#got the ticket for Christmas and thought I was going alone

[osamusriceballs]

Just bought tickets for a fall out boy concert in Berlin next week- it‘s literally on the other side of Germany, and I will spend 18 hours on the bus in total, but worth it 😭😭💖

[janeyseymour]

I Hate You, I Love You- part 2

Part 1.

Summary: You swallow your pride and ask Melissa to do you the favor of a lifetime.

WC: ~2.5k

Monday morning comes all too soon for you. Today is the day that you have to swallow all of your pride and your hatred for the redheaded woman and all but beg her to pretend to be your faux girlfriend for the holidays.

You’re sitting at your desk trying to grade the last few spelling tests you skipped out on over the weekend when you hear her make her way in, keys jingling and boots clanking against the tile loudly. God- you do not want to do this. But it’s now, or it’s in the staff lounge with everybody watching and listening in. So, you stand from your desk, run your fingers through your hair nervously, and make your way over to her door.

Her back is turned to you, she’s leaning over to put her bags on the ground, and… damn. Her figure is insane. You take a few silent moments to appreciate it without her being aware that you’re there. Quietly, you knock on her doorframe and lean against it, arms crossed over your chest. Are you pushing your breasts up just the slightest bit? Maybe. If you have to swallow your pride and nearly die of embarrassment, you might as well look hot doing it.

She turns just her top half, still leaning over, and you have the perfect view of her… Shit. Stop looking. 

“What could you possibly need right now?” She huffs out. “It’s freakin’ Monday at 7:30.”

You harden at the greeting she’s given you. “Trust me,” you roll your eyes. “I don’t wanna be here anymore than you do. But, I got to talk to you. Alone.”

“Oh?” The redhead raises her brow and sits in her seat before looking at you confused. “Come to finally tell me that you’re-”

“I need a favor,” you sigh. “Like, a really big one.”

“I can’t get you outta a ticket,” Melissa snorts. “You know that.”

“I don’t need that. I need… I need you to…” Just fucking say it. “I need you to pretend to my girlfriend over the holidays.”

Her jaw drops. It’s clear that’s not what she was expecting you to say in the slightest. “What?”

“I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend over the holidays, and before you shoot me down, at least let me give you the sob story and think about it. Please?”

She begins howling with laughter. “Sure, let’s hear it.”

You explain what had happened on Saturday, and you hate the way that she’s getting such pleasure out of your misfortune. “And they all mentioned something about it yesterday as I was leaving too, so I know I can’t get out of embarrassment either way- having you there somehow seems like the better option.”

“Why’d you say my name?” your colleague asks, and it’s clear she genuinely wants to know. But then she gives you that ridiculous smirk again. “Is it because you know I’m the hottest person you could think of?”

“Please,” you snort. “I was going through the list of single people I knew in my head, and I knew I couldn’t say someone that my mom already knew… unfortunately, your name came out of my mouth before I could stop it. And now they know what you look like, so it’s not like I can ask anyone else to pretend to be you. But you wish I thought you were hot.”

That’s a bluff. You think she’s hot as hell, but she can’t know that. And what you don’t know is that Melissa wishes you didn’t hate her the way that you do, and she wishes that she didn’t have to pretend to hate you to get your attention. 

“What’s in it for me?” she chooses to ask.

You roll your eyes. “My mom’s cooking, and you get out of having to deal with Kristen Marie on Christmas.”

“And…?”

“A hundred bucks.”

“A hundred bucks a day.”

“No way.”

“How many days are we talkin’?”

“Probably the weekend,” you sigh. “That’s three hundred bucks and an hour car ride there and back; usually stay with them during the holidays so I don’t have to drive back and forth, and if I don’t, they’ll know something’s up.”

“Three hundred bucks,” Melissa states again. She knows she won’t take your money, but she wants to see how desperate you are.

You groan. “Fine.”

“And then what are you gonna tell them after?”

“That we broke up,” you tell her as if it’s obvious. “Trust me. This is just going to be a weekend thing, and then I’ll only have to talk to you at work.”

“Fine. Don’t go fallin’ in love with me, babe,” the redhead winks at you.

You absolutely despise the way that the red creeps into your cheeks. “Don’t worry. That’s the last thing I’ll be doing.”

As the holiday season approaches, your mother continues to pester you about bringing your ‘girlfriend’ around before the actual holiday. Luckily, you can use the excuse that you are extremely busy with your students, as is Melissa. It’s not a lie- you feel like you’re drowning this year. You know your colleague isn’t fairing much better with her students.

But the Friday before winter break starts, exactly a week before you have to make your way back to your parents house, you step into Melissa’s room again early in the morning.

“Come over tonight. We need to figure out all of the details of our relationship so we don’t flop in front of my family next week,” you tell the redhead.

Melissa shakes her head though. “You come to me. Ain’t no way I’m goin’ to your place and eating takeout when I can just make us dinner.”

“Fine.”

“Six. Bring wine.”

After a long day of school with children all too eager to be done for the week, they’re sent home, and you’re able to leave the school for the weekend. You’re looking forward to the last few days of teaching before the break and then Christmas break itself… until you remember that you have to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after with Melissa. God, this is going to suck.

Still, you’re caught in your web of lies, and you know you can’t back out now- not this late in the game. So, at six o’clock, you’re on Melissa’s front stoop, knocking with a few bottles of wine in hand.

When the redhead opens the door, you hate yourself for ogling her. She’s standing there in a tank top and sweatpants, hair knotted up in a messy bun, and covered in flour. “Jesus. I said a bottle, not three.”

“Well, I didn’t know what you liked, and we’re gonna have to be drunk to make this work,” you shrug.

“Red,” is all she says as she steps out of the way to let you in. “Don’t forget that for when you’re getting me wine at your parents.”

You make a mental note of that, and then you make your way in. “I hate you.”

“I know,” is all Melissa responds with. “But it wasn’t me who said we were dating, now was it?”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.” Green eyes bore into your own for a few seconds, clearly challenging you.

You just set your things down on her counter with a scowl. 

As much as you hate to say it, her cooking is delightful. The wine pairs well with the food. And you aren’t complaining about the view. Melissa looks… she’s hot as fucking hell, and you’ve caught yourself staring at her rack quite a few times during dinner.

You insist on cleaning up dinner, and she fights you on it. There’s something about it that makes you feel a certain way. It’s almost like you love to hate her.

Before you know it, the two of you are settled on the couch, each with yet another glass on wine in hand, and you’re attempting to hash out your fake love story.

“I told them we’ve been dating for a while,” you sigh. “So… I’m thinking four months? Long enough for you to show up to Christmas, but short enough for them to not know about you.”

“Sure,” she agrees without much of a fight. “I’m assuming we just met through work?”

“I figure the more truthful this lie is, the easier it’ll be to keep up with,” you shrug.

Melissa nods along. “That’s a good plan.”

“The other thing is…” you rub your collarbone nervously. “When I’m in a relationship, I tend to be quite touchy, so we have to- we have to do that.”

The redhead shrugs. “Whatever we have to do in order for me to get my three hundred bucks.”

You spend another two hours learning about each other, drinking wine as you go. She’s learned about your parents, your aunts and uncles, where you went to college, what your favorite color is, what kind of wines and cocktails you prefer, the foods that will be at dinners that you won’t go near, what you like to do in your free time… and in turn, you’ve heard all about her enormous family, how long she’s been at Abbott, how she loves to crochet but never knit, the fact that she has a guitar in her classroom that she doesn’t know how to play other than basic chords, among other things. The two of you agree that Melissa was the one to make the move on you after a happy hour with the work crew. You were the first one to say ‘I love you’, and those at school aren’t aware of the budding relationship between the two of you.

It’s a revealing night, and you find yourself not wanting to beat the shit out of the woman next to you. You would almost venture to say that you’re enjoying you’re time with her- almost. 

It’s fairly safe to say when you’re finished going over family trees, your back story, and basic information about each other that you’re both wine drunk. You’ve gone through two bottles, and you’re halfway through the third.

“You’re fuckin’ crazy if you think I’m lettin’ you drive home like this,” your coworker laughs as she watches you attempt to gather your things. “Just stay the night.”

“Like hell I’m doin’ that.”

“You’re gonna have to spend a weekend with me sharing the same bed, in your parents’ house. Get over yourself,” Melissa tells you. “Seriously. Just stay- I got a spare bedroom you can use.”

“Fine.”

The next morning, she’s awake before you and somehow not hungover the way that you are. Melissa’s already left the house actually. She left you a note to make you aware of that.

Had to run out to do some grocery shopping. Don’t miss me too much. She finishes the note with a winking face, and she signs it ‘Mel’.

You roll your eyes, but you pick up the pen before scrawling out, Thanks for letting me stay the night. And then just to fuck with her, you scribble down an ‘xo’. And then you head back to your own apartment, entirely forgetting that you’re still clad in her sweatpants and About shirt.

With a heavy sigh, you shoot her a text. I left, but I forgot I’m wearing your stuff.

Just keep it for now. Bring it when we go to your parents’ house so it looks like you’ve had it for a while.

I hate to say it, but good idea.

I’m full of good ideas, babe.

You spend most of your Saturday nursing a hangover, Sunday is spent preparing things for the final few days of school before Christmas break. With Christmas Eve being on a Friday and Christmas being on a Saturday, that means you have up until Wednesday with your kids. Wednesday is the class holiday party, and you would prefer to have everything set and ready for you to just throw in the trunk of your car come the day of the celebration before you send the kids off.

Then, once your kids are sent off to their parents high on sugar and eager for the break from learning, you’re stuck with the knowledge that you have to spend some of your own retreat with the woman that you love to hate.

“I think we should have dinner again,” Melissa knocks on your door as you’re gathering your belongings. “Come over, I’ll make dinner, and we can go through our story again.”

“I’m bringing the wine?”

Your coworker smirks. “Yeah.”

This dinner ends the exact same way that your last dinner with the redhead did. You’re asleep in Melissa’s guest room dressed in a pair of her sweatpants and an old Abbott tee-shirt.

When you wake up this time around though, Melissa isn’t out. She’s actually downstairs sipping on a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper.

“The newspaper? Are you serious?” you tease her.

Your colleague just rolls her eyes. “I like having the fine print- reminds me of when my dad used to read it.”

“Well, lucky for you, my parents still get the paper delivered every morning,” you chuckle. “I don’t know how, but they manage it.”

Melissa purses her lips and sips her coffee. “Good to know.”

You scratch the back of your neck awkwardly before sighing. “Well, I’m gonna head out, but I’ll pick you up Friday at ten? My mom likes when I come over early so I can help her set everything up.”

The redhead just nods.

“Thanks for letting me stay the night again,” you say quietly before you grab your bag and leave.

Thursday, you spend most of the day regretting your decision of lying to your parents and aunt and somehow convincing the Melissa Schemmenti to play into your lie. Most of Thursday night is you lying awake and stressing. When you do finally fall asleep, you’re plagued with stress dreams about how this could all go terribly wrong.

All too soon does your alarm go off, you’re hauling your suitcase into the car, and then you’re making your way to Melissa’s house to pick her up.

She’s ready relatively quickly and jumping into your passenger seat in an awfully good mood for someone who has to pretend to be in love with you.

The drive is quiet, and you thank God for that. But then, you’re pulling into your parents’ driveway, and your nerves start to get the best of you. You feel your palms sweating as you don’t loosen your grip on the steering wheel. 

Melissa looks to you with her brows furrowed. “Hey.”

“What?” you grit out.

“If you don’t fuck this up, I won’t.” And then she’s out of your car and grabbing both of your bags before she makes her way over to your door and opens it for you.

You raise a brow.

“Your mom is already standing at the front door waiting for us to come in,” she whispers to you. And then for good measure, she presses a quick kiss to your cheek. “C’mon.”

You tangle your hand with her free one, and then you’re making your way up to the door. You can only pray Melissa isn’t disgusted with your sweaty palms.

You don’t even have to knock before your mother whips open the door, Aunt Jo right behind her, with a grin on her face.

Here goes nothing. 

TAGS: @schemmentis @thesapphictimelady @marvel210 @itisdoctortoyousir @morgana-larkin @doesthatsuggestanythingtoyou @marvels--slut @sweetcheeksschemmenti @megamultifandomtrashposts @lemz378 @http-sam @melissaschemmentisbranzino @imaginesmultifandoms @sexysapphicshopowner @lilfartbox1 @maybe-a-humanbean @imlike-so-gaydude @a-queen-and-her-throne @notinmyvocab @melanielaufeyson @dvrkhcld @cosmichymns @sasheemo @m1lflov3rrr @ricejucie @temilyrights @emilynissangtr @squinnchy @dopenightmaretyphoon @emeraldoceansstuff @shinyfaerielights  @blkmxrvel @marvelwomenrule @sarahjohannson @casualfoxwitch

[boldlyvoid]

Neighbourhood Beauty

Spencer Reid x Fem Reader

Summary: Penelope is hosting Christmas at her apartment this year, she invites everyone... Including her new neighbour, who is exactly Spencer's type.

Warnings: flirting, love at first sight, kissing, making out, teasing, drunk bau friends, food mentions, Baker!Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

She was sad the whole journey home from work knowing that Christmas was tomorrow and she was going to be alone. As she gets into her apartment complex, she runs into her neighbour at the mailbox. She’s got 3 packages in her hands while trying to figure out how to carry the last two, “do you want help?” 

“Oh, please?” She sounds so relieved. “What a blessing it is to see you today.” 

She smiles for the first time in a few hours, “Oh, anytime Penelope. Are these all gifts?” She asks as she takes the two packages in her hands. She’ll come down for her own mail later. Nothing interesting should be in there. 

Penelope nods, leading them towards the elevators. “I’m having a big holiday gathering tomorrow— wait, do you have plans, are you going home to see family?” 

“No,” she admits, sadly. “I couldn’t get a plane ticket, I tried but they’re so insanely expensive lately.” 

“Yeah, I know,” Penny sighs. “I haven’t gone out to see my brothers in years, they’re in California.” 

“It sucks… but you have lots of friends here, right? I’m sure they’re coming over tomorrow?” She asks, mostly so she can feel some sort of comfort if she isn’t doing anything tomorrow either. 

“I’m having Christmas here for the first time,” she shares. “Dinner starts at 6:30 but we’re having a little bit of everything for lunch around 2, if you want to stop by at any time?” 

“Oh no, I couldn’t—

“You can, and you will!” Penelope insists. “You don’t need to worry about gifts or bringing any food, just show up. I hate the thought of you being alone next door.” 

“Okay, I’ll come,” she gives in with a smile. “But I’m bringing a baked good… have you ever been to my bakery?” 

“You own the bakery?” She’s so flabbergasted. “I thought you just worked there?” 

She smiles, “I do… we do okay but I’m by no means rich enough to buy a plane ticket home.” 

“Well, maybe that’s a good thing cause now I can eat whatever you bring tomorrow!” 

—

She spends the whole night baking. She makes molasses cookies with powdered sugar on them in shakes of little Christmas trees and she makes chocolate croissants. One of which she brings to Penelope around 10 am so that she can have a nice breakfast before the party starts. 

She showers, picks a cute outfit and by 3pm she’s anxiously waiting by the door trying to hype herself up to go over. She only knows Penelope. They’ve lived beside each other for 3 years now. She’s seen her friends coming and going and heard them talking in the halls but she’s never talked to them. But if they like Penelope, they’ve gotta like her too. 

So she bucks up and heads over. 

She knocks and within seconds, a handsome man is throwing the door open. “You don’t have to— oh, hi?” 

“Hi… Penelope invited me? I’m her neighbour… Y/N,” she awkwardly introduces herself. 

He’s at a loss for words— and breath, for a moment and then shakes himself out of it. “Spencer… Reid. Doctor… Doctor Spencer Reid.” 

It makes her laugh, easing the anxiety out of her system. “Can I come in, Doctor Spencer Reid?” 

“Yeah, yes, come in,” he steps out of the way and extends his arm into the room for her to follow. He closes the door after she’s inside and smiles. “How do you know Penelope?” 

“I live next door.” 

“Really?” He can’t believe it. “How long?” 

“3 years now…” 

“And you’ve never come over?” He looks offended. 

She smiles, “Why, sad you haven’t known me longer?” She manages to tease him. She’s not always good at reading people but something about how he’s acting makes her think he likes her. 

He blushes but nods, “Well, welcome. It’s nice to finally meet you.” 

“You too,” she looks him up and down. He’s very handsome. And a doctor… “how do you know Penelope?” 

“We’ve worked together since I was 22…” 

“And you’re now…?”

“42,” he presses his lips together, awkwardly. “Old…” 

“No, no you’re not, I would’ve guessed 35 at the most,” she teases, stepping into his space, she places her hand on his arm. “You’re a very handsome 42.” 

“Are you doing anything for New Years?” He asks, removing all his fear and looking at her with hopeful eyes. 

She shakes her head, “no… I might be working but I can leave early, or you can come see me there?” 

“Where do you work?” 

“I own the bakery on 16th Avenue,” she smiles. “Penelope buys in donuts and things from me all the time, actually, I brought over baked goods this morning, they’re in the kitchen somewhere.” 

“Did you make those croissants?” He lights right up. 

She nods, “maybe I can teach you how to make some?” 

“I’d really like th—

“Y/N!” Penelope comes running from the kitchen and wraps her arms around her, “When did you get here?” 

“Just now,” she laughs. “Spencer’s been keeping me company.” 

“Ahh,” she pulls away with a smile. “Well, come eat, there’s lots of snacks in here.” 

She leads them into the kitchen where her other friends are around the table. “The ones with kids will be around later, they’re still putting batteries and things in their kid's gifts. But this is Rossi and Emily and Tara.” 

She reaches out to shake everyone's hand, realizing only now that she never shook Spencer's, but he doesn’t mind, he stays close to her. They sit side by side, he passes her things from the table that she wants to put on her plate and he gets up to get her a drink and everyone makes conversation while also watching him dote on her. It’s been 20 minutes but there’s something there… no man has shown her this level of interest or flattery before and not to quote Lana Del Rey but, when you know you know. 

They’re friendly as ever when there are people around them and they flirt like mad when they’re alone. She already has a date with him, but he’s just too cute and that shade of red he turns is starting to become her favourite colour. 

“You seriously used all the ice?” Penelope chastises Emily, who pretends she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. “Go get some more, we have guests coming who don’t drink alcohol they need ice for their sodas!” 

“I am far too drunk to walk down the street,” she counters and points to Dave. 

“Not me,” Dave touches his nose, he doesn’t volunteer to do anything and Tara does the same thing, she’s just as drunk as Emily. 

Spencer goes to get his coat with a sigh, “I’ve got it.” 

“I’ll come too,” she rushes to the door with him, putting on whatever coat fits her so that she can follow him down to the street for some extra alone time with him. 

She reaches for his hand on the street, “So, what’s it like at the FBI?” 

He holds her hand gladly, “it's… okay. I just teach now. Fieldwork put me in the hospital too many times and I like being alive.” 

“I’m glad you’re still here,” she bumps shoulders with him.

His smile is beautiful. “So, about that date?” 

“We could do anything you want,” she assures. “But my offer still stands.” 

“I think I’d like a baking lesson,” he nudges her back. “It's the one thing I’m not good at.” 

“So what are you good at?” 

“Rambling, falling over, getting shot,” he teases but she swats his arm, leaning into him with a laugh. “Okay, but seriously, I have a Ph.D. in Chemistry, Engineering and Math.” 

“Well luckily for you, baking is just science and a bit of math,” she teases. “You’ll catch on quickly, smarty pants.” 

He pulls her in, chest to chest, standing beside an empty store with all their lights off. He cups her face, “what’s sweeter? Your chocolate croissants or your kiss?” 

She can’t help but laugh, “you’ll have to tell me…” 

He pulls her in for a kiss and sparks fly behind her eyes. As if every atom in her being is on fire, she melts into him. Kissing him deeply, she holds his sides and the hand he has on her cheek goes into her hair as they begin to make out on the snow-covered street. 

She pulls back first, smiling softly, “so?” 

“You, it’s definitely you,” he teases. “But the croissants are a very close second.” 

She laughs, “Well, keep up the compliments and there will be lots more kisses and sweet treats coming your way.” 

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the neighbourhood,” he teases, leaning in for another kiss but she stops him. 

“Just the neighbourhood?” 

“The whole world,” he corrects, which is the right answer. She lets him lean in closer, stealing another kiss. 

She kisses him again and again, trying to pull back but he kisses her a third time, making her laugh. “We need to get that ice, we’re going to be late for dinner.” 

“do you want to hang out after dinner?” He asks, “I can walk you home?” 

“And stay for more kisses?” 

“Or croissants,” he shrugs. Happy with either. 

—

They’re pretty normal for the rest of the party, she meets the rest of his friends and all their kids. And they’re some cute kids. The youngest is his friend Matt's 2-year-old, she sits at the grown-up table with them and eats one of the chocolate croissants with the biggest smile on her face. Y/N can’t help but think about how much her own kids might like her baking one day… and Spencer sees the way she looks at the baby too. 

His friends are so lively, the the party goes on until well after midnight. The friends with kids head out early, Emily and Tara get a cab home, Dave is passed out on her couch and Spencer isn’t going to leave until she does. And she’s helping Penelope clean up. 

“You don’t have to stay,” Penelope assures her, drying off dishes while Spencer washes them. She’s been putting things in Tupperware containers and organizing the fridge. 

“I want to help, as a thank you,” she smiles at her. “This has been a lovely night.” 

“And not just because I introduced you to your new boyfriend?” She teases and Spencer drops a plate. 

She laughs, walking over to place her hand on Spencers arm, “I mean, meeting Spencer is the best present you could’ve given me.” 

Penelope swoons, “Okay that’s it, love birds. Get out of my kitchen, go home, go canoodle and get to know each other. I knew this was going to happen.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me in advance?” Spencer whines as he dries off his hands. “I would’ve worn something nicer?” 

“You look cute,” she teases. 

“See, that’s why,” Penelope points at her. “I knew she’d like you for you, she’s a baker and you love everything I buy from her bakery and she’s so kind and you need someone to love you the way I know you love people back. This is perfect.” 

She wraps her arm around his waist and leans into his space, “thank you penny, we’re going to go now.” 

“Thank you,” Spencer agrees, following her out of the kitchen and towards the door. 

Once they’re in the hallway, he asks, “Did you really mean that?” 

She nods, “of course?” 

He lunges for her, kissing her with her back pressed up against her apartment door. She reaches for the doorknob, twisting it open so that she can bring them inside and push him up against the closed door instead this time. He moans into her mouth at the feeling of his back colliding with the door and her hands are immediately roaming his shirt.

He’s such a good kisser, he is gentle and soft, and he isn’t overly eager and controlling. He lets her explore and slow it down as she presses in closer to him and his hands wander to her hips. 

“Couch?” She pants against his lips, wanting to lay down with him. 

“Show me?” He agrees, following her into her apartment and to the living space. 

She pushes him down against the couch and climbs on top of him. He wraps his arms around her, cradling her body like she’s the most delicate thing in the world. He kisses her just as soft and she moves her kiss to his cheek and his jaw up towards his ear, “you’re so handsome,” she whispers. 

“Thank you,” he gasps. “You’re absolutely stunning, I don’t know how I got so lucky.” 

She smirks against him, kissing down his neck, “You deserve good things, Spence.” 

“You’re too good to me,” he teases, hand slipping down to her ass. “How far are we taking this?” 

She hums, “I’m good just talking and kissing all night?” 

“All night?” 

She nods as she pulls back to look at him. “I kinda don’t want to let you go. I’m afraid you’re too good to be real.” 

“I’m not going anywhere,” he assures. “I’m yours as long as you want me.” 

General Taglist 

@ncsls0515 @stevesmunsons @reidsbookclub @sweetyyhippyy @manuosorioh @mrs-dr-reid @k-k0129 @squishyturtle @katsukis1wife @buckleyhans @mrs-ssa-hotch @ssavanessa22

[girlgenius1111]

stuck with me

alexia x reader

alexia and r get into an argument just before the holiday break, as the stress of ale's knee injury bubbles over. r loses... a lot of sleep over it. alexia makes it up to her, even though she really doesn't have to.

no warnings :)

To be fair to Alexia, she didn't know you had sleep issues. How could she, when she'd practically been the cure for them? You'd had sleep problems long before you'd gotten together with Alexia, but they had... stopped, magically, when you started sharing a bed. Neither of you spent many nights alone once you got together, so most nights, you slept well, curled up against your steady, dependable girlfriend.

The exceptions were, obviously, when you went home for breaks without her and when you both had to go on national duty. You slept fine at home, away from the stresses of your job, in the comfort of the place you'd grown up in. Normally.

And in regards to national duty, you were lucky to have incredibly teammates. Lucy knew of your problem, and also knew that sleeping in the same bed as someone else was helpful. It wasn't Alexia, and it wasn't perfect, but you slept. You knew you'd have to find a solution when [if] Lucy retired, but for now, there was no reason why you'd spend more than the odd night without Alexia.

