#i did not expect to be sitting here making 9 more gifs but here we are!!!

[expelliarmus]

[ronanlynchbf]

hell day today and i'm only two hours into my EIGHT HOUR SHIFT

[janeyseymour]

She Didn't, But Melissa Did- part 2

Save Me Before I Lose Myself- Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8. Part 9.

She Didn't, But Melissa Did- Part 1.

Summary: Melissa has always shown up for you, from the start, in ways Millie knows Carrie could never.

WC: ~3k

——

For as much as Melissa did wonders with my momma, that’s only the beginning. What Carrie didn’t do for me, Melissa did that and so much more.

——

“I didn’t do much for you, kid,” the redhead looks to your daughter with a look. “You’re giving me too much credit.”

“You haven’t even started reading,” Millie points out. “Stop talking and just read.”

“When did you get so bossy?” Melissa rolls her eyes playfully.

“Being a mother to a hard headed four year old will do that to you,” your daughter quips.

——

Growing up and adjusting to this new life was an easy transition. I had already lived with Melissa for a months at this point, and that was like a whole lifetime at my young age. The woman that would eventually become my step-mother, and then my mother, showed up for me in the biggest ways, but also in the smallest ways- ways I didn’t even realize she could.  A few months into my momma being with Melissa, Momma signed me up for gymnastics class for the first time. I was beyond nervous. But Momma assured me that it would all be fine- it would be good for me. Melissa showed up to the first practice, running into the gymnasium viewing room, after a meeting at her job. My eyes lit up as soon as I saw the red ponytail make its way in. She didn’t have to be there for me, but she was.  Carrie wouldn’t have shown up to my first gymnastics class. She probably wouldn’t have even known Momma signed me up until the money came out of the account despite my mother definitely telling her about it. And because Carrie would have only seen the money come out, she would’ve flipped. But Melissa did. Melissa came to every class from that day on. She bought me more leotards and scrunchies than a girl could need. Melissa showed up to every showcase, every meet- cheering me and my teammates on with the same levels of enthusiasm as any other parent. Thinking back on it, it was probably more than what the other parents did- I could pick her voice out among the crowd every time. My Melly was always the loudest one there, cheering as loudly as she could. Carrie would’ve never, but Melissa did. No matter what I did, my Melly was always there. 

——

“I’m here!” Melissa came sprinting into the gym. “I’m here!”

“Hun, you didn’t have to rush here,” you chuckled as she settled in next to you, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. It was clear she had pretty much run here. “Mill would’ve told you all about it when we got home.”

“And miss her first gymnastics practice?” Melissa scoffed. “Over my dead body, Y/N.”

Millie caught side of the red hair, and her eyes lit up. The slightly nervous body language turned into the bright little girl that you were used to seeing. Her wave was enthusiastic as ever.

When the practice was over, Millie came running out. When you had expected her to come running into your arms with giggles, showing off the stamps on her hands that her teacher had given her, she went right to Melissa- practically tackling her.

“You came!” your daughter squealed.

Melissa hugged your daughter with the same enthusiasm. “Of course I did, Mill! Did you really think I would miss this?”

It was Millie’s first meet- the first time she would ever stand in front of a judge and do her routines. Melissa and you were sitting in the stands as you watched her warm up. Your heart was racing, but you tried to appear calm. The redhead was decked out in team gear and taking pictures of almost every move your little girl was making.

“Mel,” you chuckled softly.

“What?!” Your girlfriend scoffed. “If you think I’m not taking pictures and videos through this whole thing, you’re fuckin’ crazy.”

“Melissa,” you scolded her quietly. “We are at a children’s gymnastics competition. Watch your mouth please. I don’t want to get kicked out of the first one.”

“If you think I’m not taking pictures and videos through this whole thing, you’re freakin’ crazy. Better?”

“I’ll take what I can get,” you rolled your eyes as you pecked her cheek.

You were a nervous wreck any time that your daughter was on any of the apparatuses. Melissa was all grins, and she was so proud to announce that Millie was her girlfriend’s daughter whenever she’s finished. Millie ended up winning, standing on the top platform of the podium with medals around her neck, a trophy in her hand, and a dazzling smile on her face. She made eye contact with you, and then with Melissa. 

When your daughter was finally allowed to make her way over to you, she came barreling into your arms. It was warm, and it was perfect. And then she was in your girlfriend’s arms, and Melissa told her how proud she was of her- how she was a great athlete, but more importantly she was a great sport to her teammates and the other competitors.

“You should be so proud of yourself,” Melissa had whispered to your little girl, doting a few kisses to the top of her head.

“I am,” Millie replied. “But I’m hungry. Can we go home?”

“Yeah, baby,” you chuckled. “Why don’t we grab some food on the way back?”

Your little girl shrugged. “I’d rather have Melly’s cooking.”

For the rest of your daughter’s gymnastics career, it became tradition for the three of you to go home and enjoy some of the redhead’s cooking.

——

“Those were… I do not miss almost having a heart attack every competition,” you chuckle softly. 

“You’re so dramatic, Momma,” Millie tells you. “I was perfectly fine. Never even got hurt.”

“It doesn’t matter,” you protest. “You just wait ’til Hadley starts doing more than cartwheels and forward rolls, and then come talk to me.”

“Would you quit talking?” your wife groans. “I wanna keep reading about how great I am,” she adds in a singsong voice.

You roll your eyes, but you lean into her touch again and begin to read the next page. 

——

When I was ten, I was hellbent on getting a pet. Carrie never fathomed the idea of having a pet in our house, but Melissa was open to it because I wanted one. She didn’t necessarily want one, claimed that she would be the one to have to take care of it in the end.  Momma wasn’t too keen on the idea either. Still, on a day where Melly and I had off school and Momma was at work, Melissa took me down to the pet store. We left hand in hand giggling about the fact that we had just bought a guinea pig that we both absolutely fell in love with. Momma wasn’t too happy to see that we had gone behind her back and adopted an animal without talking to her first, but when she saw how excited we were, she couldn’t resist.  Melissa and I adored Sweet Cheeks (yes, that was my guinea pig’s name). We spent hours building him a hut from popsicle sticks, laughing until we were red in the face when I accidentally glued my fingers together. We used to practice my reading with him. Having him in either one of our arms at any given time was the usual.  Carrie would’ve never. She would’ve called that thing a rat- would’ve insisted that we get rid of it had Momma and I brought Sweet Cheeks into the house. But Melissa did.

——

“We had that thing for years,” you mumble. “I swear, the two of you were more excited to see Sweet Cheeks than you were me.”

“Could you blame us?” Millie giggles as she leans over her daughter to kiss your cheek.

You gasp, affronted. “Amelia!”

“Had’s the same way with our dog,” Noah promises you. “Don’t take it personally.”

——

When I was eleven, my momma and Melissa got engaged. She even asked me, a silly little eleven year old, for my blessing. And while we had planned how she would propose, Melly blew it the night we got the ring at dinner. Still, it was the perfect proposal.

——

“Millie!” Melissa knocked on your daughter’s bedroom door gently as she pushed it open. “Can we talk?”

“Am I in trouble?”

“No,” the redhead chuckled. “Why do you always think you’re in trouble when you don’t do nothin’ wrong?”

Millie shrugged. “What’s up?”

“I have a serious question for you,” Melissa sighed as she sat on the bed. “You know… your momma and I have been dating for a little bit now.”

“Yeah?”

“And I was wondering… if you wouldn’t mind if I asked her to marry me?”

Millie’s froze for a few seconds before all but launching herself at your girlfriend. “Really?”

“Really,” Melissa smiled. “I- I love your momma, and I love you, and I- I think it’s time we make it official.”

“Ask her. Do it. She’ll say yes.”

It was a week later that Melissa took Millie out for a girls day over the weekend. You were not invited- they were ring shopping.

Three stores and eight thousand dollars later, your girlfriend and daughter came home from their day out. You were settled in on the couch, a book in your hands.

Upon hearing the front door open, you closed your book and prepared for Millie to come flying in. She did exactly that, tackling you in a hug.

“Did you two have a good girls day?” you chuckled.

Melissa nodded as she made her way over to you, leaning down to kiss you softly. “Kid had the time of her life at the arcade.” A lie, but you fell for it- the redhead would take your daughter to an arcade.

“Good. I’m glad.”

“Well, I’m going to start dinner,” Melissa told you. “I hope you’ll join me.”

The three of you made dinner together in the same warmth that you always did- always light, always full of laughter and joy.

But then you sat for your meal, and the redhead began to squirm in her seat. The thought of not being engaged to you was driving her crazy, and the ring box felt like it was burning a hole in her pocket.

“You okay?” you furrowed your brows, concerned for your girlfriend.

The redhead bit her lip, mumbled a soft apology to your daughter, and then dropped to one knee right then and there.

“Melissa, what are you doing?” you gasped, not quite catching on yet. “Did you just- are you okay?”

The teacher pulled the ring box out of her pocket, opened it, and took a deep breath. “Y/N, I was gonna wait to do this at dinner tomorrow with Barb and Ger here, but I- I can’t wait.”

“Melissa,” you whispered, and your eyes began to cloud with tears.

“Y/N,” your girlfriend started. “I am so… deeply in love with you, in love with the family we forged, in love with the life we live. I don’t ever want to lose it, you, or Millie. Will you marry me?”

——

“I still can’t believe you couldn’t hold out one more day,” Millie quips. “I mean, how hard would it have been to wait another twenty four hours?”

“Hey,” your son in-law interjects. “I was the same way with proposing to you, and you loved it.”

“Because that’s us… this is my parents we’re talking about.”

“We never did anythin’ conventional; why would our proposal have been?” your wife teases.

——

When I was twelve, they got married. I still never thought I would call Melissa ‘Mom’. She would just always be my Melly. When I was also twelve, Melly asked me if she could adopt me as her own. As a child who grew up with a mother who hadn’t ever wanted her, to know that someone loved you so much to want to be able to claim you as their own… it’s an overwhelming feeling. I of course accepted her proposition, but I also made her very aware of the fact that I would probably never call her ‘Mom’. I thought that maybe with my insistence that I would never call her mom, despite the legal title she would now hold, she would turn on me. She never did. She was still Melly- always there for me in any way she could be.

——

“I can’t believe you ever thought I would turn on you,” Melissa nudges your daughter. “As if I hadn’t already thought of you as my daughter and had for years at that point.”

“I was twelve, Ma,” Millie reminds your wife. “I was vulnerable.”

——

When I was a freshman in high school, Melly was there for me. For God’s sake, she put together my bouquet. Momma helped, but Melly really outdid herself. And when we all were lining up for pictures at the house, there was Melly, front and center, acting like the paparazzi. Carrie would've never let my friends step foot into our house. But Melissa did- she encouraged them to come over because she knew it would make me happy. When I was fifteen, she caught me sneaking back into the house. She was absolutely furious- and she should’ve been. But where my biological mother, had she still been in my life, probably would’ve whooped my stupid ass, Melly pulled me into a tight hug, looked up to the ceiling, and thanked God that I was safe. When I was sixteen, I had my first heartbreak. Carrie would’ve told me I was lucky to have love in the first place- that I was an unlovable, spoiled brat. She told Momma that nobody would ever love her except her, because Momma was a broken woman. And Momma, for as wonderful as she is, had a hard time dealing with it. It absolutely shattered her soul to see me so broken. Momma did what she could to be there for me, but ultimately, I knew this was an issue I would go to Melly over- seeing my momma so upset was heartbreaking for me. But Melissa, she was there for me. She laid in bed with me, held me while I cried, watched terrible romance movies with me, had Ben and Jerry’s lining the freezer. That was the first time I ever called her by a title other than ‘Melissa’ or ‘Melly’. In that moment, she was ‘Ma’- a title that would become her own.

——

“Mill,” Melissa whispered upon seeing your daughter with red, swollen eyes and curled up in a mess of blankets.

“I’m fine, Melly,” Millie grumbled, not bothering to look at her mother.

Your wife just gave her a pointed look. “Mills, it’s just me. Momma is… sitting outside on the porch right now.”

The blonde bit her lip and finally glanced over to the redhead. “I- I can’t believe he cheated on me.”

“Kiddo, you just say the word, and I’ll have my-”

“I don’t need your cousin beating up my ex.”

“Then what do you need?”

Millie sighed a heavy sigh. “To be told that this sucks, and to cry. Maybe ice cream.”

“Oh sweetheart, I’m way ahead of you. Should I get Sweet Cheeks to sit with us?” Melissa offered as she turned towards the hall.

“Yeah.”

The teacher just gave a sad smile before heading out to where you were sitting on the front porch.

“Hey,” you say quietly. “How’s Mill?”

“I’m gonna be in with her and Sweet Cheeks for a while,” Melissa relayed. “You gonna be okay on your own for tonight?”

You glanced up and looked into those green eyes you had grown so fond of. “Yeah.”

“Okay, honey. I believe you.” She made her way further out onto the porch, just enough to cup your cheek gently in her hand. She pressed a sweet kiss to your lips before wiping away a tear with the pad of her thumb. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you whispered. “Thank you for being there for Mill when I can’t.”

The redhead gave you a knowing nod. “She understands this is hard for you- especially with the cheating and your past.”

Then, she was off to the kitchen, grabbing a pint of ice cream and two spoons before heading for the beloved pet of the family and back to your daughter.

Hours later, Sweet Cheeks having been put back in his cage after the first movie, Millie and Melissa sat together in silence as yet another movie droned on.

“Thank you,” Millie whispered softly as she tightened her hold on your wife.

The teacher just dropped a kiss to her forehead. “You know I’m always here for you, Mills.”

“I know,” your daughter breathed out quietly as she rested her head on Melissa’s shoulder. “Thanks. I love you, Ma.”

——

“You know, you callin’ me ‘Ma’ for the first time? It was the best moment of my life.” Melissa’s eyes go soft. “I wish it had been a better circumstance, but… wow.”

“That was the best moment of your life?” you raise a brow. “Not, you know… marrying me?”

“Babe, you know being called ‘Ma’ was the best feeling for me.”

“You know if you never married me, you would never have been given that title in the first place,” you point out, pushing her hand off your leg.

Your wife just shrugs, a twinkle in her eye.

“Melissa Ann,” you pretend to scold gently.

“I love you,” she promises you as she pulls you in for a gentle kiss. Then she turns her head in the direction of the kitchen. “I gotta check on the chili. Give me five minutes, but then I’m sure there’s more than this?”

Millie just chuckles and pulls more papers from her bag. “Go, Ma. It’ll be here when you’re ready.”

Your wife pulls Hadley from your lap and settles her on her hip before heading into the kitchen.

All you can do is look at your daughter with a proud smile.

“Mill, this is… fantastic writing. One of my favorite pieces that you’ve done.”

“Ma deserves to know that she’s somethin’ special.”

——

TAGS:  (and let me know if you want to be included!): @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

[incognit0slut]

Right Kind of Wrong (10)

She never thought she would be involved in a murder investigation and encounter her one-night-stand again, the awkward guy who isn’t exactly that good in bed—Or is he? Offended by the sentiment, Spencer is determined to prove her wrong… But as he gets tangled with the beautiful stranger, he realizes there is more to her than what meets the eye.

Part Summary: she finds herself as a pivotal lead in the case. wc: 4k

Series Warnings: 18+ explicit content, graphic details of murders, mentions of suicide

a/n: I’m so sorry this took so long. I realize I’m not smart enough to be writing a crime-mystery plot so this went through a lot of editing😭

Other parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Y/N NEVER THOUGHT SHE WOULD SPEND HER MORNING THIS WAY, the unfamiliarity of this foreign place had her questioning how her life turned out the way it did. Becoming a witness to a heinous crime was already overwhelming enough for her, and now sitting in this cold, empty interrogation room was making her lose her mind.

She had never thought of being in this situation—a scenario that solely belonged to crime novels and thrilling movies. Yet, here she was, feeling more uncomfortable as time passed by. She slowly glanced toward the two-way mirror and the thought of watchful eyes observing her every movement intensified her discomfort, leaving her feeling judged and exposed. But above all that, there was one question that seemed to float at the top of her head.

Was Spencer there?

She heaved out a sigh. The one time she allowed herself to indulge further with her one-night-stand, it didn’t go the way she expected. She had thought that maybe—maybe—opening her heart was something she could try again. After a long time of not wanting to be romantically involved with anyone, waking up in his bed hadn’t seemed so bad...

Now it was just wishful thinking, her past naive self becoming a mockery to her now.

She was engrossed in her own thoughts when the door to her left suddenly creaked, drawing her attention, and she couldn't stifle the disbelief laugh slipping through her mouth.

"Out of all the agents in this building and they decided to send you?" She wondered as Spencer cautiously walked into the room with a file in his hand. "Isn't this against the rules?"

"What is?" He asked, pulling out the chair across from her.

"Questioning someone you know personally."

He regarded her with a look she couldn't quite decipher. Something about him seemed so different, it was baffling how someone could change so drastically in such a short period. Last night he had been sweet, attentive, and full of affection. But now, as she looked at him, it was as if he had morphed into a completely different person. The warmth that had once radiated from his eyes was replaced by a distant, guarded gaze.

Spencer Reid and Doctor Reid were really two different people.

"My personal matters won't intervene in the work I do."

"Somehow I doubt that," she murmured, watching as he sat down. She leaned back and crossed her arms. If he was going to act like they hadn't spent the night sleeping on the same bed, she might as well give him the same reserved attitude. "So, what now? Are we going to continue where we left off?"

"Actually, there's something else I'd like to know." He pushed the folder in his hand across the table and opened it. "I'm aware that you were associated with Harvey Webb?"

What the—

A sudden chill ran down her spine as the name slipped from his mouth. It was the last person she wanted to remember, a name she had fought so hard to push into the depths of her subconscious. But now it all came rushing back, threatening to engulf her in a wave of memories. She saw glimpses of piercing eyes that held malice, a voice dripping with menace, and a presence that loomed like an ominous shadow.

As she laid her eyes upon the files in front of her, a shiver coursed through her body. The face that stared back at her from the photograph was etched with lines of time. His eyes, once filled with unsettling intensity, now bore the weight of years gone by, their depths guarded and inscrutable.

"Why are you showing me this?" She asked quietly, trying to think of any possible reason why she was forced to recall her past.

"Did you know him?"

With a hesitant pause, she uncrossed her arms. "I did."

"And how did you know him?"

"He—" she stopped, trying to decide how to describe the nature of her relationship with that awful, dreadful man, and finally responded with, "He was my landlord."

"Was that all there is? Was your relationship with him simply one between a landlord and a tenant?"

She met his gaze. "What are you trying to imply?"

"One of our agents visited his wife before this."

Oh.

This was probably why he seemed so guarded, his words laced with a hint of something familiar yet unspoken. She was sure he already knew what happened. It was in the way he carefully chose his phrases, the slight pause that followed, and the knowing glimmer in his eyes that gave it away. But even when the buried memories were fighting to resurface in her head, a sense of unease gripped her. Why was he delving into her past?

"Why are you—" She shook her head. "What does he have to do with the current case?"

