#can't we be sweethearts

[scissorcraft]

so. rescuing kittens, huh.

[see-arcane]

Thinking about how Dracula starts acting as soon as he reaches the shore. He just spent his entire cruise from Europe to England carelessly terrorizing and devouring a shipful of men for food and fun. Now he gets to Whitby and beckons a convenient sleepwalking young maiden to be his Uber Eats blood delivery--and oh hey! She's hot too? Well, she'll make a fine first conquest on new soil.

Mina shoos him off--for all that I enjoy the 'She scared him!' comments, I think the more legitimate possibility is that he saw her and thought 'Oh neat. Another tasty victim locked and loaded for later. Let's see where this goes.'--and he backs away to scheme over his very first round of psychological torture-courtship***. He discovers that Lucy and Mina are staying in the same house and, sigh, fine, he can't get in uninvited. Plus it'd spoil the fun to just force his way in so soon in the game. He'll find an opportunity later.

He flaps away, huffy.

But, being that he is in the land of oblivious English bloodbags, I find it very very hard to believe that just because his current favorite is out of reach for the moment, he just randomly decides to starve himself. This prick binged on an entire boat's crew Just Because, throwing away a fasting period that kept him an old man in Jonathan's company for TWO MONTHS. He is here to spoil himself.

So I have to wonder if someone else woke up with a sore neck this morning. Some sea-salted local beauty or strapping young man who wakes muzzy from a murky nightmare. They only stepped out for some air last night, surely they're not sick? Maybe they spied the missing hound who fled the Demeter? It really was a massive creature! It had come up to be petted and then...then...

Well, it was late. They were tired. Perhaps they imagined it.

As for the little pinpricks on their throat? Probably just some insect bite or a mishap with a needle.

Nothing to fret over.

[lonestardust]

Status : Married & Blissed.

[fishbrain-glubglub]

She's Not Here

If anyone were to ask the BAU who the epitome of masculinity was, they would all immediately point towards their Unit Chief: SSA Aaron Hotchner.

The man effortlessly oozed masculinity. His solid 6’2” stature framed perfectly in his tailored suits made many mouths water at the sight, daydreaming about the body that lay in waiting underneath. Not a day went by where at least one person hadn't drooled over his stubble-peppered jawline, claiming it was sharp enough to effortlessly cut glass. His signature stoic aura only emphasized his classic alpha male status to any passersby familiar or not to the man. There was no doubt to anyone's mind that Aaron Hotchner was what every man dreamed to be.

But standing in only his boxer briefs in front of his bedroom mirror, all Aaron could see was everything he deemed wasn't manly. His hips were too wide despite being surrounded by well-toned muscle after decades of running and UnSub chasing. His jawline, while covered in stubble not yet shaven, wasn't as sharp as many of his admirers claimed it was. His shoulders, while looking wide and commanding in a sharp suit, felt narrow and small bared for his room to see. His chest bulged in all the wrong ways despite the faint twin scars bordering the bottom of each toned pectoral. Despite the decades of time Aaron had worked to achieve his current form, he could still see her poking through every insecurity he kept hidden, taunting him with the same dark chocolate eyes that sent even the most hardened UnSubs cowering.

A scowl glared back at him in the mirror as he crossed his arms defensively across his chest. The phantom ache of utter wrongness seeping from every inch of his skin began to rapidly bubble to the surface. No matter how hard he tried to quell her from resurfacing, she always managed to seep through the cracks, blasting a neon sign to reveal all of his obvious flaws to the world and to himself. He couldn't seem to shake the ghost of her presence no matter how hard he tried. It was days like this that he wondered why he even tried so hard to be himself, to be comfortable in his own skin.

A tiny flash of silver caught his eye in the mirror before two familiar lanky arms enveloped him from behind, pulling Aaron out from his mental spiral. A calming warmth spread against his backside before the caress of soft lips peppered his shoulders.

“Keep glaring at the mirror like that and it might just confess.”

A soft huff of laughter escaped from Aaron's lips as his gaze left his own and settled on bright amber hues eyeing him lovingly from behind. His arms never left their tight embrace over his chest, but his stance softened significantly. He let his shoulders sag and gently leaned back into the comforting embrace of his husband.

