ve ever played.’

───｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧───｡‧˚ʚ 🂱 ɞ˚‧｡─── ｡‧˚ʚ 🂱

[princessconsuela120]

Chapter One: Summer —✰

Series Masterlist

Chapter Art by @clownfacepancakes120

Chapter Warnings: mentions of death, mentions of war, maybe cursing…?

Author’s note: and she’s here! Constance’s big debut!! I hope you all enjoy, and lookout for new content coming soon!!

—✰

Summer had ended as quickly as it began, before they knew it Connie and Sebastian were leaving the Sallow home in Feldcroft to spend the rest of the summer with the Weasley family. The Weasley family burrow was much more comfy and spacious as anything Sebastian or Connie were used to. It was all sort of intimidating. Especially for Sebastian who had been stressing questions about his uncle as the school year drew closer.

He knew it was inevitable; people would talk. Soon enough after Solomonms death, almost all of Feldcroft were discussing what could have happened to the man. It was only a matter of time before word spread to the rest of the world. No one knew the truth of what happened in that mine, no one except Sebastian and Connie. And Anne of course, but she didn’t have the heart to tell anyone. Sebastian was sure Anne had told Ominis about everything, he had been more distant than usual. At this point in his life, it was true that Constance Larkspur was his one and only safe haven.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Connie asked softly, causing Sebastian’s head to jerk over to her. He smiled softly at her, shaking himself out of his dreadful day dream.

“Just, thinking.” He responded, making Connie scoff slightly.

“Yeah, no duh.” She teased, making him chuckle slightly. It had been a common occurrence over Summer break for Sebastian to space out. Mostly, Connie would find, the Slytherin boy would be using these daydreams to replay the events of that night in his mind. She would be lying if she said she didn’t worry for him.

“About?”

He didn’t answer her, just continued to stare ahead. A small frown tugged at his lips and Connie couldn’t help but feel her heart ache at the sight.

“Hey. It’s over. You’re okay now, yeah?” She reassured. He didn’t say anything, just looked up at her and nodded. She knew there was nothing she could say to heal his pain. But she was damn sure gonna try.

“Yeah.. yeah I know.” Sebastian just shook it off, nodding as he walked ahead. Connie sighed to herself, jogging slightly to catch back up with the boy.

The two had been making a quick detour to Hogsmead, which was only a few miles from the Pitt-Upon-Ford Hamlet where the Weasley family was located. They weren’t going for their normal reason however, though they were sure to stop in Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer. But their reasoning for visiting the lovely village was actually for a much more gloomy reason.

Constance had been stressing as well about starting this school year. Not only due to the fear that surrounded the place, the memories of her gruesome defeat against Ranrok. But also because this was her first year starting Hogwarts without Professor Fig. Given it was only technically her second year at Hogwarts, it was still a troubling thought, to begin school without him. So she and Sebastian both agreed that before they arrived at the Weasley’s they would first make a small pit stop, to help ease the ache in Constance’s heart.

“Morning Professor,” Constance said softly, gently placing a single rose beside Professor Fig’s gravestone. It lay in the graveyard just outside of Hogsmead, beside his wife. His grave was littered with flowers and small gifts, likely from other students and professors. His stone read ‘Eleazar Fig 19 -19. Beloved teacher and colleague. Devoted his life to his students and to Hogwarts.’ It was a bittersweet title for Connie to read. There was no doubt in her mind Professor Fig had devoted the past year to her, and to the better of Hogwarts. She knew deep down there was no way she would have been able to do any of the saving she had done without him. He had saved her. If she was being honest, she had sort of felt like it was her fault he was dead.

“I know you’re in a better place, with Mariam.” She took a deep breath, stepping back slightly. Her back was now pressed against Sebastian’s front, but he didn’t mind. Instead, he grabbed her hand, and gave a light squeeze. “I miss you though. I know Hogwarts won’t be the same without you.” She felt a small tear trickle lightly down her cheek, catching itself in the fabric of her sweater. “I know that I’m safer there now, now that Rankrok’s gone. I can’t help but shake the feeling that something is awaiting me this year, something better than the fate I had endured before. I know that you didn’t want me to obtain the dark magic the keepers had warned me about. I know I’ve disappointed you. I’m sorry. But I truly believe that this magic I yield can be for good.” She felt Sebastian squeeze her hand at the mention of the ancient magic, the magic he had told her to peruse. “I promise that I would never follow the path Isadora had followed. Thanks to you, I see the dangers of it all now.” She knelt down, placing a hand on his grave. “I hope to see your painting at Hogwarts, I received an owl from Professor Weasley that your portrait is awaiting me there. Although our colorful headmaster refuses to hang it anywhere in the castle, I believe I have the perfect spot for you to keep up to date with anything new at school.” She explained, taking Sebastian’s hand to help her stand back up.

“You ready?” He asked, earning a nod from the girl, as she wiped a few stray tears on her sleeve. Sebastian offered his arm to her, which she happily placed her hand in the nook of his elbow. She didn’t mention Solomon. She wanted to, knowing Sebastian needed to be able to grieve for his uncle. Even if the travel to the cemetery was for Professor Fig, both teenagers were aware that Solomon Sallow was also buried in the same location. But she didn’t bring him up, didn’t ask if Sebastian wanted to visit his grave as well, they just continued their walking. It was one of those silent things that they both understood but neither dare spoke a word about it. So alas, they continued their walk to the Burrow.

