#he started off the night by just doing the usual dutch greeting -3 cheek kisses- which threw me off massively

[pinkierre]

Gahhhhh

[elldell1204]

Hair Me Out - Spencer Reid x Reader

Y/N wears her hair in many different styles, and her boyfriend, Spencer, seems to appreciate each one in different ways.

A/N: So, I just wanted to add, I try to make my ‘reader’ as ambiguous as possible, that way you can identify with them more. However, I struggled with this one, as I am a white female with straight hair and not much knowledge of (though deep appreciation and love for) natural or curly hair, seeing as I have little to no experience. Therefore, I have tried making this as inclusive as possible but I’m sorry if at any point seems too specific and you can’t put yourself into the story. Feel free to call me out on anything you aren’t comfortable with!

Warnings: Slight sexual themes, swearing, normal Criminal minds stuff (let me know if I missed anything)

wc - 3,217

Dutch Braids -

You and Spencer had just gotten off from work about an hour ago after a gruelling day with an equally stressful case. Which is why as soon as you were both showered, dressed in the comfiest clothes you could find and waiting for the takeout to arrive, you were both sprawled out on the couch in front of a movie, having no energy left to talk, let alone move when there was a knock at the door. Seeing as you were the one with less of the other person’s body parts draped across you, you got up and answered while Spencer didn’t move an inch. You couldn’t blame him; the poor boy was exhausted.

Around twenty minutes later, you’d both eaten, leaving your plates on the coffee table in front of you with the mental promise to wash them later, and were back to snuggling into each other, getting as close as you possibly could to soothe each other after the day you had. Your head was tucked neatly into Spencer’s chest, your knees drawn up to near your chin in the foetal position, making yourself as small as possible. Spencer was the opposite; spread like a starfish with his arm around your back and his head rested against the back of the couch.

If someone were to ask you what the movie was about, you wouldn’t have a clue where to start. Truth is, you felt like you were stuck in-between both the lands of sleep and consciousness, due to wanting to spend some time with your boyfriend (despite him being your work partner for the best part of sixteen hours) but also wanting to sleep for three days. In attempt to make yourself just a little bit more awake, you started trying to focus on different things around you. First it was the quote on the front of the main character’s t-shirt, then it was the Metro you could faintly hear as the last train of the night rattled by, then it was Spencer’s finger tracing up and down one of your braids that you’d done quickly after your shower.

“Spence?” You murmured the first words spoken in practically an hour.

“Hmm?” He hummed in response, his half-lidded eyes shifting to your face that you had lifted to face him.

“What are you doing?”

“What do you mean?” His voice was merely a whisper, and if you weren’t listening for it, the only way you’d know he was speaking was from the vibration of his chest.

You gestured to your hair with your finger, and only when he realised did he stop what he was doing and chuckle lightly and dreamily.

“Oh, sorry, I’m not sure, it just feels soft, I guess. I’ll stop.”

“No, no, it’s okay, you can keep going.” You smiled at him, mustering up the energy to lean up and press a sweet kiss to his lips before retracting back to your previous position.

Ponytail -

To say you were having a bad day was an understatement. You usually like to try and stay as positive as you could be when chasing a serial, paedophilic murderer, but there’s only so many deep breaths and coffee breaks you can take before you really start to get pissed off. Not only had you been stuck in hot and sticky Texas for near a week, but you had also been put into single rooms at the hotel you were staying at. Now, not to sound ungrateful (because you very much are of the fact that you at least have a roof over your head), but only having one single bed to a room means that you can’t snuggle with Spencer after a long day, and these were proving to be very long days.

And to add to the problem, Hotch was constantly on edge since the start of the case, with the victims looking a hell of a lot like Jack, and when you were the closest person to him on that first day when his tensions finally boiled over, you had been the one in the firing line of his rage. Which you can take. You knew he didn’t mean it, and if he had to take his frustrations out on someone for a few days so he could do his job with a clearer head, you were happy to be the target.

But now after a particularly rough six days, your patience was wearing thin, and everyone on the team could see it, which is why they offered you and Spencer any jobs they were assigned that would get them out of the stifling police precinct. And you knew they had good intentions, but even that was starting to annoy you.

So now you were sat at the table in the conference room, a pen between your teeth as your eyes frantically search over the evidence you have piled in front of you, desperate for the answers to this case to fly off the page and hit you smack dab in the forehead so you could just go home and have a fight with a pillow or something, anything to destress.

You heard the footsteps coming from the doorway, but you refused to turn around. If it was Hotch, you swear to god you might actually lose your job with what you were thinking of doing if he was short with you one more time. If it was Morgan ready to hand you a first-class ticket to visit the slightly wrinkly and very smelly coroner again, you might actually flip the table.

“Hey, Y/N.” Spencer greeted you warmly, sitting on the table to your right as your eyes slowly lifted to meet his. No, not Spencer. Hold it together, Y/N, hold in your rage, he’s done nothing wrong. “Oh, I haven’t seen you with your hair tied back in a while. I like it.”

Such a sweet statement, and yet it broke you. You could see in his face the moment your eyes lit aflame with anger, and you couldn’t miss the harsh swallow he took to brace himself for your fury.

“Well, Dr Reid, let me teach you a lesson, shall I? 3 reasons. One, it is way more practical for kicking someone’s ass, and right now, I would love nothing more than catching the sleazy son-of-a-bitch who is deriving pleasure from this,” You gesture violently to the crime scene photos splayed out in front of you before continuing to spit your venom. “And beating the living shit out of him until he’s crying out for his mommy. Two, do you know how many officers have tried to flirt up a storm with me in the past week? Way too many to count on one fucking hand! One even went so far as to try stroking my hair like a goddamn cat, and so to avoid that situation, I have put it in a ponytail, because if anything of that nature happens again, I won’t hesitate to break someone’s arm. And three, I usually have it down because most men think you’re dumber when you play with your hair, or I can play seductive to get what I want without a warrant fifty percent of the time. But seeing as we have absolutely nobody on the suspect list right now, and the sheer fury I possess at this moment, I don’t foresee the possibility of me needing to be either of those things, do you?”

Your lungs were heaving once you were done, and poor Spencer looked like you just told him you were a Russian spy sent to kill him. Your eyes were locked onto each other’s, and when you came back to reality from your rant, you recognised the softness and love in his that you were grateful for every day. Granted, they were a little masked by fear right now, but you’d admired him often enough to be able to spot even the faintest hint of your favourite emotions.

You let out a deep sigh, signalling you were back to your normal self as much as you could be right then, before dropping your head into your hands to rub your eyes with the heel of your palms.

