#cfo jobs near me

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[detta-pica]

Mei Mei, Juju Corp’s CFO, strolls in, followed closely by her ever-present personal assistant, Ui Ui, who is an actual child and therefore definitely an illegal hire. Probably he’s not an official employee at all. When Satoru first saw him and Mei interact, he decided it would be healthiest to mind his own business, though he did leave an anonymous tip with social services. Nanami, the COO, is right behind her, steps brisk, annoyance carved deeply into the lines of his face. Immediately, Satoru knows that Nanami knows that something is not right. It’s in the way Nanami pauses in the door, takes in Satoru’s closed laptop and noodle-like sprawl on the couch, and loosens his tie with the gravitas of someone preparing for their own execution. Satoru decides not to prolong his suffering. “I quit.” “Absolutely not,” Nanami says immediately. “You can’t stop me.” “We can sue you,” Mei informs him pleasantly, “if you mean what I think you mean, which is that you want to leave right now and never come back to this office.” Satoru grins. “That’s exactly right. I could file an anonymous report on my own negligence and get myself fired, if that’s what you prefer.” Nanami pulls out his phone and dials. “We need time to find a suitable replacement, you selfish--ah, Ieiri-san. I need you to talk Gojo down from quitting his job on the spot.” Satoru takes the phone when it’s thrust at him. “Shoko! I’m quitting!” “Congrats! And hey, I actually meant to call you anyway. Your great-uncle, the one who ran away from home and settled on a farm here, died last night. Do you know if anyone will be sad or can I handle it through the Gojo legal team?” “Huh. No, no one will be… Wait, there’s a farm?” Shoko exhales in that tell-tale way that means she’s smoking, even though she swore up and down that she’d quit the last time they talked. “It’s in terrible condition. Finding a buyer will take forever, I bet.” “I want it.” “You what?” “Shoko, I’m gonna live on that farm.” He can see it in his mind’s eye. A quaint little house with a porch swing, rustic decor, and a little fireplace to make it extra cosy in winter. There’s probably a barn. Maybe a chicken coop? He could get a cat, the kind that will roam on its own and leave dead rodents on his doormat. “Gojo, wait.” Shoko sounds distressed. “You know that--” He ends the call and beams at Mei and Nanami. “I just got great news. My great-uncle is dead!”

Listen. I've wanted to write a stsg Stardew Valley AU since before the March patch, but I got distracted with other things. I'm still distracted. This thing is nowhere near done, and it's not coming soon, but I didn't have anything better for WIP Wednesday.

(Current fic timeline is something like:

witch AU, with 5 stories to go in the series

a dark fairytale thing for Halloween

vampire AU sequel

Stardew Valley AU

fantasy AU no. 1

fantasy AU no. 2

The order could change. We'll see.)

[woso-dreamzzz]

in the melting pot au: Ingrid does give CEO vibes but maybe like ceo of a fashion brand or fashion magazine? cfo frido too

caro works in either data analytics or software something that involves a lot of screen time so she self-prescribes mandated time outdoors and was reading in the park when she met conejita

frida works in something super specialized and local to the area to justify her having to live apart from emma and squish so maybe nature or animal conservancy it's mainly frida who teaches squish on how to forage ethically and without disturbing the local ecosystem

one time while emma is visiting, she sees that the couple running the local bakery frida always takes them to is retiring and ends up taking over when they finally move in with frida. alexia's restaurants source their bread from Emma's bakery and once a week, emma offers a specialty pastry baked with ingredients they foraged near their home

just emma and frida and squish living their best cottagecore life as they should 😌

Okay, more Melting Pot infodumps because this little au makes me feel very happy

Ingrid definitely gives fashion ceo vibes. She's probably got like a fashion empire and is earning so much money that she can keep her pack of kids and her golden retriever girlfriend afloat on just a monthly salary alone.

Frido's the best friend that she met at uni and they're just such good friends and they adopted IT Head!Caro into their friend group when they were at university. Caro runs the IT department and she works in a little office that she keeps really dark and just hunches over her computer all day.

Frido and Ingrid keep telling her to take a break and go out for once. Caro thinks they're both being stupid but the first time she actually does, she meets Marta and Conejita and Frido and Ingrid never let her live it down.

Frida working on the nearby nature reserve and she loves taking Squish to work with her on the weekends. Some of Squish's favourite things is parent day at the school when all the parents come in to talk about their jobs and everyone gets to hear about all the cool conservation things Frida does.

Emma in the bakery using the berries she and Squish foraged at the weekend in her muffins and suddenly the bakery is booming again. Bambi forcing Alexia inside because Squish's mummy runs the bakery and Alexia literally just buying a sandwich for herself and a slice of cake for each of her girls but then being really impressed and suddenly Alexia's restaurants are getting their bread and cakes from Emma's bakery.

Emma and Frida are definitely living their cottage core fantasy with Squish.

The school takes the kids out to the nature reserve Frida works at for trips sometimes and Squish counts down the days every month

But also thinking about how Magda and Frido probably went to university together so they knew each other from back then. Magda probably didn't interact much with Caro or Ingrid but knows them enough to have a chat with them out in the street. Also thinking about how Magda did a year abroad where she went to Denmark and met Pernille.

[nevernonline]

✧.* remind me; wjh

remember when you spent the night with your best friend? or do you need a reminder of what it was like all these years later.

✿ paring: junhui x afab! reader

✿ genre/s: the one that got away, friends to lovers to strangers.

✿ warning/s: smoking, reader has female genitalia, smut, swearing, mentions of drinking. minors dni.

✿ word count: 2.3k

✿ note: not much, just me thinking of junhui. especially after the 5:26am teaser photos iykyk. also def not edited, srry lol.

Over the course of five years the thought running into Jun had become basically nonexistent, sometimes you'd go into your favorite coffee shop or book store imagining him bowsing along as you not so casually run into him. 

His smile felt like it was fake now, something you’d imagined in your head. Maybe your ex was a made up character in your life. 

You were so casually shopping in your favorite sweat suit when you thought you caught a glimpse of his perfect side profile, but you knew it was just your imagination. Thinking some other guy in the store was him. It could never be. He left you, he left town, when he skipped you knew it was over with the both of you from the start. 

Jun had always been a bit of a nomad, but so you were you. It was just another thing in common you had put in your pros and cons column of some document you titled ‘The Perfect Man.’ He left his home town to move to a big foreign city in pursuit of a dream, for him it became reality for you it became many years climbing a corporate latter you weren’t sure would end in your favor due to, well one, being a woman and two how competitive your field was. 

The day you had met as interns you clicked right away, both working for the company's CEO one of you always grabbing his sugary coffee drinks and one of you running his investment numbers, based on your bosses tastes you always were the one running ‘wife tasks.’ like picking his kids up from school, grabbing his dry cleaning, booking him dinners that he needed you to attend for the company, but mainly to look like his much younger girlfriend to appease his clients. 

Jun was the only person who made you feel real at your job. I mean, he was the only shining light in a stepping stone to what you really wanted, because he understood. He always felt bad leaving you with the boss's dirty work. 

To be fair you never blamed him for getting the real jobs, even after you both graduated university. 

He was perfect. He was competent, smart, and well liked. But, you were those things too, it just so happened half the office was obsessed with the fact that they could fuck you that they paid no intention to how good at your job you were. 

A night spent out nearing your final days of your internships and graduation on its tails, you both decided to take the chance to get a luxury dinner from your boss. Jun texted saying you’d be a fool to miss expensive wine you didn’t have to pay for yourselves. 

At the restaurant you remembered the feeling of being the only female intern, especially once the rest of your so called class got more and more waisted, you were just a face, you were just another person for them to fantasize as they worked ‘hard’ in the office. 

Jun changed that, he fought for you, fought for your chance to be seen as more than someones ticket to a luxury hotel bedroom fuck that they didn’t have to tell their wives about. He was the only one who saw you for you. 

That night you had your first kiss, you had your first taste of his lips on yours. Not because he was the only person who understood you, well, maybe that, but also because you had a crush on him too. 

You and Jun had a romantic night in a hotel room paid by your boss, you fucked, you kissed, you even ordered food on his tab just to spite him for the way he had treated the both of you during your intern year, but the moment you woke up he was gone. 

You never could understand why he left, until you saw him on the local news being promoted to the company's CFO nearly seven years later. You had tried to move on, but did he? 

It really didn't bother you as much as you thought it might, he was successful, he was kind-hearted, came from a decent family, he was really the picture perfect person for a job like that and you knew it. 

The one thing that really bugged you is that maybe you felt like a victim, like your old boss said you didn’t deserve the job for being too distracting. 

After the news you were out with your friends, trying to avoid anything to do with the one person you never seemed to be over. But, he was here. 

Him, Wen Junhui, the boy you once knew with his perfect side profile, his perfect laugh, his charisma that went for days. 

The odds? I mean, none really. The city was big enough that you both could never run into each other, except for tonight. 

You watched him silently while your friends drank and celebrated across the room, he was confident and happy as ever. And beautiful. 

Maybe the buzz of too many tequila soda’s make you confident or maybe it was your taste buds suddenly remembering how his plump lips tasted against yours, that you were reminded of him. 

Some girls surrounded him in flocks, but you noticed how disinterested he seemed in their advances just waving them off in the most polite way he could.

Not being able to watch him much longer, you excused yourself from your friends and headed to the back door to take a hit of the joint burning in your purse pocket. 

After a few minutes of being alone in the cold post winter air the heavy metal door opened, revealing Jun. 

“Y/N? I thought it was you?” 

You weren’t sure how to respond, taking a long hit before handing it over to him. 

“Uhm, Hey. Here.” 

He took the perfectly rolled object from your long manicured fingers, nearly grazing them with his hands. 

“I haven’t seen you in a long time, I’m sorry.” 

Sorry? So he was sorry for leaving the morning after you hooked up. Isn’t that a convenient thing to say?

“Right, I’m sure.” 

Jun was taken aback by your coldness as he breathed in a deep pull into his lungs. 

 “I am. Look, I kind of chickened out. I really liked you, but everyone told me that being with a company girl was a bad look, that I should be a bachelor for a while. I guess I just took it to heart a little too much. Just, I guess trust me. I haven’t been with anyone since you.” 

Anyone? A perfect, rich, beautiful guy hasn’t been with anyone in seven years? It was heard to believe, but his expression was one you remembered, one of his sincerity. 

“In seven years? Not one person?” 

“Well, maybe for needs I couldn’t handle myself. But, there's been nobody like you I’ve met. I really tried for a while, it’s just nobody compared. I know this is so stupid, I’m drunk and I don’t care.” 

“Jun, you don’t mean that.” 

“No. I do. You’re the only person I can’t get out of my head. I think about you consistently to the point where seeing you in the bar tonight I just assumed it was some random aura, I came out here to get some air actually when I found you. You’re my youth, y/n. That intern party and finally kissed you, it stuck with me. It’s like since then I’ve only looked for people who reminded me of you, like, I guess doing myself a disservice?” 

“Me too.” 

Me too. The only words passing through the lips Jun had missed. 

“I miss you, I miss the way you felt in my arms. I miss the ways you fucking held my hands, I even miss the way you stoke french fries off my plate when you told me you didn’t want any. I was so in love with you, I think I still am. I’m sorry.” 

Jun’s body turned back to the metal door paned into the brick wall, suffocating the sound of loud club music coming from within, but before his hands could open it, you grabbed him. 

“Look, I don’t know if this is stupid or if it’s just because I’m cross-faded, but I was in love with you too. The reason I came out here was just because I saw you, I wished for so long we’d meet randomly and when it finally happened I freaked out.” 

Jun couldn’t believe his ears, the sweet sound of your love for him coming out of the mouth he so badly wanted to plant kisses on and well, do other things with. 

“Will you leave with me?” 

“Won’t all your girlfriends be mad you picked up a company girl” 

“No, fuck them anyway. Why’d you leave the company after we hooked up if you don’t mind me asking?” 

“Why did you leave me the morning after we hooked up?” 

“I asked you first.” 

“Well, I overheard some of the guys talking about us. I just felt like I was being kept around because I was a good fuck or something. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I just used my new corporate business experience and opened up a bakery. Feels good to not be a suit I guess.” 

“Wait. You actually did it? Wasn’t that your dream since you were a kid?” 

“Yeah. Sweet you remember me so well.” 

“I would’ve never forgotten you anyway. That morning, I got a call from the CEO asking me to come straight to the office because of a complaint and I panicked, but really he offered to train me to be the new CFO if I became his assistant, the only catch was he told me I couldn’t date within the company and that I should forget you, get myself a basic girl that just wants to stay at home and tend to me, because I’’ll be busy. It was stupid, leaving you, but I just thought it was the right move at the time. I’m sorry, you believe that right?” 

“Yeah, I do. I’m not mad at you, you know. I just wished you would’ve told me why.” 

“Hate me?” 

“I’d never hate you, Jun.” 

“Good, let’s go.” 

Jun’s hand wrapping around yours gave you deja vu and here you were together at last. 

“Where are we going?” 

“My place.” 

“Trying to fuck and forget again, Junhui? I thought your mom taught you better.” 

“Nope, trying to bed and wed.” 

Needing to feel him closer to you, you stopped in a narrow alleyway and pushed his white collared covered back against the cold bricks of a building to your right. Placing a feral kiss onto his mouth, unbuttoning his shirt one by one. 