There was a pause before Spencer replied, "We believe he might be a link to the investigation."

She narrowed her eyes. "How?"

The room suddenly fell into an uneasy silence, punctuated only by the quiet hum of tension that seemed to hang in the air. Their eyes locked.

"Let's make a deal," he suggested. "If you answer all the questions I have for you, I'll tell you what you want to know."

She considered his words and slowly nodded. "Fine," she agreed. "But you probably know who he was to me if one of your agents had already questioned Mrs. Webb."

"I want to hear it from you."

The weight of her past bore down upon her, pressing against her conscience. She understood, with unwavering certainty, that the time had come to lay bare the chapters of her history that she had kept hidden. With a breath that carried the weight of her past, she finally mustered the courage to speak her truth.

"Harvey and I had an affair."

A subtle change swept across his face as her words hung in the air. His expression remained stoic, a reflection of the knowledge he carried within him. She wasn't sure how much he already knew, but she continued.

"It wasn't my proudest moment," she admitted. "I was young, it was my first time in the city and I got this great apartment at an affordable price. Harvey helped me when I moved in so we talked a lot back then and easily became friends. He eventually mentioned how his divorce had gotten to him very badly, and I... I guess I took pity on him."

"He told you he was divorced?"

"Yeah, he told me the property that he owned, this apartment building of his, was the only asset he got for their divorce settlement. I was too young and naive to even consider he could be lying, I guess I was too smitten by the attention he constantly gave me."

"How long did it happen?"

"A couple of months. It wasn't until he kept on disappearing that I started to suspect him. He said he had to go out of town for his work, but curiosity got the better of me and I decided to follow him one day." She gave him a pointed look. "Turned out he wasn't leaving town, he was going back home to his wife and kids."

"What happened then?"

"I confronted him about it..." Her body shifted uncomfortably. "That was when I realized how messed up he really was."

"What do you mean?"

"Harvey was a manipulative son of a bitch." He raised his eyebrows at her choice of words, which she shrugged in return. There really was no other way to describe him. "It was as if a switch had turned inside him the moment I confronted his lies. He became overbearing, controlling, possessive, and just—he became someone I was very afraid of."

He studied her closely, trying to decipher the unspoken layers of her narrative, the nuances hidden beneath the surface. "Did he ever hurt you?"

“Physically? No—well, there was this one time he got physical when he got so mad, but that was it," she confessed as her past flashed through her mind. "Although mentally, he was draining me. He would often threaten to harm me, or himself, if I ever left him. I think he was also diagnosed with a lot of mental disorders."

"Was his wife aware of everything happening?"

She nodded. "One day I visited their house when he wasn't home and confronted her about everything. Instead of blaming her husband's questionable behavior, she blamed me for ruining their marriage and started calling me a slutty home wrecker."

"Did he find out about this?"

"Yes," she replied. "He was not happy about it."

"And how did you get out of that situation?"

"I got accepted for the current job I work at now."

"He was fine with that?"

"I didn't tell him about it." She looked down, her gaze focusing on her hands sitting in her lap. "I had to move my things secretly whenever he went home to his family. When most of the stuff I needed was secured at my new place, I finally left, changed my number, and never looked back."

"You never saw him again after that?"

"The next time I heard of him was his own obituary printed on the paper." As the weight of her past slipped into the open, exhaustion suddenly settled over her. Her gaze then flickered toward the files on the table. "Now will you tell me how he's linked to the case?"

Spencer’s attention was completely focused on her, analyzing every detail of her movements. He paid close attention to the way she shifted in her seat, the way she blinked, and the way she tilted her head. "Were you aware of how he died?"

"Yes, he... he hurt himself."

Spencer shook his head, the lines on his forehead etched themselves deeper, highlighting the concentration etched upon his features. He leaned forward, his movements deliberate and controlled, as he turned the files over, taking out a few pictures before presenting them in front of her. "We believe his death was a homicide."

"What?" Her eyes widened in surprise as she gazed at the collection of photographs spread out before her. She should be appalled by the amount of blood seen in the shots, but her eyes darted across the blotched writing carved along the bruised skin. "Something was written on his arm?"

"You didn't know?"

"Of course not, why should I know of this?" She glanced up and was taken aback when she noticed the same doubt on his face she saw this morning. Her heart sank as the realization washed over her like a chilling wave. "You're still pining me down as a suspect."

"Your personal connections to all three victims have raised some concerns," he pointed out, voice carrying a controlled intensity, each word measured and deliberate. "And what's even more concerning is that they all had somehow wronged you in the past."

She suddenly felt a surge of anger as he leveled his accusations. Her lips thinned into a tight line, and her eyes narrowed as all her frustration and tension bubbled over. "I had nothing to do with their deaths."

"So it's a coincidence that they all suffered the consequences of their actions that affected you directly?"

"Just because I had issues with them doesn't mean I'd resort to murder," she spat. "Why are you so persistent in painting me as a suspect?"

"Your past grievances with these victims paint the picture." Spencer leaned forward, his palms pressed firmly against the cool surface of the table. His eyes, narrowed with determination, locked onto hers with palpable intensity. "Tell me, do you have an alibi for the times of their deaths?"

She leaned forward and held his gaze, not wanting to back down. "I'm not responsible for any deaths, so no, I don't have an alibi for something I didn't do."

"That's a very vague answer."

"You don't say?" She responded sarcastically. "Are you going to dump me with facts on how my body language is being defensive right now?"

"Would it help you to answer my questions clearly?"

She felt her patience breaking. She had been doing her best to remain calm and collected, but as his gaze remained fixed on her and he continued judging her with that harsh stare, she finally snapped.

"You know what, you want an alibi? I'll give you a damn alibi."

The tension she had been holding in her body suddenly exploded. With every inhale, her chest tightened, a reservoir of pent-up emotions yearning for release. And then, like an unleashed storm, she let it all pour forth.

"According to his obituary, Harvey Webb's death happened on Halloween and that was when I attended this stupid party held at the office. I was in the parking lot when Jamison called for my help before I scurried back only to witness his death. And don't get me started on Kevin Marshall."

She steadied her gaze on him.

"I studied his files for work so I'm aware of the time frame when it happened, and for someone with an eidetic memory, you sure had forgotten where I was that night so let me help you jog your memory back, Doctor Reid, because I spent the night in your bed before you fucking kicked me out the door!"

A heavy silence settled upon them only to be broken by her labored breathing and the pounding of her heart.

Had she really said that?

Y/n was never one with a foul mouth, but with the way the cuss word flew out of her lips in the heat of the moment, it was clear to her how furious she was. Although she did feel a sense of relief as if a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders after speaking her truth... But at what cost?

The room seemed to hold its breath, suspended in a fragile stillness, as his eyes locked onto hers. The weight of her words settled between them, casting a heavy shadow in the room. And there he sat, frozen in the moment, his face etched with shock and surprise. His mouth opened and closed, but no words emerged, as if the force of her words had momentarily robbed him of his ability to respond.

She wondered what was going through his mind right now. Was he processing her words, attempting to unravel the layers of her frustrations? Or was he grappling with his own emotions, struggling to find the right words to respond?

And suddenly she couldn't take it anymore, feeling an overwhelming sense of exhaustion washing over her. All of the emotions unleashed during her frustrated rant had left her feeling drained. Every fiber of her being ached for respite and seeing him again felt like an additional burden she wasn't ready to bear. So she let her eyes fall on the two-way mirror, focusing in nowhere particular.

"I want to request another agent in here."

She noticed the way his shoulders tensed from the corner of her eyes but decided to ignore it, keeping her gaze on her reflection instead. And just as she was about to accept the fact that nobody was going to listen to her, the sound of the door opening echoed throughout the space, its noise cutting through the silence.

A dark-haired woman stood by the entry, her hand gripping the door as she focused her attention on the only man in the room. "Dr. Reid, I can take it from here."

The weight of the situation suddenly settled him. He studied the woman sitting across from him who was trying to maintain her control. But beneath it all, he saw the cracks in her facade, the vulnerabilities concealed beneath her frustration. It became clear that her actions, though seemingly distant and cold, were rooted in a desperate attempt to protect herself from further hurt.

And he was responsible for it all.

With a heavy sigh, Spencer finally rose from his seat, the chair scraping against the floor as he pushed it back. His mind was telling him he was only doing his job, yet his heart was pointing out the unfairness of his judgment of her. And for the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do.

"There you are," Emily announced, walking into the meeting room as she spotted Spencer standing by the large board adorned with webs of information, his back facing her. "Are you okay?"

Spencer turned around and regarded her with a sigh. "No."

She gave him a sad smile. "She left already." Then she crossed her arms, studying the way his expression fell at the mention of the woman she had questioned for the past hour. "Do you really think she has anything to do with the case?"

He opened his mouth, closed it, then shook his head, his shoulders dropping at the revelation of his words. "No."

"Then why were you being so hard on her?"

"I... I don't know."

As her gaze focused on his face, she observed the flash of vulnerability that briefly danced across his features. His eyes darted away, evading direct contact, betraying a flicker of unease that she couldn't ignore.

"I think you do," she noted. "I think you have this logic in your head that if she had something to do with the case, you'd have a reason to stop getting involved with her. But now that you know she's innocent, you think it's too complicated to harbor your feelings after the way you accused her. "

He drew his eyes back to her. "I thought we agreed not to profile each other."

"I wouldn't consider this profiling when you literally have your heart on your sleeves."

He let out a sigh, his voice trembling as he mustered the courage to acknowledge the truth of his actions and the pain he had caused. "What should I do?"

"You're asking the wrong person for relationship advice here," Emily remarked. "But what I do know is that if you wronged someone, you apologize."

But was it enough? Was apologizing to her enough to compensate for the hurt he had put her through?

Guilt has a funny way of coming after the moment has passed, like a relentless pursuer in the shadows of our conscience. Right now it was sneaking up on him, resurfacing with a relentless grip on his emotions. After he left the room, he got inside the small space behind the two-way mirror, continuing his job as an observer instead of the one questioning her.

Hotch had looked at him pointedly when he stepped to his side, and although his boss kept his mouth close the entire time, Spencer knew he was secretly assessing him with judgment. Especially when, after observing Y/n behind the glass, it was clear that she wasn't a suspect. He saw the scars of his misjudgment etched upon her face and the guardedness in her eyes.

It took him as an observer to comprehend she was innocent, that the darkness he had attributed to her was merely a reflection of his misguided assumptions. But it was too late now. He had allowed his biases to cloud his judgment, staining their relationship—or the potential of it anyway—with a hue of mistrust that was now difficult to wash away.

"I don't think she'll ever forgive me," he admitted, feeling dejected.

"Reid, you haven't even tried, and even if she won't, I'm sure you'll find a way to fix it." As the weighty words of their conversation hung in the air, a playful spark suddenly ignited in her eyes. "So."

Her teasing look cut through the tension, catching him off guard. "What?"

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," he quickly responded.

"After all that tension between you two and you're still denying it?"

"She's—" he stopped. "I'm not sure what we are, honestly."

Emily let out a soft chuckle. "Well, any type of relationships are complicated. That's why I don't bother with them anymore." Her eyes then shifted behind him, noticing the numbers written on the board that wasn't there the last time she was here. "What do you have there?"

Spencer let out a sigh of relief. Her request to shift the conversation to something else offered him a lifeline, a respite from the vulnerability of delving into his own feelings. A flicker of gratitude flashed in his eyes as he realized that she had unknowingly granted him an escape from his discomfort.

"I did the geographical profiling and these numbers are each respective coordinates of the location where all the victims were found." Emily nodded and he continued, "Basically, I did a coordinate rounding to eliminate the decimals until I come up with two digits for each location."

"And you think these numbers mean something?"

"They must. Here, take a look at this." He motioned her to step closer toward the round table before showing her the map he had drawn over with his handwriting, highlighting three precise locations that formed a triangle. "Even when Harvey Webb wasn't found at his house, he was found at his apartment which was technically his second residence. The same goes for Kevin Marshall, his body was found at home."

Then he pointed at one of the marks located at the top of the map.

"But Jamison Lynch was found at his workplace. The Unsub must have a reason to commit the crime six blocks away from his house."

Emily scanned the map before turning her attention back to the board. "So these numbers represent each location? Eleven is the first victim's residence, ninety-one is the second victim's workplace, and nineteen is the third victim's apartment?"

"Precisely."

"You know," she started, head tilted to the side and eyes piercing onto the numbers presented before her. "The third victim is technically the first victim if you consider the timeline."

As her words lingered in the air, a spark of realization ignited within him. It was as if a puzzle piece he had been searching for had finally fallen into place. "Wait." He walked over and grabbed the marker by the table. "You're right."

Emily watched as he rearranged the line of numbers.

19 91 11

"Does that mean anything to you?"

But Spencer couldn't hear her, his head was already turning its gear as shreds of evidence he had gathered these past few days swarmed his mind. "The Unsub has the same MO in all the victims and they're fixated using verses from the bible so if those numbers have an indication of that conviction then the first two digits could be the number of The Old Testament which means—"

He quickly wrote down his next words.

"Psalm 91:11," Emily read out.

"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways,"Spencer recited. "That's it—a guardian angel."

Emily's eyes widened as she stared at the revelation before her. The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, revealing a connection that had eluded her grasp until now. It was as if a veil had been lifted, granting them to reshape the narrative of the case.

"Y/n isn’t the killer," she mumbled, turning her head towards him. "She's being protected."

He returned her gaze with the same disbelief.

"Someone else is doing it for her."

>> NEXT PART

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[swiftiethatlovesf1]

Love strategy p.9

Hi guyss, here's the new part and part 8 if you've missed it, if you want to read this story from the beginning you can find it on my masterlist.

You finally make it back to your hotel room, the weight of the exhausting day pulling at your limbs. The meeting with Carlos and his team had dragged on longer than expected, and every minute of it felt like a punishment. It wasn’t even your place to be there; strategy and data weren’t part of your job. Yet, Carlos had insisted, and you couldn’t say no. But what made it worse was that throughout the entire meeting, Carlos hadn’t stopped looking at you, his eyes searching for something—an explanation, maybe, or an apology that you weren’t giving.

His comments earlier about your professionalism were still fresh in your mind, replaying over and over again, cutting deeper each time. After the meeting ended, he’d tried to talk to you, but you’d left quickly, too angry to face him, still too hurt to have any sort of meaningful conversation. You needed space, and you certainly didn’t owe him anything after what he’d said.

When you enter your hotel room, the exhaustion hits you like a wave. You drop your bag by the door and sigh, letting yourself unwind just a little. Then, something catches your eye—on the small table near the window, a full dinner spread is laid out, neatly arranged with everything you could want. Next to it, there’s a note.

Curious, you pick it up and read:

"Since we couldn’t have dinner together tonight, I thought I’d make sure you didn’t miss out anyway. Enjoy! —Lando"

A warm feeling spreads through your chest as you smile at the thoughtful gesture. It’s exactly what you needed after such a draining evening. You quickly text him.

You: Thank you for dinner! This is just what I needed after that nightmare of a meeting.

You don’t expect him to reply right away—it’s late, and he has a race tomorrow—but to your surprise, your phone buzzes almost immediately.

Lando: Of course! Thought it might cheer you up. How was the meeting? Still mad at Carlos?

You let out a small sigh as you sit down on the bed.

You: Exhausting. I shouldn't have even been there. It was all strategy stuff, not my job. But Carlos wouldn’t stop looking at me, and after his comments earlier… I just left. I couldn’t deal with him after that.

A few seconds later, your phone rings—it’s Lando, FaceTiming you. You hesitate for a moment, but then answer, his face immediately filling the screen, looking more relaxed than you’d expected given his big day tomorrow.

“Hey,” he greets you with a small smile. “Thought you might need more than just a text after that.”

“Hey,” you reply, your voice softening. “Thanks again for the dinner. It was really sweet.”

“Anything for you,” he says, casually, and it makes you smile. “But seriously, what’s up with Carlos? He sounded like a total jerk today.”

You sigh, pushing a hand through your hair. “I don’t know. He’s been… different lately. I just didn’t expect him to say that stuff. It’s like he doesn’t even respect the work I do anymore.”

Lando’s eyes soften as he leans a little closer to the screen. “That’s not true. You’re one of the most professional people I know, and if Carlos can’t see that, that’s on him.”

You chuckle lightly, feeling the weight on your chest ease just a bit. “Thanks. I really needed to hear that.”

He grins, clearly proud of himself for making you feel better. “So, what did you eat? Was it as good as it looked?”

You start describing the meal, exaggerating your appreciation just to make him laugh, and it works. The conversation shifts to lighter topics—random stories, some jokes, and funny anecdotes about his time in the paddock, and soon enough, you’re laughing, forgetting about the stressful day.

After a particularly hilarious story about a prank Lando pulled on Oscar, you find yourself smiling at him, your heart a little lighter. “I swear, you always know how to make me laugh.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” he says, flashing that familiar cheeky grin. “You’ve gotta smile before bed—it’s the rule.”

You roll your eyes but smile anyway. “Speaking of bed, you have a race tomorrow, mister. You need to sleep and, you know, win.”

He groans playfully. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll go to sleep… but only because you told me to.”

“Good. Now go win tomorrow, okay?”

“I’ll try. With you cheering me on, how could I lose?” he teases.

You laugh softly, shaking your head. “Goodnight, Lando.”

“Goodnight,” he replies, his smile softening. And with that, the screen goes black as he hangs up, leaving you feeling lighter and more at ease.

You place your phone on the nightstand, lying back on the bed with a small smile still tugging at your lips. Despite everything, Lando always knew how to make things better.

Part 10

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[circeyoru]

Unwanted Soul _ Part 9 = Requested

[Yandere!Alastor x Owner of his Soul!Reader]

Part 1 — Part 2 — Part 2.5 (ask) — Part 3 — Part 4 — Part 5 — Part 6 — Part 7 — Part 8 — Part 9 (here)

The days when you worked for Lucifer were dull and boring, you saw nothing to gain even though you’re the one doing all the information searching and collecting. You went belong Lucifer’s expectation when you said you’ll infiltrate and plant yourself close to the source so that the information collected was reliable 

Lucifer told you directly that he expected for you to just listen and gather what rumors were around and tell him, or what information was available then you report to Lucifer in a neat pile. Never did he think you’ll go above and beyond, considering your mood and status of wanting to get yourself a second death

Well, you didn’t really mind it all. Back when you were writing your novel, you had a ton of characters, each with different backgrounds and personality. You tried just researching online to get the information, but there wasn’t that feeling when you were writing them. You needed to get the feel of it. So you actually tried out part-time jobs from all over the place to get it

Turns out it worked since even a copy of the novel got such fame and wealth…

Now, you realized you didn’t need to create something for you to know what you have. With your new power, you seem to have something akin to photographic memory to the point you’ll be able to keep what you see and know like a compute file system. Very convenient and steal-proof

Your main target happened to be Vox, the TV Demon and an Overlord that is acquainted and in alliance with another two Overlords Velvette and Valentino. Lucifer requires newer information of the modern Overlords, so you went to the V Tower to sneak within their ranks

That was before your charm abilities from your pages developed to what you have today, so Lucifer gave you an entirely new look and some common powers so you didn’t make an impression on Vox or the other two Overlords

It was through Vox that you learned of Alastor as well. While you never saw him, you heard plenty from Vox to know they weren’t overly fond of the other. Alastor seem to tolerate Vox and didn’t even see Vox as a treat since it was all so childish from on outlooker’s perspective

But what you learned from within was even worse. Vox was controlling, very controlling. He not only hypnotizes the customer and reporters to boost his fame and gain loyalty, he treats his employee the same and than some. His people were treated as slaves, dehumanized, and worse than animals. All for Vox’s entertainment

“Don’t.” You firmly declined, “Let’s just get on with it.”