It was then you felt the unmistakeable warmth of Spencer’s hand rubbing soothing patterns on your back as you gathered yourself together, bringing tears to your eyes as you opened them once more to face him.

“Oh, Spencer,” You whispered, grabbing his hands tightly with yours, lifting them to your lips and pressing sweet kisses to his knuckles. “I’m so, so sorry. You didn’t deserve that at all.”

“It’s okay, my love.”

“No, it’s really not. I never should have raised my voice at you, especially when it’s not your fault at all that I’m frustrated.”

“Y/N, I understand.” He smiled at you, a small and sympathetic one, but it calmed you nonetheless as he stood, pulling you up from the chair to wrap his arms tightly around you. You gripped onto him like he might run away if you didn’t, breathing in the warm scent that is so unmistakeably Spencer. Your vision was now cloudy with the tears that so desperately wanted to spill, but you were adamant you wouldn’t give the local cops the satisfaction of seeing you with wet cheeks. Luckily, Spencer knows you better than anyone.

“There’s a park a few minutes’ walk from here with a small duck pond. Would you like some fresh air?”

You nodded frantically against his neck as you finally let go, allowing him to lead you out of the precinct, hand in hand, his thumb running softly over yours as you walked.

“I don’t deserve you.” You mumbled, leaning in closer to him as you carried on down the path.

“Nonsense,” He whispered, pressing a kiss to your hair. “We deserve each other. Just remind me not to get on your bad side; I like having both of my arms functional.”

Bed Head -

A blaring alarm at 6am has to be up there with one of the most annoying things on the planet, and I work with Derek Morgan. You let out a groan, your arm floundering around to find the source of the wretched noise. Groaning in defeat of not being able to do it with your eyes closed, you cracked one open, locating your phone, and finding sweet relief in the snooze button. A very overexaggerated yawn left your lips as you attempted to stretch your arms over your head in an effort to wake up, only to find one immobilised in the grasp of your boyfriend.

You took advantage the rare opportunity of waking up before Mr Alarm Clock himself (also known as Dr Spencer Reid) by allowing yourself a few minutes to admire his form in the golden sliver of sunlight escaping the outside world through the gap in the curtains. It was only when your alarm went off again after the five-minute snooze timer did you try to wake him up.

“Spence, baby, time to wake up.” You whisper, attempting to gently coax him from his slumber. When that didn’t work, you laced your fingers through his mousy-brown curls, scratching lightly at his scalp, just how he likes. Only then did you receive a response in the form of a muffled groan into his pillow.

“C’mon, my love. We need to get ready for work.” You spoke softly, pressing a delicate kiss to his forehead.

You chuckled lightly, wrapping your arms around his torso as your legs entwined. “Okay, my sleepy darling. But only five.”

“Mmm, five more minutes.” He mumbled, nestling his face into your hair as he pulls you closer than you thought possible.

Safe to say you took breakfast to go, just so you could bask in each other’s embraced for a little longer than five minutes.

Post-Sex Hair -

You climbed from his lap gently, unsure if your legs could hold yourself up as you panted heavily. Practically throwing yourself down beside Spencer on the bed, he took the opportunity to grab your hand, lacing your fingers with his as you laid your head on his chest. You were both still a little dreamlike in your post-orgasmic haze, and when Spencer began to press kiss after kiss into your hair, you didn’t hesitate to enjoy them.

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered into your hair, punctuating his statement with a final kiss for good measure.

You looked up from your position, shifting slightly so you were face to face, and scrunched up your nose. “Really? Even with sweaty sex hair?”

He chuckled, and you followed with a giggle of your own as he leant over to capture your lips in a sweet kiss. “Especially with sweaty sex hair.” He whispered with a joking edge to his voice, his lips brushing with yours.

“Well, I’m pretty sure the team wouldn’t love my sweaty sex hair, so I better hop in the shower.” You smiled, kissing him quickly once more before climbing out of the bed and walking towards the bathroom, a sway to your hips.

As you reached the door, you turned to shoot a smirk over your shoulder at the blissed-out boy behind you. “Oh, are you not joining me?”

You swear you’d never seen the boy move as fast as when he clambered from the bed and chased you into the bathroom.

Straightened -

There was something about going undercover that equally excited you and creeped you out. Especially tonight, when you were having to go under in a club to catch a guy who was killing adulterous wives. You were the closest person in the team to his type, so it was a no-brainer to choose you, really. Didn’t mean you were happy with it, and it seemed that Spencer wasn’t either, if his clenched jaw was anything to go by.

Well, you were going to do it no matter what, so why not get yourself dressed up and try to bring some joy back to a less than ideal situation? That is why you were stood in the locker room of a precinct on the west coast in a red crushed velvet minidress with black heels, a fake wedding ring and straightened hair, and you couldn’t lie, you were totally feeling yourself.

“Woah, Y/N, you look…amazing.” You heard Spencer say as he entered the room.

You turned your head and smiled at him, feeling a little flustered as his eyes trailed over your form. You attempted to push your dress further down your thighs as he walked to you, his hands encircling your waist from behind and his head perched on your shoulder.

“It’s not too much is it?” You mumbled, looking down at yourself to do a final once over.

You felt his fingers under your chin, lifting your head to look him in the eyes through the mirror, ones filled with love and a hint of desire that set your skin aflame. He brushed your hair aside from your neck to trail kisses down the side of your throat, eliciting a breathy sigh from your lips.

“No, Y/N, you look badass.”

You giggled at the word that seemed so foreign coming from Spencer, but that was soon muffled when he spun you around by his hands on your hips and his lips hungrily met yours. Your lips moved against each other’s, his tongue coming to swipe at your bottom lip in a request for entrance. You granted it, and soon you felt your back collide with the cool metal of the lockers. You grabbed a fistful of his shirt as you explored his mouth with your tongue, relishing in the taste of him. You laced a hand up into his hair as you felt a hand that he had at your waist moving to your ass, gripping it roughly, causing you to moan into his mouth.

“Reid? Y/L/N? You two lovebirds ready?” You heard Morgan mock from the doorway and you both immediately jumped apart like some sort of invisible wall had shot up between you.

Looking around to see that Morgan wasn’t in your eyeline, given that the lockers luckily blocked you two from his view. But not from earshot, seeing as you could quite clearly hear his hearty chuckles as his footsteps got quieter and quieter.

You looked up at Spencer, his hair dishevelled and his tie askew, a look of both embarrassment and amusement at being caught making out like two horny teenagers adorned his face. A grin broke out on your lips, which he mirrored, and soon you were both laughing hysterically as you sorted yourselves out in the tiny little mirror on the wall, attempting to make it look like you weren’t a few seconds away from tearing each other’s clothes off, before re-joining the team in the conference room.

