#i see tara and i just want everyone to be n ice to her

[nouvxllev]

a snowy night

Pairing: Tara Carpenter x Fem!Reader

Summary: in which you had a fun idea for you and taras first anniversary (and christmas)

Words: 2.3k

Warnings: none

a/n: merry late christmas everyone!!!

masterlist.

Pulling your very sleepy girlfriend out of her bedrest wasn't ideal for a first anniversary, nor the first very early morning of Christmas.

"Y/n," Tara groaned, her body and pajamas getting dragged across the ground like she was a sack of vegetables, "Y/n, it's literally the middle of the night, what are you doing?"

Ignoring Tara's protests, you persisted in dragging her like a lifeless corpse you found on the snowy street of New York. "I know, I know, but trust me, you wanna see this!"

With some reluctance and a little bit of motivation from you, Tara mustered the energy to get up and finally walk with your hand guiding her.

"Okay, what's so important you had to drag me across our bedroom so early?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes, still half-asleep as she yawned. You could feel her eyes observing you as best as she could, eyeing the duffel bag you carried, "And why do you have a duffel bag on you like you're gonna flee the country?"

"And why would I ruin the surprise by telling you?" You grinned, pulling her by the sleeve, "Okay, before I let you in on this, close your eyes." You both stood by the doorway of the bedroom, Tara looking slightly unimpressed.

"Tara, can't you trust your girlfriend for like one second?" You asked, crossing your arms and raising your eyebrows.

"No?" She chuckled, crossing your arms alongside you, "not after you pulled that prank on me last Christmas."

"Okay, but you've gotta admit, trapping you in a life-sized gingerbread house was pretty funny and, a stroke of genius by yours truly."

Tara rolled her eyes, a fond smile tugging at the corners of her lips, "How'd you even do that anyway?"

"You know I always love the flair for the dramatic." You looked up at her, nothing but smile and love from your eyes.

"Which is why I love you." Tara whispered, her arms wrapping around your waist as she pulls you in closer.

You chuckled, she leaning into Taras hug. "And which is why you're going to love this! Come on, close your eyes," you let go of Tara's grip on you, taking her hands into yours and watching as she closed her eyes with her palm.

"I'm so breaking up with you if this is another prank," she remarked, playfully, of course, but who knows how likely that might become true?

"Oh don't say that, I won't be able to continue those anymore."

With Tara's eyes closed, you guided her into the living room, or maybe just a room with how you renovated it.

When you knew Tara was fast asleep, you had dashed over to the living room after taking your sweet time removing yourself from Taras koala-like cuddle from you and tore it down bit by bit.

Not really, but every piece of furniture scattered on the floor you relocated to the garage. The soft carpet that covered the tiles, was carefully stored in someplace else, revealing the smooth hardwood tiles underneath people could easily slide on.

You led Tara to the living room, her free hand intertwined with yours, the warmth of her palm this season never felt so comforting on yours.

"I knew you always wanted our anniversary to be unforgettable, ever since the day you told me on a warm winter night on top of the apartment building I used to live in, and I thought," you continued, pulling Taras hands down with your own, "what's more unforgettable than spontaneously pulling my girlfriend out of bed to go indoor skating with me in our home?"

Tara opened her eyes, only to see an impromptu ice rink in the middle of their living room. Fairy lights were adorning the corners, little Christmas trees scattered along the way, the floor was powdered to give it a little more boost to the slipperiness, and makeshift cardboard walls surrounded the area. It wasn't the biggest, considering it was only a living room, but it had everything that made Tara Carpenter happy. And that thought was enough for you when you designed this.

Her jaw dropped, and she looked at you with a mixture of disbelief and delight. "You did all this for our anniversary?" She questioned, excitement palpable in her voice.

You nodded, a proud grin on your face. "I wanted to make it special, something we'd remember." You giggled

Tara couldn't help but laugh, the joy bubbling up inside her. "You're fucking insane, you know that?" She pulled you in for a kiss, "but there's no denying that I love it."

You smiled, a lovesick one at that, before taking her hands again and leading her to the powdered floor. "Well, I figured if I couldn't take you to the ice rink in Central Park in the middle of the night, I'd bring the ice rink to us."

You put down the large duffle bag you had been carrying and opened it, pulling out two matching socks that kind of resembled the both of you, "And, as per ice rink tradition, we have skates! Or, socks, in this situation."

Tara chuckled at the sight of the matching socks, each knitted with a design you specifically asked for.

"A duffle bag for a pair of socks?" She laughed before taking the socks from you and slipping them on, "Only you would turn our living room into an ice rink and substitute skates with these."