“Wow, you’re really into all that redemption thing? Goody-two-shoes huh.” Vox smirked condescending, “Can I get your name or?”

You glared, feeling the shadows riled up by the second, you back up away from Vox. “No. This is strictly business. I hope we don’t see each other after this.”

“Hot and feisty. I like that in a demon. Let’s see how you’re at persuasion.” He turned to the lift and gestures for you to follow him. “Well, come on then, representative.”

Throughout the entire time Vox was bringing you to the ‘meeting room’, he had been so annoying with his small talk. There were a few times he tried hypnotizing you already but you acted like nothing happened, it was fun to see him try

You declined any drinks and food he offered, he set them on the coffee table between the two couches you two were sitting on. This setting was quite perfect for him to try a more direct hypnotizes, even if you were to accuse him of so, he can say it was a glitch in the system or it’s just his screen acting up

Everything was set to give himself the advantage he needs and wants

As expected the only thing he had against the hotel and Charlie was the fact that his merchandise were all destroyed without his knowledge. Though he even come clean as to why he would be aware of they were gone or not, he lied and said it was to ensure his services were top-notch and that he could send his employees to repair or replace them with new ones

Why he was doing this was to show his appreciation to the epic battle Charlie and the hotel put up. To defend all of Hell and the other sinners even when no one asked, to give everyone hope that there was good in this hellhole. It moved Vox’s metallic heart beyond words

Such flattery. You know information that Vox tried to watch the battle, you panicked when you wonder if Vox saw your powers when you defended and saved Alastor. It doesn’t seem like he knows by the annoyance and degree he went to ensure the hotel was under surveillance. He’s finding that one demon that interrupted his show. He’s looking for you

To compensate, the hotel is to either send someone to work for Vox, of course without a soul contract but a business deal only, or give them Angel. What it means was that Angel was to stay at the V Tower for as long as it take for him to individually produce all the cost of the materials used to make the devices Vox installed in the hotel

It was basically a contract that would ensure that Angel doesn’t get redeemed, stays under the Vees’ or rather Valentino’s hold, and continues to bring profit or even more to the three Overlords. You heard that Angel’s boss was Valentino, you also heard about the little stunt Angel did to his boss outside of the studio. Valentino sworn revenge. This was it

When you weren’t agreeing immediately, you were in for a shock when Valentino and Angel appeared through the doors. They took a seat in the couch between yours and Vox’s, Angel forcefully gapped between Vox and Valentino so that if anything happened, they’d have a hostage. Because unlike them, the hotel and its people are oh so very kind

“Angel here volunteers to work on top of our contract on this little mishap.” Valentino grinned, playing with his pipe as he released a puff of red smoke. “Angel came all on his own too.”

“Then why isn’t he speaking on his own?” You challenged, it’d take a blind person to ignore the nervousness and uneasiness Angel was displaying. From what you observed, Angel truly likes it at the hotel. He wouldn’t willingly leave it and everyone. “Why are you speaking in his place?”

Vox raised a hand, answering as if it was all rehearsed. “Val is Angel’s boss, so it only makes sense he speaks on Angel’s behalf on something so important.”

Your eyes narrowed, “You got it backwards. On matters as important as this, the one directly involved should be the one talking.” You glared at Valentino, “Not to be spoken on behalf by.”

Vox laughed, “You forget. You’re at our mercy now, we don’t need to care for your wants.” He got up and strolled over to you, “You know, you’re quite talented. We could use someone like you here. If you agree to take Angel’s place, then Angel can go free from this deal. I’m sure with your talent, you can make up that number in no time.”

“That wasn’t what you offered.” You hissed, you could feel Alastor growing rage as well. 

“Oh, need more incentive?” Vox smirked.

The moment he said that, the doors opened and revealed Velvette though it was what was dragged behind that caught you off guard. Husk, all beaten up and bantered, was being pulled into the room by some hellhounds that was in servitude to Velvette, or maybe the Vees. 

Velvette gave a cunning grin, “You called?”

This was obviously a bad situation. Two hostages and three Overlords, one of them were in the worse pairing possible as well. This was all a trap

There was a high possibility that Angel didn’t want to answer Valentino’s calls and was dragged to the V Tower where he’s be powerless. Husk most possibly saw what happened and tried to stop it since you were going to the same place later on

In the end, two were caught and used as leverage to convince you into servitude of Vox. Maybe you shouldn’t have came, but you didn’t want them to get hypnotized again and this was their domain so Vox holds more power here

You’ll admit, you’re cornered. Do you call for Alastor? But Alastor couldn’t care less about Angel or Husk went you were on the line. He’d even agree with the deal Vox offered just because you would be out of harm’s way. You just know Alastor will do that. While he cares for your decision, but when it was your time away from him on the line, he’ll do anything to keep you within his hold

In that case, you’re left with one option

“You want compensation for your broken devices, yeah, I can handle it. But I will not be working here.” You spoke firmly, “The hotel has a 16 floors, each floor has around 10 rooms, each room has a VoxTech TV and a pair of speakers that were installed, in total that’s 160 TVs and 320 speakers. The lobby has a large screen made of 6 TVs and 8 pairs of speakers to provide high quality sound transperance, the top floor has a cinema that is made with 10 TVs and 10 pairs of speakers aligning the walls.”

As you were listing, everyone was surprised with how well you knew everything. Especially Angel and Husk since you were rarely out of your room or around. How you knew all this was a mystery to them.

“So in total, you require the compensation of 176 TVs and 356 speakers. I can provide all of them back to you in the newest condition, but I will not be working here.” You concluded.

“Wow, crazy math, but how can we be sure you can give us high quality goods?” Vox questioned, “We can’t trust that you’ll leave us high and dry after we agree. You can even give us cheap knockouts like some copycat off the streets.”

You opened your hand, “Give me something, anything.”

The Vees all looked at each other, then Valentino passed a gun of his to you. They eyed you suspicously while you plainly inspected the object, Angel and Husk watched in confusion of what you were doing

You ignored all the stared. This was your last result. You’ll show them your power and ability with a page, they wouldn’t know how you did it and they wouldn’t be able to control you since you have Alastor’s protection and you could always put Lucifer on the table. They wouldn’t dare touch a servant of the King of Hell

Your fingers brushed through the curves and texture, feeling where the edges were and how they felt. Then you began taking it apart. Vox kept Valentino in place when you began, Vox keeping an extra close eye on what you were doing. You laid out the parts in front of you, then you inspected each part like how you did to the gun as a whole

When you were done, you reassembled it all. You quickly aimed a shot into the wall behind you so they wouldn’t say you attempted assassination to add compensation. You got the gist of what was used to make it and how it was made. You remember the parts and you remember how to assemble and take it apart. The conditions are set. You can do it

You moved away your oversized coat and took out your book, writing the words ‘Valentino’s gun’ on the page before tearing it out and blew on it. Then in your hand appeared the exact same. You gave to Valentino to inspect them

He was surprised his gun was replicated to perfection. He didn’t mean to say it since he was shocked and covered his mouth

That’s all you need to hear. You took Angel and Husk to your side, telling Vox, without giving him the room to deject your offer. You will reproduce those TVs and speakers, Vox just need to wait patiently and you can have it done within a few days. Someone will come delivery them. End of story

“It’s you! Hahahaha! So it’s you all along!” Vox laughed, falling back down into the couch, “You win this! So you’re not bad at persuasion too.” He grinned, “Now I really like you.” 

“Well, I still don’t like you.” You snarled. 

“Playing hard to get, huh.” He waved his hand, “Sure, I’ll wait and see. If it’s not delivered in time, I’ll expect you to work for me.”

As quickly as you came to the bright studio that blinds your eyes, you left with Angel and Husk hand in hand just in case they tried something. The moment you were out of the building, Alastor reappeared and hugged the living daylights out of you, you returned the hug, melting into his hold

It was such a scary experience, but you know you got through it because Alastor was watching and listening all that time to support you

Alastor sent Husk and Angel back through the shadows to retell the message of a smooth negotiation and nothing else. They were to have the cover story of meeting you and Alastor on the way back and to pass the message along while the two of you enjoyed a stroll for the hardwork. Needless to say they agreed easily to that plan

You walked with Alastor arm in arm, leaning against him for a more physical support. You closed your eyes to rest a bit since it was way too bright in the studio and you trust Alastor enough to lead you on the right and safe path

Being the radio host he is, he talked and talked about anything and everything he could to fill the silence and give you the perfect voice to listen to. At the sight of Alastor, a number of demons left the area and stayed clear of him

Everything was very peaceful, just you and him strolling down the streets. It reminded the two of you during those days when you both were in your home area. You’d sometimes want to just stretch your legs and walk around. Alastor would accompany you to keep you safe

In the beginning, it was just you and your music while Alastor was busy with whatever bloody methods to keep the demons’ eyes off of you. Then you and Alastor made small talk so Alastor’s attention wasn’t on destroying some poor demon that was minding their own business. Turns out, that was one of moments that got you to see another side of Alastor

You smiled as you hugged onto Alastor’s arm, you felt Alastor’s miniature jerk before he relaxed again. You really wanted to tickle him, but you’ll save it for when you two are back behind closed doors to have more fun

“You! You in the giant stupid coat! Stop!” A voice shouted behind you and Alastor. 

Alastor looked down to you, you nodded as you opened your eyes again. Alastor turned around, shielding you from the unknown demon’s sight. “What is it that you need from us?”

“I’m not talking to you, f**ker!” The demon exclaimed at Alastor, “Move aside or else.”

“Else?” Alastor’s head tilted to the side with his smile growing to a threatening grin, “Quite bold of you to assume you have a chance here.”

You peeked from behind Alastor, this demon was unfamiliar to you, not someone you messed with nor did you gather information on them for anything in discriminating. You wonder if you should let Alastor have at her since you already dealt with Vox today. But something bugged you with how desperate she was acting, very familiar. So you stepped out, “What is it?”

Her eyes seemingly light up and came over to you, gripping onto your shoulders tightly with that crazed look in her eyes. “You’re the one he wants. It was never me. Whatever he wants with you has nothing to do with me. It was all a lie. The contract, the flattery, the money, everything!”

“Huh?” You glanced over to Alastor with confusion, Alastor didn’t return the sentiment as he looked ready to rip the demon apart. “Uh, what do you mean?”

“I saw your powers over the pages, you’re the one he wants! I don’t know how we have similar powers, but yours is much more superior. Trade places with me, I’m begging! I can’t work for Vox!”

You backed up and slapped away her hands, retreating back to Alastor’s side. “Similar powers?”

You wondered if it was her, that friend of yours. You watched she continued to rant on about the benefits of working for Vox like she prepared to pitch it to a customer. This desperate plead was like her asking (demanding) that you continue writing that novel she stole so she can go publish it in her name

Do it in the name of friendship, she said. It started small, she asked for some tips to writing, it moved to asking for character reference sheets, then ideas on a sequel, last was your help to write the entire thing

She knew you have written it beforehand, she was aiming for that in the beginning. Again, she stole it while you were distracted with setting up a sleepover for her. You remember that empty look you had when you saw the barely closed front door, the pillow you were hugging fell from your grasp

The next week or so, the sequel to her (your) novel was out. Millions and billions of people flooded the bookshops, mass sell out signs for that book was taped to the display for the novel. She came back and praised you for a job well done, you hanged out with you and shared so much with you

All that time, you smiled and enjoyed the peace. Anything to help a friend, you innocently spoke. After all, she was there for you when you broke up with your boyfriend. She was your closest friend, things like these happen. See? She’s back at your side

She appeared on TV, she appeared on podcast, she appeared in interviews, she appeared in best selling author signing sessions, she appeared as a professor to teach young aspiring writers. She was everywhere. That was because the novel was everywhere, it was adatped into movies, TV shows, cartoon series, it has audiobooks and was references in a number of places

People loved your work. You were content with that. It was fine. As long as your friend is by your side. You can take it all. Yet you can’t help it when tears flow down your face in the dead of night. You hugged your pillow so tightly

It was all supposed to be yours, yet it wasn’t… You gave it all up to someone that’s not worthy of it

“See?” She threw a bunch of papers into the air from her side bag, with a snap of her fingers, the pages turned into paper daggers and flew around her at command. “If you can summon things, then you’re a such better fit! Please, come back with me to the V Tower and take my place.”

“Shut up.” You spoke, your hands unconsciously gripped onto Alastor’s wrist tightly that it could have snapped. Reacting to your obvious hatred, Alastor snapped his fingers and fires burn down the pages that she was so proud of. “Ha, I can’t believe you haven’t changed.”

She raised a brow, “What?”

You sighed, “Karolina, so you died, huh. Did you have a good life? Must be good as the famous author, right?”

Kat’s eyes widened, now it was her turn to back up, “No way… You can’t be serious…”

“Dearest, do you know her?” Alastor inquired with a cute head tilt, his ears moving along. 

“Yeah, I know her.” You smiled, you know what will happen after your words because you know Alastor, “Meet Karoline, my former best friend while I was alive, but most importantly… The one that stole my precious writing.”

Note: Another one~ There's one more part to this and the involvement of Kat arc is done. I think I might end this series after that. The unanswered questions could be counted as trivia or extra mini moments. Cause I feel like this series is getting a bit too long. What do you guys think?

Circe Y. 

My Works: MASTERLIST

Taglist: (those that don't specify to being in all the works' taglist will automatically be assumed to be in whichever series they comment on)

@aconfusedwonderland @crowleysthings @donustellaron @mistpurpl3 @lucifers-silhouette @fluffy-koalala @nevermore-ramblings @justboredforreal @youroneandonlysimp @falsemain @scenteddelusion5 @anni1600 @readergirlstuff @salutations-demonsanddappers @mistpurpl3 @haruskrd @biadoll21 @speedycoffeedelight @wendds @paninibit @emperatris-rinaka @lucifers-silhouette @an-idyllic-novelist @cyannese-rose @type-ink

[entitled-fangirl]

Miller baby.

Pre-outbreak!Joel Miller x reader

Summary: the reader goes into labor.

Warnings: pregnancy, tooth-rotting fluff

Masterlist

..............................................................

Any day now.

Their sweet Miller baby was due at any point. 

Joel wasn't sure about all of it at the beginning, but as he saw Y/N swell by the day with his child, he became more open to the idea. 

Especially after Sarah's reaction when they told her the news:

"OH MY GOD, I'M GETTING A SISTER?" She yelled in the living room.

"OR a brother," Joel reasoned, "Can't say for sure yet."

"It's a girl, though." Sarah nodded, "I can feel it."

He laughed, "You can't feel nothin'."

…

Now the due date was approaching. 5 more days. Y/N was settled on the couch, breathing heavy, as she had been doing the entire week before as well. While she had intended to wait on Joel's arrival from work, the call to sleep had become too strong and won her over. 

Joel entered the house, setting his bag down rougher than he meant to. He threw his keys on the table by the door and shrugged off his jacket.

Expecting Y/N to have greeted him at this point, his eyes finally started to take in the room.

She was fast asleep at this point.

He smiled, cursing himself for being loud before. 

He quietly shrugged off his shoes and tiptoed to the couch where she laid. 

She glowed, even asleep at 9 months pregnant. 

He couldn't help running his fingers out her forehead softly to push the hair from her face.

Her eyes opened softly at the feeling.

"J…Joel?" She asked groggily.

His smile brightened.

"Hi, darlin'." 

She sits up and rubs her eyes, "When did you get home?"

"Just now. Don't worry." He rubs her thigh gently.

She nods and swings her legs to the side of the couch.

Joel's eyebrows furrowed, "What are ya doing, hon?"

"I'm gonna get up and make dinner." She says like it's a normal thought.

He laughs, "The hell you are!"

She's taken back by his tone, "W…what?"

"Oh, hon. I'm sorry." He cups her face, "I was teasing. I don't want you getting up and around like that just on account of me. I can make dinner."

She shakes her head, "But Sar-"

"Sarah will be fine." He reasoned, "She's staying at a friend's house tonight."

"Oh," she relaxed. "Okay. Well, you've worked hard today, so I'll-"

"Hey," he grabbed her hands gently. "Hey. Just…. Stay there. I'm not gonna let you."

Her face dropped, "Why not?"

Joel smiled sweetly, "Sweetheart, I've got it. You relax. I'm making dinner."

She nodded, "Okay, but I need to get up, anyway." 

He nods and grabs her arm to help her up. 

She lets out a little grunt and her eyes close in pain.

"Hon?" He asked, worriedly, "You hurtin'?"

She sighs and nods her head, "'m fine."

"Contraction?" He asked.

She nods.

"How far apart, darlin'? Talk to me." He says, pulling her close on the couch.

"I don't know, Joel," she says. "Maybe… six minutes?"

"SIX?" He yells, "Jesus. C'mon. We're going to the hospital."

She immediately pauses and breaks out a sob.

His face softens, "Oh." His voice sweetens, "Oh, darlin'. What… what's going on?"

"I.. I CAN'T DO THIS!" She sobbed.

"Sweet girl, c'mon." He sighed, rubbing her stomach softly. "You can do this. You're gonna be a great mother. You already are with Sarah."

"I love Sarah," she whines through the tears. "I just can't do this."

"Well, that's the only way we can get the baby here."

She sniffles, "I'm not strong enough to do this, Joel."

He smiles, "Darlin'. We'll just take you to the hospital. They know what they're doing."

She wipes her tears and nods, "Okay… okay."

"Alright. I'll grab the bag, you just get in the car."

…

"You're doing it. Good girl. You're doing so good." Joel sighed in her hair.

"Alright. Now push." The doctor said.

It felt like her body was being ripped in two. But at least the baby would be here when she was done. That was what she was telling herself. 

Joel brushed her sweaty hair from her forehead. "Almost there, darlin."

The sound of a baby crying relieved the both of them. 

"A healthy baby boy."

Y/N smiled sleepily. Joel felt his breath leave his lungs.

"He has your hair, Joel." Y/N smiled at the sight of the baby.

"You've made the prettiest boy, darlin'."

"We did."

"Yeah, we did."

…

Sarah had to refrain from screaming in joy at the sight of her new baby sibling.

"Oh. My. God." She whisper yelled.

Joel helped Y/N further into the house. "C'mon. Let's sit you down."

She slowly sat on the couch and grunted.

Sarah ran to Joel, who had the baby carry on his arm. "He's really ours?!"