Messy Bun -

Ugh, cold and flu season. You swear you never make it through it unscathed. And it seems as if your battle was commencing today. You woke up feeling dreadful; runny nose, scratchy throat, constant sneezing, and red-rimmed eyes. Attractive.

There was no question in having to call in sick, so after throwing your hair up in the messiest of messy buns and locating the snuggest blanket, you dialled the number. You could practically hear the wince from Hotch when you started having a sneezing fit down the phone. Now you weren’t sure if you could look the man in the eye when you went back.

Once that torture was over and done with, you were feeling sorry for yourself and decided on a warm cup of tea and a dose of shitty daytime television. You were halfway through some over-enthusiastic talk show when you heard a knock at your door. Refusing to leave the blanket behind that you’d burrito’d yourself in, you shuffled over to the door.

You didn’t expect a very sympathetic looking Spencer on the other side of the door, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a welcomed sight.

“Hey.” You croaked out.

“Hi. How are you feeling?” You gave him a look that said it all, and he chuckled lightly. He lifted the bag he had in his hand. “I brought the best cure I could think of; chicken noodle soup.”

“I don’t want to get you sick, Spencer.” You whined, wanting nothing more than to curl up into his side but holding onto your selfless and rational thoughts by a mere thread.

You smiled at that, stepping aside to let him in. He passed you and went and got comfortable on your couch, grabbing a fork on the way. When you met him in the living room, he was ready and waiting for you with his arms open for you to snuggle into.

“Don’t worry about me. Now come on, your soup is getting cold.” He smiled, making grabby hands at you.

You made your way over, sinking into his embrace as he passed you the container and your fork. After a few mouthfuls and several minutes of listening to his steady breaths and thumps of his heart, you were feeling much better.

“Thank you.” You mumbled once you were finished and had placed your empty container on the coffee table in front of you, nuzzling further into Spencer’s chest. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Now sleep, I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

Didn’t have to tell you twice.

[solesurvivorkat]

FC5 Deputy GFH Dialogue

(Quickie ‘Katie IRL’ Update: So sorry for lack of writing... to be succinct, I might have a sleep disorder, possibly Sleep Apnea - been very tired/lethargic for several months now, finally have a test scheduled for late August. Will have to ‘make do’/power through fatigue until then. I will do my best to jump-start my writing {and my YT channel} until then!