"Well, I try my best," you replied with a playful wink, already putting on your own pair of socks. "Also, I still have many in store with this duffle bag."

You both stepped onto the powdered floor, the smoothness beneath made it super easy to glide and a comfortable feeling set between the two of you. Tara was wobbly at first when she first tried to slide across, but when your hand was with hers, she quickly found her balance.

"Tara, did you know your talented, smart, beautiful, girlfriend can do a triple axel?" you teased, letting go of Taras hold as you give yourself space from her.

She rolled her eyes playfully, "Oh please, as if you can even do a single one."

You smirked, feigning an offended look. "You deeply underestimate me, my love."

You took a few steps back until your body hit the cardboard walls. With little to no skating experience and the fact you've never trusted yourself once with your balance, you launched yourself. A bit too fast for your liking to the point you ended up doing not even a full rotation and crashed into Tara, "Fuck, oh shit Tara—!"

It was a decent attempt, you'd say so yourself since you didn't completely eat shit, but it gained a laugh from Tara who had been laughing her ass off ever since you landed on top of her.

"Okay, I'd give you points for your ambition and spirit." She chuckled one last time before pulling you and herself up.

"Thank you. Someone finally recognizes talent here."

"Is the talent the 'talent of crashing into your girlfriend?'" Tara teased, brushing off some of the imaginary dust from her clothes, but also the white powder that clung to her shirt.

You grabbed her hand and continued to skate, ignoring the heavy pain you had in your chest, "It's a skill only a select few possess, you know."

Tara rolled her eyes with an affectionate smile. "Then looks like I've got the most skilled girlfriend in the world."

The two of you continued to slide and glide all over the living room, talking about whatever and whenever. The both of you lost your balance here and there, and the both of you may or might not laughed before pulling the other one out of their misery on the cold powdered floor, but it was the most memorable moment of your life; you'd say.

Minutes turned into hours, and you and Tara continued until every single cardboard wall was down due to your attempts at doing probably one of the most difficult tricks in ice skating.

Exhausted but exhilarated, you and Tara found yourselves lying off the ice rink, taking off some steam and deep breaths.

You stood up, quite abruptly, and lent Tara a hand. "Mind coming with me?" You asked, eliciting a confused smile from Tara, but she took your hand anyway.

You helped Tara to her feet and led her outside the door, the cold breeze hitting the both of you like a truck. "Where are we going exactly?" She asked as you led her around the corner to where a ladder lies that goes up to the rooftop.

You quickly climbed up the ladder and turned back to Tara. "Come on, there's something else I want to show you," you say, as you reach for Tara's hand to pull her up.

To her surprise, there was a blanket laid on the rooftop, fairy lights being hung on poles you had taped to the ground, yet again, and cups of eggnog and hot chocolate waiting for you both. The city lights glittered in the distance, and the stars above shined brightly.

Honestly, Tara didn't know how she managed to have someone like you in her life.

"Y/n.. y/n, this is so— It's beautiful." She said, breathless, as she approached the picnic blanket with you in hand.

You smiled at Tara's genuine appreciation, happy that your surprise made her happy. "I'm glad you like it," you replied, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "Shall we sit, my love?"

Tara chuckled and sat down with you, never letting your hand go one bit. "The moon looks beautiful, even at this time."

You could've been looking at the moon, adoring its enchanting glow that reached the world, and the beauty of it all. But no, you were allured by another celestial being, something far more greater than anything that would exist in the cosmic universe, it was Tara.

"Yeah, it's quite beautiful."

The two of you sat in silence, gazing at the stars that slowly started to disappear as sunrise started to take over as you held hands together.

"I'm sorry." Tara broke the silence, her voice soft, "I should've planned something like this too for you, and for our anniversary. It's amazing, y/n."

You turned to Tara, a soft smile playing on your lips. "Tara, you being here with me is more than enough. I didn't plan this to receive anything in return; I just wanted to create a special moment for us and for you to have the best anniversary you can get from someone. And many more, of course." You reassured her, gently squeezing her hand, "Besides, being here with you is all I could ever ask for."

Tara leaned in and pressed a tender kiss against your cheek. "You're incredible, really. You know that?" she whispered, "you didn't have to do this."

"I had to, and I wanted to. You gave me so many happy moments in the short time we've been together, it's just a little something to pay you back."

Tara smiled as she wrapped your arms around yours, pulling you into a gentle embrace. "Thank you, y/n. I love you. Like, so much."

"Well, it's not over yet. There's one more thing," you said before unzipping the duffel bag you had brought and pulling out a box.

Tara raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "What is it?"

You turned to her, facing Tara with nothing but love.