“Someone’s desperate.” 

“I can’t wait to get back into your apartment, just fuck me here. Please.” 

Without another thought Jun traded his position against the stone with you, now stripping you of your panties that were hidden below your skirt and putting them in his back pocket. Kneeling now, revealing his perfect face between your thighs as he went in and placed soft kisses on your soft skin, before reaching the aching spot of your pussy. 

“Fuck, I missed you.” 

Jun just mumbled into your wet center as he continued pleasuring you. You missed the way your hands felt in his hair while he ate you out so sweetly.

“Can you just fuck me already, I mean the head is great, but I need you to be inside of me so badly.” 

“Whatever my baby wants, my baby gets.” 

Jun now crawled up your body just to the point of pressing his clothed cock onto your leg, sucking on your neck, causing you to moan louder than you ever thought you had as he slowly unzipped his pants in the process. 

He was teasing you now, rubbing small circles against your center with the tip of his penis before finally entering bliss. 

“God, you feel the same.” 

“Fuck, thats kind of hot but you’re bigger than I remember.” 

“Probably the implant.” 

Your laugh rang in his ears, he missed making you laugh while he fucked you, he missed seeing the way your eyes were glazed over in pure euphoria from him being inside of you. 

His movements gained momentum, placing his hand behind your head as he fucked you faster, making sure it didn’t hit the brick wall too hard behind you. 

“I don’t think I can last much longer, Jun.” 

“It’s okay baby, you can finish. We can always go for more later.” 

WIth a few final soft kisses and thrusts you held on as long as you could before he reached his peak too, releasing himself inside of you and cleaning you up with the panties he stored away into his pocket. 

“Wait, how far do you live? I don’t think I should walk around with no panties for too long and I have to pee.” 

Jun’s hand pointed to the brick wall he just fucked you against. 

“Here actually.” 

Your cheeks grew hot and you placed a hard smack on his arm. 

“Oh my god, you mean we could’ve just went upstairs?” 

“Yeah, but where's the fun in that.” 

“Touche, cutie.” 

“Cutie? Still? I’m not like hottie, sexy, handsome?” 

“Nope, just a cutie forever and always.” 

“Not even sexy when I wrap my hands around your neck?” 

Entering through Jun’s front door, he jokingly wrapped his pretty fingers around your neck to give you an idea of how he would take you later since you provoked him by calling him cute. 

“Pulling out all the big moves tonight?” 

“Mhm, only for my girl.” 

“I’m still your girl?” 

“Yeah, my one and only. If you’ll have me.” 

“Remind me, what's your name again?” 

Suddenly your feet were pulled off the floor as Jun carried you into his bedroom where he’d remind you all night long. 

[onesapphireeye]

yeah, i said it

You and Aemond have a workplace situationship. It's about time that changes.

modern!aemond x reader + "Kiss my ass." "Gladly." warnings: use of she/her for reader. some cussing.

nori says: i did something and tumblr ate this ask so if you were the anon who requested this, please reach out to me again! off or on anon, i promise i won't bite!!! also lmao oops its not beta read & i thought it would be SHORTER. xoxo

more prompt asks to come!

word count: 2,094

[new group chat started:]

[aegon added you!]

[aegon added aemond!]

AEGTAR: Dragonpit tonight? The hot new girl wants to get shown around our haunts. Baela said she’s down. I’m thinking about trying to get them to make out. ;P

OUTGOING: stop messaging me on the work chat and focus on finishing your part of the presentation.

OUTGOING: and stop making new chats! you can literally reply to the 100 other chats you make a day, just click the maximize button!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AEMTAR: What she said.

AEGTAR: WHaT sHe SAid!!! Suck up.

“Come onnnn!” You glanced up from your monitors to see Aegon leaning over the side of your cubicle. His gaze had a mischievous glint, and the corners of his mouth twitched with suppressed excitement.

He was a few years older than you and, though he had the advantage of being the CFO's grandson, his lack of ambition had kept him out of the promotion talks.

You, on the other hand, had been promoted twice from an internship and had now caught up to his fulltime employee status.

After an uncomfortable situation in the break room, where you had been the object of his workplace affections, you let him in on what unpleasant things you could do to his nut sack if it ever came near you. You had also let slip that Hannibal was your favorite tv show, and chomped your teeth dramatically in his direction.

He hadn’t spoken to you about hooking up since, but had instead relegated you to “dude friend” status and regularly tried to use you as a wingman.

You wished he didn’t talk to you at all, but this was better than before. 

“If I go, it'll be like cosigning a death sentence for her.” You cast a look at the newest employee, perched in a tiny corner cubicle. Today marked seven days since she’d joined the team, her face still holding that infectious glow of fresh enthusiasm. You had been her once, before you'd let this job (and Aegon) suck the joy right out of you.

Aegon gave you his best attempt at puppy dog eyes and you returned it with a look of stone-faced determination. But he didn't let up. “Don’t be a cockblock! She likes you and asked if you were coming before she said yes.”

“So you lied to her?” Your gaze burned straight through into the back of Aegon's head, and you heard a snort coming from in front of you.

You stood up to look over your cubicle’s divider wall and saw Aemond sat in his chair, arms crossed and brow furrowed.

You knew he was thinking about intervening on your behalf and defusing the situation, just like he did every other time his brother tried to push your buttons.

You glared at him. “You think workplace harassment is funny, Aemond? That’s not very becoming of a manager.”

Aemond's expression was stern, like he was trying to fight a smirk. He was supposed to be the steady voice of reason in the presence of his brother’s antics, yet now he remained silent.

Girls would tell you around the cooler that he probably had a crush on you, but you knew better. 

It was more than a crush.

He was pussy whipped and half in love.

You two had already been fucking for the last few months. 

At first, it had been your idea to keep it a secret and you thought Aemond would understand. But you could tell he was getting more and more frustrated with you for not wanting to make your relationship public. He didn’t want to see Aegon or anyone else hitting on you.

Aemond had been your lead when you were an intern and while he may have been into you then, your career success hadn’t been thanks to any special perks given by him.

You wanted to avoid the potential drama of work gossip while also maintaining your hard-earned reputation, but couldn't deny that you had also begun to feel an emptiness in not being able to formally declare your relationship.

Of course, you had made the decision to be private before you realized how much it bothered you to see him being flirted at. You said ‘at’ because, for most people, Aemond was like an impenetrable wall.

You were starting to think about having a real conversation about where you both stood and if there was still a chance of becoming something official. But you were afraid that he had already gotten too comfortable and settled into the status quo of being in a situationship.

"I didn't want to type it out, but think we should go." You gave Aemond a pout when he spoke up but sighed, knowing you had been out voted.

Aemond texted that he was en route, and a quick glance at his location showed he was about ten minutes away. You finished the final touches of your make-up and zipped up your thigh-high boots. You grabbed a small purse and decided against a coat, hurrying out to the parking garage.

You spotted Aemond's car rolling up and waved to him with excitement. It stopped in front of you and you opened the door with a wide grin. “Perfect timing, Baby!”

He rolled his eyes at you and frowned. “I really wish you'd let me pick you up at the door.”

“Why, when this is more efficient?”

“You can be too pragmatic at times.”

“Hello pot, meet kettle.”

He looked amazing in his leather jacket and blue jeans. You could see a white V-neck t-shirt and his signature Valyrian steel chain peeking out from underneath.

You got into his car, and as you turned to close the door and buckle up, the dress you were wearing slid up your thighs and his hand instantly went to grab it.

You loved many things about Aemond: his long hair, the scar on his face, his morning voice...but nothing could top your love for his hands.

Especially when they were in or on you.

“Your dress doesn’t seem to want to stay in place." He smirked teasingly as he gave your thigh a kneading squeeze. “Should have worn something shorter.”

You could tell he wasn’t entirely serious, but you weren’t going to take the bait. His religious background and jealousy could suck it; you were choosing not to bite. Whether you were his girlfriend or not, you weren’t about to let him dictate what you wore. You could compromise on many things for him, but this was not one of them: it was your body and you would die on this hill. 

You playfully slapped your hand on top of the one holding your leg, then rubbed it. "Kiss my ass, you prude." 

Aemond laughed as he pulled out of the parking garage. "Gladly."

The Dragonpit was, as always, busy as hell.

It was a the only club in town that never had a happy hour and somehow that made people feel like it was exclusive. In reality, influencers had been paid to promote it and they’d done their jobs well. The line usually stretched around the building.

You were suspicious of the online reviews, as the music was too loud, the dance floor was cramped, and one of the two exit doors was usually blocked by commercial-sized trash bins. If you were doing audits, you'd rate this place a recipe for disaster.

If there was a plus side though, it was that your Targaryen coworkers knew the owner and could walk straight in.

The acrid smell of sweat hit you as soon as the bouncer opened the door. Aemond grabbed your hand, and you both weaved your way through the throng of bodies on the dance floor until you reached the bar.

Aemond pushed his way to the ledge while you stayed close behind him. You glanced over the crowd to look for any familiar faces. You smiled as soon as you spotted Baela deep in conversation with a tall brunette, you realized it was Cregan Stark from her department upstairs. She gave you a wave and you motioned for her to come over. 

“Drinking anything?” Your attention was brought back to Aemond, who was looking over his shoulder at you. 

You nodded your head in the affirmative. “Just some shots, you pick.”

Baela, without Cregan, embraced you with a hug. Her promotion away from your work floor had happened recently, and you were amazed she hadn’t taken over the company yet. She was a motivator for you, almost like a guide. 

“I'm so glad you two showed up! Aegon said you were probably going to bail?” She sent an odd look at Aemond and you raised your eyebrow in question.

The Targaryen male cleared his throat, pointedly ignoring his cousin. He held out a short glass filled with a clear liquid and you accepted it without hesitation, offering a smile and a polite thanks.

“Aegon doesn’t know anything.” Aemond said and you verbally agreed. “Where is he anyway?” 

Baela made an expression of disgust and gestured to the same doorway you had walked through. Aegon and the new girl were in a tight lip-lock, as if they were trying to suck the air out of each other's lungs to survive. You two had walked right past them without even noticing.

“Seven days? That’s got to be some sort of new record?” You heard Baela say. That poor, poor girl. You threw back your shot in memory of her reputation at work.

You shook your head and remarked, “It’s almost insane how he always gets what he wants.” Aemond snickered and Baela gave you a cute frown.

“Honey, he’s rich.” You laughed at Baela’s words and guessed that was the only explanation you needed. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a Stark to climb.”

Aemond drank his shot and returned both empty glasses to the bar counter, giving his cousin a dull look, "none of us need to know that."

She stuck her tongue out, as she floated back through the crowd. 

You both drained your second round of shots in one quick gulp. Your tolerance for alcohol wasn't great, but you weren't even close to being tipsy. You just felt a little more relaxed from borrowing some liquid courage.

You locked eyes with Aemond and gave him your most flirtatious look. "Should I go find something to climb?" He shifted his weight to rest an elbow on the bar, eliciting a few grumblings from the people trying to get by. 

“Let’s see what you can do.” He challenged you with a smirk that burned with mischievous fire. You met his challenge and sashayed to the edge of the dance floor, swaying your hips dangerously and capturing his full attention. He watched hungrily as you moved your body to the rhythm.

His look darkened when another man approached and tried to cut in. Aemond quickly stood and pulled you to him, possessive and protective. "Don't even think about it," he growled, his low voice washing over you like a stormy sea. “Pick someone else’s girlfriend.” The stranger quickly retreated in the face of his will.

You raised an eyebrow at him, testing the boundaries of his newfound declaration. "Girlfriend?" You said with a mischievous smirk, chin resting on his chest. "Don't you usually have to ask the girl you're claiming? We aren't living in medieval times."

Aemond looked down at you with wide eyes, searching for something in your expression that wasn't quite there. Then with a deep breath and a determined look, he asked "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

You beamed up at him and touched his cheek tenderly. "Yes," you breathed, standing on the tips of your toes to press a gentle kiss against his lips. "Absolutely."

Happy that mess had been sorted out, his grip was firm as he pulled you close and spun you around. The rhythm of the music reverberated through your body. His thumb traced your spine as his breath grazed your neck, a heat rising between you. 

It didn’t take long before you were grinding your ass into him. 

Off the dance floor, your coworkers looked on in wonder. Aegon and the new girl had joined Baela and Cregan. 

Baela let out a sharp cry of excitement. She slapped Aegon on the arm, nearly shoving him off his feet. “I called that shit! You owe me twenty dollars!” 

norinote: remember you can send me prompts from here or your own ideas! xoxo.

[cursedbag]

Author's Note: it's been about a billion years since I've written any sort of fan fiction but I saw a post that was just... inspirational (I don't remember exactly who posted it but it was for sure on Tumblr)

Anyways, warnings: 18+, minors don't interact, not proofread, afab!reader but 2nd pov used, reader is a nepo baby and not into unions, potentially degrading? Idk lmao Nanami might be a little ooc, it's been a hot minute since I read the manga

His Hard Earned Bonus

Lawyer! Nanami x CEO! Reader

Your hands gripped tightly on Nanami's hair as his tongue bullied your clit. His tongue always worked magic when you were stressed. Meetings, clients, your employees' desire to unionize, he would make those trivial problems melt away; legally and sexually.