That was, of course, until her knee re-injury. Before the following surgery and holiday break. And the not insignificant fight that you'd gotten into with her around that time. It was a tough time for her, you knew, and she was coping with it the best she could. You'd been hovering over her, you knew that too.

You were just so worried, all the time. Alexia was so miserable not being able to play, so frustrated with her knee that sometimes you thought she was finally just going to breakdown and herself feel it all. She never did, though. Not until the day her and the medical team had decided on surgery. It was a few days before you were do back in England for the holidays, and you'd already been considering cancelling, and staying with your girlfriend. She needed you, physically and emotionally.

You really should have waited to bring up your plans to stay until she was in a better mood. Instead, you'd suggested it to her over a very quiet dinner, after the date for the arthroscopy had been set.

-----

"I'm gonna cancel my plane tickets to London, I think. Stay here with you." You suggested casually.

"What?" Alexia asked, dropping her fork onto her plate with a loud clatter.

"I want to spend Christmas here. You're having surgery and-"

"No."

"No?" You said, slightly hurt by the tone of voice she was using.

"No, you have to go home and see your family. I will be fine here."

"Ale, I want to be here."

"I do not need you here." Alexia said finally, avoiding your gaze. You knew she didn't mean it; she was in pain, frustrated, anxious, and trying not to inconvenience you. Still, you felt your eyes fill with tears at the rejection, and you nodded silently, before turning back to your food. You wouldn't cry, couldn't add any more stress to Alexia's already insane load of it.

"Now you will not talk to me?" Alexia asked. You looked up at her in shock, surprised that the next words out of her mouth hadn't been an apology.

"Just leave it, Alexia. I'll be out of your way tomorrow." You said back quietly, allowing some of the sadness you were feeling seep into your voice.

"Do not be like that. You tell me all the time to tell you what I need, and what I need is for you to go to England and see your family."

"Alright, Ale. I got it. You want me to go, I understand." You tried your hardest to keep your voice steady, but it still shook towards the end of the sentence.

"Amor, stop. That is not what I am saying and you know it," Alexia argued.

"I don't really know what you're saying, Alexia. It sounds like you want me to go."

Alexia exhaled loudly, before pushing her chair away from the table and standing up.

"I cannot deal with you if you are going to be like this." She snapped, before slamming her plate into the sink and marching off to the bedroom.

You didn't understand, not really. It seemed like she didn't want you here. Because that's exactly what she had been saying to you. You knew it wasn't really you that was the problem, it was Alexia's inability to allow you to see how upset she was.

This was reinforced when you went into the bedroom a little while later to pack. The shower was on, but you could still hear her crying over the soft patter of water. You knocked on the door, prepared to let the fight go in favor of making sure she was okay, but the little whimpers and shaky breaths cut off abruptly, and she didn't say anything else.

She kept you at arms length for the rest of the night, only speaking when she asked you to come to bed, an olive branch she was extending. You did, but you both kept to your own sides of the bed. You didn't sleep well that night.

Alexia hugged you goodbye the next day at the airport, and you thought she held you a bit tighter than normal. She handed you a little note, requested that you read it on the plane, and softly kissed your cheek, before allowing you to go through security.

The note had been a lengthy apology, scrawled in her familiar loopy, messy handwriting, confirming that everything you thought was going on with her was correct. She was stressed, she didn't want you to worry, or change your plans for her. She shouldn't have yelled, or been so cruel, and she hadn't meant it. She loved you. So much, she said. Things would be better after her surgery.

You'd thanked her for her apology once you'd landed. You'd spoken, often, since then, but there was still so much tension. You were both busy with family, and there wasn't really any time to have an in depth conversation about what had transpired.

You knew the surgery had gone well, they'd fixed the problem, and that Alexia was doing much better. The second part wasn't something that she had to tell you, it was obvious in the increase in texts, and the mushiness that she included. Whenever she went through a hard time, she closed herself off, and when it ended, she'd always overcompensate, feeling guilty, until she went back to normal. That was Alexia, and you loved her.

-----

The biggest casualty of this fight was, unfortunately, your sleep. You struggled while you were home, when normally, you slept fine there. Obviously not as well as when you were with Alexia, but fine. This time, though, you barely slept. Nothing worked, and the only time you were able to sleep was when your body literally shut down, forcing you to sleep for a few hours every other day or so. You were sure it was because of this unresolved fight, and you knew that once you physically saw your girlfriend, you'd be fine. Especially once you could go back to falling asleep on her chest, the steady beat of her heart making you feel warm, and safe, and comfortable.

This was why you'd cut your trip short, and were currently touching down in Spain, a full 5 days before you were supposed to return home. That, and you missed Alexia. You knew she was slightly confused; you'd been weirdly distant while you'd been gone, because you were exhausted, but she didn't know that. She assumed you were mad, until you told her you were coming home early. After that, she gave up trying to figure out what was going on with you, and focused herself on cleaning the apartment, going grocery shopping for all your favorite things, and buying you flowers. She'd been awful, she knew it, and she was determined to make it up to you.

-----

Alexia was waiting for you by baggage claim; you saw her once you got halfway down the escalator. She was leaned against the wall, baseball cap sat over her blonde hair. She was wearing an old England sweatshirt of yours, and you couldn't help the grin that your lips lifted into at the sight. Your beautiful, perfect, girlfriend, head on an absolute swivel, determined not to miss you.

You saw the moment she she saw you, too, her lips turning up at the corners, shifting her weight from foot to foot as if she could barely contain herself from running to you, which she wasn't yet supposed to do. You got down the escalator and over to her in probably an embarrassingly short amount of time, taking care not to put too much of your weight on her, minding her healing knee.

"Amor," she sighed into your hair, arms holding you almost painfully tight.

"Hi, beautiful," you said back, words almost swallowed by her [your] sweatshirt, and the noisy crowds around you.

"Te extrañé mucho de menos," Alexia murmured, pulling back from the hug to pull you in for a kiss. She froze, however, eyebrows scrunching adorably, as she finally got a good look at your face. You knew what she was looking at. "Are you sick?" She asked, feeling your forehead with the back of her hand.

"No, not sick. Just a little tired."

She looked at you skeptically, hand unmoving from your forehead until you pushed it away and leaned up, pursing your lips expectantly. She smiled, finally meeting your lips in a sweet kiss. She pulled away much to soon in your opinion, laughing at your disgruntled expression.

"You need sleep, amor. We can go home and you can rest. Once you sleep, I will give you all the kisses you want, okay?"

"Fineeee," you sighed, allowing Alexia to take your hand, and lead you off to find your bag. She insisted on wheeling it out to the car, even though she was actively recovering from surgery, but she seemed determined to spoil you today.

You sat in content silence in the car, your girlfriend's hand intertwined with yours. You felt that you should have been sleepy, but you were completely wired, eyes open wide, tapping your knee repetitively.

"Do you want to tell me what is going on?" Alexia asked finally, about 10 minutes into the drive. She glanced at you out of the corner of her eye, spotting the way you went rigid at her question.

"What do you mean?"

"Amor, come on. You look like you have not slept in days." Your only response is a shrug, as you turn your attention out the window.

"Hey. Why did you not sleep?" Alexia insisted, pulling on your hand to get you to pay attention to her.

"I missed you." You replied finally, feeling Alexia's hand tighten around yours.

"I missed you too. That is why you did not sleep well?"

"I... I never used to sleep very well. Until I started sleeping next to you, and then I slept fine. I normally don't have problems sleeping when I go home, though, but this time... I think I was just stressed about our argument."

"I did not know that." Alexia said quietly. "You never told me."

"I know, I know. It just didn't seem like a big deal, because it wasn't, once I was with you."

Your girlfriend looked like she had a million questions, but she didn't ask them. "I am so sorry our fight made you lose sleep. I was completely unfair to you. You do not need to worry about anything now, though, okay? I made your favorite for dinner, if you are hungry. If not, we can just go right to bed. I am yours for the rest of break, whatever you need."

"Really?"

"Really."

-----

You ate the delicious dinner Alexia had cooked, and then took a warm shower. When you got out, you noticed that Alexia had completely unpacked for you, and laid out your favorite pajamas. She was already in the bed, despite it barely being 7pm, looking adorably cozy in a big sweatshirt, the hood tugged up over her head.

"Ale, we don't need to go to sleep now, it's early, you're probably not tired." You said as you pulled the pajamas on. The exhaustion was starting to hit you, and you wanted to promise that you could stay up until a normal time, but you weren't sure you could.

"A bit tired. Whether I fall asleep or not, I want to be right here. Anyway, I should put my knee up." Alexia said dismissively, patting the bed next to her.

"Ale," you began but she shook her head.

"No arguments, bebita. Get in bed." You sighed dramatically, but did as she asked, climbing under the covers and scooting right over to Alexia, as though she was a magnet. You settled against her, shutting your eyes. You heard the lamp flick off, and felt Alexia wrap an arm around you, tugging you into her side.

You tried to fall asleep. Really, you had no idea why you couldn't. You were here, with Alexia, and you should have been able to sleep, easily, especially considering how tired you were. You couldn't manage it though, quickly getting annoyed when your brain wouldn't just turn off.

After the 6th time you shifted positions, Alexia kissed the side of your head, and spoke. "Having a hard time?"

"Yes," you mumbled, burying your face in her chest.

"Be patient. You are exhausted, you will fall asleep soon. Just relax." Alexia encouraged, rubbing a hand up and down your back.

Another 10 minutes passed, in which you felt no closer to sleep. Rolling off of Alexia with a huff, you glared up at the ceiling. Next to you, Alexia rolled onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow to gaze down at you.

"You are putting too much pressure on yourself. It is just sleeping, bonita." She said quietly, running a soft finger over your cheek.

Tears of frustration beginning to pool in your eyes. It was just sleeping. It should be easy. You were just realizing for the first time how incredibly tired you were, and how difficult the past couple days had been.

"Do not cry, por favor," Alexia pleaded.

"I can't, I can't fall asleep." Alexia looked at you sympathetically, thumbs wiping away the tears that fell. She sat both of you up after a minute. "Take off your shirt," she instructed, pulling her own over her head, leaving her with only a sports bra on.

"I'm too tired for sex," you cried, the thought only making you more upset; you had missed your girlfriend. A lot. The fact that you were too tired to do anything about it was painful.

"Not sex, amor, just take your shirt off." Alexia insisted, pulling at the hem. You did as she asked, looking rather miserable. You, too, were left in only your bra, but Alexia's eyes were only on yours as she laid back down, rolling onto her side and pulling you in so your head was pressed right over her bare chest, where her heart was.

Your body relaxed without you telling it to, the feeling of Alexia, and only Alexia, engulfing you. Your skin was pressed to hers, inhaling the soft scent of her perfume, feeling her hands rub rhythmically up and down your bare back.

"There you go," she said into your hair, feeling your body sag against hers. "Sleep for me, okay?" She asked.

You couldn't have told her no if you wanted to. Your eyes shut almost immediately, and you felt suddenly so peaceful, brain slowing down until you were only thinking about how good your girlfriend felt against you.

-----

When you woke up, you knew you'd been asleep for a while, if the amount of light flooding the room was any indication. It was bright, even with your eyes shut, which indicated that it was past noon; the sun only came in through the bedroom window after noon. Your body felt stiff but, for the first time in a while, you felt well rested. You were content to wake up slowly, enjoy the comfort of your bed

You attempted to roll over, searching for Alexia's side of the bed so you could use her pillow, (you swore it was comfier). Instead, you rolled right into Alexia herself, and heard her let out a soft laugh. You cracked your eyes open, finding Alexia laying on her back, arm still tucked around your shoulders. Her fingers flitted through your hair, and you relaxed back into her, scooting closer until your head was crammed into the crook of her neck.

"Why are you still in bed?" You mumbled into her. Her body vibrated under yours as she laughed again.

"Are you complaining?" She teased, clearly referencing the way you'd moved yourself so that every part of your body possible was be touching hers.

"No. It has to be late, though. You've been sleeping fine, you didn't have to stay in bed with me." You told her.

"I always sleep better with you, amor. I wanted you to rest, as much as you needed. You are cute when you sleep, anyway. Your nose scrunches up and you make little sounds when you roll around." Alexia murmured into your hair, and you didn't have to see her face to know she was blushing at the information she'd just revealed.

You left a kiss on her neck, before pulling away so you could see her face. "What time is it?"

Alexia didn't say anything, a slightly guilty expression on her face.

"Alexia Putellas, what time is it?" You demanded.

"3PM." She told you quietly.

"3PM?" You shouted, sitting upright in the bed. Sure enough, the clock on the nightstand reflected the time back to you. You'd slept the whole day away. Two of you didn't have any plans, but still.

"How much did you sleep while you were gone? Really, amor? The least I could do was help you rest." Alexia avoided your eyes.

"What do you mean the least you could do?" You asked, softening your tone.

"I was so horrible to you before you left. And then our fight made you not sleep well," the blonde explained, looking miserable.

"And you apologized, Ale. You were under a lot of stress, I get it." You really weren't mad anymore.

"No, that is not good enough. I have to make it up to you. I wanted you here with me, more than anything, but you have already done so much, and I did not want to ruin your Christmas." Alexia insisted, getting seemingly worked up.

"Alexia, I understand. You said all of this in your note."

"I want to say it again." Alexia said stubbornly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Look at me." You instructed, turning face towards you with a hand on her cheek when she refused. Her eyes were glossy with unshed tears. "Amor, I forgive you. I told you I forgave you, when I read your letter. Do you not believe me?" You wondered, as your girlfriend didn't look the least bit relieved at you letting her off the hook.

"I believe you, it is just that...no se como decirlo." She sighed.

"Try, please. We've fought before, Alexia, worse than this. What is it about this one that is making you so upset?" You pressed, not relenting even as she shrugged in response.

"I do not want to lose you," Alexia whispered finally, a single tear sliding down her face, as she clenched her jaw, trying to keep together.

"Baby, you are not going to lose me." You promised, moving closer to take her hand in yours. "I knew you didn't mean what you said. You apologized, Alexia, it was just a stupid fight. We got past it, just like we'll get past every fight. Always."

"But what if I push you away again? And you get tired of it, and leave?"

"You could never push me away. I might give you space when you need it, but I will always be here for you. Even when you try to pretend you don't need me. I could never get tired of you, Alexia, and I could never leave you. Ever." You said the words slowly, trying to gauge if she believed you or not.

Although she looked slightly unsure, she did look less upset than she had a minute ago, her face relaxing somewhat as she finally look into your eyes.

"You're stuck me with, Ale. For as long as you want me." Alexia let out a wet laugh.

"I will always want you." She said, pulling you in closer to press her lips to yours. The kiss grew heated quickly, until you were straddling her lap, checking multiple times that her knee was unbothered by the position. She promised that it was fine, distracting you by sliding her hands up your sides, and pulling you back in for another messy kiss.

"Alexia, that is not exactly what I meant," you joked, pulling away briefly as she pulled your bra over your head.

"Me neither, but it has been days, and I have missed you. Let me show you how much I have missed you. Please?" Alexia asked, surprisingly shy as she ran her hand up and down your abdomen, teasing at the hem of your shorts.

You leaned in, you agreement clear in the way your lips met hers, tongue slipping in after a minute. As if you'd ever say no to that offer. You don't think you'd ever say no to anything Alexia asked you. Your love for her was the kind that transcended every issue that could possibly come up. It was you and her, forever.

-----

inspired by my inability to sleep <3 [and my deep belief that sleeping next to a pretty girl would solve all my problems]

[honeymvnt]

Altitude [18+]

Tom Cruise x !fem!reader

Words count: 3.7k

A/N: taking a flight alone can be a nightmare, especially if you have anxiety but he knows how to help with it

Warnings: it’s a smut so, that’s the only warning I’ve got.

this is my Christmas gift for @dxddycruise bc she’s the best🎀

After putting your bags away you took the ticket of the flight in your hands for the thousand time and checked which one was you seat.

Most of the people were still trying to make the bags fit while you started to walk on the carpeted floor, searching with your eyes the number and... letter? Of your seat.

You’ve never been on a plane before and you had no idea what those numbers and letters were doing there nor how it worked.

You looked behind and there was a whole line of people just like in front of you and when you tried to reach for a hostess they were all busy helping the other passengers.

You were almost about to panic and let everybody walk ahead so you had more time to figure out where your seat was.

After a few minutes, when everyone had found their seats a man stopped behind you again and without even looking at him you gestured him to just go ahead but he did not move until when you looked up at him and when you did...

His eyes were staring into yours but you couldn't help yourself from looking at the rest of his gorgeous face.

He was smiling at you and it was honestly the most beautiful smile you’ve ever seen, and the way his cheeks were rising when he noticed that you weren’t looking at him but staring at him as if you’ve seen a ghost (for him, for you it was more like you’ve seen a God).

"Do you..." he spoke up. The tone of his voice sent a shiver down your spine until your feet and you gripped the ticket as if it could save yourself from fainting. He pointed at the paper between your hands and looked down at it for a moment.

He thought you were going to say something but all you did was just staring at him. You could tell it was getting really awkward when he let out a small laugh and slowly took the ticket away from your hands to read it.

"Yeah... I can't- find my..." you couldn't even finish the sentence when he looked back at you. "...My seat" you smiled and swallowed hard before you looked down at the paper to avoid his intense and penetrating stare that was already sending you over the sky before you even left the land.

He smiled back at you as you slowly approached the seats and you noticed that everyone was already sat, already glued to their phones, already planning the rest of their lives in their hands. How depressing it was.

"There you go" the man spoke up again and placed his hand on your waist just to help you out with it and he had no idea how much you loved it.

"Thanks" you smiled, glancing back at him before sitting next to the small window.

He looked at his ticket and with a surprised smile he spoke to you again.

"I guess we will share this flight together" you laughed as he sat next to you while you were trying your best not to look at him for too long.

He took his phone out of the pocket of his expensive pants and you had to force yourself to look at the empty view next to you just not to stare at his hands or his lips or eyes. He was so hard to ignore.

"I'm Y/N by the way" you said out of the blue when he put his phone away.

He looked at you again and extended his hand for you to take it.

"Such a pretty name. I'm Tom nice to meet you" you took his hand in yours and he gently squeezed it before he let go of it.

"Thank you... so is yours" you smiled and he looked right at your lips before noticing your eyes.

Whenever you looked at him, time seemed to stop and no noise around you matter except the one of your heart echoing through your whole body.

When the plane suddenly left the airport you held yourself on your seat. The anxiety in your body started fo grow uncontrollably: from the noise of the people talking until the engine of the plane and was scaring the shit out of you.

"Are you okay darling?" He asked.

Darling.

You didn't know what he was doing to you and you knew he had no intentions with you but he must've known by now how much he had caught you and how much you’ve been waiting for this moment.

You slowly looked at him and your lips parted slightly, ready to speak but he took the word before you could even form a sentence.

"I'm going to get you some water" he said.

"No it's okay, I'm fine" you smiled before he could stand up. You didn’t want him to leave you, not even for some water, and so he leaned back on his seat and looked at you a bit concerned.

"I'm okay, thanks" the corners of his lips raised and there he was, smiling at you once again. It was such a view for you. The kind of view you'll never ever forget about.

"Vacation?" He asked after a while, trying to break the ice with you as he noticed how tensed you were.

"No, not really..." you chuckled "you?"

"No... just meetings, the usual" Tom laughed after you but it wasn't calming you at all.

You were nearly about to freak out on that plane and the more you looked down the more you felt like you wanted to throw up but his presence was forcing you not to and besides how embarrassing it was getting because you couldn't stop gripping the seat and take deep breaths between a smile and another he was noticing it all along.

"Your first time?" He looked down at your hands before meeting yours eyes again.

"Yeah, is it so obvious?" You laughed awkwardly before you closed your eyes for a moment to take your breath.

"You want to..." he whispered you.

"To what?" You asked back at him a little confused about what he meant by that.

"To go to the bathroom?"

Right. What were you even thinking about now. You felt so embarrassed. All you did was embarrassing yourself since the moment you dropped your bags out of the taxi this afternoon and then the ticket and the seat, your anxiety kicking in right when a handsome man talks to you and now this....

"Maybe it's better" you nodded and stood up, walking out of the seats but Tom held your wrist and you felt your whole body heating up. For a second you really thought that the altitude hit you but it was him, the way he looked at you and touched you was making you feeling higher than you already were.

"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked you but you didn't answer. Your lips parted and you frowned trying to read between the lines of what he was trying to say.

"I don't want you to pass out in there" the little laugh he let out led you to say yes to him. You were going to say yes anyways, to anything he wanted, you were down for it and couldn’t forget yourself for thinking such things in front of his face.

"Sure, that'd be better" with this Tom stood up and walked behind you as you approached the bathroom, holding yourself on every single seat until the door.

"I'll be right here" he smiled before you entered the room.

Your hand reached down to lock it but instead you did not. You didn't know why you were in the bathroom. You really didn't want to be there but you didn't even want to be next to him and act like a scared little girl so you had to make your move.

You looked at yourself in the mirror and you washed your hands without taking your eyes off of your reflection. You wondered if he was wondering why you didn't lock the door, you wondered if he was wondering that you were wondering that he was wondering why you didn't lock the door.

You were thinking about dragging him inside the room and just kiss him, as a thank you maybe?

The water was still going and you were still staring at yourself before he slowly knocked on the door.

"Is everything alright?" He asked quietly.

He knew it was open and even though you weren’t there since a long time you wondered why he'd really came here.

He wanted what you wanted, it was obvious.

"Y/N?" He spoke again and you felt his hand on the doorknob of the room before you decided to speak.

"no" you lied. Well it wasn't a lie, everything wasn't okay... you wanted him. You wanted him to kiss you and you were trying your best to convince your mind that that was what he wanted too, that he wanted to kiss you and more.

You suddenly opened the door and there he was, standing in front of you with that goddamn suit that only made you dream about what kind of beautiful, sculpted body was hiding behind it and those eyes, those lips. Your mind was going crazy.

He slowly walked towards you without taking his eyes off of yours, not even to blink. His hands reached for your face and his lips crashed on yours.

You held yourself on his arms as Tom entered the room and locked the door behind him without stopping the kiss.

Your mouth opened to let his tongue slip between your lips. Your breath was stuck in your throat and all the anxiety was replaced with hot waves of excitement.

His hands slide down your sides until your waist before he pushed you against the door and kept eating your mouth as if it was his last meal. You moaned and moved your hands into his jacket so he could take it off.

He broke the kiss and smiled when he noticed how good you were reacting to all of this while your hands traveled down his chest to finally feel it.

He kissed you again but quickly moved down to your neck, nibbling on your skin and biting it too.

Never in your life you’ve experienced anything like this and even if this was very inappropriate, you couldn't deny that it was such a feeling you didn't want to end for any reason.

His hands found the end of your sweater and he took it off of you with a fast move before his lips kept moving down your body.

You bit your lips as hard as you could, trying your best not to make any noise but he was making it impossible. Your hands reached for his face and you kissed all of him, harder than before and he didn't hesitate to go even harder until when your lips were red and sore.

Your heart was racing and your legs were already shaking just by the excitement of his kisses and when one of his huge arms wrapped around your waist and held you up on the small sink you let out a gasp.

"I knew you would’ve liked it” Hearing his voice after all of this was just the beginning of the end for you and he knew it, fuck if he did.

You smiled and looked up at him while he moved your jeans down your legs and kissed your thighs before you stepped out of them.

Tom started to unbutton his shirt but you didn't want him to do it, you needed to do it. You’ve been fantasizing about it since when your eyes landed on him and you must've had the pleasure to do it.

He was standing between your legs and you slowly leaned closer to him. You kissed his hand and Tom smirked down at you, noticing how eager you already were.

You took his hand in yours and moved it between your legs as you started to unbutton his shirt.

You bit your lips again and opened his shirt just enough for you to kiss his chest and just take a taste of it. His free hand moved through your hair and then down your clothed breasts.

"Fuck..." he moaned when your lips moved a little lower just to tease him and to make him lose his patience because of it.

You looked down at him with a smile printed on your face when you noticed what you've done to him. You couldn't help yourself from it and touched his huge hard cock with a hand and the moan he had to swallow not to let anyone hear the both of you was going to be the end of you.

He bent down to kiss you again as you felt his fingers gripping your thigh and moving closer to your core.

Your back arched and another moan escaped from your lips before he kissed you to avoid it.

"I'd love to hear you my love" he said against your lips as you tried your best to keep yours on his.

"I really can't let you do that..." he smirked while he slowly lowered and got on his knees in front of your spread legs.

You looked at him in surprise when you noticed what he had in mind and the worst part of it was that you were sure you couldn't shut up, you couldn't be quiet if he really did this to you.

Tom started to kiss your thigh without taking his eyes away from you, moving even closer to your core, teasing the hell out of you as you held yourself on the sink beneath you.