Joel laughed, "Yeah, he's ours."

"I'm gonna be the BEST older sister, I promise!" 

Y/N laughed next. "Wanna go change his diaper?"

Sarah's face dropped, "Nevermind. I'm good. I'll just be mediocre." And she ran from the room.

Joel couldn't hold in his laugh as he set the carrier down. "You sleep. I'll take the baby."

Y/N smiled, "Thank you Joel."

He sat on the couch next to her. "'Course. I knew you could do this."

She sighed and closed her eyes, "I love you, Joel."

"I love you, darlin'."

.......................................................

[darkserenity24]

𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒐𝒔 - 𝑪𝒉.9

Loki x Reader

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝙤𝙠𝙞 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙣𝙞𝙘 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙.

𝘈/𝘕: 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦! 𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 🎉 🍸

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝑩𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑴𝒆

“Does she have any criminal history? Because if she does, we may already have something in common.” 

You eyed Natasha in amusement, shaking your head.

“To my knowledge, she’s just as boring as I am regarding criminal history. Maybe even more considering she’s never worked with Avengers before.”

You didn’t miss the small smirk that appeared on Bucky’s face.

“Has she served any time in the military?”

Your brow raised. “No Steve, she has not.”

“So then I’m guessing she’s not an operative.”

“She’s not a terrorist either, Tony.”

“Does she bake muffi-”

“Guys,” You stared irritatedly at everyone sitting on the couch before you. “She is just a normal human,” you emphasized. “woman like I am. No terroristic tendencies or superpowers.” You eyed Thor quizzically. “and no, she does not bake muffins.”

You weren’t shocked to see his shoulders deflate.

The chatter among the group grew louder as they speculated on who this stranger was and why you were inviting her over. You had rarely invited anyone over to the tower before, so naturally they were curious about who it was. Though, a bit too curious for your liking.

You swallowed nervously when you heard the elevator ding, clearing your throat loud enough to grab their attention.

“She’s here. I’ll be back, and please,” you eyed them all pleadingly. “Be on your best behavior.”

“Always.” Nat winked.

This was the first friend you’d invited over other than Kayla in a very long time and you were kind of nervous. The team– your family, was basically composed of supernormal human beings, extraterrestrial gods from different realms, assassins, and other out of the ordinary creatures. There was no easy way to introduce someone new to them in a normal way.

You and Lana had become good friends over the past month of you knowing each other. Not only was she extremely smart and clever, but she was also quite funny.

Ever since the incident with Jacob, you haven’t spent much time around Kayla without being in a group setting. Loki’s blatant distrust of her steered you away from her and into the opposite direction any time you saw her.

But Lana was different. She was new. After the mixer, she was the first one to reach out to you about meeting up at a cute little café that had just opened up in the city. You accepted her invitation and were delighted to find out she was a pretty normal person after all. She didn’t come from super wealthy parents or any influential people, she got to where she was all on her own and you respected that.

She was about a year older than you which comforted you more than you realized. After the first outing, you didn’t hesitate to go out with her more. Brunches, lunches, dinners, late-night outings, you name it. Your trust in her increased the more time you spent with her.

When you eventually told the team that you were inviting her over, you were almost just as surprised as they were. Kayla was already connected through Tony’s relationship with her family, but Lana? Lana was a complete stranger to them and they didn’t know what to expect.

To say they were still a bit overprotective of you was an understatement. However, you didn’t let their intense questioning affect you, greeting Lana as she stepped off the elevator.

She ran a hand over her wild curls, presenting a nervous smile as she greeted you.

“Hey, girl!”

“Hi, Lana!” You returned her greeting, possibly too cheerfully. “I’m glad you could make it.” 

Giving her a quick hug, you pointed in the direction of the communal living space.

“They're all in here. Follow me.”

She did as you asked and followed you in tow.

When you returned with your new friend, all eyes immediately shot her way.

You stepped forward, partially blocking her as you introduced her to everyone.

“This is my friend Lana. She studies environmental biology at NYU, loves to cook, and volunteers at the local veterans shelter in her spare time. She will be around in the tower more often. Yes, she already has been granted security clearance, and yes she‘s had a complete background check so don’t ask any weird questions okay?”

The severe look you were giving everyone had the room quiet, no one saying a thing. When you caught Tony slowly raising his hand you instantly glared at him to shut it down, causing him to quickly lower it and avoid your gaze.

There was no way you were going to let them scare her away so soon. 

You were only mildly surprised when Lana stepped forward, a small smile spreading on her face as she prepared herself to speak.

“I’m sure this is strange for you guys, letting someone in that’s not a part of your inner circle and all but I promise I’m not some sort of secret agent or war criminal,”

You saw Nat raise a brow. 

“I’m only here because I was lucky enough to make friends with this amazing woman without even realizing exactly who she was. If I’m being honest, I have no idea why she even invited me here because I am certainly not high caliber enough. But if it makes any of you feel any better you can ask me all the questions you want. I’m really an open book so go ahead.” She encouraged with a charming smile.

You took a step towards her, eyes wide. “Lana, that’s probably not-”

“How long have you and your family lived here?”

“Are you related to any past terrorists?”

“How many bank accounts do you have in how many states?”

“Are you willing to learn how to make my favorite Asgardian dish? It is well worth the work, I promise.”

You could tell your new friend was taken aback by the mass of random (and quite intrusive) questions being fired at her all at once.

Before you could tell her she truly didn’t need to answer any of them she beat you to it, placing a hand on her chin as she thought things through.

“Let’s see, my family actually lives in Ohio but I moved to New York around three years ago for school and work opportunities. No one in my family is, or was a terrorist to my knowledge, so I think we’re all good there. I only have two bank accounts, one that I share with my parents for emergencies and one that I own by myself. The only reason I’m giving this information to you all is because I truly doubt that you’re gonna actually find them both and steal my money considering who you guys are,” She paused squinting her eyes. “But if you do, please leave enough for me to at least pay my rent this month. New York is hella expensive.”

You saw Nat smile from the corner of your eye. Most of the team looked impressed, others hid their thoughts with a poker face with the exception of Tony who continued to eye Lana with a ridiculous amount of heavy suspicion in his gaze.

“And yes, Thor,” She continued. “I would love to learn how to make your favorite dish. I love to cook! Send me the recipe and I’ll be on it.”

Thor’s face lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. “That is wonderful news, my lady! I must return to Asgard at once so I can gather the ingredients. You haven’t dabbled with extracting the leaves from semi-poisonous herbs by any chance, have you?”

Heads turned to Thor in bewilderment.

“She literally just arrived and already has the threat of being poisoned by a demi-god. Great job, Thor.” Bruce deadpanned.

“The herbs are only semi-poisonous, I swear to Odin!”

Tony eventually cut through the noise of Thor and Bruce squabbling, crossing his arms as he leaned against the table.

“What’s your GPA?” He asked her.

You wanted to roll your eyes at the unnecessary question.

Out of all the questions that had been thrown her way, this was the one that seemed to catch Lana off guard. 

She turned to Tony, looking mildly surprised as she chuckled nervously. “Ummmm, it’s only a 4.5 at the moment but I’ve been trying to get it higher.”

Your eyes widened. Only a 4.5?

Tony looked just as surprised as you were. “Really?”

“Yeah, those AP classes can be real tough sometimes, you know?”

Tony straightened his posture, now looking highly impressed before turning to you.

“Alright, ‘nuff said. I approve.” He said. 

“Thanks, dad.” You muttered mockingly under your breath.

“Now, everyone stop grilling her before she turns into a steak. Party’s over.” Tony clapped his hands before heading down the hall.

Sam hummed. “A steak does sound pretty good right about now. Buck, Steve, you up for an early dinner?”

You drowned out their conversation as you turned to Lana, giving her an awkward smile. “So that went way better than I expected. You really didn’t have to do all of that for their approval.”

She chuckled, waving her hand. “It’s no problem, honestly. Plus any normal person would want to impress the Avengers if they had the chance. This isn’t a common scenario for the average Joe so I had a lot of fun talking to them.”

You quirked a brow at her, crossing your arms. “Yeah? Well, it’s all fun and games now until Thor brings you his poisonous herbs from outer space. Then you may start rethinking your association with them.”

“They are only semi-poisonous!” You heard Thor call from the other side of the room. You cursed his super hearing abilities.

Lana grinned over at Thor before her eyes caught something over your shoulder. “Oh, hey Loki!” 

You turned around to see Loki standing only a few feet away from you. He sauntered towards you, politely returning Lana’s greeting.

“Please ignore my oaf of a brother. I do not believe he is actually trying to poison you but sometimes his excitement overrides his intelligence.”

Loki was the first person you introduced Lana to in the tower. You trusted in his good judge of character, knowing that Lana was good to meet the rest of the team once Loki didn’t have anything negative to say about her, except for her being human, of course.

Being used to Loki’s constant jibes at his brother, you decided to throw one back at him just because, patting his arm lightly before turning to Lana.

“You’ll have to excuse his younger brother as well. He can be a bit of a green meanie even when he likes someone.”

You expected the light scoff that emitted from Loki’s lips. “I am not mean, I am simply so blunt in my truthfulness that it can be hard for one to handle at times.”

“Yeah, okay, meanie.”

A sly smile slid on Lana’s face as she witnessed you and Loki banter back and forth, almost seeming to forget her presence entirely until she cleared her throat.

Both your heads shot her way simultaneously and you smiled apologetically at her.

“Well, I’m going to show Lana around the tower. You can join us if you’d like.” You offered him.

“Unfortunately I have some business I must attend to with Thor so I will have to sit this one out. But I will see you tomorrow morning for our next outing, yes?” He asked, looking at you with all seriousness.

You nodded. “Yep! See you tomorrow.”

You and Lana both watched as Loki retreated, heading over toward Thor’s direction.

“That was cute.” She commented with a smirk on her face when you turned back to her, causing you to raise an eyebrow.

“Cute?”

“Yeah, you two obviously have some sort of chemistry. It’s really adorable actually.” “Our friendship is adorable?” you laughed. “Well, I guess that’s one way of putting it. Much nicer than how Tony or Steve would probably describe it. Now, come on, I promised you a tour of the place.”

“Yes, you sure did.”

You gestured for her to follow you, walking past her into the opposite direction. You paused in your steps when you heard a commotion behind you.

Spinning around you frowned at the scene in confusion. It appeared as if Bucky had somehow bumped into Lana, or maybe she was the one who bumped into him. All you witnessed was the aftermath, watching as they both stared at each other in mild surprise.

Bucky was the first one to apologize. 

“Shoot! Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

“Oh, no, that was all…” You watched as Lana lifted her gaze up to Bucky, an apologetic look in her eyes before she froze, face glossing over in awe. “.. on me.”

Bucky shook his head. “Nah, I just gotta be more careful. Wouldn’t want to run into you with this thing.” He gestured towards his metal arm which was completely covered by his jacket, hand covered by a glove. 

She nodded slightly, expression still struck with wonder as she continued to look up at him “Right..”

You had no doubt that she had no idea what he was talking about.

It took everything in you not to grin as you watched as Bucky continued his apology, completely oblivious to Lana’s awestruck gaze.  

You heard Sam call Bucky’s name, grabbing his attention. He turned back to Lana with a small smile, a slight apologetic look on his face.

“I gotta go, but I’m sure I’ll see you around, yeah?”

“Y-yeah, sounds good.”

He left with a parting nod, leaving Lana there still staring at him.

“Hello? You still here?” You called out, waving a hand near her face.

She blinked, looking back at you with wide wide eyes, a bashful look appearing on her face.

“I was staring, wasn’t I.”

You confirmed with a slow nod, smirking at her as you crossed your arms. “Yeah. That, and a lot more.”

She sighed, taking one last glance at Bucky before he disappeared from sight. “Who is that? One of the Avengers?”

“Yeah, sort of. Bucky has a sort of complicated history, but I still think he’s considered an Avenger. Maybe you should talk to him sometime. Get to know him a bit more.” You encouraged.

Her brows furrowed. “Oh no, I wouldn’t want to bother him. I’m sure he has so many better things to do than talk to me.”

“You’d be surprised. Plus, I think that was adorable. I did not plan on you having a crush on one of the Avengers on the very first day of meeting them.” You teased with a large grin.

Out of all people, Lana having a crush on Bucky Barnes was surprising, but she could certainly have chosen a lot worse. Bucky was a good guy, and you were interested to see the dynamic between the two the next time they were around each other. 

Lana sent you a playful glare, crossing her arms over her chest. “Yeah, well, stranger things have happened I guess. It’s not my fault that man is absolutely gorgeous. I mean, they all are! How do you get anything done around here?”

“I’ve been around them a lot longer than you, and the novelty wore off long ago. But don’t worry, it probably will be the same for you soon. Now,” You beckoned her yet again. “Let’s go before we’re interrupted yet again.”

You were grateful for the blanket that laid between your back and the crispy blades of grass as you gazed up at the clear blue sky. Your dark sunglasses did a decent job of shielding your eyes from the bright sun, the heated rays providing relief from the cool breeze that wisped by you on occasion.

“I must say, this is quite nice.” You heard Loki mutter beside you. “Not as satisfying as being out in the Asgardian wilderness, but anything is preferable than being trapped in that concrete helhole you call a city.”

As much as you wanted to defend New York, Loki did have a point. Sometimes being in the city could be exhausting. That’s why you brought him all the way out to a park about an hour and a half away from the chaos. Central Park did its best, but it could never compare to the peacefulness of undisturbed natural land.

It was just you, Loki,  and a picnic basket full of goodies surrounded by beautiful trees. Oh– and the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents sitting on a bench 50 feet away from you, looking highly uncomfortable in their stuffy suits.

The sun felt good on your skin. It felt better than good, it felt amazing. The natural source of vitamin D was feeding you the nutrients your body craved, something you were being deprived of because of your condition.  

You groaned when you felt your stomach rumble, an obvious indicator that you needed food. Loki was pushing something your way before you could even open your mouth to ask. 

“Thank you, kind sir.”

You sat up, grabbing one of the many cold cuts you packed in the basket from him as he hummed in response.

He glanced around, taking in the beautiful scene before you both as you began eating your sandwich.

Curious about his uncharacteristic silence, you looked over at him. 

“I know this is supposed to be a relaxing trip and all but you're way quieter than usual. What’s on your mind?”

He didn’t say anything for a while, dark brows furrowing just a touch as he pondered on what he wanted to say.

“I do enjoy taking sport in ridiculing this planet at every opportunity I get, however,  my mockery can only stand for so long. I am afraid I am now the one being mocked. Here I am, trapped in the very place I endeavored to subjugate, and though I am able to roam freely now it still feels as if I am locked in that cell deep under the tower. I am still a prisoner somewhere I am not wanted.”

You stopped chewing, slowly setting your half eaten sandwich down as you turned to face him fully, carefully listening to what he had to say.

“I have now come to the tragic realization that I need to find a better way to survive on this planet, to accept my circumstances as they are, and get used to living on Midgard while I am here. I don’t know when I will be sent back to Asgard, it could be years, decades, maybe even centuries. Nevertheless, the timeline does not make any difference because my people do not want me there.”

You watched as his face slowly transformed from apathy to disappointment, finally settling on sadness. Loki was sad, and he had every reason to be. No matter how much you tried to extend compassion and empathy to him, you had no idea how it felt to be in his situation. To be in the position that he’s been in for so long.

Your chest tightened at the thought of him being so depressed here. You knew you had to do everything in your power to make his time on Earth better than he expected. He was counting on you, whether he knew it or not. Besides Thor, you were one of the few people that cared about him as a person. As a friend. A true friend.

You scooted closer to him on the blanket until your shoulders were brushing against one another. You were comforted by his body heat and hoped that you brought some sort of comfort to him too. 

“I’m not sure when you’ll be able to return to Asgard, but I do know I’m really enjoying having you here while I can.” You turned away in thought.

“New York is only a small part of the world. You still have the rest of the country to see, and so many others. You may be stuck here for a while but you still have a lot to experience, and I’m going to make sure that you do. You have a whole world to see out there, and you have a ton of people to meet. You have people who like you, who trust you, and do want you here and I‘m one of them. I want you here.”

His head turned to look at you as you stared out into the distance. “And to be completely honest, this sounds really selfish but I’d be very sad if you were to leave so soon. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m kind of attached to you.” you chuckled lightly.

“If by some miracle I was to return back to my realm sooner than later, I do not believe I could leave you behind. I’m afraid you will be forced to move there as well, whether you desire to or not.”

The small smirk that grew on his face let you know that he was joking. At least that’s what you got from it. You were glad to see him smile, even if it was only a bit. You wanted Loki to feel more comfortable here. You wanted him not to be miserable. You’d die trying to make sure he’d be alright because if he was not okay, you were afraid that he may spiral back down a path he was trying to avoid. Things were pretty dark for him before, and there was a possibility that he could return to that darkness if no one paid enough attention.

You smiled at him cheekily, attempting to lighten the mood. “Oh, you think I wouldn’t want to visit Asgard? If there was a chance you’d be returning sometime soon, I’m making you take me. There’s no way I’d miss out on-.”

Your words caught in your throat as you sat up straight, your body rigid and frozen while your stomach churned violently, twisting with a dizzying intensity. No. Not now.

Loki’s concerned face filled your vision as he leaned towards you, placing a hand on your arm. “Dove, are you alright?”

You didn’t respond, shooting up from your seated position and making a beeline to a nearby tree. Your earlier breakfast as well as your half eaten sandwich came spilling out as you wretched out all the contents of your stomach onto the ground.

You heard Loki calling your name as he bolted your way. Surprisingly, you had enough energy to raise your arm, attempting to stop him from coming near and seeing the mess you made.

But it was too late, and you were mortified. 

When you planned this picnic outing with him, "throwing up your lunch" definitely wasn’t on the itinerary. It was gross and embarrassing, and he just witnessed it all.

Quickly wiping your mouth on your sleeve, you straightened, feeling his hand on your back.

“I’m sorry,” you apologized, shaking your head, and turning to him with shame in your eyes. “That was… I don’t know what happened. I’m really-.”

Loki cut you off, shushing you as he pulled you closer. 

“You have no reason to apologize, little one, and please,” he bent his neck down to look you in the eyes. “don’t ever hide from me.”

You swallowed, nodding slowly.

The agents that were farther away were now much closer. Loki shooed them off, telling them he had things under control. 

With much hesitation, they backed away, and with a hand on the small of your back, Loki carefully led you back to the picnic, gently setting you down on the blanket and handing you a bottle of water. Gratefully, you gulped half of the bottle's contents before sighing. You peeked over at him, still seeing the concerned look in his green eyes as he gave you all of his attention.

“What happened? Are you feeling well?”

He placed the back of his hand on your forehead, and you gently pushed it off, not wanting to make a big deal out of things. 

He looked a bit taken aback by your subtle brush-off. 

“Yeah, it’s fine. I’m fine. I just...” you swallowed again, turning away from his intense gaze as your mind conjured up a reasonable explanation. “I think I ate something bad earlier. It just caught up to me I guess.”

