#i keep meeting new coworkers and im like okay let’s be normal this time and then i always end up fucking it up somehow

[samandcheesewinchesterr]

being a guy that is gay or trans or autistic makes it incredibly hard to make and maintain friendships with other guys and being all three makes it damn near impossible

[illdowhatiwantthanks]

Not really a request, at least not a super detailed one but, anything with Rosa Diaz x autistic reader would be amazing!!

Maybe R drops off some lunch or something for rosa and meets the rest of the squad or smth?

In general i am in love with your autistic!reader fics. Im currently in the process of being diagnosed with autism, and its just really rather comforting to see myself in a reader insert

-Ara

Hey, Ara! 🥰 So glad you enjoy the autistic!reader fics! They are some of my favorites to write. I was just diagnosed about a year ago, so it's still new-ish for me, but I also find a lot of comfort in the autistic reader inserts. Hope this is what you're looking for, and best of luck with your diagnosis process! Feel free to reach out if you need a fellow autistic pal to talk through stuff with! 💕 –illdowhatiwantthanks

A Little Lunch

Rosa Diaz x autistic!fem!reader Warnings: explicit language, overstimulation (the autism kind), established relationship (let me know if I missed anything!) Word count: 1.4k

Summary: People aren't your forte, but you told your girlfriend you'd have lunch with her at the precinct, and so you will. And it goes... surprisingly better than expected.

You took a few deep breaths outside the precinct door, sandwiches from Rosa’s favorite shop in hand. You’d never visited her at work before, never met her coworkers. People weren’t your strong suit. But Rosa had asked you. She didn’t ask you for much. She liked to keep her work life separate from her personal life, for the most part. And the fact that she wanted you to meet her squad? Well, you couldn’t let her down. You wouldn’t.

The overhead lights were bright, and the general office noise was overwhelming when you stepped inside. You lurked in a corner, trying to acclimate yourself, trying to survey the room and find Rosa and calm yourself down so you could have a nice, normal lunch with your girlfriend.

You jumped a bit as a woman in a rolling chair slid in front of you, hands pressed together over her waist.

“Is that my Panera?” she said, staring at the bag in your hands.

“Uh… no.”

The woman stared at you for a moment, and you shuffled uncomfortably under her gaze and felt the need to provide a reason for your presence.

“I’m, uh… I’m here to see Rosa. Diaz. She's a detective. Do you know where she is?”

The woman’s face lit up. “Ohhhh… interesting. Did she order Panera, too? Great minds.” She held out your hand for you to shake, so you did. “Gina Linetti,” she told you. “Dancer, secretary, genius.”

“Gina, stop tormenting my girlfriend!”

You’d know that voice anywhere. You visibly relaxed as Rosa walked into the squad room, placing a strong, protective hand at the small of your back.

Gina held up her hands, as if in defense. “Sorry, Rosa. I thought she was Panera.”

“She’s not Panera,” Rosa growled. “She’s my girlfriend, and we’re eating lunch, and you’re leaving us alone.”

Rosa took your hand and led you through the precinct, into a break room scattered with tables where, alone and away from prying eyes, she planted a gentle kiss on your cheek.

“You okay?” she asked softly.

You nodded and held up the bag of food. Rosa gestured toward the table and went to grab napkins and, for neither the first nor the last time, you were grateful that you often didn’t need words with Rosa. You were comfortable in one another’s silence and, for you, this was life-changing. Your words were one of the first things to go when you got overstimulated, but Rosa never seemed to mind. For this, and for many other reasons, you loved her.

But you’d barely started on your lunch before people started trickling into the break room: Jake, Amy, Charles. All ostensibly eating lunch, too, even if they’d already taken lunch, even if all they had was a bag of chips from the vending machine, as Jake did.

“So, Y/N,” Amy started. “How did you and Rosa meet?”

Rosa jumped in before you forced yourself to say anything. “Hey,” she spat at the group crowding the table next to yours. “When I told Y/N she could meet me for lunch, I meant me. Not me and half the squad. Scram, losers.”

You gave a little half wave as they slunk out of the room, smiling a little as Charles mouthed off to you behind Rosa’s back: “We’ll catch up later!”

“Sorry,” Rosa said a few minutes later. “I know they can be a bit much.”

You shook your head and squeezed her hand, able to find your voice again. “It’s okay. They seem nice.”

“If by nice, you mean fucking crazy, then yes.”

A knock on the doorframe. At first, Rosa seemed annoyed by the interruption, but when she saw that it was Captain Holt she looked almost… proud?

“Captain,” she said, rising from her seat and nodding at him. She gestured toward you. “This is my girlfriend, Y/N. Y/N, Captain Holt.”

You moved to stand and shake his hand, but Holt stopped you. “Oh, no, please.” He sat down next to you, and Rosa seemed comfortable with him, so you decided that Captain Holt was someone you would like. “It’s lovely to meet you,” he said.

“You too,” you replied, trying not to let your voice shake too much. You tried to think of something to say, tried to think of a topic of conversation, but you were floundering. Your voice was hard for you on a regular day, even sometimes with people you loved, like Rosa. You just couldn’t manage to force anything out. You felt your cheeks growing red. You hoped you weren’t embarrassing Rosa.

You couldn’t have said all this to Rosa even if you’d wanted to, but Rosa always seemed to get it anyway.

“Y/N, Captain Holt and his husband are going to the symphony tonight. I told him that was one of your favorites, too.”

You lit up. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Rosa, you thought. You loved the symphony. She was right; it was one of your favorites. Despite Rosa’s general indifference toward classical music, she’d gotten you both season passes for your birthday. She didn’t love the music, but she loved the way your eyes shone when you listened, the way you perched on the edge of your seat like a child. She loved that when she held your hand during the performances, she could tell when you were particularly moved because you’d get goosebumps and the hair on your skin would stand up.

“Oh, it’s John William Weischselbraun tonight, right? Bach’s Oboe Sonata? That should be excellent!”

Holt looked about as excited as Rosa had ever seen him.

“You’re a fan of the oboe, are you?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

“Oh, yes, sir.” You nodded enthusiastically. “I played oboe in my high school orchestra. It’s a severely underrated instrument.”

Rosa beamed at you as Holt reached out to shake your hand. “Diaz....” he said, shaking a finger at her. “She’s a keeper.”

“Yes, sir,” Rosa nodded.

He stared at her reproachfully. “I hope you take this fine lady to the symphony and not just to your rock concerts.”

“She does, sir,” you assured him. “We even have season passes.” And then you had what you thought was maybe one of your more brilliant ideas. “Maybe we could all go together, sometime? Me and Rosa and you and your husband?”

Rosa and Captain Holt stared at each other for a moment, and you were afraid you’d misread the situation terribly. You’d always thought that Rosa liked Captain Holt, at least from the way she talked about him. You thought they were friendly with one another. Maybe you’d been wrong.

You tried to backtrack. “Or maybe not,” you blurted. “Just a thought.”

You couldn’t help but smile at how quickly both Rosa and Captain Holt jumped to reassure you. So quickly that their voices overlapped.

“That’d be great, babe.”

“Now, doesn’t that sound nice?”

Gina rolled in front of the door to the break room. “Captain, you have a phone call,” she yelled out as her chair rolled by.

“Excuse me,” Holt said, standing. He stood, pressed his hand over yours and said, “Truly nice to meet you, Y/N. I look forward to our mutual date.”

When he’d gone, Rosa stared at you. She was smiling. Really smiling.

“What?” you asked, your face reddening.

She leaned forward and kissed you quickly, her hand gently grasping your chin.

“What was that for?”

She tucked your hair behind your ear. “You did really good today,” she whispered. “I know you were nervous. Thanks for lunch.”

You turned an even deeper shade of red. “Anytime. Or, well, sometimes.”

She smirked and kissed you one more time, pulling away quickly as Jake wolf-whistled from the doorway.

“Shut your mouth, Peralta, or I’ll shut it for you,” she growled.

It was always so funny to you to see Rosa with others. So rough, so intimidating. When she turned back to you, she was soft. She was always soft with you.

“I’ll see you tonight?” she asked, squeezing your hand.

You nodded, as you stood to leave, perching on tiptoes to kiss her on the cheek. Your voice had slipped back inside of you for the time being, so you simply squeezed her hand back and let her walk you out of the precinct.

Rosa watched you go, swinging your arms a bit as you walked down the sidewalk, and her heart ached. She loved you so much. Your quiet voice, that was always a gift to hear. Your swinging, fidgety arms. The fact that you loved her so much, so purely. She only hoped she could show you just as much love in return.

[hotchnerxo]

Our Past Life: Chapter 2

Masterlist

Pairing: Aaron hotchner x gn!reader

Summary: You come to meet your old friend, Hotchner at his office. You went to lawschool together, but ended up on very different life paths. You ended up being a internet entertainer, Hotch a leader of BAU. Are these differences too much, is it too late for them to make it?

Words: 3.4k

A/N: This is a fluffy fluff chapter. So soft and cute! Im also so excited for this story. I have a lot of draft pages, so be on the lookout for more. Feedback is always more than welcome. This chapter is pretty long. Reader gender neutral, they/them pronouns (let me know if I have missed a spot) Also, message me of tag me if you wish to be on my mention list whenever the new chapter's up.

Content: Mentions of anxiety, abuse and self-harm. Sad boy Hotch. This chapter is fluffy and cute tho.

The day was coming to an end. After a few hours of paper work and meetings, that seemed to go on forever, Aaron leaned back on his chair. He had a tough decision to make; whether he's going to stay at work for a couple more hours, going thru some of Cruz's files that he had asked him to stay on top of, or respond to you, who had texted him about an hour ago. He wasn't sure what to think of this whole situation, so he decided to focus on work a bit longer and get back to it later. But he really should do that now.

It all happened so fast. It's been a couple of years since you’ve last seen properly. Sure, you’ve kept in touch here and there but you have both been busy. Or just trying to keep yourselves busy. You live on the other sides of the country, you in San Fransisco and he in Quantico. Over 2500 miles between you. Why are you here now? Would going out just bring unnecessary hurt? But you are a good friend he gets to see so rarely, it would be rude not to go.

But the words 'I miss you' came out of your mouth earlier today and that sealed the deal. There was no way Aaron would miss this chance to talk with you face to face. And the fact that you’re all the way here from California. There's no way he could stop himself from going, he never could resist you. And clearly, he still can't.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. It was his coworker, Grant Anderson, quite normal looking guy, good at his job. He prefers office work over field work, he is also helping Cruz out as he is gone. "Agent Hotchner" he started " I was thinking if it would be possible to go home a bit early today. I've done most of the paper work and the meetings are okay and the reports are filled. And my own cases are handled and" it was clear he was avoiding eye contact.

Hotch lifted his hand as a stop sign for him "You've done good job. Get out of here. Matt will be back soon, I handled rest of the stuff that needs immediate attention, but you can go back to your normal routine. Don't want him to be bored when he gets back, right?" he asks and Anderson chuckles a bit. "Thank you for your help, I appreciate it. Go home."

"Thank you, sir." Anderson nods and turns to leave the office.

On that note, Hotch decided to take a breather too, and text you:

Hey, sorry it took me awhile to respond. Would love to see you tonight.

He puts his phone down at his desk and starts to close things up, getting ready to go home for the day. It's been awhile since the last time he's going home at this hour. It's barely 5pm. But his team was getting ready to leave, so he might aswell. It's not like he could focus anymore, even if he stayed.

Good to hear from you. Are you off from work already? See you in two hours? Sam's bar seemed nice, meet you there at 7?

Nearly two hours later, the clock was getting close to 7. Hotch walked in through the Sam's bar door and took a good look around the open area, trying to see if you had gotten in before him. But there was no sign of that yet, so he walked to the bar, ordered a beer and headed to a booth a few tables away. There you two could talk in private. He sat on the leathered seating of the booth, facing the bar door. He wasn't sure why he'd have to sit on the side, but he thinks it has something to do about his training and always being on alert and aware of his surroundings. It's annoying that even in his free time he can't help but act this way, but the training is so deep in his brain that it is impossible to forget it.

Aaron took a sip of his beer and took a better look around the bar. It was quiet. Only a few other people there at the time, it is Wednesday after all. A young couple sat near the bar, deep in conversation. Maybe in their mid-twenties. Quite normal, nothing extraordinary about them, really. There was an older man, maybe in his late forties, heavily tattooed, quite rough looking. He was drinking alone at the counter, chatting with the bartender. On the far corner, there was a man in a suit, light hair, mid-thirties. It was clear that once he took a glance at him, the suited man was looking back at him.

But Aaron didn't have any more time to think about it as he saw the person he was waiting for walking through the doors, taking his breath away. He just realized how fast his own heart was beating. Was he nervous? You were getting a drink from the bar and headed towards Hotch at the booth he chose.

Aaron stood up. He could hear his own heartbeat in his ears. He wasn't sure why he was this nervous all of the sudden. Why do you have such a hold on him, always making him, a grown man, feel so giddy. Like a teenager in front of their crush. It was weird. But he couldn't think more of it as you leaned in for a hug and Aaron was sure he was gonna melt. Reluctant to let go, you parted from the hug and sat down opposite sides of the booth, not looking away for a moment from each other, as if both were scared to lose the other any moment.

"I'm glad you came" you finally stated after a long silence.

"No way in hell I would have missed this chance" Aaron smiled. He didn't want to let you know of hesitating for so long earlier. He took a sip of his beer. "What brings you here?"

You lean forward on the table "Aaron" you start with a sad but kind smile. It was clear to him you were trying to find the right words. "I want you"

"What? What do you mean?" Hotch was briefly taken aback how straight forward that was. But his heart rate was calming down and you continue:

"I want you back. It's been killing me since the day I let you go, I never should have done that. I want you back. I have been trying to keep myself busy from the years of hurt. I've tried going forward, dating someone else, focusing on work, all that crap. But it all feels like nothing unless I have you. The texts here and there are pure pain because I miss you. I've missed you for so goddamn long. And I can’t take it anymore. I know you're not with anyone" you started to ramble, and the words just flooded out, barely breathing between words.

"How do you know that?" Aaron was blown away by all this information coming his way.

You could feel yourself blushing. "Am I wrong?" Aaron shook his head as an answer. "I know I should have said this a long time ago. But I don't know what kept me from saying it to you. I had to come see you, and once I saw you today in your office, It all made sense to me and by the way, you look incredible in that suit you wore today, not that you look bad ever" you kept talking, hardly even remembered to breathe in the middle of your sentences.

"(Y/N)" Aaron took his hand to yours that was on the table "Calm down, we have all night."

You take a long breath and went on "I just miss you and I want to be with you. I hope I'm not too late." you shoot your eyes down, part embarrassed, part exhausted from that outburst. But Aaron didn't let go of your hand at any point.

"You think I have been able to think straight for weeks since talking to you? Because I haven't. And seeing you in the office today out of the blue, I swear my heart is going faster than a race car. And it still is. But I don't know how we are going to make this work. You live on the East Coast, I in here. It's not like we can drive to each other's place every other night." Once he started talking, he couldn't stop himself. Because my god, he's missed you. "All I do know right now, is that I've missed you, and I’m glad to see you’re here." Aaron said and took a sip of his almost empty glass. You did the same, your face flustered.

"But what are we going to do then?" you then asked, looking down to your drink, thinking you might be too late. Maybe your outburst would scare him away, despite his words.

"Catch up. It's not like we're in a hurry. I just want to take this moment in. I mean, when was the last time we really talked? Especially face to face?" you were unable to answer that. You didn’t remember. It’s been months, at least since you’ve texted back and forth. You’ve seen him in news here and there, you’ve sent him photos of your accomplishments and sometimes just jokes to brighten his day a little. "Exactly. It's been awhile." Aaron's smile was so warm, it was unusual. "Tell me everything. How's Top Priority doing? And Charlie?"

you let up a little laugh. "Well, it is doing great. I love my job, not exactly what I was going for when studying law. But oh well. Life is weird '' you rambled all about your career, your filming rithual and your fan base and all. Hotchner was listening and his heart felt so full it was weird. You were so in the zone when talking and passionate. And seeing your friend smiling and being truly interested in what you had to say, you just kept going. Telling all about Charlie, their family, their crew. All about the book you’re writing, the talk show you and charlie are hosting online, trying your best not to spoil anything in case he was interested to check them out.

"That sounds like fun" Aaron said, truly captivated by your story. He's seen a few episodes of Top Priority and it's a fun show for sure. Sometimes, you two would think back to their childhood and old memories on the show. It reminds him of the good old days when they were young, laying in the grass and talking about anything and everything. Until all that changed as Aaron had to move away to Seattle and You left everything behind to go for your dreams aswell.

"Anyways, my life is an open book, actually quite literally and a public one even. How's life been treating you? I've seen a few articles about you in the newspapers about catching some pretty dangerous people. Also the news and all. It's pretty impressive"

How is his life really going? He’s overwhelmed, his anxiety is back, and on top of everything, he’s questioning his worth. "Life's been a rollercoaster" he said trying to seem relaxed.

"I bet it has. Your team seems awesome. And nosy" you laughed. As did Aaron. Ahh, the sound of his laugh, it brought back the butterflies in your stomach. You had barely gotten rid of them before you walked in the bar. He looks so handsome in his suit, it’s a different one you saw him in at his office today. It hugged his figure at the right spots. You just now realize how lean he looks and how wide his shoulders are. A part of you thinks back to few hours ago as you touched his arm and you could feel how strong he must be. He’d definitely have the strength to push you against a wall if he wanted to, and you wished he’d do that right now. You shake your head a tiny bit to get that image out of your head and focus on the man’s words.

"We all work so much, we're basically a tight family. They're just looking out for me. And they're curious. Penelope's a fan of yours too, which I found out today"

You go through the encounter you had earlier today with this woman. " She sure seems like a character." you mention.

"She sure is. She's the sweetest. And a bit weird at the same time. But probably one of the sweetest people on this planet." Aaron went on to tell all about his team, of which he is very proud of. They're truly like a family, they joke around, they look after each other, they are shoulder to cry on and everything in the middle. He told all about Derek and his kick-down-the-door ways. All about Spencer, the all knowing kid. All about Dave, his 'old friend' as he likes to call him teasingly. All about Prentiss, her stubbornness and sassiness. All about JJ, especially JJ, as she is basically his right hand, they do a lot of stuff together. They're like Batman and Robin, as people like to call them. And it was your turn to be fascinated. You live in such different worlds. You work in entertainment industry, making people laugh for a living and Hotch fights crime, putting himself in the harm's way in order to save others.

"Do you like your job?" you then asked and finished your drink.

Aaron had to think for a moment. "I do. I mean, it sucks sometimes, but it's very rewarding in the end. And I would die for my team, so it's not like I could leave them. So, all in all, Yes. I do. Although it is complicated" he shared. He noticed the way you were looking at him quite intense and he felt himself blushing. He wasn't sure why you were looking at him with such a look in your eyes, but it sure turned something inside of him, something exciting. He looked back at you, trying to copy the look. "What" he asked for an explanation for the look.

"Nothing" you stated, but with a spark in the corner of your eye.

During your conversation, a few more people had gotten inside the bar, apparently some of them to escape the rain that was now pouring outside. Some of them had umbrellas with them that were soaking, and others weren't so lucky to be carrying one with them, so instead, they dribbled down on the bar floor themselves. The young couple had left, but other than that, the same people were still in, in addition to a few new ones. Two middle aged men sitting at the counter deep in conversation, one of which's wife looked rather bored next to them, enjoying a glass of white wine as if it was the only reason she'd came there. Highly possible.

Time flew surprisingly fast, soon you both realized to take a look at your phones for once: it's almost 10 o'clock. Hotch had a couple of messages from Reid, who'd sent some article and a message following "interesting!". JJ had also messaged him a couple of times:

"Did you go? I hope you did. You deserve a break. They made you smile. A keeper, I tell you. " 7:23 PM

"Aaron?" 7:47PM

"I think from the lack of response, you did go. Good. Or you fell asleep. Also good. Or you're in a ditch somewhere. Not so good, so I'm hoping for the options 1 or 2. Definitely needing some details tomorrow. If I don't see you tomorrow, I'm going to come and look for you in the ditch. Have a good night!" 8:15PM

Aaron took a quick glanze at the messages, but couldn't take his focus out of the the person in front of him for a long time. He was so caught in the moment right now to care about messages on his phone. But seeing the time caught him off guard. "Whoa, it's getting pretty late".

"What? Really? Time flies when you're having fun, or so I've heard." your eyes were dark and deep and Aaron felt like you were eating him with your eyes and surprisingly, he was very okay with that. "Should we get going? You probably have an early morning tomorrow."

Unfortunately, you were right. He did have an early morning coming, filled with meetings and presentations. But he didn't want this moment to end. He had finally gotten to see you again, who knows when he's gonna see you again. Speaking of which "How long are you in town?"

"About a week, we're doing some business arrangements in here." you stated without clarifying more.

That was good enough for him. "Okay. But yeah, let's get going. I live quite close by so I might make it home rather dry. Where are you staying?" He asked while pulling on his jacket. It's rather cold outside, so he was happy he had brought a jacket with him. He helped your jacket on, like a gentleman he’s always been. Something’s never change, you think and accept his help.

As you were making your way out of the pub, you told him about the hotel you and Charlie were staying in. Charlie had stayed back in the hotel with their coworker Anna as you were out here. You were also telling how Charlie and Anna had practically pushed you out of the door to go and meet up with Aaron. Altho Hotch was trying his best to pay attention to your words, he kept getting distracted: your lips look so good, you smell so familiar, your smile is as perfect as it has always been and seeing small lines forming around your eyes were telling a story about you smiling a lot. But he was also very overwhelmed at the same time, he could feel his anxiety pounding in his chest again, and the hair in his neck getting up for some reason. He felt like he was being followed, but as getting a glimpse behind them, there was nobody there. He wasn't sure if he was more anxious or just nervous to be around the person that he has loved since law school. Maybe both? But it was frustrating, because he just wanted to be happy and in the moment. But a part of him was stopping himself from being happy and enjoying the moment. "Are you going to take a cab there or?" Aaron questioned but you insisted on walking him home.

"If that's okay, of course?" it was your turn to ask. Without a doubt, Aaron agreed, and you ended up walking to his place, which was just a couple of minutes away anyways. There was tension between you, both of you wanting to make a move towards the other, your hands bumping into each other and you walk, at times neither of you saying anything, just taking a glimpse of each other when the other isn't looking. It felt comfortable, in a way he hasn't felt in so long. He was kind of cursing how close to the bar he lived, because the walk was about to come to an end. His apartment was now at sight and Aaron couldn't help but sigh a little.

"You still live in here?" you asked nodding towards the apartment building. The other nodded as an agreement.

"Haven't really spent a lot of time there, mostly been at work unfortunately" Aaron said and rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment for some reason. He loved his job, but he does know he doesn't really have anything else in his life than work, and that's kind of pathetic of him.

You chuckled "That's alright. I like your apartment" you say. You’ve been there a couple of times when you and Charlie have been visiting throughout the years apart.

"Do you want to come inside?" A little bit of hope sparked in his eyes. He wasn't sure why his heart was beating faster than usual. Something about you just makes his mind blurr. And without hesitation you agreed. There was so much electricity between the two of you as you climbed your way to the third floor. It's like your hand were drawn together like two magnets, but both of you trying your best not to give in to it. But your hands kept brushing in to each other, sending shivers down the other's spine whenever the lightest touch happened. No words were said, both of them kind of stuck in their own head, trying to keep their cool. As if two teens were sneaking into the other's room past their curfew. But the difference is, they're both at their late 30's, not anymore two teenagers. It felt like ages before Aaron turned the key in the lock and the door opened.