"Please..." you whispered quickly when two of his fingers moved your underwear to the side and you saw how proud he was for having you like this, helpless and completely fucked up already.

"Please Tom..." if only he made a false move now, the whole plane, pilots included, were going to find out what was going on in there.

"I haven't started yet" his long fingers slid down your soaked folds, slowly enough to make you feel how sensitive you already were because of him.

Your eyes fell shut and your body arched toward his to feel even more.

"Eager, are we?" He chuckled and when you opened your eyes he was right above you, with his body pressed against yours so you had no other choice but stare into his eyes while his fingers were slowly entering you.

"Oh my...." you gasped but he immediately kissed you before you could moan even louder.

"Fuck-" you cried out at the feeling of his fingers stretching you out, curling inside of you to hit the right spot.

"so wet…" Tom said against your cheek, holding your thigh in place with his free hand.

You nodded eagerly and let him sped up the movement of his fingers between your legs and your hand unconsciously held his wrist.

"Mm yes... yes-" you bit your lips again to kill all the cries that he was dragging out of you with his fingers pumping into you.

"You're gonna cum for me, aren't you?" He asked brining his hand toward your neck.

You nodded again at his question while your legs started to shake uncontrollably. His fingers were moving so fast that you could've barely feel your own body. Your hands tightened on his shoulders as he helped you reach the peak of your orgasm.

"There you go" he said kissing your neck, moving his hand up to your cheek and close to your mouth.

"Cum for me" his lips moved up to yours again as you came all over his hand while you cried out his name repeatedly, biting onto his fingers to kill all the moans that you were desperately trying to let out of you.

"Oh god" you took a deep breath and your eyes eyes fell shut as he caressed your face and kissed you over and over again.

"I want you so bad" you whispered against his lips, trying to keep yourself composed even though you were already feeling weak again.

Tom chuckled and kissed your lips while his hands left your body to unbuckle his pants and free his huge hard cock.

You bit your lips at the sight and when he noticed it, well that made him very proud.

"So do I" he replied and teased your sensitive folds with the tip of it before he slowly slide into you.

The way your walls stretched around him sent you straight to heaven and back and the way he was even struggling to go deeper just made you want to scream the lungs out of you.

"Fuck you're so big..." you moaned quietly and he let out a low groan as he tried to fit all the way in.

"And you're very tight" Tom held your thighs with both of his hands and spread your legs even more as your body started to get used to his massive size.

"Oh please fuck me..." you cried out in desperation when you felt your walls clenching around him.

"Say it again" he said staring deep into your eyes, holding your face with a hand.

"Please, fuck me" you repeated, breathing heavily and tightening your hands on his arms.

He looked down at your lips and kissed you while his cock slide almost out of you and slowly went all the way in again, with a slow, torturous pace that only made more eager and desperate for more.

"Oh fuck... I can't" you cried out but he was enjoying how stimulated you were and how badly you needed him to just break you.

"Yes you can..." Tom moved his lips down your jaw, until your neck while you were struggling to keep it quiet.

"And you will" his pace quickened as your legs wrapped around him to keep him even closer to you.

"Oh fuck... fuck" you moaned but he quickly kissed your mouth again before speaking up.

"Quiet babe" he said panting and fucking you at the same time.

You bit your lips as you felt your whole body giving in more and more. Your legs were trembling and your hands moved up his arms until his shoulders and face. God he was so beautiful.

His dark hair fell in front of his eyes as he looked down at the both of you but he quickly moved a hand through it so you could see his beautiful eyes again.

Just his face was driving you insane and the rest was killing you.

He was fucking your brains out and you were just about to let go when you began to feel his cock throb inside of you.

"Fuck I'm gonna cum again" you said against his lips.

"Not yet" he whispered next to your ear before moving away from you.

The sudden emptiness you felt made you gasp and moan at the same time. Tom quickly held you down from the skin and grabbed both of your arms, placing them behind your back.

"You cum when I tell you to" he continued and spun you around so you were facing the small mirror of the bathroom.

He bent you over the sink and slide all the way in again. Without giving you time to adjust to the size he started to pound into you with no mercy, hitting spots that not even his fingers could've reached.

"Tom- fuck" you were cut off by your own moans but he did not stop, he did not slow down.

He was giving you just what you wanted in the best way you wanted it.

"You want it, don't you?" Tom said against your cheek. Letting go of your arms so you could hold yourself up and he grabbed your hair and forced you to look at him through the mirror.

"Say it" he whispered you, speeding up the pace even more, till the point you couldn't take it anymore.

"Yes... yes-" you said straight away as tears ran down your cheeks and his lips moved down the back of your neck.

"Such a good girl" these words, sent you over the edge and he knew it by the way your walls clenched and gripped his cock so tightly.

"Yes just like that..."

"Please" you cried out.

"Let go for me darling, give it to me" and so you did.

He didn't stop moving back and forth until when your orgasm wasn't over and he had to place a hand over you mouth to keep you quiet while he finished himself inside of you, until the last drop.

"Oh fuck..." he moaned too and held himself on the sink even though you could feel the weight of his body over yours.

You two stayed there for a few moments to catch your breath before he slowly turned you around and hugged you close to him. You were both glowing with the after sex aura and the thin layer of sweat as you wrapped your arms around him and he did the same, trying to hold you up.

You slowly pulled away and kissed him again one last time.

“I hope you’re feeling better now” Tom said with a chuckle and you playfully rolled your eyes at him

“You think so?”

“Well I hope so” you laughed and kissed his lips one last time before you opened the door to check if anyone was there or if anyone heard what have happened but he held your hand and dragged you inside to kiss you.

You both quickly dressed up again and tried your best to look exactly like when you stepped into the bathroom.

“I think I’ll take you out on a date” His hands were holding your waist from behind as you slowly left the bathroom and you felt his lips against your neck again.

“You better” he laughed and you held his hand as you slowly approached your seats as if nothing happened.

[skalfy]

A Reputation for Good Taste

Misa x Reader, ~3.5k words, part 2/?

Part 1 here

Another part! Again, deeply unproofread, so apologies for any errors.

“I’m sorry, what??” Your friend made a show of rolling over to look directly at you where you lay, bundled in her bed. “You’re telling me that Alma cheated on you, then you drove her mistress home and somehow ended up seducing her into giving you free tickets to a football match? Actually, I’m not surprised about the Alma thing, sorry, but the rest is beyond me.”

“Maya!” You blushed hard. “None of that is what I said! Well, except for the Alma thing. I did not seduce María, and please don’t call her Alma’s mistress. All I did was drive her home and probably make her uncomfortable by crying about how I’m a bad aunt. She definitely only offered the tickets because she feels bad that my girlfriend cheated on me with her. It was so obvious that she thought she needed to do something to apologise.”

“If all she felt was guilty about Alma I hardly think she would go to the lengths she did, but out of courtesy to your broken heart,” she fixed you with a look, “I won’t argue about this right now.”

“Thank you, Maya.” You mumbled, then, “I don’t even know if my heart is broken. I’m angry at Alma for doing something so stupid to both of us, but it’s really been getting worse for a while, hasn’t it?”

“Oh honey, it has, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.” She lifted the covers between you. “Now come here and let me cuddle you.”

You rolled over and let her pull you against her chest, relaxing into the comfort of your friend’s arms.

“I think my heart broke a while ago, but I really wish we would talked instead of this.” She just squeezed you tighter and you drifted to sleep.

--

You awoke the next morning alone in Maya’s bed, the sounds of her in the kitchen with Marc, her boyfriend, faintly audible from through the closed door. Your first thought was about Alma, and whether she had bothered to say anything to you since you left the flat. You quickly found your phone and unlocked it, opening the messages app. At the top there was an unread message, but it wasn’t from Alma. You tapped it open anyway.

María: Hi, good morning! I hope you are feeling okay and that your friend is taking care of you. I talked to the club and the tickets will be no problem and no cost. I’ll give you the details later :)

María: Do you have a jersey for the game?

Maria: It’s El Clásico, you have to wear one.

You felt a blush rise as you read the first message. It was sweet, but you were also a little embarrassed to think that María knew you needed taking care of. You quickly typed out a reply.

Me: Thank you so much, you have saved my aunt reputation and Luisa’s trip! And I am okay, thank you for asking. Between my old friend and a certain new friend who has gone out of her way to do me a big favor I’m feeling better.

You wrote and deleted the last line several times before hitting send, unsure how María would take it. You didn’t have to wait long to find out, the little dots that showed she was typing popped up after just a few seconds.

María: I think your new friend would be very glad to hear that, and glad to hear she is your friend, even if the circumstances you met in were not ideal.

María: You didn’t answer my question, do you have a jersey?

There was no resisting the grin that spread on your face as you read her message.

Me: Luisa definitely has a jersey, I got her one for Christmas.

María: I didn’t ask if Luisa had one, I asked if you did ;)

Me: Hmm, I think I have an old Barça one lying around somewhere.

You figured if she worked for worked for Real Madrid she must have a healthy animosity for the rival club, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a little fun about it.

María: We will discuss that later, but I might let it slide if it’s an Alexia kit. Sounds like you are in need of something to wear on Saturday. Green or white?

Me: Green?

María: Yes, it will bring out your eyes. Good choice!

María: Meet me for coffee? I will give you the jersey. Before you ask, it doesn’t cost me, I promise :)

Your head was spinning, but somehow you didn’t really mind. You weren’t about to turn down the offer for coffee, if for no other reason than to buy María acoffee as a thank you.

Me: I’d love to. Let me know when and where, I am off work today so anytime works.

She sent a link to a cute looking coffee shop and said to meet her there at 3 before signing off to get back to some work. You were still giving your phone a bewildered smile when Maya opened the door to her room to check in on you.

“My god, please don’t tell me Alma has sent you some ridiculous make up text that has you falling back under her spell!” You looked up at her words, startled and confused.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the lovesick smile you were just giving your phone when I walked in.” You scoffed in response to Maya’s words, but still felt a sudden urge to keep your conversation with María to yourself until you had a better idea of what was going on.

“I’m just smiling at the death march sightseeing tour mum has the family on today. I was planning to meet up with them, but the play by play is equal parts funny and frightening.” It wasn’t really a lie, you knew your mother well enough to know that your prediction was probably true, and you really were going to meet up with them. It just wasn’t exactly what had you smiling, or the afternoon plan you were most looking forward to.

Maya looked like she might say something more, but a particularly loud clang from the kitchen had her hurrying quickly back out. Alone again, you decided it was long time to get yourself ready for the day.

--

Dressed and showered, you caught Maya and Marc as both were headed out the door to work. Maya had instructed you to be back for dinner with the two of them, but otherwise you had free reign and your spare key. Sipping the cup of coffee one of them had left on the counter for you, you pulled out your phone and called your mum.

A short itinerary run-down later, you had plans to meet up outside their hotel and a half day of sightseeing between you and your unexpected coffee plans. That left only one other call to make, and it was one you didn’t want hanging over your head any longer. You dialed the number and listened as it rang through three times before you heard the other end pick up. When she didn’t say anything, you spoke first.

“Alma.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” She answered, the guilt unmistakeable in her voice.

“I’m sorry, too.” You sighed. “It was a shitty thing to do, though. I didn’t deserve that.”

“You didn’t.”

“Did you want me to see? You had to have known I wouldn’t be out that late.” You couldn’t help but ask. Her silence was all the answer you needed. “Okay. I’ll stay at Maya’s another night, but can you have your things out after that?” Thankfully, she had moved in with you only a few months back when her lease ended. Almost everything was yours, and you wouldn’t have the added insult of losing your flat along with your girlfriend.

“Yeah, I’ll pack everything today. I really am sorry.” You could hear her holding back tears, and you were struck by a pang of affection and sympathy for her. As cruel as cheating on you was, the last few months had been hard for both of you, and falling out of love with her first hadn’t been particularly kind either.

“Thank you, Alma. I hope things work out for you.”

“You too. I’ll miss you.” She ended the call, and you felt the weight on your chest ease.

--

It had been a long morning with your family, but you were immensely happy to have spent the time with them. Mum’s heavy-handed tourguiding made everyone laugh, but she had done her research well, and you were glad for it. Even after living in Madrid for three years, you still hadn’t taken the time to see all the sights. Plus, everything was more enjoyable with Luisa dragging you along to point out the best bits. You walked double the steps, but it was worth it to be honored as the most interesting adult, and you loved any opportunity to hear more about what her latest activities and interests were.

Having arrived a few minutes early to the coffee shop, you were lost in reflection on your family’s antics when the light touch of a hand on your elbow pulled you into the present. You jumped a little at the contact, and felt the hand grip a little tighter to steady you. It only took you a moment to look up and catch the owner’s warm brown eyes. As soon as you recognized her, María tugged you forward gently into a hug, and you sunk into the contact.

“Hi.” She said, releasing you to arm’s length.

“Hi, how are you?” You responded a little breathlessly as her hands finally fell away from your arms.

“Better now.” She answered you with a smile. “Have you been here before?” You shook your head no, returning her smile. “Good. It’s my favorite and I’m glad I get to introduce you to it. Come!” She pulled the door open and gestured for you to step inside. Stepping through the entrance, you were hit immediately by the rich smell of coffee, and you paused to appreciate it. You looked over your shoulder as María entered behind you and spoke with joking reverence.

“I think I’m in love already.” She chuckled and nudged you ahead with her own shoulder.

“You haven’t even tried it yet, keep walking!”

The two of you approached the counter and greeted the barista. You inclined your head to María to order first, and after a moment’s hesitation, she requested a café con leche Before the barista could give her a total, you ordered your cortado, card already in hand to cover both. You turned to look at the woman next to you and she raised her hands in mock surrender.

“Any pastries you recommend?” You asked, still looking at her.

“Everything is good, but my favorite is probably the pear tart.” She answered, and you looked back to the barista.

“One of those too, please.” She nodded, then recited the total and let you hand her your card. After ringing you up, she retrieved your pastry and passed it over on a plate with two forks.

You followed María to a quiet corner with an empty table. She pulled out one chair before walking to the other side and sitting down.

“Can’t risk you dropping our tart.” She said with a wink when you gave her a look. You rolled your eyes, but still felt a blush as you set the plate down carefully and took your seat. Her fingertips quickly snagged the edge of the plate, sliding it to her side of the table. It didn’t exactly bother you, but with her earlier chivalry you weren’t expecting her to immediately lay claim to the shared treat. You watched as she industriously carved out a bite with one of the forks, clearly taking care to perfect the crust to filling ratio and center a perfect slice of pear on the wedge she cut. Her focus was charming, but your mouth was nearly watering waiting for your turn.

“You have to have the perfect first bite, my reputation for having good taste could be on the line here if you aren’t impressed.” She spoke as she finally lifted her fork, extending it toward you with a shy smile. There was a burst of warmth in your chest as you realized the care she had taken was for you, even if it was only to prove she made the best choice. You opened your mouth and closed your eyes, leaning forward slightly to meet her over the table. Her free hand was loosely cupped under the fork to catch any crumbs, and it brushed your chin gently as you closed your lips over the forkful of tart. You tilted your head back as María pulled the fork away, instinctively raising your own hand as well. The back of her hand was soft where your palm met it, and she let it rest against yours for a moment before pulling away. Her trailing fingers were far from your mind, however, as soon as you began to chew the bite of tart. The flavor was divine, sharp and sweet and fresh all at once, paired with a perfectly buttery-flaky-crisp crust. María let out a burst of laughter and a fist pump at the wide-eyed nod you gave her when she asked if her reputation was secure, which in turn had you covering your mouth as you tried to swallow through a growing smile.

A barista calling out your orders had María quickly standing, waving off your offer to help, and gave you a chance to sneak a second bite and collect your thoughts for a moment. You felt silly for being so charmed by María’s kindness, from her it seemed more like second nature. Her actions, while some were a little over the top, felt like they came from a combination of genuine thoughtfulness and her desire to make you laugh. It struck you after a second, you felt taken care of. Not in the big-gesture way that Alma always wanted you to exhibit, hinting at big gifts and dramatic arrivals at her office to sweep her away to Ibiza, but something much gentler. It was nice, you realized-- both to be taken care of and for the acts to be so unpretentious.

“For you,” a hand touched your shoulder and your cortado was placed in front of you, “and for me!” María set her own cup down and took her seat, smiling and waving her hand dismissively as you thanked her.

The conversation flowed once again between the two of you, and you enjoyed it even more than you had the previous evening in your car. You managed to draw out the tart, each taking smaller and smaller bites until finally María nudged the plate toward you and insisted you take the final piece. You brought out a chuckle from her by solemnly confessing that you’d taken an extra bite while she fetched the coffees, and she happily stole the plate back to finish it off herself. With the food out of the way, you were both focused on each other, and you felt the heat of her gaze as she listened carefully to everything you said.

You covered a wide variety of topics, learning about her family and friends, her love for music, and the meaning behind some of her tattoos. She didn’t speak much about her work, but you could tell she was driven and passionate. You shared plenty in return, her open interest in what you said and thoughtful questions leading you down plenty of tangents, including a retelling of your family’s antics that had you both laughing. The two of you were so engrossed in the conversation, that it wasn’t until your phone started ringing that you realized how much time had passed.

“It’s the friend I’m staying with, I better answer.” You told María, who gave you a thumbs up as you stood to move a few paces from the table before you answered. “Hi Maya.”

“Girl, where are you?” She asked, skipping over any greeting. You looked down at your watch and realized it was after six. Not time for dinner yet, but Maya was no doubt expecting you to be there when she returned from work. You caught María’s eyes on you and rolled your own dramatically at her as you replied.

“Sorry Mum, I’m out with a friend and we lost track of time. I’ll be back soon. Do you need me to pick anything up on the way?” You could very nearly hear Maya’s eyes narrowing on the other end of the line.

“What friend? I know all your friends, they’re my friends. Unless…” You winced as she trailed off, realizing you didn’t want to have this conversation within earshot of María. “You’re with Alma? Or Alma’s m—”

“Okay! We can talk about this later!” You cut her off firmly, feeling your face heat as you wondered how audible Maya’s voice was from your phone speaker. “Also,” you continued, thinking it might be best to clarify once and for all, “I ended things with Alma officially this morning, so safe to assume I’m not with her.” Maya’s honest-to-god cheer was a bit embarrassing, but you did feel a little like cheering yourself, so you chose not to mention it.

“I’ll expect all the details when you get here. Be safe until then, love you!”

“Love you too.” You ended the call, looking down at your phone a few moments longer than necessary before raising your head to look at María. She had an unreadable expression, but quirked an eyebrow at you when you met her eyes.

“Your friend seems very fun.” She said, then after a pause, “sorry to hear about Alma.” It felt like she was giving you the option to choose whether you wanted to talk about it, which you appreciated.

“I’m not really sorry,” you said, “it should have happened a long time ago.” María kept her gaze on you, not interjecting, face carefully neutral. It reminded you of when you first looked at her in your lobby. In a quieter voice, you continued. “I don’t wish it did, though.” María’s easy smile was familiar to you already, but her lips didn’t curve this time. You felt a strong urge to leave quickly, or even better, for the floor to open up beneath you. Closing your eyes, you heard the chair scrape as she stood. How predictably thoughtful of her to leave you to recover from your embarrassment. Just as you listened for her departing footsteps, you were caught off guard by two strong arms wrapping around you in a tight embrace. Your eyes opened in surprise, but it didn’t take you long to squeeze just as tightly back, relief coursing through you. María’s face pressed into the side of your neck, and you felt her speak, but the words were too muffled to hear. The two of you held each other close a while longer, before she pulled back enough to look at you.

“This might be the strangest friendship I’ve had, but I’m so glad I met you.” She said, smiling softly. You returned her smile, and couldn’t resist saying,

“maybe Alma did both of us a favor in the end.” She gave your shoulders a squeeze in lieu of answering, but spoke after a moment.

“I had better send you back to your friend before she grounds you, I would hate for you to miss the game because you aren’t allowed to leave your room for a week.” It made you laugh, but the possibility is more likely than you’d like to admit. Maya had a greater chance of grounding you than your own mother did, in all honesty. It’s enough to spur you into action, and, after returning your dishes to the counter, the two of you made your way out of the cafe. You hugged one more time, then parted ways, but a shout of your name had you turning around before you made it to your car.

“I almost forgot to give you this!” María held out a folded piece of bright green fabric to you. “It’s the whole reason I dragged you out here after all.” You took it from her and unfolded it, quickly realizing it was a Real Madrid jersey, though not in the colors you were used to seeing.

“I thought you were joking when you said green!” She laughed in response to your confusion and explained that it was a goalkeeper’s jersey, hence the bright color.

“I brought a regular one as well if you prefer.” She added, sounding a little uncertain.

“No way, this is much better,” you held it up to your chest, “does it bring out my eyes like you said?” She leaned in a little closer, reaching out to lift the fabric up to your cheek.

“Absolutely.”

--

That evening after you returned to Maya’s and took a longer look at the jersey you sent María a text with a picture of the back of the jersey.

Me: This Misa better be good if I’m wearing her name on my back

María: Don’t worry, I wouldn’t let you wear her name if she wasn’t

[canirove]

The invinsible princess | Chapter 2

“A very chocolatey Christmas”

Chapter 1 | Chapter 3

Masterlist

A few months later...

“You know, I was kind of surprised when I got your text.”

“Why?”

“Because I usually am the one who goes visit you in Madrid and not the other way around” my cousin Irene says. 

“Then it was time I came to visit you in Barcelona” I smile.

“Yeah… But why?” she says, giving me a suspicious look.

“Why what?”

“Why have you come to visit me now?”

“I was home alone and bored" I shrug. "My parents are on their annual solo trip before the holidays and Leonor still is at the academy, so I thought… Why don't I go pay my dearest cousin a visit? And I haven't seen Aunt Cristina and your brothers in ages.”

“But we are a few days away from Christmas, and we are spending them all together with grandma. It doesn't make any sense to come now. What are you hiding, Sofía?”

“Me? Nothing”

“Liar.”

“What?”

“You are lying” Irene says. “Who is he?”

“Who is who?”

“The guy you've come to see here in Barcelona.”

“I've come to see you, not a guy” I chuckle.

“You are such a bad liar, Sofía” she laughs. “C'mon, spill the beans. Who is he? When and where did you meet? Is there a Tinder for royals or something?”

“What?”

“I don't know, could be a thing” she shrugs. “Anyway, who is he?”

“He… Ok, fine” I sigh, giving up. Since we were little Irene has always read me like an open book, and it can be so annoying. “There is a guy.”

“I knew it!” she smiles. “Now tell me all the details. When did you meet?”

“This summer.”

“Oh, so this is new! Was it during your holidays in Mallorca?”

“No. It was before that.”

“In Madrid?”

“Kind of.”

“Kind of? What do you mean?” she asks with a confused look.

“First Berlin and then Madrid.”

“First Ber… No!” she gasps. “During the Euros?”

“Yep” I nod.

“Is he a football player?”

“Could be.”

“Could be? Oh… my God, Sofía. Oh, my God! The princess is a wag?” she laughs.

“I'm not a wag.”

“But you may end up being one” she smirks.

“Maybe… I don't know. Everything still is too new and we are just getting to know each other.”

“But wait. Wait, wait, wait. If you've come to Barcelona… Does it mean that he plays for Barça? Is he… Oh my God, is he Gavi? Did you steal your sister's crush?” Irene laughs again. “She's gonna be so pissed when she finds out…”

“It's not Gavi.”

“Then… That new guy? Fermín? He's cute.”

“I don't like them blonde, Irene.”

“Then… umm… No! Ferran? He is like the hottest! You are such a lucky bitch!” she says, hitting my arm.

“Ouch, that hurt!” 

“I can't believe you are seeing Ferran. Like… Woah” she chuckles. “And then you go around saying you are invisible to everyone and that no one pays you attention. You are seeing one of the hottest Spanish players!”

“I'm not seeing Ferran either, Irene.”

“You… what? Then who…”

“Pedri.”

“Pedri? The Pedri?”

“Yes, Pedri. Why that face?”

“I don't know, I just… He doesn't seem your type.”

“Doesn't he? Have you looked at him?” I laugh.

“I… Not really, no.”

“Then you can properly look at him tomorrow, because you are coming with me to watch him play” I smile.

“What?”

“I got tickets. Well, Pedri got them for us.”

“So this is why you've come to see me? To have me third wheeling?”

“I've come to visit you and your family, and then to ask you to accompany me to the game. If someone spots me with you it'll be less suspicious than if I am on my own.”

“Aren't you the invisible princess like you say all the time? You don't need me” Irene says, crossing her arms over her chest.

“That's what I thought too. But Pedri has shown me that that isn't the case. That to him, I've never been invisible.”

“Did he tell you that?” she chuckles.

“He did, yes. And stop laughing, it was quite romantic.”

“If you say so…”

“It was” I say, now being the one who hits her arm. “So, are you coming to the game with me or not? I haven't gotten to see him play with Barça yet, this is the first time.”

“Really? Haven't you known each other for a few months already?”