"Nanamin~" you moaned as he tightened his grip on your thighs. He hummed in response, not pulling away to entertain anything beyond himself. His tie was thrown over his shoulder as he enjoyed his meal with messy slurps. He had your panties in his back pocket with no intention of giving them back.

Nanami was a man who always had a healthy sexual appetite. It's part of the reason why he became a lawyer. The gratification of getting his clients *exactly* what they wanted with the benefit of a solid paycheck behind it. When you first hired him, he couldn't get you out of his head. The cold glances that you'd give your subordinates, the glares you gave to your CFOs and CMOs; it made it near impossible to do his job without some sort of added benefit. Especially with how spoiled and bratty you were (on account that your father was the chairman).

Nanami loved that you were spoiled rotten; it always made his job a bit more exciting than it actually was. You could demand anything and he'd just ask for a deadline. So when the Christmas party rolled around, a well placed mistletoe was all that he needed to seduce you. Sure, there would have to be secrets for the sake of both of your careers but Nanami relished in the secret little rendezvous he planned.

"It's almost like you want to get caught," you chided with a soft moan. As if you wouldn't love something like that, to be caught with the hot blond lawyer between your legs as he feasted on you like you're the only thing he ate. You pulled at his hair, earning a groan from his lips that vibrated against your folds. Your essence dripped down his chin as he looked up at you insatiably. He pulled away, much to your dismay.

"If I wanted you to be bratty, I would have waited until I got to your penthouse," he stood up from his kneeling position, "we wouldn't want a certain chairman to find out that you're taking advantage of a lowly employee."

"As if my father would believe that. Besides, you came on to me. Metaphorically and literally," you winked as he towered over you. "plus..." your hand reached for the obvious tent growing in his pants, "you probably like that you're undermining my father's power by fucking his daughter during your lunch break."

"I think of it more as a bonus, most of the cases you ask me to cover are almost always some sort of impossible," he said before he placed a kiss on the corner of your lips.

You rolled your eyes, "well you always manage to get it done, don't you?" There you go again. Blue blooded, through and through. "Are you going to finish or...?"

"I have a meeting in ten minutes," he says with a sigh.

"... with me."

"And your father," he says as he tugged your pencil skirt to no longer be a clean sign of deviance, "wouldn't want daddy dearest to find me here alone with his CEO."

"Fine," you groaned as you leaned back on chair. You always had the most irresistible pout when you were denied what you wanted. "What about your little friend there?"

Nanami scoffed at the implication, "you were complaining about my *little* friend yesterday. I'll take care of it in the bathroom or something." You wanted to tease him for the imagery he painted in your head; His cold stoicism melting away as he fucked his fist, chasing a high that became harder and harder to satisfy on his own.

You picking up your phone and quickly dialed a number as Nanami watched you. "Hi daddy," you spoke sweetly, "I was just wondering if we could push back that meeting? I totally got food poisoning earlier and I was just about to go home." Nanami wanted to burst out laughing at your pathetic excuse, all just so that you could get your daily fuck in.

"Really? Oh thanks daddy... yes, I'll have Nanami take me home right away," you looked at him with a devious smirk before hanging up the phone.

"So I'm a personal chauffeur now?" Nanami teased as he stood by the door as you grabbed your coat, "what will my bonus be for that?"

"You act as if I didn't just do you a favor," you said as you slipped into your coat, "come on, I have to make it look at least a little believable." You leaned on his shoulder before he wrapped an arm around you and walked you to his car in the parking lot. The short walk and elevator ride felt hours long, even longer when Nanami got a call from his actual boss.

"Sir?" Nanami answered the phone, acting oblivious.

"Nanami! Would you be a pal and take my precious angel home and work from there? I'm sure they'll be so disappointed that they couldn't do work because they're a little sick," your father wasn't a successful business man because he was a smart man.

"Yes sir, I'll take them home right now," Nanami informed as he unlocked the car to let you in. You slipped into the front seat before he closed the door behind him. He hung up his phone as he entered the driver's seat.

"You know... we can't just leave right this moment," you leaned close to his ear. "Daddy will find it suspicious that you'd already have me on the road and stuff," your hot breath tempted him like no other.

"What are you suggesting?" He entertained your whims despite your recent bad behavior. You kissed his cheek as you undid his belt buckle. Nanami didn't move, not because he was particularly shocked at your choice of setting but rather to fully witness you at work. Your hand reached into his pants and wrapped itself around his dick. The warmth of your hand coupled with the sensitivity of his cock forced his head against the steering wheel as you kept a steady motion to taunt him. All Nanami could do is moan out a quiet, breathy, "fuck" and hope that you wouldn't tease him. You pulled your hand away with a mischievous giggle.

"Sorry, Nanamin," you're a liar, "we'll just have to wait until we go to the penthouse."

"...get in the back."

You laughed but it quickly faded when you looked at him again. His brows were furrowed with frustration as he removed his glasses. The green tinted glasses that once reflect you were shoved into the glove box haphazardly as Nanami motioned his head towards the backseat. You felt an unfamiliar heat rise in your chest but did as you were told and climbed into the backseat.

He starts the car wordlessly, driving out of the parking lot. You could practically hear the cogs in his brain churning as it settles to you that you pushed your luck too far. He pulled into your driveway an hour and finally looked at you.

"You think you can just toy with my cock as if it's just a plaything for you?" He climbed into the back with you, his fly and belt still undone. You didn't respond as you caught a glimpse of his tip peaking through his boxers. You bit your lip, hoping that he'll find it in his heart to forgive you and let you get a taste of the semen that stained his underwear. He sat down next to you and pulled his cock out.

"Suck."

His simple demand was listened to in full as you go on your knees and started slowly kissing his tip. Your slow tease grew impatience in Nanami as he grabbed the back of your hair and urged you to take his cock. He groaned softly as you took him in, inch by inch. You swirled your tongue and accepted the semen that had his familiar bitterness. You rubbed your thighs together but received a tug at your hair warning you not to push your luck again. You bobbed yourself up and down, looking up at him for approval as you felt yourself getting wetter and wetter.

"Just like that," he encouraged with a soft groan as he leaned his head back, "you're a good cock sucker, aren't you? Probably ruining my leather seating with how wet you are." You moved your head faster as you felt him twitch in your mouth.

"F-fuck, I'm so close," he panted, his hand following the bobbing of your head. Nanami forced your head down as he came, thick ropes of cum painted your throat white. You sat up and wiped your lip with a cocky smirk.

"You just had to have me, couldn't even wait until we were inside," you teased. Nanami glared at you as he attempted to catch his breath.

"You think you're done?"

[p-t-f-s]

everytime i make a new friend or i open up about shit it /always/ ends up at one point or another they say my life is like a tv show or i should write a book or pitch my life - like more a handful amount of times, like damn near every time i make a friend. and like. i wish they were wrong when i try to look objectively at what im telling them and not just. my life that i wake up and live and go to sleep with every day. but also like. thats also a looooooooooot of people ive met??? everyone has interesting and fun stories, but most of life is so similarly repetitive that we forget it more than we experience. also i do believe it is my autistic rizz. and ability to self sooth and parent.

[its all just personal life bitching/discussion/musings below]

anyways i wish life would be calm for like. a couple months pls. i know a year is too much to ask but literally this year has been a lot. like last year was a lot but it wasnt a fucking competition. getting my car stolen again, then losing my job in what was supposed to be my 5 year anniversary, and then finding out my uncle had stage 4 cancer. then it was spring break and i got to visit my cousing with a thankfully preplanned and prepayed vacation during the midst and height and she and her husband were like "heres our cocktail maker. get as drunk as you want" which was nice of them so i stayed tipsy half the time i was awake instead of high while in seattle. went to a wine tasting expo. got throw up drunk. my cousin was very impressed by my ability to keep my manners while drunk past my tits and wait to throw up till after id rolled the window down and stuck my head out. i was getting blackout drunk bc id apparently texted my friends i loved them which i had no recollection of doing considering my phone was actively dying while i was still only actually tipsy at that expo. i was also less stress then bc my car had been found. totalled, crashed and smashed in the front which thankfully i owed less than it was worth so they payout covered the downpayment for my new car. rip to not getting my personalized horse license plate with my name on it. then i get back home and my uncle is now dead and the whole family is in town for the funeral. its been a cascade of em for a few years now since my mom started the party back in 21.

by the viewing id started a new job for a week. close by home and only a dollar less than previously. they were asking a whole lot for shit pay in truth. and NOW. I FIND OUT THE JOB I STARTED WHILE TAKING A FRAUD ACCOUNTING CLASS. MIGHT BE VICTIM TO FRAUD. POSSIBLY SINCE INCEPTION AND IN THE MOST TERRIBLY HORRIBLY OBVIOUS WAY THAT JUST KEPT SLOWLY AND SLOWLY GETTING PEELED AND REVEALED. I love it when the head of one department tells me hes in cahoots with the head of another dpt and a few workers from their and others about the terrible company shit they found and are kinda looking at other jobs. ofc he did say that after i said to his face that i was spending a bit every morning applying to other jobs after learning of the possible fraud VIA OUR """CONSULTING CFO""" having been previously convicted of fraud. twice. over a decade between convictions. were getting drinks later this week for him to tell me everything else hes found and lurked about in the system. and how no one understands what accounting is or does or how i actually spend half or most of my day playing solitaire or watching anime. bc they want me to be a controller but are calling and paying me at the clerk level. so thats what they get. i love the phrase act your wage.

theres still so many other things that have happened this year too that i still havent mentioned. like the moon hole. passive aggressive fighting with my upstairs neighbor who said i was "delusional and fucking hallucinating" bc i said he stomps in the middle of the night. and literally as i typed that there he went above my head at. ah. 10:58 pm. since my second talking to him in march i know ive not been the only one to talk to him about his shaking the goddamn foundations of the building or waking the toddler constantly in the apartment next to his, diagonal from mine. the surprise birthday party my friends threw for me after literally freightening me when i came home with surprise and each giving me different hearfelt and attentive gifts of all my different interests. weekly dinners with my dad on the same days he was court ordered to have my older siblings and i during the week as he lives 10 minutes away taking care of our grandfather. hes the only reason i get updates on my older sisters life as she blocked me on all social media and cut me from her life before our mothers death for our differing political beliefs. infighting truly is the death of leftists as out beliefs were always closer together than to that of our very republican parents. but im also not an american government shoe loving authority cuck like most the rest of em. "you know what its like to be a minority bc you were a literal minority of being white kids going to a majority black school in the city." to my fucking FACE. not only is that incredibly dismissive on so many levels but like with how LEGITIMATELY my siblings took and NOODED THEIR HEADS?????? TO IT. truly fiction is a joke compared to life.

anyways this is the most any of you will ever get from me here on tumblr in months, good luck to any of my followers seeing this who were unaware i am a person and wassup to my mutuals entirely unaware of my life and smooches to my dear dear friends who are all very aware of all of this. everyone else. idgaf, this was for me to vent and proclaim. bc i lay down in my bed with my cat looking very disappointed that im not asleep despite how late it is and i have to go to sleep keeping all of that with me for the rest of my life. oh it may not stay close, it may not be completely there by the end, but i know i will always be aware even more so than before when i was living out of my car, of what i keep in and am willing to leave in and with it. I have somehow kept that cute little cactus my friend gave my for my birthday alive still, i now have a whole wall of plants that ive kept alive for over a year, and i plant to keep that as long as I can. I have presents and gifts and memories that i plan to look fondly on tomorrow and the day after and the day after that and so on. afterall. I need to check on my plants and water them, and feed my cat. everyday a tragedy happens and still i must feed my cat. my mother was dying, and still i had to feed my cat. was she suffering? no, she was not even there anymore to be suffering and still i must go home and feed my cat and sleep and wake up and there is my cat to welcome my mornings after guarding my nights, a clear agreement that she must be fed once pleased with her pettings. my elder sister blocked me and cut me from her life before our mothers death and even during she did not change, strong in her stance and belief not even grief would change or ease her foundations. nor would my grief stop my cat from being fed. every day i wake and sleep with all these things and one day my cat will die. and i will grieve. and it will not be her that gets me through it, but she will never be parted from me again. i will wake up and make the same sleepy motions that indicate her morning ritual that will not be performed. my day will be as different and as same as it was before. i will sleep and i will wake with it all and i will meet someone new and tell them the first time i really got into energy drinks was after getting a whole case for being a smartass at 7am to emergency driving instructors. that i only started drinking coffee bc a boy who liked me worked at starbucks and so gave me a large giftcard and an in to getting my first job at starbucks. you never know why or how somethings started.