—✰

“Is it always this crazy here?” Constance called out, yelling over the sounds of children’s laughter and screaming, the four of them entering into the chaos of the Weasley burrow. Griffin and Opehlia both chuckled, having been used to the mess in front of them.

“There’s five of us, what do you expect?" Griffing asked in a teasing manner, pushing his way through the chaos. Besides the twins, the Weasley family consisted of three younger kids, none of which had yet attended hogwarts. There was the oldest, Owen, who was ten years of age, almost ready to attend school. He sported the famous Weasley ginger hair and freckles, his eyes a deep green. Then there was Beatrice, the third oldest after the twins and Owen. She had the same hair and eyes, and the same sprinkled freckles across her cheeks. And lastly was Dorian, the youngest and purest of them all. Unlike the rest, his eyes were a deep green, similar to Ophelia’s. They all came together to create a chaotic scene, shouting at each other as they ran around the house wrecking havoc. It brought a smile to Constance’s face, one that felt like knowing that goodness exists. One that felt like maybe one day she could have a home like this.

“Not a zoo that’s for sure.” Sebastian teased, earning an eyeroll from Ophelia as she slung her trunk onto the table.

“Just make yourselves at home. Mum should be home shortly.” She explained, smiling at the couple before running after her younger siblings. Constance could sense Sebastina nerves by the way he stood, swaying slightly from side to side as he grabbed onto her hand.

“Great, more people to introduce myself too.” He whispered to her, making her frown at him as she sighed. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, sending him a soft smile as his shoulders relaxed.

“Hey, it's Ophelia and Griffin’s family, if they're anything like them you’ll be just fine.”

“Alright, yeah. Just don’t leave my side.” He pleaded, earning a look from Constance as she squeezed his hand.

“Where else would I be?” She said softly, making Sebastian nod at her, his nerves slowly fading at the touch of her hand.

“Excuse me mister?” Beatrice asked, standing in front of Constance and Sebasdtian with a pure smile.

“Me?” Sebastian asked, pointing to himself questioningly as the little girl nodded.

“Mhmm.”

“Con, what do I do?” Sebastian whispered to Connie, feeling his hands sweat at the thought of conversing with a child. Connie couldn't help but laugh at him, feeling soft at the fear he felt.

“Go on, she won't bite.” she reassured, making Sebastian take in a deep breath before kneeling down to her level.

“How do you know that?” He asked teasingly, earning a slight shove as Constance pushed him closer to the girl.

“I like your green tie mister.” She said quietly, squeezing the stuffed niffler she had in her arms. Sebastian smiled at her, fixing his tie with pride as he smirked back to Constance before looking back at Bea.

“Is that so? You know, green’s my favorite color.”

“Mine too.” Bea cheered, making Seb chuckle at her excitement. Constance could feel her heart swell at the sight.

“Really?” He turned back to Constance with a smirk. “We may just have another slytherin on our hands.” He teased, making Constance roll her eyes as Bea looked at him confused.

“I don't really know what a slytherine is, sir.” Sebastian and Constance chuckled at her mispronunciation, before Bea gasped and reached for Sebastians wand. He let her hold it as she stared at it in awe, practically drooling at the sight. “Mommy says one day I'll get to learn magic just like Griff and Ophie.” She explained making Sebastian smile as he took his wand back, doing a small spell to impress her. Soon, small fireworks erupted from his wand, making the young girl smile and clap.

“Yeah, well, magic is pretty neat if you ask me.”

“I love magic, I'm gonna be the greatest wizard of my time.” Beatrice explained, making Sebastian look back over at Constance as he stood up.

“We may have just found a mini you sebastian.” Constance teased, noticing the smug smirk on Sebastian's face as he joined her back at her side.

“I was just thinking the same Constance.”

They didn't have much time to talk to Bea more before Rosalind Weasley burst into the room with a giant feast floating behind her. She had been aware of Sebastian and Constances stay for the last week of summer, and was anticipating their arrival. It was nothing like Sebastian or Constance had ever seen before. There was an array of foods, from chicken legs to dinner rolls, and even fancy goblets to hold everyone's drinks. And it all floated perfectly into the table as Rosa released her wand, letting the table be made. She smiled at the group, hugging her children as they ran up to her.

“Mum’s home everyone!” She turned to Ophelia and Griffin, noticing their arrival with a smile. “Oh my twins, hello hello. And two unfamiliar faces. No don't tell me, Constance and Sebastian.”

“Right on the money Ma’am.” Sebastian said kindly, smiling at the older woman as she placed a hand softly on his shoulder.

“Oh please, call me Rosa. I’ve heard so much about you both.” She explained, making Sebastian raise an eyebrow at her.

“All good things i hope?” He said, masking her nod with a chuckle.

“Amazing things! Like how you both are at the top of your year! Congratulations!”

“Thank you Mrs Weas-Rosa.” Consdtance said, watching as Mrs Weasley pulled out a bag full of gifts. She began handing them out to everyone with a cheerful expression.

“I made you all gifts, everyone, take one pass it down.”

Constance carefully opened the packaging, smiling when she opened it. Inside was a yellow sweater with the letter c carefully stitched in the center. She looked around to see everyone with a similar sweater as they pulled the jumpers over their heads. It was an odd experience, receiving a gift, Constance had not gotten gifts from anyone really since her family split apart. Come to think of it, Constance didn't have much family experience at all.