The apartment doesn't feel like a home. A place that's been treated well and that was welcoming. It didn't feel like that for neither of you. To Aaron it's just a place he goes to sleep whenever he's not at work. And that's all he wants to do, whenever he's at home. He's constantly tired. There's not much decoration, not really anything to make it look more cozy. There's just the essentials. A tv on the table, dark couch and a book case that had a lot of books in it. It made you smile a little, remembering what a bookworm Aaron used to be as a teen.

Hotch could almost read your thoughts "I know this apartment isn't exactly cozy, but it works. I haven't had much energy to decorate the place" Aaron took a little look around the place while placing his own jacket to the hanger. You put your own to the back of the couch, and sat on the dark seating. It was very comfortable and it felt new.

"It's okay. It's not like I haven't been here before." you smiled at the man taking a seat right next to you. You couldn't take your eyes off of him. He looked so... strong. His arms looked so toned. And his shirt was tight around him and you could finally see him totally in front of you. Without the jacket on him, without a table between them. You could feel his breath, see his eyes so bright; yet there was something in his eyes that you didn't recognize. But at the same time, there was a certain sparkle in them that you had really missed. And that look always grows a certain kind of hunger inside of you. When did you start holding your breath? All you wanted to do was put your hand on his, over his body, see what the years apart have done to the boy you once was in love with. If his body looks so amazing when clothed, you’re a little afraid of how overwhelmed you’d be if you saw him without that shirt right now. *(Y/N), pull it together. Just be in the moment* You tried to breathe normally and focus on the man infront of you instead of the image of his body pressed against yours. But your brain lost the fight, and you leaned in to kiss the man in front of you and you weren’t sure if you were surprised or not to get as eager response to the kiss. Your mind went blank. He opened his lips just a tiny bit to deepen the kiss and at the same time you felt Aaron's palm at the back of your neck.

The kiss felt like it was going forever but at the same time, not long enough. Neither of you wanted to part. The kiss was a mixture of hunger and longing. It was so full of mixed feelings. Yet, it felt like it was just yesterday that you'd kissed the last time.

The last time...

When you had decided that you were in the right place, but the wrong time. And it broke you both. To decide your dreams were so different. That your universes were pushing you apart and you were just holding on to each other as if your lives depended on it. The kiss in the parking lot after you had packed your stuff to a van and were to drive on the other side of the country to pursue your dreams. Charlie was waiting in the van, you were leaning your back on the side of the van, holding your arms around Aaron, reluctant to let go. Your eyes were red but with a sparkle of hope of future. A tear drop was falling down your cheek. Aaron tried to smile for you and your future. Tell you what a great opportunity this is for you and your business partner. How excited he was for you. Of course he was, but a part of him wanted you to stay and it was tearing him apart inside. Both of you.

"Until next life" you whispered as you parted from the kiss, taking a step back towards the open van door, holding the man's hand on yours until he couldn't reach them anymore. Apologetic look in your eyes you turn away and step up in the van. The three words kept playing in Aaron's head as he tries to keep smiling and waving good bye, watching you heading for your dreams.

Until next life.

You both remember this day as if it happened yesterday. This feeling made Aaron part from the kiss, even when his head was screaming at him to not do it. He rested his forehead against yours, his eyes still closed. He was trying to find words, but his brain was totally blank around you. No other person has ever made him feel this way before. Only you. Taking in his smell made your heart hurt. "(Y/N)" he sort of gasped. "I don't know if this is smart". A voice in Hotchner's head was shouting at himself to stop ruining it, to take you in, take it further. Make up for the time lost. That he needed more. He needed closer. But a small, vulnerable side of him was stopping him. He didn't want to get hurt again. Was it too late? Maybe. But he had to try. "I don't think this is a good idea" Aaron sighed and leaned his forehead against yours.

You were disappointed that the kiss was now interrupted, but he was right. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe you’d come too late, tried to change things too late. Trying to make plans that were just not possible anymore. Partly, you were beating yourself up for not talking to him first about the plan you and Charlie’d been having. But you thought the man would be happy, too. "You may be right. But I want to tell you something before we make a decision" you pulled away, now looking into his whiskey colored eyes, that stared back at you with a confused look in them. There was something else in his eyes that you didn't quite recognize. Something, weighting the man down. But you weren’t sure what that was, so you didn't bring it up.

"Tell me what?" Hotchner now asked as he was getting more curious and impatient to hear what you had to say.

"For awhile now" you started, partly hesitating but also trying to calm your nerves as you were excited. "Me, Charlie and the Priority crew have been thinking about moving to New York" you noticed your gaze lowering down, as if the man in front of you was making you blush with the gaze he had in his eyes. "I know New York is still rather far, but the train ride isn't more than like an hour and that's the reason we're staying in here for awhile to go look at places we might be go for and"

"Why?" Aaron interrupted with a question.

"I know Charlie and his family want to be closer to their parents and Adam, Charlie’s son is going to a high school in there soon and well, I wanted to be closer to you." you raised your gaze again to meet the brown eyes in front of him that looked at him now softly and a small smile appeared on his lips. "I want to be closer to you" you repeated, not sure if admitting that was more for you or him. "I know I should have asked you first, and it's not like I'm going to pressure you to change anything for me, or into a relationship. I just want to have you back in my life, even if it's just as friends but"

You once again got interrupted, but this time not with words but Aaron's hand on your jawline and soon meeting his lips again for a kiss. This time felt different. The air wasn't filled with sadness and missing, this time it was lighter and the kiss felt even better. Oh my, it felt good the way he had his lips against your. A small murmur escaped your lips, and he could feel the other one smiling. You've both missed this more than you thought.

"Yes please" Aaron said, once you both needed to pull back to get some air for a moment. "I mean, I'd love that. But our lives are so different. Do you think you can handle my work schedule? Aka the lack thereof?" Hotchner now said, trying to land his feet back to earth and think things thru.

"I've lived without you for over 10 years now on my side, I think I can live without having you with me everyday. And, we can take it slow. It's been awhile. There's no need to rush. And the move wouldn't happen very quickly anyway, we don't even yet have a studio here or anything. All I know is that I want to give us another try."

[scarletwidowaf]

broadway, baby. (part 1)

Florence pugh x female Reader

Summery: reader is a singing waitress in a new York restaurant (like in glee) where many famous people go to, and one night the little women cast are are there and R is their waitress.

Warnings: there's some cursing and harassment. Its not revolve around it but its there.

A\N: im soft for florence pugh and this is a complete shit.

masterlist

Credits: Glee Gif Credit • Florence Gifs Credit

“I'm just a Broadway Baby, walking off my tired feet, Pounding Forty Second Street to be in a show. Broadway Baby, learning how to sing and dance, waiting for that one big chance to be in a show.” - Cast of follies

Life can be hard and some days can be rough, especially in your line of work where people competed for the spotlight on a daily basis. but that's life and that’s the road you chose to walk through.  And it's alright, after all, what's life without a spark? A movie without a breaking point? or a shift at Clayton's without drama?

This was one of these days, the kind of days who kept you on an edge as your body and mind both ached for a break.

'Just roll with it. just a few hours for your day off.' You silently said to yourself.

Being a young artist in New York was a challenge you’ve taken on yourself, luckily for you working at "Clayton's" was a good way to start a career.  most people who started working there were young talented artist who were determined to make an impression over the industry. The place was always packed with many famous people, from actors to singers and producers. So, in many ways, working in "Clayton's" could be a ticket to Broadway or the music industry. And that was the reason you moved there in the first place.

You tried the traditional way, but after months of trying to get into college and fix your past mistakes, like your high school career, you decided that this path wasn’t for you. no matter what you did or how hard you tried your ADHD still managed to kick your ass. So, that’s how you ended up as a singing waitress in NY. You liked your job, truly. You liked singing and dancing and meeting cool people along the way, but sometimes it was just too much.

"You look like shit" Aaron said from his spot at the bar.

Aaron was a sweet guy and probably the only straight person in your group of friends. He was charming and talented and most importantly; he was the first friend you got in NY.

Aaron pulled his long brown hair into a bun as he chuckled at you. You huffed in frustration in return.

"Thanks" you muttered as he passes you a mug with coffee, hoping to help you get a grip before the restaurant opens.

"You need to rest" he said. "properly" 

"that’s overrated" you joked and took a sip.

You felt an hand on your shoulder and you turned around to meet your friend's stern gaze. "You, okay?" she asked

"Always" you answered Mackenzie's question and she raised her eyebrow, knowing full well you were lying. 

"we should sing as a warm up!" David, another one of your coworkers and Aaron's twin brother said.

"Let's not" Aaron said as he rolled his eyes at his brother's enthusiasm. 

You laughed quietly as the two started bickering. Mack and you glanced at each other knowingly. Both of you already know who will win in the stupid argument.

15 minutes later, after a group warm up and Aaron's dramatic sighs 'Clayton's' was open for business.

It was a nice evening, not too full, not too loud. And most importantly, not too many known faces.

Of course, you liked to have famous people on your shifts, and it could obviously be a game changer for you but it can get intense at times and you want in the mood. Seriously, how can you be the only one who found singing "defying gravity' in font of Idina Menzel as a very stressful experience?? You were terrified by the idea you'll fuck up in front of the original singer- and make a total fool out of yourself. 

When 10 pm rolled around, every opinion you had about the evening flew out the window. at this point, the restaurant was full with costumers and some known faces as well, and you found yourself holding every inch of you together as you approach the table who was occupied by the one and only Meryl Streep, and some fellow little women cast members.  

 *rule number 1 of working at Clayton's: don't make costumers feel uncomfortable. Don't annoy the costumers, don't ask for autographs if they're famous and generally treat them as normal and respectfully as you can. *

 "Hello, my name is Y/N and ill be your waitress for tonight" you introduced yourself with a small smile. The women smiled at you brightly.

"How does it work" Meryl held the tablet with a puzzled expression. "Am I that old?" She joked

"Barley" One of the other women, Emma fucking Watson, said. 

"I know it looks complicated-" you told them as you took the tablet from Meryl's hand."-But it's pretty simple, actually, I promise. As you can see the top part of the tablet is divided into two sections: The right one who says 'ask for a waiter'- which means that your waiter- which in this case, me, is busy- probably performing at the moment, and you can ask for a different waiter." You said with an ease, knowing the explanation by heart.

"The left section says 'ask for my waiter' which is a pretty simple one to understand... I guess- if you'll need me for whatever reason, you can press it and it'll page me. Feel free to use it."  You said with a smile as you scanned their faces, making sure they understand the first part.

"And the bottom section?" Saoirse asked. 

"The bottom section is the 'refill' sections. It will get into validation only after ill place your order in my own tablet and send to the kitchen." You explained as you gestured to your own tablet. "It's pretty useful, the point of it is that you can ask for a refill without having to social with me. Its awesome"

You noticed one of them, Florence pugh, scanning the tablet with a small smile- as she listened to your explanation. She was absolutely a sight for sore eyes, that's for sure.

"Thats pretty cool" she said and you nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I got really excited over it when I started working here" you admitted awkwardly "most importantly- When a section isn't relevant its will be grey instead of in color so you won't get confused. Like, for example - if You haven't ordered anything yet you can't get a refill, for the obvious reason. or if I'm not performing you can't ask for another waiter... which means you're stuck with me for the time being" you finished with a small chuckle.

"I don't think any of us mind that" Florence smiled and the others agreed. The blonde smiled at you again and you blushed slightly. "You're singing, right?" she asked out of the blue, just when you were about to leave and let them look through their menus. 

"Yeah, i do. In a few minutes, actually" 

"Thats cool! Good luck" she smiled and you wondered if Emma, who set the closest to you, could hear how fast your heart's beating. 

"Thank you" you said with a smile and turned around to the stage. 

__________________

"you paged? I'm guessing you guys ready to order then" You said as you approached their table after your performance. 

"YOU WERE SO GODD!" Florence said excitedly.

"Thank you" you blushed slightly. 

What. The. Fuck. Y/N?! You scolded yourself.

The others joined into the conversation with their own compliments and you thought you'd die when Meryl Streep, the legend herself, complimented you.

After another few moments the conversation calmed downed and moved to the next, and most important topic: the food. You tried your best to not blush under Florence's soft gaze and keep your focus on the other members of her table as they consulted you about the dishes, but damn, that was hard.  luckily for you it didn’t take long and a few minutes later, their order was sent to the kitchen. 

 The next hour and a half weren't much different. you sang and placed orders, you smiled to costumers and even pretend to laugh at some old man's joke. And maybe (just maybe) you glanced over to Florence every now and then.

The thing about Clayton's is that apart for the famous people who visit there frequently, it also contains many of the rich and the snobs of New York, so you weren't surprised when you got paged from a table who was occupied by two guys with fancy clothes and their parents credit card.

"Hey" one of them said to you as you approached them. 

"hey, welcome to Clayton's! You're David's table, right?" You said and pointed at your friend who started his own performance.

"Yeah, the fag one" the other guy said and your smile fell.

Take a deep breath, Y/N. It's not worth it. 

"I see you guys already ordered a few minutes ago" you said as you checked your tablet.

"Yeah" the asshole confirmed. 

"Okay, in that case, how can I help you?" You asked politely as you could. 

"we would like to get the check." The first guy said politely as he pulled out a few bills from his wallet. "Keep the change" he said as you took it and made sure it was enough.

"Thank you" you smiled politely and made a mental note to give David his well-earned tip.

"my brother want to know if you're single" the asshole said and the nicer guy looked at his with his eyes wide.

Shit.

"I'm sorry, I'm in a relationship" you lied after a moment, hoping the lie will spare both his feeling and any more questions in the subject.

The guy nodded in understanding but on the other hand, the other guy didn’t seem to get the massage.  

"I'm sure he won't mind sharing" the asshole said and you felt sorry for the poor guy for being related to this ass.

"What the fuck Chad" the nice guy said as chad smirked at you.

"yeah... that’s not going to happen." You glared at him "have a great weekend tho" you gritted out and turned around to leave.

you were taken by surprise when you felt chad's hand on your ass. Again, what the fuck?!

"What the fuck is wrong with you' asshole" you gritted out and moved away from him. 

Don't make a scene. He's not worth it. 

"C'mon-" he started to say as he got up. You moved away, knowing you were cornered since the place was full, the lights were deemed and the music was loud. 

"Don't touch me" you said and moved away; you're back hitting an empty table who stood nearly.

"Hey what's going on here?" You heard and turned to catch Florence walking to you.

If a look could kill chad would’ve been dead. that’s for sure. It's like the sweet and excited Florence had left and a different, intimidating (and hot) version of her took her space and so help you god, you were glad she was on your side.

"Nothing! we were just leaving, really" Frankie said.

"None of your business" brad said and Florence raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow, daring him to cross her.

"I see" she said "well, I'm sure y/n won't mind my intruding" 

'Thank god for Florence Pugh.' You thought.

Before chad could press the subject any further David, who just finished his performance, got there. You were sure he noticed that something was happening.

"what's going on here?" he asked after he scanned the situation quickly.

"nothing as I said to your friend, we were just leaving" Frankie said again. 

he didn’t want to draw any negative attention, just like you, and thankfully for the both of you, not many people noticed the situation.

This time chad didn't answer, he just glared at Florence and you while his brother pulled him away from the place.

"so, are you going to tell me what happened?" David asked Florence and you after the two left.

Florence looked at you, waiting for you to answer him. 

"Nothing" you lied. "it's okay David, you can go" you promised your friend. David looked at you with his 'I done believe you' expression, but he didn't press it any further. He just nodded before he turned around and left. 

 Rule number 2: do not make a scene under no circumstances. At Clayton's, everything you do while you're on the clock is practically showcased. You slip? you fall? you sing out of tune? Its under a spotlight, everyone can see that and everyone will have something to say about it. Thats the thing about this place.  most people who started there and moved on to bigger things as Broadway or Hollywood were practically trained to keep their best poker face, act on the demand or pretend that everything is okay when it was clearly not. 

 "You should go back to your table" you said to Florence 

she looked at you with an unreadable expression before she went back to her table. You didn't have much time to read into it since a few minutes later you found yourself at her table, printing their check and having a small friendly conversation with the women. You smiled at them as they left before you turned your tablet off and went to cover for Aaron at the bar.

 "I thought you guys left" You said with a smile when the blonde approached you a few minutes later. 

"Why did you lie?" Florence asked with the same unreadable expression from earlier.

Okay. No smiling then.

"I didn’t" you pulled out two shot glasses and filled them with tequila. The blonde gave you a 'are you kidding me' kind of look and you couldn't help but to chuckle. "I didn't see a reason to make a scene over nothing" you explained and downed one of the shots.

"It wasn't nothing Y/N" she said before taking the other glass. 

"its fine. I'm fine. He didn’t do anything " you said as she downed her shot.

"Yeah, because I was there" she argued.

"I can handle guys like him. Seriously, at this point it might as well be a part of my job" 

"you're not helping yourself"

"I liked you better smiling" you chuckled as she glared at you.

"I'm sure you did"

"shut up" 

"How's your back?" She asked/

The blonde definitely didn't seem convinced about the chad situation but you were just grateful for the change of subject.

"It will be alright"

"Good"

"I appreciate your worry, truly. But I'm fine and I really don't want to hold you back here over it" you said  

"Who said I was worried" she smirked at you with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh, you don't?" You played along 

"Nope"

"Then why are you still here? Its almost 12 am, don't you have something better to do" you teased her 

"no. Do you?" She turned the question and you laughed. 

"I guess not - considering the fact I work here and I'm still on clock"

"Oh, please we both know this place is about to close" she argued your logic

"True" you admitted

"So, if you have nothing better to do, and you don't, would you like to go out with me? You kinda owe me after I saved your ass earlier"

"Uh, and here I thought you did that as an act of kindness" you joked. A small smile playing on your lips.

"Ew no" she said and You laughed. "Well?" Florence pressed with a cheeky smile.

"Yeah, why not. It's not like I have something better to do" 

"Just what I wanted to hear" she joked.

[bbugyu]

can i kiss you yet? + hong joshua

a mutual friend always made a great excuse to see you, but he definitely wanted more.

wc.2.4k | joshua x gn!reader, fluff, first snow au, foreigners in korea squad up, josh is a tutor u are an ambiguous worker everything is vague shhh, there are really no warning this is just fluff, oh drinking, but only the once, miss park chaeyoung please text me back

haha..... i am....... im not........... im in my joshie feels ok do not talk to me about it im embarrassed. thanks @babiemingoo for ruining my life by saying joshua would fall in love with me, and i quote, "no cap."

~

you spent a lot of time with joshua. by proxy, mostly, but you enjoyed his company nonetheless. your best friend called him her brother - they weren't related by blood, but by circumstance, having separately moved to korea at an old enough age to take care of themselves but young enough to still need the support of someone going through something similar. they were neighbors, and rosie had no way of stopping him from barging through her front door at all hours of the day. she always yelled at him to let her have some privacy. he insisted that if she was doing something that required privacy, then she should tell him beforehand. you always just laughed from your spot on the couch.

joshua would smile and put up a hand when he pretended to notice you for the first time, as though you weren't the express reason he had made an excuse to show up. "hi, y/n."

you would smile back and wiggle your fingers at him. "hi, josh."

this happened almost every time you came over to rosie's apartment, and while you never intended to see him, you would be lying if you said it wasn't a lovely benefit.

she rolled her eyes. "don't you have a job?"

"that's the great thing about being an online tutor," joshua said, making himself comfortable on the opposite end of the couch from you. "flexible scheduling."

you realized you had never asked him about his work. "what do you tutor?"

he looked at you, and you thought you saw a flash of nervousness in his eyes before he grinned. "english. and korean. and algebra. and calculus, sometimes."

"that's, like," you paused, your head knocking to one side. "impressive?"

"is it?" he laughed. "i just voice chat with high school students in sweats."

you shrugged. "i'm bad at math and i'm pretty sure i'd be bad at teaching, so anything like that is impressive to me."

he nodded, the corner of his mouth quirked upwards. it was hard for him to believe that you could be bad at anything, but he figured math was an okay thing to be lacking in. "noted."

rosie coughed loudly, making you both direct your attention to where she was leaning against the kitchen counter. "if you guys are done, i would love someone's help deciding what kind of pizza to get."

when you left hours later, rosie asked joshua why he even came over, trying to imply that he was taking too long to admit he liked you.

he pouted out his lips and shook his head. "no reason. i just heard you talking to someone and wanted to make sure you're not inviting over weirdos."

she gave him a sideways glare, knowing that if that were the truth, he would have come over when mingyu showed up the day before. or wonwoo last week. or any of her other friends that frequented her studio apartment. but conveniently, he only ever barged in when it was you, and she had a suspicion that it was because he had learned to recognize your laugh through the thin walls.

the first time you ever met joshua, it was at a bar. you and some work friends had agreed to get drinks together, and when your coworker-turned-bestie got a call from her neighbor saying she got a package, you nudged her.

"is he your oppa, like, just a guy, or like a boyfriend?"

she squinted at you, registering your language switch "ew! oh my god, he's just a guy. he's like a brother."

you heard an indignant noise over the line at her exclamation, and you giggled as you guided the straw in your cocktail to your lips.

"am i lying, joshua?" rosie said, rolling her eyes. "are you not like my brother?"

"joshua?" your eyebrows quirked up, realizing he had an english name, and only processing after the fact that he also understood her. "is he like us?"

"foreign?" rosie asked, looking at you. "yeah, he's from la."

you looked at her expectantly. "well, is joshua free tonight?"

she laughed at you, but redirected the question over the phone anyways, then promptly invited him out to join you at the bar, and he said he could be there in 45 minutes. he arrived with 6 minutes to spare (not that you were watching the clock, but you totally were), and rosie waved him down to join your table, quickly introducing him to the coworkers you had deemed fun enough to hang out with.

"and this is y/n," she said, grabbing your arm. she leaned over to joshua, pretending to whisper. "the other foreigner."

you laughed and shook his hand, saying it was nice to meet him. he smiled back, warmly, and returned the sentiment. he was korean, you realized, despite being from america, and he was incredibly handsome. like, absurdly so, in a way that felt impossible in reality, yet here he was, gaze flickering over your face as you brought your (new) drink to your lips, and the liquid almost caught in your throat when you saw an entire galaxy twinkling in his eyes. you blinked when he went to get a drink, thinking you must be drunker than you thought to have mistaken the reflection of the fairy lights that littered the bar as galaxies, but for some reason, your initial impression seemed to suit him more.

months later, you went to rosie's apartment just to drop off some food - you were teaching yourself how to make korean side dishes, and she volunteered to be your auxiliary food tester if you made too much, which, big surprise, you absolutely did. she made fun of your cooler bag and your big puffy jacket, saying you reminded her of the grandma down the hall, and you laughed heartily as you made your way to her kitchen.

she had an essay to write, so you didn't stick around. shortly after you announced your leave and exited to the hall, the next door opened.

"oh," joshua said, hand still gripping the handle of his front door as he made surprised eye contact with you. "you're leaving already?"

you pursed your lips to hide a smile, wrapping your scarf around your neck. "already?"

"you usually, um," he paused, his hand going to the back of his neck, the other pushing into the pocket of his jeans. "you're usually around for a few hours."

you giggled. "i was just dropping off some food, rosie has an essay to write."

he puffed out a cheek and nodded slowly as he let it deflate. "i guess i shouldn't bother her, then."

you watched him avoid your gaze, then peeked slyly past him into his apartment. you had never been, but it looked neat. neutral. comforting. it seemed like him.

the jig was up, joshua thought, studying your eyes briefly. you clearly knew he only ever barged into his neighbor's apartment because you were there. he had obviously just given it away, but maybe you had always known, and you had just let him think he was convincing when he said he had no idea you were over. but maybe he was okay with that, because you never complained. and maybe that meant you liked seeing him, too.

"are you busy?" he asked suddenly. "i don't mean to keep you, but-"

you shook your head quickly. "i don't have plans."