[steamishot]

end of sept

i'm home for 3 weeks; work has been more interesting so far. with my new position, i'm exposed to and working with more higher ups. it makes me feel like my voice matters a bit more and that my work is meaningful. this past week, we had a meeting with the vice dean about the VCP population. i've been having more interactions with our CAO, and will also be working more closely with my previous boss, HR director, CFO, and other managers. i'm getting exposed to those with 100K-500K salaries. with the promotion/new title and also more experience under my belt, i've been feeling like a more valuable member of our department and overall more confident. i think others find me approachable (at least via email) because i have a record of being responsive and getting work done.

september might have been the most social our calendar has ever been on the east coast. we hung out with K&M, R&T, S&I and G. it sucks that covid and residency were a big hamper on growing a social life for us, but i'm glad it's finally happening after 3 years

we're getting closer with S&I; they invited us on an overnight snowboarding trip this winter. this past time when we hung out, I drove us around NJ and we had two meals together that day. it was the second time that month that we had 8+ hour hangouts with friends haha

G finally met matt, and i'm happy that they got along and were comfortable with each other. during residency and the transition to attendinghood, it was always a little nervewracking for me to introduce matt to people because his social battery and overall energy level were always very low. there were more times than not where he would make a not so good impression.

it's like we're leaving the cocoon phase (hardcore working) and we are growing ourselves and our social circle 🥹

job interview: the job hunt in CA has been a touchy topic for us. i can't help but to view this as how much he cares about me, and he can't help but to feel this pressure from me to accept a job sooner than later. earlier this month, he had rejected an offer from USC arcadia because it was open ICU.

redlands: matt had an in person interview at a different redlands site, they offered the job to him that same day, and had an official offer call yesterday. from what we know about the job, it has pretty high potential to be selected - at least this is what i think now. the salary and benefits are great, the work condition seems manageable, and there is open ICU only 4 weeks of the year. the major downside outside of open ICU is that it does not offer PSLF and it is a non-academic center (no resident assistance)

regarding job selection, i decided that matt should have 80% of the say. i'm trying my best to stay neutral and not affect his decision making until he has thought through it himself without my bias. for this reason, we have not yet discussed this opportunity in depth. logistically, it would be easier if he also weren't working a week of 12 hour shifts. we plan on making a pros and cons list and having a discussion in a few days from now. he'll need to have an answer by next wednesday.

my thoughts: i thought redlands would be too far, but after coming back to LA this time around, i even felt it was too dense here with all the traffic! i'm almost seeking a retreat out in a quiet town further away after living in constant stimulation in nyc. away from traffic and people. location wise, we would be able to afford a spacious 2-bedroom, and have access to big bear, joshua tree, and other national parks. at this point, i really don't mind and maybe even prefer not living near downtown LA.

[hranugrah]

job offers near me

job offers near me

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[sunibasblockindustry]

Block Industry near me - What You Should Know

The digital transformation of the information technology sector is now well-advanced. As a result, businesses are facing new competition, new challenges, and a changing market that favors innovative solutions. To stay competitive in this rapidly changing world, businesses need to make the most of their current size, resources, and competitive advantage. In fact, it's not enough to have a great brand and an extraordinary product; you need to find ways to grow your business with every step you take so that you continue to employ your best employees, and produce the best products and services at the lowest cost. Your business should also be able to benefit from the benefits of having patents for life; this means that your company has the ability to protect your intellectual property (IP) so that others do not copy it. This protects consumers from unfair substitutes; this is more important than ever these days as supply chains are increasingly reliant on technology. So what kind of people should you avoid if you can help them?

What kind of people should you avoid if you can help them?

Incorrectly refers to a company that is too big to ignore. In these situations, the CEO must take a strategic approach to the business and make sure that it's not being neglected. The CFO must be the highest-ranking advisor to the CEO in the organization. The CIO must have full authority to issue orders for the business. The rest of the team members should be focused on doing their jobs and protecting the company's interests.

Some companies are too big to ignore

Although the notion of having too big a business is not new, it is becoming more apparent with the advent of the internet and business transformation. According to research, if you want to be taken seriously as an entrepreneur, you need to be a company with a real estate business - not an internet company. Some of the biggest names in technology, including Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Twitter, are too big to ignore. These companies have a huge reach in the developing world and are experiencing a growth spurt. These companies also have an opportunity to benefit from the changing strategy of the Block Industry near me as more countries are now using the internet for everything from healthcare to education and more.

Internet platforms must be reliable

In an era of increasingly digital products, businesses are relying more and more on the internet to support their products and services. This includes e-commerce, e-banking, e-commerce2, and more. While online platforms have grown in use, the real estate industry has been largely neglected. There is a chance this is changing soon as more companies are entering the market with the goal of capturing a large portion of the growing market of residential mortgages. There must be a clear line between operating a business and operating an internet platform. A business should not accept any payments that would require the customer to give their personal information to a third party. This would include sensitive information like financial information, health information, or medical records. A residential mortgage loan application should be signed off on by a third party.

Your company culture must be top-notch

To be successful in digital transformation, a company must have both a culture of excellence and a team-first attitude. This can be difficult to maintain when the business is a small business and has only recently been able to break into the big leagues of the corporate world. The ideal organization is one that has been around for a long time, is well-established in Block Industry near me, and is well-respected by its peers. Any changes that are necessary for your business to adapt to changing times will have to come from above. The top-down nature of corporate leadership is slowly losing its appeal in our times. The executives who run companies these days are often determined by one objective or another. The success of the company is determined more by how well it performs on the naturally occurring and artificial turf of the CEO than in the strategic directions that were once the exclusive preserve of CFOs and CIOs.

You need to supply our customers with the best technology possible

Manufacturers and marketers of all sizes are now looking at the world of digital advertising as an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage. Digital advertising can take many forms; online ads, mobile ads, brochures, webinars, and videos. Ads can be distributed in many different forms including print, online, and mobile. As more companies start to look at digital advertising as an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage, they should be mindful of the fact that their products would not be available without the use of digital technologies. Customers expect both high-quality and affordable digital advertising. They also expect digital advertising to be delivered in a timely fashion.

Bottom line

The Block Industry near me sector is now well-advanced. As a result, businesses are facing new competition, new challenges, and a changing market that favors innovative solutions. To stay competitive in this rapidly changing world, businesses need to make the most of their current size, resources, and competitive advantage. In fact, it's not enough to have a great brand and an extraordinary product; you need to find ways to grow your business with every step you take so that you continue to employ your best employees, and produce the best products and services at the lowest cost. Your business should also be able to benefit from the benefits of having patents for life; this means that your company has the ability to protect your intellectual property (IP) so that others do not copy it. This protects consumers from unfair substitutes; this is more important than ever these days as supply chains are increasingly reliant on technology. So what kind of people should you avoid if you can help them?

[backspacingmyself]

08/07/2022, 16.17pm

Some people truly have it all

[winterscaptain]

a kindness.

Aaron Hotchner x Gender Neutral Reader a joyful future fic

a/n: it is loving megan kane hours!! i’ve been working on this one for a while and i am so excited to share it with you!! we have ajf!pleasure is my business at last! as always, tell me what you think!! i adore your feedback. also, if you’re thinking ‘what the hell, tali! why am i missing from the tag list?????’ it’s because i redid it! the link to the form is below.

words: 4.8k warnings: language, canon-typical death, canon-typical discussion of sex work

summary: “i believe that sex is one of the most beautiful, natural, wholesome things that money can buy.” ― steve martin. au!february 2009

a joyful future masterlist | ajf faq | taglist | what do you want to see next?

You rap twice on the office door before pushing it open with your fingertips, peering inside while ready to retreat at a moment’s notice.

There’s no need. Aaron’s alone. 

“You’re here early,” he says, his eyes still on his paperwork. 

You snort. “So are you.” 

He looks at you over his nose. “Can I help you with something?”

Sitting down opposite him at his desk, you prop your chin on your hands and grin at him. “You stole my line.” 

“Get out of my office.” 

Your smile stays plastered on your face as you stand and cross the room, closing the door behind you. On your way out, you catch the ghost of his smile. 

+++

You watch Hotch leave the bullpen, his go-bag slung over his shoulder. 

“Where you headed?” You ask, looking up. You’re still the only one in the bullpen, taking a few consults off your teammates’ hands by typing up quick briefs they can review without going through every single comma in the file. 

He sighs. “Dallas.”

Yikes. 

“By yourself?”

He sighs. “Standby - not sure what’s going on yet. Can you -” He gestures to the hallway behind you.  

You nod and stand. “Yeah. Fly safe.” 

After you watch him leave, you turn and make a beeline for JJ’s office. She’s here early, too - pushing away the separation anxiety by diving into work. 

“Jayje?” 

She looks away from her computer, looking exhausted. “Yeah?” 

“Hotch just left for Dallas - we might have a case there, but it didn’t sound like something that would come across your desk.” 

She squints. “Why d’you say that?” 

“He had that look on his face like he was going into a room full of lawyers.” 

+++

You lean forward, jamming yourself into the circle around the table with the rest of your team. Hotch, on the other end of the line, sounds oddly well-rested. 

Spencer, as usual, gives you the history and textbook briefing before you get to the actual case. “Female serial killers are a fascinating field. We don't have much information on them, but what we do know involves throwing the rules completely out the window. Signature, for instance. They don't torture or take trophies.” 

“Because there’s no sexual gratification when a woman kills,” Derek adds. 

Looks like we’re all getting in on the pre-brief today. 

“Exactly. Murder is the goal. They don't have to do anything extra.” 

That makes you laugh a little. “So, basically, women are more efficient at killing?” 

Spencer shrugs. “Historically, they’ve had body counts in the hundreds.” 

Hotch, of course, is the one to get you all back on track. “So, assuming that the job is the stressor, what are some of the reasons prostitutes kill their customers?”

Derek, of course, is the first to follow. “Money, drugs, post-traumatic stress disorder…”

The team bounces for a moment, covering previous cases of serial killers with a history of sex work. Emily brings up Allison Wuornos, but Aaron shuts it down. He thinks this killer is organized, not so much driven by trauma or need but the mission itself. 

Spencer looks at the medical examiner’s reports again, comparing notes between the victims. “She’s using tetra-methylene-disulfotetramine.” 

You don’t look up from the same report. “Bless you.” 

Emily snorts. 

Spencer continues, unperturbed. “It’s a popular rat poison in China - easily soluble in alcohol.” 

“Poison is the perfect M.O.,” Dave notes. “Quiet, quick, and the victims never see it coming because they think they’re getting lucky.” He turns back toward the phone. “Does that mean something to you?” 

“Well, at $10,000 a night, these men are paying for discretion as well as sex.” 

Fair point.

“She has a history with them. They see her repeatedly.” 

You look over at Dave, trying to find the thread that connects Aaron’s thought to his.

Before you can really get to it yourself, Aaron spells it out for you. “She didn't decide to kill them in the moment. She walks in with the intent to kill them and she's doing it before she sleeps with them.” 

There we go. 

“So she's not just organized,” you add. “She's also methodical. Could she be parsing out which clients are worth killing and which aren’t?” 

“Maybe the victims all share the same fetish?” Emily offers. 

Derek shrugs, his eyebrows raised in thoughtful agreement. “Both victims were in their fifties, highly visible. Careful about their image. I mean, if they were kinky in the same way, they'd go to great lengths to hide it.” 

“And we're facing a corporate culture that'll do everything it can to keep us out.”

There’s the exhaustion I’m used to from Hotch. 

He sounds weird without it. 

“Actually,” JJ says, “I had some luck there. Hoyt Ashford's wife isn't too happy with how he died. But because every silver lining has a dark cloud, the hedge fund released a statement.” 

JJ pulls the statement from her file and reads aloud: “Ashford died peacefully in his home, according to lawyer David Madison.” She puts it down again. “They're already trying to close ranks.” 

Spencer frowns. “Does that language sound familiar to anyone else?” 

“What do you mean?” You ask. 

“The press release from the first victim.” He recalls, not needing the paper itself. “‘According to company lawyer, Stanton died peacefully in his home.’” 

Hotch begins to make assignments, directing Emily and Derek to the wife of the second victim. JJ’s tasked with the lawyers and you’re tasked with setup at the precinct with Spencer and Dave. When he’s done, you pick your phone up from the table, taking him off speaker. 

“What are you gonna do?” You ask.

Hotch snorts. “I’m gonna see which of the lawyers calls us back and in the meantime, see what I can get out of anyone else.” 

“Good luck.” 

+++

You’re up in your hotel room, getting a little bit settled and unpacked when you get a call to your cell. 

“Hey, Hotch.” 

There’s a sigh. “We got another body.” 

“I’ll meet you downstairs in five.” 

+++

You hop out of the car, following Aaron through the service entrance and up the back hallways to the lobby. Between your travel from your room and Aaron’s wrap-up in his, Derek and Dave beat you to the scene. 

Hotch is wearing that coat - your favorite, the one he’s apparently had for years - with the red lining and the soft wool exterior. It so rarely sees the field anymore you were afraid he’d done away with it, but every time you remember it exists and worry about its whereabouts, he brings it out again. 

Derek hands you a notebook when you reach him. You settle near Dave for the rest of the info. He, of course, delivers. 

“Victim was Joseph Fielding. He was the CFO here.” 

You frown. “Poisoned? Like the others?” 

“And staged,” Derek says. “She killed him in his office and then rolled him out here to be found.” 

“The lipstick's new,” you muse, circling the body in the elevator. “Done postmortem, it looks like.” You find Derek’s eyes with a little frown. “Reid said female serial killers don't leave a signature. I think she did that just for us. She's already exposed him at his most vulnerable.”

He hums. “Now she wants to be noticed.”

There’s some kind of scuffle at the police line - another man in a suit who thinks he’s more important than God. 

Hopefully he’s looking for Hotch. 

“Which one of you is Aaron Hotchner?” 