Spencer gave Aaron's torso a soft squeeze, beginning a gentle sway of their body's to a tune unheard by Aaron but calming nonetheless.

They stayed tangled in front of the mirror until Aaron's arm finally fell from their tense state across his chest, turning his back to the mirror and nuzzling his face into the crook of his partner's neck. His hands settled on Spencer's hips as Spencer snaked his hands up his husband's torso before settling around Aaron's neck. They continued to sway to an unknown tune in the comfort of their room hidden safely away from the rest of the world. Aaron was so lost in Spencer's embrace that he hadn't realized he had begun to tremble until he heard his husband begin to gently soothe him.

“Shh, sweetheart. It's okay. I'm right here.” Aaron felt one of Spencer's hands begin to caress the hairs on his neck, causing his already shaky resolve to fracture further. His arms tightened around his husband briefly, desperately trying to cling to any semblance of his hardened stoic mask as he could.

“Aaron.” Spencer's hand left his hair to cup his face, pulling Aaron from the safety of his partner's neck. He kept his gaze down and away from the growing concern in his husband's eyes and tried desperately to reign in his emotions.

Spencer was having none of it. “Aaron,” he repeated, rubbing gentle circles on his husband's trembling cheek. “Honey, please. Talk to me.”

Aaron instinctively shook his head, not wanting to voice his thoughts. If he said them out loud, it meant admitting they were true. He desperately clung to the silence, wanting to cling to his masculinity as long as he could.

Aaron felt his husband sigh. He closed his eyes, mentally preparing for the worst: Spencer telling him he couldn't be with someone so unmanly as Aaron. Spencer withdrawing and leaving him to deal with his internal turmoil on his own. Spencer telling him to suck it up and deal with it like a real man. 

Deep down, Aaron knew these scenarios would never happen. Spencer had seen Aaron at his lowest many times over, had known his deepest secret longer than the rest of the team - save for Rossi who had known since Aaron had originally joined the FBI. They wouldn't have gotten married if Spencer hadn't been confident in their commitment to each other for the rest of their lives.

That still didn't stop Aaron's mind from jumping to the worst at every moment it could.

A gentle hand under his chin snapped Aaron's gaze to his husband's, finding nothing but concern and worry in the comforting amber eyes. Spencer's frown pulled his brow down in a way Aaron wanted to kiss away, instantly hating himself for putting that look on his face.

“Why don't you finish getting ready, okay?” Spencer's hand returned to his cheek, rubbing soothing patterns against the peaking stubble. “I'll be right here when you're ready.”

With a small nod, they untangled themselves from each other before Aaron walked over to his dresser, ignoring the mirror as much as he could. It only took a moment for him to slip on the thin shirt before turning back to their bed.

Spencer had already settled on his side of the bed, watching his partner with caring eyes. Aaron crossed the room quickly, turning off his bedside lamp before slipping under the covers and settling against his husband, holding him as close as he could without suffocating the man.

Aaron was grateful for the few moments Spencer allowed them to stay tightly embraced. He knew he would have to talk about it soon, but for a moment, he could lose himself in the embrace of the man he trusted everything to. He siphoned as much love and comfort he could before Spencer shifted, squirming his way out of Aaron's close embrace and forced their eyes to meet.

No words were spoken at first. Spencer had resumed the comforting patterns on Aaron’s cheek, providing a grounding presence to his inner turmoil. After a few more silent moments, Aaron closed his eyes and braced himself.

“She won’t leave me alone.”

Arms immediately wrapped around his shoulders, pulling Aaron close to the warmth of his husband’s chest. Tears he wasn’t previously aware of began to stream down his face as he took in a ragged breath, all of his pent up emotions flooding to the surface. It was as if the dam holding back all of his frustration broke at the contact. Silent sobs wracked his body as he felt the soothing hum of Spencer’s voice against the man’s chest.