“It's lovely Rosa, thank you.” She complimented kindly, pulling the jumper over her head as Mrs Weasley smiled at her.

“Of course sweetheart. Now everyone sit, it's time for dinner.”

They began dinner, everyone being asked different questions either about school, or their lives. Edmund Weasley, the twins' father had joined in as well. The meal was unlike anything Constance had ever experienced, maybe more food than they even have at Hogwarts. It was a nice feeling, getting to live in such a loved home. She could feel the joy just from sitting at the dinner table. But she could also tell just by looking at him, that Sebastian was thinking of Anne. He hasn't spoken to her since the war. Well, in all fairness, she hasn't spoken to him either. They were at a crossroads, and seeing a happy family only made Sebastian miss his own, even if it wasn't so happy anymore.

“So, you really saw Ranrok up close?” Owen asked, a look full of wonder occupying his face before Rosa gasped at his question. Constances entire body froze.

“Pardon?” She asked softly, nearly choking on her food as she looked at the younger boy.

“Owen honey, what did I say about questions? I'm sorry honey, he doesn't know.” Rosa said softly, turning to Constance who pressed her lips together nervously, before smiling to reassure the older woman.

“No, it's quite alright. Um, yes, I did see him up close. I fought him too.” she explained. And suddenly, she was back. She was infornt of ranrok, and she was losing. She nearly lost her life, and she could feel it,. All the pain, a;l the fear, all the heartache, it all came rushing back as she saw her friends surround her. It seemed as though she was trapped, here, trapped losing to ranrok forever. Trapped failing.

“Woah. What was it like?” Owen asked softly, making Constance sigh. What was it like? It was hell. It was war, nothing good can come from it.

“Excuse me one moment.” She pushed her chair out, leaving the house to go and pace outside, Sebastian following swiftly after her.

“Constance?” He called, searching for the blonde before he found her, pacing. He could feel the anxiety radiate off of her, standing in front of her to try and stop her pacing but it didn't work.

“Sorry, I just…remembering it was a lot.” She said with a sigh, finally stopping as Sebastian grabbed her cheeks. He frowned at her, making her mimic his expression.

“Do you need anything from me?” He asked softly, but she nodded.

“No, no this I have to face alone. Thank you, Seb.” He smiled at her, squeezing her hand gently.

“You’re alright now. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

She knew it was true, she knew he was gone. All the pain, all the stress, it was worth it, they had won. But now a much deeper darker war rooted inside her, one that she wasn't sure how to control, one that could take over her life if she wasn't careful. It was moments like these where Constance wondered what would have happened if she destroyed the repository, instead of taking its magic. She wondered what would be different, if anything at all could be. She wondered that alot, mostly when she was alone, and feeling the effects of it.

[arionaleilani]

Alfie doesn’t understand.

There’s a lot that he does understand—the complexity of the human endocrine system, for example, is something he’s very familiar with—but this is something he’s never been able to pin down.

Or, rather, someone.

Theo used to be his best friend, is the thing. They met in Kindergarten and became attached at the hip despite all of their differences, Theo loudspoken compared to Alfie’s timid nature, Theo straight laced in the face of Alfie’s creativity. For years, Alfie pictured a future where they were best friends forever, growing up and getting jobs and possibly even being roommates.

And then Alfie’s mom died at the same time that Theo switched schools, and everything changed. The person that Alfie once thought he knew better than he knew himself became a memory, a stranger across town going to the rival high school and never answering Alfie’s calls. For five years, they never spoke, saw each other in passing in town but never stopping to say hi.

Alfie was nineteen when he got that first call, but it wasn’t from Theo himself—it was from the local police department, claiming that Alfie was written down as Theo’s main contact, letting him know that Theo had been arrested for petty theft and needed someone to bail him out for the night.

Stupidly, Alfie had actually went.

How could he not? It was Theo—his Theo, the one who Alfie always saw as his other half, the one he always daydreamed their futures for. Even if everything between them had inexplicably fallen apart, he was still Theo, and Alfie will always be there when Theo needs him.

But, when Alfie bailed him out, digging into every penny of his savings account to do so, Theo had simply shouldered past him and walked away.

So, that’s where he is now: he simply doesn’t understand. Because Theo has a caring mom who would have bailed him out in a second, and yet Alfie had been the one to get called. Because Theo had to have remembered Alfie’s number by heart in order to hand it over. Because there has to be a reason for it, and yet Alfie can’t think of a single one.

Because his phone just rang again, and Theo is in need of another bail, and Alfie is going to go, of course, even if he doesn’t get it at all.

“You’re welcome,” he says, when an officer escorts Theo out from the cell area and to the main entrance of the station. Theo just huffs, shoulders past him again, but this time Alfie follows—has to jog a bit to catch up, but ends up in stride as he says, “You know, since this is the second time I’ve bailed you out, I figured I should get a thank you.”

Theo glares daggers at the ground and speeds up. Alfie speeds up, too, to keep pace. “Go away.”

It almost makes Alfie laugh, but not in a funny way, more of a half hysteric and severely confused kind of way. “I just got you out of jail and you’re telling me to go away? Really, T?”

The way Theo jerks back makes Alfie’s steps falter. “Do not call me that.”