Ugh. Good. 

You step back and point at Aaron, getting out of his way as he shoves past the crime scene techs. 

Aaron turns. “I'm Hotchner.” 

“Larry Bartlett.” The man holds out his hand, but Aaron doesn’t take it. He retracts his hand with an unperturbed tilt of his head. “I represent Mr. Fielding in Webster Industries. 

Hotch, as usual, has no time for his bullshit. “This is a closed crime scene, Mr. Bartlett.” 

My lawyer could kick your lawyer’s ass. 

That’s a good bumper sticker. 

You shake off your thought and return to the victim, directing one of the younger crime scene techs. After a moment, you return to Derek’s side. 

“Yes. I spoke to Ellen Daniels.” This clown still sounds far too confident for his own good. “She said you're a very... reasonable man.” 

“Escort him out, please.”

You stifle a laugh. 

“No, wait. Please.” The lawyer - Mr. Bartlett - shrugs off the security team and chases after Hotch on his way to your side.  

Aaron stops, but looks inconvenienced in the extreme. 

“The press is outside and they can smell blood. Any way we can handle this discreetly?” 

“We're not about to lie for you.” Derek’s even less amused than Aaron, if that’s even possible. 

Aaron squints at the other lawyer, and you find it nearly impossible to tear your gaze from the little pinch at the corners of his brown eyes. 

You can only imagine him behind a prosecutor’s bench, laying into witnesses with the same deadpan amusement - like a bored cat with a half-dead mouse. Hoping to back him up a little bit, you get a little closer, looking skeptically at the lawyer from over Aaron’s shoulder. 

“You don't have to lie,” Mr. Bartlett insists, his eyes flickering to you. “Just don't comment.” 

“Excuse us.” He takes you by the shoulder and leads the three of you into a huddle. 

“Is there any reason to go public yet?” Aaron asks. 

Dave wavers. “Validating her is exactly what she wants.”

“If we hold back, she's more likely to make a mistake,” Derek says. 

You raise your eyebrows, looking over your shoulder for a moment. “He doesn't need to know that.” 

Hotch’s mouth twitches, and you know it’s almost a smile. He turns over his shoulder, back in game mode as he approaches Bartlett again. “We need everything you have on Fielding. Bank accounts, tax records, emails, everything.” 

+++

“Eighteen cars, six houses, and three boats.” Spencer rattles off the numbers with only the barest hint of shock in his voice. 

Your brow pinches and you look up. “Can you even boat in Dallas?” 

“You know, when you're talking about that much money, ten grand for a call girl is like deciding where to go for dinner.” 

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience, Em,” you laugh. 

She rolls her eyes, still pinning photos to the board. “Yeah, right. My mom had a pretty cushy gig with her postings, but we were never that well-off. But...” She looks over her shoulder, “I’m sure Rossi would know a little something about that.”  

Before you can all get too out of control, Hotch reaches over you to connect to Garcia on the speakerphone. “Are you there, Garcia?” 

“Affirmative.” 

JJ flags him down. “I have half a million over here for something called the Bat Cave...” 

It really takes everything in you not to laugh. 

“...and here's a picture of him as fetish Batman. That is… wrong.” 

Emily pulls a face. 

“Is there anything this guy didn't like to spend money on?” Spencer asks.  

“Yeah,” Aaron replies. “His ex-wives. Fielding was married four times. He didn't have prenups for the first two, but he did everything he could to cut them off anyway.” 

You lean forward, trying to see the paper in his hands. “Are there children involved?” 

“Yes, with three of the wives.” He hands it over to you and looks at Emily. “Hoyt Ashford was married a few times, too, wasn't he?” 

She nods in the affirmative. 

“You know, considering that when Kevin takes me to dinner and a movie, he defaults on his student loans, this amount of money is sick.” 

Tell me about it, Pen. 

Emily sounds resigned. “What did you find?” 

Garcia outlines a series of bitter court battles about child support, alimony, custody, etc. “And even when the court ruled in the wife’s favor - which was almost always - these three charmers just, you know, decided not to pay.” 

Hotch asks for a cross-checked list of high-profile Dallas CEOs holding out on their ex-wives, and you figure it’s not a short one. 

“One loaded losers list, Dallas edition, comin' at ya. Penelope out.” 

The line goes dead and Aaron turns off the speaker.  

“So,” Aaron leans heavily on the table. “Why would a prominent businessman who could easily pay child support refuse to?” 

Spencer obliges. “For this type of overachieving personality, paying money after the marriage ends probably offends him.” 

“They're spending tens of thousands on an escort, but they won't drop a dime on their wife and kids? That's cold.” JJ shakes her head and looks over at Hotch, seeking an answer. 

“Narcissistic, self-absorbed, a pathological avoidance of paternal responsibilities.” 

There’s an odd kind of look that passes over Aaron’s face as he speaks, and you pin it for later. You can already tell he’s falling into a headspace that’s fraught with comparison and self-loathing. 

They bounce around for a moment while you keep your eyes on Aaron. 

“Well,” JJ brings you back. “Should I assemble the police for a profile?” 

Your mouth twists. “I just don't think it's gonna help.”

“She lives in a completely different world than they do,” Aaron adds. 

“And,” Emily pipes up, “the CEOs who sleep with her won't admit to it.” 

JJ snorts. “Like I couldn't even get past the team of lawyers protecting them.” 

“What if we give the profile to the corporate lawyers?” Aaron stands straight, his hands resting on his hips. “They've cleaned up after her, even if they don't realize that they've seen this woman.” 

“Why would they go for that?” You ask. 

“Because she's putting them at risk, too.”

Your phone rings and you answer as you always do, chirping your last name into the receiver without really looking too closely at the caller ID. 

“Hey, it’s me.”

You nod once to your team as you step out of earshot. “Hey, Haley.”

“I can’t get a hold of Aaron. Is everything alright?” She’s beyond surprise or concern at this point. You’re sure you could tell her Aaron’s been shot in the head and she’d probably just hum at you. 

“Yeah,” you say with a sigh. “Things are crazy and there are lawyers all wrapped up in this. Are you alright?”

“Jack’s got a fever - I just wanted to let Aaron know I’m taking him in to get checked out. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll let him know. Give Jack a big kiss from me and I’ll do my best to get us all home quickly and in one piece.” 

She laughs a little into the phone. “Thanks. Will do. Talk soon.” 

You hang up and return to the table, shooting Hotch a significant look. He nods and pulls you aside. 

“What’s up?” 

“Jack has a fever - Haley just wanted me to let you know she’s taking him to the pediatrician to get him all checked out, just in case. I told her we’d all do our best to get home soon.” 

Aaron sighs and flips his phone in his hand. “I’ll call her now…”

“No need. She knows this is a tough one and you’re getting your money’s worth out of your JD this week.” 

When he starts to walk away, you call his name again. He turns. 

“You know - um.” You wet your lips and swallow. “You’re not like these guys. You know that, right? You’re a great dad.” 

His face lifts in surprise for a fraction of a second before he recovers. 

“Thank you,” He says. “Really.”

You offer him a crooked smile. “Anytime.”

+++

Hotch stops you all before you enter the conference room, full to the brim with suits and pantsuits. “Let me lead on this one. I’ve handled corporate lawyers like this before and they can smell blood.” He snorts. “This time, it’s their own.” 

You and Derek raise your hands in simultaneous and identical postures of surrender. 

“Have at it,” you say, falling into line behind Aaron. “Corporate lawyers scare the fuck out of me.” 

+++

“Hey, Prentiss. Got a whip?” Derek holds the leather outfit to Emily’s shoulders and she laughs. 

“Yeah, right.” 

You fondly roll your eyes at them and continue following off Aaron’s right shoulder. The two of you reach the bookshelf - an impressive glass case that runs from the floor to the ceiling. 

 Aaron’s gloved finger opens the case and runs over some of the spines. “Antique first editions on the bookshelves.” 

Rossi quips something about porn in the DVD player while Spencer espouses about the merits of a disposable, adaptable lifestyle in this line of work. 

“Well, these aren't just for show,” Aaron says. “The spines are cracked. Somebody's read these.” 

You peer over his shoulder. “Who reads Voltaire in French?” 

“Someone with good taste. Probably well-educated…”

You pick up where he trails off. “We profiled that she learned to fake privilege. What if she's not faking it?” 

“You're saying maybe she came from money the whole time?” 

You shrug. “It’s a possibility, at least.” 

Just then, the apartment phone rings. 

“Prentiss should answer,” Aaron says. “If it's a customer, she'll get more information out of them.” 

You hum, hedging your bets a little. ‘Unless she's calling in for her messages.” 

Too late. Derek’s already on the phone with Penelope. “Yeah, Baby Girl, we're getting a call to this line. Can you work some magic?” 

“I don't have a trap-and-trace in place yet. Give me a few. I'm gonna stay on the line.” 

Aaron gives her the go-ahead. “Prentiss, get ready to vamp.” 

The voicemail picks it up before Emily can so much as reach for the phone. 

“Hi, it's me. You know what to do.” Beep. 

“...Aaron.” 

You turn your head so fast you throw your neck out. You raise a hand to the crick and work it with your fingers. Aaron’s too busy frowning at the phone to notice. 

“I know you're up there. Pick up… Aaron Hotchner... Hello?” She drags out her words, almost flirting with everyone listening. 

With a sigh, Aaron pushes past the rest of you, silently counts to three, and picks up the phone while Emily clicks the speakerphone button. 

“I'm at a disadvantage. You seem to know my name, But I don't know yours. Can we start there?” 

Nice start. 

The game has begun. 

“I thought I could trust you, Aaron.”

What? 

The pinch between his brows deepens. “Who says you can't?” 

“I want to. I even looked you up online. Is that strange?”

Yes.  

“No.” Aaron wets his lips and begins to pace, the gears whirring in his head. “It's flattering to be noticed by a woman like you.” 

The woman continues as if he hasn’t said anything at all. “And I thought you were so... upstanding. I watched the presentation you gave on school shootings. I found it posted on YouTube...” 

She has good taste. That’s an excellent presentation. 

“...And for a moment, I actually thought there were still good people in the world.” 

“But I've disappointed you, haven't I?” He asks. “Just like all the other men in your life Who've walked out on their families, Who deserve to be punished.” 

“Did you walk out on your family?” 

His eyes flicker to you and you nod, nearly imperceptibly, reminding him he’s not alone. “No. My wife left me.” 

“Do you have kids?” 

“I have a son.” 

A sweet, thoughtful, perfect son. 

You smile a little, thinking of Jack, but it disappears when you remember that he’s home sick with Haley, probably having a miserable time. 

“How often do you see him?” She asks. 

 “I try to see him every week.” 

“Do you see him every week?” The question is mocking, smothered in dark amusement that could almost be called sarcasm save for its bitterness.  

“No,” Aaron’s eyes fall to the floor. “No, I don't get there as often as I want.” 

“I believe you.” Her response is softer, and you think she might make a decent profiler if she wasn’t on the other side. 

She is a profiler. 

In some ways, you suppose it’s true. She has to read and respond to everything her clients do, say, how they behave. It makes her good at her job and you good at yours. 

Same skillset, very different application. 

“But don't compare yourself to the men I see,” she continues. “You are nothing like them. You're just another whore.” 

Never in my life did I ever think I’d hear someone call Aaron Hotchner a whore. Unironically. 

That catches everyone’s attention, even Derek’s, still on hold with Penelope. 

“How am I a whore?” He asks. 

“You come when called. You do their bidding. In hotels you take the side elevator to avoid crowds, while the men who pay your salary walk across the ivory marble foyer into their cars.” 

Derek, behind you, presses. “Garcia.” 

You can hear her, faintly. “I'm in on the landline. Triangulating the cell. Give me like sixty seconds.” 

You gesture to Aaron when he looks. Keep going. 

He nods. “But I'm just frustrating you, aren't I?” 

She sighs, sounding a little impatient for the first time. “What do you mean?” 

“Well, you want to show the world all these bad men and my investigation's just getting in your way.” 

“No, Aaron.” You almost startle, her tone escalating to a deeply frustrated shout. “You're not doing your job! You don't want to arrest me, you don't want me in custody because you're in their pocket.” 

She’s crying now, actively. “You just want me to disappear, just like they do.” 

“Truthfully, I'm only interested in finding you.” 

Now that’s a tone you recognize - you’ve heard it when he talks to Haley. Most recently, when he couldn’t make it to some appointment or another. It’s one that’s disarming in the extreme, soft, but not condescending. 

“You've been betrayed so many times, You don't know who to trust, And that's why that first murder felt so good. But each one since has been less and less satisfying. You know that's going to continue.” He pauses, letting his words sink in. “Am I right?” 

Just like Haley always does, the woman loses steam, sniffling once before answering. “Yeah.”

“Come to me and turn yourself in. I will make sure that you get the help you need. I won't let you disappear.” 

“If we met under different circumstances... I could believe that. I won't let you cover this up.” 

A gunshot rings through the line and you flinch, turning to Derek just as the line goes dead. You know Penelope will have something for you soon. 

She never fails, directing you to an address only moments after the elevator doors close in front of the team. 

+++

Once you found Megan Kane, it was easy enough to find her father. 