"uh," he turned to his apartment before looking back at you briefly. "let me grab a jacket, i'll walk you home."

you couldn't help but smile. "okay."

joshua made sure he was quick to get his winter coat and a scarf, but instinctively adjusted his bangs in a mirror and checked his breath. he silently scolded himself for making this out to be something that it wasn't - he was walking you home, not taking you out. but he hoped he would work up the nerve to ask before the end of the walk.

"ready?" you asked, pushing off the wall you were leaning against as you waited.

he smiled at you, silently hoping he was. "yeah, let's go. it's gonna start getting dark soon."

when the two of you exited the apartment building, hands shoved into pockets, joshua commented that it felt like it was gonna snow.

"i think the forecast said tomorrow," you mused, looking up at the overcast sky.

he stared at you as you walked beside him, your lips curved upward in a vague smile as you thought about how much you liked the snow, and when you looked over and caught his gaze, he redirected his eyes just a little too late, then laughed at his own behavior. "sorry, you looked really cute just then."

you couldn't help but smile, nuzzling down into your scarf to hide it. "as opposed to normally, when i don't."

"not what i said," he defended immediately. "i think you always look cute."

you giggled into your scarf, hoping he couldn't see how flustered you felt. "thank you. i think you always look cute, too."

you caught a small smile sneak onto his face as he looked down at his shoes. "thanks."

joshua had never once seemed shy to you. a little hesitant, maybe, when you had first met him, but he exuded confidence. you got the impression that he knew himself better than anyone, and he was happy to express himself genuinely around people that accepted him. he was a bit of a smooth talker, you thought. he had a way of saying exactly what people wanted to hear, whether it was true or not. but today, now, he seemed genuinely reserved. quieter. like he wasn't quite sure what to say to you as you walked side by side on the sidewalk, headed to your apartment.

"what kind of food did you bring to roseanne?" he asked, trying to fill the quiet.

"standard fare," you said, smiling at how he used her full name. "kimchi, seasoned beansprouts, sweet potatoes, fishcakes."

"oh, korean?" he asked, looking at you. "i didn't know you cooked like that."

your lip quirked into a smile at the reaction. "i'm practicing. gotta please a korean husband if i wanna get a permanent visa, y'know."

"right," he said, nodding at your joking tone. "a korean husband."

you blinked, eyes focusing on something in the air, then looked up. "oh my god, is it snowing?"

joshua tore his gaze from you, looking around at the flakes that were gently falling from the sky. "i told you it was gonna snow."

"but the forecast said tomorrow!" you laughed, pulling a hand out of your pocket to try to catch some flakes. "has it snowed yet since new year?"

his heart fluttered lightly as he watched you shove your hand back into your pocket. "no, not yet."

you looked over at him and giggled at how much snow had gathered on his dark hair. "oh, jeez, it's starting to come down." you reached out to him, brushing some flakes off his bangs, and he hoped you thought his ears were just red from the cold. "if we don't hurry, you're not gonna be able to walk home."

that wouldn't be the end of the world, joshua thought. maybe if the snow fell heavy enough, you would tell him to sleep on your couch instead of trekking home. maybe the two of you could chat, alone, just enjoying company until too late in the night. and maybe your heating would go out again, like you often complained about, and maybe the two of you could wind up under the same blanket as you got sleepier.

"do you know that belief?" he asked, glancing at you as you walked. "what koreans say about first snow?"

you looked over to him. "no," you said shortly, switching to korean. "what is it?"

he laughed, but continued in english. "they say that if you're with someone during the first snow of the year, you'll stay together for a long time."

you stopped in your tracks, and he only made it two steps in front of you before he turned, looking at you questioningly. "together?"

he gave a short affirmation, blinking and looking away as he shifted his stance. "yeah, like-" he paused. "supposedly, if you confess during the first snow, it's good luck. or something like that."

you stared at him, studying his eyes as he avoided your gaze, a tiny smile creeping across your face. "josh."

he looked at you, eyebrows quirked. "w'sup?"

you giggled. "are you talking about us right now?"

"oh, are you confessing to me?" he asked, eyes wide and making you laugh as he slowly closed the short distance between you. "confessing during the first snow, wow. you must really like me. y'know, i always kind of thought you had a crush on me."

you rolled your eyes. "yet it took you four months to mention it?"

his nose scrunched up as he grimaced apologetically. "i'm sorry for making you wait," he said, quietly and in korean, close enough that you felt his breath on your skin. you just shook your head at him.

"i made you wait, too."

he looked between your eyes, and you couldn't help but feel like the snow was melting around you from his warm you felt. "can i kiss you yet?"

you let out a breathy giggle, enjoying the way his eyes creased as he smiled at you. "of course you can."

this moment, joshua realized, was one that he had imagined a million times in his head. in a million different scenarios throughout the last four months, he had imagined how incredible it would be to feel your lips against his. and when he finally found himself there, his fingers brushing against your cheek as he pulled you into him, the first snow of the year falling around you, he realized he had imagined it all wrong. because despite thinking that you definitely had the most beautiful lips that he could ever press his to, he had not accounted for the fact that you were smiling, and he was too, and that made them the sweetest. the most fun. the most exciting.

and he hoped you would let him keep kissing you for a long time.

[dented-nado]

So so- James gets sick (you decided how sick he is loll) and Walter/Stolas/both take care of him

Im sorry sickfics are just so wholesome

Takes place before William, Grelle and Ronald were reapers (or even alive at) – For the reaper realm is sort of more in a colonial era vibe, but in the human world it’s currently 1568.

James is a character that’s had one appearance in my Black Butler Fan-Comic Will to Live – Stolas is an upcoming character – and Walter is a fan character that’s formed on our discord server lol.

Hope you like this!!! I kind of hinted at Walter’s existence and helping, but I ended up writing more about Stolas trying to get James just to go heckinnn rest lol. Hope that’s okay!

=====

Anyone who worked anywhere within the reaper realm in England would tell you their general manager was being particularly nasty. There was a rumor going around that his eyes were turning red with rage, Red.

Stolas, being the current head manager of the London Reaper district of course ended up hearing about the rumor. One of those little things that would come up during coffee breaks. Sometimes rumors spread quickly, many of them ended up not being true or over exaggerated… all of them had been there are REALLY long time after all, and sometimes rumors were the only thing that made their grueling jobs a little bit interesting.

This one… however, made Stolas sigh, he knew James too well, if those under him are especially scared of him at the moment, something was up.

Many of his coworkers thought Stolas was insane for remaining cheery with James, or they feared him too by proxy. Stolas wasn’t stupid, he knew why everyone was scared of James – James did it on purpose for Christ’s sake. However, since he had come on some 200 years ago and had many an interaction with the guy, finding himself unphased by his scare tactics... (he had seen men much more monstrous than James after all), he couldn’t help but feel some sort of…. Sympathy? No, that might not be the word? Maybe sometimes he just got a glimmer of the kind of man James could be and wanted to reach out and pull that glittering little gem out. He just hoped he wasn’t seeing something that wasn’t there.

He gazed at the large grandfather clock ticking away in the corner of his office, such a device was new to him, but he had picked it up a little quicker than James had who had kept time by candle for much longer than most of them.

He had 10 more minutes before his break would be over…

Stolas closed his large book he had snuck in to read on his breaks, it was one on the Tudors he had gotten quite lost in. Normally more ancient societies piqued his interest, but it was harder to get good accounts… he half wished he could just explore those ancient cities and discover their secrets himself. But… alas… here he was, not that he could have gone far in his human life either.

He downed the last bit of his tea before sitting up, making sure his ink well was covered and his quill was secure for when he inevitably came back to work.

He walked out of the London office and down the hall, tapping on James’s office door cheerfully, barely waiting for a grunt before coming in.

“What do you want?” James accused, looking up from his paperwork.

Now he did look quite the sight, more tired and grouchy than usual – and judging from the redness of his nose, it was irritated.

“Well now, I had heard you were especially difficult to deal with, and now I know why!” Stolas said, pushing his glasses up his nose and grinning.

James sighed, leaning back and rubbing his left eye slightly, they looked a bit bloodshot.

“Maybe if everyone did their job correctly…”

“Yes, then you wouldn’t be so cross all the time, blah blah blah, I’ve heard the script.” He took a few steps forward, leaning on James’s desk, something only he seemed to get away with. “You’re sick.”

“You’re pissing me off.” James snipped back, baring his teeth.

Stolas shook his head. This man was like trying to be friendly to a wolf on a good day, a rabid one on a bad day.

“Why don’t you just take the day off James? If your sick its not as if you can help it.” Stolas offered.

“I can get up, I can walk, I haven’t sprouted any pustules, not that reapers could get such a horrible thing thank god…” He paused, rubbing his hands together as if having the urge to wash them. “Unless I keel over, I’m still coming into work. Any reaper disease can’t be serious, it won’t kill me.”

“You’re a stubborn man James.” Stolas said, deciding to state the obvious. “What does Walter think?” He asked, furrowing his brows.

Walter was supposedly a ghost from James’s old life that followed him around. Stolas wasn’t entirely convinced he existed, or if he was a ghost in the sense of something James had been through that haunted him, or perhaps was his way of coping with the state of things. He cared for James enough that he didn’t want to try and tell James what he was or wasn’t experiencing… he couldn’t see through his eyes after all. If Walter was real… well… maybe it was good that James still had someone around to keep him grounded. If he wasn’t… what could he really do about that?

“Walter can mind his own business too.” He growled stubbornly, seemingly reading the same sentence on his paperwork a third time over, getting more frustrated.

Stolas narrowed his eyes, he slammed his hands down on the desk briefly, startling James a bit as he suddenly crossed over to his side of the desk, leaning down from his decent height and pointing his finger only inches away from James’s face.

“Either you let me take you home willingly, or I pick you up and carry you kicking and screaming.” He said very seriously.

James’s eyes widened before turning into a glare, leaning up and meeting his gaze with his own threatening one. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Wouldn’t I?” Stolas grinned.

James didn’t have time to run. He growled as Stolas tackled him and lifted him up out of his seat, having no problem lifting the bearded man up onto his shoulder.

“STOLAS SANTORI YOU PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!” He barked.

Stolas chuckled, he could tell all of James’s teeth were razor sharp just from the tone of his voice.

“You stay out of this!” James then barked, seemingly pointing at thin air in irritation, and Stolas was almost sure the air got colder.

Stolas walked towards the door, ignoring James struggling. “Last chance, I can put you down and you can go with me and retain some dignity…”

James stiffened and stopped flailing before sighing and going limp. “Fine, FINE! Just put me down or I swear I’ll have you- GAH!!”

Stolas followed his order and let James fall off his shoulder, only barely catching his balance.

James breathed heavily before coughing a bit, trying to straighten his hair and jacket. “If… If I’m penalized for being gone today…”

“I’ll take full responsibility. You can say you were kidnapped.” Stolas responded, walking out into the hallway with James in tow.

“…If I were to say you kidnapped me and disrupted my work… you could be put on trial.”

Stolas simply slipped his glasses off, cleaning them as they walked. He knew the halls well enough by now he probably could have found his way around without being able to see at all.

“If it happens… it happens.”

“How can you be so calm about such a thing?” James snapped before sneezing, grumbling, and pulling a handkerchief out of his coat pocket to blow his nose into.

“If that’s my fate, who am I to argue with it. I prefer to do what I think is right James, not what is easy or safe. And right now… seeing you rested is what I believe is right.” He said, looking down at James sincerely as they walked out of the building.

James hung his head for a moment, grinding his teeth slightly before walking again to head to his assigned home, Stolas not far behind.

“You’re a fool.” He said simply, and quietly.

Stolas just laughed. “Maybe. Most people seem to think so for getting within 2 feet of you.” He said softly, nudging James with his arm.

James felt miserable, he was annoyed, and on some level, he was scared.

But despite all that… he smiled.

[serpentinesarang]

Bend, Not Break

pairing: i.m (im changkyun) x gender-neutral reader

genre: non-idol!AU, boss/subordinate!AU, third-person POV, similar to the kdrama “Romance is a Bonus Book” (small book publisher setting), part of a series

word count: 1683 | next

content warnings: one mention of blood, one mention of alcohol

summary: you work as a copy editor at a publishing house, and you’re a genuine hard worker who never breaks rules—that is, until a new boss takes over your department. you find yourself magnetized and lusting over him, and vice versa, so perhaps your morals can bend just a little?

requested by: @livingwithmx​

a/n: From here on out, I’ll be incorporating more Korean language and cultural things into my writing, but fear not: I will list a handy key each time with translations and pronunciations! To make it more universally easier to understand my included Korean, I’ll write the Romanized words in the story and add the Hangul in the key.

korean key:

⦿ biseonim (비서님) = secretary; pronounced “pee-suh-neem;” (titles follow one’s surname) ⦿ annyeonghaseyo (안녕하세요) = most common and formal hello; pronounced “on-yawng-ha-seh-yo” ⦿ pyeongjibjangnim (편집장님) = editor; reader’s work title; pronounced “pyung-jeeb-jahng-neem” ⦿ soju (소주) = clear Korean grain alcohol, similar to vodka; pronounced as it looks ⦿ jungyeok (중역) = executive director; pronounced “jung-yuk” ⦿ pyeonjibguk (편집국) = editorial department; pronounced “pyun-jib-gook”

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

“Good morning, YL/N-pyeongjibjangnim!” Seoyoon calls out from behind the wide reception desk, her adorable chipmunk cheeks dimpling as she watches Y/N step off the elevator and onto the eighth floor, where their employer is located in the building.

“Annyeonghaseyo, Park-biseonim!” Y/N replies, throwing their hand up to wave briefly. They stop at the desk and peer down at Seoyoon. “How was your weekend?”

“Really good, actually,” she chirps with raised brows and blue-contacted eyes aglitter. She moves her hands off her keyboard to prop herself up on her forearms. “He finally kissed me!” she whispers excitedly.

Y/N’s mouth drops open in happy surprise. “It’s about time!” they say, matching Seoyoon’s excitement.

Seoyoon leans back in her swivel chair. “Right?! I still feel so good.”

Y/N smiles, bringing the black coffee tumbler in their hand to their lips.

“I even slipped some soju in my tea,” Seoyoon murmurs, raising her eyebrows again and jerking her head toward the dainty cup in front of her computer.

Y/N swallows their coffee hard and shoots Seoyoon a disappointed look with pursed lips. “Park-biseonim… You know alcohol isn’t allowed on premises,” they remind her softly, friend to friend.

Seoyoon exhales. “I know; I know… Just this one time?”

Y/N pauses, examining the secretary’s face. How could they alert their superior when the sweet girl was just so happy about her boyfriend finally kissing her?

“All riiight,” Y/N replies, turning toward the main doors leading into the office. “Only because of that kiss.”

They smile again before disappearing through the windowed double doors and making their way to their corner office on the far end of the floor. Y/N greets their coworkers, waving at those already submerged in their work and bowing to their superiors. Odd, they think, the entire executive board is here today. Something must be happening.

Y/N gets themselves situated at their modern Plexiglas desk, powering on their huge monitor and turning on lamps here and there. As soon as the computer hums to life, a loud two-toned chime goes off, signaling a high-importance email.

Smoothing out their slacks as they sit on their swivel chair, Y/N opens the email, which was sent to the entire editorial department. Something is happening, indeed.

In it, the department’s director had written:

Good morning, team:

Please meet in the conference room at 8 today to join me in welcoming a new employee to our department. I have important news to share, as well.

~Choi Jaeho-jungyeok

Y/N glances at the time on the computer: 7:57 AM. Yeet! they mentally screamed, shooting out of their chair and bee-lining for the conference room, situated between the editorial and creative departments.

Bursting through the large room’s white double doors, Y/N is greeted by a small symphony of good morning!s and annyeonghaseyo!s, and they bow their head to everyone while walking around to the last open chair at the corner of the rectangular table. Some coworkers have pads of paper in front of them; many have cups of steaming liquid; and others simply have their cell phones lying out. There’s one unfamiliar person sitting directly across Y/N in the other corner seat, though, looking like a stone with their elbows on the chair’s arms, hands clasped, and with nothing in front of them.

As soon as Y/N sits down and scoots in, they glance up to find this man already gazing at them.

Oh my God, they think.

The man across from them is young, around their age or older, and he looks like an Olympian god. Plentiful, chocolate-brown hair frames his intense, dark eyes, and his full lips are slightly pressed together in the tiniest of smirks. He’s wearing a crisp, white button-up with a skinny, dark purple tie. The lanyard holding a small placard hanging over it reads, Im Changkyun and beneath it, Jungyeok, Pyeonjibguk.

We have two directors now? Y/N thinks to themselves. Is that Choi-jungyeok’s big news?

Im Changkyun is still watching Y/N, and normally in a situation like this, they’d break eye contact. But something about this guy has started sucking them in, and the enigmatic glow of his eyes is not helping.

Jaeho causes both of them to snap out of it, though. “Okay, everybody, let’s get started.”

Jaeho is a fortysomething man, gray hair peeking through at his temples and his youthful face looking strangely alight today. He’s not normally this smiley, either. Standing at the head of the table, he clutches a large mug of fragrant coffee.

“You all got my email, evidently, so thank you all for being here and on-time. I mentioned that I have news, and I don’t intend to beat around the bush, so with that being said, I will be resigning as jungyeok, effective next Monday.”

A gaggle of gasps, what?!s, and nooo!s sounds from around the table.

“Order, order!” Jaeho dramatically raises his free hand like a judge, grinning at his joke. “I have been offered a wonderful opportunity on the other side of the city, and I spent a long time thinking it over, so this wasn’t an easy decision.”

He pauses to gulp some of his coffee, pocketing his other hand. “Many of you have already noticed the new face among us, and he’s here today to get acquainted with his new team, as he will be replacing me.”

Several of the surrounding executives collectively respond with an excited, “OH-ohhhhh.” No one seems really upset by this news, and even Im Changkyun has broken into a sheepish smile.

Y/N observes Mr. Im in the moment, noticing his sharp cheekbones and thick brows. His lips look the most tantalizing, totally full on the bottom with a perfectly curved Cupid’s bow above. They recognize a pair of silver hoops on his lobes, specifically from Cartier’s Love collection—ironically, the same design as Y/N’s gold ring on their thumb. Without realizing it, they emit a small hm in their amusement.

When Mr. Im glances at Y/N, they stiffen and immediately angle themselves toward Jaeho again.

“I have been training this employee both off-site and after-hours for the past week now because I, admittedly, wasn’t sure how you all would take the news. So I wanted to train him away from prying eyes,” Jaeho explains, occasionally looking down at the table. “For the next week, though, he’ll be in-house, sharing my office with me—’cause it’s really his now—and familiarizing himself with everyone as well as how you all work together. This is the last leg of onboarding for him and the last leg of Phenomenon Publishing for me. I’m very excited for both my and his future.”

Jaeho drinks more of his coffee and steps around his chair, pushing it in and resting his free hand on top. “I’d like everyone to get back to doing their magic now, and your new jungyeok will spend the day going around meeting everyone. Thanks, guys.”

And with that, Jaeho exits the conference room.

Everyone sits around for a moment, processing their director’s words, but more so trying to figure out if they should say something to Mr. Im, who’s still in the room.

Mr. Im speaks up, sitting upright in his chair. “Annyeonghaseyo, everyone. I want to make my introduction to you all a little more personal, so instead of doing it here and hiding with Choi-jungyeok the rest of the day, I’m going to spend a little time with each of you today. I don’t just want to know your name and role; I want to learn a little about you guys too because we’ll be working closely from now on. I hope to fill the jungyeok’s shoes, quite honestly,” he finishes with a deep chuckle.

Im Changkyun’s voice is like hot blood sliding down Y/N’s skin: unsettlingly appealing, deep, magnetic, and velvety. They gulp hard, fidgeting with their gold ring under the table as Mr. Im speaks.

Y/N’s coworkers rise from their seats, formally bowing to their new boss and making hush-hush conversation amongst themselves as they filter out of the brightly lit room. Y/N is the last to follow the crowd out, and as they send one last furtive glance toward Mr. Im while approaching the double doors, he turns to meet their curious eyes and raises an eyebrow.

Stunned at their unusually brazen behavior, Y/N nods politely before ducking out and speed-walking back to their office. They close the door a little too hard but only because they’re desperate to sit down and catch their breath.

What is happening to me, they think, drinking their own iced coffee.

Y/N spends the rest of their day immersed in their editing tasks, working diligently to keep their mind from dwelling on God himself and how heart-stopping-attractive he is, how entrancing his voice is. They respond to emails as normal, reference the same books as normal, listen to the same low-fi playlist as normal, field interns’ questions as they take turns knocking on Y/N’s door as normal, and they even spend their lunch hour in the cozy break room.

Im Changkyun is nowhere to be seen, and by the time 4 PM rolls around, the last hour of the workday, Y/N had calmed down. In fact, they’d had a spurt of productivity after lunch and were able to finish editing two of the larger manuscripts that’d been stressing them the past few weeks.

Y/N even debated taking off the last hour to quietly read at their desk instead of emailing the finished documents for Choi-jungyeok to skim over, as he gives final approval before the company convenes with the respective authors again. But that’s never been Y/N’s style, breaking rules. They were there to work—“do their magic,” as Jaeho had put it, and that’s how they’d spend the remainder of the day.

Wrong.

The all-glass door to their office swings open, and God himself walks in, plopping down in the small loveseat on the right side of Y/N’s desk.

“I saved you specifically for last,” he says, leaning back in the chair and freezing his eyes on Y/N’s.

They pause for a second before cannonballing into the unknown. “I figured.”

[swiss-cheeze]

Hallelujah || Spencer Reid

I am, so terrified to post this simply because it’s ‘new’ and stuff idk.

Disclaimer: IM ONLY UP TO SEASON 2 OF CRIMINAL MINDS, I do know what happens later on revolving around Reid and IT DOES GET MENTIONED (drugs, the jail) however no detail gets put in due to me not actually knowing about it a lot.

Another disclaimer: the characters in this are Reid, you, Hotch, Gideon, Garcia, J.J., Morgan and Emily. Stuff from Reid’s ‘future’ gets told in this even tho there are different people on the team at that time but because I don’t know them I didn’t put them in there.

I hope that makes sense.

Requested: YES/NO Gender: none, they/them Warnings: talk of suicide/jumping off a building along with depression, loneliness. Description: Spencer is a little scared to show his partner of 3 and a half years to his work mates, that is, until his partner wows the team with their singing skills.

“Guys i just, i dunno…” Spencer sighed softly and stopped walking for what felt like the tenth time that night, the group sighed as they stopped with Spencer as he started pacing on the spot and ran his hands through his hair.

“Wonder Boy it's going to be okay, there's nothing to be afraid of” Garcia reassured Spencer for what would have to be the third time since they left the office.

“I-I know that but statistically speaking-” Spencer began, the team all seemed to give each other a look that told them the same thing.

“Nuh uh Pretty Boy!” Morgan interjected, the muscled man grabbed Spencer by his shoulders and started walking in the direction of the bar, “you have been on and off about this person for a month now, not telling us a single thing and then maybe a phrase or something and quite frankly i'm fed up with it” as Morgan opened the doors to the bar the group walked in with Spencer still standing out the front nervously chewing his nails and sent a frightened look to Morgan. Hotch sighed before turning to Morgan.

“I got this one, you head inside” the chief of the BAU spoke, he allowed Morgan to go inside before stepping out with Spencer, “what's gotten you so tight?” the man asked Spencer, “friend to friend, this isn't work.” the man concluded as he saw Spencer's mind racing.