“I…” Alfie trails off, slows down a bit and watches Theo stalk ahead. He considers letting him go, but irritation flares in his chest, spurs him forward, until he’s caught up once again. “Fine,” he says. “I won’t call you that. If you tell me what happened.”

Theo’s glare sharpens as it flickers towards Alfie, only to immediately shift away. “I don’t have to tell you anything.”

“Uh, I think you do,” Alfie retorts. “Unless you plan on paying me back for the bail money. I’m pretty sure you owe me something here.”

Another huff, this one louder, more exasperated, as Theo comes to a sudden stop and faces Alfie with a scathing look. “I couldn’t afford dinner,” he states. “I tried to get something anyway, and I got caught. You happy now, Alfie?”

On one hand, Alfie feels like he’s been physically struck in the chest. But, on the other hand, it’s the first time that Alfie’s heard Theo say his name since they were fourteen. It makes him want to smile just as much as it makes him want to cry.

“No,” he responds softly. “I’m—”

“I swear to god, if you say you’re sorry—”

Theo cuts himself off with a sharp, somewhat shaky inhale as he whips his head around and turns away. Alfie watches him warily, feeling out of place and terribly, totally lost.

Eventually, Theo lets out a long breath and turns towards Alfie again, though his eyes stay downcast. “Thanks,” he says gruffly.

And then he’s gone.

Alfie stands in the dust of his departure, wondering what just happened, feeling more out of his element than he ever has before.

[lucysarah-c]

Can you tell us more about you moving abroad?

Are you scared? Excited?

How is the procedure going so far? Which country are you planning to visit?

Sure! I don't mind it haha I'm moving to Germany to do a PhD and a Master's degree. You're probably wondering why both and it's because Argentinian degrees already have a "master" inside it so it's like the master's topics are stuff I've already seen in my "bachelor's degree" in Argentina but I need the master to be taken in PhD in Germany so they made an exception. I'll be working for research in the lab and etc. doing some publications that will later on be part of my PhD while I do a Master's. Of course all this under the speculations that the government of Germany accepts my papers etc.

I'm really excited, I've been working and planning this for a while so I'm really enthusiastic. Basically my last 2 years of my degree were planned on this and this opportunity so I guess I'm excited that it's so close to happen, if it happens.

I've already lived alone since I was 17, I moved over 500 km from my hometown to study at uni so living alone and re-discovering myself in a new environment was a grateful experience when I was 17, can't wait to see what person will I be when I move alone again across the globe with 24.

The only thing I'm scared of is finding a way to bring my cat Taylor with me and money. Moving to a new country implies a lot of money and, at the same time, understanding how much money I will need per month and being fully economically independent since it's impossible for my family to support me economically in this decision.

The process is... dehumanizing and exhausting. I have been sending mails almost everyday; for translation, for certificates, for uni papers, for uni papers in germany, visa stuff, etc. You send a mail and they reply when they please and how they please lol. I think there's a special place in hell for "administrative in universities". To be honest, the hardest part of all this is money, it takes a lot of money and while my family can somehow help me with this part I feel extremely guilty. That's why I had been thinking of doing some art sketches commissions because each penny counts.

So far the decision is permanent if the opportunity is given, I may move permanently to Germany. I won't say forever because you never know but sadly it's been a really harsh past year for me. I finished university, I got my honor degree and be "the top of the top '' in a career that in other countries people are making a bunch of money off and... in my home country I didn't get a single job offer. Plus to that, the economy in Argentina is really delicate and I took this decision also to be able to have a better job or just a job and send money to my family so my mom can finally retire and be calm. She deserves it and I'm willing to do what it takes. 

Hahaha sorry for the rambling!

Have a lovely day!

[tngrace]

Meet Grace

🏷: @mrsjaderogers @bayisdying

Name: Grace Nicole Michaels

Nickname: Gracie or Spicy

Occupation: Single Mom & Dispatcher

Description: 5'4" - Green eyes - dark brown colored hair, naturally curly - curvy

Background: When Grace was a fresh sixth grader, she met her best friend in the whole wide world. Baylie was an eighth grader and two years older than her, but they clicked. They were inseparable, all the way until Baylie graduated high school. Baylie even lived with Grace for a few months. When Baylie was off to college to become an RN, Grace still had two years of high school left and unfortunately they lost touch.

Grace decides she's not ready to commit fully to what she wants to do with the rest of her life, despite her parents pushing her to decide. So she decides to start with community college and get a bunch of her general education classes out of the way, so that when she does decide she's ready to jump into her degree. Her first year seems to fly by, and she meets her second ever boyfriend. He dotes on her and everything is wonderful. She wishes Baylie was there to meet him because she thinks he might be the one, until they get a surprise.

In Grace's first semester of her second year, she learns she's pregnant. Breaking the news to her parents is harder than she expects. She knows they're disappointed, but they are supportive. Her boyfriend on the other hand, totally bails. He was already at university, so breaking it off with her and blocking her number was easy to do. He claimed the baby wasn't his, even though Grace knew it was, and told her to forget all about him. She was heartbroken, but also knew she had to get it together for her baby - a miracle she'd been told she might never have.

She drops out of college and picks up two jobs to support herself. Her parents had given her a large sum of money on her eighteenth birthday and she'd saved most of it. Working two jobs was challenging around her morning and all day sickness, but she made it work and was able to keep adding to her savings. She was thankfully still on her parents' health insurance and by the time she went into labor, she didn't have to pay a bunch of money for her delivery - which ended up being a C-Section.