He said nothing at that, but you caught the slight furrow of his brows at your answer. He eyed you with an unexpected amount of suspicion, seeming to be scrutinizing your every movement.

“No,” he stated, expression hardening a touch. “I don’t believe that is true. There is something else, isn’t there?” He said more than asked. 

He didn’t elaborate on what he meant by something else and didn’t say more than that, still staring at you with a strange look in his eyes.

You didn’t like this, one bit. You had no clue how your peaceful outing turned into whatever tense situation was happening at the moment, and it was all your fault. Sort of.

“I-I don’t know what you mean.” You stuttered. “I don’t know what else there could be, so that’s most likely what’s happening. Humans are more fragile than you extraterrestrials, after all.”

You let out a light chuckle after your statement, attempting to break the tension. You hated this. You hated lying to him. It was something you didn’t want to ever do, and would never do so about anything else, but you had to. Loki couldn’t find out about your illness. You weren’t ready to tell him. You enjoyed how well things were going and you wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. 

He stared at you. Like really stared, eyes searching yours to detect anything that would say otherwise. Anything that would prove that what you were saying was false. His gaze pinned you to the spot, and you didn’t feel like you could move an inch without giving anything away. Like one movement would expose all the lies you’ve been telling him and everyone else.

Your heart was racing, and your palms became sweaty. The longer he did or said nothing, the more nervous you got. When he finally did say something, the words that came out of his mouth made your heart skip a beat.

“You know that you can be honest with me, right?”

You took a deep breath, trying your hardest to keep eye contact with his intense ones. With a hesitant shake of your head, you told him what he wanted to hear, or at least what you wanted him to hear.

“Y-yes, of course. I know that.”

You could see his eyes move all over your face, assessing you one last time before his face relaxed, losing the severe intensity it had before. He blinked, looking away before meeting your eyes again, gaze much softer than before. It was the way he normally regarded you. The way he normally looked at you.

“You’re right, humans are much more sensitive than every other species. Still, I do not enjoy seeing you ill. It is quite a jarring sight. Is there anything you need from me?”

“I don’t think so but I’ll let you know. It was just a little stomach bug but I’m okay, I promise.” You said with a genuine smile.

He still looked to be deep in thought for a moment before nodding with finality. He was accepting your explanation for your random bout of sickness.

The relief you felt at him not finding out about your condition was overshadowed by the fact that you know you lied to him, and that wasn’t something easy to live with. 

You promised to yourself that one day you’d tell him the truth, but that day wasn’t now.

When the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents started to look a bit antsy, Loki Stood up, extending his arm down to you to help you up as well. “That might be our queue that they want to leave.”

“Yeah, they’re probably itching to report my yackfest to Tony.” you snorted.

You took his offered hand, standing up slowly so you didn’t lose your balance since your head was spinning a bit from the events of the last ten minutes or so. A particularly cool gust of wind brushed past and you wrapped your arms around yourself, wishing that you brought an extra jacket to put on over your thin sweater.

“Here, allow me,” Loki said, beginning to take off his peacoat.

Before you could protest, he placed it over your shoulders, the coat engulfing your smaller frame. 

“You didn’t have to…” You began your protest but your words faltered once you felt how warm it felt around you. “Oh… this is nice, and incredibly cozy. How do you keep this jacket so warm?”

He shrugged lightly. “Asgardians run much hotter than humans.”

“Yeah, but Frost Giants don’t.”

“You continue to forget the wonders of Asgardian magic, my dear.” He responded, raising a hand. “My Aesir form acts in the same manner as a natural born one would, body temperature and all. You can thank Odin for this.”

You watched in awe as the normal pale color of his hand faded into a dark blue, stopping mid arm. You reacted before thinking, your own hand moving to touch his. Before you could make contact with his hand he quickly moved it out of your reach.

“That,” He gave you a look. “is a bad idea.” 

“Why? What's the worst that can happen? I get colder than I already am?” You joked.

His brows raised, a serious expression crossing his features. “More like your whole arm freezes and breaks into pieces from one slight touch.”

Your face dropped, eyes widening with apprehension. “Oh. Yeah, let’s not do that. I tend to like my arms very much.”

“I figured.” He smirked, “Let us return to the tower before sunset.”

 Loki gathered your things for you and led you both back down the path to the car.

You hugged the coat tighter around you, enjoying the piney scent that was all Loki. “I’m keeping this jacket by the way.” You teased, peeking up at him with mischief in your eyes. “Just wanted to warn you in case you thought you were gonna get it back.”

Loki playfully glared at you, “What? You are not-.”

Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, dark brows lowered as he stared directly over your shoulder.

“What is it?” you asked, turning your head to follow his gaze.

At first, all you saw were trees.

But then you saw it. It happened so fast, that you almost missed it. A sharp white flash coming 

From within the darkness of the trees.

Loki was storming towards the strange flash before you could blink, stalking behind the tree and pulling something from behind it. No, he pulled someone from behind it.

The stranger was pushed to the ground, the bulky black camera tumbling out of his hands from the utter force Loki was using on him.

He quickly flipped on his back, raising his hands in surrender with a terrified look on his face.

“Wait, man! Please don’t hurt me!”

“Who are you and what are you doing?” Loki growled, bending down to snatch the guy up by his shirt.

“I don’t want any trouble, man. I’m just doing my job, I swear!”

You frowned at the man in confusion before you realized what he meant by job.

“He’s paparazzi.”  You sighed.

Loki opened his mouth to respond, only to be caught off guard by another flash coming from about twenty feet away. 

“We have to go.” You urged, grabbing his arm. “Leave him here. The agents will take care of him.”

You and Loki quickly made your way to the car, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents trailing not too far behind you.

“What is paparazzi?” Loki asked once you were both inside the car and on your way back to the city.

“They’re like a mix of photographers, journalists, and press. Just think of a group of people who have nothing else better to do with themselves than follow the lives of famous or notable people. Though I have no idea why they were all the way out here for us, because neither of us fit into those categories.”

Loki frowned. “That is rather disturbing,” he raised a brow in thought. “However, also quite flattering.”

By the time you returned to the tower, you almost forgot about the situation with the pap’s. That was until you stepped out of the car, Loki right behind you as you walked to the building’s entrance. 

Out of nowhere, you were blinded by the lights. Literally.

You were both ambushed in an instant, cameras flashing around you while mics were being pointed in your face. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents tried their best to shield you from the mass of people surrounding you but it was even difficult for them to keep everyone away from you.

You felt a hand at the small of your back guide you forward, You could hear Loki barking at people right behind you as he guided you through the crowd, using his body to shield you even further.

Once you were inside the lobby seemed unusually quiet compared to the roaring voices outside. Loki didn’t release you until you were enclosed in the elevator, turning to you with an annoyed expression.

“What in the hel was that about?”

“I don’t know.” You muttered, feeling quite overwhelmed at the strange situation. “But I have a feeling someone else might.”

And you were right. The team was gathered in the common area, not looking very pleased from the tense look on their faces. Tony seemed to be in a semi-heated argument with Thor while the rest of the team stood around staring at the large tv on the wall. 

When you and Loki came into sight, they all froze. Nat quickly turned off the tv before you could see what they were looking at. 

“What’s going on?” You asked with a frown. “Why are we getting ambushed outside? And why is everyone looking at us so weird.”

Everyone started talking at the same time, quieting when Tony told them to shush. 

“We have a problem here, kid.” He stated, glaring at Loki who was lingering not too far behind you. “A big problem, and we need to fix it asap.”

You shook your head, a worried frown on your face as you looked around. “What is it?”

Thor stepped forward, a slightly guilty look on his face. “Well, you see-”

“The media thinks you and Loki are a thing.” Tony finished to him. “Which is not good.”

You blinked. “A thing?”

“They think you’re dating,” Nat said with a smirk. “And Tony’s about to lose his shit because of it.”

Story Masterlist

✦ 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰. 𝘙𝘦𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 🤍

✦ 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘒𝘰-𝘧𝘪 ✨: 𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘬𝘰-𝘧𝘪.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺24

𝘛𝘢𝘨 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵: @aintnooooway @mischief2sarawr @talesofadragon @cass0419 @lcolumbia1988 @timeladyrikaofgallifrey @echo-is-worth-more-than-2000  @juliannarayvenne

[blackbat05]

The Gall of HeR!

Evan Buckley x Reader (Gender not Specified)

Plot: You come back home feeling blue from work. Luckily, Buck is there to lend you some support.

Genre: PG-13

A/N: New character! Only started watching 9-1-1 last year but wasn’t in the best back then. It’s been such a huge support to get where I am today so it’s only appropriate to do this! Also I can’t deny this is based on actual experience recently so this is my way of therapy😂 In all seriousness, note to self to always fight for myself because no one will do it for me.

“Hey! I’m home!”

Buck pads out of the kitchen in his “kiss the cook apron” that Eddie gave him as a Christmas Present last year as a joke.

“How’s work?”

I sigh, putting my bag to one side before unceremoniously dumping myself on the couch. “It was good, and then it was bad. Do I make sense?” My nose crinkles in confusion and I at that point I wished that my brain would stop running at a hundred miles per hour. Though, a part of me really needed to vent my feelings in a safe space. Buck was my safe space.

“They approached me for a possible promotion at the Library.” I start and Buck’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, that was my reaction. Inside. I didn’t expect this at all.”

Buck comes to sit beside me on the couch, body angled to face me fully. I take a deep breath and proceeded to explain how I had to ground myself first, to hear more details from HR before committing to that decision.

“So, I had that first meeting with Esther and obviously I needed time to process right? I didn’t understand some points that were raised and I wanted to clarify with her what some things meant to I called a second meeting the next day.” I explained. “The second meeting goes fine. It mostly involved her clarifying my doubts. Then after the meeting, she sends me an email noting all the things we discussed, and guess what?” I find the rage in the pit of my stomach bubbling.

“She adds in the extra clause that initially, they thought of reverting me back into my original position if things didn’t work out. But after considering the company’s position, if I did not perform or if I decided not to continue, I would have to leave the company!” My voice gets higher with each passing second. Buck reaches out to grab my hand, a soothing reminder that I was not in the library reading that darned email but I was here, with him.

“And then, Esther had the gall to storm into the library and yell at me what I meant when I sent that email and now she’s in trouble with the higher ups! My fault? How is expressing my opinions in a professional manner my fault?”

I finish off telling Buck that I wasn’t afraid of taking on the challenge. But my biggest issue was only being informed of this only after my second meeting and when I bought up the possibility of not taking on the role to her.

“Wow.” Buck purses his lips. I look at him reproachfully.

“You think I’m acting up too.”

“No. I think you’re standing up for yourself. No matter what others may say or think. It’s good that you question everything that’s being presented to you least you be taken advantaged.”

“Even if it means they might pass me up on this because they think I’m such a prima donna?”

Buck laughs. “In all seriousness. There are more ways to grow than besides promotions at work. You’re growing as a person and that’s more important. Do what you want to do and always do it for yourself.”

You don’t know what you did to deserve this man in this lifetime. Someone who supported you no matter what. That’s what you really needed right now.

“Thanks Buck,” you threw yourself into him for a hug. “I think I really needed to hear that. After all those times of doubting myself, I really needed to hear it.”

“Hey, you know I’m always your biggest supporter. Now let’s go and have dinner. Bobby taught me how to make this lasagna and we are not about to let it get cold.”

“Gosh, what would I do without you?”

“You’ll never have to know.”

[queenshelby]

Our Little Secret (Part 31)

Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Reader

Warning: Infidelity, Age-Gap, Birth, Complications

Moments later, Cillian joined the others in the dining room and, after you were finished feeding Mara, you followed suit.

Everyone sat down at the table, exchanging polite greetings and small talk. Your mother was still upset, but she refrained from saying anything more hurtful. Instead, she focused on making pleasant conversation with Siobhan and Cillian's other sister Sian. 

As time progressed, Cillian's mother rose from her seat, carrying a steaming dish to serve everyone. "Dig in, everyone!" she encouraged, gesturing at the array of delicious food. "We can all eat now," she announced cheerfully.

"Siobhan, why don't you start passing out these plates?" she suggested, handing a stack of dishes to her daughter. Siobhan obliged, distributing the food among the guests. The aroma wafted enticingly through the air, tantalizing their senses and drawing their attention to the feast laid out before them.

"This smells amazing, mum," Cillian praised, serving himself generous portions of the delectable dishes. "You've outdone yourself once again," he complimented sincerely, watching his mother beam proudly.

"Thank you, Cillian," she murmured appreciatively while Frank rolled his eyes for reasons unclear to you. 

Cillian and Frank then shared another round of heated glares, their tension escalating with each passing moment. Neither one of them uttered a word to one another, but their body language spoke volumes. Their rigid postures and clenched jaws hinted at the animosity brewing beneath the surface.

"Would anyone like some wine?" Cillian's mother asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence, causing Cillian to nod. 

"Are you alright?" she then added worriedly, her gaze darting between Cillian and Frank.

"Of course," Cillian assured her, forcing a tight-lipped grin. "Just tired," he lied smoothly, reaching for his glass of wine. 

"Well, babies do that to you, Cillian," his mother laughed kindly, patting the hand he rested on the table. "You need to pace yourself because it will get worse," she then chuckled, her gaze flitting between him and you.

"We will," you promised, meeting her sympathetic gaze. "We seem to be working well as a team so far," you added, attempting to lighten the mood.

Cillian nodded, flashing a brief smile before returning to his meal. The group fell silent, each member consumed by their own thoughts as they savored the scrumptious food. The air buzzed with an undercurrent of tension, but the palatable dishes successfully managed to divert their attention from the simmering hostility.

Despite the occasional strained laughter and forced smiles, it proved somewhat challenging to maintain a cohesive conversation and, at around 9 o'clock, after a few more glasses of wine, Cillian's mother called it a day.

"I think I should get some rest before tomorrow," she said, yawning widely before she left the dining room and, as soon as she did, your mother and Frank looked at each other, rose from their seats and disappeared into separate rooms without saying a single word, leaving you, Cillian, Siobhan and Sian sitting there awkwardly.

"Don't worry," Siobhan tried to console you, her hand squeezing your arm comfortingly. "Tomorrow will be better," she then smiled encouragingly, causing Cillian to shake his head in disbelieve.

"This is ridiculous," he groaned, rubbing his temples. "I didn't expect that we would have to deal with such nonsense when we came here," he lamented before walking towards the living room in order to confront them both.

"They are behaving like children," he said, his jaw muscles bulging visibly. "Frank especially," he then added bitterly while Siobhan and Sian exchanged knowing glances.

"Just give them some time to process this Cillian," Siobhan reasoned patiently though Cillian merely shrugged in reply.

"They had nine months to process this," he argued stubbornly, crossing his arms defiantly. 

"I understand, Cillian," Siobhan consoled sympathetically, her tone gentle and understanding. "You're frustrated right now--"

"I'm beyond frustrated," he cut her off impatiently, his brows furrowing in agitation before barging off to find them.

"You'll only provoke them," Siobhan called after him, her words falling on deaf ears.

Sian sighed heavily, shaking her head in exasperation. "Why does everything involve drama in our family?" she moaned despondently, casting a sorrowful glance at you.

"Fuck, I feel like I am at fault," you sighed, biting your lip nervously. "If I hadn't gotten involved with Cillian in the first place, none of this would have happened," you lamented, staring blankly at the empty wine glass on the table.

"Y/N," Siobhan said to you, patting your hand. "We all do dumb things sometimes, especially when we are in love," she assured you fiercely, her unwavering gaze conveying a certainty that suprised you.

"I am not in love with him," you lied, your voice trembling slightly. "It was a short-lived and stupid little fling," you dismissed it, biting your lip nervously. "We weren't really serious about it," you insisted, although the truth was much different. 

"Sure, if this is what you want to tell yourself," Siobhan replied, offering you a comforting smile. "But, in any event, what I am saying is that you aren't responsible for other people's reactions or behavior," she emphasized, her gaze lingering on you thoughtfully. "Cillian and you seem to be happy enough with whatever arrangements you have in place so your mother and Frank will just need to let it go and deal with it," she concluded resolutely, her voice firm and unwavering.

You sighed heavily, mulling over her words carefully. She made sense, but you couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for inadvertently causing turmoil within Cillian's family. 

"You are right," you admitted reluctantly, your voice barely audible. "Cillian and I are content with our arrangement and if my mum doesn't want anything to do with her grandchild then that's her loss," you determined, swallowing thickly.

"Exactly," Siobhan agreed wholeheartedly, her gaze locking onto yours just as Cillian appeared again, sighing heavily.

"I give up," he muttered, throwing his hands into the air dramatically.

"I told you there was no point talking with Frank when he gets like this," Sian reminded him, watching him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, he's got to learn that the relationship between Y/N and myself is not his business," Cillian growled, shaking his head in frustration. "He can't control everyone's life," he added before barging upstairs. 

Cillian was visibly upset, his anger and irritation plainly evident in his tense posture and stormy gaze. You watched him disappear upstairs, his footsteps echoing loudly against the hardwood floors.

"I will be back," you told the sisters before following Cillian and, as you approached the bedroom in which Mara had been sleeping, you could hear Cillian speaking softly to your Babygirl. 

"Shh, it's okay my perfect little girl," he cooed, his voice low and soothing. "Let's just get that nappy changed, shall we?" he told her, seeing that, clearly, it was this time of the night for her. 

"Do you want me to do this?" you asked quietly as you opened the door of the bedroom, observing Cillian cradling Mara lovingly.

"No, I've got it," he replied, looking up at you briefly before tenderly laying Mara down on the changing table. "I actually enjoy this part," he explained, his voice soft and soothing. You watched him closely, admiring how adeptly he navigated the task.

"Really? You enjoy changing dirty nappies?" you queried skeptically, arching an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Really," he confirmed, his lips quirking upward in amusement. "I mean, it's something I can do, you know. She won't let me bottle feed her and she most certainly won't go to sleep for me anymore," he then explained, chuckling slightly. "She prefers you to do it," he continued, grinning broadly at you.

"Well, I do have the mother's touch," you winked while Cillian disposed of the used diaper into the bin, before he grabbed a fresh one and placed it on the changing mat.

"Or maybe you're just naturally gifted Y/N. You are amazing with her," Cillian said honestly while putting a new nappy on to her and taping it securely before he lifted her up in his arms. "Ready for mommy to feed you again?" he then asked your baby sweetly while she gurgled happily and kicked her legs in excitement.

You took her out of his hands, kissing her forehead affectionately before responding to Cillian. "I guess the only real difference is that I have got the goodies and you don't," you joked lightly, watching him chuckle softly.

"You are perfect with her Cillian and you are most certainly perfect with me these days," you admitted quietly, feeling Cillian's gaze lock onto yours. 

"If I was really that perfect, then I wouldn't have made you come here with me," he retorted, his gaze flickering across your face. "I mean, with the way Sarah and Frank are acting, this is far from ideal and I am sorry for making you come. You deserve to be treated so much better," Cillian apologized, his gaze boring into yours.

"Cillian, you didn't make me come here," you countered, your gaze flickering across his face. "I chose to come with you, remember? It wasn't an obligation," you pointed out, watching him consider your words.