“I’m scared, Hotch, and I'm not normally scared or-or fearful, yeah I've been to prison and gotten addicted to drugs and shot-shot multiple times but this…” Spencer sighed as he ran his hands through his hair again and paced back and forth, “but this is different, they really mean alot to me and have been with me through almost everything since i was in prison and they’ve been there for every and all breakdowns and moments,” Spencer took this moment to look at Hotch with reddened eyes, “i really love them you know? They,” Spencer sniffled as he smiled brightly, “they give me such a high that the drugs could never give me, they give me such a lightened feeling, such happiness that when i go home after a case i almost forget about the horrors i've witnessed that day and they remind me of the true happiness and love this world can give to certain people,” he took a breath as Hotch interjected.

“So why are you so scared?” Hotch asked as his hands rested on his hips, it was a simple question, and even with the ramble Spencer just spoke it took him a moment to come up with an answer.

“Because i just want you guys to love him as much as i do,” Spencer said with a soft smile as memories flooded his mind of the past 3 and a half years with you, “obviously not in the romantic way but-”

“Reid,” Hotch paused Spencer, the boy looked to his elder in a way a boy would look to his father after being told off, “this person, they make you happy, yes?” Hotch asked, Spencer nodded vigorously, “then you have not a thing to worry about” the man said with a faint smile, “as long as you’re happy, you aren't in prison and are off the drugs than thats all that matters to us, and the fact you have a partner just makes it better because then you can share that happiness with that person just like you said before, they make you feel something the drugs never could,” Hotch stepped forward and held Spencer on his biceps with a firm grip to keep the boy grounded, “so let's go in there and meet this person” Hotch finalised, Spencer nodded affirmatively and the pair walked into the bar one after the other.

“Finally!” Emily called as the team sat around a table with two empty seats, “so?” the girl asked as her and the rest of the team looked just as curious, “where are they?” she asked, Spencer breathed in and smiled as he checked the time.

“Two minutes more and they’ll be here,” Spencer said as he checked his watch.

“Oh so you made us get here early just so you could get pissed?” Morgan said jokingly as their drinks got to their table.

“Leave him alone Morgan it's his first time,” Gideon said with a chuckle as he took a swig of his beer.

“First time? What's that-” Spencer started to talk but got cut off when someone tapped the microphone. Everyone turned their heads to look to the stage, a man holding a folder was standing in front of the microphone.

“Hello! I would like to invite our next singer slash band up on stage; (Y/n) (L/n) and Micheal Herance!” the man smiled brightly as he clapped and you walked on stage with Micheal in tow behind you.

“You didn't tell us they were in a band!” Garcia exclaimed.

“I hope its not country,” Morgan deadpanned softly which made Garcia kick him under the table, when Morgan looked to Garcia with confusion she nudged her head over to Spencer who seemed to be glazed over, his eyes full of love and adoration as you and the other person tried to get ready quickly.

“They’re only small and do mostly covers but they’re really good” Spencer said with a smile as he grabbed his drink and took a sip. Micheal took his seat on the wooden stool with an electric guitar as you grabbed the microphone and cleared your throat.

“Hi,” you said softly, even if you’ve been doing stage shows for a little over a year, seeing all those eyes on you and your band still made you feel anxious, “we are two fourths of The Charmed Crosses,” you said with a chuckle, “this is a song i would like to dedicate to a special someone whom i hope has made i tonight,” Spencer wanted to jump up and down and scream to say he made it but he felt that would ruin the mood so he stayed put as he realised that the stage lights would be the things hindering your sight, “even if he isn't this is recorded so, Spencer Reid with three PhD’s, this one goes out to you my sweet.” The Team silently pat Spencer on the back as the boy blushed slightly with a smile.

“It's nothing, they do it all the time” Spencer said softly as he took a mouthful of his drink again and the opening notes to Hallelujah started playing from the guitar.

“Oh this is going to make me cry,” Garcia said softly as Emily and J.J. nodded in agreement, Gideon squeezed Garcia's hand, he didn't want to admit it but it was going to bring a tear to his eye too.

“Well I'd heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music, do you?” your voice drifted through the microphone as the Guitar chords struck itself within you and the crowd, “Well, it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift, the baffled king! Composing Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah” your voice drifted like soft wood and carried emotions that nobody else could try and carry, “Well, your faith was strong but you needed proof, you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya” you took a breath as the guitar carried for a few notes, “She tied you to the kitchen chair, she broke your throne and she cut your hair! And from your lips, she drew the Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah” the emotion in your words where one that couldn't be described as the team looked between you and the lovestruck Spencer, no way had this guy picked you, of all people, though it was possible it was slim. But it happened, “But baby, I've been here before, I've seen this room and I've walked this floor. You know, I used to live alone before I knew ya” these lyrics seemed to go out to Spencer in a way that wasn't one the team, your coworkers or the world would ever know, it was a thing for you two and you two only, “And I've seen your flag on the marble arch, and love is not a victory march!” this almost seemed to be a direct hit to Spencer, of his past dwellings, “It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah” the song spread a shiver up Morgans spine that even he wouldn't be able to explain as he took a moment to look to Ried, his love struck baby brother had finally grown into a man, your voice was soft in the places it needed to be and became hard in others in a way one couldn't describe. Your voice drifted with the guitar and carried out the rest of the song, the emotion brought out made everyone in the room believe you wanted the whole world to hear you, but only one person could understand. See, this song was the song that had saved your life, as cliche as it was things had gotten too rough for you to handle a few years ago, the stress of a daily job and bills and rent was getting too much for you, and one night you decided to go to the roof of your apartment with the radio and you played it for a little bit, letting the songs go one by one. When you decided you had stalled enough you stood on the edge of the building and looked down before looking back up to the sky, “give me one good reason, give me a sign, give me anything” you had spoken, and that's when you really did feel something. A wind gushed around you and ruffled your clothes as it made your radio fall onto its back, you sighed softly as you went to pick it up, and as you did the song changed to Hallelujah, of course you had heard it before but this time it felt like someone was really listening. In that moment you had sat in front of the radio and listened to the whole song right through to the end, that's also how Spencer found you on that roof.

---

“You don't have to know you,” Spencer's voice called out from the stairwell as he leaned against the doorframe. You gasped softly as you tried to dry your eyes before the mystery man could see you.

“Don’t have to do what?” you asked the man as the sound of his footsteps came closer to you and soon sat on the edge of the building, his hands where in his pocket as his tie blew in the wind along with his hair.

“I saw you standing on the edge, and i heard you ask for a reason, a sign,” Spencer shrugged softly, “you seemed to have gotten it though” the man said with a small smile as he looked to the radio, you smiled softly as you looked to the radio in your hands and smiled.

“Yeah i guess so,” you let the radio play the next song as you sat next to Spencer, “so what’re you doing out here then? Thought the same thing?” you asked as Spencer scoffed and shook his head No.

“No, no I'm here because I like to look at the stars when I feel alone,” Spencer said as he looked to the sky. You did too, “whenever I feel sad, alone, depressed, or even suicidal. I come up here for refuge, I look up at the stars and I think to myself, ‘if they’re up there, then they must have sacrificed a lot to be there, burning, forever'” Spencer talked with honey in his voice and admiration. You looked at the mystery man with a small smile, “but by all means if that wasn't a sign enough and neither was I then go ahead” Spencer said with a smile.

“Yeah? And why shouldn't i?” you asked as you stood up on the roof and started swinging your arms, “besides the song, and you” you stated.

“Because that is a lot of paperwork for a department to file for one person” Spencer said as he too stood up and walked towards you. You nodded.

“Well, consider my suicidal thoughts diminished,” you said with a small smile.

“Good” Spencer said as he walked to the staircase again, you turned and was disappointed to see him leaving so soon.

“What's your name? I don't believe i’ve seen you in the apartment block before,” you asked, it was a kind enough question, a name.

“I just moved in,” Spencer said as he stopped at the staircase, “my name is Spencer Ried, i have three Phd’s, if you ever need me im only ever two doors down from yours, number 15, either that or down at the BAU”

“You’re a profiler” you stated.

“Correct,” Spencer answered though he didn't move.

“So what’d you get from me?” you asked with crossed arms.

“You’re suicidal?” Spencer questioned playfully.

“You know what i mean,” you said with a sigh.

“Life is a hell of a thing to happen to someone” Spencer said with a smile, “a good friend of mine said that, he's a writer,” Spencer said with his hands still resting in his pockets.

“Brilliant” you said, it was half sarcastic and half...human.

“Goodnight…” Spencer trailed off as he didn't know your name.

“(Y/n). (Y/n) (L/n)” you said with a smile.

“Goodnight (Y/n) (L/n)” Spencer said.

“Goodnight Spencer Ried with three PhDs” you said with a smile as Spencer walked down the stairs.

---

After your first introduction to each other on that roof, you and Spencer started to become friends, then good friends, and then he asked you out on a date and now, 3 and a half years later. You couldn't be more happy to be alive than now. Time seemed to stand still as the last note from the guitar rang around the bar and everyone clapped, a few standing and another few wiping their tears away from the corners of their eyes. You smiled as you and Micheal bowed on the stage before walking off, Spencer nudged his team as he stood up.

“Come on, we’ll get a booth so it's easier” the profiler said as another band came onto the stage and started their song. The FBI agents all stood and followed Spencer to the bar where (Y/n) stood, looking around for their boyfriend and nervously sipping on whiskey, Spencer smirked as he turned to his friends with a look of excitement, “watch this” the Doctor said with a wiggle of his brows before walking over towards you. You bit your lip as you looked around nervously hoping Spencer had made it tonight, “a good looking person like you should bite their lip so much” a voice said behind you, you jumped from the suddenness of it before turning around and allowing a large smile to form over your lips before placing your drink on the bar and wrapping your arms around your tall boyfriends neck.

“Spence! You made it!” you said happily, though you had been together for over 3 years, Spencer Reid still seemed to give you the same butterflies like the first date you two ever had.

“Of course i made it Bug,” Spencer said, using his nickname for you, “wouldn't miss it even if i was dying” the agent said with a knowing smile as a scoff could be heard behind him causing Spencer and you to look at the intruder.

“He was almost dying when he was coming down the street,” a man said, he was black and tall and rather handsome, Spencer gave a shy smile as he walked over next to the man.

“These are my coworkers!” Spencer said a little nervously, you had a confused look on your face previously but now it was filled with excitement and elated happiness as you walked forward towards the group.

“So you guys are the people he keeps boasting on about!” you said happily as you stuck out your hand to the first man.

“Derek Morgan” the man said, you nodded as you shook his hand and a soft smile came over the man's face, this was Spencer's ‘big brother’ at the office. You moved to the next person.

“Emily Prentiss,” the girl said, she was sleek and had nice hair, you made a mental note to ask her about it later as you moved to the next person.

“Jason Gideon”, ah, so this was Spencer's mentor, you gave a knowing look at Gideons hands encapsulating yours in a warm and inviting way. Spencer looked at you greeting everyone with a profound happiness.

“Aaron Hotchner, but please just Hotch” the man said, you smiled.

“So youre the narcissist” you said with a wink as Hotch gave a small laugh as Spencer closed his eyes with a smile. You moved to the next person. She was rather round and had blonde hair and a brilliant red dress and blue cardigan on.

“Penelopie Garcia, i make sure your wonder boy over there makes it back alive to you” the girl said, you gave a laugh as did everyone else knowing it was a team effort but it was also a joke.

“Than i shall give all my thanks to you and bid everyone else, adew” you said with a tone of laughter, Garcia laughed with you as you moved to the final person, “you must be-”

“J.J., please” the girl said as she shook your hand for the final time, you nodded in respect, so this was the girl Reid fancied for like, an hour or something whenever it was he told you that point.

“Well, please let's get a booth and get to know each other!” you said with a smile as you grabbed your glass of liquor from the bar and walked to a previously reserved booth in the far corner of the bar.

“You shouldn't drink that drink you know,” Derek said from behind you, “you left it alone for two minutes, could be drugged” you smiled as yourself and the group piled into the booth.

“Then I am one hundred percent sure one of you would have told me” you said as you took a sip of your drink, Derek laughed as Garcia sat next to him and he wrapped an arm around her, you eyed them for a moment before letting it go. Spencer sat next to you as J.J. sat next to him, then the rest piled in.

“So (Y/n), tell us a little bit about yourself,” Hotch started as he took a sip of his beer, you cleared your throat as you looked to Spencer who nodded for confirmation.

“Well, um, I'm in a band,” you chuckled softly, “as you could see earlier I sing, we’ve made songs and practised them but we haven't been able to perfect them the way we want to start recording.” you took a moment, “um, i met Spencer a few years ago on our apartment roof-”

“EXCUSE ME,” Derek exclaimed with wide eyes, “you’re telling me pretty boy over here has had you as his little secret for a few YEARS?!”, Spencer chuckled.

“Three and almost a half to be exact Morgan” Spencer said with a shit-eating grin as he took a swig of your drink, you slapped him on the chest causing him to laugh.

“That’s my drink you prick!” you exclaimed with a smile, “anyway, um,” you shrugged with a laugh, “you guys are the ones who have profiling as a career you should be doing this to me not the other way around” you laughed as you looked to Gideon, the man smiled.

“You closed your eyes when you where up on stage,” Gideon started, “whatever you were singing meant alot for you to get so into it, you were looking around a lot when you where at the bar, you’re anxious”

“Of course i am, im meeting you guys for the first time,” you said with an awkward smile, okay, this was a little different than you expected.

“You also have been fiddling with a ring, signifying anxiety,” Hotch chimed in, “and biting your lip,” you pulled your lip from in between your teeth and looked at the table.

“Alright enough,” Spencer said a little harsher than he intended, “can we just, drop the profiler job for tonight and just be like normal friends?” he asked agitated, this sparked your eye and you gave Spencer a glance, he glanced back as reassurance.

“(Y/n), where do you work?” Garcia asked as a waitress brought her another drink with a little pink umbrella, you smiled as she broke the ice.

“Other than in a band I work in a vintage antique store, one of those really old ones?” you smiled, “i got Spencers first gift from that shop actually,” you smiled at the memory.

“Oh here we go,” Spencer said from beside you as he clasped his eyes shut and smiled.

“Please can i tell them!?” you exclaimed.

“Yeah go on,” Spencer said as he looked back to you and gave you a kiss on the lips.

“Woah I didn't know pretty boy ever kissed anyone, besides that one girl?” Derek said, he trailed off at the end forgetting the girl's name.

“Lila” J.J. said softly.

“Yeah Lila, the actress” Derek said.

“ANYWAY,” you exclaimed trying to get back onto the story, Derek smiled as an apology as you continued the story, “obviously Spencer here loves books,” you started, “but since he can read 20,000 words a minute there was no way i was going to get his first date present a goddam book he’d read in like an hour, so,” you smiled towards Spencer who was trying to suppress his laughing, “i got him an antique music box, i just happen across it one day when i was leaving the shop. It was sitting right on the bench, waiting for me, i opened it and started winding the handle,” you smiled as Spencer looked down at you with love and adoration, “i didn't recognise the song at first but,” you looked around the table, “you know when you get that sudden feeling, when you hear something and you just suddenly understand what it was and what it was saying?” you asked, Emily, Garcia, Hotch; all the team nodded with a knowing look, “well, it was like that. The music box was the song I played on the stage tonight, Hallelujah, and instantly I knew I had to get it for him” you heard a sniffle on the table as Garcia was wiping at her eyes.

“I’m fine! Stop looking at me like that” the girl said with a smile, “it's just really sweet”

“And this was a first date present?” Emily asked from the side, this time Spencer nodded and answered.

“I had asked (Y/n) out a week prior and we decided we just wanted it to be a nice coffee date and walk in the park, when the time finally came i bought their favourite flowers from the shop, gave them to her and then she pulled out a lovely little bag with a package in it and said ‘this is for you’.” Spencer smiled, “when i went home that night and finally looked at the present, i had the same feeling as (Y/n) did, i didn't recognise the song at first but when it got to that one single word i knew, i knew (Y/n) was the one i wanted to marry one day,” the team around you guys smiled as their favourite profiler finally got the break he deserved in life. “I called (Y/n) right after i finished listening to the music box in a mess of tears and instantly asked for a second date, luckily i was charming enough to get another one” Spencer said in a joking manner as he rubbed his finger nails on his button up shirt as yourself and Emily pushed Spencer jokingly causing everyone to laugh.

“You seem to have it all setup then Ried” Hotch said from the side, Spencer smiled and nodded as he looked at you.

“I and my Annabelle Lee,” Spencer said softly, causing you to blush, a reference to one of his favorite poems by Edgar Allen Poe.

——————————————————————————

HI IF YOU MADE IT I HOPED YOU LIKED IT.

And I hope you saw my nod to MGG at that last sentence 👀.

This was unedited. Apologies.

[thestarwrites]

ALL RIGHT, ALL MIGHT: CH. 1

Word Count: 1,720

Rating: PG (mention of something filthy)

Painting: Toshinori Yagi X FemOC

The UA Guidance Counselor, a quirk user with Pathokenesis, is shocked to find out her personal hero All Might is coming to be a teacher. The road they walk as a parallel starts to merge and there’s no telling what could happen.

------------

CHAPTER ONE: BIRTHDAYS

Typing on her computer, Keri Chairo worked on updating a few student’s files, getting ready for the summer break. Humming softly, she was interrupted by the placement of a cupcake on the desk- turning her head, happy to see Midnight there, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATHO!!!” She wrapped her arms around Keri’s neck and she grinned, “Oh our young hero is growing up, Aizawa!” Keri blushed furiously and coughed, “My birthday isn’t until Saturday, Nemuri—“

Midnight just laughed and pinched her cheek, “Yeah but you’re SO cute when you’re all flustered!!”

Aizawa chuckled, “Okay come on Midnight we want her to come back in the fall... why don’t you save your affections for tomorrow?”

Looking back toward him, Keri blinked, “What’s tomorrow?”

“Oh, we have to quote, unquote,” he made the motion with his fingers, “Talk to the new teacher starting in the fall about how we run things around here. No ones supposed to know he’s here.”

Midnight clasped her hands together and fawned softly, “Such a good reason to save my affections…”

“Know that... who’s here?” Keri looked to him.

Aizawa pulled his hair back into a ponytail, “All Might.”

Gasping and almost falling backwards out of her computer chair Keri remained quiet as Midnight laughed. She couldn’t help but grin wildly as she felt the other woman’s quirk creep into her, “Ooh Aizawa- I think someone has a crush on All Might—“

“Who doesn’t have a crush on All Might.” He grunted, annoyed, “Curb your fan girl feelings please, Patho. I have a class to teach.”

She flushed harder and nodded, her forehead slowly stopping its glow, “Oh god- I’m so sorry Aizawa.”

“It’s also his birthday on Sunday!” Midnight chirped, “So if you wanted to start off in a good foot... maybe you should get him a present! Oh my gosh! Your birthday is Saturday, Keri! You and All Might are practically birthday twins!” Clapping she hummed softly into her ear, “I can help you with what an older man like All Might would like—“

Keri put her hands up between her ear and Midnight, face scarlet red, “I don’t want to know what you’re going to say! Just- I’ll be here working anyway it’s not like I’ll see him! I’m just the guidance counselor!”

Raising an eyebrow Aizawa groaned, “Well, Keri, he’s going to be our coworker now so... you’re going to have to try and compose yourself and work with him.

She started to protest, “Aizawa I’m a professional—“

He just cut her off, “Now blow out your candle, and make a wish, lunch is almost over.”

She leaned in and blew out the candle and turned, bowing, “Thank you Eraser, Midnight... it means a lot to me that you remembered my birthday... I’m truly grateful, and I’m happy for your friendship.” Smiling at them they both gave her a warm smile in return. They each hugged her (some more than others) and waved before going back to their classrooms.

Keri sighed and pushed her long hair back. It was shaved on one side, down to her mid hack on the other, “Im so lucky to have such nice coworkers. I’m so lucky I get to be friends with such famous heroes.” She smiled and pushed the candle-crowned cupcake to the side for now to keep typing.

—————————

A few hours went by, she’d had some counseling appointments that went relatively well. And as she was winding down for the end of the day, thinking a little more about Midnight’s proposal for what an older man would like when— suddenly—

“EXCUSE ME?” A booming voice sounded behind her, “IS THIS WHERE I CAN FIND PRINCIPAL NEZU?”

She felt the color drain from her face as she realized who was behind her. Turning in her chair she saw him- he was in civilian clothes- he wasn’t supposed to be here until tomorrow???

When she didn’t answer, and only stared, he cleared his throat, “ARE YOU ALRIGHT MISS?”

“Y-yes.” Keri nodded, “Yes! I’m fine- my apologies, sir. Lost in my head- Um, Principa —”

“HA HA HA! SIR, YOU DON’T HAVE TO CALL ME SIR!” She felt panic bubble up in her chest, he was approaching her now- holding out his hand, “TOSHINORI IS THE NAME. YOU MUST BE PATHO- THE SUPORT HERO!”

The next thing she knew, she was shaking hands with All Might himself, and his name was Toshinori- what a beautiful name— And he knows her, “You- you know /me/?”

Another booming laugh came from his mouth, kids began to look in through the window in the door, chattering that All Might was here, “OF COURSE I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! YOU HAVE THE UNCANNY ABILITY TO KEEP PEOPLE CALM! YOU’VE BEEN STATIONED AT A FEW OF MY CRIME SCENES!”

“Well -yeah... I have... I just.... didn’t think you’d ever notice.”

His grin faded into a sincere smile, leaning a little too close for comfort, “Every one of us in this school is a hero, besides why wouldn’t I notice when someone comes to help?”

A deep shaky breath was her first response, and then she put a composed smile on her face, “My name is Keri, by the way. It’s an honor to meet you, Toshinori.”

“The honor is mine! It’s really very nice to meet you instead of watching you work from afar- your quirk is fascinating!” He nodded and as she tried to come up with something else to say, All Might pointed toward the cupcake Midnight and Eraser head had given her, “Hey- is today your birthday?”

Biting her lip she shook her head, “Oh no— Saturday is my birthday. Aizawa and Nemuri remembered a little early…”

He beamed, “SUNDAY IS MY BIRTHDAY, WERE PRACTICALLY BIRTHDAY TWINS!”

Keri couldn’t help the blush that crept to her cheeks as she smiled brightly, his childlike enthusiasm was infectious., “Happy early birthday then, All Might.”

“Happy early birthday to you, Miss Keri.” He smiled again.

Taking another deep breath, less shaky this time, she finally shook the shock of being In the presence of her personal hero. Clearing her throat, she began, “By the way— Principal Nezu’s office is down the hall- this is the guidance office. Aizawa told me you would be here tomorrow, not today.”

He chuckled, “Tomorrow I’m going to be discussing some things with the other teachers during a lunch meeting... “ he turned around, seeing the hall finally cleared, “But I’m meeting with Nezu today, to discuss my employment here this fall... so I guess you and I will be coworkers here as well as on the field of battle!”

Smiling brighter, Keri nodded, “Well it’s an honor.” She smiled demurely, “You’re my favorite hero- don’t tell any of the others, they might get jealous.”

Toshinori laughed softly and finally sat down beside her, his large form dwarfing the chair he sat in that was normally reserved for students, “So I suppose I should give you a preview of what the other teachers will know tomorrow.”

“That’s ominous.” She hummed softly as he laughed again.

“This is probably going to be alarming. But please, don’t panic,“ suddenly steam started coming from his body and the woman gasped as suddenly seated in front of her was an emaciated version of Japan’s number one hero.

Blinking a few times she looked confused, “Wait what.”

Biting his lip, he reached up to push some of his hair back, “So... you know how like... guys at the pool suck in their gut and flex? To look all buff? I’m... like that. But I can only do it for so many hours a day so the staff here has to know so they can help me keep the secret.”