“We have, yes. But he's been recovering from his injury and we've only managed to meet in person once since the Euros.”

“Just once?” Irene says.

“Yes, for his birthday.”

“And how did you celebrate?” she asks, moving her eyebrows up and down.

“You are the worst” I reply, rolling my eyes. “But yes.”

“Yes what, dear cousin?” she smirks.

“Yes, we had sex to celebrate his birthday. Now, are you coming to the game with me or not?”

“Don't change the topic of conversation just yet. Was it good?” 

“Irene…” I sigh.

“I know it wasn't your first time, Sofía. But what about him?”

“It wasn't either.”

“Interesting… Very very interesting. If you are so eager to see him again, it's because it was good. Is he an expert on anything in particular?”

“Irene, I'm not going to tell you anything else.”

“But you will in the future.”

“Urgh” I groan.

“May I ask you something else?”

“I'm not going to tell you how big he is, Irene.”

“I wasn't going to ask you that, Sofía” she says, rolling her eyes. “Though now I'm curious… Anyway” she says. “What excuse did you use to come see him that day?”

“I told everyone I was going to visit Leonor at the academy” I shrug.

“Wait, she knows?”

“Yes, she does. And before you ask, she approves, so… Are you coming to the game with me or not?” I ask her again. 

“You know football isn't my thing, Sofía. Footballers, yes. But watching them run around for 90 minutes?”

“C'mon, Irene. Say yes. Carlos will be there too, you can talk to him if you get bored” I smirk. 

“I don't know why that should interest me” she says, trying to look unbothered. She's always had a bit of a crush on him even if she denies it. “But I don't know… What does he think about this? Does he agree?”

“Is that important?”

“Well, yes. He's your bodyguard.”

“He doesn't approve because he doesn't like that Pedri is a football player. But I don't give a shit about his opinion on this. He is no one to tell me who I can or cannot date. So, Irene. Will you come with me? Please” I pout. “Please, please, please. I'll tell Pedri to introduce you to Ferran.”

“Ok, fine. I'll go with you” she sighs.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you” I say, hugging her.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah” she says, patting my arm. “But I'm only doing it because you seem to really like this guy and I've never seen you this excited about anyone before. And maybe a bit too because I want to see if Ferran is as hot in person as on tv.”

“Thank you” I smile. 

“Though now you owe me one.”

“And I won't forget about it. Thank you, Irene” I say before hugging her again.

“You're welcome” she replies, hugging me back. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“I like your cousin.”

“Even if you only talked to her for five seconds before she only had eyes for Ferran?” I chuckle.

“Even so” Pedri smiles. “But I don't blame her. He is a really handsome guy.”

“And so are you.”

“Thank you” he says, kissing my cheek. “But have you seen his abs? You can grate cheese on them.”

“Meh. I can't eat too much cheese, it doesn't sit well with my stomach. That wouldn't be useful to me.”

“What?” he laughs.

“Yeah” I shrug. “And I've seen your abs, and they are perfect. You have nothing to envy him.”

“I think you are a bit biased here, my lady” he says with a teasing smile.

“Maybe” I reply with a matching one.

“Ehem” someone says behind us as we are about to kiss. Carlos, my bodyguard.

“Sorry” Pedri says as we keep walking.

After the game we decided to visit the Christmas market and maybe grab something to eat before going back home, both of us wearing a hat and a scarf to kind of hide our faces and not get recognized. And so far it has been working and no one has looked at us, though maybe the fact that the market is packed with people is helping us too.

“You seriously chose the coldest day of the year to come visit me, Sofía” Pedri says, the arm he has around my waist hugging me a bit tighter.

“What? This isn't cold, stop complaining” I laugh.

“It is to me, ok? I'm from the Canary Islands in case you've forgotten. I'm not used to it.”

“Then I guess I won't be able to take you skiing with my family. It is a tradition that has been done for generations.”

“I'm not allowed to ski, so” he shrugs. 

“Then you can stay with my grandma in the lodge and play cards with her. She can't ski anymore.” 

“With your grandma… as in the previous queen?”

“The very same” I smile. “Does she also intimidate you like my mum does?” 

“She seems nice. Though I think she can be quite scary when she gets mad.”

“You have no idea” I chuckle. “And she doesn't like the cold either, so now you have two things in common.”

“Which basically makes us bffs. Cool” he says, making us both laugh. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“You have… Pedri…”

“Uh?” . 

“Your face.”

“What about it?” he asks before taking another ship from his hot chocolate.

“Oh my God” I laugh.

“What? What is so funny?” 

“Your face” I say again.

“What is wrong with it? I thought you liked it.”

“And I do. I like it very much. But…” I say before I burst out laughing.

“Sofía, are we sure you are drinking chocolate and that it didn't get swapped for alcohol?”

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just… Don't move” I say, putting my drink down and holding his face with one hand, using the other to deal with what had made me laugh. “Look. This was on your nose.”

“Is that… chocolate?” he says, looking at my finger. “There was chocolate on my super attractive nose?”

“There was, yes” I chuckle before sucking it. 

“Fuck” Pedri whispers, his eyes fixed on my mouth.

“What? Am I the one covered in chocolate now?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“That was so hot.”

“What?” 

“What you did with your finger, Sofía. That was… wow.”

“Oh… I see” I smirk. “Did it make you think of something we could do?” I say, closing the space between us.

“It made me think of something you could do, my lady.”

“To you?”

“To me” Pedri says. “Let's go back to my place.”

“Already?”

“Yes” he nods.

“But we haven't finished our hot chocolates yet.”

“I am too hot right now to drink that.”

“Well, you are wearing the thickest coat ever, that's normal” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“Don't tease me, Sofía.”

“Or what? What will you do if I don't stop teasing you?” I say, brushing my nose against his.

“It's more about what I would not do to you once we are at my place.” 

“Ehem” Carlos says next to us, completely ruining the mood.

“Urgh” I groan, resting my head on Pedri's shoulder. 

“Now going back to my place doesn't sound like such a bad idea, uh?” he chuckles. “C'mon” he says, moving my arms from around his neck. “I'll make you a hot chocolate myself if you are still in the mood for it once we are done with… you know.”

“Do you know how to make hot chocolate?” I ask him, arching an eyebrow.

“It's not that difficult, and I'm a man of many talents, my lady.”

“Are you?” I smirk.

“I am. And we better go, because if we keep insinuating things, Carlos’ face is gonna turn so red his head may explode” he laughs.

“It might, yeah” I chuckle.

“Shall we, my lady?” Pedri says, offering me his arm.

“Sir” I giggle before taking it, Carlos sighing behind us and probably rolling his eyes too.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Your hot chocolate, my lady.”

“Thank you” I smile, taking the mug Pedri is giving me before he gets in bed next to me.

“Be careful, tho. It is…”

“Bloody hell!” 

“Hot” Pedri sighs. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, yeah. I think I won't be feeling my tongue for a couple of days, but I'm fine. And I managed to not spill it all over your sheets.”

“You also… umm…”

“What?” 

“You have chocolate on you.”

“On me?”

“Yes. Let me…”

“Fuck” I gasp when his finger suddenly touches me between my boobs and moves up. How had the chocolate ended up there without me not noticing, when it had burnt my tongue? I don't know. But holy shit.

“Done” Pedri smiles after sucking his finger. “Sofía, are you ok?”

“I think you just unlocked a new thing that turns me on.”

“What?” he laughs. 

“The chocolate… the finger… Wait.”

“Sofía, what… What are you doing? You are going to burn yourself again and… Is that a P?”

“A chocolate P, yes.”

“From Pedri?” he chuckles.

“Exactly. Now lick it.”

“What?” he says, his eyes going wide. 

“I want you to lick the chocolate from my chest, Pedri. And if you do it following the shape of the letter, even better. C'mon” I say, laying down. 

“As my lady commands” he says before moving to be on top of me, his elbows resting next to my waist, his eyes focused on mine as he licks the chocolate.

“Bloody hell” I gasp. 

“Those words didn't sound very princess like, my lady. Again” he smirks. “Did you like what I did, tho?”

“Very much.”

“Should we do it again?” 

“Please.”

“Give me the mug” he says, nodding towards the bedside table as he sats up, straddling me. “What should I write now? An S for Sofía?” he says.

“For example.”

“Ok” he says, dipping his finger on the hot chocolate before touching me, the feeling making me gasp again. “Perfect. But I think we could do more. Maybe… a heart?”

“S heart P?” I chuckle. 

“Actually… You've given me an idea. Hold this” Pedri says, giving me the mug. “Try not to let it fall, I'm very fond of these sheets” he smirks.

“I can't promise anything” I smirk back, biting my lip when I feel his tongue on my stomach, trying to focus on the mug in my hand and not on what he is doing to me.

“You taste so good, my lady” he says when he's done.

“Me or the chocolate?”

“I’ve tasted you in other places. It's you” he winks, making me laugh. “Ok, give me the mug back. Time to watch the artist work.”

“The what?” I laugh again.

“I should probably take a photo once I'm done. They could frame it and put it in the Reina Sofía museum.”

“Of course. Let's put a photo of me topless and covered in chocolate in the museum named after my grandmother. I'm sure she would love it. And my mum too. Especially her.”

“Yeah… Umm… Maybe it isn't such a good idea.”

“Still scared of my mum, Pedro?” I ask him with a teasing smile. “I think she liked you when you met her after the Euros.”

“She actually was really nice with me, asking me about the injury and all that. But if she knew the things I've done with her youngest daughter… well. And I have to focus on this, so silence, my lady” he says, dipping his finger on the chocolate again.

“My lips are sealed” I reply. 

Though they don't stay sealed for too long, because the moment his finger starts touching me, I hear myself gasping. First he draws an S over one of my boobs, then a heart between them, and then a P on the other. It is so stupid but so… hot.

“Urgh. Perfect” Pedri says when he's done, sucking his finger and putting the mug done. “Am I allowed to take a photo or will the secret service come after me?” 

“As long as you don't show my face… I don't think they could recognize me because of my boobs.”

“I could” he says, moving from the bed to grab his phone.

“What?” I laugh.

“You have a mole on the left one and another tiny one under the right one” he shrugs.

“Oh my God” I laugh again. “How have you had time to notice all that? We've slept together like twice.”

“Wrong.”

“Uh?”

“We slept together twice on my birthday. Earlier today was the third time. What we are doing will probably lead us to the fourth. And tomorrow I'm not letting you go back to Madrid without doing it one last time, so that would be five. Maybe six. And, like I already told you…” he says, coming back to the bed. “I am a man of many talents, my lady. And the mole on the left is visible when you wear something with a bit of cleavage.”

“Is it?”

“It is. And like I've also told you many times, you've never been invisible to me, Sofía” he smiles.

“Yeah” I reply, feeling my cheeks getting warm. This is what makes me blush. Him being cute, not having him licking chocolate from my stomach.

“Now, stay still. I want this photo to be museum worth it even if it will never be at one” he says, sticking out his tongue as he focuses to take the photo. “Beautiful. I'm such an artist!”

“Of course you are, Pedri” I chuckle. 

“Don't make fun of me, Sofía.”

“Or what?” I ask, arching an eyebrow.

“Or all that chocolate will stay there until tomorrow.”

“As if you weren't looking forward to licking it” I laugh.

“I actually am, yes” he smirks. “So, without further ado…” he says as he goes back to laying on top of me, my body tensing in anticipation. 

“Well?” I ask him when he does nothing, just look at me while resting his chin on my stomach.

“I'm admiring the view” he smiles.

“Admiring the… fuck” I gasp when I finally feel his tongue on my nipple. He had drawn the beginning of the S as close to it as he was able to and… Bloody hell. Again.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“I think I've packed it all” I say, looking around Pedri's room. “But urgh, I don't want to leave” I pout, wrapping my arms around his neck. “We aren't seeing each other until next year.”

“Sofía!” he laughs.

“It is a really bad joke, isn't it? Though accurate.”

“And bad" he chuckles. "But think it'll be just a couple of weeks before you come back. And this time for more than just two days and a half.”

“Yeah” I smile. Because with the help of my cousin Irene, we've come up with this excuse about us missing each other so much, that I've decided to spend a month in Barcelona with her and her family since I don't have anything important to do. Perks of being the second in line.

“But before you go…” Pedri says. “I have something for you.”

“For me?”

“For you. Wait here” he says, letting go of me and opening the drawer of one of his bedside tables. “You don't know for how long I've been debating if I should give you this or not since all this between us is still new and you may think it is too soon for gifts. And maybe you won't like it, or think it is a stupid gift, or feel like you now need to give me something in return when there is no need to, or…”

“Pedri. Pedri, hey” I say, taking his free hand and giving it a little squeeze when he walks back to where I am standing, the other holding a small box. “You are rambling.”

“Yes, sorry” he chuckles. “I just… ummm… Merry Christmas, Sofía” he smiles, giving me the box.

“Merry Christmas, Pedri” I smile back, taking it and slowly opening it.

“It's ok if you don't like it, it's something silly. But I saw it while looking for something for my mum and thought it was cute and…”

“Aww, Pedri!” 

“Is that a good aww? Do you… do you like it?”

“I love it!” I say before hugging him. 

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Thank God” he sighs, making us both laugh.

“Will you help me put it on?”

“Of course” he says. He has gotten me a necklace with a little banana charm and a letter S hanging next to it, and it is the cutest thing ever. “There. How does it feel?”

“Perfect” I say, touching it. “I love it, Pedri. I seriously do.”

“Don't you find it stupid? When I told Ferran he laughed at me.”

“Ferran knows nothing” I reply, rolling my eyes. “This is perfect. It is you and I, but no one knows. Only us” I smile.

“Only us” Pedri smiles back, neither of us saying anything else for a while. We are just smiling at each other like two idiots. “That must be Carlos” he sighs when someone rings the bell.

“Yeah…”

“Two weeks, Sofía” he says, cupping my face and resting his forehead on mine. “Just two weeks and we will be back together.”

“Two weeks” I reply, focusing really hard on not starting to cry and on not paying too much attention to the way saying goodbye to him is making me feel and at how badly I don't want to do it, all while trying to also ignore the little voice inside my head that keeps saying the same thing over and over again: you are falling in love with him, Sofía.

[literallyalbertcamus]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MORE ANGUS PLEASE IM DEPRIVED😫😫

(love your works💋)

He’s So Fine – Angus Tully.

So sorry girly for taking this much in finishing this for you, who could have know library science was not that easy of a thing to study in college, anyways i hope you like this while i think of a better and longer angus fanfic idea. I Also wrote this all in english and was harder than i thinked.

___________________________

You had only seen the Barton boy at least three times, and that was saying it loosely. Your friends thought he was not that handsome to begin with, not enough to compensate to be an annoyingly privileged Barton prick, but oh how bad you had it for Angus Tully. He was tall and lanky, with a Bob Dylan look that made you weak in the knees every time you saw him at town in the weekends. Much about him personally you didn’t know, just his name, that your classmate Elise had kiss him at her aunt’s Christmas party and that he was not the nicest, but you just couldn’t help it, to you he was just that fine, and you were going to do something about your feelings right now.

That Sunday evening you and your friends where at The Winning Ticket, just drinking soda and eating cheeseburgers when you saw him at the pinball machine, focused on his game and alone. Sarah, one of your friends, noticed right away who you were staring at and rolled her eyes, but you shrouded at took a last shot of your coke before turning to the group.

“How do I look?”

“Good, why?” responded confused one of them, followed by a choir of disappointed “oh my god” when they realized what you were going to do.

You stud up and walked up to the pinball machine to put a penny at the corner of the table, while he was really focused until that moment, when the sudden movement on the corner of his eye made him look at the coin and lose track for a moment, losing is last ball.

“Motherfucker! I was going to break the record” he shouts, turning around to look at whoever made him lose the fruits of his evening’s hard work.

Internally and physically, you cringed a little, this was not the way you wanted your first real interaction with him to go, and now were thinking that maybe it was better staying with the girls at the booth just looking at him from afar.

“Oh, I am so sorry, I didn’t!—” the words came stunted from your mouth as your face started to blush. That’s when Angus noticed who had put the penny at the corner, he had thought it had been an annoying buttheaded townie like the ones from the holidays with mister Hunham, but no, it was you. A pretty girl from town that he did not know the name but knew was cute has hell.

“No! No, I am sorry, really is not that serious, I was overreacting” he started to apologize “Uh, you can take my penny” and as he said, cringed realizing it was the exact same thing he had done the last time as you frowned in confusion. “Oh, shit that sounded so awful, I know you can pay for your own I was just— Sorry”

At his awkward ramble you only giggled, because who really was more nervious between you and him? Probably not you anymore.

“Is fine, I’ll take it” you said, trying to act cool and unbothered at is clumsy and slightly out of touch attempt to make up for his reaction.

“I’m Angus, by the way” he said after putting a coin in the machine and moving to the side, as you put your hands by the handlers.

You told him your name and immediately moved your focus at the ball, but you really couldn't stop noticing him at the corner of your eye, how close he was, and that you had really talked to him this time. Of all your group of friends, you were the best at pinball, but now you were reduced to a mess by his mere presence, how great.

“You are really good” he said, and you almost jumped when you realized how close he really was.

“Thanks, I actually play a lot, so I guess is good that at least I don’t suck at it”

And you really were good, lasting a little bit more than him at the game, but his awkward charisma got the best of you when he said the most unfunny shit, and suddenly all you could do was laugh at it, finally losing.

“So, do you want something to drink?” he asked hopeful.

Maybe the best thing you did that day was putting your coin at the machine, because you spend the rest of the evening with Angus Tully on a booth away from everyone.

[callofdudes]

Christmas Time.

This is a very Merry Christmas to all of you guys and to my best friend @itsscromp , it's almost been a year. Thank you for being around so long, merry Christmas. Italics nods to past conversation.

Christmas time wasn't a happy thought for Simon. All his life if had been a tradition that was swept under the rug and buried. Buried with his family. A time when he would lock himself away and rather come out when it was all over.

When there wasn't snow on the ground to remind him of everything that could have been.

But this was different.

Johnny had invited you all to the MacTavish home for Christmas, that included Simon. Price, Gaz and you.

Simon hadn't wanted to go. The festivities just weren't for him. He honestly didn't...

"Merry Christmas, Simon. Will I see you there?" Johnny smiled softly up at him, so much hope in those soft blue eyes that could split a man's soul into two.

"I'll consider it."

He was packing up what little things he had for his trip back to Manchester. Ready to be alone with his thoughts and hide from the world.

Zipping up his duffle bag and seeing you in the doorway. "Will you join us at Johnny's for the holidays? I'm sure it would be less lonely." You gave him a soft, sad smile, but Simon didn't react.

"I'll think about it."

He had left base at a later date than you others had. Attempting to weasel out of another leave. But eventually headed his way home.

The whole flight back home he stared out the window. Checking his phone randomly, then rubbing his tired eyes.

Seeing the kid in the seat next to him and his dad. Going on and on about how they'll be giving presents and seeing all the cousins. How he couldn't wait to see what his uncles and aunts got him.

The smile on his face wider than the sun.

Simon tried to brush it off, seeing the gloomy weather as they landed. The clouds grey and rain drizzling down, hitting him with the usual chill.

Slinking with his bag to a cab and watching the rain fall a little harder. Floods of messages coming in from the group chat where Johnny was talking about what would happen and where you all could expect to be driving.

Simon stared at it, face resting against his palm. He dropped it again, pulling out the plane ticket Johnny had bought for him.

Johnny had paid to have him home for the holidays.

He bounced his knee in the cab lightly, seeing his already packed duffle bag. Seeing the emptiness of the streets. Feeling cold and so alone.

He clutched the ticket tightly, finally breaking his silence. "Turn around."

The cab driver looked back at him through the mirror. "What's the mate?"

"Turn around, take me back to the airport."

The cab driver was a little confused but agreed, turning the car around and driving the half an hour back to the airport.

"Here you go, want me to wait?"

Simon contemplated it, staring at the ticket.

"No." He got out, passing the man some bills and took his duffle bag. Slinging it back over his shoulder and heading into the airport.

It was busy, his head a mess, his stomach swirling sickly, but he kept pushing himself through the chaos.

Finding the flight that matched the ticket, seeing he had five minutes until they closed that terminal. His last chance to turn back. Maybe it was just a sign to go home. To never consider this again. To abandon the holidays.

His phone pinged, pulling it out and seeing Johnny's new message.

"We'll have another little one joining us this year, I can't wait for you guys to meet him 😊"

Simon stood there. Who knows how far from the terminal. Not that much time...

Johnny had gone to lengths for him to be there. His family would be there.

So he ran. He ran for that terminal without a half a thought. Ran to the terminal, seeing the woman there ushering the last passengers on. Simon passed her his ticket and she smiled. "Welcome aboard."

His heart pounded, slowly getting onto the plane, seeing all the people going to Scotland.

The adrenaline slowly wore off when he found his seat. Sat at the end in another seat that couldn't accommodate for his size. Shoving his bag under his feet instead of in the over carriage.

And he made the flight.

Enduring the distance between England and Scotland. He was nearly falling asleep and feeling cramps in his knees when the pilot called overhead they'd be landing in five minutes.

Simon felt the plane land. Waited until they were all ready to get off and stepped down into the soggy Scottish weather. He looked around, taking in the new place.

A slight fog coating the ground, drifting through the open stretch of asphalt. He swallowed, seeing flickering lights around the entrance to the airport.

He wandered around the place, looking back through all the group chat texts and finding the texts Johnny had sent about his address and where to find him.

Thank goodness because Simon did not know his way around. Calling a cab and telling him the address. He watched the sights go by as they drove. The lights flickering and the blow up Christmas ornaments in the front yard.

They made him want to crawl back into his skin and hide. Go home and forget. Forget the blood, the pain, the hurt.

It was nearly an hour drive, and Simon was exhausted. Finally they pulled into a housing group, stopping along the road at a corner street. Stairs leading up to an absolute beautiful house. Decorations, a wreath, lights and all. The large dark brown color gave rustic cabin vibes to the home.

"Here we are." The cab driver turned to look at him. "You have yourself a Merry Christmas."

Simon pulled out the money for him from his wallet. "Yeah... You too." He got out, grabbing his dufflebag.

He slowly wandered up the steps, seeing the light passing through the glass at the top of the door.

His entire world closed in on him. His body feeling rigid with ice in his veins. He looked down at his shoes, trying to calm himself before reaching up.

He knocked on the door firmly, standing there and waiting. He heard voices and then the door opened.

Johnny smiled brightly, stepping out onto the mat. "Lt! You made it!"

"Simon's here??" He hears you call excitedly from inside the house.

And suddenly Simon's entire world feels warm. Like those movie scenes where all the darkness flees and the sunlight filters down onto their face, warming their insides.

Johnny hugged Simon, kissing both his cheeks in a warm Scottish greeting, stunning Simon a little.

"Come in, come in." Johnny takes his dufflebag before he can speak and brings him inside. Simon looks around the warm place. The entry way opening up into the living room where you all were hanging out.

"Nice to see you, Simon." Price smiles from the couch next to Gaz, sipping some hot chocolate. Simon looks around, stunned.

Everything is moving so fast. But they're just... Welcoming him in. Johnny smiles. "You've met my wife once before, she's making us dinner."

"Lovely to see you Ghost." She calls with a soft smile.

Simon takes off his shoes and moves slowly into the living room. It feels... Surreal.

He notices you, holding a swaddle of blanket in your arms. You smile up at him softly. "Come say hi." You whisper, nodding to the seat beside you.

Simon slowly walks over, looking down at the small child wrapped in soft clothes, passed out for a nap.

"Whose this?" He asks, not reaching out to touch.

You give Simon a soft smile, holding the baby out for him. And after much hesitation he invites the child into his arms.

"This is Johnny's son. Joseph."

Simon's eyes flash with recognition, going completely silent for a moment. He looks back at Johnny who gives him a knowing little smile.

Simon looks down at the small child, his guard becoming more protective by the moment. The small babe waking and seeing the new person, cooed to him with a rosy soft smile.

You smiled softly, leaning over against his shoulder. "I'm really happy you came." You whispered.

Simon looked around his group. His family. Gaz, Price, Johnny, his wife and his newborn son. And you.

"Why wouldn't I?"

You smiled brighter, hugging him gently, and he wraps an arm around you, holding the both of you.

Simon eventually handed little Joseph back to Johnny, watching the newly father coo and cradle his little one.

"Whose hungry??" His wife called with a smile.

"ME!!" You and Gaz both rush to the kitchen for anything she has ready for you to devour. Price chuckles and followed along behind with Simon, patting his shoulder lightly. "Well done son, well done."

Simon sits at the table, pulling up his mask to eat, watching you all joke and talk. Johnny's wife including you in on all the conversation, making Simon feel so much more welcome.

And by the end of the night, Johnny gave Simon a room with you, knowing you'd both be ok with it.

He set down his bag, looking out the window into the dark night, sighing softly.

You also came in, getting into bed. "I'm glad you came."