"You are something else, you know that?" Cillian murmured, his voice hushed and filled with emotion. "And I think that l am actually in love with you, Y/N."

You paused, studying him intently. His confession caught you off guard, his words painting a vivid image of his inner turmoil. "Cillian," you breathed, your heart pounding wildly in your chest. "I think I may be in love with you too," you confessed hesitantly, blushing profusely.

His breath hitched sharply, his gaze locked onto yours. "Really?" he gasped, his eyes widening in surprise.

"I have been for a while but things were just too difficult between us. You then met Amanda and dated her for a while and I figured that my feelings for you were unrequited so I tried to ignore them,” you confessed, blushing deeply. "I never expected that things would change," you added, squirming uncomfortably.

"Things have definitely changed," Cillian agreed, his gaze burning with intensity. "Or maybe they haven't, and I was just trying too hard to ignore how I felt as well," he sighed wistfully, reaching out to cup your cheek affectionately.

"So, what are we going to do now then?” you asked cautiously, your gaze fluttering across Cillian's face. 

"Well, we could work things out. We could be a proper family, move in together and give this relationship a shot," Cillian murmured, his words stirring a warm flush in your veins. "You, me, Mara and, occasionally, Max," he added, his gaze piercing into yours. 

"You know what? That sounds absolutely wonderful," you exhaled, smiling brightly. "I want that, Cillian," you confessed fervently, your voice trembling slightly just as Cillian finally leaned in and captured your lips in a passionate kiss.

To be continued...

Tags:

@sunbeamseas @saint-ackerman @oatmealisweird @naxxsstuff @amanda08319 @r-m-cidnah @elysiannook @cillshot @infireddabdab @tastycakee @harrysbestiee @lilybabe22 @adalynlowell @henrywintersdearestgirl @ietss @thatgirlthatreadswattpad @ryiamarie @axionn

@heidimoreton @nela-cutie @futurecorps3 @delishen @nosebleeds-247 @thirteenis-myluckynumber @gills-lounge @hjmalmed @lost-fantasy @tiredkitten @sidechrisporn @smallsoulunknown @charqing-qing @hopefulinlove @aporiasposts @shycrybaby @me-and-your-husband @hjmalmed @lacontroller1991 @galxydefender @aporiasposts

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[giggly-squiggily]

Hide and Tickle (Bungo Stray Dogs)

*Flips hair, knocking over several things* Why hello there.

So! Y'all might remember this little dabble I wrote a while back; I said in the description that I wanted to make this a proper fic eventually.

And then 2022 and 2023 passed by like two ships into the night...

SO HERE WE ARE! :D I will admit- I was a bit lazy and put the sentence starter dabble as the opener- so this is more an extended version of that! I hope you like it! :3

This is also part 1 of a series I'm making! I have the perfect request to follow this one up, so stay tuned (hopefully this time I'll be before the end of the year lols)

Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps):

@myreygn @thatbigbisexual29 @dirtpie39 @duckymcdoorknob @cupcake-spice13 @t-wordiiish @rachi-roo @mystwrites @chibisstuff @imjusthere07 @sevenincubistolemyheart

“I’m so boooooooooorrrreeeeed~” Dazai droned from his desk, eyes half-lidded with disinterest as he looked at the stack of paperwork before him. “Kuuuuni~ Aaaaatsushhhhhhi~ Entertain me!”

“Do your work. That should keep you entertained for a while.” Kunikida didn’t look up from his computer, unfazed by the brunette’s whining. “And sit up straight while you’re at it. You’re at work, not home.”

“But isn’t the armed detective agency our second home?” Dazai fluttered his eyelashes at them, pouting when neither paid him any mind. “I see how it is. I’m like the unwanted stray hoarded up in the family garage, living off scraps from the trash.”

“Did-did you just call yourself a raccoon?” Atsushi blinked, looking at Dazai. He fell right for his trap.

“Atsushi! You’ve noticed me!” Rolling over in his chair, he unceremoniously tossed his arms around the younger man, leaning on him with nearly all his weight. “Take me home and feed me delicious food!”

“I do have a spar futon…”

“Don’t entertain him!” Kunikida growled, giving up on his report as he slammed his laptop shut. “Fine, you want to play a game? Let’s play. You get ten seconds to hide.”

“Mr. Kunikida?” Atsushi blinked. Dazai seemed equally curious.

“What-”

“If we catch you,” Kunikida referred to himself and Atsushi, earning even more surprise from the weretiger. “You’re getting tickled. Is that clear?”

…Huh? No way Kunikida was suggesting that! Atsushi turned to Dazai, expecting some sort of coy reply or teasing remark.

Instead, he found nothing but air.

“Did he-” Atsushi blinked, watching as Kunikida took his seat once more, opening his laptop.

“That’ll keep him busy for a while. You’re relieved of your duties until my reports are finished.” The blonde jerked his chin to the office plant, Dazai’s foot sticking out comically. “See to it that idiot stays entertained.”

Atsushi looked between him and Dazai, the brunette subtly poking his face through the greenery to spy. Then he laughed, getting up with a nod.

“Be sure to type extra slow. Come here, Dazai!” Atsushi took off, charging the startled office plant full speed ahead. Dazai yelped as he dived, flying around the corner and sending the plant spinning. Atsushi’s quick reflexes saved them from the mess.

“Don’t make a mess!” Kunikida called after them, but his voice was muted at the noise. Dazai was sprinting between desks, putting as much distance as he could between him and Atsushi while giggling like a loon.

“Stahahay away! I’m nohohohoht reahahady!” Dazai wheezed, holding his hands up as he backed around Ranpo’s desk, the mentioned man eating snacks as he watched. “Ahahhahahtsushi!”

“Why so nervous? Running out of hiding spots?” The weretiger grinned, feigning left and right to throw off his boss. In the background, he could hear Naomi and Tanizaki giggling to themselves, amused.

“Quick, go left!” Naomi called out.

“No, right- go right!” Tanizaki added.

“Who are you two even talking to right now?” Dazai yelped, backing up towards the door as Atushi feigned a lunge forward. “Ahahahtsushi…”

“Coming around.” Yasano spoke from behind, her hands coming to his sides as she scooted. In that second, she pressed in sharply.

“EEHEE!” Dazai yelped, stumbling forward at the unexpected tickle. Right into Atsushi’s trap card.

“Thanks, Yasano!” The weretiger cheered as he quickly wrestled Dazai to the ground, quickly pinning his arms. “Mr. Kunikida-”

“On it.” The blonde was there in seconds, sitting on Dazai’s waist and rolling up his sleeves. “Not much luck hiding, was there?”

“Ahehehehehe, hehehehehahahha! Coohohme on- wahhahait! Thihihihs isn’t the mohohohost cohohoohmfortahhahable flohohoor!” Dazai giggled out his pleas, squirming some as he looked up with big eyes. “Spahahhare me?”

“Mr. Kunikida?” Atsushi asked, turning his attention to the other man.

“Hmm..” The blonde hummed, thinking. Dazai tried to smile.

“Get him.” He decided. Massive fail!

“Ehehehehhahahahaha! Whahahahit, wahhahahait pleahahhahahhahahse!” Dazai burst into giggles almost immediately, kicking his feet and laughing as Kunikida dug into his ribs. Above him, Atsushi grabbed both of his hands in one transformed paw; using his free one to slowly trace his tricep. “Aheahhhaha! Gheahahhaha! Nohohohoho! Nohohoho doohohn’t do thahahahhat!”

“Oo, he’s ticklish there?” Ranpo asked, now sitting on his desk. “I thought only Kenji was.”

“It’s not that rare of a spot. Tanizaki’s the same as well.” Yasano pointed out, earning a squeaky “Hey!” from the redhead. “Try his biceps too- he hates it when I examine them.”

“Yahahhasunohohoho don’t thehehell them thahahhhahahat!” Dazai’s complaints were quickly swept clean as Atsushi did just that- finding an even better reaction. “Aheahhahahaha!”

“So sensitive. It’s a wonder why you’d even try tickling others if this is your reaction.” Kunikida tsked gently as he moved up to his highest rib, prodding rapidly into the spot and making the other howl with mirth. “Atsushi- hold him tight.”

“What-Oh!” The weretiger yelped and scrambled his grip when Dazai suddenly shot his arms down, cheeks pink and head thrown back into Atsushi’s lap as the poet dug into his armpits. “Watch your head there, Dazai. You almost took out mine.”

“GEHAHAHAHAHHA! KUHUHUUHUNI PLEHAHAHAHHASE!” Dazai squealed, twisting and turning in their grip as his second worst spot was attacked. “IHIHIHIT TIHIHIHICKLES!”

“You don’t say?” The blonde growled, grinning at the squeaky wheeze the brunette let out. Having some mercy, he moved back to Dazai’s waist- a spot that wasn’t all that ticklish. “Are you not entertained?”

“Ehehe- aheahhahahhahaha! I meahahhan I ahahahm a lihihihiihittle!”

“He’s not fighting back, Mr. Kunikida.” Atsushi pointed out. Why he did so, he didn’t know. It was just odd how little Dazai was tugging at his wrists. “Maybe he’s getting tired?”

“No, he’s just enjoying himself.” Kunikida remarked. Such a simple comment, but it did wonders in flustering the man below them. Dazai let out a giggly whine and pressed his face into his arm, cheeks on fire and smile big.

Ah. Atsushi understood now. The running, the giggle fits, the lack of resistance.

This was Dazai’s plan all along.

In that case…

“Aww, is that right? Is it true you’re enjoying this, Dazai?” Atsushi cooed at him all sweetly, readjusting his grip once more so he could scribble against the back of Dazai’s ears- making him shrink up with a near silent laugh. “Is it true that you’re loving up tickling you? Huh? Huh?”

“Wow, he’s good at that.” Naomi mused from the background, Tanizaki and Yasano making noises of agreement. Kunikida even looked impressed.

“Are you gonna get back to work?” He asked. Dazai couldn’t speak, nodding rapidly.

“Should we let him go, sir?” Atsushi asked. The blonde thought about it some more.

“Yeah. Give him air. He might be a moron with a death wish, but he’s our moron with a death wish.” The tickles finally came to an end, leaving Dazai gasping for air and giggling softly. With no one holding him down, he was able to curl up, head against the cool leg of Ranpo’s desk. “Ehehehehe..ehhehehehehee…thahaht was fuhuhuhn..hehe..”

“Tch. Why did I know you’d say that?” Kunikida rolled his eyes without malice, heading back to his desk. “Get back to your desk once you’ve recovered. You still have paperwork to do-”

There was a flash. Dazai ran at him full speed; recovering rather quickly. Seconds later- Kunikida was face down on the ground, the brunette sitting on his hips. “Dazai! You son of a-”

“Atsushi.” That tone. Threatening and playful. The weretiger shivered all over. “I have all intended purposes of getting revenge for what you did to me. But I’m gonna make you a deal.”

Dazai turned to look back, brown eyes dark and dangerous and oh so daring. “Help me tickle Kuni, will you?”

Thanks for reading!

[callsign-dexter]

Love and Homemade Treats

Request: Hey could you do fluff Owen Strand x wife fem!reader from 9-1-1 Lone Star where she visit the station and she brought something homemade for all of them with their child? Just fluff and comfort. Tag me later! Thanks:))

Pairings: Owen Strand x Wife!Reader

Warnings: fluff

Masterlist

A/N: Thank you @pear-1206 for requesting this!

“Mommy! Daddy!” A tiny voice sounds through the early morning immediately waking you and your husband, Owen Strand, up. That tiny voice would belong to your and your husband's 4-year-old son, Dakota Strand. You and Owen had met through Grace and Judd Ryder and the both of you hit off pretty well. The two of you dated for about 2 years and then got married and have been married for 4 years. Owen’s son, TK Strand, and you hit it off pretty well. You treated him like a son and he treated you like a mother and he even started to call you mom and you were delighted. When you told them both that you were expecting they both were ecstatic and they treated you like a queen and still do. When you met Carlos Reyes, TK’s boyfriend, you didn’t judge them one bit and opened them with open arms, you even considered him a son. 

“Babe, our son is calling to us.” You said already starting to wake up and he groaned. 

“Who is taking this one?” Owen asked and you chuckled as he sat up and so did you.

“He called for both of us.” You said 

“Well then we better get going.” He said as he was starting to push the covers back and you did the same. 

“Mommy! Daddy!” Dakota said 

“We’re coming, Bud!” Owen said as the both of you walked out of the room and down the hall and to his room. When you got there, he was sitting up and tear tracks were running down his cheeks and your heart broke. 

“Kota, what’s wrong?” You asked coming over to sit on his bed and he crawled into your lap.

“I had a bad dream.” He said as he snuggled into your chest and you stroked his dark hair that he had got from his father, it was scary at how similar he looked to his father with almost no trace of you. Sometimes you were jealous but your husband was so good looking you didn’t mind it. You looked up at Owen and his face was one of sadness and worry. 

“What was it about?” Owen asked as he came to kneel in front of the two of you. 

“You and TK went into a building and you didn’t come out.” He said and your heart broke further.

“Oh, Bud. Your brother and I will always come back to you.” Owen said and he looked at him with his father’s eyes.

“Really?” He asked

“Really, they’re always super safe. You know why?” You asked and he looked up at you.

“Why, Momma?” He asked

“Because they love us and don’t want to leave us behind.” You said and sniffled and you wiped his eyes with your thumb. 

“I wanna see TK and Carlos.” He said and you chuckled and smiled and Owen smiled.

“How about we see them for lunch before they go to work?” You asked

“Ok!” Dakota said happily.

“You have a few more hours before having to get up. Do you want to sleep here or with us?” Owen asked, running a hand through his son’s hair.

“You.” He said sleepily and you smiled.

“We can certainly make that happen.” You said “Up we go.”  You said and started to stand up with him. You repositioned him to make it more comfortable on him and you. Dakota laid his head on your shoulder and started to fall back to sleep as you and Owen started the walk back to your room. Owen smiled at the sight. You sat down on the bed and laid your now sleeping child down on the bed in the middle as Owen went to his side and sat down and started to lay down. You made sure Dakota was comfortable and then you laid down. Owen and you both turned on your side to look at each other.

“This is the 4th night he has had this nightmare.” Owen whispered and you nodded.

“I know. I think there is something more to it.” You said and then yawned.

“We’ll figure it out now get some sleep. We’ll sort it out in the morning.” Owen said and you nodded.

“Sounds like a good plan.” You said and then you were closing your eyes and snuggling into your son. Owen stayed awake for a few minutes longer taking in the scene and thinking about how lucky he was to have you both, and TK as family. With those thoughts running through his head, he slipped off into sleep.

The next time you were waking up was when your alarm started to go off and you groaned and you quickly shut it off. You quickly noticed the lack of heat and little body that was snuggled into you all night and then when your hand met an empty bedside where your husband slept you weren’t too concerned. You knew Dakota was with his father and it only confirmed it when you started to smell something delicious coming from the kitchen that had you getting up and making your way there. When you got there your husband was standing behind your son as they stood over the stove, Owen making sure that Dakota didn't burn himself even if he did then he would be able to treat it. You smiled at the scene and thanked yourself for grabbing your phone before snapping pictures. “Do you think Mommy will like them?” Dakota asked and Owen smiled.

“I think anything you make for Mommy she's gonna love because she loves you.” He said and attacked him with kisses making him giggle a sound you both loved. 

“This is the sight I love to see.” You said and they both turned around.

“Mommy!” Dakota shrieked “Down, Daddy.” He said and Owen helped him down and he ran to you. He jumped and thankfully you had fast reflexes and caught him. 

“Hi, Baby. Are you helping daddy with breakfast?” You asked 

“Uh huh.” He said nodding.

“Actually, it's almost ready. Carlos and TK should be over here any minute now.” Owen said 

“Oh, I thought they were coming for lunch?” You asked

“They were but had something come up with afternoon and wanted to do breakfast.” Owen said

“Well, that's wonderful! I'm gonna go and get us ready for the day while you get everything ready.” You said

“Sounds wonderful.” He said and that's what you set out to do. Once you both were changed and teeth brushed there was a knock on the door and Dakota looked at you wide eyes.

“You know who that is?” You asked 

“Carlos and TK!” He shouted and then he was rushing off to the door with you not far behind. 

“Hey, no running.” Owen scolded as he got food onto plates.

“Sorry, Daddy.” He said as he reached the door and was about to open it before you stopped him.

“Hey, no opening the doors without one of us.” You said and he nodded and you grabbed the door handle and opened it. 

“TK! CARLOS!” He shouted and rushed to them and TK picked him up.

“There's my little buddy.” He said and hugged him. “Hi, mom.” He said looking at you and you smiled.

“Hi, Baby.” You said and hugged him as Dakota was passed to Carlos. 

“Hi, Mrs. Strand.” Carlos said as he hugged you as Dakota was quickly transferred to TK as he asked to be back in TK's who was heading into the kitchen with his little brother.

“Hi, Carlos. Please call me Y/N.” You said, chuckling as you released him.

“If you want.” He said smiling.

“Come on, the food is ready.” You said and then he was walking into the kitchen as you shut the door. You joined them in the kitchen. Dakota was talking TK's and Carlos’ ear off but they could care the least bit. Breakfast was eaten with some fun mixed in and many many laughs were thrown out. Carlos and TK stayed until they needed to leave which everyone was sad about but Dakota was the most upset about it, he loved his older brother even if they weren’t full brothers.

Lunch came and went and the rest of the time was spent with Owen cuddling his youngest son and cuddling you. You had him do some stuff that he needed to do that couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to do such as using the ladder. Yes, you were capable of using a ladder but Owen didn’t like it just because he wanted to keep you safe. Although you do get on there and he doesn’t know about it but what he doesn’t know what hurt him. Currently you were helping him pack his bag more like you were putting the clothes that Dakota was taking out back in. Dakota always struggled with his dad leaving but he usually got over it after a few hours he was gone. After about the fifth time Owen was getting frustrated. “Kota, daddy has to go to work.” He said.

“No, Daddy you stay.” He said looking up with puppy dog eyes and suddenly you knew it was because of the nightmare. So, you got to his level and made him look you in the eyes.

“Dakota, look at me.” You said and he did so.

“Daddy isn’t going to leave you neither is TK. They’re extra careful to come home to us. They have to go and save people’s lives. Ok, Baby?” You asked and he nodded and Owen got down to his level too.

“That’s right Buddy. We’ll always come home to you and Mommy.” Owen said and Dakota nodded.

“Ok.” He said and you both kissed him and got back to packing. Soon the packing was done with the help of Dakota instead of him disrupting the packing. Soon it was time for Owen to leave and after a very tearful goodbye from Dakota, Owen was kissing you and heading out the door. Dakota was still crying.

“Hey, it's ok. How about we call Daddy before you go to bed and we go see him tomorrow and bring him and TK some really tasty treats, hmmm?” You asked, looking at him and brushing his bangs to the side and wiping his eyes.

“Ok, Mommy.” He said and you smiled and kissed his forehead.