Also - as for ‘I Need to Tell You’ (FC5 no-cult AU fic) - I don’t think I have a ton of readers for that one, so I’m just gonna stick to the movie-plot where I can & finish it up {the end is nearing!}. If anyone wants to read anything else from that ‘verse, lemme know & I’ll whip something up - otherwise, I’m gonna finish that up & get back to working on ‘The Book of John’ again, which is loooong overdue {poor Sarah’s been in John’s bunker forever, lol!}. THAT said... )

~~~~~~~~

Deputy Sarah Rook

(NOTE: My apologies if Sarah’s dialogue is similar to anyone else’s OC’s... I promise and swear that if it happens, it’s purely coincidental. I am adamant about not {purposely} stealing anyone else’s creativity! <3  Also, this is quite long... but it’s not everything in FC5, so if you like it & want even more, just lemme know, lol.)

With Fangs for Hire:

Boomer: “Aww, who’s my sweet, brave boy?” (kisses forehead) - “Good boy, Boomer!” - “I know what it’s like to have someone you love taken away from you... but don’t worry boy, you’re not alone. And I’ll do everything I can to make sure you never are again.” - “I won’t let Eden’s Gate use you, I promise.” - “Boomer, go!” - “Rae-Rae won’t have died in vain, I promise you.”

Peaches: “I’m... usually more of a dog person - but as long as I get to keep all my fingers and limbs, I’m satisfied.” - “Peaches, attack!” - “Us girls gotta stick together, right?” - “Hmm... one blue eye, one brown. Unique!” - “Needless to say, a cougar’s a very dangerous pet. Miss Mable never should have tried to raise you in captivity. Still... it can be handy to have a cougar for an ally.” - (gives affectionate pets) “Aww, my sweet little ‘danger kitty’...”

Cheeseburger: “You’re like a... big, dangerous teddy.” (laughs) - “Cheeseburger! How are ya, buddy?” - “Wade was sweet to look after you. I promise I’ll try to do the same.” - “I will not let Jacob take you.” - “Ohh, those big brown eyes of yours...” - “I can’t believe Wade not only found a collar to fit you, but also one that had cheeseburgers on it. Wow.” - “I’m glad you’re on my side, boy.” - “No, I can’t give you any more cheeseburgers. ...Stop looking at me like that, you know they’re not good for you. ...You’re on a diet, remember? ...  (sighs)  .....Okay, ONE burger. Don’t tell anyone.”

With other Guns for Hire:

Sharky

(serious) “Sharky... just between us... you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.” - “Sharky... never change.” (smiles)

“Sharky, I know fire is your, uh- ‘specialty’, but... you need to try not burning down half the forest with us!” 

“Anything you say, Charlemagne.” 

“You and Hurk are a dangerous duo - in more ways than one.” 

(horrified, after hearing about his mom/parents) “Anyone who'd do that to an innocent baby doesn’t deserve them. You’re better off, Shark.” 

(cheesy grin) “I hope Eden’s Gate stocked up on ‘Shark repellent’!” 

(when fighting together) “Time for a ‘Shark attack’!” - “You’ve got us between a rock and a shark place!” - “Sarah and Shark, makin’ their mark!” - “You might be better off using your gun here, Sharky.”

“Disco, Sharky? Really? (sighs) ...All right, to each his own.”

“Hey Sharky, got a bad joke for ya - what’s a shark’s favorite bible story? ...’Noah’s Shark’!”

“Ride or die, buddy!”

“No matter what, I’ve always got your back, Sharky.”

Grace

(chuckles nervously/anxiously after seeing ‘serious/deadpan Grace’) “Sorry, I... joking around is kind of my ‘defense mechanism’...”

“A medal in the Olympics... that’s amazing, Grace. ...Er- no pun intended.”

“For what it’s worth... thank you for your service to our country.”

(after Grace mentions destroying copies of ‘Only You’, Sarah chuckles sadly) “Y’know, it’s funny... I actually used to like that song...”

“I know you want to protect your dad’s grave, I do completely understand... but we also need to help protect innocent people that’re still living too, you know? They need us... need you.”

Hurk

"Hercules Drubman Junior - as I live and breathe." (smiles)

“Hurk, I... don’t think a rocket launcher is the best weapon to use right now...”

“As... ‘tempting’ as ‘Hurk’s Gate’ sounds, I... don’t think it’s quite for me.”

(at a loss for words) “...Oh Hurk...”

“Y’know Hurk... there is a lot more to life than beer, drugs, and sex...” - (Hurk {looks horrified}: “...Say whaat? What’choo talkin’ ‘bout, Dep??”)

“Hurk, just... be careful.”

(stares blankly, then slowly raises an eyebrow) “...Monkey... King/God??”

“No offense dude, but... if your dad doesn’t stop talking I may have to ‘accidentally’ shoot him.”

(sneaking around) “You’re not exactly the ‘king of stealth’. Why don’t... you hang back here for a minute? I’ll signal you or call out if I need you.”

“To each their own, but ‘partying’ is... not really my thing.”

Adelaide

(pointing in turn to Sharky, Hurk, then Addie, during ‘tongue-in-cheek’ suggestions for Sarah) “No, no, and HELL no.”

(Addie: "Punch it Chewie! ...Bet you got a kick out of that, you fuckin’ nerd.") “Hey- I love the reference, and I’m proud of who I am. ...Mostly.” (smiles)

“Addie, for the last time - no, I did not inspect John's underwear drawer when I was at Seed Ranch. I was a little occupied at the time.” (turns bright red as Addie looks thrilled) “...That- that’s not what I meant!”

(reluctantly) “Addie? I kind of need some... ‘womanly advice’.” - (Addie, eyebrows raised: “And you came to me?? Oh hunny...”)

“While I appreciate your... ‘openness’, no - I do not need ‘tips’ from you and Xander about ‘positions’.”

“Addie... ‘showing more cleavage’ is not going to help me with the Seed brothers or Eden’s Gate, despite your insistence.”

“...I am not playing ‘Fuck, Marry, Kill’...”

Nick

(after flying Carmina - and puking once landed) “Nick... if you ever make me do that again... I don’t know what I’ll do, but it’ll be bad.”

“Flying may be great for you, but I’m much happier with my feet on the ground.”

“I’ll protect you and your family as much as I can - that’s a promise.”

“Defending your business, plane, home, family, and friends like you have been... I’m sure your family would be very proud of you.”

“There he is, ‘King of the Skies’!”

“You and Kim... you’re lucky to have each other. I kind of envy that.”

“Rook and Rye - on land and in the sky!“

“I know fighting Eden’s Gate is important, but... don’t forget to be there for Kim too. We’ve [the Resistance] got this... Kim and your baby need you more.” 

(After Carmina's born) "How's Kim and the baby? You'd better be taking good care of my goddaughter!"

Jess

“I know we grew up in very different ‘environments’, but... I also know what it’s like to feel alone for a long time. No pressure, but... I’m here if you ever need someone to lend an ear.”

(re: Jess’s insane survival skills) “...You’ve got to teach me that/how to do that sometime.”

“You’re related to Dutch? Wow, that’s... kinda cool.”

“I thought I swore a lot, but... wow.”

“Yeah... I’m not one for small talk, either.”

In Combat

(to herself, stressed) “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph...”

“Aw shit...”

“Fucking Peggies!”

(to herself, quickly and quietly) “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day...”

“Let’s kick some Peggie ass!”

(to herself) “I can do all things through him who strengthens me...”

“May God have mercy on you.”

“I don’t think my soul is the one that needs saving!”

Driving

(hears ‘Oh John’ on the radio & starts humming along. After a couple seconds, realizes what she’s doing and shakes her head, murmuring to herself) “...Damnit...”

“I’m driving? If you say so.”

“ ‘Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need... roads.’ “ (smug grin)

“I used to like driving. Found it kind of relaxing, most of the time. ...That was before I started having to get used to being pursued and chased down by Eden’s Gate trucks.”

“Time for... LUDICROUS SPEED!”

“Fasten your seatbelts... it’s going to be a bumpy ride!”

Idle

“...So...?”

“Everything okay? Do you need a break?”

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but I spent most of my life in New England - Connecticut, actually. Born and raised. I moved out to Hope County only a few years ago, when the Deputy job opened up. Thought it’d be... a ‘fresh start’. ...Definitely didn’t expect anything like all this to happen.”