He looked over at you. "Johnny didn't tell me he had a son."

"They just did, he wanted it to be a surprise for all of us." You smile softly. "Why?"

He thought of blood covered snow, lights flickering to an end. The charred remains of a family home. A young laugh. Happy eyes. A new start. Something for the Riley family to finally cling onto. The hope of this young child squashed.

He hummed and shook his head. "It's nothing, just a shock."

You nod, fluffing the blanket. "Christmas cuddles?? Come on, I know you want 'em!"

He scoffs softly, but crawls in, letting you wrap your arms around his torse. His hand spreads out between your shoulder blades, resting his chin on top of your head.

You smiled softly, squeezing him close. "Merry Christmas Simon."

"Merry Christmas y/n..."

He closed his eyes, feeling safe and comfortable to fall asleep in your arms, knowing he's here with his family.

Not everything has to stay stained. And maybe just for this Christmas, Simon could make it the best Christmas he was ever going to have.

[maiko-san]

TADC x Robotic Jester! Reader (Part 4)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

A/n : Sorry for the late update, I've been busy with work at the supermarket especially when Christmas is around the corner.

ft. Zooble and Pomni

IHA - In House Adventure

(Y/o/n) - Your other name

The next day, you wake up and go through your routine like usual. Having breakfast with the others before Caine decided to go for IHA. Caine comes up with IHAs at a random time.

Today's IHA was insect hunting which is a favourite activity for Kinger. The man was giddy like a child and begin to blurt out all kinds of insects he wants to find.

"I wonder what insects we could find today, maybe we can catch the elusive blue morpho peleides? Oh, maybe *gasps* a dynastes hercules!" Kinger said, you smile at how childish he looks and it's kinda cute.

Everyone is in their adventure outfit and equipped with nets and a small cage. "Alright everyone! Let's head out and catch some bugs!" Caine declares, "Each bugs have their points! The rarer they are the higher their points! The team with the highest points will get free tickets to the theme park for a week!" Caine said.

Everyone is separated into two teams, you are in a team with Gangle and Ragatha. While the other team is Kinger, Ragatha and Kaufmo. "Don't think ya can win cuz you have Kinger in your team! We're gonna beat your @s£!" you said.

"Those ticket will be ours!" you said, smirking.

Aftermath

Everyone is exhausted after getting chased by a swarm of angry hornets. Those devils have lots of points and yeah, you guys tried to catch one in their little nest and thought it would be easy—

But no, Caine didn't tell anybody that the bugs were huge!

Poor Kaufmo got stung by those hell spawns and Caine were able to fix him, but the poor clown was traumatized. You on the other hand got stung too in order to save your partner.

"You're okay there, bud?" you turn to Kaufmo who is rocking back and forth, he was horrified. You rub his back to soothe him down but he is still shaking uncontrollably. "Since the hornets are gone, LET'S CONTINUE WITH THE ADVENTURE!" Caine said making everyone (except Kinger) groans.

You stand up and help Kaufmo back to his feet, "Hey, Kauf. You can sit back if you want, don't force yourself. I can take you back to your room" you said with a slight smile. "Y-yeah, I think I'm sitting back on this o-one. I'm going back to my r-room.... alone. Don't worry, I'll be f-fine" Kaufmo said. "T-thanks (Y/o/n)" he said.

You watch worriedly as Kaufmo walks back to his room, you hope that he recovers from the whole ordeal.

"Hey, looney! We got points to catch. I ain't letting that Hoo-Ha winnin' " Jax said, crossing his arms over his chest, tapping his feet impatiently while Gangle standing next to him. You roll your eyes and walk over to them, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever Mr impatient" you said.

The IHAs went as normal, everyone catches smaller bugs and avoids the larger ones. The day went by and results were a draw. How surprising. Caine decides that everyone gets free tickets but for now, everyone wants to go back to their room and rest.

You walk by Kaufmo's room with two tickets in your hand. "Hey, Kauf! I got the ticket, we can go for rides tomorrow!" you said, knocking on his door only to receive no reply.

"Kaufmo? Are you asleep?" you said, trying to turn the knob. Kaufmo doesn't mind you entering his room, sadly the door was locked. "Kaufmo? Are you alright? Say something!" you said as you start to feel slightly uneasy. As you jiggle the knob, you hear a click and the door opens slightly.

You let out a sigh of relief. "Hehe, y-you got me worried there, Kauf" you said, tugging on your collar. "S-sorry I was sleeping" Kaufmo apologized, "Well. Caine gave all of us the tickets" you said, holding out one ticket to the clown.

"Let's have some fun tomorrow. Just the two of us, how about that?" you smiles. "Thanks (Y/o/n) but I think I won't go tomorrow, too much happening today" Kaufmo sighed. "Hey, I won't force ya! We can go once you're ready anyways this ticket doesn't have an expiration date anyways!" you said.

After that, you leave Kaufmo and go to your room. The very next day.....

A new human came to town.

Zooble

They are unique and consist of various shapes like those blocks.

Zooble was the name given to them.

Zooble is like one of those moody teenagers who is grouchy and easily gets irritated over something.

"F- off" was the first word that they gave to you when you tried to approach them.

Being a good person you are, you didn't push them and let them adjust to their new body and their new environment.

Zooble appreciates that you give them some space unlike coughCainecoughJax.

Zooble doesn't really understand how you are so fine with everything? Like, you enjoy living in this place.

"Why are you so happy being in this place? What's so good about it anyways?" they questioned, crossing their arms over their chest. You stare at her for a moment before smiling, "Hakuna Matata~!" you said in a sing along voice. "Which means 'No worries!' " you chirped. "I don't have to worry about everything anymore!" you said.

Zooble only raises an eyebrow at your statement. What did you mean by that?

Zooble has a hunch that you're keeping something....

But after some time, Zooble finds that you are really a genuine person. They start to get used to you.

Unlike the others, you're one of those good listeners.

Zooble always complains about everything especially in this stupid body that can fall apart easily, anyone would just either leaves, zone out or straight up ignore them but you didn't.

You listen to them and their pointless rambling.

You help Zooble cope with this new place and their new bodies, giving suggestions to keep spare parts just in case those nasty gloinks or Jax gets their hands on their body parts.

Zooble gladly accepts you as their close friend who they can vent their emotions to.

"Ugh, f@&#ing again!" groaned Zooble, their body parts got carried away by one of the gloinks. You manage to snatch Zooble's head and arm, "Geez, those nasty f@£kers are getting fast" you said. "Aaaaaand also sneakier" you glare at one of the gloinks taking away your tricycle and also your other stuffs.

"I swear if I get my hands on those m%@#fckers, I'll throw them into the void!" Zooble said, getting frustrated that their body parts always get taken away for the unknown times. "Well, if we did. There's going to be more of em" you said.

"Well! Let's get your body parts back!" you smile, tucking Zooble in your left arm and skip your way towards the gloinks.

After retrieving Zooble's body parts, you decided to go back to your room. You slow down and stare at Kaufmo's door, he has spent his time more and more in his room. Whenever he comes out ( via force by Caine if there's a IHAs ), he would mutter the word 'exit' over and over again.

It got you worried....

As you were about to knock on the door, "Hey, (Y/o/n)!" it was Ragatha and the others. "Oh, hey guys! Where are you guys heading?" you asked. Ragatha rubs the back of her neck, "Well, Caine wants to have a rehearsal with the theme song!" she said. "Oh, I see" Caine has been working on a theme song for quite a while now.

"I'll get Kaufmo, you guys can go ahead" you said, Kinger turns his attention to the door. "Kaufmo has been in his room for quite some time now..." he said. "The last time I saw him, he was finding the exit" he continues.

"I wonder if he's alright...." Gangle said. "Psssh! Haha! The clown has been like that ever since he came here! Don't twist yourself worrying about that crazy loser, looney" Jax said, pointing his finger at his head and making a twirling motion, laughing before walking away. You glare at Jax as Zooble did the same, "Geez, what's his problem?" they said.

"I'm sure Kaufmo is fine, (Y/o/n)!.....Let's give him some time, alright..." Ragatha assures you, "Y-yeah, you're right" you said as Ragatha takes your hand and takes you to the stage for rehearsal.

During rehearsal

Caine has started up the theme song and the music begins to play, Caine did the first greeting since he was the ringleader, "—and Welcome to the Amazing Digital Circus!" Caine shouted as the music kicked it and everyone's name was called out.

Gangle and Zooble and Kinger, too! Ragatha, Jax, and there's Kaufmo and (Y/o/n) , woo-hoo! 🎶

Day after— day after— day after, day after we fly! Past the sun and the moon and we don't know why! 🎶

Then, a new person joins in the theme song.

Pomni

When she first appeared was during the theme song, knocking everyone down on the stage.

You were unlucky to be the one who got toppled by the others ( Jax, Kinger and Gangle ).

"Guys, please get off" you muffled, face planted on the floor. "Sorry, (Y/o/n)!" cried Gangle as she slipped herself off the pile. "Ah, never knew that you'd be a great couch to sit on, looney~" grins Jax as he makes himself heavier on purpose.

"Really sorry about this" Kinger apologies to you, "Mff... it's fine" you said as you pulled your face off the floor. Your tail wraps itself tightly around Jax's body, squeezing the air out of him and tossing him aside.

Now, about the newcomer.

Much like Kaufmo, the newcomer didn't take everything too well and it was much more worst.

Pomni, that is her name now. Given by Caine.

The AI had decided to have another IHA to celebrate Pomni's arrival which is "Gather the Gloinks!" and causes Zooble to groan loudly at it.

Then, Caine left everyone to have their fun. Typical Caine.

You could see that she's panicking and having a hard time calming herself down. Ragatha did try to calm her down but it didn't go well and Jax makes everything much worse.

Anxiety? Panic attack? No, both. You feel bad for her, so you decide to step in.

You approach the small jester, "Okay, guys! Give Pomni some space, let her breathe and give her time to calm down" you said. Pomni is holding her head as she tries to process everything. "Hey" you said in a soft tone as Pomni looks up at you. She flinched back slightly, "I want you to follow my lead and take a deep breath. Breathe in, and out" you said. Pomni's quick breathing begins to slow down as she follows your guide.

"That's it, you did a great job there" you said with a grin.

Everything was too much for Pomni and she was glad that someone steps in and calms her down.

Or else she would die from having a panic attack (if it is possible in this world).

Since Caine has given out an IHA and honestly everyone doesn't want to do the adventure until Zooble gets disassembled by the gloinks.

After retrieving Zooble from the gloinks. Things escalated quickly like...

Kaufmo abstracted.

Caine deals with the problem and sends the abstracted Kaufmo down into the cellar.

Afterwards the AI confessed that there was an exit but he didn't know how to make it or knows how it works. But he tried his best to build one.

You watch your partner being sent down into the dark cellar and everyone acts like nothing has happened. Abstraction can happen to anyone at any time, it seems Kaufmo has reached his breaking point and you weren't there for him which makes you feel...guilty.

You failed as a friend.

You sat at the dinner table, staring down at your plate. You don't feel like eating after the whole ordeal, your (e/c) eyes look up to see Pomni looking at you. Her gaze turns away when you meet her eyes.

"You're not going to eat that, Looney?" Jax leans in on your side while pointing to your food. You push the plate to him, "Here... I'm not hungry anyways" you sighed with a frown on your face and leaves.

"....Poor (Y/o/n)" sobbed Gangle. "They and Kaufmo are really close...." she said. Ragatha puts down her spoon, "Y-yeah...." she trailed. It's a rare sight to see you this way and it feels so wrong.

They (except Jax) know that you and Kaufmo were pretty close since the two of you were an acting pair. "We should check on them" Ragatha said but Kinger interjects "It is best to leave them be for a while" Kinger said.

After the feast, Pomni is walking around the tent until she sees you on the stage, throwing knives at a target board.

She watches you throw the knives so precisely in the middle. The last knife throw makes the board split in half and causes Pomni to squeak in fear. "I don't have time for your s@#ts Jax—" you turn your head to see Pomni, "O-oh, it's you" you said.

Pomni fiddles with her fingers before speaking up, "I'm sorry...." she apologized which causes you to raise an eyebrow. "What are you apologising for?" you questioned her. "Well—a-about Kaufmo... everyone said that you're very close to him and I feel sorry for what had happened" she said.

"Oh..." you trailed, "Thanks for your concern but you don't apologise" you said. "It's normal for someone to get abstract, everyone has their breaking point" you rub the back on your head.

"Say, wanna take a tour around the tent? I can show you places you can and can't go. I am an expert at it!" you chirped, giving her a grin.

"U-uh, um sure!" Pomni agrees.

A/n : This is a very long chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it :D. Btw, Jax calling Reader Looney is because they are a loony which means 'crazy/silly/strange/weirdo/lunatic'

Kinda sad that Kaufmo abstracted and hopefully we'll get to see him in flashbacks. I really wish he and Pomni were besties and become the exit duo.

[elizabethwritesmen]

𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜

chapter 1 - i remember everything

pairing: firefighter!steve x reader

summary: in high school, steve and y/n were the best of friends. now, she’s moved back to hawkins, and he hasn’t seen her since her graduation 7 years before.

warnings: smut to come in later chapters.

a/n: this is a christmas fic, split into parts. this part does not mention christmas because it is not christmas time yet. also, steve is 28 and reader is 25. this fic is basically a hallmark script but make it sexy and angsty. italics paragraphs are flashbacks. all parts will be out by december 25.

chapter 2 | chapter 3 | chapter 4

I remembered everything.

The bumps in the driveway that tousled my car like a carnival ride. The sparkling lake glistening with the sun’s reflection, reminiscent of all the times I snuck out there with my friends for a swim in high school. The beautiful cabin, two story but still small and cozy, haunted by all the scary stories that were told in it by high school students goofing off because they didn’t know what real life was.

The crack in the window where Robin tripped and fell into it that never got fixed because we never told my parents.

The guitar picks Eddie left all over the place, never remembering to take them home with him.

The small stain on the carpet from where the kids spilled a beer they’d stolen.

The huge tree by the water with Steve’s name carved into it, right next to mine, and a poorly shaped heart scribbled beside them.

Yes, I remembered everything.

I sighed as I unpacked my boxes, putting things away where I thought they should go. I never thought I’d be back in Hawkins, and I hadn’t yet decided how I felt about it, but the cards were dealt to me so I had to play them. It wasn’t so bad, though. I moved away less than a week after I graduated high school thinking that if I went to college in another state and started a new life, I could get away scott free from the things that were weighing on me. But it doesn’t work that way. You never get away from matters of the heart. They stay, and stay, and stay.

I stopped abruptly when I heard a knock at the door, going to check it and seeing Robin standing on the porch. I opened it quickly, “Rob!” I exclaimed as I pulled her into a hug. She squeezed me back with just as much force.

“You’re really back,” she sighed, “Your mom told me you’d be here and I was worried it wasn’t true!”

“Well here I am,” I giggled, pulling away reluctantly and letting her in. She walked with me to the dining room table where I had my things laid out and started helping me put them away.

“So how was Florida?” She asked.

“Hot,” I blandly offered, and she laughed.

“Seriously. You disappear the day you graduate and I hear from you maybe four times before we lose touch. I wanna know everything!”

I sighed, pausing for a moment, “I’m sorry about that, Robin. I didn’t mean to disappear on you, you know you’re one of the best friends I’ll ever have and I love you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to apologize to me, honey. I was never mad at you, but only because I understood why you left. Steve and Eddie, though… they went through it for the first year you were gone. Don’t even get me started on the kids.”

“Eddie understood, I know he did. He knew I was leaving, he was the only person I told because he caught me talking about my plane ticket on the phone. And the kids would never have understood, they were too young. Just needing to get out for a while would’ve sounded like a lame excuse to them.”

“But you didn’t just need to get out for a while, you needed to get away from Steve for a while”

“That’s not the only reason.”

“But it was a reason. Right?”

Hesitantly and carefully, I answered her, “Yes. It was. I couldn’t keep letting him break my heart. I needed space.”

“You couldn’t have found space in Hawkins? You had to leave?”

“There was no space in Hawkins. Wherever I went, he found me. He never left me alone. Even when I asked him to.”

“Because he loved you.”

“But it wasn’t enough,” I sighed exasperatedly, “Can we talk about something else?”

“Of course,” she smiled, “We’ll discuss Steve more later.”

“No we won’t,” I rolled my eyes, tossing a trinket from one of the boxes at her. She dodged it with a laugh, carrying on the conversation.

“Really though, how was Florida?”

“It was good. I dunno, I don’t think I fit in there.”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m not all beachy and outgoing like most people there were. But they were all super nice anyway. I made some friends at the college I went to, but I didn’t stay close to any of them after I graduated and started working.”

“Is that why you moved back? Cause you had no friends?”

“Robin!” I scolded, mouth dropping open. She laughed again, lighting up the room. “I did have friends, I’m just not a very social person!”

“Then why did you move back?”

I shrugged, “Florida isn’t the place for me, but I don’t know where is, so my mom suggested I move back here in the mean time.”

“And she’s just, like, letting you live in the cabin?”

“Yeah. I mean, they didn’t pay for it, and I’ve spent more time here than they have anyway. When my grandpa left it to them, they thought it was more of an extra bill than a vacation house. That’s why they’re gonna put it in my name if I decide to stay.”

“What?” she squealed, her eyes going wide as saucers, “So you could be little miss homeowner! That’s amazing! As bad as the economy is, I’d take that deal in a heartbeat!”

“I know, I know. I’m thinking about it. It is nice to be around family again. And you.”

“Just wait til you see the others. They’re gonna be SO excited you’re back! As a matter of fact why don’t we have them over here for a little reunion?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Do you even still hang out with them?”

“Eddie and Steve, yeah. We’re all still pretty close. The kids are all kinda doing their own thing now, but we still see each other a lot too, around town and such. And we still have a group chat, we just don’t send much but dumb memes in it.”

“Damn, Rob. Thanks for including me in this group chat!” I huffed, smacking her arm jokingly.

“You left, you gave up your groupchat rights!”

We laughed together and talked some more as we finished unpacking my boxes. I didn’t have much, no furniture or anything because the cabin was already completely furnished. My grandpa had impeccable taste, everything was extremely elegant while also being perfectly warm and rustic.

“Okay,” she sighed after we threw away the last piece of cardboard, “It’s dark now so I should probably get home, but let’s hang out again tomorrow! Come up to town! I opened up a music shop, you can come see!”

“That’s amazing! I’d love to come see!”

And with that, she was off. I breathed in a deep sigh, a smile on my face as I fell onto the couch and turned the TV on. It was nice to have Robin again. I was impressed with how quickly and swiftly we fell into old habits, gossiping and chatting like no time had passed and we were still just two kids. The person I was nervous to see again was Steve.

-

The next day, I woke up and showered, preparing myself to go to town. I needed to pick up groceries, and I also wanted to stop by Robin’s music shop, excited to see her hard work paid off.

I slipped on a pair of running shorts and a crop top, throwing a loose cardigan on over it and slipping into a pair of tennis shoes. My hair was curled and I had on light makeup. I felt pretty, but not overdone. I wanted to at least look decent enough that, if I ran into someone I knew, I wouldn’t be mortified.

The grocery store was desolate as I pulled into the parking lot, only a few cars in the spaces and a firetruck parked by the door. I supposed public servants do need to shop, too. I wondered if it was someone I knew, I remember my dad was friends with some of the town’s firemen when I was younger, but I shrugged it off, wanting to get in and out hassle free.

As soon as I walked in the door, though, I was greeted with a high pitched voice, “Y/N?”

I turned to see who it belonged to and was delighted to see Max, behind one of the registers wearing a store polo.

“Hey!” I grinned wide, rushing over to her and going in for a hug. She’d been like a little sister when I’d lived in Hawkins before, and I had to admit, I missed her while I was gone.

“What’re you doing here?” she asked, leaning back to stare at me, “I haven’t seen you in like… five years!”

“I know, I know. I moved back!”

“What? Like forever?” she asked, hope creeping into her voice.

“Maybe. I haven’t decided yet. But definitely for a while. What about you? How long have you been working here?”

“Two years now. Dustin works here, too, but he’s off today.”

“That’s a shame. I’ll have to come back when he’s here and see him!”

“Oh, you should see everyone! We’ve all missed you so much! Even the ones of us that won’t admit it,” she giggled with an eye roll, “Mike has always been stubborn and dumb.”

“Well that’s okay,” I hummed, “I’m here now, so it’s all okay.”

“Yeah, but next time you leave, can you warn a girl first? I missed you a lot!”

“I know, I’m sorry. Scouts honor, next time I’ll shove you in my suitcase and bring you with me.”

“Perfect,” she beamed, her teeth as pearly white as always. She looked older, and she’d grown up beautifully. I didn’t know if she was still with Lucas, but if so, he was lucky.

I let go of her, getting started on my shopping. I didn’t get much, just the basics, and a few minutes later I was done and ready to check out. I wasn’t paying attention and accidentally bumped into the guy in front of me in line.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry!” I rushed out as I pulled my cart away gently. He turned around and my mouth fell open as I recognized his pretty face.

“Y/N,” he said, his voice steady but his face gave him away. He was in utter shock.

“Steve,” I offered back, staring at him, waiting for what he had to say.

Max interrupted the short awkward silence, “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you Y/N’s back.”

He sent her a glare then turned back to me, scanning over me, settling on all the parts of me that had changed. I’d filled out more, and I could tell he noticed. I could tell he appreciated it.

I scanned over him as well, taking note of his khakis and the Hawkins Fire Dept T shirt he wore. So the truck was his. Interesting. He looked good, better than ever. He was more chiseled than I remembered, and it worked for him, from his head to his toes. And his hair was as iconic as always.

“Why’re you back?” he asked me, his voice devoid of much emotion.

“Just wanted to come back for a while.”

“A while? So not forever?”

“I dunno, Steve. I haven’t thought that far ahead,” I breathed out a laugh.

“You never did.”

My eyes dropped, shame creeping in. “I’m sorry for how I left, Steve. I just had to go.”

“Yeah,” he deadpanned, “It’s fine. Is what it is. It’s your business anyway.”

“Steve, please don’t do that,” I sighed.

“Do what?”

“That thing you always do where you pretend you’re not hurt.”

“I’m not. I might’ve been seven years ago, but I’ve had a lot of time for that wound to close, Y/N.”

“So you’re not happy to see me at all?”

“Not as happy as I would’ve been to see you on my doorstep that day.”

I knew exactly what day he was talking about. It was the Saturday, two weeks after I graduated. He’d asked me a month in advance to come over, and I agreed, not even thinking about the fact that I was leaving. He’d consistently asked me for reassurance that I would be there, and every time I promised I would. But I wasn’t.

“I’m just so sorry Stevie. I can’t even tell you how sorry I am. Of all the people I hurt, I regret hurting you the most.”

“It’s fine. Like I said, seven years,” he shrugged, grabbing his receipt from Max and walking out. I watched him go, dejected, melancholy overtaking me.

“You ok? That was rough to watch,” Max gave me a sympathetic look and I forced a smile.

“I’m good, Maxy. Like he said. Seven years.”

She stared at me for a moment, as if she was deciding what to say, an internal battle behind her eyes. “He had a party planned for you that day.”

“What?”

“Yeah. With me and the other guys and Robin and everybody. He was so excited, he never shut up about it. Then he found out you left and cancelled. He hasn’t really been the same since.”

“How’d he find out I left?”

“Your dad told him. He went over to see you and you weren’t there.”

I sighed, my eyes welling up. I couldn’t believe I’d screwed up that badly. All I wanted was a getaway, I never knew I’d be hurting so many people. I never knew he cared so much.

“Max, I-“

“Was in love with him. I know. Everybody knows. That’s why we didn’t understand why you left.”

“He wanted girl after girl after girl. And it was never me. I was never his type. I needed to get away to get over him or I was gonna live a life full of heartbreak and disappointment. But now I see how selfish that was.”

“It wasn’t selfish. Just not well thought out. Have you at least gotten over him?”

“I thought so, til I saw him look at me like that.”

I finished checking out and promised Max I’d be back in to see her, then headed to the music store. The exterior was nice. It was a painted brick building, colorful and bright. There was a huge mural on the side of it, and I knew it was all Robin’s doing because I remembered that particular building being boring and run down before I left.

I walked inside, looking around to see the inside was just as amazing. I was honestly impressed with how well she’d done everything, from organizing to decorating.

“Rob, this is awesome!” I exclaimed as I walked up to the counter. She’d been looking down, doing some kind of paperwork, but when she looked up and saw me she put it down and ran around the counter.

“You really came!”

“Of course I came, have I ever let you down?” I asked, laughing, then added, “Well, other than that one time.”

“You’re right. You did always used to come through. I don’t think you ever missed anything.”

“And I definitely wouldn’t miss this! If I’d known you opened it, I would’ve been here that day to watch you cut the ribbon or whatever!”