“Shh, sweetheart. It’s okay. I’ve got you,” Spencer resumed carding gentle fingers through Aaron’s short locks. “She’s not here anymore, remember? She hasn’t been here in a long time. All I see is my amazing, strong, handsome, sexy husband.” A weak wet laugh cut through the quiet sobs. “I’m serious!” Spencer added with a smile in his voice. “Do you know how many men and women I catch eyeing you at the office? Hell, the amount of times I’ve caught Morgan eyeing you out of jealousy in the past two weeks and three days alone should be enough proof. That’s not even mentioning how many whispered conversations I overhear in the bullpen from JJ and Emily on what you look like underneath your suit on a weekly basis. JJ, who is perfectly happy in her marriage to Will, and Emily, who hungrily stares at every woman in a short skirt who walks past her desk. Rossi might seem like a neutral party, but anyone can see the smirk he hides in his morning cup of coffee when you open the door for a poor intern as they practically trip over themselves to follow. Garcia doesn’t even need an explanation. And don’t even get me started on the amount of LEOs I’ve caught eyeing you in your vest. It should be downright sinful to look as rugged as you do with your sleeves rolled up, gun in hand, commanding the scene with only a glare.” Spencer chuckled softly, scratching Aaron’s scalp. “That’s not even touching the amount of glazed over faces I spot when you talk. I’m sure you could get almost an entire room of highly decorated officers to do whatever you wanted with a single command. Any deity knows I would comply to your sultry voice in an instant.”

Laughter had rapidly replaced the sobs shaking Aaron’s body. He hid himself against his husband’s chest, covering his blushing cheeks from Spencer’s generous observations. “Spence,” he whined.

“I swear, Aaron, it’s a good thing you're married. Otherwise, you’d have people throwing themselves left and right at you. You’re the perfect male specimen. Hell, even I’m jealous of you, and I’m the one that married you!”

Aaron couldn’t hold back the eyeroll as he peaked out from his hiding spot. He felt his face split into a wide grin before replaying Spencer’s words in his head, his smile faltering. He glanced away, muttering softly under his breath, feeling himself tense all over again.

“Hey, hey. Don’t do that.” Spencer cupped his face with one hand and forced their eyes to meet. “What’s wrong, love?”

A sigh escaped Aaron’s lips before he whispered, “I’m not the perfect male specimen.”

Spencer’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

Aaron let out a dejected huff. “I’m not the perfect male specimen,” he repeated a little louder. “I can’t even-” His voice cracked. “I don’t have… I couldn’t…” Tears blurred his vision. “Haley had to… Jack isn't even-”

“I’m going to stop you right there, Aaron.” Spencer propped himself up on one elbow, still cradling Aaron’s tear-stricken face with the other. “Whatever you’re thinking about stops right now. You, Aaron Thomas Hotchner-Reid, are that boy’s father. No amount of DNA tests or medical insemination procedures with sperm donors can tell you otherwise. You have raised Jack from the very beginning, and you have done it wonderfully. He is growing into such a bright and confident young man because you are showing him how. You are an amazing father, and I know for a fact that Jack wants to grow up to be just like you.”

Whatever argument Aaron had to counter died on his tongue as Spencer leaned down for a soft kiss. There was no heat or alternative motive behind the gesture. It stayed soft and gentle, soothing Aaron’s inner turmoil. Reaching up, he wrapped Spencer in his arms and pulled the man down to his chest, soaking in the love and care from the contact. They laid together, wrapped in each other’s arms and sharing gentle kisses until the last bit of tension left Aaron’s body. After one more press of their lips, Spencer scooted down his body, snuggling into his chest and resting his ear right over Aaron’s now calm heart.

“Now sleep,” Spencer muttered, already half asleep. “You need your energy to ward off all your admirers at the office and to take your husband on an extra long lunch break tomorrow.”

Aaron frowned. “What are we doing that requires a long lunch break?”

He felt Spencer’s sleepy mischievous smile against his chest “You’re going to prove to me just how manly you are.”

“Oh really?” Aaron couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. “And how am I going to do that?”

“I’m sure you’ll come up with a few ideas.”

As Aaron kissed the top of his husband’s head and settled in for the night, he couldn’t help but think of all the ways he would prove Spencer right.

[pushing500]

We got attacked by Vikings and captured one named Gorillaslayer, which I'm sure will not result in anything unfortunate happening in the near future.