“I used to roll my eyes - or want to - every time the Sheriff and the other Deps called me ‘Rookie’. They thought it was so funny, on account of my last name and all, and me being the newest addition to the department. Now that we’re all spread out and fighting against the cult... I think I kind of miss it.”

“Some of the most horrible things imaginable... have been done by people who claim they had ‘good reasons’ behind their actions.”

“There’s an old proverb that states, ‘Hell is full of good meanings, but heaven is full of good works’. ...There’s a lot of wisdom in that.”

“God has a reason for everything, even if we don’t always understand why...”

“The right thing to do is not always the easy thing to do...”

“Faith is believing in things when common sense tell you not to.“

“Imagine the things we could accomplish... if we would just try.”

“ ‘Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.’ ...Make fun of me all you want, but it’s true.”

“I do love nature. ...You know... when it’s not being interrupted by religious idiots.”

“Courage isn’t the absence of fear... it’s deciding that something is more important than fear.”

Recruiting/Greeting

“I’ll do everything I can... you can count on it.”

“Good to see you again.”

“Let’s do this.”

“Stronger together!”

Dismissal

“Until we meet again - stay safe.”

“Call me if you need me.”

“Done already? Aww, you’re killin’ me, Smalls.”

Injured/Down

“God damnit... not yet...”

“FUCK!”

“This can’t be it...”

“I’m sorry... I tried...”

“I need some help!”

Revived/Assisted

“Thanks... now let’s teach these assholes a lesson they won’t soon forget.”

“Never tell me the odds!”

“Never give up, never surrender!”

“Thanks for the help!”

“Thanks... our work’s not done yet!”

Stealth

“Shh... ‘silence is golden’, remember?“

“Keep a low profile!”

“Be cautious...”

“Don’t let ‘em see you comin’...”

“ ‘Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise...’ ”

Being aimed at

“Watch where you’re pointing that.”

“I’m a much better shot than I let on. Just remember that.”

“Two hits - me hitting you, and you hitting the ground. I suggest you aim elsewhere.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Location-Specific:

By any body of water: “When I lived in Connecticut, I loved seeing the ocean. The lakes in Montana can be beautiful, but... it’s not quite the same.”

The Henbane: “Freakin’ Bliss.” / “Please promise me... that you’ll never, ever let me end up like one of Faith’s Angels.” / “Exploiting people’s weaknesses and fears to get them to do what you want... it’s wrong on so many levels.” / “Rachel Jessop wasn’t the first, or even the second ‘Faith Seed’... I wonder if she’s ever afraid of ending up like them.” / “God wants people to follow him willingly, to choose to do good - not be forced into it with trickery and fear. Even if - in an insane world - Joseph was right, it doesn’t excuse the things that Eden’s Gate has done. If they have a message to spread, this isn’t the way to do it.”

Holland Valley: “Saying ‘Yes’ to everything doesn’t make you a better person.” /  “Many people know the seven deadly sins... but few people can name - let alone even know about - the 'seven virtues': chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility. ...But you don’t see John tattooing those on people.” / John is... he’s done some horrible things. Committed heinous acts. But knowing the life he had to endure as a child when the Duncans adopted him... I hate so many of the things he’s done, but... part of me can’t help feeling sorry for him, too.” / “Underneath all those layers of ‘jackass’, way, waaaay deep down... I think there’s a lot of hurt and pain in John.”

The Whitetails: “Jacob acts like having feelings, friends, caring for things and people makes you weak. It’s just the opposite... having things to fight for - people to fight for - is a strength. More than just a ‘purpose’ - it’s a blessing.” / (angry) Jacob turning me into a weapon of destruction... he’s going to pay for that. / Forcing Bliss on animals to turn them into Judges... it’s wrong on multiple levels. / “I’m ‘weak’, Jacob? I’ll show you what a ‘weak’ person can do.”

[sanders-specs]

Moonlight Sonata Chapter 3

Summary:  Patton might be a prince of the Atlantic, but he’s not like his older brother, Roman. He’s not the heir to the throne or a great leader or talented. Then Patton meets Virgil, a human who makes him feel like he’s something more than just a prince, than just a tool for his abilities. It’s not long after that Patton starts to notice some changes, both in his feelings, his abilities, and Virgil himself. But something’s happening in the seven kingdoms, something big. Mermaids are going missing, and the most powerful kingdom has gone silent. Rulers start blaming each other, the threat of war becoming more real by the passing day. When things start to spread into the human world, Patton and Virgil are left with a choice, one that could aid the Atlantic or make the tensions even worse, tearing them apart in the process. 

A/N: Finally got back around to this story! I’m pretty excited to get back to it, so I hope you enjoy this chapter! 

Pairing: Moxiety 

Warnings: arguing, injuries, cursing

Read on Ao3 

Chapter 1 

tag list:  @februaryfun-blog @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @tripleaaaqueer @lilbeanblr @helloisthisusernametaken @justanotherpurplebutterfly @alwaysmy-lilith @ilylogan @logically-trans @seas-space-and-stardust @generalfandomfabulousness @arentordinaryvillainsadorable @why-should-i-tell-youu2 @kaitoanxiety @crofters-jam

“How do you like your room, Virgil?” his mother asked at dinner that night.

“It’s uh…big,” Virgil said with a shrug, keeping his eyes on his plate.

There was a beat of silence. “And?” His mother prompted.

Virgil sighed and looked up at his parents, who both had a hopeful look in their eyes. “It’s pretty great to have my own space I guess,” he muttered.

They smiled, happy with his answer. “I knew you’d love it,” Morgan said. “You’re going to love the school too. The elementary, middle, and high schools are all on the same campus,” translation: Virgil is going to have to be the one who drops off and picks Abby up every single day, “they have field trips to the beach,” It’s a school on a beach. He’d be surprised if they didn’t have field trips to the beach. It was kinda a given, “Virgil I think there’s even a camping trip offered to the Juniors and Seniors.” As if.

Virgil just sighed and sunk down in his seat slightly. His mom could go on and on about how great this town was and how great the school was, but high school is high school. It’d be hell either way.

Patton hummed to himself as he swam around the castle. He didn’t have much to do, other than to visit the infirmary and provide his services. Maybe he should, he thought. It had been a few days since he’d paid a visit to the ill and injured. Usually he liked to check in every day, but he had been a bit preoccupied.

So, he turned to head to the healing cavern, smiling at all who passed him. A few servants and guards called out greetings both to him and Echo, who swam up to match Patton’s pace. “What would you like to do today Your Highness?” she asked.

“I’m going to visit the injured,” Patton said. “Then, well, I guess I can think of something.”

“I can ask Mr. Delmar if there is anything he—”

“That’s not necessary,” Patton said hurriedly, giving her a small smile. “I’m sure if Delmar needed me, he would say something.” He hurried his pace to the infirmary, Echo giggling behind him.

When they reached the doors, the guards bowed to Patton before opening the doors for him. Patton smiled in thanks to them and went in, the cots and coves of ill and injured mermaids filling his sight.

Patton was unsurprised to see his mother was already there, holding the hand of an elderly mermaid and smiling softly at them.

Where Patton was talented in healing wounds and mending bones, his mother had a natural ability to soothe the mind. Patton and Roman had still yet to figure out if it was a gift like Patton’s, or if their mother was just so kind and comforting that even just her presence can brighten one’s day.

Queen Lara looked up at Patton came in, smiling softly. She said something to the mermaid before gently setting their hand back down and went to greet her son.

“My Patton,” She said with a smile, cupping his cheek. “I’m so happy to see you here.”

“Mother,” Patton said, kissing her cheek.