You could empathize with her mission well enough after meeting him. He’s shrouded by his lawyers - detached and seemingly indifferent to anything Aaron had to say. 

Aaron starts the car and you settle back into the seat. “So, the wall of lawyers strikes again.” 

A shadow of a smile ghosts around the creases at the corners of his eyes. “So it seems.” 

“What’s next?” 

“We tail him - home and office. He’ll meet with her soon enough.” 

Your brow furrows. “Not to protect her, right? It doesn’t seem like he cares that much.” 

Aaron turns, placing his hand on the back of your seat as he pulls out of the parking spot. You’re momentarily distracted as he turns back, spinning the wheel with the heel of his hand and gunning it out of the garage. 

Focus. 

“No,” he says. “Think about it.” 

It comes to you only seconds later. “To protect himself.” 

“There you go.” He turns to you, another little smile threatening. “You’re getting pretty good at this.” 

You roll your eyes. “I’ve been here over a year, Hotch. I’d fucking hope so.” 

You’re rewarded with a real smile, and it’s enough. 

+++

You take Derek’s six through the hotel, clearing the floors and reporting back to the rest of the team. SWAT is in full deployment, clearing the hard-to-reach areas like the stairways and rooftops, just in case. 

Aaron catches up to you, taking the four o’clock position off your left shoulder as Derek breaches the door. 

The gun and chilled champagne sit like ironic centerpieces on the entry table, but they hardly use any of your bandwidth as you clear the room, your vision narrowed by the sight of your service weapon. 

You hold a hand up when you catch the figure on the balcony. “Hotch.” 

He squints, and you move to raise your gun again and make the arrest, but he stops you with a hand over yours. “Easy.” 

There’s a question in your eyes. 

He, of course, answers it. “She knows it’s over.” 

Just then, she places an empty champagne glass on the table where you can see it. 

“I’ll call 911,” Derek says, stepping out and closing the door behind him. 

You turn to leave with Derek, but catch Aaron’s open hand, subtly signaling you from just under his hip.  

Stay here. It says. Stay close. 

So, you stay. You lean on the far wall of the hotel room, watching Aaron hold the hand of this dying, hurting woman. They’re speaking softly, and she smiles at him when she drops something into his hand. His eyes are soft, gentle, not even searching. Just warm. 

You feel for her. 

It’s the best way to go, you think. If there was ever a time you were dying before your time, you’d want Aaron there, holding your hand, telling you he was going to continue the work that killed you, that it was gonna be okay. 

“How could your wife have ever left someone like you?” You hear her ask. 

As much as you love Haley, the same question often floats through your head, and your heart aches for this woman who’s been able to see Aaron so clearly, even if she’s only seeing him for the first time now. 

“You’re the first man I’ve ever met who hasn’t let me down.” 

You creep forward, further into Aaron’s eyeline, and sit on the edge of the couch. She’s close to her last breath and you can feel it - so can Aaron. His eyes flicker to you for a moment before returning to her. 

Megan’s voice is full of tears when she asks, “Will you stay with me?” 

You have a feeling it isn’t the first time she’s asked the question and you find yourself hoping Emily will be particularly rough with the handcuffs when she apprehends Mr. Kane. Hopefully he didn’t make it past the checkpoint and is still on-site.  

“Yes.” Aaron is solemn, so sincere, so genuine it makes your heart ache. 

“Promise?” 

“I promise.” 

You’re not even sure he realizes it, but he’s doing her a great kindness - one that many would not offer. 

It’s because he is good.

A good man. 

The tension drains out of her, and she grips tightly to Aaron’s hand as she fights through her final breaths. His hands are gentle, his attention only on her. He looks more like a father in this moment than any other time you’ve known him. She’s safe. She knows she can die in peace. 

Once more, you hope you have the opportunity to leave this plane of reality in such safety, when your time comes. 

When she’s gone, he places her hand in her lap and takes a moment to brush the hair off of her face, pressing the back of his fingers to her temple as if checking her for fever. 

After a minute or so, he turns to you, and you hope the pride and respect coursing through you is evident in your gaze. You pull an evidence bag out of your pocket, but he shakes his head, pocketing the SIM card. 

You rise as he gets closer, returning the evidence bag to your pocket. He’s clearly affected, tears threatening at the corners of his eyes. 

Opening your arms to him, he wilts into you, allowing you to gather him into your shoulder. His arms are loose around your waist, his fingers wrapped around his opposite wrist as an anchor. It’s a rare moment of vulnerability and you’d hate to make him feel anything less than safe. 

You still have a minute or so before they all come stomping through the door to collect Megan’s body. 

“I’m sorry, Hotch.” 

He shrugs. “I don’t know why this one hurts.”

Your arms tighten around him. “It’s okay. I feel it, too.” 

A deep, shaky breath rolls through him. 

“She’s right, you know.” You almost regret your words, afraid you’re giving yourself away. 

“What?”

“You didn’t let her down. You’re a good man.” 

His jaw tightens, and you can feel it against your neck where his head falls into your shoulder. 

“Oh, stop. You’ve never let me down.” Your hand reaches up, stroking the back of his head, carding your fingers through the hair. “She died knowing you kept your promise.” 

+++

You look up to Aaron’s office when news of the leak breaks, finding his silhouette haunting the window, staring at the television. 

A ghost of a smile crosses his face, and he turns back to his desk, settling back down to work. 

+++

tagging:  @aaronhotchnerr @ambicaos @angelsbabey @arganfics @averyhotchner @bwbatta @capricorngf @cevanswhre @crazyshannonigans @criminalsmarts @deagibs @forgottenword @genevievedarcygrangerwriting @hotchsflower @hotchslatte @hurricanejjareau @joanofarkansass @kelstark @kerrswriting @little-blue-fishie @lotties-journey-abroad @mandylove1000 @missdowntonabbey @mrs-dr-reid @pan-pride-12 @popped-weasels @quillvine @qvid-pro-qvo @reidingmelodies @reids-mismatchedsocks @roses-and-grasses @shesbiochem4 @ssahotchnerr @ssaic-jareau @ssareidbby @starsandasteroids @stxrrywildflower @sunflowersandotherthings @sunshine-em @teamhappyme @this-broken-band-girl @ughitsbaby @unicorn-bitch @venusbarnes @violet-amxthyst @word-scribbless @writefasttalkevenfaster @zizzlekwum @iconicc @avatarkorraswife @mooneylupinblack @ssworldofsw @nuvoleincielo @kaemarie23 @violentvulgarvolatile @abschaffer2 @ellyhotchner @rousethemouse @baumarvel @reidtomestyles @dreamsonthewall @jhiddles03 @willlemonheadsupremacy @infinity1321 @messyhairday-me

[rjhpandapaws]

Bad to Work With

Ch 1: Never the Same One Twice

Gavin liked to joke that he had bad luck, but this was something else entirely. He had done a very ill timed walk of shame this morning from one of his best hookups in recent history; and was running late. He had gone home, cleaned up quickly, and gotten changed. Running late was usually the worst of it, but apparently karma had it out for him, because on the elevator ride up to the business floor, his company from the night before stepped into the elevator. “Good morning Gavin.” Richard said with a coy smile, his steel blue eyes were alight with amusement, “If I had known we were both headed to the same place I would have given you a ride.” There were several reasons Gavin should have kept his mouth shut, not the least of which being that Richard was technically his boss. That being said, Gavin wasn’t particularly known for his sense of self preservation, “You were hardly inclines to let me out of bed when I told you I had work, so forgive me if I doubt that.” Richard rolled his eyes and leaned into Gavin’s personal space a little more and spoke in that same low purr that had gotten Gavin into this mess, “I certainly didn’t hear you complaining this morning.” “Well I’m complaining now.” Gavin huffed trying to step away and only serving to back himself into the corner of the elevator, “Because you couldn’t keep your fucking hands to yourself I have to suffer through breakroom coffee.”

“How tragic.” Richard said in a dry tone that made it clear he couldn’t possibly care less, “Give me another night and I’ll make coffee in the morning.” Gavin hesitated. It was only a few moments, but he was aware of it, and because of that he found it safe to assume Richard had been too. “No.” He said less firmly than he would have liked, “I don’t do that sort of thing.” He ducked under Richard’s arm when he heard the elevator chime. He felt the weight of those steel blue eyes on his back even after the elevator doors had closed. Sure, Richard had been one of his better nights, but he didn’t do repeats and he wasn’t going to start now. The flash of hurt in those usually composed blue eyes had been brief enough that he could pretend he hadn’t seen it. The regret of it still lingered though. This is why he didn’t do repeats, if you came back feelings got involved. Or in this case,  if you saw each other in the elevator feelings got involved. Gavin swung by the breakroom for some coffee. He was in his own head as he made it. He’d just had a night with one of his bosses, there was bound to be consequences for that. Especially if he wasn’t careful. Richard didn’t seem the type for revenge, but Gavin didn’t want to take that chance. He was going to do his job and do it well; and more importantly he wasn’t going to fall back into bed with Richard no matter how tempting the thought was. Once good night was enough.

He got settled in at his desk drank from the poor excuse for coffee, and got to work. For now there was no reason to worry, it had only been one night and he wasn’t feeling anything. Nothing more than the ghost of a touch and the memory of how he had chased it. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, he didn’t do repeats and he wasn’t about to start now. He took another drink if his coffee, which didn’t help his mood, and typed on his keyboard with enough force that one might have believed it had personally wronged him. It took time, but eventually his work pulled him in. It was monotonous and easy, but there was enough of it to keep his mind from wandering too far. What ultimately pulled him away was his need for a cigarette. He hadn’t gotten a chance to smoke last night because he had been a little distracted; and he hadn’t had time this morning. It was getting distracting. In the back of his mind he could hear Tina nagging at him to quit. He saved what he had been working on and stood from his desk, he made sure his lighter and cigarettes were still in his jacket pocket and made his way toward the bank of elevators. He’d have a smoke or two, then come back inside and have some more coffee. Then maybe he would be able to concentrate. He hit the call button for the elevator and waited. He was giving Richard more thought than the night deserved. He would like to believe that he was hung up on the fact that they were coworkers, but it was more than that and he knew it. In the elevator he had almost said yes. He’d had to put thought into saying no and that had been a first.

He huffed out an annoyed sigh and stepped into the elevator that had opened, he was alone for now. The whole point of this break was to get Richard out of his head. He was tempted to light a cigarette in the elevator to chase these thoughts away with nicotine. He knew better though and didn’t, he could make it outside. He stepped into the lobby and waved to Stephanie as he passed the main desk to get to the side door. He leaned against the wall with a content sigh and pulled the box of cigarettes and his lighter from his pocket. He pressed the cigarette to his lips and lit it. He tipped his head back and let out the smoke watching it curl away into nothing. He had a moment to himself and planned to use it to try and sort out his thoughts. What was it about Richard that pulled him in? What was it that was keeping him so close? Why had he hesitated when Richard had brought up going home with him again? Gavin knew the answer to at least one of those, it was because Richard at least seemed to care. It had been a long while since any one had even pretended that much and it had been nice. It was the only thing he could think of that was worth being hung up on. At least it was the one he was willing to admit to, the rest was too close to digging up things he had reasons to keep buried. He had his reasons for not sticking around. He didn’t even normally stay the night, but he and Richard hadn’t been able to keep apart. There had to be a reason for that.

“It doesn’t fucking matter.” He snapped at the open air as he tapped the ash from his cigarette. He was thinking about him so much that he couldn’t even enjoy his fucking smoke break. He took another drag and did what he could to stop that particular train of thought. His mind had other plans. It played shadows of Richard’s touch over his body again. He had been firm with his intentions but not rough. He had known what Gavin had been chasing and gave it to him. It had been different. That was why he was stuck. It hadn’t been the quick, drunk, and desperate that he was used to. He groaned and snuffed out his cigarette, this clearly wasn’t going to help him. “Can’t even fucking smoke in peace because of that bastard.” He threw away the cigarette butt and made his way back inside. He was going to make the strongest coffee he could manage with what they had in the break room, finish his work, and then go get waisted. He was going to take someone home and he was not going to think about Richard. He was going to do what he did best; bury the problem and chase distractions until it went away. Cleo had taken over for Stephanie at the front desk and Gavin waved to him as he passed on his way to the bank of elevators. He hit the call button and pulled out his phone. He pulled up one of his hook up apps then closed it and put his phone away. He didn’t want a date, he wanted something without pretense. No familiarity and a small chance of ever crossing paths again.

The elevator at the far end of the bank opened up and a few people filed out of it. They were probably off to lunch. Gavin stepped into the elevator after they had left. He hit the button for the eleventh floor and leaned back against the wall. Ha had company for a couple of floors, but they seemed to notice that he wasn’t in the mood to make conversation and kept quiet. Once he was back on his floor he swung by the break room to make himself more coffee. With the strong coffee in hand he made his way back to his desk to find a cup from a cafe near the office that he definitely hadn’t stopped by. There was a sticky note on the lid. He sighed and sat down. He set the cup he had made by his monitor and took the sticky note off the other one and read it.

Sorry about your coffee Gavin. -Richard

Beneath that was Richard’s number. Gavin bit back a groan, apparently there was no escaping this man. He put the sticky note in his desk drawer with plans to throw it away later. Free coffee wasn’t something he was about to turn down. It was the overly flavored shit, but he would suffer through it. He finished both coffees before his work day ended. He made plans to meet Tina at their usual bar. He had blue eyes and sensual touches to drown with bad beer and cheap shots. If he thought about Richard he was going to make a mistake; assuming he hadn’t already.