Eerie, NO! We were trying to convert you to our ideology!!

Bonus: Live Gracie reaction to cycling back to the goddamn Hat Bit from The Animist Alliance again

Right as we finished researching Deathrest in hopeful preparation for Eerie to join us... It's a tragic life out here on the Rim :(

Violent Conversion Ritual it is!! Alas...

Well, it looks like we won't get a cool sanguophage just yet. Hopefully someday, but for now, we'll just have to hope he tastes good.

Unwaveringly Loyal Finch has some... Interesting moods going on at the moment, too. I suppose we'll end up eating her, too, but we might save her for a date-specific sacrifice ritual we've got coming up.

In other news, Gorillaslayer has been promptly executed for her crimes of converting Eerie and forcing us to resort to violent conversion.

First | Next | Previous

[every-aj-needs-an-angel]

Listen. LISTEN.

The best thing about being left-handed is that when you're sitting next to someone who isn't

YOU CAN STILL HOLD HANDS

Honestly, it's the best thing about it

[dinraa-l]

So I wasn't going to plan my Rooks too much beforehand, but this character concept has sat in my WIP folder for so long and she's perfect for Veilguard!

Haven't decided which faction she's part of yet, but she's called Tyri.

[cenvast]

does kabshiro have pet names or cute nicknames for each other or would they rather call each other by their regular names. Do they call each other stuff like Honey or Babe?

Kabru calls Toshiro by his name because it already feels intimate for both of them. Since most people in his life either address him as "Young Master" or "Shuro," "Toshiro" is arguably a pretty singular way to refer to him. Kabru definitely seems like he could be a pet name user, but I don't think he would be with Toshiro.

Toshiro also usually uses Kabru's name. He might use something old-fashioned like "dear" later on in their relationship. To other people, they would refer to each other by their names or depending on the time and context, "my partner/husband."

The DunMeshi characters all speak Japanese in the text, so we can assume that it's their equivalent of Common. Disclaimer that I'm not a Japanese speaker, so very sorry if this is an inaccurate usage of the word, but I could see Toshiro referring to Kabru as "anata" once they're married. From my understanding, "anata" is sometimes used by couples. It means "you," but it has a more deliberately intimate connotation in a close relationship, since you typically drop the second person pronoun when speaking directly to someone.

I don't really see them as the type of couple to express affection through pet names, and that might be influenced by the thought giving me mild psychic damage 😭 No hate at all if you like them having pet names for each other. This is just my cross to bear... But if anything, their pet names for each other would be to get the other's attention like "Hey, where are the keys?" or "Hey, can you do the dishes?" For me, Kabshiro, after they've been with each other for a few years, is about the intimacy of living a life together in a quietly familiar way <3

[natjennie]

wawawawaaa isa is so sweet.... it only took 35 hours! that's my boyfrengg!!

[blitzbuckz]

KICKS THE DOOR DOWN.

Listen here you! I absolutely ADORE you. You, Blitz, everything about you is so genuine & sweet. You're an absolute joy to talk to & be around, I always look forward to seeing you on the dash. Your art is absolutely gorgeous & YOU are literally the starlight of my life. Never change Liz, you're perfect♡

GLAD I HAVE FUCKIN' INSURANCE otherwise I wouldn't financially recover from this...

[fluffs-n-stuffs]

Friede, honey, you're not beating the dad allegations anytime soon I fear /lh

[dindjarindiaries]

Already one year today since season 3 premiered, where did time go? ;-;

One year if you don't count the leap year! It's so crazy, I can't believe it's already been a year. My sweet season 3 deserves better

[moonchild-in-blue]

Oh mother, tell your children Not to do what I have done Spend your lives in sin and misery In the house of The Rising Sun

[aceofspades-sml]

The thing about being a fan of classic literature is that it's becoming incredibly hard to find people to share your passion with and I just think that's super sad

[cosmojjong]

told my partner about the taemin concert and how i wanna go but it's out of the country and that i was too shy to ask at first because i didn't want to bother and he said "are you kidding me? you'd never bother me, let's do our best to make it work with what we have" 😭

[agentplutonium]

Another old fic of mine that I'm gonna share here as well cause I love it so much. As usual, if you prefer the AO3 format, you can read it on AO3 here.