Murmurs echoed around them, word spreading that the Healing Prince was there.

“Prince Patton!” Someone gasped.

His name echoed around the cavern, and Patton let out a small sigh. His mother smirked and took his hand, leading him to the cots of the more seriously injured.

“I heard of your little escapade today,” Lara said as Patton worked.

Patton felt his face warm as he ducked his head, focusing on the injured merman below him. His patient was unconscious, but Patton sensed that he was only asleep, which was a good sign. He had a broken tail, and shoulder. Bruises and cuts covered his skin. Patton closed his eyes and focused on the more serious areas, mending the bones back together. The mermaid whined in his sleep, but Patton soothed him, calming him as best he could.

When he was done, his mother put a hand on his shoulder. “Come see me when you’re done,” she said, and swam away.

Patton sighed and worked, going from cot to cot. He provided soothing words where he could, healed the more major wounds, and cracked as many jokes as he could. The smiles he got where more rewarding than the healing itself. It was comforting, he thought, that he could make people mentally happy as much as he could physically.

Perhaps he was more like his mother than he’d realized.

Once he was too exhausted to continue, he promised the others that he would be back soon, and he left, where his mother, Echo, and Clover, as well as his mother’s own personal guard, Coral, waiting for him.

“How are you feeling?” Lara asked, wrapping an arm around Patton’s waist.

“Tired,” he said honestly, “but good.”

She smiled and kissed his cheek as she led them down the hallway. Echo fell behind them, and the guards behind her. “So,” she said, “a new human family?”

Patton nodded. “Yeah. A mother, father, boy, and girl.”

“And the girl is the one you saved today?” she asked.

“Yeah…”

She stopped and turned so that they were facing each other. She put her hands on his shoulders. “I know your father doesn’t like you being there, but if you hadn’t, only the goddess knows what would’ve happened to that little one.”

“Well…actually…I do know,” Patton said, and explained to his mother how he felt the life energy of the girl, how he could feel her soul slipping away.

She swam in silence for a moment. “I suppose your abilities are growing.”

“But I don’t want them to grow!” Patton said. He didn’t care if he sounded whiney. “I…it was really, really scary.” He wrapped his arms around himself and sank to the floor.

His mother joined him. “I can imagine,” she said gently. “You care so much about everyone around you, gaining the ability to feel their souls like that only makes sense. But remember, Trite would not have given you these abilities if you were not ready for them,” she kissed Patton’s cheeks.

Patton sighed and closed his eyes, focusing for a moment on the water moving around him. Trite, the goddess who watched over them all. There was no gift, no ability that a mermaid possessed that wasn’t given by the goddess. Patton continuously wondered why she had given someone like him an ability so important.

Lara gently took Patton’s arms from around him and took his hands. “You will learn to control these abilities just as you have your others. Remember to follow your instincts, and trust that Trite will guide you.” She kissed his forehead. “Come, you should rest.”

“Virgil, sweetie, will you help me with dishes?” Morgan asked as Virgil was about to head down the hall to his room.

He paused and sighed, but turned back in the direction of the kitchen. His dad took Abby out onto the beach, leaving Virgil alone with his mom.

Oh boy, here we go.

Taking up his usual spot next to his mom to dry the dishes, Virgil counts to thirty before she decided to say anything.

“Why do you still have such a bad attitude about all of this?”

There it was.

The thing about his mom is that it was rare to see her lose her temper. She could be cold, that was for sure, and ruthless, but she never really raised her voice. She hadn’t done that since she realized how much it scared Virgil. Since then, she’d settled on conversations and vague threats of being on yard duty for an entire month if he didn’t stop whatever it was he was doing wrong.

“You know why,” Virgil muttered, focusing on the plate he was cleaning.

His mother sighed. “I’m tired of having this conversation, Virgil. You know that there’s nothing that we can do about it now.”

“So that means I have to be happy?” Virgil asked, suddenly feeling a bad mixture of anger and frustration. “You want to tear me away from everything that’s comfortable, all the people I’d finally been able to be friends with, the town that I was comfortable in, and you want me to be happy about it? I’m not Abby. Don’t expect me to be giddy about this. Bribing me with a bigger room and a piano won’t change any of that. You know I don’t do well with change, and you did this anyway and you didn’t even prepare me for it.”

His mom let him talk and rant, and she waited until the angry heavy breathing slowed and Virgil’s shoulders slumped. Then she put her hand on his shoulder.

“You’re right, we should’ve thought about that before, and I’m sorry for that. We knew you’d fight against it, though.” She sighed. “After everything that happened…we need this, Verge. We need this change.”

Virgil squeezed his eyes shut and turned away. “Maybe you do,” he muttered, “but it’s not fair to force it on all of us.” He set the last cup down and turned towards the hallway. “Wake me up when we have to go visit the schools.”

 Patton swam around his room for a while, debating. He knew how he father felt, he knew how Roman felt, but he couldn’t shake the nagging in the back of his mind, telling him to go back and check on the girl, to make sure that she was okay. Maybe it was another part of his healing powers. Maybe he needed to be able to make sure that his patients are okay and fully healed.

Or maybe he wanted to see the humans again.

Running a hand through his hair, Patton pokes his head out of his window. The evening guard shift would be switching soon. That would be the best time for him to sneak out.

Leaning on the edge of the window, Patton pretended to be staring off into nothing while keeping an eye on the guards. When he saw his chance, he swam out as fast as he could, not slowing down until he knew that the palace was far behind him.

It didn’t take too long for him to retrace his path to the shore. He had it memorized at this point, considering how often he and Roman had gone there as children. He stayed deep in the water, though, peering up to see if he could spot any movement. The waters seemed still, though, and silent. The sun was starting to set, sending soft shadows across everything.

Patton cautiously surfaced by the same cluster of rocks from earlier and strained his ears to listen for anyone. For a moment all he could hear were the waves. Then, “Daddy you have to carry me!”

Patton moved back a little. He’d never really been so close to humans on his own before. Today had been the first time he’d even touched one of them. He was fascinated with them, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew the risks of one of them finding out he existed.

So why did you come back?

Patton shook the question off and peer around the rock after a steadying breath.

The girl from earlier was out again, but instead of the boy being with her, there was an older man carrying her. Her father, Patton assumed. They were walking by the surf, though Patton saw that the little one looked a bit nervous.

Poor thing, he thought, shaking his head. After earlier, he wouldn’t blame her if she was a bit cautious of the water now. Though hopefully she’d learned to not to make the same mistake twice.

“Abby, stop pulling me,” her father said. Abby seemed to be trying to pull her father away from the water. Patton bit his lip. He felt bad for her, honestly. He hoped that she’d be able to get over her fear, with time.

“Can’t we just play in the sand?” Abby asked, pouting.

Her father sighed and bent to pick her up, swinging her around to rest her on his hip. Patton watched with mild fascination as she wrapped her legs around his waist, presumably to keep balance.

“What’s wrong with the water?” he asked. “You were so excited to get to play in the ocean.”

“That was before Tammy told me about all the sharks,” Abby said, her voice muffled for Patton as she buried her head against her father.