When she held her little boy - Cameron Luke - for the first time, she fell in love. Even at just twenty, she knew she would do anything for him. Working two jobs with a newborn is challenging and Grace ends up having to give up one of the jobs to keep from killing herself. She learns to budget really well and save every penny she can.

Grace reconnects with Baylie when Cam is a year and a half year old; Baylie has moved back to LA and is going to be working as a paramedic at station 118. Grace is so happy to have her best friend and big sister back in her life and she's so excited for Baylie to meet Cam. Baylie instantly falls in love with her nephew when she meets him, and when she sees where Grace is living, she insists she move in with her. Grace balks at that; she doesn't want to be a burden on anyone and she has been making it just fine on her own.

It takes almost a year, but Baylie is able to finally wear her down and get her to agree. She gets Grace on at dispatch and helps her get sitters and child care lined up for Cam for her erratic shifts. She takes to the call center so well, and the money is better than what she'd been making. They settle into a routine together and life is great. This is the happiest Grace has been in a while.

Follow along as Grace meets the 118, falls in love, and raises her little boy with her newfound family. - What If Masterlist

[parkerpenny]

piece of peace

ao3 link:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/45710020

Relationships: Penny Parker & Morgan Stark, Penny Parker & Tony Stark, Penny Parker & Pepper Potts, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts

Word Count: 1.6k

Summary: Penny and Morgan have an impromptu sleepover post-bad dream while spending Thanksgiving break at the Stark's cabin. Tony is just happy he gets to see Penny be the amazing big sister he knew she would be.

or,

Penny reflects on her little pieces of peace.

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

 The sweet sound of chirping birds woke Penny up from her light sleep, a peaceful sound she didn't get to hear in the noise of the city. On the other hand, maybe it was the soft snores of the five-year old that currently had her tiny hand curled around the teenager's well-worn Midtown t-shirt.

   Penny was spending her Thanksgiving break with the Stark's at their lakeside cabin, a "well-deserved, all-inclusive vacation," according to Mr. Stark after a successful month and a half at MIT. Of course, by "all-inclusive" he meant free food, which appealed heavily to the girl after experiencing the mediocrity of dining hall food and midnight ramen.

  She was overjoyed to spend more time with the people she grew to think of as her family, with May and Happy making their way to the cabin that afternoon along with some of the Avengers for Thanksgiving dinner. As far as she knew, Steve and Natasha were making an appearance, as well as Clint and his family, and Rhodey of course.

    Her attention was brought back to the present by a small yawn, stifled by a tiny fist. Morgan had had a bad dream during the night, and instead of seeking out her parents, she had knocked gently on Penny's door and asked to stay with her for the rest of the night. Penny was surprised that the girl had come to her first, and didn't hesitate to scoot over in her bed, patting the mattress for Morgan to climb up next to her.

     Penny had missed Morgan so much while she was away. It wasn't a huge amount of time to be separated from each other, but the young Stark had been insistent on calling her big sister every night to update her on every single detail of her day, right down to the intricate details of which stuffed animals and dolls attended her latest tea party.

   Penny grew up without siblings, so at first she had no clue how to deal with the fact that this innocent little human being wanted to look up to her and idolize her. It took all of two days for Penny to think of the girl as her very own little sister, and she knew in her heart that she would do anything to protect her, should anything ever happen.

     Tony had told Morgan bedtime stories about the adventures of Iron Man and Spidergirl after Penny had been dusted five years ago. He wanted the girl to grow up knowing about her big sister, the sister he never dared hope she would get to meet, but a man could dream. To keep Penny's memory alive, the memory of the girl he saw as his own daughter, in his youngest child. The day they first met, Morgan had immediately run up to her talking a mile a minute and asking her questions about her being a  "super secret superhero."

     After some hesitation on the teen's part, unsure of where she fit in after basically coming back from the dead and being desperately reassured by Mr. and Mrs. Stark that she was just as much a part of their family as Morgan, Penny looked forward to every second she got to spend with her new sibling. She felt honoured to be a part of a family, and adored being able to watch Morgan grow up, helping her with her Kindergarten homework and playing with her in the yard. The girl pretended, for Tony's sake, not to notice the way he got misty-eyed whenever he watched the two girls interact with each other. Penny knew the lengths he went to so that he could get Penny back from the Soul Stone, and she cherished every minute she got to spend with her father-figure after almost watching him die on the battlefield.

    "Penny? Are you up, Penny?" a soft voice grabs her attention from beside her. "Morning, Mo. Did you sleep okay?" Penny brushed the little girl's wild bed head out of her face, the toddler looking up at her with the same brown eyes as her dad. "Yeah, of course I did! You kept the monsters away." she whispered, and Penny's heart melted. She smiled and ruffled her hair, hearing footsteps outside her bedroom door.

    A soft knock came at the door, and after telling them to come in, Tony peeped his head in the door before opening it wide, revealing himself and Pepper. "Daddy!" Morgan wriggled out of Penny's bed and stumbled sleepily towards her parents. Penny just laughed and sat herself up.