“So you slept with your boss?” Tina asked once they were situated. “One of them, the CFO.” Gavin said, staring into his beer glass as though it held all the answers and to avoid the delight he knew was shining in her eyes. “And you didn’t notice this before?” She pressed, clearly hell bent on making him miserable. “I was drunk, and he’s very different outside of work Tina.” He said with a sigh that sounded a little to close to wistful for his liking, “I didn’t have to tell him anything, he seemed to just know.” “Okay so I have a couple more questions.” She continued, “You admit he’s one of the better ones and you still won’t stay?” She held up her hand to stop Gavin’s argument, “You plan to get over drunkenly sleeping with one of your bosses by getting drunk and sleeping with someone else?” “That’s the plan.” Gavin remarked, “I don’t want to take that risk. You know how last time went.” Tina didn’t respond, well not verbally at least, but her eyes said she didn’t believe him. She might have been right; but like with most other things, it would be Future Gavin’s problem. Tonight was about drinking to forget old mistakes, and to potentially make new ones. Worse ones. So long as he didn’t fall together with Richard again he would be fine. He split his time between drinking and dancing. Moving from stranger to stranger in search of someone that would help him forget. He knew he probably wouldn’t find what he was looking for, but he was determined to try. Even if it was just for show at this point. Gavin Reed didn’t fall in love and he wasn’t about to start now. He wasn’t ready.

[xpeachesncream]

acquainted | three

summary: the biggest goal of a grad student is to get through school in one piece - no petty drama involved, no sweating over the little things. however, that plan almost always never follows through. sometimes, you can’t help but fall into the most unthinkable, unexpected traps and learn the hard way. like, exhibit a: being unable to resist your engaged, substitute teacher, kim seokjin.

pairing: (2nd bts member to be revealed later on) x reader x engaged!teacher!seokjin

genre: grad school au, student life au | fluff, angst, smut (to come)

words: 2.0k

warnings: hoe-ish thoughts / implied sexual content, cussing, mentions of death/car accident, your friends being extra like always

notes: flashback scene towards the last half of the chapter. start and end of flashback will be indicated!

tags: @laurynne5​, @yiyi4657​, @bluesharksandfish​, @miinoongi​ @teamtardis-notdead​ (pls msg me if you would like to be added to the taglist!)

It was a cold morning, with the wind slowly picking up, bringing the clouds over from across the bay. You grabbed yourself a cup of coffee and sat on a table near the food cart on campus, finishing up your last items on your to-do list for work. You didn't wanna sit in the office for remainder of the day, and luckily, your job gave you that flexibility. You rubbed your hands together, hoping it could provide some relief to the cold taking over. You were too lazy to make your move at this point, and Mr. Kim's [or shall we say Jin since we aren't in a classroom right now] class wasn't too far away from where you were sitting. It'd be an easy, breezy walk.

Your brain felt foggy; even though you didn't have much left on your to-do list, you couldn't seem to focus and you knew why. Chance's death anniversary was coming up, and it was always something you dreaded. You wish you could skip the day and continue on with the week without having to revisit shit like this. Your friends are your biggest support systems, but they too, have their own lives to tend to. And as much as they tried to physically be there for you, sometimes it just didn't end up happening that way.

"Miss Y/N, are you doing alright?" You looked up to see Jin standing in front of you, a concerned expression plastered on his face while he held his cup of coffee.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Just spaced out trying to get things done for work."

"No need to apologize. I feel that, 100%." He chuckled. "Mind if I sit for a minute?" You shook your head and moved your things closer to you so he had some room for himself. "Glad to see you got home in one piece."

"Sure did." You smiled at him, tilting your head slightly to get a good look at his handsome ass face while he brings up his foot to rest on his knee. Honest question: is it ever too early for hoe thoughts to make an appearance?

Did I put on deodorant today?

"You work nearby?" He sipped on his coffee and glanced at you.

"Yeah, I work for a cloud-based software company as a project manager. Sometimes, I'll help chime in with graphic design projects too, if I'm not too swamped." He nodded.

"That's pretty amazing."

"What about you? I assume this isn't your only gig." He chuckled.

"You're right, it's not. I, uh-" He paused. "I'm a CFO for a tech company in the city." Your eyes widened. Handsome, and a fucking boss? You have got to be kidding me.

"W-wow. Holy shit." You quickly shook your head and shut your eyes in embarrassment. "Sorry, holy crap." You corrected your previous statement.

"Y/N, I don't care if you cuss." He laughed. "I'm a 30 year old man who still finds the need to slip it in between every other word when I'm not in class."

"Sorry, just— holy fuck. I wasn't really expecting that, but good on you!"

"What do I look like to you? Honest question."

"Oh, I mean. I just thought you worked in business or something like that. As someone important, but not that important. I-I mean—"You sighed and pursed your lips into a fine line. "You know what I mean, I hope."

"I think I do, don't worry." He smiled, feeling slightly amused with how cute you were acting.

"You must be really busy all the time."

"Mm, no actually. I do have quite a few meetings and deadlines to reach but other than that, it's not too bad." You rested your chin on the palm of your hand. "Are you from here?"

"I am, born and raised. Are you?" He shook his head and slightly pouted.

"I moved here a couple of years ago from Seattle when my fiancé Grace started to get serious about her cooking. She wanted to open her first restaurant here."

"Oh, that's neat. She's a chef?" Stupid question, but you weren't sure how else to keep the conversation going about his soon-to-be wifey.

"Yep. She's a wonder woman, for sure." He pauses to sip more of his coffee. "Do you have family members that live around here?"

"Yeah I do, my parents live about 30 minutes away from here. I go and visit them when I can. But sometimes, I get too occupied with work and school that I just long for time to myself. Being 25, you'd think I could handle more but I'm still learning how to balance my time, I guess." He nods. He's a little relieved to hear you aren't that far off in age, to be honest. He wasn't sure if he was being weird harmlessly getting to know his students. He genuinely wanted to build relationships with them so they didn't think he was a professor they couldn't turn to. However, when it came to you, he couldn't help but feel slightly captivated. He was impressed with the way you carried yourself, down to how you'd participate in class and how you didn't come off like a student who hated every fucking professor they came across in their academic career. He appreciated the tiny details. "Not gonna lie though, I do get a little homesick whenever I don't get to visit for awhile, even though they don't live far. Truly makes me appreciate having my friends around."

"Ryujin, Taehyung and Jimin? No siblings?" He asks. Impressive. He paid attention.  Although, it's definitely not hard to figure out when you four were constantly [for the most part] stuck at the hip.

"Yup, those punks. I'm the only child so they've become family to me." You smiled hearing your friends' names. They honestly meant the world to you, and you weren't sure where you'd be without them.

"That's sweet. It's good to have people like that on your side of the court."

There was silence for a moment, with Jin looking at you over the rim of his cup, while you tried your hardest to keep yourself together. You felt the heat radiating throughout your body the longer you kept your gaze on him, the tension slightly building. You were a little relieved he didn't bounce the question back about your love life or anything regarding the matter. You almost feel guilty that you're digging pretty deeply into this situation yet again, but you felt comfortable with the way the conversation was going and the energy he was exuding.

"I, um--" You pause as you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. He keeps the same gaze on you, almost like he's trying to figure out what you'll say next by reading you and your body language. "I hope--"

"Y/N!" You hear Taehyung's deep ass voice yell for you from behind. "Oh fuck, sorry dude. Am I interrupting something?" To be quite frank, you were happy Taehyung interrupted when he did because you were just about to tell Jin how good he looked, respectfully, of course. You were going to keep it PG and comment on the tie he was wearing and how the pattern complimented him and the rest of his outfit.

"No, not at all." Jin chuckles. "We were just wrapping up, I have to get going." He stands and smiles at the both of you. "See you both in class soon."

"Peace out, Mr. Kim." Taehyung throws up the peace sign like a dumbass as you both watch him take his exit and walk towards his classroom.

"Peace out, Mr. Kim? Really, Tae?"

"I mean, he seems cool enough for me to do that, don't you think?" You shake your head and continue finishing up your work on your work laptop. "What was that about? Are you in trouble already? What'd you do?"

"Why do you have like, so much fucking energy right now?"

"I downed two redbulls before I got here."

"You're an idiot."

"Me and Jimin were up all night hunting."

"I stand corrected— you both are idiots." Taehyung clicks his tongue before raising his eyebrow, manspreading and leaning back into the chair.

"So, what was that really about?"

"We just had a chat!"

"Sure. You both were definitely eye-fucking each other. It was weird to walk into."

"Not everyone is like you, trying to fuck everything they see." You rolled your eyes. "He had just sat here for a minute and we talked about work and where we were from."

"Okay." He snorts and shrugs.

"You're being so dramatic. It was harmless."

"Definitely looked otherwise."

"You weren't even here for the majority of our conversation?"

"Didn't have to be, sweetheart." He winked, playfully caressing your chin. "Your secret is safe with me."

"You are so full of shit. I don't know how I've dealt with you for so long."

"Who's so full of shit?" Ryujin comes strolling along, with a tired Jimin who was sipping on an iced americano. He wore a cap and sunglasses with sweats and a fitted crewneck, looking like he just rolled the fuck out of bed.

"Taehyung, who else?" You both stood up to start slowly walking towards Mr. Kim's classroom. "Are you okay, Chim?" You asked, genuinely worried about him, but also trying to change the subject.

"Tired. Just tired." He shakes his head, lowering his the brim of his cap even more. "This dumbass kept messing up our hunt last night."

"I didn't mess anything up, you just weren't clear on the directions." Jimin smacked him upside the head. "And Y/N's just mad I caught her and Mr. Kim on a date." Ryujin gasped, while Jimin choked on his iced americano and coughed trying to get himself together.

"Excuse me, come again?" Ryujin squeezes your arm, causing you to slightly wince in pain before you can shake her off.

"Tae, really?" You rolled your eyes. "It wasn't a date! He just sat with me for a minute and we talked for a little bit. That's literally it."

"You forgot the part where you both were eye-fucking each other when I came along."

"What the fuck is even going on right now?" Jimin finally chimed in, making you sigh deeply.

"We were not!" You pushed Tae. "You're such an instigator."

"First, helping you with your groceries, now this? I didn't think you had it in you, girl! Actually pursuing an engaged professor." Ryujin joked, making herself laugh out loud. Jimin is now walking alongside of you, while Taehyung throws his arms around both you and Ryujin, swinging his big ass head back and forth between the both of you.

"He helped you with groceries last night? What?" Jimin is honestly so confused and is unable to keep up with the chaotic conversation.

"Look, I just ran into him at Trader Joes and he offered to bring my groceries to my car since it was getting late. And today, we just ended up talking for a little bit. That's it. Can we drop this?"

"Mr. Kim has the hots for Y/N!" Ryujin teased.

"That's it. I'm going to find new friends." You shrugged. "Unbelievable." Did they not listen to one word you just said?

"You should go for it and have fun." Taehyung winked.

"No, no. She shouldn't go for him or do anything." Jimin states loud and clear, making sure he grabs both Ryujin and Taehyung's attention by waving his hand in the air.

"Ah, come on Chim, it's just a little fun."

"Ry." Jimin says sternly.

"Okay, kidding." She rolls her eyes.

"This is getting so out of hand." You say as you all approached the door to Mr. Kim's classroom.

"Hey Mr. Kim." Ryujin waved her hand playfully, followed by Jimin and Taehyung who simply nodded and gave him a toothless smile. He happily returns her greeting, then flashes a small smirk as you pass him while arranging the papers on the front desk.

"Hmph." Ryujin smirks. "Told you so." You roll your eyes.

Chance's death anniversary arrives quicker than you'd like, causing you to pick yourself up and force yourself to get on with the day whether you like it or not. After work, you quickly visited his grave at the cemetery, balling your eyes out as you spend quite awhile sitting in silence, staring at his photo on the tombstone. Every memory, every good and bad moment that you shared with Chance flashed right before your eyes.

It was irreplaceable.

[ start flashback ]

"So, who would you want next to you if the end of the world was coming?"  You kept your gaze on the 'List of questions to ask your significant other' photo on your phone.

"What kind of morbid question is that?" Chance laughed as he continued to hug you tightly while you laid on his chest. "You, of course."

"Aw, thanks bebe. Same here."

"Are there any happy questions in there?" He scrolled down the list. "Like this one - what's the cutest thing your partner has ever done for you?"

"When we had dinner on a boat and you sang to me and everyone else having dinner." You laughed.

"Yeah, that was pretty cute wasn't it?"

"Shut up." You playfully covered his mouth. "Your turn."

"The cutest thing you've done? I don't know sweetheart, you've done a ton of cute things. I'd have to say you waking up next to me. It reminds me how real you are." You smiled and pecked him on the lips.

"I love you, chance."

"I love you too." He says almost at a whisper while caressing your chin. He was pulled out of the moment when his phone rang. "Ayo." He says. You watch as his facial expression changes. "For fuck's sake man, alright. Hang tight, I'll be there. Yo, don't be stupid and drive home drunk. I'm about to leave, okay? Your ass better be there by the time I get there." He sighed as he hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?"