“But... have you... always.... uh—“ she didn’t know how to express the bizarre way she felt seeing him like this. She was confused, sure, but more than that she felt... lucky. Lucky to see him like this- to be let into a secret. Suddenly she felt more inspired by him, she felt proud that someone like him would be so brave to fight—  and he touched his chest softly with a smile.

“Is this what pros on the field say your quirk feels like? I feel... inspired.” His smile was warm.

“Shit—“ She put one hand on her forehead, feeling the heat from the pink diamond, “I’m so sorry! Im all over the place today, I’m usually more in control.”

He put his hand over hers on the arm rest, “Don’t worry, Patho, it’s fine! And to answer your question-“ he pulled back and took a breath, “I was in a fight that I almost lost- about five years ago- it left me with one lung and most of my stomach removed.”

“All Might— I — I remember you were away for a while but… Toshinori, that’s… So brave.”

He cleared his throat, a faint blush on his cheeks, “I made sure the world never knew... only a few people know. And now you know.” He smiled a little, sadly, “So I’m counting on your help to keep my secret, hm?”

“I won’t let you down,” she felt he was more like a normal man than he wanted to admit. Reaching to put her hand over his this time, she smiled, “Were going to be coworkers, right? We have to stick together! Besides- at least thanks to you I won’t be the newbie anymore.” Her small smile turned into a smirk.

He grinned, “I can see why Nezu trusts you, Patho. I look forward to us working together to help mold the heroes of the future-“ With an audible POOF suddenly a big muscled All Might was in front of you, “NOW I HAVE FO GO FIND PRINCIPAL NEZU. MAYBE WE CAN GO TO LUNCH SOMETIME— SO UH— YOU CAN TELL ME HOW THIS LOT HAZES THEIR NEW TEACHERS!” Suddenly he wrote out his number on a piece of paper, “HERE IS MY NUMBER! MAKE SURE TO TEXT ME YOURS.”

Keri blushed and smiled, “Keep it down, hm? You’re going to let the whole school know you’re here, Toshinori.”

“YES... YOU’RE PROBABLY RIGHT... I’LL SEE YOU AROUND.”

And with that, All Might left the guidance office, and Keri snatched up the paper. Tears spilled over her eyes and she quickly wiped them away, “He really is amazing…”

[kpoptrashibnida]

Enough Pt. 10

A/N: What is up my peeps! Here is part 10, I hope you guys enjoy it! Feedback is always welcomed/wanted! Happy Reading!

WARNINGS: 18+, SMUT

Chanyeol knew that what he was doing was borderline insane. He didn’t understand it himself, really. It was as if something possessed his body and took over his normally cool and collected self. He felt powerless to his impulse, the need to know the information he wanted overpowered his sense of what’s right and what’s wrong. But then again, he felt like he didn’t know how to properly differentiate from the two. He often knew what was right but didn’t always do it. 

‘It’s okay to look. It’s for research purposes. I just want to see what she is up to. There’s nothing wrong with that…’ Chanyeol thought as he willed himself to open up his Instagram app and type your name in the search box. He groaned in frustration as thousands of pages popped up with similar names to yours. When you two were hooking up he never added you in any of his social media accounts. He figured that it would make things less complicated if you weren’t there to see all the posts he would like and comment on or get tagged in. He didn’t want anything messy or complicated and that’s why he used to be fine with not having you on his social media. 

After weeks of not hearing from you or being able to get into contact with you, he finally decided to hit rock bottom and look you up online. The only problem is that it seemed like everyone and their mother had the same name as you. Trying to find your profile was going to be a wild goose chase, so he went on Suho’s instagram to look up Mina and from there to look for you. Thankfully that plan worked perfectly because he was able to find you right away in Mina’s followers list. He was very relieved when he saw that your page was public, giving him access to your photos without having to follow you. If your account had been private, he knew he was not going to add you because he was too prideful. 

Your instagram feed was pretty safe; it consisted of photos of food, landscapes, photos of you and Mina and a few cute selfies. There was a photo that caught his attention. At first sight it only looked like a photo of a coffee cup at a cafe, but once he clicked on the photo and zoomed in, he could see the corner of a face that appeared to be of a man. There was no indication on the caption that you were with anyone in particular and no one was tagged. The caption read ‘it’s always coffee o’clock’. Which meant nothing because you were obsessed with coffee. The person in the photo could be a guy but it could also be a girl with a short hair style. Or it could be a coworker and nothing else. 

‘No need to freak out.’ Chanyeol thought, ‘it’s probably nothing. She is probably too busy to date anyway.’ 

He couldn’t help himself and clicked on the comments to see what people wrote. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary… until he saw the one comment.

Itsminakim: drink water hoe ;p

Itssuhokim: im surprised you don’t have kidney failure by now

Gldnboiijk: noona! I miss getting you coffee! Plz come back to seoul. I miss you >.<

Jjh_2019: i’m glad i met the person that loves coffee as much as i do :D

The last comment rubbed Chanyeol the wrong way even though it wasn’t necessarily a flirty or incriminating comment. Something about it just bothered Chanyeol and he couldn’t understand why. He clicked on the profile and was annoyed at the fact that this person’s profile was private. All he could see what that his name is Jung Jaehyun and that he works for Friends Corp as well. He clearly is one of your coworkers, and hopefully nothing else. Chanyeol finally sighed and put his phone away, deciding that he did enough digging for one day. You seemed to be having a good time in New York and he should be happy for you. And he was, he just hoped he could talk to you. He had been busy at work producing music for a multitude of artists, his songs actually being very successful. He was elated at the fact that he had an actual career now doing something that he loved and it was going well for him now. 

He finally felt like he was getting his life together and he wanted to keep improving as a person. He wanted to be someone that you would be proud of and would be willing to give him a second chance. You were almost halfway through your year-long project contract and he was really hoping he could get in touch with you by the time you got back. Suho was still being a hardass and not budging on giving him any more information about you. It sucked that even his close friend didn’t believe that he could change and be more serious about his relationships. 

“Mr. Park.” Jihyo said as she knocked on his office door.

“Yes, come in.” He said, putting his phone away in his drawer.

“Ms. Kim is here with her manager. They’re in the conference room and they’re ready to start on the new single.” Jihyo informed, holding the door open for Chanyeol.

“Thank you Jihyo.” He followed her out the door and to the conference room.

‘No time to focus on those things. It’s time to focus on work and grind.’ He thought, putting on a smile on his face as he walked into the conference room, ready to tackle a new project.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

After a long week of work you were glad to finally be able to relax and enjoy your time off. The pop-up project was halfway completed and it was crunch time. You were busy setting up meetings with local newspapers, magazines, tv stations and online blogs. You had endless conference calls and meetings. What helped you stay sane was working with your three favorite boys, endless cups of coffee and the foot massages Jaehyun would give you after long days of meetings and presentations. 

You filled up your bath with lavender salts and turned on some relaxing music. You started to undress and you slowly sat down on the tub, letting out a low groan at the feeling of the hot water relaxing your muscles. 

“I brought that wine. Still want it?” Jaehyn asked as he walked into your bathroom with two glasses of wine. 

“Yes please.” You sat up and excitedly grabbed the wine glass form Jaehyun.

He sat down on a stool you had in your bathroom and sipped on his wine with a smile on his face as he watched you relax as you drink your wine. He eyes the wet skin of your chest and looks away before his thoughts get too carried away. Ever since you two took your relationship to the next level, it was something you did almost on a daily basis. Jaehyun basically moved into your apartment because he mostly stayed at your place now. You’d go to work together, go home together, ate dinner together and fall asleep in each others arms after some passionate lovemaking. He already had some clothes at your place, occupying a small part of your closet. Your bathroom vanity also had his hair products, toothbrush and other personal items. Jaehyun was very excited about the way your relationship was going and he hoped it kept getting better. 

“So are you just going to sit there and stare off into space or are you going to join me?” You asked, amused at Jaehyun’s spaced out expression. You figured he was also very tired from the long work week and you thought he might need to relax as well. 

“You want me to join you? I don’t want to interfere with your relaxing bath.” He said, taking your empty glass away and putting it on the sink. 

“You won’t. Come in and relax with me.” You said with a sly smile, moving your hand in the water and making waves.

“Well if you insist.” He said with a chuckle. He quickly undressed and he was in his naked glory before you knew it. You gulped and looked away as he walked towards the tub. You don’t know why you got so shy all of a sudden. You have seen him naked multiple times but you couldn’t help the way your body reacts to him. You didn’t want to push him to anything because you were both tired, but you were insatiable when it came to Jaehyun. 

He got in behind you and tried to adjust himself in the small space. You tried to wiggle your body away from him so he had more space to get comfortable in but you were stopped by his hands on your hips. 

“Babe, unless you want me to have a problem, I’m going to need you to stop moving.” He bit out, trying to keep his growing erection away from your body. 

“Sorry.” You said sheepishly, relaxing your body against his and placing your hands on top of his as they rested on your waist. 

You hum in contentment as your body started to relax, enjoying the warmth of the water and the heat that was radiating off Jaehyun’s body. He was enjoying having you in his arms but the way the water moved around him and your soft body on full display for him was making his body react in a carnal manner. He was trying hard not to focus on it, but his body had a mind of his own. You felt his erection press against your lower back and you tried to hold back the smile that was trying to escape. Jaehyun has very high stamina and you honestly are not complaining about it. It was so cute how he made no move to relieve himself of his needs and it warms your heart just how considerate he is of you and your needs. However, when it came to Jaehyun, you were very insatiable. He could take you over and over, day after day and you would not get tired of it. Deciding to put an end to both of your misery you turn around as best as you could in the cramped space of the tub, facing Jaehyun with a sly smile on your face.

“What are you doing?” He asked with an amused smile on his face. 

“I wanna kiss you.” You tried to hover above him and he adjusted himself so you could slip your thighs around him easier.

You leaned in to kiss him, your chest pressed up against him sensually with the way the water caressed both your bodies. Jaehyun kissed you back with fervor, allowing his hands to roam your hips and thighs, eventually making it to your ass and squeezing slightly. His actions made you moan into his mouth which fueled the need in him. His erection was pressing against your thigh and you couldn’t take it anymore. You were already soaking wet and you just needed Jaehyun in you. Breaking the kiss, you widen your stance even further and move up Jaehyun’s body, aligning your center with his hard cock. He guides your hips as you sink down on him, groans leaving both your mouths as you feel yourself being stretched out by his thick cock.

“You feel so good.” You pant against his neck, the stimulation of the water and his dick was overwhelming.

“I can’t get enough of you baby.” Jaehyun grunted, snapping his hips upward as he pounded into you.

You moaned at the feeling, not really worried at the fact that water was splashing everywhere and making a mess. You were more occupied with what was going on between your thighs.

“Fuck baby, I think I’m going to cum.” Jaehyun panted, throwing his head back with a low moan as you moved yourself up and down on his cock, squeezing your walls around him. 

After a few more thrusts you felt yourself come undone, a low moan escaping your lips and you shuddered on top of Jaehyun. Your pussy clenching around him is what finally brought him to his climax, both of you panting and holding each other in the blissful aftermath. You pulled away slightly to look at Jaehyun and you couldn’t help but smile at him, leaning in to kiss him with ernest. The kiss was electrifying and soon the kiss became more intense and urgent. 

You laid on your bed face down with nothing on but your fluffy bathrobe. Your mind and body were exhausted and all you wanted to do was sleep even though your stomach was rumbling loudly. After your session in the bathtub with Jaehyun, he gave you one more orgasm in the bathtub and another one in the shower. By the time you were out of the shower you were clean and exhausted. Jaehyun had to help you into your robe and carry you to the bed because your legs felt like jelly and they weren’t functioning properly. Once he left you on the bed, he got dressed and left to the kitchen. You were finally dozing off when you heard the bedroom door open, making you open one eye to see Jaehyun come in with a pizza box in hand.

“Hey babe, I have dinner. You should eat something before you sleep, you had a rough day.” He said, slyly putting emphasis on the word rough.

You rolled your eyes and sat up to sit at the head of the bed, happily accepting the plate that Jaehyun hands over. He also brought you some ginger ale and set it down on the night stand beside you. He turned on the tv to put on your favorite tv show while you ate. You felt blissfully happy like this, next to Jaehyun and in your home. Once you were done eating and brushed your teeth, you fell asleep almost instantly wrapped in Jaehyun’s arms. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 It was Sunday night and you were folding laundry while watching TV; Jahyun had gone to get some Chinese food and you were getting everything ready for your work week. You were in the middle of hanging some skirts when your phone went off. You saw that it was Mina and instantly went to pick it up, happy to hear from your best friend.

“Mina! How are you?” You answered excitedly, making her chuckle.

“Dang girl, you’re that happy to hear from me?” She said, amused at your tone. 

“I’m always happy to hear from you silly.” You said as you walked to the laundry room, placing the last clean load into the dryer. 

“You’re so cute! Well I am calling you because  I have some news…” Mina trailed off, making you curious and slightly nervous. 

“Are you okay?” You asked instantly, worried that there was something wrong. 

“Yes, I’m fine. Better than fine actually, I’m great. I wanted to call and tell you the news… I’m pregnant!” She said excitedly, a surprised gasp leaving your mouth. 

“Oh my god? Really? How far along are you?” You asked, feeling the tears well up in your eyes. You were going to be an aunt!

“I am 4 weeks along. We wanted to wait until the first trimester was over before we told the news to anyone. But now that the doctor gave us the all clear and everything looks good, we decided to break out the good news!” Mina sounded so excited as she explained the situation.

You were so immersed in your conversation you didn’t even notice Jaehyun walk in to the apartment. He heard your excited chatter and figured you were on the phone with Mina. You only ever got that animated talking to her. He placed the bags of food on the counter and sat on the stool, patiently waiting for your call to end.

“I am so beyond happy for you and Suho. As if you guys couldn’t be the most perfect couple, now you’re going to be the most perfect parents. Please send me as many updates! Link my calendar with yours so I know when you have your doctors appointments.” You said sternly, making Mina laugh.

“Oh my god and I thought Suho was bad, you’re worse! But of course I am going to keep you updated on everything. You’ll get sick of me.” She giggled playfully, making you roll your eyes at her antics.

“I could never get sick of you. I wish I could be there with you.” You whispered the last part, not trusting your voice at that moment. Tears threatened to escape but you willed them back, not wanting to make her worry.

But of course, Mina wasn’t your best friend just in title, she knows you better than you know yourself.

“Don’t cry bitch, you’re going to make me cry.” She chastised, voice sounding wobbly as well.

Before you could say anything else, you heard a distant and muffled ‘hey!’, before Mina could continue.

“Right! Sorry babe! Suho wants me to stop cursing. He says that the baby can hear and he wants me to not say bad words around the baby once it’s born. It’s so hard though!” She whined, making you laugh.

“He’s got a point.” You agreed, making her whine at you because you are her best friend and you should be on her side, not her husbands. 

“Alright babe, I have to get going. I just wanted to call you to let you know of the newest member of the Kim family. I have to call my mom and my sister before it gets too late.” She rambled, speaking faster than normal. Those pregnancy hormones are no joke. 

“You haven’t told your sister or your mom?” You asked in disbelief.

“Of course not. I called you first.” She said in a nonchalant voice.

“Aww you do love me!” You teased, knowing how much Mina hates when you do that.

“Okay, I’m hanging up now. Love you.” She says, blowing a kiss into the receiver.

“Love you too.” You reply, hanging up the call. 

“Everything okay?” You jumped when you heard Jaehyun’s voice behind you. 

“You startled me!” You said in a breathless laugh, your hand on your chest as if to stop the erratic beating of your heart.

“Sorry babe, you were really into your conversation and I didn’t want to interrupt.” He said as he made his way towards you, snaking his arms around your waist to bring you close to him and press a soft kiss on your forehead. 

“It’s okay.” You said, standing on your toes to give him a small peck on the lips.

“So what was your call about?” He inquired as you both made your way to the kitchen, where the forgotten food was.

“Mina called me to tell me she is pregnant.” You said with a smile, taking your food boxes out of the bag.

“That’s amazing! But how come you look a little down?” He asked, noticing that you didn’t seem as excited as you were earlier when you were talking to Mina. 

“Well, it’s just that I always thought I’d be there with Mina during her pregnancy. To go with her to her doctor’s appointments, to help her set up the nursery, go shopping for baby clothes… and I’m going to miss out on a lot of that.” You explained, sniffling away the tears that threatened to come out again.

Jaehyun came over to your side and wrapped his arms around you in a comforting hug, rubbing slow circles on your back.

“I understand that you are upset. But the project will be over before she’s due. You’ll be able to see her then.” He said with a soft smile, hoping his words will cheer you up.

“You’re right babe.” You replied, feeling a little better about the whole situation. 

Later that night as you lay in bed, you were feeling anxious again. This time it wasn’t about Mina’s pregnancy, but about the end of this year long project. Once it was over, you were going to go back to Seoul. You couldn’t move to the states and you didn’t even know what was going to happen to Jaehyun once the project was over. Your guess is that he is staying in New York because he was already stationed here before the project started. You did not want to think about what would happen to your relationship, but it was hard to ignore the reality of it all. Jaehyun truly was the best guy you have ever been with and you did not want that to end. You didn’t even know what Jaehyun was going to want to do; maybe long distance is not something he is into. You tossed and turned that night with a heavy feeling in your chest and a cold empty spot next to you in bed.

“Damn noona, you okay?” Mark asked as you walked into your office, he handed you a coffee cup and you sat down and powered on your computer.

“I feel like hell.” You said, sipping your coffee and closing your eyes contentedly.

“No offense noona but you look like hell too.” He giggled at your glare and sat down on the chair in front of you.

“Thanks. Glad to know the ten minutes I spent this morning trying to look decent was a complete waste of time.” You said sarcastically.

“I’m just messing with you. By the way, the meeting is in fifteen minutes.” He reminded you, making you groan out in misery. You did not feel like going to this meeting. You just wanted to be holed up in your office and not interact with anyone. Well, maybe just interact with one person. 

“Okay, I’ll be there shortly. Do you have the revised briefing packets?” You asked, mentally preparing yourself for your day.

“Yes! I made all the copies and they’re ready to go.” He informs, standing up to leave your office.

“Thanks, I’ll see you in ten.” You said, waving goodbye and focusing on your computer screen.

You brought up your calendar and email, ready to see your work load for the day. A knock caught your attention and you growled lowly before telling the person to enter.

“Hey babe, just wanted to say hello this morning.” Jaehyun said as he walked in your office.

“Oh, hi honey. I didn’t know it was you.” You said as you got up from your desk and made your way to him.

“Are you okay? You look a bit tired.” He said with concern, eyes scanning your face.

You frowned at him, giving him your best pouty face. “I couldn’t sleep last night.” You informed, draping your arms around his shoulders.

“Aww you couldn’t sleep without me there?” He teased, giving your nose a peck. You didn’t say anything, you just lay your head on his shoulder and hug him silently. This made Jaehyun a little worried since you weren’t normally like this.

“Hey, are you sure you’re okay? Wanna talk about it?” He whispered, hugging you tighter to him.

You hummed against his shoulder and turned your face to place a small kiss on his neck. He tilted his head towards you to give you a peck on your cheek, but you moved your head at that time and connected your lips with his. He kissed you slowly and sweetly but you deepen the kiss, pulling him closer to you. Jaehyun is a bit surprised, since you usually try to not get too physical at work. However he doesn’t pull away or try to slow you down. He wraps his arms around your waist and brings you closer to him, the kiss  getting deeper.

“Ahem, sorry to interrupt but the meeting is starting in five…” Johnny said from tour doorway, you and Jaehyun jumping away from each other the second Johnny cleared his throat. 

“Thank you Jon.” Jaehyun said, clearing his throat a couple times.

“Welcome. Oh! And just a tip, close the door next time.” He rolled his eyes and he walked towards the conference room. 

“Okay, well after that humiliating bit, we should get going to the conference room.” He said, gently wiping your lips with his thumb. 

“At least it was him and not one of the receptionists.” You said with a shudder, making Jaehyun laugh as he grabbed your hand and dragged you over to the conference room.

Everyone got settled into their assigned seats, waiting for the head project manager to arrive. Mark has already placed a copy of the briefing packet in front of every seat and was happily seated in the back row, ready to take as many notes as needed. 

The room quieted down when Park Jeongsu, the project manager, entered the room and took his spot at the head of the room. He is a man in his late thirties and is incredibly handsome and youthful for a man his age. He is well respected by his coworkers and he does an exceptional job as a project manager. Everyone is happy working under his wing and he is part of the reason why the project is ahead of schedule. 

“Good morning everyone, thank you for being here this morning, ready to tackle today’s meeting.” He started, smiling at everyone in attendance. “I see that the marketing team has handed out their packets, so let’s start with that.” He sat down and let you take over with your proposal. 

You went over the details of all the promotions the marketing team is doing to spread awareness of the new popup shop and the website. You went into detail about all the influential people your team was going to invite to make an appearance at the opening gala, as well as naming all the benefactors that will be invited as well. You sat down after your short presentation, everyone in the room murmuring in approval and excitement.

“Thank you very much, excellent job as always.” Mr. Park said, getting back up from his seat. “Now for the opening gala, there are a few details left. Miss Lee, would you please update us on the status of those details.” He said, giving Wendy the floor to speak.

“Thank you. We were finally able to find a new vendor that can provide the linens needed for the gala. They are willing to special make the linens in the colors that we need for the event, so the orders are already in for that and they should be getting delivered here within the next two weeks. The final detail we need to complete the project is choosing our musical guest appearance. We want to best represent Korea with some of its best artists and producers. We have gotten in contact with some of the artists and we are waiting for a reply from their managers or agencies.” Wendy reported expertly. She’s not the head of event planning for nothing. 

“That’s wonderful news. Is it possible to know who you have in mind?” Mr. Park asked

“Yes of course. We want to have a diversity of groups and decided it would be good to have a male group, a girl group and some solo artists. For the male group we decided to reach out to GOT7, for the girl group we decided to reach out to AOA. The solo artists we have contacted are Eric Nam and Hwasa. We also thought it would be a good idea and a great promotional opportunity if we also work with up-and-coming artists. There’s actually a brilliant rookie composer who has been working with rookie artists and every song he has produced has been a complete hit. I believe it would be a great opportunity for us if we reach out to him in order to mutually benefit from each other.” Wendy explained, an excited buzz going around the room at the possibility of having these amazing musical appearances.

“Very impressive and excellent choice of artists. What is the name of this rookie producer?” Mr. Park asked, intrigued at the fact that a new producer is already making a splash in the music industry.

“He goes by the name of Loey. I can email everyone some of the songs he has produced so we can all get acquainted with his style. He is very unique in the sense that he only likes to work with rookie artists.” Wendy explained, fast fingers already sending out the mass email with Loey’s playlist.

“Perfect. Well, I am thoroughly impressed by everyone’s hard work and contribution to this project. That is all for today's meeting, thank you all for your time and have a great day.” Mr. Park concluded, bowing slightly before exiting the room. Everyone got up and left to their respective positions. 

“How cool is it going to be to have those musical appearances?” Mark asked excitedly, practically vibrating as he walked next to you in the direction of your office.

“If we actually get them, it will be amazing.” You smiled, actually excited for the musical guests as well.

You entered your office and opened up your email so you could check out Loey’s playlist that Wendy sent out. The email had a link to a youtube playlist and you played it on the background as you read the rest of your emails.

“Wow, is that Loey?” Mark asked as he entered your office, coffee and notes in hand.

“Well it's the songs he produced, he’s not the one singing them.” You replied, gracefully taking the coffee and notes from Mark.

“He is good!” Mark said, really enjoying the song being played. “Good lyrics and musical progression.” 

“Mark, I'm impressed you know so much about music.” You teased.

“It’s the second thing I love the most. The first being working with you, of course.” He replied cheekily, laughing at your eye roll.