   "I noticed a certain little monkey was missing from her room so I figured this would be the best place to check." Tony bent down to pick up his daughter. "Hey! I'm not a monkey, daddy!" Morgan faked a pout. "Well last time I checked, you are currently hanging off of me like a monkey, care to explain that one, Maguna?" The toddler giggled and reached out for her mother, Pepper taking her into her arms. "Good morning, sweetheart, and good morning to you too, little bug." Penny scrunched up her nose, but smiled at the nickname Pepper had given her ages ago, remembering the first time the woman had said it while she was sick and staying at the Tower before the Snap.

    "Morning, Mrs. Stark!" Penny said while rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Pepper sighed, clearly wanting to correct her to just call her by her first name, but recognizing a losing battle when she sees one. The teenager definitely shared the same sense of stubborness as her husband, and once again she finds herself wondering how they aren't actually related by blood.

   "I'm heading down to start breakfast, I'll see you two downstairs." She carries Morgan toward the kitchen, leaving behind Tony and Penny. "So, kiddo, should I be offended I didn't get invited to the surprise sleepover?" Tony ambles over towards his oldest daughter, sitting down at the foot of her bed. "Morgan had a bad dream, she came in and asked if she could sleep in my bed, so we had a little slumber party to keep the monsters away."

     The older man got that look in his eyes again, the soft one that she sees whenever he sees his two kids together, and really whenever he sees her or Morgan any time. There was a mix of joy, peace, disbelief, and so many other emotions that Penny didn't feel like putting a name to. He had changed a lot while she was gone, Penny guessed that having a kid would do that. At the same time, he hadn't changed one bit. He was more emotional than before, more willing to show how he was feeling and to express it outwardly. Penny was a very tactile person, so she would never turn down the more frequent hugs, the "I love you's" that were said out loud instead of being implied through gestures and actions over words. 

  It was the first thing he said to her, after she had come through the portal at the Compound. He had held her face in his hands, gently as if she might disappear again, and pulled her into a hug so tight it was almost crushing. "You're here, you're really here, you're real and you're here and it worked. I love you so much, you're my kid, and I love you so much, Penny." He had said as if he couldn't get the words out fast enough, voice barely above a whisper.

  "You're a great big sister, I always knew you would be." Penny looked at him, a smile on her face. "I'd do anything for Morgan. She's the best." Tony smiled back and patted the girl's shoulder. "Just like her sister, of course." He stood up, ruffling the teen's hair quickly. "Pep's making pancakes, better get up quick before Little Miss eats them all herself."

  Penny pushed the blankets away, standing up as Tony walked over and waited by the door. She slid her feet into a pair of slippers that May had knit for her before she went to MIT and met her father-figure in the doorway. He slid an arm around the girl and Penny curled into his side, relishing in the comfort of a hug of her childhood-hero-turned-almost-dad. He pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "Ready, Underoos?"

  She heard the telltale sign of a car pulling up in the driveway. Someone must have arrived early, she was guessing it must be either May and Happy or Rhodey. She smiled to herself, looking forward to spending the day with her family. Not a single person was related to her by blood, but that didn't matter. They loved her and she loved them all in return, and they looked out for each other. At the end of the day, that's what was important.

  She felt a pang of grief in her chest, thinking of everyone she's lost. Her parents, her uncle Ben. None of whom would be here to celebrate Thanksgiving with her. But she knew that they would be proud of her, and would want her to be happy with the family she found for herself. She knew they would always be with her, even if they weren't really there. So she turned her focus back to Mr. Stark, grinning at the smell of pancakes coming from the kitchen and the sound of footsteps coming up the porch.

  "Ready, Mr. Stark."

[naamahdarling]

This makes me livid.

I'm not going to assume this family wasn't knowledgeable or doing their utmost. I'm assuming they were doing everything they could.

But I need you to know.

This is not how it has to be, and there are things you can do to prevent this. Please do them so that you aren't stuck hoping to die or hoping your loved one will die.

If you or a loved one has a lot of medical debt or you know they will incur it, check laws in your state. Know your rights. We should not have to do this, but WE DO.

A person's will and how it is laid out has an effect on how and in what order debts are deducted from the estate, which can sometimes affect how much money beneficiaries get. If you have beneficiaries, get your wills in order! Get things set up to benefit debtors as little as possible. There are things that might be able to be done. If someone involved is disabled, find an estate lawyer experienced in their specific form of disability benefits (company, government/SSI/SSDI, etc.).

Spouses are NOT necessarily responsible for their partner's medical debt. The estate of the deceased IS, but individual debt collectors from clinics or care facilities are severely limited in what they are allowed to collect on from the actual survivors. DO NOT TRUST THEM IF THEY SAY THEY CAN. There are laws about them not being allowed to lie to you but they will still try. My ex worked in the industry for YEARS and was extremely aware of the predatory shit shady companies or even just shitty individual agents would pull. Never trust a debt collector. Ever. Know your rights, understand debt collection, record all calls.

In some cases, especially involving state funding of end of life care, and situations involving disabled folks (deceased or beneficiaries), the state may not legally be able to evict a survivor to collect that debt from the liquidated estate (i.e. selling the house after kicking you out).

Children are almost NEVER liable for ANY FORM OF parental debt.