“Oh, it’s okay, it wasn’t that big of a ceremony. You know nothing is big in Hawkins unless you’re rich. But I get good business and I’ve kept the doors open. Plus, all the high school girls like to take pictures in front of the mural outside for their instagrams, and that’s actually drummed up a lot of business.”

“I’d imagine so. Show me around?”

She took me to the instruments section, explaining why she’d organized it the way she had and how it made the most sense. Then we wandered to the sheet music, and then to the records. Finally, we hit the cds and a little caddy full of Apple, Spotify, Iheartradio and Youtube gift cards. She also had a small section with assorted local snacks.

“This is great, really,” I smiled, “I’m so proud of you.”

“Well, I actually got the idea from you,” she nonchalantly shrugged.

“When?” I furrowed my brows and asked.

“One time, I was talking to you about how I’m just a band geek and you told me band geeks make it far in life. You suggested I either get famous or open up a huge store full of band stuff and make tons of money. You really thought I had it in me to do both.”

“You did have it in you. You could be in a real band right now if you wanted.”

She full on belly laughed, waving the thought off. “Whatever. Change of subject, I heard you saw Steve.”

“Heard from who?”

“From Steve. He called me mad because I didn’t tell him you were home.”

“Why was he so mad?”

“Well, he’ll say it’s because he just wasn’t expecting to see you and would be happy if you’d have just stayed gone. But I know it’s because he does want you here, more than anything, and all his old feelings are coming back, and he would’ve liked some wanting before seeing your face in the middle of the grocery store after seven years.”

“It wasn’t the middle of the grocery store,” I rolled my eyes, “It was the front. And he was not happy to see me, sorry to be the one to burst your bubble. Old feelings can’t come up if there weren’t any in the first place, Im just a girl he used to be friends with.”

“It was always more with you and Steve,” she shrugged, “Everyone else saw it.”

“If I’d known he planned a party for me, I would’ve been there that day.”

“I know. And he knew, too. That’s why he told us to never tell you. He didn’t want you to feel guilty, and he didn’t want you to have to come back just for him.”

I sighed, feeling even worse than I did when Steve was staring at me with that look in his eyes. I knew him, I knew his faces, and I knew what he looked like when he was hurt. I really did a number on him.

“I don’t know if I can make this one better, Rob.”

“You can. He’ll get over his anger, I promise. The way he felt about you doesn’t just go away, he has a big ol’ soft spot for you. There’s nothing he could ever hold against you, not even this.”

I nodded with yet another sigh, “Anyways, what about you? Any ladies on the roster?”

She looked shocked I’d asked, “Bold aren’t you?”

“Always have been!”

She proceeded to tell me about all the girls she’d been interested in, and all the ones she’d dated since I left. It was nice to see her so comfortable with herself, and it was even nicer to hear that she’d gotten some really cool girlfriends.

“So who are you dating now?” I asked, leaning on the counter, fully intrigued.

“Well, there’s this lady, Shelly. She sold me this building. She’s older than me, but goodness, what I wouldn’t do to -“

“You don’t have to continue that,” I giggled, “I catch your drift. Is she into you?”

“Well… she’s recently divorced from a man, but sometimes she flirts like she’s curious or something.”

“Maybe she is. Maybe she wants to taste your cherry chapstick,” I stuck my tongue at her jokingly.

We were interrupted by the bell above the door, and I turned to see Steve walking in, Eddie on his tail wearing the exact same uniform.

“Oh,” he stared blankly when he saw me, “I’ll come back later.”

“No,” I stopped him, “If me being here is that big of a deal then I’ll go.”

Robin scoffed, “Neither of you idiots are going anywhere. We’re all friends here.”

“It’s ok Rob,” I sighed, “Really, I’m fine with leaving.”

“Steve, she doesn’t have to leave, man. We’re not gonna be here long, and she’s not hurting anybody,” Eddie put in his two cents, and I smiled.

“Hey Eddie,” I walked over to him and he opened his arms wide for a hug.

“Hey Y/N. I’ve missed you.”

“Missed you more,” I poked him as I pulled away, taking in his short hair and muscles more formed than I’d ever seen them. “Fire department make you chop your curls off?”

“Unfortunately.”

“It’s a nice look,” I shrugged, “Very handsome and mature.”

Steve cleared his throat and we turned to him. “Relax,” Eddie sighed, “We’re not flirting, bro. That’s what you guys do.”

Steve blushed. He couldn’t stop himself. “Give it a rest, Eddie.”

“Not until you stop your temper tantrum and let the past go.”

“I’m not throwing a temper tantrum,” Steve rolled his eyes, and Robin took it upon herself to lighten the mood.

“Anyways,” she smiled brightly, “How’s work going today, boys?”

“Well, we have a kitten in the firetruck,” Steve sighed, and she laughed.

“A cat?”

“Yeah, Steve rescued it from a bush, it’s little foot was stuck in one of the branches,” Eddie patted Steve on the back.

“It looks like that cat Y/N used to have, the one that she cried for a week straight when it died,” Steve mused, smiling at me for the first time since I’d seen him again as if involuntarily. He caught himself though, and turned away.

“You remember that?” I asked.

“I remember everything,” he shrugged, “Wanna see it?”

“Of course!” I squealed, and he walked me outside, opening the drivers’ side door and pulling it out.

It was cute, white with silver spots all over it. It meowed as he handed it to me, climbing into my arms and clinging on to me for dear life.

“Oh, he’s perfect,” I hummed as I stared at him, holding him close to me and giving his forehead kisses.

“He’s yours,” Steve said, his eyes trained on me and the cat, “If you want him, I mean.”

I looked at him, seeing if there was any sign of joking but there was none. “I’d love to take him!”

“I thought of you when I saw him,” he admitted to me, staring at his feet and swaying nervously.

“I didn’t think you even still thought about me.”

“All the time.”

His voice was almost too low for me to hear, but I caught it and my heart sped up.

“Steve, I’m sorry again. Really. I missed you every day. If I could go back and be there that day…”

“You don’t have to explain yourself,” he sighed, “I was angry when I first saw you. I’m not now. I just needed to get over the initial shock, that’s all.”

“So you don’t hate me?”

“I couldn’t if I wanted to. You were my best friend. I just… I just wanna understand why you left. You never told me. Nobody ever told me.”

“It’s…” I hesitated. How could I explain it to him? “It’s a long story.”

“Of course,” he nodded, “Well whenever you’re ready to, we can talk.”

“Okay.”

We stared at each other for a moment before Eddie broke the silence, “You ready to go Steve? They’re gonna be sending out a search party soon if we don’t get back.”

“Yeah,” he nodded then turned to me, “See you later, Y/N. Take care of the cat.”

“I will. Bye,” I smiled, watching him walk away.

Well, at least the anger had subsided. But I was never going to be able to explain the reason I left.

The night of my graduation

The ceremony had taken ages. I wouldn’t have cared if not for the heels that had been cramping my feet all day and the tight white dress that I wanted to rip off. I groaned as I walked to the parking lot where my family was waiting, along with my friends.

The first person that greeted me was Steve. He was always the first to greet me, no matter the place or occasion. In his hand, he held my favorite slippers, fuzzy and cozy and just what my feet needed.

“Aww, Stevie, you brought me slippers?” I cooed, pouting at his kind gesture.

“When you told me you were wearing those ridiculous heels I knew I needed to bring them so I wouldn’t have to listen to you complain about your feet hurting.”

I ripped my heels off with a vengeance and replaced them with the slippers that had cute smiley faces on them, and my face matched the expression. I pulled Steve into a hug so tight I thought we might suffocate each other, breathing him in.

“This is why you’re my best friend,” I hummed into his chest.

We didn’t let go of each other for a minute or two, soaking in the moment. Our hugs were always like that. It always felt like we were never going to see each other again. Only this time, we really weren’t. He didn’t know that, though.

He pulled away, looking in my eyes, a sparkle in his that was all for me. His eyes trailed down to my open gown and the dress under it, and he raised his brows.

“You look good.”

“Just good?”

“Really good.”

And that moment dragged on with a heated glance shared between us, eyes locked on each other and refusing to move until Robin barreled over to us, kids in tow and Eddie following.

“Quit hogging her, dingus, she’s too pretty to only talk to you,” she rolled her eyes, hugging me tightly and chit chatting about the ceremony. Steve stayed quiet though, and that heated gaze didn’t dissipate. Something felt different. Something was off, in the best way.

My family joined us, offering to bring us all back to the cabin for a barbecue and we eagerly agreed. I rode with Steve, naturally, the kids rode with my parents, and Eddie and Robin took his van.

The ride felt longer than it should’ve, tension in the air.

“Steve, what’s happening?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve never run out of things to talk about,” I shrugged, leaning over to brush a stray strand of hair behind his ear.

“We haven’t run out of things to talk about. It’s just, sometimes when I’m with you, nothing needs to be said.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“I think so,” he glanced at me, his eyes sharp and cutting into my heart, right where I wanted him most. Right where he already was.

Minutes later, we pulled in the rough driveway, my hair flying all over my face. He chuckled, smoothing it out over my head before we got out, joining everyone else by the lake.

“They’ve got it decked out,” I commented as we approached, and Steve just smiled bashfully. “Did you have something to do with this?”

“Maybe.”

I giggled lightly, turning away from him to greet everyone else.

“Y/N, Steve, you made it!” my mom beamed, pulling us into a hug, “I see you ditched the gown!”

“Yeah, it was itchy,” I grimaced, remembering the horrible material.

“Well I wanted to take pictures but we can do it later,” she shrugged, leading us to the picnic table. The benches were full, though, so Steve pulled a big folding chair up and sat down, pulling me down beside him, my legs over his lap. That wasn’t unusual for us, we were always touchy and feely, always beside eachother somehow. Nobody even found it odd anymore, though the jokes about us getting together never ceased.

Everyone laughed and had a good time, and as the night wore on, I got a little sleepy. Steve and I had been up and about, but we were back in our chair, my head laid in the crook of his neck and his arms around me.

“Wanna go for a walk?” he asked me, watching everyone else continue their good time. I nodded, standing up. He stood up after me, grabbing my hand and leading me away.

We walked through a trail in the woods we’d found the first time we snuck out to the cabin together.

“Remember the first time we came out here?” he asked me, and I nodded with a laugh.

“I slipped in mud and fell on my ass. I fractured my foot, too, and I couldn’t walk. I was disgusting, but you still carried me back to the car.”

“I don’t mind getting a little dirty,” he shrugged with a wink, and I rolled my eyes. “Not with you, at least.”

Finally, we reached our destination, a clearing by the water. It had the prettiest view of the sky.

“Swim with me,” he stated, as if it was more of a demand than a question.

“Steve!” I huffed, “I can’t swim in this dress!”

“Then take it off. You have on a bra and panties, right?”

“Well… y-yeah, but-“

“Just do it. You only graduate high school once, do something crazy with me! We’re best friends, right?” he coerced, squeezing my hands and pulling me closer to the water.

I sighed, nodding slowly. “Will you unzip me?”

He walked behind me and laid his hands on my shoulders. They were warm and heavy, his grip on me soft but firm. his fingers trailed down my back to the little metal piece and he pulled it down, exposing black lace and my plain black thong. I turned to him, letting the white material fall to the ground, and the way his eyes lingered in all the places a friend shouldn’t look was hard to miss.

“Why would you wear that to graduate?” he asked, “Were you planning on getting lucky tonight!”

“I’m already lucky tonight, Steve,” I sighed, “I’m with you. Now take off your clothes and come on!”

He chuckled, his eyes darker than they’d been a moment ago, and pulled his shirt over his head, then kicking off his pants. I was greedy taking him in, his boxers tight and leaving little to the imagination.

Steve and I had seen each other like that before. We’d walked in on each other changing, and we’d swam in regular swimsuits. All of our insecurities had already been exposed so many times, so none of them even mattered at all. This felt different, though. Being in nothing but dainty lingerie had me shy, exposed.

He approached me slowly, his hands landing on my hips, his eyes meeting mine and staying. He was so close I could feel his body heat radiating off of him, goosebumps prickling my skin.

“Race you,” he smirked suddenly, twirling me out of the way and sliding past me, running to the water and jumping in. I rolled my eyes and laughed, following him and jumping on his back. We fell into a fit of giggles together as he tossed me off, pulling me into his front instead.

The giggles died out, replaced by heavy breath.

“I won,” he whispered.

“What’s your prize?” I responded breathily.

He groaned, leaning his head down into my neck and inhaling.

“You’re driving me crazy. You’re my best friend. I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t…”

“Shouldn’t what?”

“Shouldn’t love you so much.”

“I love you too, Steve,” I giggled, but he stopped me, his thumb running over my bottom lip.

“I don’t think I could’ve made it these last couple years without you,” he admitted. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me. Don’t tell the kids.”

“Oh, I won’t, they’d be crushed,” I nodded dramatically.

For a second I thought he’d kiss me. I thought he’d kiss me and I wouldn’t have to leave. He leaned in so close, his lips were less than a breath away from mine. But then he pulled to the side and kissed my cheek instead, then trailed his lips down, ghosting over the sensitive skin of my neck.

I let out a raspy breath, “Steve,” I barely moaned. I needed him so bad I could feel it, I could hear it and see it. I’d been in love with him for far too long. His hand tangled in my slightly wet hair, tugging lightly, pulling me in. His other landed on my side, trailing down my thigh and pulling my leg over his hip. I could feel everything, and I didn’t know how to take it all.

All of a sudden, he pulled away, his hand still in mine but the warmth gone. I whined at the loss of contact.

“We’re supposed to be swimming!” he chuckled, haphazardly pulling me under with him. And like that, the moment was replaced with something lighter, friendlier, but still close.

Later that night, Steve drove me back to my parents’ house. As he parked in the driveway, he turned to me.

“I can’t wait to see you again,” he whispered bashfully.

I stared at my lap, not knowing what to say. I wanted to tell him I was leaving, but he would just beg me to stay and wear me down until I agreed, and I would spend the rest of my life hanging on his arm next to whatever girl he wanted more than me. I was never going to be it for him. I was never going to be what he wanted. I wasn’t enough.

“Goodbye, Steve,” I gave him a sad smile and got out of the car, running inside the house.

[c0wb0yenthusiast]

While you were sleeping

Part 1

Aaron Hotchner x reader

Summary : It’s Christmas Eve. You’re all alone at work until your ‘mystery man’ is pushed onto the train tracks. You save him and are now mistakingly thought of as his fiancée. For the rest of the holidays, the family seems to cling onto you. What do you do when you meet his seemingly cold and unwelcoming brother?

Word count : 3k

A/N : THIS CHAPTER DOESN’T CONTAIN A LOT OF AARON! Don’t sue me I’m just trying to set the story but attempted to add a little snippet at the end. So before anyone gets mad at me just remember there’s a thing called developing plot so don’t hate me please. Anyways I had fun writing this and part 2 will definitely be out soon!

-

It started off as a completely innocent activity.

Ogling the man who took the train to work everyday. He was lean, casual and relaxed with soft - as least, you thought it looked soft - straight, light brown hair which fell over his eyes if it was windy.

You’d sit back in your booth and think about a future with someone like him. Listening to the constant clatter as people slid their tokens through while you began to daydream. From the look of it, he seemed to be successful too.

He’d always smile at you too.

His smile brought out the creases in his eyes and his straight teeth. He was so perfect it was meant to be.

It was small and you may have been taking it too far, but he was so dreamy.

“Thanks.”

You could only melt on the inside as he walked off, his scarf trailing down his back as it had been lazily wrapped around his neck.

However, this would always distract you from punching other people’s tickets. You’d get a furious rap on the window with an angry businesswoman.

But that was fine for you. It was fine if it meant being able to catch glances of him.

It was a chilly December morning. The wind seemed to push against you as you made your way to work. It may have been due to the fact that it was Christmas Eve.

Your boss had managed to convince you to work holidays. Probably because you didn’t have anybody waiting at home for you. Except for the landlord’s son.

You can only wrap your scarf around you tighter while you clasp onto your sandwich. You were nearly there.

The booth was slightly warmer than outside, with only your chair and table greeting you as you got yourself comfortable.

Here you were - working on Christmas Eve while everyone else were probably bundled in blankets and sipping hot chocolate with their families.

Listlessly staring into the glass barrier, you admire the blanket of snow which the city had been showered in. It just seemed to show that everybody was connected or all together.

Apart from you.

You settled in your chair, turning a token between your fingers slowly.

Before he came up to the booth.

“Merry Christmas Eve.” He smiled, tapping on the barrier.

You instantly looked up to meet his eye which made you falter at his piercing gaze.

He was wearing his long, dark jacket but a knitted red scarf was slung around his shoulders. His hair fell over his eyes as he looked down at you, sliding his token in the little gap.

Underneath his jacket, you could spot your favourite suit - rich navy blue blazer and a clean, pressed shirt which brought out his light eyes. His buttons were a beautiful mix of brown and amber, sewn neatly onto his jacket which was half buttoned. He was careless in such a fashionable way

You look up at him, eyes wide and mouth agape.

This was the most he’s ever said to you.

“Uh-“

He’d already walked off and was waiting happily for his train.

You looked like an idiot - frozen in action. Your jaw almost hanging open at the sheer embarrassment.

Nobody else was at the station or by your booth, so you took the opportunity to ogle your mystery man once more.

He stood idly, checking his watch and clutching his briefcase in his hand. Was he going to work? Was he visiting family?

While you imagined a future with him in 10 years, it suddenly came to your attention that a couple of men were now standing by him.

They hadn’t put a token in, what were they doing?

You squint in an attempt to catch a better look while being blocked by the glass barrier, you could faintly hear their conversation.

“Hey, nice jacket.” The tallest one approached him closely, he was most likely the ringleader.

“Must be expensive.” Another chirped in.

It happened so fast.

Before he could even respond, they’d taken the opportunity to shove him onto the tracks.

He fell face first, his briefcase dropping from his hand as he fell.

They immediately ran off, urging you to do something, anything.

You jumped out of your chair, dashing out of your booth and now standing on the spot where your beautiful stranger had been pushed.

He lay limply on the tracks.

He’d been knocked unconscious.

You couldn’t see his face but you knew it was bad. He could’ve hit his nose, or even broken a tooth.

Without even thinking you lowered yourself down cautiously next to him and turned him over with some effort.

You tried to think of a way to capture his attention or even wake him up, but his bloody nose and parted lips were making your mind race.

“Sir- sir? Sir!” You kept repeating over and over, using an arm to tilt him towards you.

Blood was now dripping down his face and you couldn’t contain your distress.

“Somebody help me! Please- sir!” Another hand was now stroking his cheek. You needed him to wake up.

He couldn’t leave you here on the tracks like this.

You never even got to know his name.

That was when you heard it.

As you were lamenting, the muffled sound of a horn could be heard through your panicked cries.

Still holding onto him tightly, you look up.

It’s a train coming your way.

“Sir! Sir, there’s a train… and- and it’s really fast and I don’t think it can stop for us.. please wake up.” You added, pleading with this unconscious man as the silhouette grew larger and larger out of the corner of your eye.

He really wasn’t going to wake up; he sure was stubborn.

He was too heavy to drag up onto the platform, but you’d just spotted a small nook to hide in.

With no time to consider your chances, you laid with him and rolled into the small corner. You were holding onto his expensive jacket like it was your own life force as the horn was now blearing through your ears.

Your face was pressed against his chest, your eyes shut tightly as if that would alleviate any of the pain you could’ve felt if the train had hit the two of you.

He really seemed like a successful man. Even his cologne smelled good.

The train came to a halt at your station and concerned passengers were now wandering mindlessly to find a way to help you.

You could only hold onto your dream man and anticipate what would happen next.

-

It was all such a rush you never understood how you’d handled it so well. It was probably all the adrenaline.

You were whisked away in an ambulance with him lying on the stretcher. As you sat with a professional in the back, you’d steal glances of him from time to time. You never thought this could happen.

They’d managed to clean you up fairly quickly but kept you in the hospital waiting room for the authorities.

You’d been sitting for around twenty minutes, holding onto his scarf that had been separated from him in the frantic rush to put him on the stretcher.

Was he going to be okay? Was this your fault? Were you going to be arrested?

All these questions bubbled in your head and were slowly beginning to rise. If you didn’t talk to someone soon, you might explode.

Suddenly, you spot him being wheeled in another stretcher through the glass doors.

Surely they had to let you see him. You needed to know if he was okay, especially since you’d saved his life.

You got up and pushed the door open, about to follow him and the group of doctors wheeling him but was met by another doctor.

“Sorry, only family are permitted to visit-“

“Oh, but-“

“Are you family?”

“Well, no..”

“Then you need to stay here, please.” He added, but there was no sincerity in his tone as he guided you back into the waiting room, just outside the forbidden door you’d just entered.

You couldn’t stand by and let your dream man be whisked away once more. You needed to see him.

Clutching the scarf tighter, you could feel the pain growing. If you’d actually tried, you could have possibly had a future with him. Maybe if you were actually social-

“God… I was going to marry him..” you whisper, holding a yearning hand up to the door.

This was the moment when your whole life was absolutely flipped upside down.

A nurse frantically rushed up to you.

“Dear, is that- do you need to see him? Are they not letting you inside?”

You look up at her, but her glare is urging you to stand up and look back at the doors.”

“Yeah.. it’s.. it’s fine though.”

“It’s not! They shouldn’t be doing that.”

She took your arm and guided you through the doors once more. The corridor was empty as the two of you walked down; it seemed to be never ending.

“Your man is right… here. I believe this is the room he’d been assigned to, dear.” She taps her clipboard while she smiles and waits by the door.

“Oh.. thank you.” You smile back. This is all quite overwhelming for Christmas Eve, probably more exciting than any of your previous years.

You push the door open gently, examining him while he slept. He seems calm enough, a brace was now placed on his nose and he wasn’t bleeding anymore.

His scarf settles in your arms as you take a seat next to him.

You need a minute to take in the way his hair is mussed and how peaceful he seems to look.

“Hi..” you murmur, shuffling closer.

You were planning to just apologise to him, speak to the authorities and move on to your life.

Maybe he would be able to hear this all in his sleep.

“It’s uhm.. it’s me. You got pushed onto the train tracks..” you chuckle, but quickly stop yourself.

“I didn’t find that funny.. I just thought it’s quite a coincidence for Christmas Eve. It sort of set us up together.” Your voice was coming out much smoother and softer as you got rather comfortable with your mystery man.

“I’m sorry you have to spend Christmas Eve like this.”

Suddenly, the door almost burst open with the group of people now entering. An ocean of voices flooded the room, overlapping each other and growing in volume.

“Sean! What happened to Sean!”

“He’s right there, why don’t you ask him?”

“He’s sleeping, can’t you see?”

“Stop arguing!”

They all stop abruptly, now turning to look at you in unison. You’ve never seen a family so connected.

The group contained two elderly men, an old woman and a man in his early 20s.

“Who are you?” The younger man cocked a brow.

What you didn’t notice was the doctor who refused your entry had gathered them here.

He came to the front of the group, pointing an agitated finger at you.

“I thought I told you-“

“She is family! She is his fiancée!”

They all seemed to quiet down at the nurse’s sudden interruption. Even you were startled, you didn’t realise she’d stayed.

“Sean has a fiancée?”

“It’s been a couple of years..”

“I can’t believe he didn’t tell us!”

“She could’ve been a mistress-“

You stood up quickly, gathering your coat. This was all too much for you.

“I- I should go..”

“Nonsense!” The old woman stood in front of you and continued, “Sean may have wanted to surprise us!”

“He’s already surprised us enough today…”, one of the men grumbled.

The other three men nodded and murmured amongst themselves, most likely doubtful.

You couldn’t say no; she seemed so definite that you might as well be his fiancée now.

“We’re so sorry for being so ignorant, honey. It’s just that Sean never let us know he had a fiancée..” she put her hands on your shoulders fondly, smiling.

“It’s.. it’s okay.”

“What would Aaron say?” The youngest seemed much more panicked than the rest, probably solely focused on Sean in the hospital bed.

Who’s Aaron?

Like a Greek chorus, they moved together in a flock as they surrounded Sean’s bed. You followed slowly, standing a couple of inches behind them as they examined his current situation.

“My poor boy..”, the woman - presumably his mother - sniffed and held onto one of the men.

“What happened to him?”

“Coma. He got pushed onto the train tracks.” The nurse was now standing by them, gesturing to her clipboard.

You were too busy mapping out who his potential family were in your head.

“He’s not dead, honey. He’ll make it..”, the husband added reassuringly.

“Let’s leave soon before everyone bursts into tears. Sean would want us to stop feeling sorry him.” The other old man patted the young boys back and nodded to you.

That was your cue to leave.

Or so you thought.

In the waiting room, the boy wandered off around the corner to the vending machines. It was just you and the old man.

“Come. Sit with me.” He gestured to the chair in front of him.

You obliged, trying to be polite as he now thought you were going to be bound legally due to marriage soon anyway.

“You feeling okay?”

“Me? Oh, I’m fine.”