“Okay, go work Mark, since you love it so much.” You said, dismissing him with a wave of your hand.

“Anything for you noona.” He winked and left your office, closing the door behind him.

You liked the songs you heard so far from the playlist and hoped that this producer would agree to work with you guys. You closed the browser for youtube and went back to your email, getting ready to do some work.

You were barely a few sentences into replying to your first email when your office phone rang. You saw that it was Wendy and answered immediately, confused as to why she would be emailing you.

“Hey Wendy, what’s up?”

“Hey! So I have some news.” She started, excitement in her voice.

“Oh yeah? What is it?” You asked, your curiosity peaked.

“So I actually just got a call back from Loey’s team and they said he is willing to work with us!” She exclaimed excitedly, hurting your ear with the volume of her excitement.

“That’s great!” You said, truly happy for her but still confused as to what this had to do with you. “Have you told Mr. Park yet?” 

“Yes, of course. I also needed to tell you though because Loey’s manager said that he is actually going to be in New York next weekend working on a project here. They said it would be a great opportunity to meet with reps of the company. And they said that Loey was very insistent on meeting the marketing director as well.” She explained, although you thought it was a bit odd.

“Why though? That seems a bit odd.” You said.

“I agree but they said he wants to be involved in how he and his artists will be promoted in the event.” She explained simply.

“Okay, well that makes sense I guess. Just email me when we are meeting him so I can make sure I clear my day.” You said, mentally going over your scheduled appointments for next week.

“Sounds great! Thanks!” Wendy said and you both hung up. 

“Well okay then.” You muttered to yourself. Ignoring the weird feeling in your gut and diving back into your work.

Previous                                                                     Next

[sarahhamilton]

Lifesaver - Part 1

The wind blew in Rebecca’s frizzy, amber hair like water rolling down a freshwater stream. The sun reflected on the ocean’s horizon, setting a path for fishing boats to take off to sea. Rebecca started the first few things in her routine. A run, meeting the other lifeguards for their morning instruction, and setting out beach chairs for the foreseeable vacationing families.

The rest of the day, she is blowing her whistle at little kids to stop fighting in the water, placing bandaids on their scabs after the fight, and then politely asking the parents to control their hooligans.

A distant voice crashed in the waves on her run. A vision of a young man’s head bobbed in and out of the water. He was the only one there.

To the nearest lifeguard station was a rescue tube. Placing the tube under Rebecca’s arm, she dove headfirst into the sandy water. The waves crashed over her slender body like two forces colliding. Catching his wrist, her fingers wrapped around him like a python ready to kill the next victim. Pulling the six-foot guy above the waves, she wrapped his broad body on the tube.

Safely on shore, his bare chest moved up and down. Relieved, but his eyes were shut. Shaking the guy like a cocktail, he opened his red distressed eyes.

“Are you okay?” Rebecca leaned over his peculiar birthmark, painted above his collarbone.

Coughing up what seemed like a pint of water, he mumbled, “Yeah.” He released the rest of the salty water, swallowed by his lungs. “I think... Thanks for saving me. That current is crazy this morning.”

Rebecca’s shy, small voice developed into a bear’s growl. “I’m glad I was there. There was no one else around to hear you.” She said, wiping her freckled face from the water that dripped down the sides of her sunburnt skin. “You can’t swim in the ocean without a lifeguard. There are signs everywhere. Did you not see them?”

“I had no idea it was this bad.” The guy studied Rebecca’s face like it was a Victoria’s Secret magazine. “You look familiar.”

“Im Rebecca, pretty sure we had a class together last semester.”

“I’m Ted. I’ve seen you before… Where have I seen you?”

Grabbing Ted’s arm, she lifted him from the ground. Can he not hear?

“I go to Keiser University. We had a class together last semester.” Rebecca said.

Ted thought for what seemed like too long of a minute. “Oh, right! You sat behind me... How can I repay you? I mean, you did just save my life. Can I get you a drink? Cash?”

Rebecca shook her head in disbelief. Cash? Is this guy crazy? Does he think he can use daddy’s money to buy his way out of everything?

“This is my job. So I’m happy to help, you don’t need to repay me.. Especially cash… well, if you’re alright, I’m going to meet my coworkers.”

***

“Sorry guys, I just had to save someone this morning. Do people really not see all the signs around?” Rebecca said, closing the circle of lifeguards.

“Oh, we saw you, Rebecca. You saved THE Ted Rudolph… lucky,” Lucy said with a smirk. “Did you give him mouth to mouth?”

“Uh… no. Not lucky. He could have died.”

Lucy rolled her eyes, looking back at the leader.

“Thank you, Rebecca. I’m glad to have you on the team. What happened? Does he need any more help? Ambulance?”

“He was getting pulled out from the current, but he seems to be okay.”

“Good.” The leader looked at the eight lifeguards and said, “Everyone should know, if you save a life you get the remaining day off. Recuperate and take it easy. We will see you Tuesday, Rebecca.”

***

Rebecca looked toward the houses lined down the beach. Compared to the mansions on the other sides of her home, her small, but normal blue house stood on wooden slabs. Jogging up the old steps, she swung open the creaking wooden door. Aroma of rosemary and lemon circled around the kitchen from her nightly cleaning fiasco. Now what?

Rebecca picked up her phone to call her mom. “I’ll be there in ten mins.”

She got in her silver dented sedan and turned on the ignition. The flashing light came on again. “I’ll fix it later,” her everlasting voice said.

Mornings at Pressley’s Seafood Cafe were typically slow. A restaurant that serves seafood for breakfast isn’t the most appetizing. Fish and waffles, cornbread pancakes with oyster sauce, and avocado toast and sardines.

The third red leather booth that lined down the cream walls was her favorite spot to sit. Not too close to the restrooms, not too close to the payment counter, and next to the salad bar. She looked at the six-sided menu like she’s never seen it before. Eyebrows up, eyes wide, and top lip raised told you her take on the food. She slid the menu to the very end of the table.

“Hey mom, can I just have a cup of coffee? No breakfast for me. How are the new items coming together?”

Her petite frame leaned into the table and said, “I didn’t think anyone would like these things… look around. There’s three tables being taken right now. People are trying the new items and are loving it.” Rebecca’s mom said.

Looking over her shoulder, Rebecca wanted to see the type of people to order such weird things. An older couple sitting in the first booth drinking cups of black coffee. Typical. A mom wrangling her three kids sat by the windows in the far back of the restaurant. Typical. Two guys sat across from the bathrooms. Why on earth would anyone want to sit by the bathrooms? She stared at the guys longer than the others. Looking at one of the guy’s hair, a familiar dirty blonde, muscular build, reminded her of Ted. She wasn’t sure.

Waiting for her coffee, she smelt the delicious, dark roast coffee beans brewing in the kitchen. She looked back toward the guys again as they were sliding out of their seats. Yep. Thats Ted. What’s he doing here? He certainly couldn’t be eating biscuits and crab gravy. Slouching in her seat, she turned her head towards the wall lined with sea bass competition portraits.

“Rebecca?” Ted said, leaning in to get a better picture of her. “Haven’t you had enough of me already?” He said with a smirk.

Rebecca giggled, “I’m here visiting my mom. I got the day off from saving you.” Rebecca said, shifting in her seat. Her cheeks turned a cardinal red. “What did you end up getting?”

“I got the biscuits and crab gravy. As weird as it sounds, it’s pretty good. Eggs, crab, sausage smothered on a biscuit goes well together.”

Ted’s friend chimed in, “Yo, the sardine avocado toast is gnarly too. You should try that.”

“Maybe,” Rebecca replied, looking for her mom across the front booths.

Ted hesitated, “Well… hey, I know you said I don’t need to repay you, but why don’t I take you to dinner tonight? You know, you saved me and all. It’s the least I could do.”

“I’m not sure. It’s my job,” Rebecca stopped mid-sentence to her mom coming in with a steaming hot cup of coffee. “Oh, hey mom.” Relief.

“Thanks so much for breakfast. I wanted to hand you this instead of leaving it on the table. This was one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long time. And I think family owned restaurants are dope.” Ted said. He handed Rebecca’s mom an envelope with cash in it. A hundred dollar’s worth.

“Oh, wow, I can’t accept this. This is too much.”

“Take it. I hope it can help. Maybe you could take Rebecca to a nice dinner. She won’t go with me… I told her I wanted to repay her since she saved my life this morning.” Ted said.

Rebecca’s mom wrapped her arm around Ted’s waist, patting the middle of his back. “Thank you so much! Go to dinner with him, Rebecca. What could hurt it?”

Rebecca looked at her mom with fear in her eyes. “Okay… okay.” Rebecca said.

“Yo Ted, we’ve got to go. It’s already ten o’clock. We’re going to be late for practice.” Ted’s friend said.

“See you tonight. Five o’clock sound good? Where should I pick you up?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Rebecca said, pushing her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. “My house… uh… yeah, It’s the small blue one with a yellow roof by the ocean. You can’t miss it. Just five minutes down the A1A.”

***

Rebecca’s mom sunk into the booth like a feather falling on a bed of leaves. Her unkempt hair, secured with a pen, was becoming loose by the minute. She placed her server’s book on the table and picked up Rebecca’s hand, caressing it between her clammy fingers. “So… are you going to tell me about how you saved Ted’s life?”

Rebecca slurped her coffee, a warm bitter taste rolled down her stomach. She looked down at the table. “Why did you persist in going on a date with him? You know how I am with boys. I either talk too much or shut off completely. I’m already a nervous wreck.”

“Honey, you’ve got to mingle with people. It’s great you are happy by yourself, but this will be good for you. If you want to cancel, then do that. I was just trying to help.”

“It’s whatever. I’ll go to this dinner, and probably never hear from him again. You just wait.”

“Rebecca, that’s not true. You are so likeable and beautiful. Give yourself credit.”

“We’ll see.” Rebecca said with a deep exhale. She slouched back into the seat, staring blankly at the booth in front of her. Silence had taken over the conversation.

“Keep your phone on you. I won’t be home to help you get ready. Can you be back here at the restaurant by ten?”

“Yes, that sounds good.” Rebecca said, getting up from the table. The glass door shut, causing the two little bells to hit the door.

***

4:45 o’clock

Rebecca passed back and forth in the section between her twin bed and her desk. Hair in a loose French braid, baby hairs contouring her round face. She wore a white dress that’s been in her closet since high school. The only thing that looked decent enough to go on a date with Ted. Let alone anyone.

4:50 o’clock

The clock ticked. Her bed squeaked like a mouse as she sat down.

4:51 o’clock

Back in the bathroom, looking at herself one last time. She grabbed her lip gloss and placed it on her pink plump lips. One more spray of her Justin Bieber perfume dripped down her neck. Rubbing it onto her wrists, her heart started thumping. It’s almost time.

Rebecca wasn’t much for getting dolled up. She knew makeup would come in handy for times like this, but it was never normal for her to wear it. Brown eyeliner to line the tops of her eyes. Not too dark, not too light. A BB creme covered her pasty complexion, smearing away her pores, but sheer enough to show her freckles. Her emerald eyes enhanced with an enchanting eye shadow.

Even though she loved to read, study Edgar Allan Poe, and have an introverted soul. She had a side no one ever saw, a makeup tutorial loving, Hallmark Movies, girly girl.

4:55 o’clock

The doorbell rang.

4:56 o’clock

Well, maybe not, “one last time” Rebecca stood at her mirror picking up her feet to get a whole glance of her outfit. With the wedged heels, she was just a hare above five foot nine.

4:57 o’clock

“Hey Ted,” Rebecca said with a smile.

Ted had a bouquet of white roses in his hands and handed them to Rebecca. “Wow, Rebecca, you look great.”

Rebecca let no one see this side of her before. Everyone at campus was used to the nerdy girl with glasses, hair in a ponytail, dark circles under her eyes from studying too much, and athletic t-shirts.

“That’s very sweet. Thank you.” Rebecca said, looking down. She held the roses in her hand, smelling the perfume that ascended from them. “Uh… Come in… I’ll put these in some water.”

“What a cozy house you have.” Ted said, looking around the den.

“Yeah, pretty small and cozy if you want to say that.” Rebecca’s two-inch heels squeaked in the kitchen, finding a vase for the flowers.

“Where are we planning to eat?”

Ted came around to the kitchen and leaned on the refrigerator.

Rebecca glanced at him, making way up to his broad shoulders. His arms crossed right at his chest. A tall, handsome guy in my house? What is this second life I’m living?

“I was thinking I would take you to a location that you’ve probably never been to. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, only if you don’t kill me. I read too many murder mysteries.” Crap! Murder mysteries? I’m already losing it.

“Definitely not wanting to kill you.” Ted said, with a chuckle. “Would you be down to ride in a helicopter?”

“A helicopter? Where did you find that? I’ve never been in a plane, let alone a helicopter.”

“I have my connects.” Ted said with a smirk.

[queen-scribbles]

My Lucky Day

For @pillarspromptsweekly fill 97. My Roll for It elements: Edér, modern AU, and meet-cute bc I wouldn’t be me if I passed up the chance to write an Ederity meet-cute. :D

--

Normally the two o’clock hour was the most boring part of Charity’s shift. Most people were either still at work or just starting to commute home, Not many chose that time slot to pursue pet adoption(or even just looking). Normally at this point she’d be folding scrap paper footballs and seeing how far she could flick them down the counter, or finding an excuse to play with or love on one of the animals the shelter housed.

But not today. Today someone hadn’t properly latched one of the kennels and a certain hyperactive yellow lab had gleefully seized the opportunity to escape. Thus, Charity’s two o’clock hour so far had been spent chasing down chaos incarnate, trying to minimize the mess he made and not having much luck. Of course he fishtailed around a corner, his tail wagging so ferociously it knocked supplies off the shelf. Of course Xoti had forgotten to lock the dog door(again), and he bolted into the yard--straight for the mud puddle in the back corner. Of course she missed trying to grab him on the way back in and wound up chasing a trail of mud all through the shelter. (Thank Eothas the door between the shelter and clinic was too heavy for a year old lab to push open on his own.) She finally cornered the dog in a dead end hallway and bribed him with treats until he was close enough to collar.

“Bad dog,” she scolded, heart not fully in it despite the work ahead of her cleaning up. “You made quite the mess.”

He looked up at her, gave a whining bark, and planted muddy paws against her thigh to put him in better range for head pets.

“Sunny, down,” Charity said, gentle but firm. That was something they were trying to train out of him before he was adopted. “C’mon, you need a bath now.”

She’d swear Sunny’s ears pricked up at the word bath. This dog loved water beyond even his breed’s usual affinity for it. She could almost believe he’d gotten muddy for the express purpose of getting a bath. Charity was less thrilled at how soaked she was about to wind up, but as the one who caught the dog(and the one with no plans after work, which meant it was okay if she went home smelling like wet fur), the duty would fall to her anyway. She might as well get it over with.

It proved every bit the ordeal she was anticipating, but she did get Sunny clean. Still very much the curious puppy--even though they’d walked this hallway a dozen times and she was pretty sure there were no new smells--he pulled every which way as they walked back toward the kennels.

“We really gotta train you, or you’re gonna scare people off,” Chariy muttered, letting go of the leash with one hand to brush damp straggles of hair back toward the sad remains of her ponytail.

Of course Sunny picked that moment to hear something ‘interesting’ and veer sharply toward the door between shelter and clinic. Sharply enough to yank the leash out of her hand.

Not again! she groused to herself as she lunged after him. “Sunny! Sunny, sit!”

Sunny did not sit. Because the door opened from the clinic side and a new person walked in, and what friendly, energetic dog worth his whiskers could resist saying hello to a new friend?

And so roughly fifty pounds of still-damp yellow lab pushed off the floor and slammed into their visitor in the same moment Charity skidded to a mortified halt. Even if he looked well-built enough to take it, this was so not the impression they wanted to give people.

-o-

Edér would have been lying if he said he expected his day to include being tackled by a friendly dog. He’d also be lying to say he minded, though it did catch him off-guard.

“I’m so sorry!” a voice gasped from above and to his right--probably the woman he’d briefly glimpsed before being tackled. 

“S’alright,” Edér managed around the enthusiastic tongue bath he was receiving. He brought one hand up to scratch the side of the dog’s face, which earned him a reprieve as the lab leaned into the attention with a pleased groan. “Always nice to make a new friend.”

He looked up just in time to catch her relieved smile. “Must be my lucky day.” Her ears went redder than her hair. “’Cause you’re clearly an animal lover, I mean, not for any other...” She cleared her throat, one hand tugging the end of her frazzled ponytail. “I’m gonna stop talkin’ now.”

“Actually, if you work here, I was lookin’ for some help,” Edér said, starting the reluctant process of scooting out from under the dog.

“Oh, sure,” the redhead nodded as she bent to grab the free end of the leash and started tugging the dog off him. “I’m Charity, by the way. And this fella’s Sunny, both in name and nature.”

“Fittin’,” he chuckled as he got to his feet. He held out his hand to shake. “Edér.”

Charity shook his hand, grip firmer than he expected. “And what can I help you with, Edér?”

“Pickin’ somethin’ up for a friend; antibiotics for her liz- uh, bearded dragon.” He rolled his eyes sheepishly. “She don’t like it when I call ‘im a lizard.”

Charity laughed. “Lotta people with beardies feel that way.” Her brow furrowed.  “Wasn’t there someone at the clinic desk?”

Edér shook his head. “Naw. There s’pposed t’ be?”

“Yeah,” she said with a sigh. “Same person who was s’pposed to lock all the kennels and the dog door out to the yard. I’m tryin’ to give her some time, ‘cause she’s new, but if she doesn’t get a lot less flighty real quick...” She shook her head and tugged the leash. “That’s not important, though. Let’s get you taken care of, then I’ll get Sunny squared away.”

“I can wait if you wanna do that first,” he offered, slipping his hands in his pockets. He wasn’t in any particular hurry.

“No, it’s okay,” Charity said quickly. “If you’re just pickin’ something up it shouldn’t take long.” Both of them looked down as Sunny bumped his nose against Edér’s knee. “‘Sides, he likes you, if I take him away now, he’ll pout the rest of the day an’ that’s no fun.”

“Alright, then, if you don’t mind...” Edér shrugged, which made her smile. It was a good smile. He pushed open the swinging door back to the clinic. “After you.”

-o-

Charity bit back the temptation to make some corny comment about him being a gentleman and simply nodded her thanks as she headed through the doorway. She could feel a fresh wave of blush rising to color her ears--and probably the back of her neck--even so. Maybe he wouldn’t notice. Maybe if he did she could pass off her embarrassment as due to Sunny’s behavior, not the number of times she’d successfully stuck her foot in her mouth in front of one of the more attractive men she’d met in her life. If the ‘lucky day’ comment wasn’t bad enough, the speed with which she’d insisted on helping Edér before she re-kenneled Sunny had done no favors. 

Just as he’d said, there was no sign of Xoti behind the clinic counter, even though her shift went til four. She hadn’t even left a note this time.

Charity pushed aside the embarrassment--and grumbling thoughts toward her coworker--and flashed Edér another smile as she stepped around the counter.  “So, what’re you pickin’ up?” She closed the waist-high door and slipped the leash around the handle so she had both hands free and Sunny was still semi-corralled.

“Antibiotics,” he reminded her, leaning against the counter with a crooked smile of his own.

She wanted to smack herself; he’d already told her that. “Right, right. Name?”

He cocked his head. “Would it be under the pet or the owner?”

“Owner.”

“That does make sense. Illani. Tavi Illani.”

The name rang a bell. “Oh, yeah. Dragon’s Quaro, right?” Charity asked as she started thumbing through the filled prescriptions. “She had him in a couple days ago and Doc Drake had to back order the meds.” Illani, there you are. She tugged out the small, crinkly bag and set it on the counter. “Here we go. And Dr. Drake is sorry for the delay and hopes Quaro feels better soon.” 

Edér raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Technically she didn’t tell me that, but” --Charity shrugged-- “ain’t hard math to figure out she would.” She played with the patient information tag stapled to the prescription to give her hands something to do. Which worked for all of five seconds before she happened to read the address. “Wait, wait, wait. Tavi lives in Yenwood?! Don’t they have any vets down there?”

Edér laughed. “None who--to quote her--’know a solitary fuckin’ thing’ about bearded dragons.” He leaned closer and whispered almost conspiratorially “I think she’s just tryin’ to justify drivin’ an hour each way to bring him to the same vet she’s used since he was this big.” He held up his thumb and index finger three or four inches apart. 

Charity giggled. “No shame in that; lotsa people try to stick with the same vet, for the sense of familiarity. ‘Specially if their pet likes that vet.” She braced her elbow against the counter and rested her chin in her hand. “”What about you? Assumin’ you also live in Yenwood, this is some favor. You two must be real good friends.”

Subtle, Char, a little voice in her head said dryly. Just ask the man if he’s single and get it over with.

“She’s one of my best,” he confirmed with another crooked smile. Sweet Eothas, it wasn’t fair. “But I was comin’ this way for work, so it ain’t that much much of an inconvenience. Speakin’ of...” He glanced at the wall clock. “I need to get goin’. Ain’t in a rush, exactly, but probably shouldn’t dawdle.”

She grinned. “Or the boss man’ll chew ya out?” 

“Nah, that ain’t a risk,” Edér shook his head, still smiling. “‘Cause you’re lookin’ at him. Still wanna make a good impression an’ keep customers happy, so...” He picked up the prescription and tapped the bag against the counter. “You need anything from me?”

Your phone number. Charity just barely swallowed the wards before they tumbled out her mouth. “Uh, no, it looks like, um, Tavi prepaid for it when she had Quaro in. So we’re good.”

Sunny pawed her leg and whined.

Charity patted the dog’s head to settle him. “And let me apologize again for this goober. He’s just over-eager to meet new people.”

Edér leaned across the counter to scratch Sunny’s ears. “No harm done. Like I said, always nice to make a new friend.” He met her gaze and winked. “Or two.”

Was she blushing? She had to be blushing. “Always happy to meet a fellow animal lover.”

He laughed. “Thanks for the help, Charity.”

“You are very welcome, Edér,” she laughed back. “Have a good day.”

He nodded as he straightened. “You, too.”

Charity watched him go, tried to read the writing on the door of his truck(purely general curiosity, definitely not looking for a phone number), but he’d parked too far away. She looked down at Sunny, who met her gaze and panted happily.  “Alright, your turn. Let’s get you back where you belong.”

Xoti picked that moment to get back from... wherever she’d been. At least she had the decency to wince when she saw Charity doing her job. “Sorry, Char.”

“What was it this time?” Charity asked, fixing her ponytail before she wrapped the leash around her hand to keep Sunny close.

“Door on the Ladies got stuck again,” Xoti said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “Doc really needs t’ fix that.”

“Leave a note on her desk, I’m sure she’ll bump it up the list,” Charity said. She tugged Sunny’s leash as she swung open the half-door to head back toward the shelter side. “Hell, if it’s real bad, maybe she’ll call someone soon as she gets back.”

“Kay.” Xoti hesitated, bit her lip. “There weren’t any trouble, was there? ‘Cause I really didn’t expect that to take more’n a minute or I’da let you know.”

Charity smiled to herself as she glanced toward the paring lot--empty now, of course. “Nope. No trouble at all.”

The clock read 3:05 as she led Sunny back to his kennel. She tried to convince herself the smile she wasn’t trying all that hard to fight was relief for the non-boring two o’clock hour for once. Given that she couldn’t stop picturing blond hair and blue eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled, it didn’t really work.

Her lucky day, indeed.

[spidey-babe-parker]

Fragile Line

chapter 5:

oh, holding my breath

Inspired: Beauty and the Beast 

Featuring: Bucky Barnes

warnings: angst, tears, sadness, oh and yeah smut happens... finally.

an: So it’s been forever and a day, and I’m sorry about that. There might be one more chapter of this if people like actually want epilogue chapter. Also Infinity War totally didn’t happen in this story for many reasons.