“Oh honey, sharks attacks are very few and far between. They’re actually very harmless most of the time. Tammy was just trying to scare you,” her father said, hugging her. “Besides, you have me out here! And I won’t let anything happen to my little girl.” He spun her around, making her giggle. Patton watched as he spun on his feet, leaning in a bit to see better. Sand flew from where the man’s feet turned.

Her father set her down, and she seemed a bit more relaxed. She didn’t tense up whenever the surf came in, at least.

“Daddy, why does Virgil hate our new home?” Abby asked after another few moments.

Her father sighed, and he sat down, letting the water cover his feet. “Your brother doesn’t like change, you know that. This is a big change for him, so he’s a little crabby.” There was a pause before he laughed, seemingly to himself since Abby just looked confused. “Anyway, he’s just got to get used to it. We all do. This is different from our last house.”

Abby nodded and looked around. “But he’ll be happy here right?”

He puts his arm around Abby. “I hope so. We can’t force anyone to be happy, though, remember?”

Abby only nodded again and sighed. Patton watched them for another few moments, but they seemed content to sit and watch the waves. Smiling slightly, Patton slipped back under water and started swimming around, thinking about everything he’d just heard.

A part of him couldn’t help but shout that this wasn’t his problem. It wasn’t his business. They were humans, and he was a mermaid, and Patton really shouldn’t care about them. It was his father’s voice, telling him how dangerous humans were and what they would do to mermaids if they knew that they existed.

Then there was his mother’s voice, telling him that it was okay to be curious. All creatures were curious, and they were no exception. All he had to do was be careful. It was okay to look, but don’t get too close. Don’t reveal yourself, but don’t be afraid to try and learn.

Patton sighed, letting himself drift for a moment. He was happy to see that Abby seemed to be doing okay, if shaken up. That was understandable.

Now though…there was no reason for him to be here. No reason for him to stick around at all. They’d probably realized he was gone by now, at home. Clover would be mad, the king exasperated, his mother amused. He could picture them all, giving him disapproving looks, but not really doing anything about it, because at least Patton came home. Sometimes, Patton wondered if they ever thought that he wouldn’t.

Suddenly, Patton heard splashing above him. He jumped, opening his eyes and darting away, trying to find something to hide behind, but there was only kelp so close to the shore. He looked up and for a second, held eye contact with Abby, who seemed to have just her head underwater. Panic shot through him and he turned and shot away, swimming as fast as he could.

 Virgil sat back against his bed. He hadn’t done much unpacking other than digging out all of his bedding and throwing it all together before collapsing onto his bed. Too late he realized that he didn’t have his phone—he must have left it downstairs, though he really couldn’t be bothered to look for it.  

Instead, he buried his head in his pillows and tried to at least pretend to sleep. He didn’t want to talk to anyone or have to explain anything once his mom no doubt told his dad everything Virgil had said to her earlier. He didn’t want to have that conversation ever.

But things were too quiet. He needed his music—some form of music, anyway—to help him relax at least a little bit. He sat up, sighing, and looked around his room in the fading light.

It looked…bigger in the dark, somehow. Boxes were scattered around, his empty shelves were already on his walls, probably thanks to his mom. There was a big three pane window looking out over the beach with a window seat attached to it, which Virgil hadn’t paid much attention to before, but now he walked over to it and sat down.

He had to admit, the view was pretty great. From the upstairs, he could see the moon sneaking up over the horizon, its reflection sparkling in the water. Without thinking, Virgil pushed open the windows, letting the cool breeze and the sounds of the waves relax him.

He knew that his mother was right. He knew they needed to get out of that last house, that last town. There were just too many bad memories. He should’ve seen this coming long before it even happened.

When his aunt died in a car crash, his mother had moved them as far away from the town as possible, despite the protests of her parents and other family members. His mother just couldn’t stand driving through the same intersection every day where her sister had died, of being reminded of that loss.

Virgil had only been three when that happened, and he hadn’t had much of an idea of what was going on at the time. All he knew was that his mom was sad, and that moving to a new place made her happy. That was all that mattered to him. He barely remembered where they lived back then. All of his memories were in their old town and house.

He sighed, curling into a ball on the bench and burying his head in his arms. He wanted to be happy here. Maybe his parents were right, and this would be the place where they would all be happy and find peace, but Virgil doubted it.

He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing that his thoughts would just calm down. That they would just disappear and leave him alone. It would make existing about a thousand times easier.

Virgil’s door swung open then, his lights flipped on. Startled, Virgil jumped and snapped his head up, but relaxed when he saw it was just Abby.

“Abs I thought we talked about knocking,” Virgil said with a sigh.

Abby made his way over to him, a bounce in her step. She was clutching a piece of paper in her hand, and her eyes were bright. “Virgil! Virgil, I know who saved me today!”

Virgil frowned and uncurled from himself, setting his feet on the ground as Abby climbed onto the window seat in front of him. She presented her paper proudly, a triumphant smile on her face.

Virgil reached behind her and closed the window she was sitting too close to and peered at the picture, trying to figure out if his sister was serious.

She’d drawn a mermaid—merman?—surrounded by green squiggles which he figured was supposed to be seaweed. The mermaid had a sky-blue tail with his fins being roughly the same color. He had red-ish orange-ish hair (Abby, it seemed, had combined the two colors), bright blue eyes, and little dots on his face that were supposed to be freckles.

“What are the ovals around his eyes?” Virgil asked.

“Glasses!” Abby said, as if this should be obvious. “He didn’t have them on, but I added them because I thought it made him look even handsomer.”

Virgil only nodded. “It’s, um...” he wasn’t quite sure what to say. “It’s a good picture Abs.”

Abby’s shoulders slumped and she huffed, a clear indicating that this was not the reaction she had expected from him. “I told you!” She exclaimed. “This is who saved me! I saw him, when I was out on the beach with Daddy. I didn’t want to get in the water, but then daddy dropped his keys and so I looked for them and there he was!”

“The keys?”

“The mermaid!” Abby said with a frustrated sigh. “He was just floating there, and his tail moved like a dolphin’s! And his gills weren’t on his neck,” Abby pointed to the picture, “they were on his chest!”

Virgil saw that there were, in fact, small lines along the mermaid’s ribs. Virgil had thought that they were supposed to be abs.

Sitting back, Virgil chewed his lip. He wasn’t quite sure what to tell his sister. That mermaids weren’t real? That she probably thought she saw something but in reality…didn’t? He wasn’t going to be the person who ruined her imagination and hope in the world, that was the internet’s job. So, what the hell was he supposed to say?

“I’d always thought mermaids had gills on their necks,” he said slowly. Better to go along with it right? To make sure that her heart doesn’t get broken?

Abby’s eyes lit up. “I know! It’s so weird. All the movies and books got it wrong!” She sounded absolutely delighted by this news. Virgil felt like all he could do was nod along. He honestly wasn’t sure what to make of all of this.