"Josh is drunk as hell. I'm gonna go pick him up before he does something stupid."

"Can't he find a ride there?"

"Everybody left him. I can't just leave him there."

"I know, but--"

"It's gonna be fine, okay baby? I promise. I'll be back before you know it."

"Alright." You sighed. "Be safe, please."

"I will."

[ end flashback ]

When you finally arrived at school, you checked out your appearance to make sure you looked decent enough to get through class. You were hoping your psychology classes would go by quickly, just so you could get out of there and feel less suffocated.

"I'm sorry I can't come over." Ryujin pulls you into a tight hug and caresses your back. She had planned to spend time with you, but her sister called her last minute to ask if she could babysit her niece until late night. "But let me know if you need me, okay? I don't care if it's 1AM, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Same. I'll do what I can to get out of this family thing." Jimin gives your arm a gentle squeeze. Jimin's family was visiting from Korea on a whim, so he had been pulled into some family festivities for the evening.

"Look, you guys. I'll be fine, okay? Don't worry about me. You know I love you both no matter what, do what you need to do."

"I'll text you when I'm on my way?" Taehyung is the only one who is able to spend time with you tonight, after he helps his younger brother with a project. You simply nodded before you split ways with your group and headed for the library. You were going to stick around and do some work at the library until Taehyung was free because there was no way you were going to go home alone, feeling the way you were feeling. You weren't going to get anything done, and you weren't going to have the energy to pull yourself together.

Today was heavy.

The library wasn't any better for you because your thoughts seemed to be louder in such a huge, quiet space. You were looking at the clock time and time again, hoping Taehyung would text you, letting you know he'd be on his way with tons of dessert and wine. Just cause that's what you wanted, right at this moment.

You sighed and cracked your neck from side to side, getting yourself into Steph Curry "Lock in" mode so you can push through your assignments that needed to get done. But, it just didn't happen that way. You were becoming frustrated and restless, so you quickly packed up your things and shoved them into your bag before walking out. The campus was lit with street lights, with barely any students walking around. It felt a little eery, but the walk to the lot wasn't too bad being that the garage was well-lit, with security guards on every level. You felt your phone buzz in your pocket, causing you to try and reach for it even though you were hauling the rest of the books that didn't fit in your bag. Next thing you knew, you had your phone, but your books had fallen to the floor, the papers stuffed in them falling out and getting wet from the wet grass next to the concrete walkway.

"Fuck!" You groaned to yourself as you quickly glanced at Taehyung's 'be there in about 30 minutes or so' text and bent down to pick up your mess. You really had no reason to cry over this shit, but all of the pent up frustration and emotions you had been feeling today pushed you over the edge. You aggressively wiped your tears away as you stuffed your wet papers back into the books and stacked them on top of each other.

"Y/N?" You look up to see Jin, tears still falling from your eyes. "Are you alright?" He bends down to help you gather your books, towering over you as he gathers the majority of your things.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you." You slyly wiped your tears once more as you grabbed the books from him.

"Hey." He placed his hand out to prevent you from walking any further. You look up at him, watching as he dips his head down to examine your face, your eyes still wet and glossy from the tears. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Look, I'm fine and I don't wanna take time away--"

"You clearly aren't." His expression fills with worry. "And you aren't going to be taking time out of my evening." He finishes your statement for you. You sigh and close your eyes as your head dips lowly.

"It's just been a tough day, that's all."

"Let's talk about it." You look up at him as he nods for you to follow him to a bench near the parking garage. "Come on. I really won't forgive myself if I went home without trying to help." You silently follow him and place your things down before sitting. He sits next to you, with enough space placed between your position and his. "What's on your mind, Y/N?"

"Um." You pause and look at him. "On this day 3 years ago, I lost the love of my life to a car accident." You wiped your tears in between words. Jin's expression softened as he watched you break down in front of him, his heart breaking seeing you in pain like this. He wanted to do everything in his power to comfort you, hoping it would relieve some of the pain even though he knew it was something that would forever be embedded in you. But if he could provide any relief, then that would make him feel a little better.

[ start flashback ]

"It's been close to two hours, where the hell is he?" You said as you looked at your phone, sitting on the couch as you, Ryujin, Taehyung and Jimin watched a movie. Suddenly, breaking news flashed through the screen, cutting the movie to another commercial break earlier than expected.

"Breaking news - a white Lexus sports car and a Ford truck were involved in a head-on collision early this morning on Highway 101."

"O-oh my god." Ryujin says, as they look at the totaled cars. The Lexus was completely sandwiched at the median, while the truck was wrecked, but still stood in one piece off to the side.

"T-that's Chance's car." You said as you put your drink down on the coffee table to take a closer look at the car.

"Y/N, I'm sure Chance is fine and is on his way back." Taehyung chimed in from behind you.

"N-no." You stuttered, the feeling of despair in the pit of your stomach growing bigger by the minute. "N-no, I know his car."

"We might just be overthinking this." Jimin says, gently grabbing your wrist to pull you back down onto the couch, but you continued to stand.

"There was said to be one intoxicated passenger in the white Lexus, who is in critical condition and is being taken to the nearby trauma center. The driver of the truck was also intoxicated and injured, but is expected to survive. However, the driver of the white Lexus was pronounced dead at the scene." All of a sudden, you felt weak and dizzy because you just knew. You knew Chance wasn't okay, and you knew he wasn't on his way back to you. Soon after the news announcement, loud knocks came at the door. You looked back at your friends before making your way to the door, revealing two police officers standing before you. At this point, you felt like your entire life had been sucked out of you as you fell onto the floor, crying loudly while your friends tried their best to comfort you and speak to the officers for you. All you could remember hearing was the "i'm sorry's" from both police officers before everything turned into white noise. Everything felt numb.

[ end flashback ]

"I am so sorry, Y/N. I know my apologies are going to do much to ease the pain, but please know that I'm here for you whenever you need someone to talk to. I wanna do what I can to provide some relief." Is all Jin says as you continue to divulge about that night's details.

"You know," You looked up at the moon. "It's been 3 years, but it feels like it just happened yesterday. The pain always feels so fresh and it still feels so painful to think about it. It used to make me question why I was so deserving to continue living my life. I'm not an angel, I haven't been perfect. You know? Yet, someone who was so close to perfect, someone who was always so selfless and never hesitated to put others before himself was taken away from this world so easily? How did Josh survive, but Chance didn't? He was just going to help his friend out because he didn't want anything to happen to him, yet he ended up getting the short end of the stick. I was so mad." You shook your head. "I was so mad at Josh for awhile. I never understood and I still don't. I still don't fucking understand this." Your tears fell as you looked back at Jin.

"I can only imagine. There's things we'll never understand and quite frankly, it fucking sucks. But, I really don't want you to beat yourself up over this. I'm sure Chance wouldn't want you to, either. A lot of things happen for a reason, whether we like it or not, and it's hard to look at it in a different perspective. He's still with you, all the time. You're strong, and he knows this."

"I just don't know how I did this without him. It hurts so bad."

"I know, and it's okay to let yourself ride it out. Don't try and suppress the feelings just because you feel the need to act strong. If you don't let yourself process these feelings, it'll never get easier. It's okay to not be okay." He nods reassuringly. You smile at him toothlessly before sighing and getting yourself together. Although it had been quite the day, you felt a little relieved being able to talk to Jin about what's been going on. You felt a little more put together than you did earlier in the day and that's all that mattered. Baby steps.

"Is it okay if I give you a hug?" You asked shyly. You didn't know how else you could thank him for listening to you. You were sure he had tons of things on his plate, yet he still took time to sit with you out in the cold just to make sure you were okay. He chuckles and stands, his arms wide open, ready to envelope you. You wrap your arms around his torso, taking in his scent and breathing him in. He gently rubs your back before you pull away and smile up at him.

"I'll take a hug any day."

"I hope Grace won't be upset with you for coming home a little later than expected."

"She'll be fine. She's at the restaurant working late." His lips were pulled together in a fine line.

"Thank you again." You pull out your phone to check the time. 30 minutes from the last time Taehyung texted you was almost up, so you felt the need to get going sooner than later.

"It's not a problem." He puts his hand out, signaling for your phone. "Do me a favor and just let me when you get home, though? I'd feel better knowing you're safe and sound." You nod and hand him your phone. You knew you couldn't get wrapped up in whatever this was, no matter how flattered you were from the attention you were getting from him. He was still engaged, and he was still planning a life with Grace. The last thing you wanted to do was ruin that for someone genuine like Jin.

But God, was he making it difficult for you.

"I can do that."

"Thanks." He smiles toothlessly at you. "If you're ever in need of company or someone to talk to, don't hesitate to let me know. I'll be there in a heartbeat."

"Okay." You grabbed your things before walking away. Jin stood there, watching you walk deeper into the garage, feeling good about having been there at the right time. Something as simple as the hug you gave him had his thoughts running wild, just feeling your touch and your body against his. Albeit, it could be the lack of attention between him and Grace causing him to feel this way, but it was enticing all at the same time.

You were enticing.

And he could pick up on your little habits that made him want to know more. The way you'd look at him inside and outside of class. The way you always dressed so nicely when you had to take his class. The way you passed closely to the front desk, allowing him to take in your scent. The way you and your friends acted around him, knowing they were teasing you.

He knew, and he also knew what he was doing when he put his number in your phone.

He gets home and just as he mentions, Grace is still out at the restaurant working late. He kicks his shoes off to the side and heats up some leftovers to eat before retreating up to the master bedroom to call it a night early. As he's getting out of his clothes from today and heading into the shower, he notices his phone vibrating on the bathroom countertop, signaling a text.

[unknown number] 9:37pm: Hi, I'm safe and sound at home. :)

He smiles to himself before responding and heading into the shower.

[jin] 9:38pm: :) Goodnight Y/N, see you tomorrow.

[prettytragcdies]

It’s me. Hi. My name is Laura, and I prefer she/her pronouns. I’m currently located in the CST, and this blog is filled with a wide array of muses from various tiny fandoms. It also doubles as a Linda Gray and Emma Samms appreciation blog, but I digress.

Please enjoy your stay, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask away! I promise that I’m about as intimidating as a newborn puppy. With that being said, here are a few links to get you started. Welcome to my blog.

Guidelines || Muses || Memes || Navigation

My discord and various other social media accounts are available upon request. As for where else to find me over here, please see below.

Scarlett Ewing || Lauren Colby || Madison Kovac || Personal Blog || Resource Blog

Mini muse blurbs under the cut, just in case you want information without having to check out my messy, temporary biography page. Hope this helps entice you to write with me!

Meagan Maynard is the daughter of Captain Elaine Maynard. She's never met her biological father and thinks of Detective Lou Ransone as the closest thing she'll ever have to one. She had a near death experience while at the pier with her best friend during the tsunami, and it led her to make the decision to become a therapist who specializes in helping first responders one day. She's currently a sophomore at UCLA.

Amanda Ryder is the former sister-in-law of Judd Ryder. She divorced Judd's eldest brother in a very chaotic and messy fashion, and despite all of their endless drama, her ex-husband is still attempting to win her back. She's never held an actual job before, and her divorce settlement has fortunately kept her in the comfortable lifestyle she's grown very much accustomed to over the years.

Merritt Brady is the daughter of Lt. Jessica Brady, and she’s currently in college at NYU. She’s a work in progress until season 24 starts and I have more information to work with.

Katherine MacKenzie is the daughter of Mack and Karen MacKenzie. She grew up on a cul de sac in a suburb of Los Angeles, but once she decided to become a doctor, she was eventually matched at MED in Chicago, Illinois. Katherine walks the fine line between tomboy and girly girl. She’s very down to earth and sweet, at least until you attempt to mess with the people she loves most anyway. As a teenager, she worked as an assistant in her father’s law office.

Alexandra Dexter is the daughter of Dex Dexter and Sable Colby. She currently owns the Colby Collection gallery that she inherited from her mother. She's also a socialite and sits on the board of various charities throughout Los Angeles. She enjoys all things art ( including painting ) and often attends auctions in New York to purchase more ( as well as shop ). She prides herself on being very articulate and refined. In her One Chicago verse, all of this takes place in Chicago, rather than Los Angeles.

Krystina Carrington is the daughter of Blake Carrington and Krystle Carrington. She's currently the CFO of her father's company, Denver Carrington. She also had a heart transplant when she was only four years old, so she's still managing that on a daily basis, although nine times out of ten, she appears perfectly normal from the outside. She's very down-to-earth and kindhearted, unless you're her niece, Lauren, and you're both after the same son of the governor of Colorado. In her One Chicago verse, all of this takes place in Chicago, rather than Denver, and her family's company is instead called Carrington Enterprises.

Margaret Nash is the sister-in-law of Captain Bobby Nash. She is married to his brother, Raymund. She’s a mother to their children and an English teacher at a local high school. She’s still a work in progress, so patience is a virtue. Thank you.

Information about my remaining canon characters can be found in a quick online search. A biography for Lauren can be found on her blog, and a biography for Scarlett can be found on her own blog as well. As for my soap opera characters, there's too many plot twists to get into for a list of mini blurbs like this, so please see the messy, temporary biographies page for more information about that particular group. As for Bryannah, she's still very much a work in progress.