2.6K, Rated T, Milo/Sweetheart, (Not) First Dates, Fluff, Coffee Shops, the typical fluffy Milo/Sweetheart content I usually make :)

and just so I don't take up an unreasonable amount of space on your dashboard, the fic will start under the cut <3

It’s been weeks.

Weeks of texting back and forth, giving updates, and constantly being reminded that Milo existed. Every time they got a message, they hoped it was him. Every notification they got they perked up, only to be let down when they saw something else. And between updates, Milo was initiating small talk. Asking how their day went, and if they had something to eat today. Asking if they’ve been taking the breaks that they needed— “proper breaks, where you don’t do work in another room saying you’re on break”— and if they’ve been getting sleep. Milo always had their best interest in mind, and it was infuriating. 

Well.

It’s not like it’s infuriating, just- inconvenient? They just wanted some answers and targeted Milo because one he was on the ground that day, and two his dad did work for the department (they’re still kinda upset that one backfired on them, they were certain that would be a point of pride for him). To say the least, that did not work for them, and now they were roped into giving him updates on the case. With him so involved it’s dangerous for him, and yet he was always the one that checked up on them.

It wasn’t even like they couldn’t take care of themselves! They’ve worked for the department for a few years now, and they knew the kind of situations they could get into. Though, they did have to admit that Milo’s reminders did help sometimes. They just get so focused on what they were doing, and simple things like that slip their mind. And, so what if Milo’s little ‘did you eat today’ messages made them realize that they were hungry? Again, it’s not like they weren’t taking care of themselves. They do eat, thank you very much. It’s just more of a routine thing. They really only had time to eat after work, and most of those were make-ahead meals. But at least they were eating! That’s what’s important here.

So, yeah, meeting Milo Greer was inconvenient for them.

And it was ruining their god-damn life.

It would have been fine if thoughts about him only happened during work. Which makes sense, since they were strictly involved with him because of a case. However, this guy was permeating their everyday thoughts. They wake up, they wonder if Milo is awake too. They’re making breakfast, and they think about how Milo always seems to know when to message them about if they ate. Hell, they started eating a proper breakfast because of Milo, and his rants about how ‘no wonder they’re so tired in the day, with no proper meals until 7 PM and an ungodly sleep schedule.’ They’re on their way home from work and they wonder if Milo is at a gig, or maybe in the den, or even at home with that cat of his. It seems they can’t get away from thinking about him, and how thoughtful he is, and how they so wanted to kiss that stupid cocky mouth of his-

Hold on.

Did they just think that?

Sneaks gave a sharp huff, dropping the spoon they were using to stir their coffee into the sink harsher than they meant to. They can’t just think things like that. That was definitely crossing boundaries. This was a work thing. Nothing else. 

Nothing. Else.

… Okay, so what if they indulged in his flirting just a bit? It was a tactic to keep him talking to them in the beginning, and now it was just a thing that they do. Surely that didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t because, again, this was a work thing.

Their phone buzzed on the counter, and Sneaks was scooping it up within seconds, coffee in their other hand. Their lips tilted up into a small smile when they saw the name on their phone.

Milo: Good morning, Sweetheart

They typed back their response without thinking.

How’d you know I’d even be awake?

Milo: You’re always up before seven

Sneaks rolled their eyes. Of course he’d pick that up.

What do you want, Greer?

Milo: Can I not say good morning to you now?

Usually, there’s an ulterior motive

Milo: Okay, fair. I just wanted to know if you ate breakfast yet.

Sweetheart sighed, once again rolling their eyes, but this time it was accompanied by their grin widening. It was like clockwork recently. 

Yes. but shouldn’t you be worrying about yourself, Greer?

 Milo: ah, don’t worry about me. But that offer for lunch still stands.