“Hey, do you think we can go mermaid hunting?” Abby asked suddenly, jumping down from the bench and resting her arms on Virgil’s knees. “Pleeasseee? He might come back! And I want to be there when he does! I want to thank him for healing me.”

Virgil held back a sigh. Was he really going to subject himself to sitting on the beach and watching Abby stare at the empty water?

“Yeah, Abs, sounds like an adventure.”

Yes. Yes he was.

Chapter 4 

[arthurmorganismaboah]

Outlaws Never Die- Chapter 3- leaving Colter.

_________________________________

You arrived back to camp and relieved your horse from the heavy load stowed on his back and delivered it to Pearson, you noticed Arthur’s horse hitched nearby and your heart jumped. Almost running through the snow, you looked in the window of john’s cabin. His family was surrounding him, he had an awful looking wound on his face, of what resembled a claw, but he was alive and that was all that mattered. Everyone has lived another day. Smiling to yourself and walking towards Arthurs cabin. You went to see if he was okay.

“Hey, Arthur.”

You stood with your eyes huge, you should have knocked on the door! Arthur was standing with his shirt open; blood pooled and dripping a little over his chest. Although he was hurt you couldn’t help but stand and stare at the toned male in front of you, little hair over his chest, bruises and previous scars from other difficulties he had faced. For someone that didn’t eat much, he was in great shape, his body in perfect proportion.

“I... I’m sorry, I should have knocked.”

“Come in, Y/N. Please close the door behind you though, you’re letting out all of the warm air.” Arthur finished patching himself up with what little supplies he had left before buttoning up his shirt and putting his coat back on.

“Are you okay? I noticed the blood.” You couldn’t quite bring yourself to look at him, you could feel your face flush, you knew it was red without even looking at yourself, the pit of your stomach in knots, butterflies swimming within you.

“I’m fine, Y/N. John ran into trouble up the hill, wolves killed his horse and attacked him. You seen his face? I’d say its an improvement but he’s going to live.” Arthur chuckled to himself, finding his own witty comments amusing. You smiled looking at him “Seems the wolves like me too, they came running once we found him. I had to steer them away. I got caught out a bit, but no damage done, not really.”

“I’m glad you’re okay.” you looked at him with sincerity. You both stood and looked at each other for a few seconds, taking in every detail you could see of each other. Dark bags under his eyes where he has hardly slept, his lips still chapped and his face a shade of pink. You didn’t know if he was blushing or if it was just from the weather.

“We will be moving soon, you should probably start packing up, Hosea reckons there’s a place we can hold up for a while, somewhere much warmer than here that’s for sure!” Arthur was packing cans and supplies into his satchel that had also been upgraded and patched up by Pearson. “were moving early morning, so only one more night in this cold.” He stopped and looked to the floor for a second seeing the two deer pelts still on the floor where you both slept last night. “I saw you got two deer earlier, well done Y/N. they look perfect. Clean shots. Where did you learn to do that?”

You sighed and Arthur looked concerned feeling like he had hit a nerve.

“My dad taught me years ago, he must have known I would need the skill in the future and he was right, though he didn’t teach me to track very well.” You smiled and looked to the floor thinking about your old family. They had all died when you were only 15. Your father had got in a lot of trouble and owed people a lot of money. When he needed to pay that money back and couldn’t, they murdered your whole family, except you, they would have if you were there in that house, but you weren’t. You were out robbing people for that money that your family needed so badly before the debt collectors came, but you were too late, you were always too late. Although it wasn’t your fault, you blamed yourself and couldn’t rid that guilt. A stray tear fell down your cheek and Arthur wrapped his arms around you. You were shocked and tensed up but soon relaxed in his arms, burying your face in his chest.

“I shouldn’t have asked, Y/N. I’m really sorry.” He rubbed his hands against your back. The feelings you were having were confusing. Of course, you had hugged people before, but this was so different. It was such a safe feeling, almost a fuzzy feeling in your chest, contentment and even though you were hurting thinking about your old family you felt comfort in his arms, like he could make even the darkest of times better.

“It’s the past, you just have to move on, right? Everything happens for a reason, I wouldn’t have found this group otherwise, I would have never met... you.” You looked up at Arthur, both of your chests touching “Good things always come out of bad and I just have to keep on believing that.” You wanted nothing more than to kiss him right there and then, tell him how you were feeling, how these emotions were taking control, but he pulled away and you felt a little hurt by it.

“We should get something to eat before packing the remaining stuff into the wagons” he held his arm, almost as though he was trying to hug himself.

“Yeah. We should.” You walked out first, not looking back at Arthur. You had embarrassed yourself. Of course, he could feel your heart racing in your chest, of course he could hear your breathing fast paced. If you could melt away and disappear, you would right in that moment. Watching everyone happy, sitting in a big circle in a cabin with a roaring fire and stew you could forget about it for a little while. You decided to sit near the girls and as far away from Arthur as possible.

***

“oh, stop complaining, John. You got yourself in this mess.” Dutch was lifting a cot with the help of Micah with an injured John wrapped up in bundles of blankets onto the last wagon. Everything was set and you were finally going to get out of Colter. Climbing onto the front of a wagon you were greeted by the one person you didn’t want to be with right this second.

“Arthur.” You smiled awkwardly and looked at the other wagons starting to move. Hosea was sitting in the back making sure to keep an eye on the supplies, make sure nothing fell off on your journey.

 "Y/N." Arthur smiles, nothing off about him, it was as though the night before didn't happen, or maybe it didn't happen as you thought it did. Maybe you were just thinking over things too much like you usually do. "Did you sleep okay?" he wasn't looking at you, instead he was focusing on the trail ahead of him making sure not to hit any rocks that could potentially make our couple hour journey multiply by much more.

“I slept quite well, all things considering.” You smiled as you started to get warm, being out of the snow was definitely a big difference. The colours of the trees, the grass, the flowers, there were so many colours, not just the same old white that you have been looking at for days. “its lovely here.” You took off your coat and leaned back with your eyes closed. Your plaid shirt hugging your feminine frame, the top button undone exposing the tiniest bit of your chest. Taking in the warmth of the sun, the breeze that was cool but not cold like the snow had been. Arthur smiled watching you, something stirring inside him, taking his eyes off the trail for a second before he caught on to what he was doing and quickly looked back towards the trail.

“It’s been ages since I last saw you without a coat.” Hosea looked at Arthur and then put his head in his hand and shook his head. Arthur cleared his throat realising how silly he had sounded. He never was the smoothest of talkers.

You were getting closer to the destination and you felt like this was the place, this was the place we could build up camp and stay for a while without worrying about moving so quickly.

 “Here we are, Horseshoe Outlook!” Dutch called out so everyone could hear. “Everyone unpack, get camp set up, Pearson, get some stew on. Y/N, Arthur, head into Valentine and see what’s here for us. Were home folks, lets settle in!”

You looked to Arthur and sighed, “Guess we don’t get time to settle in just yet!”

“Nope.”

You both got off the wagon and trailed to your horses, “let’s head out, you ready, Arthur?”

“sure, Y/N.”