 I’m starting almost done with a Drunk Bucky Barnes college au mini series, that I’m trying to finish so that’s going up soon. Oh and the next next fairy tale inspire story is going to be the modern day little mermaid story with Steve Rogers and Bucky is going to pop up in that.

Series Masterlist: links are broken, the series masterlist is in my masterlist. The link is in the bio.

Lydia listened to what Steve has told her to do. She got down to Amsterdam and checked into a hotel with nothing but her duffle bag and purse. She watched as the feud between Iron Man and Captain America played out in front of the world.

After the constant coverage it got to the point, she couldn’t watch it anymore.

She couldn’t believe all of this seemed to be happening over Bucky. Who was being framed for something he didn’t even do.

She went into to town to find a bookstore so she could find a something to reader to keep herself distracted. She avoided seeing newspapers or watching TV. She didn’t want to read the horrible things that everyone was saying about Bucky Barnes. She saw over and over again he was being referred to as the assassin the Winter Soldier. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that some people considered him to be a killer. The man who rescued her who seemed more afraid of himself didn’t seem like the man who would kill people. She knew he had a dark past but she knew he didn’t have any control over who he was or what he did. He wasn’t the monster they were making him out to be.

It had been two weeks since she last saw Bucky, and she missed him. She missed constantly having him around even if they didn’t talk much. She just felt safe being around him and she like his presence. On the fifteenth day they had been apart she opened the door to her hotel and found a flip phone with a text on it. It simply read “meet me at the café rose at 8:30am”. She didn’t have a doubt in her mind that it was Steve finally coming to let her know she could leave. That night she nervously sat around. She was worried Steve was going to tell her something bad happened to Bucky. That night she didn’t get much sleep, she tossed and turned and a dream about being with Bucky again.

She got dressed and headed into town in the early morning. At eight thirty she walked up to Café Rose to find Steve Rogers sitting outside with a baseball had on and sunglasses. Slowly she walked over and sat down across from him. She could tell something was wrong, he just looked sad.

“Morning,” he softly said.

“Morning,” she replied not exactly what else she should say. She hadn’t ever talked to Steve outside of the time Steve found her in Bucky’s apartment.

“Before you ask, he’s safe and hidden away from everyone,” he looked over at the girl who seemed to be on the verge of tears right in front of him.

She let out a soft sigh and nodded her head knowing that him being hidden away was for the best.

“He’s not hurt at all?” she asked knowing there had been a big fight in an airport in Germany.

Steve sighed and her heart dropped at the thought of him being hurt. “He got pretty beat up and his metal arm gotten taken off.”

She gasped and reached up to cover her mouth. She suddenly wanted to cry at the thought that he lost his arm again. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah he’s fine I took him somewhere where he can get a new arm and he’ll be okay,” Steve sounded so calm and it was making her feel better about the situation.

“Where is he?” she asked.

Steve let out a heavy sigh and looked down at the table that had a coffee sitting in front of him, “Lydia I can’t tell you that unfortunately. I can’t let anyone know where he is. I can only keep him safe if nobody knows where he is.”

She knew he wouldn’t be able to tell her, but there was a part of her that wished he could, “is he still having nightmares?”

He shook his head, “no he won’t anymore. Where we took him, they’re going to fix him and take away what Hydra put in his mind away.”

Her eyes grew wide and started to brim with tears, “please tell me you’re not gonna wipe him.” She felt bile crawl up her throat at just the thought of someone wiping Bucky again, when he was just getting some of his memories back.

Steve’s own blue eye grew wide as he reached across the table and placed his hand on top of hers, “oh god no, I will never let that happen to him again.” He paused for a moment. “Were trying to get him back to being normal Bucky. I don’t want them to ever be able to trigger him again.”

She nodded her head trusting Steve. From what she had read in the last two weeks, Steve and Bucky were childhood best friends. She knew that he cared for Bucky as much as her.

“What happens from here?” she asked knowing that Bucky was never going to be in her life again. It was finally time for her to go home to the states for a while. She just needed to hear what Steve thought she should do.

“I’m going to go into hiding and you should probably leave Europe for a little while. If anyone ask about your time in Romania don’t let anyone know you knew who he was.”

“Okay will do.”

-&-

She had been home back in the states for about two months. She moved back into her parent’s house. When she first came home, they asked her loads of questions of about her time in Romania. She didn’t tell them much other than she worked in a café. She worked on restarting her life back in the states. She had just started working at a coffee shop in her town. Her life was simple and she knew that, but since coming home she felt like something was missing. She knew it probably had to do with the fact she never actually got to say goodbye to Bucky. The last time she saw him was the morning in the safe house after they shared a kiss. She had fallen in love with the man that saved her life, and now here she was having to live her life acting as if she had never met him.

She often heard people talking in the coffee shop about Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. Every time she heard Steve’s name, she would help but listen in at the thought that maybe they might mention Bucky. After everything had originally happened Bucky’s picture was plastered across magazines most of them referred to him as the Winter Soldier one of the deadliest assassins to live. It always made her sick to her stomach reading about him, because she knew the Winter Soldier wasn’t truly Bucky. That was who the people who wiped him turned him into. She hated that people didn’t know the Bucky she knew, and they never really would.

Three years later

Sitting in the kitchen at her parent’s house she was listening to her parents talking about her birthday that was tomorrow. She hadn’t even actually thought about her birthday her mind had seemed to be in other places recently.

“What are your birthday plans Lydia?” her mother asked grabbing her attention.

“What?” she looked up from her coffee that was sitting on kitchen table in front of her.

Her mother gave her an unamused look as she knit her eyebrows together, “Lydia have you even been listening to me or your father?”

“Sorry I zoned out,” she picked up the large cup of coffee and brought it up to her lips. Her eye looked at her mother who gently shook her head at her daughter.

“Did you want to have dinner tonight with us?” she asked her daughter.

Nodding her head, she gave her mother a half smile, “yeah I’m going out tonight with some friends and people from work tonight. So, tomorrow is perfect.”

-&-

Walking into the crowed bar with some friends and coworkers, she couldn’t help but wonder if she made a mistake by going out. She wasn’t ever a person who enjoyed going to crowed bars, and she wasn’t sure why she thought going to one with all her friends to celebrate her birthday would be a good idea.

Standing at the bar next to her friend Allie she was listening to her go on and on about her cousin who she thought would be a great match for Lydia. Allie had been a friend of hers since high school, and she was on a mission to find Lydia a man, even though she had told her often she wasn’t interested in dating. Allie like everyone else had no clue about Lydia’s time with Bucky. She just assumed that Lydia didn’t want to take because of her terrible break up before she left to move to Romania.

“Lydia you and Kyle would get along amazing, why do you at least go on one date with him?” Allie asked before taking a sip of her cranberry and vodka.

“Allie I’m not interested in dating,” she sighed looking down at her drink that was sitting on the bar.

“Come on Lydia one date wouldn’t kill you,” Allie wasn’t ready to give up on getting her friend to go out on a date.

“Allie maybe another time,” she picked up her drink and walked over to the table where the rest the group was sitting.

Allie followed behind her friend, and shouted to the group, “someone buy the birthday a shot we need to get her drunk.”

Lydia did nothing but roll her eyes as she sat down at the table. Moments later some of the group were waving down a waitress to order her a couple shots. She groaned as two shots of tequila were sitting in front of her. Taking both shots, she shook her head as the gold colored liquid slid down her throat.

Soon she was being dragged on to the dance for in the corner of the bar and was dancing with some friends. The gold liquid left her feeling slightly tipsy, few people offered to buy her drinks, but she turned them down not wanting to get drunk. As the clock struck midnight, she said her goodbyes to her friends telling them she couldn’t stay out super late because she had family stuff to do the next morning.

Walking outside she hailed a cab. Luckily the bar she was out wasn’t too far from her apartment. The warm feeling of the alcohol flushed through her system as she walked up to the elevator in the lobby of her apartment building. Clicking the button, the doors to the elevator opened and walked inside alone. Leaning against the wall of the elevator she couldn’t help but wonder if she should have maybe stayed at the bar for another hour, but for some reason she wasn’t really in the mood to celebrate her birthday. As the elevator doors opened as stepped out into the hallway. She saw a man in a hoodie standing in front of her door and she suddenly got nervous, she was tempted to go back to the bar instead of walking up to the man. Before she could even decide what to do a familiar face turned and looked at her.

Her heart jumped at the sight of Bucky standing at her door. Her eyes went wide as her eyes locked onto his icy blue ones. Without even thinking she took off running down the hall towards him. The second she got to him she wrapped her arms around him holding his body close to hers. “Bucky,” she muttered as tears started to slide down her face.

“Lydia,” his metal hand rubbed her back holding on to her.

As she held onto him tightly afraid if she let go of him, he would disappear again. Her body shook gently as she held on to him.

Pulling away from him slowly she looked up at him with watery eyes. She was still in a state of disbelief that Bucky was standing in the hallway in front of her apartment. She reached up placed her hand on his scruff covered cheek. A soft smile formed on his lips as his blue eyes stayed lock onto her eyes.

They hadn’t said a single word to each other, other then their names. She still seemed to be in a state of disbelief that she was with Bucky again, and he was shocked that she wasn’t mad at him for leaving her.

Leaning down he rested his forehead against her taking in her presence.

She wasn’t even sure what she should say to him right then. She had no clue where he had been for the last three years, and even though she thought about him often. She was constantly trying to remind herself that most likely she was never going to get to reunite with the man standing in front of her.

“I’m sorry I left you and never said goodbye,” he whispered breaking the silence that was between them.

She closed her eyes pushing back the tears that had formed between them. Reaching up he rested his hand on her cheek, and his thumb reached up an brushed the tears off her cheek.

“You didn’t have choice,” she said softly.

“Can we maybe go inside and talk?” he asked pulling away from her.

Nodding her head, she reached into her purse to pull out her keys. Bucky took another step away so she could the door. Walking side she set her purse on the floor and walked over to the couch in the living room. Bucky followed behind her and sat down on the couch next to her.

They stared at each other for a long moment neither of them exactly sure what they should say to each other. She reached over and rested her hand on thigh, and gave him a soft smile.

“I’m assuming you have a lot of questions,” he said softly knowing that three years had passed since they had seen each other and she had to have some questions.

“How did you find me?”

“Steve tracked you down for me,” he reached over and rested his hand on top of hers and gently squeezed her hand.

At the mention of Steve’s name, she couldn’t help but wonder if Steve had told Bucky that she thought she loved him all those years ago. She couldn’t lie that even with three years passing she was pretty sure she loved the man that was sitting next to her.

“Did he tell you that he met up with me after Germany?”

He nodded his head, “I asked him to make sure you were safe. I had him check on you occasionally.”

She nodded her head not exactly sure what else she should ask him, she was still completely blown away by the fact that she was seeing him again. “Are you still having nightmares?”

He shook his head, “no, they were finally able to take away what Hydra put in me.”

He gave her a gentle half smile that suddenly gave her butterflies.

“This might embarrass me, but did Steve possibly tell you how I felt about you?” her heart raced at the thought of Bucky rejecting her feeling she felt for him three years ago, especially since she still had those feelings.

Slowly he nodded his head, “he told me about them a little while ago. He also made sure to bring you up often. He knew you were one of the only real things in my life in the last seventy years.”

Tears started to slide down her cheek slowly, “when he found me that day, I honestly thought I was never going to see you again. We had shared that kiss that morning and I thought things were getting better for you…” she paused for a moment reliving that morning. “I should over never ask for you to go out and get fruit. We might have had more time together,” she couldn’t help but cry feeling suddenly guilty.

“Hey,” he reached up placing his hand on her cheek so she was looking up at him. “We were living on borrowed time. If I didn’t go out that morning, I was eventually going to go out again, they were going to find me at some point. I’m just glad that Steve found you and not someone else.”

She nodded her head and asked him the one thing she needed to know in that moment, “are we on borrowed time right now?”

He shook his head, “no I’m not going anywhere unless you ask me to.”

“Okay good because I’m not ready to lose you again.”

“Lydia, just so you know, I felt the same way you did back then.”

She couldn’t help but smile. Reaching up she placed her hand on his wrist that was resting on her cheek, “do you still have those feelings?”

She needed to know, even if he didn’t it wouldn’t change how she felt then or now.

He nodded his head, “you’re still the realest thing that has ever been in my life.”

“That makes me feel better knowing that I’m the only one with those feelings,” she said softly causing him to smile.

“Are you single?” he asked completely out of nowhere.

Her brows furrowed together as she gave him a confused look, “yes, why?”

“Because I would like to kiss you again, but I want to make sure you’re not taken.”

Her eyes lit up at the thought of them sharing another kiss. “I would love for you to kiss me.”

Without another word he leaned forward and connected his lips to hers for a gentle kiss. His lips moved against hers slowly as if he was testing the waters. Pulling away from her he couldn’t help but smile, he had waited a long time before he was able to see her again, and here he was being able to kiss her again.

“I have missed you so much,” she whispered.

“I missed you too, I know I have been gone for a while, but they fixed me.”

Even though they had taken out what Hydra put in him, Bucky was still left with what he had done under his control. He felt a substantial amount of guilt for the people he had hurt because of Hydra.

“Why does it sound like you don’t feel like you’re fully fix?” she asked knowing that by his tone he still sounded guilty.

“I will never be able to forget what I did because of them. Even being wiped I’m still left with the memories are coming back,” he sighed.

“Hey, we’ve been over this, you weren’t in control you aren’t a monster. You didn’t do those things,” she sighed shaking her head.

“I know, that’s what Steve reminds me of all the time.”

“Bucky what happens now?” she asked needing to know if eventually he was going to leave again.

“I don’t exactly have a plan, I asked Steve to track you down. I told him I needed to see you, I wasn’t sure if you had a boyfriend or something, but needed to see you again.”

She smiled, “I’m glad you tracked me down, because in the last three year I have thought about you often.”

He reached up and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and asked, “where were you tonight?”

She let out a heavy sigh, “I went to the bar with some friends to celebrate my birthday.”

His eyes went wide at the mention of her birthday, “it’s your birthday?”

She smirked at how caught off guard he sounded, “well technically since it’s after midnight yes it’s my birthday.”

“I wish Steve would have told me that I would of brought you a gift,” he sighed feeling suddenly stupid that he didn’t know this information.

“I don’t really need a gift. See you again is enough,” she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his again for a soft kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him close to her, she didn’t think she would get over the fact that she was able to kiss him again. Pulling away from him she looked over at the clock to see that it was one in the morning. “Did you maybe want to stay the night? It’s late and I’m exhausted, but I’m not ready for you to leave again.”

He nodded his head, he couldn’t lie he thought about the nights he shared wrapped up in her arm held close against her curvy body.

“I would really like to stay the night.”

Standing up she reached over and laced her fingers with Bucky metal fingers and led him down the hallway towards her bedroom. She dropped his hand and walked towards her dresser to grab her pajamas.

“You can sleep how ever you want. If you want to sleep in your boxers,” she as she walked towards the bathroom so she could take off her makeup and get ready for bed.

She removed her make up and washed her face and changed into her pajamas. Walking back into her bedroom she found Bucky sitting on the edge of the bed in nothing but his boxers. Walking over to him she moved to stand in front of him, he looked up and smiled at her. He never in his wildest dreams thought he would see her again, let alone get to share a bed with her again. Reaching up he gently took her hand and pulled her closer to him. Standing up he moved to press her lips to his for another kiss.

“How are you even real?” he asked wondering how he found her.

“I’m pretty average at most,” she whispered as his hands moved to her round hips.

He shook his, “you are far from average Lydia. You are perfect.”

Before she could even say anything sat back down on the bed and pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him as he sat on the edge of the bed. Reaching up he held her face in both hands staring at her.

“I don’t know what happens tomorrow, for all I know you could kick me out and tell me to leave…” he paused for a moment to stare into her eyes. “But I would love to share one real night with you.”

“Bucky I would never kick you out and tell you to leave,” she leaned down and connected her lips to his for an intense kiss. Their lips moved together as if they need the other to breathe. Her fingers tangled in his long hair hold him close to her as his hand gripped her round hips grinding her against him. There tongued moved together as she rolled her hips gently against him. His lips moved from her mouth and started kissing down her jaw. As his beard tickled her skin, she couldn’t help but moan at the feeling of his lips against her skin. His metal hand pushed her shirt up exposing the metal of his touch to her bare skin. The cool metal sent a shiver down her spine in the best way possible. Tilting her head back she gave him more access to her exposed skin.

Pulling his lips away from her skin he reached down for the bottom of her shirt. Pulling it off he couldn’t help but groan at the sight of her bare chest in front of her. He licked his lips before his lips moved to kiss her collarbones, before working his way to her bare chest. His lips kissed her sensitive skin as she grinded her hips against his grown bugled.

“Bucky, I need more,” she moaned.

With his lips ghosting her skin he spoke, “I didn’t come to see you with the intention of this happening.”

“I know you didn’t, but I need all of you,” she sighed as his lips peppered kisses across her skin. “I have missed you so much, and I just need all of you.”

He pulled his lips away from her skin, and in one quick motion stood up holding Lydia’s curvy body as if she weighed nothing. Her eyes went wide as he held onto her. She attempted to have him put her down but before she could say something he said, “you weigh nothing to me, quit freaking out.”

He moved and laid her down on the bed. Reaching up to her curvy hips he hooked his fingers into the band of her pajama shorts and panties, and pulled them both down in one quick motion. Laying on the bed completely naked in front of him she sat back on her elbows and watched as Bucky removed his boxers leaving him naked and proud in front of her.

“Do you have a condom?” he asked sounding slightly nervous.

Nodding her head, she moved to reach into the top drawer of her nightstand and pulled out a foil packet. Holding the foil packet out Bucky took it and tore it open and slowly slid the rubbed down his length. She watched with lust filled eyes as he pumped his length a few times before crawled into the bed. Lying next to her he connected his lips to hers for a searing kiss as his flesh hand moved down to her sensitive mound, his finger slid up and down for slit a few times before his fingers did lazy circle on her bundle of nerves while their lips moved together. He was attempting to give her some foreplay before. Pulling his lips away he continued to move his finger against her bundle of nerves causing to moan her name.

“Lydia what to you want?” he asked lying next to her.

“All of you,” she moaned.

Pulling his fingers away from her, he moved so he was hovering over her. She reached down and helped line him up with her entrance. Slowly he slid in and she gasped at his size, it had a been a really long time since she had sex. She was going to need a moment to adjust to his size. Once he was fulling in, he stilled for a moment giving her time to adjust. Her head rolled back as she took a deep breath and then looked up at Bucky who was staring out with lust blown eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asked feeling suddenly worried at the was hurting her.

“Yeah I’m fine, I just need a moment,” she said giving him a soft smile. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers for a soft kiss. “Go head and move,” she said with his lips still brushing hers.

With a slowly roll he started to move his hips against hers. Her hands moved up to grip his back as he continued to move into her. Groaned as his hips thrust into hers picking up the pace slightly. In all the time that had passed since they had last seen each other, he didn’t think he would ever get to be with her. In his mind back then he thought that they might event sleep together, especially after they had kiss, but then again, he wasn’t sure if she ever would want to do this with him.

“Bucky,” she moaned.

“Baby,” he groaned dropping his head to her shoulder. He started placing wet kisses across her bare skin. She moved her hands down to his butt pulling him as close as possible with every thrust. His teeth gently dragged across the skin of her shoulder as he moaned her name. He was getting close to the edge and he needed her to finish before him.

“Are you close?” he asked.

“Yeah Bucky,” she moaned as he picked up the pace.

Biting her bottom lip, she rolled her back moaning. Her fingers dug into his tone butt pulling him closer. With a few more thrust he pushed her over the edge. Her hands moved from his but up to his face pulling him closer to her so she could kiss him as she rode out her high. She moaned into his kiss as he rolled his hips a few times before hitting his own high. With a couple sloppy thrust he rode out his high before stilling his hips as he kissed. Pulling away from her he rolled off her and laid on the bed next to her. Silently he discarded the condom, and reached over to pulled her curvy body close to him.

She was left in a dazed state as she curled up next to him.

“Don’t ever leave me again,” she whispered as she was coming down from her high.

“I won’t ever let anything take me away from you again,” he leaned down and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

All my taglist are open. Let me know if you want to be tagged in the Steve Little Mermaid Modern day AU story.

@thisismysecrethappyplace @minahraven @lokilvrr @justreadingthesefanfics @inmyworstlies @shlach @imanaesir @theinsomniacsblog @unhealthyobsessionwithmarvel  @acebelle @nerd-without-a-cause @captain-rogers-neighborhood @sadancing @theonelittleone @all-of-the-little-infinites @thepandadrawer @hermione0919 @tnupsweetpie  @learisa @kgcurtis30 @alwaysbandslut @ruckystarnes @sarahsassafras13 @jessicao19 @breezy1415 @violetrose90201 @jamesbarnesappreciationsociety @iamthemaskhewears @lapels123  @explorer–of–the–unknownn @coal000 @thorsstorms @libbymouse @asadmarveltrashbag

[paradisobound]

I Want It, I Got It: Chapter 6

Summary: Phil Lester was a worker for the BBC in London. Working in the advertising department, he was content being alongside his friend and fellow coworker PJ during every shift. However, the BBC is temporarily being used as a film set for a new movie staring Hollywood ‘It’ star, Daniel Howell. Being stuck as an extra on the set, Phil finds it’s hard to ignore the famous star. And maybe, just maybe, Dan finds it hard to ignore Phil as well.

Word Count:  2.7k (this chapter)

Warnings: Occasional swearing

Rating: Mature (for right now)

Updates will be every Wednesday and Sunday 

**MASTERLIST | READ ON AO3**

Thanks to my new lovely beta @thatphatdanussy who has already begun making some great edits to this monstrosity of a fic lol 

Almost as if time didn’t exist, Tuesday came. Phil doesn’t quite remember how the past four days had gone by other than he spent majority of them with Spike on his couch or working on his computer on his assignment.

But somehow, Tuesday came, and suddenly, it was infinitely more real that he was going to be showing Daniel Howell around London. To say he was nervous was a total understatement.

Phil was borderline sick from nerves.

He didn’t sleep at all Monday night, and when he did manage to sleep, he somehow found himself waking up every twenty minutes or so feeling like he was going to be sick. He eventually resorted to getting up and taking a few melatonin pills before collapsing back into bed, at least a little bit more drowsy this time.

His alarm woke him up at half past eight and he slowly began to get up, despite his body’s protests to remain glued to his bed. He quickly showered, brushed his teeth, and put in his contacts before he checked his phone and saw a message from Daniel.

Daniel Howell: good morning my manager is saying that I should get to the BBC as stealthily as possible so im sadly already here ill be waiting just inside the doors.

Phil sighed. He knew that Dan had just told him not to hurry, but now he felt like he had to hurry up so he didn’t keep him waiting. They were supposed to meet at the BBC at around 10 and it was only a little after 9 now.

Phil quickly made himself an instant coffee to go and said his goodbyes to Spike before rushing out of his flat and down to the nearest tube station.

When he arrived at the BBC, it was a quarter to 10 and Phil honestly thought that the timing could be worse. But he was super relieved to not see the fangirls situated around the BBC anymore and having it look like normal. Phil was happy to see it as it’s normal building and not a mob of police tape and teenagers.

He walked inside, scanning his badge as he did so, and made his way towards the only area he could think of that Dan would be in. He turned a corner, and sitting directly in one of the lounge chairs was Daniel Howell, sitting with his legs crossed. He was wearing a pair of tight black ripped jeans, and even though he was donning a very expensive looking jacket, Phil could just barely make out a fuzzy black sweater underneath.