“It must’ve been quite stressful. Saving Sean from an oncoming train.”

“It was definitely.. something.”

“How long have the two of you been together?”

You paused. When did you first see him? When was the first time you were graced by his smile and clean suits?

“June. It was a Monday.” You smiled fondly at the memory.

Beneath your daydreams, doubts were lurking in the back of your mind. Why were you going along with this?

“So.. around 7 months? Pretty quick for an engagement. He never told us about you.”

“Yeah.. yeah..”

He was about to ask another question, but the rest of the family were now approaching swiftly and took seats in the chairs around the two of you.

The mother sat next to you, smiling up at you admirably.

“You went onto train tracks for my boy. God, thank you!” She sniffed again and flung her frail arms around you.

You almost flinched at the sudden movement but accepted her embrace awkwardly.

“Thanks.. I’m just thankful that he wasn’t injured severely.”

“And she’s humble too! Sean really found himself a rose in a bundle of thorns.” The husband commented, grinning.

This was all becoming far too much for you. It was Christmas Eve - you should’ve been sitting at home, swirling a mug of hot chocolate in your hands and enjoying watching your cat play with the new toy you bought him.

You shouldn’t be in the hospital surrounded by strangers that now believe you’re engaged to your mystery man.

Sean. That was his name.

He’s no longer your mystery man, is he? He was your fiancé now and there was nothing you could do to get yourself out of this predicament.

They talked amongst themselves, sharing fond memories of Sean. Some of them included ‘Aaron’, who you still hadn’t met.

After 10 minutes or so, the mother turned to you.

“Dear, we were all wondering.. since Christmas Eve has been such a disaster..” she sighed and sniffed again, “Would you like to join us for Christmas? It’ll just be a small celebration, but we all think it’s so unfair we haven’t been able to introduce you to any of the family traditions. Right?”

She looked at everyone else, who all nodded enthusiastically. They all seemed to be sold on you being Sean’s fiancée, so why not go with it?

-

It was evening now, the sun had set much earlier and darkness shrouded the house.

They had refused to leave you alone in an attempt to make you feel happier concerning the situation at the moment. It wasn’t working.

You weren’t his fiancée and it seemed to be eating you alive. You can’t tell them now, they seem to like you so much already!

You’re sitting on the porch, staring out into the darkness. It’s chilly but you got to borrow one of Sean’s coats he’d left at his childhood house, you wrap it around yourself tightly and embrace the faint scent of cologne as you find solace in the eerie silence.

It’s not that you don’t appreciate what they’ve doing for you. It’s just all quite overwhelming for one day.

You’re only one person, you don’t think you can handle it all.

You exhale shakily, folding your arms over your chest to try and block out any breeze.

That’s when you see it.

A car pulls up in front of the house. It’s a nice one - shiny and expensive. You contemplate going inside but decide it’s probably no threat.

Then, a tall man encased in a long, black coat begins to walk up to the porch.

He’s refined, smooth and carries a sense of power. However, it seems to fade as he walks up the pavement. He’s less tense at the sight of the warm aura and bright light escaping from the inside and shining onto the frozen grass that he steps on.

Every ounce of friendliness leaves as soon as he comes face to face with you.

He stops abruptly, looking down at you with a cocked brow.

“Who are you?”

Before you can open your mouth, the door swings open and Mrs Hotchner rushes towards him.

“Aaron, we didn’t think you’d make it! It’s so good to see you, honey!” She cried, flinging her arms around him.

“Always a pleasure to see you, mother.” He replies, patting her back gently but not tearing his eyes off of you.

You shrink a little at his piercing gaze. It’s like he’s slowly peeling back the layers of your character, examining all of your features and trying to determine how to feel about you. Maybe you’re looking into it too harshly.

He just doesn’t know you yet.

And by the looks of it, he’ll get to know soon.

taglist: @jxvipike @barbwirewalk

Comment if you’d like to be added to my taglist!

[thatgoblin]

If I'm There

Summary: You hadn't seen or spoken to him in over a year, but now you have to track down your ex-husband over unpaid parking tickets. It was supposed to be easy, but seeing him with his new partner made it anything but.

Soulmates AU, Simon/Johnny/Reader

Warnings: so much angst, past child death, alcoholism, divorce, heavy stuff, but happy ending.

A/N: I'm not completely pleased with it, I don't feel very strong with Simon and Johnny’s characters in this, but posting anyways. It's part of a series I had written a while ago, but it works as a one shot too. Song is 'If I'm There' by Bad Omens.

“Riley! I got a job for you!” 

I looked up from the paperwork I had been doing, bored out of my mind before stuffing it into the file it had come in. 

“Yes! Farah, love of my life, light of my heart, tell me it’s a good one,” I said, walking over to get a look from her. 

“Seems you’re on the hunt for a blast from your past,” the dark haired woman said, handing me a file. “12 unpaid parking tickets and has not shown up to court.” I opened the file, wanting to throw it away immediately, but seeing the large bounty on it, I kept it. It wasn’t often that amount was put out on people for nonviolent crimes and I wasn’t about to pass up something so easy. “Also a second one. 4 unpaid speeding tickets, 3 failure to signal tickets, and 1 ticket for having a pet off leash. . . An emu.” Farah handed me another file and the bounty was just as much. 

“And a partridge in a pear tree,” I said with a snort. “Merry Christmas to me.”

“It’s April,” Farah said evenly before turning back to the computer. 

“Well, it’ll feel like Christmas when I turn these two idiots in,” I said, taking their addresses to shove into my back pocket in case my first plan didn’t work. “With a nice bonus for you too.”

“Oh happy days,” Farah said dryly. 

“You know, you could be a bit more cheery about life,” I said, folding the legal paperwork I needed before putting it into my jacket pocket. 

“I could, but then we’d be friends and we can’t have that,” Farah said, not looking back.

“Of course, we wouldn’t want that,” I said, grabbing my phone from my desk. “Alright, I’m off. Hold down the fort and don’t set it on fire. Again.”

“I make no promises,” Farah said as I walked out the door. Walking over to my car, I pulled out my phone to dial a number I had deleted from my phone over a year ago. As I sat in the car, a little voice in the back of my head told me to ignore this job. That it was inviting chaos and discourse back into my life after I had struggled to get some sort of peace. I had to see him at some point and it was probably easier to do it this way rather than during an awkward grocery store run in. Tapping the numbers was second nature and I didn’t even hesitate on a single digit. I held the phone to my ear as I coached myself to stay cool.

“Hello?” A man’s voice came over the line. I hadn’t heard it in nearly a year, but it still sounded the same. “Hello?”

“Hey. . . It’s me,” I said, swallowing back every urge that wanted to throw the phone into the street and speed away. “I really need to talk to someone. Are you free right now?” There was a sigh then silence. I thought he’d hung up on me, but a jostling noise told me he was still there.

“Sure, where do you want to meet?” He asked, his tone flat.

“Joe’s Coffee Shop? Half an hour?” I asked. I felt a little bad about tricking him, but then again I had bills to pay and he clearly was already done with me. So I didn’t feel too bad. 

“Okay, see you there,” he said before hanging up. 

There are scars that'll never ever show themselves

You get when you're left alone too long in Hell

The drive to the coffee shop was short thankfully and I was able to get a good parking spot to wrangle my targets into it. Hereford had its ups and downs, but the ups were that it really wasn’t as big as everyone thought. My ex and I had lived there for most of our adult lives before we split. Going our separate ways had meant chaos and disarray at first, but then I got my current job after a few months and it was something I could throw myself into. 

We stayed in this area because while it was on the west coast, it was also a close knit community of sorts. People knew each other, local places were more abundant than chains, it just felt like back home. At Joe’s, I pulled up to park on the street before getting out of my black sedan. 

Joe’s Coffee Shop was a local favorite with an outdoor patio. It was April and a sunny day so there were lots of people there sunbathing while sipping on iced coffees. Going in, I ordered one myself before picking a spot outside. Lazily sipping my drink, I pulled out my phone to check the time. I was never patient and even when I was early and he was on time, it had always got on my nerves. 

“Hey.” 

I looked up to see him standing there with that blank look he always had. Mostly hidden by his black face mask. It was the same one I made him that had the lower half of a skull printed onto it. He always wore a balaclava with a similar print, but walking around with that got him into trouble a lot. So, I made a face mask for him. I had taken the time to learn to sew and make patterns when I was not a crafty person. Seeing him still wearing it, I was thrown off my game.

“Hey Simon,” I said, standing up. Did I hug him? Shake hands? High five? Regret was filling my stomach as he stood there. We’d divorced over a year ago and hadn’t talked to each other since, but now his stupid unpaid parking tickets brought him back into my life.

We were supposed to be soulmates. We had the marks that everyone was born with. Everyone had a soulmate, people even had more than one at a time. It was supposed to mean we were going to spend the rest of our lives together, like some magical fairy tale that adults tell children. 

If you found your soulmate you would feel more deeply, be more in tune with the other, have this special bond that no one else could have with you. Simon and I had had that bond. 

But then we didn’t. 

Things changed and we lost the bond or it broke or something and we couldn’t hack it. So, we divorced. I covered my mark on my hand with a small black bar tattoo, but Simon didn’t. I hated that he still had it. Just three simple arrows in a row on his forearm. We were meant to be together, so say the powers that be, but we proved them wrong. Life wasn’t a fairy tale. 

“Everythin’ okay?” He asked, sitting across from me, shaking me from my thoughts.

“Yeah, just. . . Got lost for a second,” I said, sitting down as well. 

“Are you seein’ that counselor still?” He asked. I nodded, taking a deep breath. I wasn’t there to catch up, I was there to collect a bounty. “Good,” he said.

“The reason I called you to talk in person is that I have a question,” I said, pulling out the legal paperwork. 

“About what?” Simon asked with a frown.

“12 unpaid parking tickets? You have 12 unpaid parking tickets?” I asked as I shook my head at him, holding up the warrant.

“What about them?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at the papers. “How do you know about that?” 

“Because you’ve got a warrant out for your arrest,” I said. “And I’m here to take you in.”

“Jesus,” Simon groaned, rolling his eyes as he shook his head. “You’re a bounty hunter now?”

“Yup. I was going to turn yours down, but the money was too good to give to someone else,” I said with a snort. Simon pinched his nose as he stayed sitting.

“This is a joke, isn’t it? It’s a really bad joke,” he said, looking at me. “Just tell me it’s a joke.”

“Not a joke,” I said, showing my badge and permit. “You never paid the tickets or showed up to court.” 

“Fuck me,” Simon hissed. 

“Everythin’ okay, Simon?” A Scottish brogue said.

I turned to see another man with a mohawk and the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen walk over with a pair of coffees in hand. Wait a second. 

“Don’t tell me, you’re Johnny MacTavish?” I asked, looking up at him. 

“Uh, I am,” the man said, frowning as he looked at me.

“Oh wow, this has got to be the luckiest break ever!” I said, laughing as I stood up. 

“Simon?” Johnny said, frowning.

“Easiest job I’ve ever had,” I said, pulling out the handcuffs from my belt.

“You’re not actually goin’ to take me in,” Simon said, tilting his head to look up at me. “This is just a heads up, right?”

“Oh no. I’m for real arresting you both right now,” I said. “Unpaid parking tickets, jay walking and traffic tickets, no shows in court, and a fucking emu? This is truly an April Christmas miracle.” 

“I’m still confused, Simon?” Johnny said, looking at the other man. 

“Wait, how do you two know each other?” I asked, realizing they had shown up together.

“Johnny, this my ex-wife,” Simon said as he stood up. “And this is my boyfriend, Johnny.”

I did not expect to feel that pang in my chest hit so hard. Of course he moved on. Why wouldn’t he? He had been the more grounded of us after the dust settled. I had no right to feel jealous or hurt by it. If he hadn’t been in trouble then I would have had no idea anyways. 

“Wait, so she’s the one-” Johnny started.

“Yes, she is the one,” Simon nodded. “Now, when you’re done havin’ a laugh, I have to go. We have plans. Can’t believe after almost a year of not talkin’ and avoidin’ each other this is how you choose to show up again.”

“Oh, uh, it was nice to meet you,” Johnny said, tentatively holding out his hand for me to take after setting his drinks down. Fuck this. I slapped a cuff onto Johnny who cried out in confusion as I easily turned him to get his other hand. 

“I wasn’t kidding,” I grunted as I handled Johnny, directing him to my car.

“Are you fucking’ kiddin’ me right now!?” Simon snapped. 

“Like I said, I have arrest warrants for both of you. You’re lucky I even told you that,” I snapped back at him. Opening the car door, I put Johnny in the back before shutting the door. Simon didn’t seem to think it was going to go far, instead choosing to get on the phone with someone. 

“Yes, hello?” He said before I ripped his phone from him to hang up. “What the hell!?”

“Simon, just let me cuff you so we can get this over with and we can move on with our lives,” I said. 

“What is wrong with you? Normal ex’s don’t arrest each other,” he said, as I was able to get the cuffs on him just as easily.

“Yeah, well, we’re not normal ex’s,” I said with a sigh, putting the cuffs extra tight on his wrists. “Now shut up and get in the car.” Dragging him to the other side, I pushed him in next to Johnny before getting in myself. 

“Are we being kidnapped?” Johnny asked as I pulled out onto the road.

“You’ve both have warrants out for your arrest because you two dumbasses didn’t pay tickets on time or show up to court,” I said. “5 years we were together and you never learned to pay the damn tickets.”

“I was goin’ to pay them,” Simon said with a huff. “I’ve been busy.”

“Uh huh,” I said, rolling my eyes at him. Johnny seemed to just be in a constant state of confusion, but kept quiet at least. The drive to the police station was shorand usually if there was more than one to book I would have other people with me, but given that those two weren’t going to really give me trouble, I didn’t worry too much. With both of them in cuffs and compliant, I was able to get them booked easily enough. 

“Hey, Riley,” the officer at the desk, Roach, called as Simon and Johnny were being taken to be processed. I paused in my get away, ready to run as far and fast as I could.

They tried to keep in the secrets that you wouldn't tell

But they just stripped you for parts you had to sell

“Yeah?” I said, walking back over. I could see Simon staring at me hard from the cubicle he was in with Johnny that was just a couple of meters away. No doubt he heard the officer call me back over, still using his last name.

“Just need you to sign a few things for us,” Roach said. 

“Alright fine, but it better be quick, I got a lunch date with a Blood Mary,” I said with a huff. 

“You never changed your name,” Simon said, looking at me with a frown. 

“Uh… No, no I did not,” I said, keeping my eyes on the papers in front of me. 

“Why didn’t you change your name?” He asked.

“Because it’s a bitch to file paperwork and I’ve already been writing it for nearly 5 years. I made it a habit,” I said, glancing at him.

“No, no, you were filin’ for divorce before you even brought it up to me. You filed everythin’ before sayin’ a word,” Simon pushed. “Why didn’t you change your name?”

“I swear to god, Simon,” I hissed, slamming the pen on the counter. The small police station should have been buzzing about with noise, but as Simon kept demanding, everything and everyone went quiet. 

“Just tell me why you didn’t change your last name,” he pushed. 

“Because I still love you, okay?!” I snapped, whirling to glare at him. “I still love you, but we are not good together and it’s one piece of us that I can have without trouble. So there, there’s your answer, in front of your new boyfriend, too.”

“Love,” Simon said with a sigh. 

“Don’t,” I said, cutting him off. “Anything else for me to sign?” I asked, turning back to glare at Roach. 

“Uh, no that’s it,” Roach said. I hadn’t meant to crumble so easily. I thought I was stronger than that, but seeing him again, with someone else. . . What was I supposed to do? We used to be so good together, but then everything happened and shit hit the fan. I couldn’t be as soft as I once was and I couldn’t let him back in. It wasn’t fair to him. Not after the shit I put him through. 

“Thanks,” I said, turning on my heel. Thankfully no one called after me again, letting me get to my car and drive home in peace. Getting home, I walked in to shut the door behind me. It was barely 2pm but there I was going right for the vodka in my freezer. I’d been sober almost four months, but seeing Simon. . . I couldn’t. It was supposed to be an easy grab and go, he’d get pissed and grouchy while I hauled his ass to jail. 

Then it turned into a sudden confession at the police station in front of everyone and their dog to see and hear. I hoped that was the last I’d seen of him for a while. If ever. 

Well, if I'm there to catch you when you fall

You'll have a friend down in Hell after all

Pulling a glass from my cupboard, I put a handful of ice in it before filling it with the liquor. I brought the glass to my lips, but paused. On the fridge was a magnet with a purple heart on it and the name ‘Dierdre’ in cursive letters. Staring at it, I held onto the drink as that ache brought back by Simon deepened. Like a scab reopening to become infected. The burning smell of the vodka was enough to pull me from scratching that open wound. Slowly, I set the glass down. That job was a mistake and I knew it the whole time. I thought maybe the money would soften any damage done or any hurt feelings, but it hadn’t done a damn thing.

Taking a deep breath as my mind threatened to unravel any second, I reached out to grab the bottle of vodka. Unscrewing the cap, I let it drop to the counter. The feel of the icy bottle in my hand helped pull me up from the warmth of depression that was pulling me into its arms. I tipped the bottle to watch the clear liquid pour into the sink, splashing and running down the drain. When the bottle was empty, I did the same to the drink I had made. 

Standing in silence, I let out a sigh before moving to my living room, leaving the empty bottle on the counter.

And if you're there to catch me when I fall

Then maybe Hell ain't so bad after all

I pulled off my boots and jacket, texting Farah that I had everything signed and turned in and that I was done for the day. Shutting my phone off, I moved to flop onto the couch after peeling off my tight jeans. My bra went flying behind me, letting me settle in the warm weather with my windows open. The apartment was modest as Simon had kept almost everything in the divorce. I didn’t want it, so I left the house and anything I didn’t readily need with him. It was for the best. I didn’t need much and it made for less stuff when I moved. 

Flipping on the TV, I turned it to good ol’ golf. I could put golf on at any time and it would put me in a dreamless sleep. That was what I needed. No dreams, no thoughts, no worries or wonders. Just the comfortable void that I could exist in without overwhelming feelings of any kind. In minutes I was passed out on the couch. 

Until someone pounded on my front door. 

Groggily, I looked around, confused as the sun had set and I was chilly in my underwear and tank top. Another loud knock came that had me glaring at the offending door. 

“I’m coming!” I yelled, going to the door. Beside it in a small side table, I hid a Glock for when unsolicited callers came to the door. It was registered and everything, but wasn’t kept completely legal considering it wasn’t locked up with the ammo separated. My previous job and being a bounty hunter didn’t exactly make for the safest of conditions and the bad guys wouldn’t wait for me to put in my combination to my safe. “Who is it?” I asked, hand on the gun hidden under the table top. 

“It’s Simon.” Quiet a moment, I scrunched my face in frustration while holding back the urge to tell him to fuck off.

“What do you want?” I asked, not letting him in or taking my hand off the gun. 

“I want to talk to you,” he said. I heard him shifting around, waiting for me to answer. The thought of climbing out my window crossed my mind, but he’d just follow right behind me. Sighing heavily, I took my hand from the gun before I unlocked the door to open it. “Thank. . . You,” he said, his eyes trailing down my body. “Well then.”

“I was napping,” I grumbled, stepping aside. “Besides you’ve seen more of that.” I pushed the door to shut it, but it stopped when Johnny popped in. “Excuse me?” I said, looking between the two. 

“We need to talk about earlier,” Simon said as Johnny walked in. “All three of us.”

“I don’t understand,” I groaned, scrubbing my face. “Why are both of you here?”

“Do you wanna put some pants on? We can turn around,” Johnny offered. I stared at him before looking to Simon. 

“Just go have a seat on the couch, Darlin’,” Simon said with a soft sigh, rubbing Johnny’s arm. My eye twitched at the gesture and nickname, but I stayed quiet. 

“I’ll be right back,” I said, going to the bedroom which was technically part of the living room. It had a partition set up to kind of offer a sense of it being a different room, but I didn’t try that hard. I grabbed a pair of sweatpants and hoodie to pull on before I rejoined the two men. Johnny sat on the couch, watching some show on TV that had come on during my nap while Simon was in the kitchen, holding the empty liquor bottle. 

I didn't want to believe how much you needed help

And I just left you to be all by yourself

“I thought you said you were goin’ to counselin’,” he said softly. 

“I am,” I said, taking the bottle from him to put in the recycling. “It was in the freezer from almost 6 months ago. I poured it out.”

“Are you bein’ honest with me?” Simon asked, looking at me. His dark eyes looked scared, worried, unsure. It was more than he gave me earlier that day at the coffee shop.

“I am,” I said. “Promise.”

“Good,” Simon said with a nod before motioning to the couch.

“So, what was it you two wanted to talk about?” I asked, pulling over a chair from my table as Simon sat next to Johnny. 

“Aren’t you curious how we found ye?” Johnny asked as I turned off the TV. 

“Not really. I know how you found me,” I said. “One of two options. Either you tracked me back through my phone records or you talked to my office manager, Farah. Who honestly should know better than to give my address out, but I assumed you pestered her enough that she caved.”

“Wow, she is good Simon,” Johnny said with a smile. 

“I told you,” Simon said with a chuckle. I felt a hint of heat in my cheeks. Simon told Johnny about me? About how I was good at seeing things others didn’t? “Sorry, I told him you used to be a private investigator and he thinks it’s the greatest thing.”

“I love all those detective movies where the police don’t believe the evidence, but that rogue investigator finds it all out and cracks the case!” Johnny said excitedly. It was almost annoying, but it was also sweet. I hadn’t felt excited, truly excited, like that in a long time and didn’t know if I ever could again.

“It was mostly catching people cheating on each other,” I said, rubbing my face. “Hate to break the dream for ya.”

“That’s not what Simon said,” Johnny said. It was Simon’s turn to get a bit red in the cheeks. 

“Oh really? What did he say?” I asked, crossing my legs as I leaned forward.

“Not why we’re here,” Simon said, covering Johnny’s mouth with his hand. 

“Then why are you here?” I asked, turning my attention to him. 

“We’re here to talk about us,” Simon said, motioning between me and him. 

“What’s there to talk about?” I asked, sitting back up to cross my arms over my chest. “We’re divorced. We gave it a shot and it didn’t work out.”

“No, we gave it a shot and you called it quits. I was willin’ to work it out,” Simon said with a sigh.

“Obviously you don’t want to anymore, you brought your boyfriend over,” I said, motioning to Johnny.

“Johnny, go ahead and show her,” Simon said, looking to the other. 

“Show me what?” I asked. Johnny glanced from me to Simon before he pulled up his shirt and pulled his pants down a bit. On his right hip was his soulmate mark. I swallowed hard, looking at it as tears pricked my eyes. It was the same as me and Simon’s. Three small arrows. “Well, good for you, you found a soulmate after I covered my mark,” I said. “You wanted to let me know you’d moved on completely and that I shouldn’t contact you again.”

“No, that’s not it,” Simon said as Johnny sat back down.

“Then what is it, Simon?” I snapped. “What do you want? I filed for divorce, I left you, I moved away from you, and the first time I called you in nearly a year is to arrest you, so you think that means anything?”

And now I wish I had seen that you weren't doing well

But I just came back to see how hard you fell

“You said at the station that you were still in love with me,” Simon said.

“No, I said I still loved you. There’s a difference. I’m not in love with you,” I said. It was mean and cruel, but I couldn’t let him think there was a chance we’d have a happily ever after. I was too much of a mess and barely managed to keep myself going most days as a functioning adult. 

“But you could be,” Johnny said. I narrowed my eyes at him, snarling almost, but he didn’t flinch. “You could fall back in love with him.”

“I. . . I am not the person I used to be, Simon,” I said, trying to swallow back tears. “I’m not the girl you fell in love with and I probably won’t ever be her again. I’m not who you want or need.” 

“Maybe Johnny’s right,” Simon said, scooting closer to me. “We’re both different people, but we could fall in love again.”

“It has been over a year, Simon,” I said. “You moved on with Johnny and I moved on. What is the point of us getting back together? We’re not good together.”

“No, we were,” Simon said. “We just lost each other when we lost Dierdre.”

“Don’t,” I snapped, close to losing it. “Don’t bring her into this.” 

Well, if I'm there to catch you when you fall

You'll have a friend down in Hell after all

“You shut down so hard and pushed me so far away when we lost her, Love,” Simon said, reaching out to touch my knee. I pulled away instantly like his touch burned me. I sat rigid in my seat as I refused to look at him. “We made mistakes and we fucked up. I fucked up. I’m sorry that I wasn’t there when you needed me.” His voice was catching, making it hard to steel myself, to keep myself in my self appointed isolation. “It’s not your fault and I don’t blame you for anythin’. The drinkin’, the lyin’, the fights, I don’t blame you. Neither of us were in the right. I. . . I never stopped lovin’ you. Even when I met Johnny, I still loved you just as much as I did before. I still do.”

I shook my head, feeling my shell crack as tears slid down my face. 