“Now what do you want to take to him and TK?” You asked, still holding him and walking into the living room.

“Pie. No cheesecake. No cookies!” He said and you chuckled.

“How about all three or we make the pie or cheesecake for us and send the cookies to them?” You asked 

“I like that idea, Mommy.” He said and you smiled and kissed his cheek.

“Very well then let’s get to it.” You said and set him down while you got all the ingredients. You and Dakota started to put ingredients together and soon after about 3 hours of baking you had everything baked and cooling down ready to be packaged to take to the firehouse tomorrow. “Alright, what do you want to eat?” You asked him already knowing the answer.

“Chicken nuggets and fries!” He said excitedly and you chuckled.

“Of course, how could I forget?” You asked not expecting an answer but got a giggle back. You turned to the stove and got the air fryer going “Hey, why don’t you go wash up and then go watch something?” You asked and he looked at you.

“Ok, Momma.” He said and scurried off while you started getting the fries and chicken nuggets out and waited for the oven to preheat before putting everything in and setting it for the time required. Soon you were hearing the TV turning on and some kids show queuing up. Soon the food was done and you were putting the food on plates and grabbing the ketchup and drinks and heading into the living room.

“We don’t tell daddy about this.” You said “It’s our secret.” You said and he nodded, taking it very seriously. 

“Our secret.” He said and then started to eat snuggling up against you. Soon you both were done eating and now it was time for him to start winding down and head off to bed. It wouldn’t take that long considering his eyes were already drooping. Your phone started to vibrate in your pocket and you got it and saw it was a facetime from Owen and you smiled and answered it. 

“Hey, Honey.” Owen said keeping his voice quiet and you could see he was in his office.

“Hey, Baby.” You replied

“Kota still up?” He asked 

“Barley.” You said and showed him his son.

“Hi, Buddy.” Owen said and that stirred him a little.

“Hi, Daddy.” He said in a sleepy quiet voice.

“Did you have a good day with your mom?” He asked and you nodded.

“We made sweets.” He said and rubbed his eye.

“You did? What kind?” Owen asked and Dakota looked at you.

“Strawberry cheesecake, apple pie, and chocolate chip peanut butter cookies.” You said

“Oh, I’m so jealous.” Owen said “I wish I was there to eat it all.” He said and Dakota chuckled and then yawned. “You get some sleep. I’ll see you in a few days. I love you.” He said.

“Love you too, Daddy.” He said and then you turned the phone to face you.

“Goodnight, Babe. We’re planning to make a trip up there at some point. You ok with that?” You asked 

“Always. Goodnight, Honey. I love you.” He said

“I love you too.” You said and then you both were hanging up the phone. You looked down and found Dakota sound asleep. 

“Out like a light.” You said and got up and carefully picked him up and walked him to his room and tucked him in and bent down and kissed his head. “Goodnight, Baby. I love you.” You said and made sure his night light was on and walked out of his room cracking his door. You went back to the living room and cleaned up and turned on a show that you had been watching and watched it until your eyes were drooping and you were headed to bed.

The next morning you were waking up to your son crawling into the bed with you. “Mommy?” He asked.

“Yes, Kota?” You asked

“We go and see Daddy and TK today?” He asked and you smiled and pushed the hair out of his eyes.

“Of course, Baby. Let’s get dressed and brush our teeth then we can pack up the sweets and head that way.” You said and he nodded and he was scrambling to get off your bed and do what he was told. You chuckled and shook your head and did the same. Once you were changed into jeans and one of Owen’s hoodies you went and checked on him and found him dressed similarly, jeans and a hoodie. “You ready?” You asked and he nodded and the both of you went into the kitchen and packed the food up and put it in a bag. You headed for the door with your bag and grabbed your purse and keys. “Remember to hold my hand while we are crossing the street and in crowded places.” You said and he nodded.

“I remember, Momma.” He said and you smiled. He was so much like his dad. You arrived at the elevator and let him press the button and it instantly opened and you both stepped in and let him press the button that you told him too. You quickly arrived at the lobby and you held out his hand for his and he took it. You walked out of the building and to your car you put the food beside his car seat and then strapped him in. You got in and turned the car on and headed off to the station. The car ride was filled with laughter and signing. When you arrived the firetruck and ambulance were just rolling in.

“Hey, there’s daddy.” You said and he looked out the window excitedly. He was always amazed by the firetrucks and ambulances. You parked the car beside Owen’s truck and waited until everyone was pulled in and out before you got out. Once they were in the garage you got out and saw Judd walking over. “Hey, Judd.” You said and smiled and started for Dakota’s door.

“Hey, Y/N. Need any help?” He asked and you smiled at him.

“Actually yes. I have some sweets beside his car seat. Do you mind grabbing it?” You asked

“Yes ma’am.” He said and opened the door.

“Judd!” Dakota shrieked as you opened the door and started to unbuckle him.

“Hey, Bud! How are you?” He asked

“Good! We’re seeing daddy.” He said and you chuckled and smiled.

“You are? I know he will be happy to see you.” He said as you finished getting him out and picking him up as Judd grabbed the bag and walked around the car after shutting the door and you locked the car. 

“Yea!” He shouted and the two of you started to walk in and he spotted TK. “TK!” He shouted and wiggled and you put him down and he ran to his big brother who easily caught him. You stared at the sight for a second smiling and then you and Judd walked over to the table and began to put the desserts on the table. A pair of arms slinked around your waist. 

“Fancy seeing you here.” Owen said and you smiled.

“I told you that we would be coming to see you.” You said as you turned around in his arms and the others gathered around. 

“Daddy!” Dakota shouted and that made him turn around and come face to face with TK holding Dakota and he reached for him and he took him. 

“Hi, Buddy.” He said and he wrapped his little arms around his father’s neck.

“I heard desserts were brought.” Mateo said and you chuckled.

“That would be correct. We have strawberry cheesecake, apple pie, and chocolate chip peanut butter cookies.” You said 

“Marry me.” Matteo said and everyone laughed.

“Sorry, she’s already taken.” Owen said and everyone laughed again.

“Dig in!” You said and everyone did as you stood back with Owen and your son as you watched your other children fulfill themselves on the desserts.

“How did I get so lucky to have you two in my life?” Owen said and you chuckled and kissed his cheek.

“Thank Grace for that.” You said and he chuckled.

“Hey, Dakota, do you want some?” Marjan asked, looking over at him.

“Can I, Daddy?” Dakota asked

“If it is ok with your mom.” He said 

“It’s alright with me.” You said 

“Yay!” Dakota shouted and then Owen was walking over to the table. You smiled looking at the scene. TK walked over and stood next to you holding two plates with a slice of apple pie and handed one to you. 

“Thank you.” You said

“You’re welcome. So, what made you decide to come down?” He asked

“Well, a little someone wanted to see his daddy and big brother.” You said and TK smiled.

“He’s such a good kid.” He said and you smiled.

“He is and so are you.” You said bringing an arm to pull him in a side hug and he smiled and laid his head on your shoulder.

“Thanks, Mom.” He said and you kissed his head.

“You’re welcome.” You said and then he was getting called away leaving you to stare ahead smiling while you ate your pie. 

You don’t know how you got so lucky but you were glad you did. You got a good husband, two good sons and a lot of extended family, who act like kids sometimes but you wouldn’t trade them for anything or ask for anyone better. You were happy with your family.

Tag list:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx2021

@grandstrangerphantom

@angenu01-blog

@talesofreading

@callsign-revenge

[melrodrigo]

Tardy, part 6

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | part 10 | part 11

Tara Carpenter x Fem!Reader

Summary: You’ve been brutally stabbed, who can you trust?

Warnings: Angst, Violence, Mentions of Violence, Slight Gore, Language, Some fluff

Word Count: 2.5k

A/N: More….more angst. (But dw it’s getting better) This one’s for paige and cutie anon :)) I wanna know what y’all think, who’s ghostface??

Ethan looks beat up. He stands in front of you, eyes wide; mouth slightly open.

Where did he come from?

You don’t have the time to make the decision if he’s Ghostface or not, so you assume the worst. You half contemplate making a run for it, maybe you’ll get far enough away that you lose him.

It would never work, you’re aware of that. You’re extremely wounded, he’d catch up to you in a minute.

There’s no way he could’ve attacked you on the balcony, slipped out the robe, and gotten in front of the pub so quick…right?

His eyes fly down to your shoulder, and now his mouth drops open fully.

“YN! Are you alright? I tried to find you as fast as possible, but Ghostface attacked me-“ He stops, catching his breath. “And I- I got away but jesus lord this hurts.”

He points to his thigh, and that’s when you notice the gash; all red and oozing.

He has an attack mark, okay; you think.

But he could’ve easily done it to fake you out. The other part of you thinks.

It wasn’t an outlandish theory, plenty of Ghostface’s before have.

You eye him up and down.

“How did you find me? What the fuck are you doing here?” You question, accusatory tone in your voice.

He looks taken aback, obviously not expecting you to accuse him of being Ghostface.

But then his gaze turns cold, and you realize you’ve never seen the boy angry before.

“Are you kidding me? I came here to look for you, like I said. Your location was on, we have each other on find my friends; don’t you remember? Are you seriously considering me as Ghostface right now?”

You bite back an insult, really study his face. He doesn’t look like he’s lying, but that doesn’t really reassure you.

It’s a race between your head and your heart, and you curse; shaking your head.

The blood you’re losing is starting to take a toll on your critical thinking skills, and you can feel the haze start to take over.

You figure it wouldn’t hurt to have a suspect with you right now, if he tried anything you wouldn’t hesitate to slit his throat.

“Can we talk about this later?” You grit, “I’m kind of dying over here.”

His eyes soften a bit, and you can see the split decision he makes.

“Come on, let’s go back to the apartment.” He urges, signaling you to his car.

You stare at him sharply.

“The apartment? What the fuck are we going to do there? Let’s go to the hospital.” You say.

He shakes his head once, then twice.

“No. Tara would kill me if I don’t get you back in like 10 minutes. Anika’s a nursing major, she’ll fix you up.” He says, helping you up into his car; staining the seat with the amount of blood pooling from you.

You open your mouth to argue, but find you can’t speak. The haze has gotten really bad, and your vision’s starting to blur.

“YN? Stop, stay awake first. Just a few minutes. Keep your eyes open.” You hear faintly, along with the sound of the car speeding through the street.

My eyes….huh, they won’t open. You try to tell Ethan you can’t hold on any longer, but everything turns black as you do.

-

You don’t wake till hours later, propped up on the couch in the apartment; blinking at the bright lights in front of you.

“Oh christ.” You mumble as you try and sit up, but feel your stomach constrict painfully.

“Don’t move.” You hear from beside you, and your eyes shoot to the person sitting next to you; hand on your arm.

It’s Tara, and it only takes you a second to notice the fire in her eyes from before is gone. Nobody else is there in the room, just her and you.

You feel yourself relax a little, tilting your head back up to the ceiling.

It’s silent for a good minute until Tara shifts in her seat, and you can almost feel the hesitance radiating off her.

“What were you thinking? Going off alone, you could’ve been seriously hurt. Hell, you are seriously hurt!” She hisses, and you roll over; scrunch your eyebrows together at her.

It’s infuriating, that she thinks she has the right to be mad at you. After what happened last night? The audacity.

It’s petty, but you don’t care. You want to piss her off.

“Why do you care? I thought you weren’t my girlfriend anymore.” You say, hotly.

Tara’s taken by surprise at your statement, mouth opening and closing; gaping like a fish.

She finally opens it to speak after a few seconds. There’s still irritation in her voice, but it’s lessened almost insurmountably.

“Well, I still care about my friends-“ She starts but you silence her with a finger pressed to her lips.

It’s hard to stop you from speaking now, you’ve spent the last few days stirring and collecting your thoughts.

“Do you really think you can call me your friend after that? Do you treat your friends like you treated me?” You question, and swipe your finger against her lips.

She shivers a little underneath your touch, and sinks timidly onto the floor.

“YN, look I’m sorry. I believe you now.” She mumbles, fidgeting with her fingers.

“Too little too late Tara.” And you sink back into the couch; looking away from the brunette.

You’re butthurt, you’re aware of it; but you still want to make Tara pay a little.

“What can I do, to make it up to you?“ She asks, gingerly placing her hand on yours again.

You retract quickly. You don’t miss the flash of hurt that passes through her features.

You feel your defenses breaking a bit.

“Just give it time, Tara. I want to be left alone.” You sigh, shooting her a final look that screams ‘please just leave’.

She seems to understand, because she gets up immediately and walks away.

You try and quell the pit of regret in your stomach the minute she leaves. After everything, you still miss her. You curse yourself silently.

There’s hushed voices from around the corner that Tara’s just turned. You strain your ears, and you recognize both people speaking immediately.

“Tara where are her parents? Why aren’t we calling them?” Ethan questions; and you can picture his tight brows and unsure stance.

“Her mom’s all the way back in California, and she’s never told me about her dad.” Tara says, ���We shouldn’t worry her, YN wouldn’t want that.”

You clench your eyes shut, rub your head in hopes of relieving some tension. Your parents were always a touchy subject, and never failed to give you a headache.

You tune their conversation out after that, try to fall asleep and lessen the aching pain in your lower stomach.

-

You get a good 3 hours in before you’re waking up again, hand clutching the skin beside your wound.

It’s searing, and you need to relieve it now. You’re so caught up in the pain you don’t see the shifting figure across the room.

There’s a shuffling sound somewhere around the room, and you tilt your head to the side; trying to see the person.

It’s Tara, and she’s getting up quickly; moving almost like she’s been caught. She avoids your gaze as she leaves.

You sigh. Bite back your pride as you ask her.

“Wait- Tara could you grab me the ice pack from the fridge?”

She turns around immediately, face lighting up. You pretend not to see.

She walks to the fridge, grabs the ice pack from the freezer and holds it between her hands. It looks huge in comparison to her fingers.

She’s fidgeting with it, the coldness painting the tips of her fingers a slight purple.

It’s kind of cute.

She walks over, footsteps light; and lingers in front of you.

She’s so hesitant with you now you sort of feel bad. Maybe you shouldn’t have been too harsh.

“Come here, what are you waiting for?” You inquire, patting the spot beside you.

She sits and reaches down to your shirt; but she catches herself before she can pull it up; looking at you with searching eyes.

You nod.

She seems to take that as a good enough answer because she pulls it up just enough to show your wound, and she’s wincing at the sight of it.

“Jesus, does it hurt?” She asks, devastated look in her eyes. You look away before you say anything stupid.

“First of all, my name is YN. Second, a little bit.” You say, voice tight.

Shit, that’s a stupid joke.

She ignores your statement and focuses on the wound.

“Oh god, how do I do this? I should’ve asked Anika to come look after you.” She rambles, head swishing back like she’s about to bolt out the room.

You bring up an arm to stop her, ignoring the sharp pain and making her look at you.

“I want you to do it. Here, I’ll help.” You say, hesitating when you remember you don’t know where to put it either.

Obviously she shouldn’t press it right on the wound, you know that. You settle for the area around the wound; the part that’s already turning green and purple.

You’re still touching her hand when you guide her. She’s breathing a little heavy; cheeks tinted the faintest red.

Her touch is so gentle, it makes you swallow nervously. Everything suddenly feels very intimate.

No, how were you breaking already? You literally just told her you needed time.

The look in her eyes as she presses the ice to you makes you think she’s feeling the same way. Avoiding your eyes, gingerly placing her fingers on your skin.

You close your eyes, but Tara must think you’ve gone to sleep, because a few moments later you hear her mutter under her breath.

“I’m so sorry.”

-

You know what people don’t tell you about being brutally stabbed? It’s boring as hell.

It’s been a couple of days, and you can still barely move anywhere; in fact, you think it might be getting worse.

Anika’s come in to check on you every few hours, taking care of the wound and giving you antibiotics. You’re not really sure if she’s qualified to do that, but you shrug it off.

You start conversations and send sweet smiles to her as often as you can, trying to show her you’re grateful for everything she’s doing.

“Oh hush, of course I’ll help a friend in need.” She said once during a new wrap up of your wound, where you’d tried to express how thankful you were.

The rest of the group seems to be feeling guilty for it too, and they’re trying to help; you can see it.

Mindy visits sometimes and tells jokes, sometimes discusses her theories about who ghostface is with you. She’s surprisingly very funny, and you wonder why you haven’t talked more before.

Chad doesn’t really say much, but he buys you snacks and once a bouquet of flowers; handing them over with a shy smile.

Ethan’s ethan. He visits every day, cracks lame jokes. Shows you the latest updates on the game he’s been obsessed with.

And Tara, sweet Tara. She sticks by your side all day and night, but always leaves enough space for you to feel comfortable. Her usual spot is on the armchair across from you, and you’ve caught her staring at you more times than she cares to admit.

Everything’s changed, including your feelings toward her. Your heart swells whenever she asks if you need anything, or checks up on your temperature hourly. You have to fight the urge to pull her down and kiss her as she’s taking a wet towel and wiping your forehead.

But you don’t utter a word, because the damage has been done, and you don’t want to confuse her more than you already have.

The only member of the group to not check up on you yet is Sam, which is understandable. It’s not like you and Sam have a sweet sister-like bond.

But today, when the front door opens and you call out for Tara; Sam enters the room instead.

She doesn’t say anything as she grabs a chair and comes to sit beside you; or more so in front of you.

You try to sit up, but it’s still excruciatingly painful to; so you settle for rolling on your side and making eye contact with the older woman.

“Um, sorry for not coming to check up on you earlier. I wasn’t sure what to say, and I think the rest of the group has it covered.” She says.

You stay quiet as she finds more things to say.

“Are you and Tara alright? I know things were a little tense after the whole DNA debacle.”

You can’t help but snicker.

“Tense is one way to put it.”

“I’m also sorry for not believing you earlier,” She grits, like saying sorry to you is the hardest thing in the world. “I shouldn’t have judged you so hard, because well; you’re obviously not Ghostface.”

She gestures to the 5-inch stab wound.

You grimace, pursing your lips.

“I’m sorry too,” You start, “For bringing Tara up on the roof that day, it was a dangerous thing to do; and Tara could’ve been seriously hurt. God I don’t know what I’d do if Tara had been stabbed that day.” You add the last bit as an afterthought, not really meaning to say it to Sam.

She looks thoughtful as she speaks again, slowly.

“I know we’ve had our fair share of differences, but I can tell Tara loves you. I mean, she practically begged me not to tell the others about the dna.”

You raise your eyebrows, obviously not expecting Sam to admit something like that.

“I’m not exactly sure what she sees in you, but if you make her happy; then I guess I can tolerate you.” She finishes, and for the first time since meeting her; she looks kind.

You know how hard it is for Sam to open up to someone, you’ve heard all about it from Tara. The fact that she’s bringing her defenses down and admitting she’s wrong makes you beam.

“Plus, you aren’t that bad of a fighter; are you? Ethan’s been bragging that his best friend sucker punched Ghostface after getting stabbed.” And you see the ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

It’s gone as fast as it appears, because now Sam’s leaning in, whispering to you even though you’re the only two people in the room.