He looked down at himself and frowned as he noticed that maybe his red and white striped shirt and jean jacket wasn’t the best choice. But he shook his head and tried to not be self-conscious around Daniel.

Daniel was a movie star and probably a multimillionaire. He shouldn’t be comparing their outfit choices.

Daniel spotted him nearly immediately and looked up, flashing Phil another one of his dazzling smiles. On the right of Dan, Phil could see a massive guy stood with his arms folded over his chest. And just the other way, there was a short woman who was sitting in a chair next to him.

Dan stands up, and the man and woman follow suit. Phil suddenly feels intimidated, but forces a smile anyway.

“Hey!” Dan says with a smile again. “This is Joshua.” He points to the large man who just barely raises his hand in a calm gesture. “And this is my manager Marianne.” He points to the woman. “Please don’t be intimidated by them. They wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Joshua grumbles and Phil feels his stomach sink. He definitely can see that Joshua is not one to mess around with. “If you say so,” Phil laughs cautiously.

Joshua chuckles to himself and Phil suddenly feels like he wants to collapse onto the floor and cry. But he won’t, obviously. So he chuckles a little bit―albeit awkwardly, and then extends his hand out in some haphazard form of a greeting. Dan raises an eyebrow and then extends his hand and they make contact for a brief second as Dan’s hand slots a little bit too easily into Phil’s.

His hand is warm, and soft. But it’s also gentle and strong at the same time. Phil doesn’t know why he notices this, but he does. And when they let go, he misses the feeling of it in his hand.

He shakes the thought away.

This was Daniel Howell. He can find him attractive but this little...crush...wasn’t going to do. He needed to shake the thought now.

“Are you ready to get going?” Phil asks Dan.

Dan nods quickly. “Yes! Do you fancy we could stop somewhere quickly for food? I’m quite starved.”

Phil was taken completely back by the natural, posh, London accent Dan spoke in.When he’d read about Dan online, he thought for sure Dan’s accent would be much more Americanized but in a way, his accent was more British than Phil’s. It was quite amazing.

“Oh, of course!” Phil said, his own coffee having gone cold in his hand. “We can go anywhere really. There are a few Gregg’s around and also some Starbucks. I also think there’s a Costa around here too.”

“We can just go to Starbucks.” Dan says with a shrug. “I’m not really too picky. I’m not much of a coffee drinker but I’ll take some tea and maybe a cake.”

“Okay!” Phil’s trying so hard to not be awkward about this. “It’s right down the street.”

Dan smiles at him and then they set off.

Phil watches as Dan says something to Marianne and she remains in her place, unmoving as they leave. Joshua is trailing behind them by a good few feet. But that still makes Phil feel a little bit on edge, knowing his every move was being watched.

They were fine walking on the streets as not many people were around on an early Tuesday morning. But once they stepped foot inside of Starbucks, it was over.

Phil kind of―well, not kind of, he did expect this―knowing he was going to be out in the open with Dan all day but he was prepared for the exact level of madness it was going to be.

Daniel had barely walked up to the counter when people started rushing to be around him. Phil could see people trying to take photos of him and try to hide the fact that they were doing so. He saw people immediately typing on phones and worse yet, he could see people staring at him. People were staring him down like he was an enemy.

Well, maybe to some people he was. He’d seen some of the not-so-nice things people wrote about him when people saw that Dan had followed him. He’d repressed those tweets, but he still remembered them. He could only imagine what was going to happen now.

“We can go somewhere else.” Phil says, his voice cutting through the air.

Dan shook his head and flashed a smile that Phil could see was obviously forced. “No, it’s gonna happen no matter where we go today.”

Phil gave a sad nod and watched as Dan tried to place an order while the barista was clearly having a major fangirl attack behind the till. He felt bad, in a way, for both of them. He felt like he shouldn’t but he did.

Dan eventually had his order placed and he paid quickly with what Phil could see was a black credit card and he immediately felt his face flush. But he moved quickly in line, placed his order for a tall chai tea, paid and moved on.

Joshua moved with Dan so Dan wasn’t in any danger by being in here. Phil was pretty sure Joshua would tackle any person who even dared to get near Dan. But that didn’t stop Phil from worrying.

He shouldn’t be worrying. Dan was probably used to this.

“Daniel!”

Dan’s head shot up and Phil watched as he quickly grabbed his order and then flashed a smile at Phil again and he and Joshua retreated quickly out of the door. Phil grabbed his order next and thanked the barista who was clearly still star struck. And then he left as well.

Dan was standing off the side of the shop, trying to mask himself into the building. Joshua was stood on guard around him as Dan slowly opened his Starbucks order and took a bite of whatever sandwich he was getting.

“Sorry about that.” Dan says once he’s swallowed the bite. “It’s going to happen no matter where we go today. It’s not something I can escape, sadly.”

“I’m sorry.” Phil spits out. “I’m sorry that you go through that.”

Dan shrugs. “Comes with the job, right?”

Phil tries to ignore the clear and present sadness that is laced in Dan’s words and he’s suddenly feeling extremely bad about all that he’s said about Dan to PJ and even Gemma and some other coworkers.

The first place that Phil decides to take them is the London Eye. They hail down a cab and they all get into it as the driver takes them to Westminster. Dan sits besides Phil on the bucket seat while Joshua sits across from them his arms folded.

When Dan caught Phil staring at Joshua, he chuckled. “I promise he’s not actually mean.”

“Has he ever had to tackle somebody?” Phil asks, his voice aa whisper.

Dan nods and takes a sip of his hot drink. “Multiple times.”

Phil sputters and Dan laughs again.

The laugh is almost angelic and Phil really wishes he could hear more of it.

They get to the London Eye and Phil takes them over to buy tickets. When he offers to pay for them both, Dan waves him off and shoves his card it the cashier instead.

“I was the one who asked you to take me around London. The least you can do is let me pay for some of the expenses.”

Phil blushes. “Only if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure!” Dan announces quickly as he grabs the three tickets and gives one to Phil.

They’re almost about to get in line when they’re being ushered by workers to go into an advanced line. Phil can almost see the pain in Dan’s face at knowing he was being treated differently due to his status but he didn’t deny the offer.

They made it to the front of the line before anyone else and they were given their own pod to ride in on the eye. Once inside, the doors shut, Dan walked over to the glass windows and looked out.

“I never got to experience London.” He says softly. “Even as a kid. I lived so close to here but my family never brought me or my brother here. I’ve been here for films but I’m normally so booked that I don’t even have time to go look around.”

Phil stands beside him and looks at him. He looks gorgeous in these lights. His brown hair is perfectly styled and curled. His cheeks are a perfect shade of rosey red. His eyes are gleaming but dark, like honey.

For the first time since Phil has seen Dan since meeting for the first time on set, he can see how stunning Dan is. Dan is stunning. He’s gorgeous.

And Phil is totally fucked.

“Is that Big Ben?” Dan breaks through the silence to point at the large tower in the distance.

“Yes it is.” Phil says, letting his clouded mind clear. “But it’s under construction right now so you can’t see any of it.”

“That’s a shame.” Dan says. “I’ve always heard about the bells.”  

“It’s been weird,” Phil says, a small smile on his lips, “no longer hearing the bells in London.”

“How long have you lived in London for?” Dan asks, turning his back to the window now and resting his weight against the rail.

“8 years now.”

“8  years?!” Dan exclaims.

Phil nods. “Been working at the BBC for almost all ten as well.”

‘That’s mad.” Dan laughs. “I haven’t lived in the same house in the past 5 years for more than ten months, let alone 8 years. I’ve been having to move so often because fans keep finding my address.”

Phil furrows his brows and lets the smile he was showing all from his lips. “Your fans find your address?”

Dan nods, his expression solemn. “Nothing of mine is private anymore, Phil.” His voice is sad. “I can guarantee that if you go onto Twitter right now, headlines are already making waves that ‘Daniel Howell was spotted in Starbucks with mysterious man’. They never give up.”

“Is it hard?”

“Is what hard?”

“Is it hard being famous like you are?”

Phil doesn’t know why he asks that, but he does.

Dan shrugs. “In a way yeah.” He says. “It’s an interesting lifestyle but...”

The eye starts to slow down and when Phil looks, he can see they’re already beginning their descent back down.

Nothing more is said. It’s quiet and deafening and when the doors open, a mob of people and paparazzi are waiting. Phil isn’t prepared for the complete onslaught of cameras and phones and flashes to be thrown into his face until suddenly their is a hand resting on his arm, tugging him away.

When he looks down, his heart races as he sees Dan grabbing his jacket and trying to get him out of the mob of people. A car is waiting for them and Joshua immediately runs and opens the door just as soon as Dan jumps in and Phil follows.

Joshua climbs in with them and as they look, there are fans running for the car. Some are even running to try to climb on the car. But they’re driving off and away.

When Phil looks over to Dan beside him, ready to thank him for yanking him out of the mob, he notices that Dan’s eyes are glassy. He’s about to speak up when he sees a tear leak down Dan’s cheek and Phil feels the hurt. He feels that pain, even if it’s for a second. Because this lifestyle is...well it appears to be shit.

And suddenly, Phil gets it.

***

Phil sees all of the tweets and headlines before he goes to bed that night.

“DANIEL HOWELL SEEN WITH MYSTERIOUS MAN AFTER FINISHING FILMING MOVIE IN LONDON.”

“DANIEL HOWELL’S NEW BEAU? WE’VE GOT THE EXCLUSIVE PICTURES.”

“WHO IS THE MAN PICTURED WITH DANIEL HOWELL?”

Phil feels quite sick looking at them.

He also feels quite sick knowing that his day was cut short because of them. The driver had taken them back to the BBC following the awful fan encounter and Dan apologized profusely when he exclaimed he wasn’t feeling well and would like to return back to his hotel.

Phil didn’t argue. He saw the tears on Dan’s face when they stepped out of the car from when he silently wept after what had happened. Phil would never ask him about it.

He also saw the tweets from Dan that followed.

@danielhowell: I’ve said this more than once but please do not follow me. I appreciate you all so much but it’s not okay to follow me around. (1)

@danielhowell: also please do not follow my car once I get into it. It’s not only unsafe for you, but it’s unsafe for me as well. Please know that your safety means the world to me and that’s not okay (2).

to@danielhowell:

@softdaniel: was that the amazingphil guy that you were pictured with in London???

to@softdaniel:

@yasmin__road: it has to be! The photos of the guy lined up with the same guy Dan just followed on Insta! I bet it’s a secret relationship.

to@yasmin__road

@danielhowell: phil is just a friend but I would appreciate it if you left him out of tweets like this. Thank you.

Phil read though more of them and eventually shut his phone off.

[dumbgothbunny]

In This Moment

BREAKING NEWS: USJ CENTER UNDER ATTACK

The headline flashed across your T.V screen.

 At first you passed by, spooning the cereal from your bowl into your mouth. Once the words registered you did a double take, your attention moving from the bowl in your hands to the screen.

“A student managed to escape, alerting the authorities and the school principal. Sources say that the center has been under siege for a few hours now-”

The camera pans across the entrance. There’s a loud commotion, and then something- its unclear as to what- flies through the roof of the building. At the same moment a few figures make their way from the entrance. The cameras zoom in on the black object hurtling through the sky- then back to the camerawoman. She’s rushing towards someone.

Your heart sinks the moment you recognize the bloodied up scarf. The ripped jumpsuit.

“PRESENT MIC! HOW ARE THINGS GOING IN THERE? IS ERASUREHEAD OKAY? MIDNIGHT CARE TO COMMENT?!”

In that moment you can’t hear a word being said. Your entire being is focused on one thing only.

Aizawa.

He looked bad. Blood pouring from his broken, limp body.

The porcelain bowl slips from your fingers, milk and cereal spilling out as it shatters on the hardwood floor.

You know where they’re taking him and you have to see him. 

You have to be by his side.

 He looks down at his bandaged arms, his body aching. Recovery girl had tried her hardest, and she’d been able to heal him rather quickly. 

Aizawa can’t help but feel guilty. He’d been unable to protect his students… he’d let them down.. Lead them right into a dangerous trap. Worst of all you’d be worried sick. He’d been barely conscious when Hizashi had dragged him out of the center, had heard the Cameramen chattering away frantically. No doubt you’d seen the news.

As if on cue the door to his hospital room slammed open, a soft sob sounding to his left. He turns, eye focusing on your red, tearstained face.

“Oh thank god.”

You fall to your knees before his bed, pulling him into a hug. He winces, but lets you hold onto him. Guilt weighs on him heavily.

You didn’t sign up for this. You were just a quirkless civilian… and his feelings for you had dragged you into such a scary, unstable world. You’d been so innocent and sweet… he wanted to hold onto you- protect you. He loved you more than anything…

And he put you in danger by doing just that. This wouldn’t end well…. He’d be hurt or you would. Heros couldn’t have quirkless lovers- it never worked out. The thought hurt worse than any of his broken bones or split muscles; Hurt worse than when that damned beast had smashed him into the concrete.

You’re babbling through your tears, holding him as close as you possibly can. Aizawa pushes you away gently.

“(Y/N)...”

You sniffle, wiping away the tears in your eyes. He was okay. He was really and truly okay.

“Oh Shota…. Recovery Girl told me you’ll be released tomorrow..”

You sniffle again, tears threatening to leak from your eyes. Another pang of guilt overcomes him.

“I-I’ll take you home and help you until you recover-”

“(Y/N), No…”

You smile and shake your head, the tears still flowing. He watches with disdain as you wipe your nose on the sleeve of your sweater.

“Dont be silly, you wont be able to bathe yourself properly and I can cook for you- I’ll make you a nice comfy spot on my bed and-”

“(Y/N)..”

“A-And im sure i can take a few days off from class i mean- it’s no big deal i-”

“ENOUGH.”

His tone is so harsh, It makes even him wince. Aizawa’s heart clenches when he see’s your face fall, that once radiant smile now a deep frown. It’s almost impossible for him to do- but he has to. Aizawa was serious about you….the way you were about him… and he refused to bring you into his life even farther- for you to one day become a widow because of his career of choice- or worse; to have you killed because of him.

“It’s over, (Y/N).”

You feel as if you’ve been punched square in the gut. Your chest tightens, and for a moment you dont quite register what has just happened. All of the memories- meeting him, your first kiss- the first night you’d spent together- they all suddenly hurt.

“Aizawa dont do this..”

He sighs heavily, looking down at his hands. He doesn’t want to. And damn if this wasn’t the hardest choice he’s had to make in a long time.

“We...were illogical from the start.”

You shake your head, reaching out to touch your lovers hand. He pulls it away, his eyes glaring at you with all the disgust he can muster. He had to make this seem real.

“You’re quirkless for godsake! I can’t worry about protecting you my entire life!”

That hurt. You stand, legs shaking. Aizawa knew how sensitive you were about your genetic makeup. He’d told you he liked it… that it was refreshing… But now… now he was throwing it in your face…

“Y..You don’t mean that…”

He snorts, biting his lip to keep himself from crying. This was harder than he’d thought. He truly loved you...which means this was the only way. The only way to keep you safe. Aizawa couldn’t afford for you to be brought into this.. He couldn’t ruin your promising life…

“I do. Get out. This is over.”

Your legs feel like jello, your body trembling as tears roll down your cheeks. The sorrow is so great that it physically hurts you. Your hero isn’t looking at you anymore. His head is turned towards the window, focused on something outside. You open your mouth, ready to argue.

“I SAID LEAVE.”

Your resolve crumbles, knuckles tightening on the bag you’d brought him. It had some snack foods and a few of his favorite drinks you’d gotten at the store on the way.  You force your body to move, legs carrying you out into the street.

You dont truly lose yourself until you’re home, body crumbling the moment you shut the door to your apartment.

     The rain outside had gotten harder since they’d left the bar. Dabi holds the umbrella over both he and his boss, his eye twitching in annoyance as the manchild beside him growls.

“Is that her?”

“No.”

“What about that one.”

“No. Stop asking.”

Tomura scratches at his neck, his anxiety and frustration pouring off him in waves. He couldn’t argue with All For One. He knew what this one was wanted for, and he was hopeful that it’d be a success. A strong humanoid-nomu could do the league good. AFO had picked out a good target- he was assured. However, he wasn’t quite sure just why Dabi had to come with him. Something about having more personable skills. As if. Tomura was a person. He had skills. He could clear this level and get you a power up no problem.

 Dabi jabs his side.

“There. Thats her.”

Tomura squints, taking in the downtrodden girl walking on the other side of the street. No umbrella- just a soaked hoodie. How meek.

“Alright lets go get her-”

He goes to move, but the cremation villian stops him before he can get very far.

“You moron we can’t just walk up to her in broad daylight and snatch her with people around. Lets follow her and corner her when there are no witnesses.”

 Dabi’s eyes rake over your form as they make their way down the sidewalk. Part of him- the more human part- is kind of worried about your well being. Your body language is that of someone who hasn’t slept- you’re hunched at the shoulders, head down. All For One had told Tomura this would be easy… but part of him wonders just why you’d be an easy target.

They watch as you walk, both of them waiting- and then it happens. You trip up on the sidewalk. Dabi lets the umbrella fall, his feet rushing forward. Tomura curses after him, the rain instantly soaking his periwinkle hair.

Your eyes are closed tight, tense against his arms, as if you’d given up any hope of saving yourself from the ground. 

When you open them you’re met with a stunning blue.

The man who’d caught you wasn’t exactly.. Normal. But a small part of you had been thankful.He grins and stands you upright, a hand running through his wet, long hair.

“Be careful there, Doll. Don’t wanna mess up that cute face of yours.”

You shrug, cheeks burning at the compliment. Dabi could tell by looking at you that your self confidence was non-existent. You didn’t look healthy in the slightest- skin pale and dark bags under your eyes. It’s almost frightening. Beside him Tomura stomps up, the umbrella in his hand- one pinkie out.

“God Damnit scarface. At least tell me before you run off like th-”

Red eyes widen when they land on you.

So this was who One For All had been talking about. You reminded him of the princess in his video game. She was cute. So i mean- He guesses you were too. O-Or whatever. 

“Couldn’t let a lady fall on her face in the rain now could I?”

He winks, making you flush even darker.

“I-Im sorry for causing you trouble I-”

The dark haired one grins slyly, an arm wrapping around your neck. It’s the first human contact you’d had in days and the body warmth is almost welcoming. You’d skipped out on classes and pretty much stayed in bed an entire week. This had been the first day you’d left, and the arcade hadn’t brightened your mood.

“Not at all, Doll. In fact-”

He turns to Tomura, grinning

“My buddy and I here were- OI. Tomura.”

Your brows arch when you see the blue haired boy fiddling with his PSP. It’s a newer one- dark blue with designs on the case. He looks up over the screen and see’s you eying it.

“Like what you see?”

You nod.

“I broke mine the other night…”

He hums and goes back to playing whatever it is he’s interested in. Dabi rolls his eyes and turns back to speak, only to be cut off by his coworker.

“You look like her.”

The Character on the screen is dressed in a beautiful yukata- her hair done up with elaborate jewels. How anyone could think you looked that good was beyond you, still, it was a nice gesture.

Dabi clears his throat and eyes Tomura as he stuffs the device into his hoodie pocket.

“AS i was saying. My friend and I were actually looking for you. Our boss would like to have a chat with you.”

Your brows furrow as you look between the two men.  The dark haired one snorts and shakes his head.

“Where are my manners. My Name is Dabi, this here is Tomura. We dont mean you any harm, and neither does our boss. He would just like to talk to you about your…. Quirkless situation.”

You should have been terrified that they’d known that about you, two complete strangers… however…

“What for.”

Tomura is the one to speak up.

“We want you to join us and be our ace. The work is shit and the people suck, but my boss wanted me to tell you- he can get you revenge. And he can make you strong.”

You step backward, but the man in front of you- Dabi- gets a tighter grip.

“It’s best you come with us willingly, Babydoll. Wouldn’t want you getting hurt.”

[pbandjesse]

Today is so much brighter. I feel so much better. Because things are fixed!

I was still fairly upset last night. And I didnt sleep that great because of it. I did eventually get some rest but I was just really. Dull inside. 

I woke up and had enough time to make an omelet. And sort of just chill. I had a good system going of using messenger on my tablet and watching videos on my blackberry. It was nice enough. 

I headed to work. And it turned out I wasnt supposed to be there until 930. So I was to early. Annoying but not the worst thing. 

I ended up hanging out with my old man coworker, Jack. I told him about my sd card. And honestly I couldnt stop making jokes because thats where I was in my grieving. But it was soothing to do that while still having my feelings validated. I ended up talking to one of my cowokers for like a half hour and it was just really nice. 

I was having some trouble with the wifi, which is the only thing my blackberry could use. So I was able to sort of talk to James through email. But it was a struggle. I had had my new phone sent to the ships address so I emailed Amy to let her know. But the email was struggling. Eventually it sent and it was all good. 

The meeting itself was interesting. We had fancy fancy donuts. And Jack invited me to sit with the old folks. Normally everyone sort of segregates by age. But I sat with Jacks and the other retirees and it was fun. I got to gossip with them and talk about things we like and dont like. Del teased me about James some more. We had the membership people come and talk to us, then the artifact people. That one was a bit combative. She didnt seem on the same page on our concerns. And honestly I thought people were going to start yelling. 

I had brought my squeezy cat to try to keep myself awake but it was still a struggle. I ended up playing an old numbers game on my blackberry to keep my brain awake. We ended up running over on time though. And I wanted to go home and lay down. But I stayed for the last hour. 

I biked towards ships after that. And my new phone was there! Its very nice. It has a metal back. And its slightly smaller then my other one which i like a lot. Also no more curved back. I went to say hi to James on top deck and then headed home.

When I got back I tried to get my phone set up but it made you call a number to activate. Which I obviously couldnt do. Because I had no phone. But I was able to at least turn it on. And I decided to put my old sd card in it. And guys. Everthing was there. Well almost everything. All my photos. Some of my screen shots. And once I added google and facebook almost all my contacts. Im missing a couple things. But nothing like it was yesterday. Everything is okay! And a few photos that were missing I was able to get off my tumblr. Mostly of James. But I was just so ridiculously happy. I had planned to nap but I was to keyed up.  I got my phone almost all the way set up and how I wanted. All my apps and things. I didnt have my texts and things but thats okay.

James came back to my place around 4. And I used his phone to call and activiate it. And I did it. And all my texts came back! It took almost an hour but they all showed back up! I was ecstatic. 

Me and James rested together for a little. We went and worked in my studio a bit. Didnt do as much as I wanted but thats alright. 

We went to the market place for dinner. I got fries and we shared and he got a burger. He seemed a little sad but he also looked really handsome. 

He walked me to the walters and went back to my place.

I am having a great night here at the walters. They had a taxidermy show going tonight.I went and walked around it a bit but it was very busy and that stressed me out. I did like the tiny octogoat though.

And then at 6 Tracy had me go up to help hand out raffle tickets. I started just sitting but that was boring so instead I hammed it up and was like carnival cryer yelling at people about tickets. For a solid hour. I had a blast. 

Im back at the desk now. Resting. Writing thing. I started working on my engine room tour test. But Im going to do that more tomorrow. Im sleeping over on taney for the next 2 nights. I am getting paid but Im not actually doing much at all. Just making sure our visiting Vikings are alright and getting on and off alright. Itll be good money if nothing else. An adventure. And now that I have my phone I wont be so bored. And Ill work on my tests and itll be a good time. Im going to bring my own fan though. Im expecting it to be warm in there. 

Im here another hour. Im going to research this phone some more. And then go home. Im hoping to make something fun for dinner and maybe watch a movie with James. 

Work tomorrow. Training on steelside. Then sleeping over. I dont think I will get home between the 2. So I cant forget anything. But wish me luck. Everything feels good but Im also very tired.

Goodnight everyone. Sleep well.