Right. They forgot about that, really. It was something offered in passing about a week ago, and every couple of days Milo would bring it up again. They weren’t sure of the connotations behind said lunch. Was it Milo just doing something nice for them, or something more? Did they want something more? Were there any feelings at all, or was it just close proximity that made them more inclined to lunch with him? If they stopped talking for a few weeks, would their answer change? Were they just thinking about him so much and entertaining this because he texts them literally every day?

A few minutes go by and Sneaks realized that they haven’t responded to Milo yet. They turn their phone back on to send a quick reply of:

We’ll see, Greer.

They put their phone away and finished getting ready for work.

They hadn’t thought about Milo or the p[otential lunch date for the entire morning. Well… for most of the morning, at least.

They had gotten a new lead on the shade case, and spent hours making sure that it was viable before they made plans to go investigate it that afternoon. But, as it got closer to lunchtime, their mind kept drifting back to the message from Milo earlier that morning. It wouldn’t hurt to have a lunch date with him. They would just have to be sure that he knew that it was strictly a business thing. An update meeting of sorts. And nothing else. Plus, they could use a proper meal before they headed out today. 

They checked the time. It was almost eleven, which was a little late to schedule a lunch meeting, but they texted him an invite to a cafe nearby the office for one. The response was immediate, agreeing to the plans and promising to be there. Sneaks gave another small smile at the eagerness Milo was expressing. He always tried to act so suavely and yet they saw right through him when they offered to meet up. He was like an eager puppy, which was something they’d never say to his face. They felt like that would almost be an insult to a shifter like him.

When it got closer to one, they got ready to go out. They locked up their office after making sure they had everything, walking to the elevator. They patted the secretaries desk on their way by, getting their attention.

“I’m headed out to lunch,” Sneaks said, “if you really need me I do have my cell on me, but try not to bother me, ‘kay?’

The secretary raised an eyebrow, giving a playful smirk. “Who are you and what did you do with Sneaks, huh? Going out for lunch, saying not to contact you, this is really out of character.”

Sneaks rolled their eyes. “I’ll see you in an hour.”

“Okay, but you’re telling me all about this date when you get back!” The secretary called after them.

“It’s not a date,” Sneaks called back as the elevator closed.

The secretary only laughed, but it was cut off.

The walk was a short one, and it might have been easier to drive but Sneaks liked being outside. Milo was waiting just outside the cafe when they arrived, which they found odd but it wasn’t something unexpected.

“Hopefully I didn’t make you wait too long,” they commented when they were close enough. 

Milo looked up at them, smiling already. He typed out something quick on his phone before sliding it into his pocket and turning toward them. “Nah, not too long. Besides, I would have waited hours just to see you, Sweetheart.”

Sneaks rolled their eyes, ignoring the flutter that sent through their chest. “Let’s go inside. I only have an hour.”

It turns out that Milo had never been to this cafe, which Sneaks was prepared for. They did suggest a few things for him, and he actually took them up on one of the sandwiches that they mentioned. They were giddy about that fact, not only because it was something that they suggested, but because this shop's sandwiches were all so good. 

Sneaks had paid, and the only reason they got away with it was them saying ‘I invited you here, I get to pay.’ Though it was still a bit of a squabble because Milo insisted that they should at least split it since he came up with the idea at first. Sneaks still won, however.

Milo offered to bring over the food if they took the drinks and found a spot for them to sit. Sneaks weren’t allowed to say no, so they did as suggested with only a little fuss. The shop wasn’t very busy, but their favourite spot by the window was open so they wanted to nab it before it was gone. 

It didn’t take long for the sandwiches to come out, it never did, and soon Milo was joining them at their table with an easy-going smile.

“So, I have to ask,” Milo said as they both settled with their food, “what made you change your mind about coming out with me today?”

“Well, it was mainly to update you on the very few new things I got for the case.”

Milo shook his head. “That’s not gonna fly, sorry Sweetheart.”

Sneaks almost choked on their mouthful as they processed his words. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I don’t want to talk about work things right now,” Milo said. “I want to talk to you. The real you, not investigator you.” “You saying I have a facade going, Greer?” Milo shrugged. “Well, no. But there is a difference. Even in your texts.”

Sneaks never saw it that way. They also weren’t used to people turning down work conversations during work hours. “Okay?”