Never ever ever pay a single penny on a debt you did not cosign or take on yourself. Do not even verbally acknowledge the debt on the phone. Claim to be unaware of it and state that it is not yours until they show proof. In general, unless it's trivial, and you do intend to pay right away or make arrangements right away, don't acknowledge even debts that are yours, not even verbally, until they have proven to you that you owe them, and force collectors to communicate leaving a paper trail and send you documentation of everything. Record calls using Talker ACR and Talker ACR Helper. If they say you have 90 days to dispute, wait 89 days and then dispute it, even if it is accurate and you know it. If the collector isn't the original place that owned the debt, insist the collection company show proof they own the debt. Contact the original place and see if you can still settle the debt there for less. Delay, deny, defend yourself. Draw things out as long as you can by their rules and seek legal advice. Fight. ACT LIKE THEY DO. BE A HORRIBLE PIECE OF OBSTRUCTIVE NITPICKING SHIT.

If you marry, get a pre-nup that lays out your debt arrangements, do it in a way that keeps your finances and debt as separate as possible. Pre-nups are not just for people who don't trust each other. They are a powerful tool to protect yourselves from predatory practices outside the marriage as well.

YOU CAN PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES. YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR ASSETS. DO NOT LET THIS HORRIBLE SHIT HAPPEN UNOPPOSED, AND NEVER ASSUME THAT THE SYSTEM IS TOTALLY UNSTOPPABLE.

YOU PROBABLY CAN'T KEEP EVERYTHING BUT THEY DEFINITELY CAN'T TAKE EVERYTHING EITHER.

FUCKING FIGHT.

[thats-by-the-by]

Forced Choice

This fic was crossposted on Ao3. Find it Here. Mind the tags.

Jacob is holed up in his office, ignoring the bright day outside. The curtains are drawn, though he can just see a clear, blue sky through the gaps. Not a single cloud outside - almost the complete opposite of how London has functioned for years. The last time he was a sky like this, he was in France. He'd be nostalgic, if he had the time. He might even experience it, if he could afford a break. But he can't.

Tommy is missing.

Jacob is supposed to be working on some paperwork for his Father, supposed to be stepping up as a Templar and helping his Father assign a new Templar agent to the Bank of England. Helping his Father replace Two-Penny, whom he killed. Two-Penny, who Evie said he killed wrong. Too publicly, too openly. He put 'too much attention on them'. He risked her life. He risked Henry's life, which he's much more torn up about.

"Sir." A man says, standing in the doorway. He didn't knock, and he looks rather put upon by being in the room. In his hands, he holds a letter. "This is for you."

"And you are?" Jacob asks, taking the letter. He recognises the man - but in the same way he recognises Pearl's driver, or Lucy's favourite contact. Someone he had seen once, but never been introduced to.

Someone who works for Maxwell Roth.

"Lewis, sir." The man responds, as Jacob's stomach begins to drop. "I would read that soon. I imagine it will help, bring to light some problems you've been having."

Jacob nods jerkily, his heart hammering in his chest as the man leaves, shutting the door behind himself. Jacob's hands don't shake as he opens the letter. Surely it's a joke, a jest, an attempt to get a rise out of Jacob. Just like the last five times Jacob's come into contact with Maxwell Roth. There's no way Roth knows about where Tommy is, about what's been bothering Jacob. Even if he did know where Tommy is - there's no way he knows that Jacob is the leader of the Rooks, or even that he's affiliated with him.