“Someone’s setting us up.” She says, “It has to be someone from within our friend group.”

She looks small, hunched over with worry swimming in her eyes. You briefly consider taking her hand in comfort; but think better of it.

“Sam,” You say, voice stern. “Whoever this Ghostface is, we’ll find them. And then we’ll kill them together, for Tara.”

Determination runs through your voice, and it must break Sam out of whatever overthinking she’s doing.

She nods, and you guys share a moment of understanding.

“Together. Let’s kill this son of a bitch.”

[ilovebubblegum]

I’m Sorry (Joel Miller X Reader)

Pairing: no-outbreak!joel miller x f!reader

Warnings: car accident, miscarriages (let me know if i missed any)

Summary (Series): reader as Joel’s neighbor. Joel’s wife left him so Joel asked his neighbor for help in babysitting Sarah. 

Words count: 1.7k

A/N: I’m trying to make this as a rom-com, hope you like my new series! This is part 15 of Where It All Starts. But it can also be read as a standalone. I'm so grateful for all of you! Thank you for your comments, reblogs, and likes ❤️ There are still more chapters for this series so stay tuned! Love you!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Epilogue

“Should we go to my parents house this weekend and tell them?” You were sitting on the exam bed while waiting for the doctor to print your sonogram picture.

“Yeah, that’s a great idea.” Joel nodded.

“Sorry it took so long. Here, I printed five for you. And don’t forget to get the vitamins at the pharmacy before you leave.” The doctor passed you the sonogram pictures and a prescription.

“Thank you, doc.” You and Joel thanked her.

“You’re welcome. I’ll see you on our next appointment.” She smiled.

“Do you want to wait here and sit while I get this?” Joel raised the prescription. 

“I’ll come with you.” You linked your arms to Joel’s.

“Hi, Joel.” A familiar woman and man stopped in front of the two of you.

Joel sighed. He didn’t expect to meet his ex-wife and her boyfriend again. At the obgyn in all of the places? 

“Hi.” You greeted them with a forced smile.

“Congratulations to both of you.” She pointed at the sonogram picture in Joel’s hand.

“Thank you.” You looked at her while you rubbed Joel’s arms.

“Congratulations to you too.” You pointed your eyes to her protruding belly.

Joel’s ex-wife was pregnant with her current boyfriend. She was bigger than you so it was obvious.

“I hope you’ll be a good mom this time.” Joel sarcastically said to his ex-wife. 

Even though it had been a few years, he was still hurt by her and he still hated her. He could never forgive her for what she had done. She failed her daughter but why did God give her a second chance to be a mother? He wondered. Life was not fair.

“It’s okay.” She grabbed her boyfriend's wrist as he stepped forward to Joel almost starting a fight.

“I will, Joel. I’m sorry. I hope to see Sarah sometime.” She brought up Sarah.

Joel groaned and rolled his eyes. You rubbed his arms with your thumb to calm him.

“Sure, we can set a time.” You smiled at her.

Joel turned his head to you and widened his eyes. He wanted to make his ex wife suffer by not allowing her to meet her daughter. 

“Thank you, (y/n). I hope you and your baby are healthy.” She put her hands on your upper arm.

“You too.” You smiled and parted ways.

In the car

“You okay, there?” You asked Joel as he was quiet since your meeting with his ex-wife.

He stayed quiet, not answering you.

“Joel, baby?” You called him.

He only hummed and looked straight while driving.

“I get it. You’re mad at me.” You nodded, holding the seatbelt on your chest.

“Yes, I’m mad at you. What the fuck was that?!” He raised his voice.

You trembled. Hands gripping your seatbelt tighter.

“You’ll let her see Sarah?!” He hit the steering wheel.

“I’m sorry. I just thought-I’m pregnant now and I know how a mother is connected to her baby. She grew Sarah inside her for 9 months, Joel.” You started sobbing.

“Don’t you dare cry now.” Joel growled.

“Joel, please. I’m sorry.” You cried.

“Fine, I’ll call her and tell her she can’t see Sarah anymore. If that’s what you want.” You took out your phone.

“Don’t.” Joel started driving faster.

“What do I do? What do you want me to do?” You sobbed.

Joel cleared his throat and didn’t answer you.

“Joel! Slow down! You’re gonna get us killed!” You screamed.

He kept on pressing the gas pedal and speeding up.

“Joel! Please! Stop the car! Stop it!” You cried as you screamed.

Joel hit the brake suddenly as he saw the red light. You panted as the car stopped so suddenly. Then the light turned green and Joel pressed on the gas pedal again.

"Baby, I'm sor-" Joel didn't finish his sentence. 

*car crash*

A speeding car suddenly crashed from the left side. Joel’s reflex tried his best to turn the car avoiding the crash but the car turned in circles. You screamed as the car turned. Your hand instinctively wrapped around your belly protecting your baby inside your belly. You hit your head as the car crashed. You and Joel blacked out for a moment. 

“Baby..” Joel opened his eyes and groaned at the pain. 

Joel turned his head to you but you were unconscious. He panicked and hurriedly took off his seatbelt. He was shaking.

“Baby, can you hear me?” His bloody hands cupped your cheeks.

“Baby, open your eyes. Open your eyes for me, baby, please.” Joel tapped your cheeks with his palms and sobbed.

Your ears were ringing and your vision was blurry. You blinked your eyes a few times as you heard his voice. All you could see was him, blood and pieces of glass everywhere.

“Where are you hurt?” Joel looked up and down to your body.

“J-joel..” You called his name.

“Baby, you hurt? Tell me.” He cupped your cheeks.

“Wait here. I’ll get you out.” Joel immediately got out of the car and ran to your side. 

He was in pain but he ignored it. Your safety was his priority. You were more important than him. 

“Come here, put your arms around me. I got you, baby. I got you.” Joel put his arms around you to help you out ignoring his pain.

“J-joel. I’m in pain.” You shakily put your hand on your abdomen and squeezed it.

“I know, I know. I need to get you out first. Come on.” Joel tried to lift you.

“Joel, the baby.. I can’t lose the baby.” You cried as you felt warm liquid flowing to your thigh.

“Shit.” Joel looked down to your skirt and saw blood.

“Joel..” You cried looking through his eyes.

“Eyes on me, baby. Eyes on me. Don’t look down.” He tried not to panic so you didn’t panic.

“Joel, everything hurts..” You cried on his shoulder as he dragged you out of the car. 

“Somebody call the ambulance!” Joel shouted.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry.” Joel cradled your head as he laid you on the ground.

Thankfully, a stranger called an ambulance and they came right away. The paramedic laid you on the wheeled stretcher and Joel’s heart broke. He blamed himself. He didn’t know what he should do. He followed you inside the ambulance and held your hand throughout the way to the hospital. You squeezed his hand in pain and he brought your hand to his lips.

“Please help my wife. She’s pregnant.” Joel begged the nurse as she brought you inside.

“Sir, you need to get treated too.” The nurse invited him to the examination bed to get treated.

Joel’s head was bleeding. His bones probably dislocated or fractured but he didn’t care. His focus was only you. He felt extremely guilty and his chest hurt. 

“Sir, we’re sending your wife to the operating room. It’s best if you get treated while you wait.” The nurse repeated again.

“Save her, please.” Joel sobbed. 

“We’ll try our best.” The nurse smiled.

Then Joel followed the nurse and got treated. He called Tommy to watch Sarah for a while but he told him not to tell Sarah what happened. Then he waited for a few hours and shook his legs in anxiety. Joel stood up right away when you were brought out from the operating room.

“How is she?” Joel asked the doctor with his casted arm.

“Sir, I’m so sorry for your loss. We couldn’t save your baby. And your wife needs a lot of rest. We need you to stay strong for her.” The doctor felt bad for telling Joel such bad news.

Joel cried as he looked at your weak body laying on the hospital bed. The nurses pushed your bed to your room while Joel followed beside you. Joel stayed beside you all the time when you were still sleeping because of the drugs.  He slept resting his head on the bed beside you, holding your hand, never letting you go. In his mind, he kept thinking how he would tell you when you regain your consciousness.

“Joel?” You whispered as you opened your eyes a little.

Joel raised his head right away when he heard you call his name.

“Hey, I’m here, baby. I’m here.” Joel stroked your head.

“Where am I?” You tried to remember what happened and your head hurts.

“You’re in the hospital. We got into a car accident.” He explained the main points.

“My head hurts.” You put your hand on your head then your stomach.

“Joel- The baby. Please, tell me it’s okay.” You started panting as you panicked.

“Baby-I-” Joel couldn’t find his words.

“Joel-please-” You sobbed.

“I-I’m sorry.” He cried.

“Joel! No! Please!” You cried gripping his shirt.

“I’m sorry, baby. It was my fault. I’m sorry.” He cried and buried your head to his chest hugging you tight.

You cried so loud. Your tears wet his shirt. You didn’t expect this would happen. 

“Bring him back! Bring him back, please!” You screamed and tried to get out of the bed looking for the doctors.

You used him for your unborn child because you could feel it would be a boy. But now he’s gone. Your baby boy was gone. Your heart was shredded into pieces at the fact you couldn’t protect your baby.

“Baby, you need to lay down. You need rest.” Joel held you from standing up.

“Don’t touch me!” You threw his hand away from you.

“It’s all your fault! None of this would happen if you didn’t speed up!” You yelled at him. Tears falling down your cheeks.

“I hate you! I hate you! And I hate myself!” You took off the IV needle that was inserted on the back of your hand and stood up.

The nurses came inside as you tried to leave the room. They held you and put you back to your bed. Your heart rate was rising and they decided to give you sedatives to calm you down. Joel cried as he saw you like that. He was guilt-ridden and helpless. He never wanted to hurt you and now you hate him. 

To be continued…

A/N: I wasn’t planning about this but when I was writing for this chapter my hands kept typing it this way. I don’t know if you like it but I hope you like it!! ❤️

Taglist:

@lovelyygirl8 @skysmiller @moonlightdivine @crocodiile @angie2274 @pulchritudinousrogers @peqchsoup @msecho19 @happinessinthebeing @nyotamalfoy @nakedmoondiaries @dzaga890 @pa1g3-t0mm0 @prettysbliss @wanniiieeee @one-sweet-gubler @x-ap0llo-x @feministfanboi @ordinarylokix @afterglowsb-tch13 @padgraysonssram8re @tomorrowseverything @hummusxx @iranispunk @mrsyixingunicorn10 @likeanimagepassingby2 @mediocrewallflow3r @pedr0swh0r3 @mxtokko @dorck26 @cascactus28 @cheyxfu @stupidthoughtsinwriting @undermoonlightwalk @bigmoodyjoody @humanbug @sarahhxx03 @krisviciousx @quixscentsposts @dgct2 @dgraysonss @heybabyshae @fluffyspaceprincess @toottmblr @avengersfan25 @xixxala @dianaffddz @onzayhe @violetwitchmcu @welcometomyworldwithoutrules @kelh27

[wen-kexing-apologist]

Bengiyo's Queer Cinema Syllabus

For those of you who don’t know, I decided to run the gauntlet of @bengiyo’s queer cinema syllabus, which is comprised of 9 units. I have completed four of the units (here is my queer cinema syllabus round up post with all the films I’ve watched and written about so far). It is time for me to make my way through Unit 5- Lesbians, which includes the following films: The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995), Bound (1996), Water Lilies (2007)[finally got my hands on this one but I still need to watch it], Saving Face (2004), D.E.B.S. (2004), Set It Off (1996), The Handmaiden (2016), Carol (2015), Imagine Me and You (2005), Two of Us (2019), Rafiki (2018), and The Color Purple (1985). 

Today I will be watching

Imagine Me & You (2005) dir. Ol Parker

Summary: A newlywed bride becomes infatuated with another woman who questions her sexual orientation, promoting a stir among the bride's family and friends.

Cast: - Piper Parebo as Rachel - Lena Headey as Luce

___

THIS SHIT WAS CUTE! I have never seen it before, despite seeing the cover for this film for years of my life. I expected it to be your standard romcom, and for the most part it was but to be quite honest, I was kind of surprised that they made Heck a genuinely good guy and therefore complicating the decision for Rachel to leave. 

It’s strange for me in that this is the queer cinema syllabus, right? So you would think that I would focus more on the queer aspect of this story than anything else. Except, I kept getting hung up on how much I genuinely loved the portrayal of domesticity between Heck and Rachel. They made, to me, a believably happily married couple at the beginning, with her doing her makeup in the bathroom while Heck is peeing, them being in bed together passing sections of the newspaper back and forth, and honestly even with Heck not being concerned at all about Rachel renting a porn film and being genuinely interested and excited to sit down and watch it with her. Obviously for him, he thinks it’s more foreplay in to sex rather than Rachel exploring her own sexuality, but regardless I really liked those little moments. 

Sure, Cooper is kind of a dick, and that at first would leave me to believe that Heck is kind of a dick. But he genuinely loves Rachel, and I did not expect to be so surprised that he knew that her favorite flowers were lilies (maybe that’s unfair towards heterosexual men in romcoms on my part but) and that he never really thought about the fact that Luce might be in love with Rachel. Which I also appreciate from the perspective of, say, Cooper who immediately figures it out and goes to harass Luce about it. 

I love the little romance moments between Luce and Rachel, the way Rachel is thinking about touching Luce during the school presentation, and the way that she responds to Luce touching her diaphragm during the football/soccer game. I like that it is Rachel that makes the decision to initiate the kiss, and I understand why after listening to the conversation that Luce and Heck have that she would want to cut off contact with Luce and try to maintain the life that she has with Heck. Heck and Rachel both have a lot to lose, and Rachel and Luce both know that there is a really wonderful guy here that they are or will be hurting by following their feelings. 

I was really happy that Heck decided the right thing to do was to let Rachel go. I’m glad that we got that little epilogue during the credits to see that he will in fact meet someone else, and that Rachel and Luce are still happy. 

And also, in a kind of tangent, I wanted to commend the writing of the parents in this film. The way all three of them were written made the personalities of the children (meaning Rachel, H, and Luce) very identifiable and their connection to each other believable. I loved the honesty that Rachel’s dad spoke with and the way that Rachel’s mom looked genuinely surprised and hurt that her husband felt like she was just tolerating him and that she would leave him the second she found a better offer. 

And shout out to city living for inventing traffic and making sure that Luce couldn’t run away. 

Favorite Moment 

My favorite moment is honestly when H goes by herself to check on Heck and make sure that he is doing okay. That she sits there with him, and lets him cry, and brings him candy is such a lovely, caring thing to do and I appreciate that she recognized that in all the excitement to get Rachel to reunite with Luce that H was probably hurting and needing people in his corner too. I think it speaks a lot to the way they wrote H’s character too, that she is a little girl who asks too many questions despite knowing that her family gets annoyed at everything she wants to know and who is pawned off to Luce the second that Luce humors any question that makes her the exactly correct character to think about the forgotten person in all of this.

Favorite Quote 

“Don’t forget me.”  “I won’t remember anything else.” 

Such a tragic fucking line. 

Score 

8.5/10

I do not have any major complaints about this film. Sure there was homophobia written in it but that was definitely and obviously intentional and also I loved how the different moments of intimacy were interrupted. First by Michael and Michael which…lmfao of course. Secondly by rose thorns to the ass because what else do you think is going to happen when you make out in a flower shop? Also, I know I keep saying names of actresses and stuff but like…thank you to the casting director for making sure that there is at least one film out there with Lena Headey being gay as hell.

[beneathstarryskies]

Can I please request FWB #9 with Nanami Kento? Can he be the one to say the "unlove" part?

Warnings: angsty angst angst, no happy ending here

9. “We promised each other that this wouldn’t happen.” “Yeah, but it’s happened. What do you want me to do about it? I can’t just un-love you.”

It had started with the simplest of intentions. The two of you were going through a dry spell in your respective love lives, and came to the decision there was no harm in two friends blowing off a little steam together. It was fun at first; so deliciously easy to give in to your shared desire. You’d always loved hanging out with Kento, and now the added bonus of sex was just mindblowing. He was good, easily the best you’d ever had. 

It had also come with one practical stipulation, which to your surprise was brought up by Kento. 

“We can’t fall in love,” he said simply. 

He didn’t have to list the reasons, because you knew why. His life was dangerous, although he couldn’t tell you the truth as to why you’d seen him beat up enough to know he was involved in something shady. He couldn’t afford to drag anyone else into danger. There was also the fact that neither of you had much luck with relationships, and the pessimists in you couldn’t see that changing. The idea of losing one another forever if things didn’t work out was beyond painful, therefore it seemed pragmatic to eliminate the possibility completely. 

When Kento had shown up to your apartment unannounced, you weren’t upset by it at all. Although you were surprised considering when you texted him to propose another session of “blowing off steam” he’d declined. Still, seeing him always brought butterflies to your stomach, even more so now that you know how tender his calloused hands could be on your skin and how eager he was to hear you moaning with pleasure. 

What you hadn’t expected was for him to sit down on your couch with his eyes cast on the floor, the bags underneath making him appear weathered in a way that made you want to settle on his lap and run your fingers through his hair while promising him that everything would be okay. 

“I can’t do this anymore,” he said quietly, the raspiness of his voice betraying the glasses of whiskey he’d drank before coming over. 

“What do you mean?” you cross your arms over your chest instinctively to protect yourself from crumbling. Why would he say this? Is there someone else? 

“Just what I said,” he pinches the bridge of his nose. “I still want to be friends, but I can’t…” 

“Fuck me anymore?” 

“R-right,” he stutters. 

Usual Kento, so direct and efficient. Yet you couldn’t fight your softer, more emotional nature. 

“Did you meet someone?” 

Kento’s head raises slightly but he can’t bring himself to look at you. 

“No, it’s you. It’s always been you. I — fuck — I love you, okay?” 

“You…Love me?” you swallow hard, fighting between elation and fear. “But we promised each other this wouldn’t happen.” 

Kento sighs softly, his large hands clenching into fists, “Yeah, but it’s happened. What do you want me to do about it? I can’t just un-love you.”

“S-so…What does this mean? We can’t be friends anymore?” 

He shakes his head, “I don’t want that at all. I need you in my life. You’re the only thing—” he trails off, fearing saying too much and driving a wedge even deeper between you. 

“And you still don’t want to try being together?” you say quietly, hoping he’ll say yes but already anticipating the rejection. 

“I can’t, you know I can’t. Not right now.” 

“Then when?” 

“I don’t know, okay?” 

“What if I love you too?” 

“Don’t say that,” he places his hands over his eyes, his breaths growing shaky. “Please just don’t fucking say that.” 

You open your mouth to say the words, but they catch in your throat when you see his shoulders shaking. The tension in your body releases when you realize he’s crying. In all your years of closeness, you’ve never seen him cry. 

You approach him slowly, and place your hands on his shoulders. He grabs your waist, burying his face against your stomach as he cries into your shirt. He clings to you like his life depends on it, drawing you closer and closer until you’re lost in a familiar embrace of passion. 

When you wake up the next morning, you’re alone.