Milo shrugs again, looking at his sandwich so he didn’t have to make eye contact anymore. “So, yeah. Take a break. Don’t think about work for a while. Just… talk to me.”

Sneaks couldn’t help their chest growing warm at the words. It was just so… considerate. So much of Milo did this to them, it wasn’t fair. Everything he does is just so in tune with them it was crazy. “What do you want to talk about?” They offered.

Milo thought for a second, pursing his lips as he did so. Sweetheart looked away before Milo caught them staring, taking a bite of their sandwich. “What do you do for hobbies? Like, outside of work, in your spare time.”

Sneaks had to think about that one for a few moments. Work was such a big part of their life, that they really didn't have time for much else. Though they did like to read in their spare time. The rare hour or so they have between everything that they can sit down and read a chapter or two of a book. So, that’s what they talked about. They prattled on about a few of their favourite books, being encouraged by the questions that Milo was asking.

The conversation flowed easily enough. Switching from one person to the next, always being connected by a similar thought. Milo talked about how he would go on hikes for fun to get his mind off of work, which reminded Sneaks of the trips they took as a kid, which lead to Milo telling them about how he got one of his scars, on and on. Sneaks were the most at ease they have been in a long time. All because Milo just wanted to talk.

Lots of things were easy around Milo. Conversations, silences, and time spent together. Sharing fears, hopes, and dreams. Milo could ask them anything and they’d give it to him so willingly. It was easy to forget that the only reason they ever met him was because of work.

Their phone going off ruined that facade very quickly.

“Shit,” Sneaks muttered as they turned off the alarm. “I’m sorry, I lost track of time. I have to go.” “That’s fine,” Milo said. “I knew you only had so much time. Maybe I can walk back with you?” “I don’t want to keep you any longer.”

Milo gave them a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry about it. I have the day off today, and have nothing better to do.”

Sneaks knew they should say no. They really, really should, but they already had lunch with the man so… what’s five more minutes?

“Alright, Greer.”

They turned to pick up their bag, but not before they saw Milo break out into an uncontrollable grin. They tried to suppress the butterflies that cropped up in their stomach at the sight. They really had to get that under control.

Milo stepped in front of them to open the door, to which they gave a kind smile. Though, when they both got on the sidewalk, Milo made sure to be on the side closest to the road. Sneaks couldn’t help but wonder if it was intentional, but something was telling them it wasn’t. After his comments of being ‘the protector type’ and all, they had a feeling it was just instinct. The action didn’t go unappreciated, and Sneaks didn’t mind it this time when usually they did.

Milo kept the conversation going with ease as they walked down the road to Sneaks’ office. Though, Sneaks thought they saw his face fall a bit when they slowed to a stop in front of the main doors. 

“I can see why you suggested that cafe,” Milo said with a slight chuckle.

“Yep,” Sneaks responded, popping the ‘p’ gently. “It was really fun though, Milo. We should hang out more often.” “Next time I’m paying,” Milo said, grinning.

Sneaks shook their head, an exasperated grin on their face. “Sure, whatever you say, Milo.” They did not comment on how the prospect of ‘next time’ made them feel.

He let them go after that, saying goodbye with a small wave. Sneaks stood there for a few moments before turning themself and heading inside. In the elevator, their watch buzzed, and they pulled out their phone to check the notification.

Milo: I do still want that update. Meet me at my apartment tonight?

Sure, Milo. I’ll let you know when I’m headed over. Shouldn’t be too much later than 7.

They ignored the secretary's looks as they passed to head to their office once more, planning on finishing up a few requests to go out investigating tonight. They won’t receive approval in time, but that still wasn’t going to stop them.

Tonight they might get some actual headway into the case. Finally.

Their phone buzzed in their hand again as they closed the office door, and they smiled at the message they saw.

Milo: I’ll see you tonight then, Sweetheart

Despite the grumbling they did at first, Sneaks was starting to grow fond of the nickname.

Milo was inconvenient, sure, but he was an inconvenience that Sneaks was willing to work with. An inconvenience that they wanted to get to know more. An inconvenience that they were catching feelings for.

And they were gonna let this inconvenience ruin their life.