Jacob reads the letter, and takes off. He doesn't even remember to bring his coat with him.

~~~

"Jacob my boy!" Maxwell shouts, his arms open wide by the table. "You've finally arrived, I was starting to think that you'd never show up. I'm glad to see you've agreed to my terms."

"I haven't." Jacob spits. "Where is he?"

"Honestly, young master Starrick," Roth spits, as though its an insult. "You could stand to use your eyes. He's right here!"

Jacob looks - really looks, the way that Evie and Henry had taught him to one long night - around the room, and spies Tommy bound and gagged to a chair, obscured from view. The boy looks bad - one month of Roth's hospitality has left him more bruise than skin. He still has a defiant look in his eyes, but his shoulders are slumped and he doesn't struggle against the ropes that have dug in and cut his skin.

Jacob's going to be sick.

"Look at me, Jacob." Roth hisses, grabbing his face gently. "Look at me. I'm going to offer you something, and you are going to agree. I don't know about you, but I doubt that boy could handle anymore of my Blighters anger. Do you?"

"Don't hurt him." Jacob snarls, looking into Roth's cold eyes.

"You have a choice to make, my boy." Roth smiles. "Stand by my side. Warm my bed. I know you lead the Rooks. I know that boy is one of yours. Do as I say, and he will be an honoured guest. Offered the highest hospitality and service available here. If you don't, I'll let the Blighters finish their revenge. I'll make you watch."

Jacob stands, rooted to the floor. If he kills Roth now, would it save Tommy? If he kills Roth now, would he be able to escape with the clearly injured boy? If he kills Roth now, would his Father find out his involvement with the Rooks? Would one of the actors tell?

Jacob looks back at Tommy, the boys eyes pleading silently with him. For his own life, or for Jacob to run, he doesn't know. He just doesn't know anymore. He didn't let Tommy join the Rooks - he took him in as his ward, not one of his lieutenants. He thought that would be enough to save him.

"Choose." Roth whispers, his breath hot against Jacob's ear. "Choose. Your freedom for his life, or his life for one by my side."

"It's illegal." Jacob protests, his voice barely above a whisper. Weak.

"That never stopped you with young master Topping, did it?" Jacob can feel Roth's smirk, and Tommy shakes his head slightly. Jacob doesn't know what Tommy is trying to say. He doesn't know anything anymore. "Choose soon, Jacob. My boy. Choose, or I'll have him killed and we can have this conversation over Miss Thorne or your father."

"You can have me." Jacob's voice is barely above a whisper, and he knows Tommy can't hear him. It's almost better this way - when Tommy's freed, he can warn the others. Amelia is a good leader - a strong leader. She'll be able to lead the Rooks until Jacob finds an opportunity to kill Roth and run. "You can have me, let him go."

"I don't think I should." Roth says, sauntering over to Tommy, who starts to struggle against the bonds. "I mean, if I don't kill him, he'll tell your Rooks. Then I won't have much of a choice. You made your choice, now I'll make mine."

The older man pulls out a knife, holding it against the teen's throat. Tommy makes a strained noise - muffled under the cloth in his mouth, but no more distressed than anything else. Jacob takes a step forward, his hand reaching for his gun, and Roth pushes the knife against the skin. Jacob freezes, watching as droplets of blood begin to spill from Tommy's neck.

"Don't hurt him." Jacob pleads, and tears slip down Tommy's face, silently. "Please. Let him go."

"And loose the only thing keeping you here?" Roth pulls back, giving Jacob a saccharine smile. "I don't think I shall, but I'll untie him and get a doctor here. For you. My Rook."

Surely Jacob made the right decision. Surely they can get home.

[ofmartyrss]

I’M A WASTE OF A WOMAN, BUT I TASTE LIKE SUCCESS.

ISABELLA DE LEON is a thirty-two year old, resident of hemlock springs who currently resides in downtown and works as a co-owner of devil’s den bar. isabella’s gender is cis woman, her sexuality is bisexual and she uses she/her pronouns. she’s single, owner of a golden lab named pancho, and lives with her roommate indy. she’ll most likely take care of you if you end up too drunk at her bar but won’t take shit from anyone. 

FULL NAME: isabella de leon. PETS: golden labrador named pancho. AGE: thirty-two. DATE OF BIRTH: october 27th. ZODIAC: scorpio. GENDER & SEXUAL ORIENTATION: cis woman, bisexual. OCCUPATION: co-owner of devil’s den bar.

about isabella.

isabella is the only daughter of high school sweethearts, xavier and marisol de leon. the young couple moved to hemlock springs when she was only a baby, still learning her first words. a friend of a friend had found xavier a job in town and they decided to make the bold move to relocate from mexico. though it was a shot in the dark, it ended up being the best decision they could’ve made for their family at the time. 

during the first years of isabella’s life, they thrived. xavier’s job alone provided enough income for them to enjoy a high quality of life, which allowed marisol to be a stay at home mother. but it only lasted them until isabella’s 8th birthday, and the news of a massive employee cutback at her father’s company arrived. 

xavier struggled in finding another job after that and they ended up having to spend all of their life savings, including the money saved for isabella’s college tuition. eventually, marisol had to get back to work. she was able to secure a spot as a teacher in the town’s kindergarten but the income wasn’t as good as previously. the family had to move neighborhoods and do some major changes in how they lived their life. isabella watched as they went from middle class to lower class, and as much as she knew that her parents were doing everything that they could to make sure she had a good life, she promised herself that she’d be the one to get them out of that situation.

the years passed and xavier was able to get himself a new job, but they still continued to struggle. it got to the point where they were getting their clothes from thrift stores and donations alone, things that were being passed down to them. isabella decided that she’d get part-time jobs after school. she did it all — from babysitting to waiting tables to even giving out spanish classes to students who needed a little boost in the subject. she gave all that she achieved to her parents and saved the pennies that weren’t needed for the bills. her parents were proud, though they were saddened to have put their teenage daughter through such situation.

isabella’s routine got too busy — school, work, home and so on. it was so bad that she started to lose contact with her friends and that eventually led her to an emotional breakdown. only fifteen years old and already living like an adult. she then decided to make time for herself, take those pennies that she had saved and started to enjoy her teenage years before it was too late. she started getting in so much trouble that her parents felt like they didn’t recognize her anymore. almost like she had turned into a completely different person. she never stopped working, never stopped helping them, but her grades started to go down and she started skipping school. isabella started to argue back whenever her parents would question her and fights would go on for hours and days in their household. 

her rebellious phase lasted until she was in her early twenties. that’s when something inside of her clicked. she wasn’t enjoying her life anymore, she was wasting it. still working as a waitress at some low end restaurant while her friends were having kids and graduating college. leaving town, travelling the world — and she was stuck to the same spot she had been since she was fifteen. she decided things needed to change. so isabella enrolled in the community college and got her graduation in business.

it had been a dream of hers to own something that was only hers. enough of having to be bossed around by others, she needed the freedom and the independence. with the little money she had saved, a risky loan from the bank and the help of a friend, she bought a little place who’s now known as the devil’s den bar. things worked out in the way she wanted, thankfully, and the bustling bar gave her the income she needed to finally help her parents’ situation. she got herself a little place of her own and bought a house for them, so that they never had to give up on anything.

the bar has become a popular spot in town, managed by isabella and her friend over the years. it’s dingy and aesthetic-pleasing in it’s own unique way, and though it doesn’t escape the usual town drunks and their shenanigans, isabella has been known to not take shit from anyone — she will kick your ass out if you bring trouble to her bar and she’ll do it alone.