“You had a miscarriage, Love. We lost our baby girl and I thought I lost you too,” Simon choked out. We didn’t talk like this after we got home from the hospital. I had been seven months pregnant when something happened. There were sharp pains that I shouldn’t have had. Before we knew it I was in the hospital bleeding, hemorrhaging. The sac she was in didn’t develop right and it burst. By the time I was in delivery she was already gone. I barely made it out alive. 

“You’re not just one event in your Simon’s life,” Johnny said suddenly, making me flinch. “A loss of a child is one of the hardest emotional pains to endure and a lot of couples do divorce afterwards because it seems like the world has come down upon you. It’s okay to feel those feelings and work through them, but it seems that you didn’t want to or didn’t have the capacity at the time to work through it with Simon. These things take time and that may be what was needed. Time.”

“Johnny was my counselor for a while,” Simon said with a soft chuckle. I looked at him, seeing the tears running down his cheeks, his mask off. It was the first time I had seen his face since before the hospital visit. “Then for obvious reasons I started seein’ a different counselor.”

And if you're there to catch me when I fall

Then maybe Hell ain't so bad after all

“The heart wants what it wants,” Johnny said with a soft smile and a shrug. “All that aside, with everything Simon has told me, I couldn’t deny him of seeing you. He loves you too much and I love him. I want us to be happy and even if that means we have separate relationships with Simon or if you just want to be friends again, I am all for it. Being married and together for so long, as well as soulmates, makes for an intense relationship, but also one you can’t just forget and burn a bridge to with something like you guys. All I ask is that you consider it and we’ll work through it together.”

“I don’t know,” I said softly. “I don’t think I’m ready or ever will be ready.”

“Love,” Simon said, reaching out to grasp my hand that had gripped my knee tightly. “We don’t have to pick up where we left off. I just. . . I need you in my life. Please.” 

God, the feel of his hand around mine made me want to curl into a ball in his lap, let him rock me and hold me. It was so hard to keep myself in check. 

“So, this is about making yourself feel better?” I said, trying to make a wedge between us. He needed to leave and move on with Johnny. They could be happy together, adopt, get a dog. I was too broken and missing pieces. There was no way that I could go back to him, not because he had been the cause, but because I was certain I would only hurt him again when he saw how badly I was cracked. “I told you, Simon. I am not who I was when we met, let alone when we got married. This version of me is not someone who is the loving and caring partner that is soft and a safe place to land.”

Build me up or tear me down, I will never make a sound

Build me up or tear me down

“How about a reset?” Johnny said. I looked at him confused, unsure what he was getting at. “You wipe the slate clean, you start over. That means, you start out as friends again, move on from there. I find it helps couples that feel they can’t get over certain bumps in the road to have an imaginary reset button. It’s been a year since you two have been around each other, you’re obviously in different places in your lives, and you have changed. A reset would probably be the best thing for you two if you want to be around one another again.”

“So what, we just pretend nothing happened before now?” I asked with a scoff.

“No, you definitely don’t do that,” Johnny said. “You start fresh. You acknowledge that you both have a past, but you don’t work around it. You work with it.” 

“I’m on board for whatever you want,” Simon said. I took a deep breath, holding Simon’s hand without realizing it. 

Run a dagger through my chest, I believe it's for the best

Build me up or tear me down

“I can’t,” I said, pulling my hand away from him. “I just can’t.” That sucking pit in my chest that had snuck up on me was gasping to get more of me. 

“You don’t have to punish yourself for losing a child,” Johnny said. He had gone to his knees in front of me, making me see his face as he looked up at me. His words were spoken softly, but a force to pull me back from that place I was comfortable with. Where it was dark and lonely and it made sense to feel guilt. “You did everything you could to keep her safe and loved her so much. You were a good mum. It’s not your fault.”

All I could do was stare at him as he nodded, taking my shaky, clammy hands in his large, rough ones. I had manhandled him into cuffs earlier without hesitation, moving on instinct, and now I was in his calm, grounding grasp. “But-”

“It will never be your fault. There is no need to punish you for something that was not your doing. You deserve to be loved and have someone be there for you. This was not a failure on your part and never will be. You can let go of that weight. You’re not alone anymore and don’t have to be again.”

There are scars that'll never ever show themselves

You get when you're left alone too long in Hell

“Okay,” I choked out. “I. . . I want to try the reset thing.”

“We’ll go slow and easy,” Simon said. 

“I want to start as friends, with both you and Johnny,” I said looking from Simon to Johnny.

“That’s the most I would ask for,” Johnny said, a smile on his face. 

“Give me some time right now. I’ll text you later and we’ll go from there, okay?” I said, needing to remember to breathe.

They tried to keep in the secrets that you wouldn't tell

But they just stripped you for parts you had to sell

“Sounds good,” Simon said, a smile spreading across his face as well. Even though we got what we all wanted apparently, why was I the only one not smiling? Why did it feel like I wasn’t going to get what was promised? The only person dangling the carrot in front of me was myself and I knew the bitch would never let me have it if someone didn’t make her.

“I’m gonna give you two a minute, I’ll be out in the car,” Johnny said, getting up. He dropped a kiss to Simon’s head and waved to me before letting himself out. 

“What?” I said, looking at Simon as he stared me down.

“Do you really want to do this? To reset?” He asked. 

“If I didn’t, would I have said yes to it?” I asked, rolling my eyes, unable to keep from putting up my guards.

“No, but that doesn’t mean you’re lettin’ it all out there,” he said. 

“I just. . . I don’t know. I feel like I let two strangers into my apartment to emotionally bully me into a relationship that I am terrified of,” I said with a sigh. “I don’t know how to be or to act around you anymore.”

“It’s okay,” Simon said, taking my hand in his. It was warm and rough, just like always. “We’ll figure it out. I’ll give you all the time and space you want.”

“What if I don’t want space?” I blurted out. I had shut down after Dierdre, pushed everyone away, and made myself alone. Like Johnny had figured out, I was punishing myself for my daughter’s death. I did that to myself because it felt like the right thing to do at the time, but I didn’t want it anymore. Not when Simon wanted me back, but. . . 

“What do you mean?” Simon asked.

“I mean. . . I am so tired of being alone and I am so tired of pushing people away. I don’t care about the sex or kissing, I just don’t want to be alone again,” I said, managing to get it out before I broke down into sobs. 

And if you're there to catch me when I fall

Then maybe Hell ain't so bad after all

Simon didn’t let go of me. Slowly, he pulled me from my chair to set me in his lap. His long arms wrapped around me, holding me tight as I sobbed against him. 

It had been so long since I’d had that simple comfort that I didn’t want to let go. I didn’t want to go slow and stay home by myself. I wanted to go with Simon and Johnny and just stop being fucking alone. It was as if Simon was reading my mind as the back of my hand began to itch under my tattoo. 

“Why don’t you come home with us for a while?” Simon asked. “Don’t worry about anythin’, I’ll help you pack a bag and when you feel up to it, we’ll come back.”

Build me up or tear me down, I will never make a sound

Build me up or tear me down

“Okay,” I nodded, hiccuping from crying so hard. There was no fight left in me as he continued to hold me, only taking out his phone to text Johnny. A few more minutes and I walked with him like a child holding their parents hand to their bedroom where the monsters were. We packed a basic bag before I slid on shoes then grabbed my keys, phone, and wallet. With my place locked up, Simon led me out to the car where Johnny was waiting in the driver’s seat. He didn’t say a word or make any fuss as Simon got in the back with me to hold me as we drove back to their house. 

I knew Simon had sold our old house six months ago, getting another one down the street from it. It was a blessing because I would not be able to go back into that house. Brief flashes of how we had worked to make it ours, the decorations, furniture, the nursery ran through my mind. But instead of breaking down and having a drink, I nuzzled against Simon’s chest as his heavy arm kept me close.

Run a dagger through my chest, I believe it's for the best

Build me up or tear me down

Once there, I walked in holding Simon’s hand. Johnny didn’t seem surprised at all by any of it. In fact it was almost like he was expecting it. “Here’s some water and ibuprofen, you probably have a headache and are dehydrated,” he said as he handed me both items.

“Thanks,” I said, taking them. 

“If you’re hungry we can order something or you’re more than welcome to lay down or even take a shower, whatever you’d like,” Johnny said as he took my bag for me. Going down the hall and straight to their room. I knew it was their room because it had a huge bed I could see from the front. 

“I can sleep on the couch or the guest room,” I said, trying to back peddle from something I didn’t even realize was taking off so quickly.

“Don’t worry about,” Johnny said. “You’re probably touch starved and your soulmates haven’t been around in a year. It’ll create a tension of sorts, make you irritable, cause mood swings, depression, anxiety, general mental disarray. The best thing to do for it, if you can, is to be with your soulmates. That means you share the bed with us.”

“Us?” I said, my voice cracking.

If I'm there to catch you when you fall

You'll have a friend down in Hell after all

“Simon will sleep in the middle, don’t worry,” Johnny said as he walked to the closet to grab extra pillows and blankets. 

“I think I’ve just been bamboozled,” I mumbled. That little shit knew all along that I’d end up coming home with them. He probably knew about the tickets! Knew that I was a bounty hunter! I was going to have to keep my eye on him. 

“Probably,” Simon said with a chuckle. “He’s shifty like that. But, he is right. You’re probably touch starved, so you’re stayin’ in the same bed as us. Do you want to shower or anythin’?” 

“I just want to lay down. My head is killing me and I’m a bit overwhelmed,” I said.

“Fair enough, keep drinkin’ the water though,” Simon said as he led me to the bedroom. 

“Yes, Sir,” I said with a snort before taking a drink of the water.

“Oh, yeah, Simon is definitely, Sir,” Johnny said as he put the pillows and blankets on the bed for me. I couldn’t help but choke on my water. “Oh, too soon?”

And if you're there to catch me when I fall

Then maybe Hell ain't so bad after all

“I think she just needs to rest,” Simon said, patting me on the back. 

“Okay,” Johnny said with a shrug. “Here’s a wet cloth for ye too.” He handed me one for my eyes before walking out. 

“Here, you get settled,” Simon said, helping me get into the large, California King sized bed. “Need anything else?” 

If I'm there to catch you when you fall

You'll have a friend down in Hell after all

“No, I think I’m good,” I said, letting him drape the wet cloth over my forehead. 

“Alright. I’m gonna go take a shower then I’ll be in to lay down with you, okay?” He said.

“Okay,” I mumbled, already falling asleep. It didn’t take long for me to do just that, but I woke up later as Simon was sliding into bed. All the noises were gone from the usual household that was awake, telling me everyone was going to bed. I felt Simon lay on his back, making it easy for me to move to lay with my arm over his belly. What I didn’t expect was another arm to lay over mine. At first I wanted to pull away, but the longer I let it stay, the more it felt right.

And if you're there to catch me when I fall

Then maybe Hell ain't so bad after all

Masterlist

Taglist: @birdstoprey @sebbytheraccoon @pricescigar @alwaysshallow @sae1kie @sleepydang @lexi-zsy09 @ghostlywhiskey @ghosts-cyphera @poohkie90 @neothewitch @shadofireshinobi @sadslasher13 @0alk0msan @xaestheticalien

[kraekat29]

𓈒⟡₊⋆∘Masterlist𓈒⟡₊⋆∘

{ Blog Recs}

{ Fanart} * made by the amazing @yukswl0v3*

*fanart page 2

{Icons}

{Playlist}

{about me}

Requests are : Open / Closed

Claimed emojis: 🧡 🌊

{My Other blogs}

DISCLAIMER: RUBY ROUTLEDGE ™️/ PAIGE BAILEY ™️ IS MY OC, DO NOT USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. IF YOU DO YOU WILL BE REPORTED FOR COPYRIGHT.

©️KraeKat29 2024

𓈒⟡₊⋆∘Series𓈒⟡₊⋆∘

All Too Well ( Prequel to Beautiful Mistakes)

Beautiful Mistakes

Maroon

Paper Rings

Suburban Legends

~~~~~~~~

Labyrinth

Lover

Call It What You Want

𓈒⟡₊⋆∘Smut𓈒⟡₊⋆∘

First Time: JJ and Ruby have just gotten their house and finally have time alone, only this time they explore each other in ways they never have before.

Favorite Treat: JJ comes home from work only in the mood for his favorite treat.

Punishment: When Ruby breaks the number one rule JJ has a few tricks up his sleeve to teach his girl a lesson.

Date Night: what was supposed to be a perfect night out quickly turned into a steamy session on the H.M.S. Pogue.

Red: in which JJ and Ruby discover each other's hidden fantasies.

Road Trip: it's the summer before senior year and as tension builds between JJ and Ruby they realize they can't avoid each other any longer.

Lazy Sunshine: a lazy morning with JJ and Ruby.

Game On: in which an innocent game becomes a steamy session.

My Treasure: some Halloween fun with JJ and Ruby.

Hurt So Good: a mafia smut request.

Gangster: part 2 of Hurt So Good.

Talkin’ Tennessee: an innocent late night drive quickly becomes steamy.

Squirm: An innocent joke turns out spicy.

Midnight Drive: A quiet romantic drive turns heated.

College Nights: A sleepless night leads to desire

865 : After a breakup JJ makes a drunk call to Ruby.

Homecoming: Ruby hasn’t been home in a few months. When she returns JJ shows her just what she’s been missing.

Lust or Love?: in which JJ learns what true love making feels like.

𓈒⟡₊⋆∘Angst𓈒⟡₊⋆∘

I got you - in which desperate times call for desperate measures.

Law School Blues- Law school is never easy, when Ruby's teacher gets a little too harsh JJ is right there to help her through it.

Until I Found You- Ruby finally realizes what love is, all thanks to JJ

Cruel Summer- Ruby notices how JJ has changed this summer and not in a good way.

Dear JJ- Ruby reads JJ a letter, updating him on the months after his passing.

𓈒⟡₊⋆∘Fluff𓈒⟡₊⋆∘

Pink? Seriously?: Preparing for the MGK concert Ruby sets out and dyes JJ's hair pink.. Only his reaction is not what she thought it'd be.

Perfect Birthday : Ruby's birthday has rolled around once more but only one thing can make it absolutely perfect this year.

Pink Hair, Good Times: Knowing her birthday is right around the corner John B surprises his twin with tickets to Machine Gun Kelly, only getting the tickets and knowing his sister meant he had to go all out.

Please Please Please: based off the please please please music video by Sabrina Carpenter.

𓈒⟡₊⋆∘Other𓈒⟡₊⋆∘

The Twilight Saga

Scream

( extra Scream stuff)

Scream (rewrite)

Ghostface!au

Christmas Masterlist 2022

Christmas Masterlist 2023

Christmas Masterlist 2024

Juby Week 2023

Juby Week 2024

The Lakes

Neon Eyes

Invisible String

Charmed

Leave The City

[toasttt11]

reunited

December 14, 2023

Gemma grabbed all of bags off the airport conveyer belt, she had just landed in Toronto being home for two days.

Gemma originally was suppose to be on a plane right now on the way to Sweden and she wasn’t going to be able to make it to the Blue Jackets at The Leafs game to be able to see Adam playing in the NHL at their home stadium.

Gemma luckily asked her coach if she could come two days later and be able to watch her brother play in the NHL for the first time.

Obviously she got the okay and immediately booked her ticket to come home and she contacted the Blue Jackets media team to keep her ticket that Adam had originally gotten for her and made sure no one knew she was coming to see him play.

Gemma got an uber to her child hood home and carried all of her bags up into her room and luckily for her, her family had already left for the game. Gemma quickly put on a pair of black skinny jeans, a blue hoodie with Adam’s jersey over and slipped a pair of black converse on.

Gemma called for a cab to take her to the stadium. She paid the fee and walked up to the stadium through the crowds of people, she scanned her ticket and headed to her section and she smiled seeing many people that she knows in the section and saw her parents, Luca and Nick sitting in a row and a seat empty next to her dad.

She walked down the the stairs quietly not catching anyone’s attention and walked into the row her ticket was at, “Is this seat taken?” Gemma softly questioned making her parents and Luca heads all snap up to her.

“Gems!” Her dad happily exclaimed pulling his only daughter in a tight hug.

“Hi Dad.” Gemma giggled and hugged him back before letting go and hugging her mother tightly.

“My Gem.” Her mother happily cooed as she held her youngest in her arms before letting her go to Luca.

“Hi Lu.” Gemma smiled widely at her big brother, Luca smiled shaking his head in disbelief pulling his baby sister into a tight hug.

“I missed you.” Luca whispered into his sister’s ear, truthfully this year was weird for Luca being completely alone without either of his siblings for the first time in his life.

“I missed you too.” Gemma whispered back hugging him tighter.

Luca reluctantly let her go letting her go hug Nick, “Hi Nicky.” Gemma smiled and hugged her past teammate.

“Hi little Fants.” Nick smiled hugging her back.

Gemma stepped back after the hug seeing her parents scoot down a seat so she could sit between Luca and her mom, Gemma smiled softer at them and sat down having her mother immediately hold her hand.

“I thought you were heading to Sweden right now.” Julia softly questioned her daughter, knowing that her husband and her were planning to join their daughter with Luca coming with after Christmas.

“I was but Coach let me come two days later so i could come to the game.” Gemma explained to her family, squeezing her mother’s hand back.

“We’re glad you’re here.” Giuliano smiled softly at his young daughter, Gemma sent him a smile back.

Gemma smiled cheering as she saw Adam get into the ice for warmups, she smiled at her brother when she noticed Adam seeing her and she waved softly to her brother as Adam shook his head in disbelief smiling widely and waving back at his sister.

The Blue Jackets won 6-5.

Adam got dressed after the game and hurried to the section where his family and friends were all at, he smiled as he walked up the stairs in shock seeing so many people that ending up coming to support him.

He hugged both his parents, Luca and Nick and saw Gemma waiting patiently and Adam tackled her into a tight hug.

“Hi.” Adam voice cracked slightly, Adam has been able to see Luca and his parents more than he has seen Gemma and he hasn’t seen her since she went back to school months ago and it was the longest they have gone with out seeing each other.

“Hi.” Gemma whispered out hugging her brother just as tightly back hating that they haven’t seen each other in so long.

They pulled apart and shared a look and they both grabbed one of Luca’s arm pulling him into a hug, the three all let out an identical sighs as they were all reunited again and all together.

Giuliano and Julia shared a soft look enjoying seeing their kids all together again.

[jessefandomunited]

Alone for Christmas

It's Christmas Eve and you realize that there is no way you'll be able to see your parents this year on such short notice. Luckily it seems like someone else dosent have plans either and it may just be someone you've had a crush on for a while.

Spencer x GN reader - no smut just probably some snuggles and kisses

Christmas had come too quickly this year, and while working at the BAU was rewarding it was ridiculously hard , especially during this time of year. I called my parents a few times and told them that unfortunately the case we were on was running long and I couldn't get a flight out in time. They told me that we would just have to have Christmas whenever I could make it over, which made me smile.

" hey did you hear ," Penelope asked as I slowly came back to reality. " Hu...oh uh no sorry I was spaced out," I said nervously. "Well they got him! They'll be home by Christmas Eve," she cheered . I smiled ," that's great but I literally have nothing to do now," I sighed leaning back in my chair. She thought a moment," well... I mean... Spencer is probably free." I could feel heat creeping up my neck, " so." She rolled her eyes," SOOOOO ask him out come on you have movie nights all the time what's so different about this?" " it's CHRISTMAS EVE that's the difference, I maybe will ask him to hang out but the last thing I want is for this to be a day where I lost my best friend due to a little crush," I insisted. She nodded," okay fiiine, me and my guy can drop by and give you some of the dinner I cooked , I always make too much anyway." I smiled," sure that would be great."

Everyone was back and I was drumming nervously on the strap of my back pack. I didn't think he would say no but my mind always jumped to the worst case scenario. " welcome back guys," Garcia greeted causing me to almost jump out of my skin. I looked up and locked eyes with Spencer. I forced a smile and waved. " relax," I heard Garcia whispering as she gently nudged me towards him. I walked over and said ," hey, how was the trip." " it was great we made better time than most trips, I thought we would be snowed in. You know the clouds are the best indicator a storm is coming" I was once again in the Spencer trance. While most people told him to hurry up or get to the point I was stuck enraptured by his words. His voice his passion everything, he was wonderful. " so do you have plans for Christmas," he asked. The question threw me off and I almost didn't answer, I didn't expect that he would bring it up. " oh.. no I wasn't able to get tickets in time," I said beginning to massage my hands to ease my anxiety. He looked a little surprised," oh... well you know I don't have any plans either so we could have a Christmas movie night, I still havnt given you your Christmas present so it'll be perfect." My head was swirling and I felt like I ascended to cloud nine," yes , yeah that would be fun, you know Garcia said she would bring over some food too." " great it's settled I'll go home and grab some clothes and I'll meet you at your place in an hour 35 most likely ," he said scooping up his satchel," see you then" I waved then slumped into an unattended chair, he actually said yes.

I got home and decided to quickly make some of the tub chocolate chip cookies I have in my fridge as something to snack on while we watched a Christmas movie or two. I also stressed out way more than I should have deciding what pair of pjs to wear. I had a limited option but what combo of old shirt and pj pant truly said I'm secretly in love with you. After that I brought out a blanket for the couch and started to heat up milk on the stove to make hot chocolate. Even if there was no dramatic confession I was excited to spend time with him.

Almost exactly as he predicted I hear a light knock at the door one hour and 35 minutes after we had left the BAU. He had an overnight bag and a huge grocery bag as well. " wow what's all this I said helping him with his things. " well I thought we could decorate gingerbread house while we were watching Christmas movies ," he said beaming. My heart almost melted , he brought a secondary activity. " oooOo cookies and hot chocolate," he said excitedly, " perfect! Have you decided which movie we're watching first?" I nodded," it's kind of embarrassing but I havnt watched white Christmas yet and I really love it." He nodded," that's a great choice I love those old musicals. If you want to start it up I'll get the gingerbread houses sorted." I agreed and put on the movie.

Soon enough we were annoyingly singing the songs while we made our houses and drank our filll of hot coco. I tried my best to make the house as good as possible but it still ended up pretty sloppy. After we migrated over to the couch and settled in. We watched the muppet la Christmas carol which Spencer insisted was a must , then home alone, and then we were both fast asleep.

I woke up to the smell of bacon wafting through the air and Christmas music was playing on the radio. I smiled and checked my phone before fully waking up. Garcia sent a text that said " merry Christmas I'll be over at about 11 TELL HIM" I said merry Christmas to her and maybe. As I sat up I noticed there was a plate of half eaten cookies by the small tree I had that now had two presents beneath it. I chuckled, " looks like Santa came aye?" He glanced over ," would you look at that he did!" " thanks for making breakfast," I said stretching. " no problem at all, Thankyou for offering your home to me," he said smiling . I took a cup and poured some coffee in before sitting at the table and gazing outside at the sparkling snow covering the roads, everything seemed so still. And I felt like I did need to tell Spencer, today, now. " hey uh Spence," I asked looking over . He had two plates that he picked up and plopped in front of each of us, " yes?" I poked at my eggs and took a deep breath before saying, " if I say this can you promise our friendship we will be there." He got a worried look on his face as he said , " it depends but I believe so." I swallowed, " ever since i met you I think .... I liked you, like .. maybe even loved. I've had some issues in the past so I didn't think you would like me back. So I hid it. But it's eating me up inside and I'm fine if you don't like me back we can still be friends but I had to tell you." He didn't answer and I risked a glance up at him. He was shocked and his face was beat red, " really?" I nodded anticipating a smooth rejection. " I thought ... you only liked me as a friend too, I ... feel the same way," he stumbled over his words but it seemed to be from excitement. My eyes widened," is .. is that a yes... are we like together?" He laughed, " yes please." We both got up and embraced eachother, I felt tears come out as we stayed there. We both pulled back a bit and kissed. It was better than I thought it would be. He was more forceful than I expected his hands pulling me closer to him, we probably would have stayed like that longer if it wasn't for a kick at the door. It was 11, garcia had impeccable timing. I walked over and opened the door to an overjoyed Garcia who hugged me immediately," did you do it." I nodded and her eyes lit up she looked from me to Spencer , " are you guys?" Spencer tried to hide a smile but also just sheepishly nodded. She squealed in delight and ran over to hug him to, her boyfriend trailing behind her with food and gifts.

The rest of the day was wonderfully lazy. We ate with Garcia and her boyfriend who left quickly after to see his parents. Then we made out a bit more before remembering our presents. We sat underneath the tree and exchanged our presents. I had clumsily attempted to make him some crocheted socks (mismatched of course) but I also got him a first addition copy of " the blind banker" which he was ecstatic about. For me he had remembered how much I loved his 4th doctor scarf and made me one too. I was over the moon and gave him the tightest hug I could.

The rest of the evening we put on various Christmas movies and cuddled and talked. It was wonderful. I was overjoyed at how well this turned out. I honestly could not have been happier than I was now