"I want to make everything special and feel special for you, Tara. You're someone I couldn't bear to lose, and someone I didn't think I deserved, up until now. I want to tell you that I promise to do everything for you so that I'll deserve every piece of you in my heart." You vowed, opening up the box to reveal a promise ring. And, as if by cue, snowflakes were falling to the ground, and ones that ended up in Tara's hair. You never knew there was the absolute perfect time to gift the love of your life something special.

"Y/n—Y/n, this is too much, seriously." Taras heart swelled with love, her eyes widening and her smile reaching up to her ears, revealing the dimples you always loved.

"Never is it too much when I want to show my love to you, Tara. You only deserve the best, and only the best. So," you held your sentence as you lifted up Tara's hand and slid the promise ring onto her finger, "I bought this to tell you that I'm fully committed to you, body and soul, and promise I'll always cherish you no matter what. It's a reminder that you are deserving of all the happiness in the world."

Tara stared at the ring, content in her eyes as she looks up towards you. "Y/n, I don't know what to say. This is... it's perfect. Thank you."

You grinned, feeling a sense of contentment in making Tara feel special. "You don't have to say anything. Just know that you mean everything to me, and I'm grateful for every moment we share."

Tara chuckled, "For a moment, it felt like you were exchanging vows over there."

"Oh, my vows will be much more longer." You responded, a chuckle you gained from Tara.

"Well, speaking of vows," Tara began, her tone becoming more serious, "I want you to know that you have a special place in my heart since the day I met you. You've made every moment memorable that I didn't even know it was possible. Every mundane chore could never be the same now that I have you, y/n. God—I just, love you. Like so, so, so, much."

And with that, you leaned in for another kiss, embracing Tara and laying down with her as you both kissed. "I love you too, Tara."

The night, or maybe early morning, continued as you both laid down, seeing the sun take over the night sky as the moon was still visible.

You turned to Tara, "Do you think we could still sleep in?"

"I don't think people crossing the street on Christmas would like to see two people sleeping ontop of their rooftop."

"Baby, it's New York, people probably stumble into waaay worse things in their mornings."

Pulling your sleepy girlfriend out of her bedrest wasn't ideal for a first anniversary, nor the first very early morning of Christmas. But was it the best decision you've made? Definitely.

[auras-moonstone]

Hi! Can I request one with non gf Ethan, he and reader are dating and it's his birthday and maybe his family never made a big deal about it but reader goes all out, she hangs balloons on his dorm, gets him a cake and some presents maybe she skipped classes that day so he hasn't seen her and then Ethan goes to his room and sees everything and it's all cute and fluffy cause y'know it's Ethan he'd probably cry

birthday themed cause… today’s my birthday yayy !

big cake, happy birthday — ethan landry

word count: 1.1k

pairing: ethan landry x fem!reader

summary: knowing that his boyfriend never had the birthdays he deserved, y/n makes a surprise party for ethan.

contents: family neglect? new-found family. y/n being a bit too much. emotional ethan. chaotic group dynamic.

y/n was on a mission to make this the best birthday ethan has ever had. she wanted everything to be perfect, and she ordered her friends around to make sure it turned out that way. to put it mildly, y/n was not the group’s favorite person that day.

“y/n i swear to fucking god if you yell at me one more time.” tara said annoyed.

the frustrated girlfriend sighed and took deep breaths. “you’re right. i’m sorry, guys. i just… they never cared, you know. it was never about him, not even on his birthday. i want to make sure that changes from now on. i want him to know how special and loved he is. i want this to be flawless.”

the group exchanged glances. chad nearly cried. “it’s okay.” tara said softly. “you’re a great girlfriend, y/n/n. a great person.”

“thanks.” she smiled. “but it still wasn’t okay of me to yell and get so bossy. you guys can go now, i’m going to skip classes. you’ve done more than enough.”

“are you sure?” mindy asked.

y/n nodded. “yeah, i’ll just finish the decorations and make the cake. you distract eth, don’t make him feel alone, okay? spoil him. and no smartass comments towards him today, mindy.”

the girl rolled her eyes and the group headed out. “how did she manage to make us feel guilty for calling her out on her bossy behaviour?” chad asked confused.

“i don’t know, but fuck if that wasn’t the cutest speech i’ve ever heard.” anika said, shaking her head.

ethan really appreciated his friends company, they had made him feel special all day, but he really really really missed his girlfriend. he wanted special attention from her, and he hadn’t seen her in more than twelve hours.

when he noticed she missed her first class, he immediately sent her a text asking what was wrong and she replied saying she had terrible cramps so she was going to skip uni. it put a pout on his face, but he understood and told her he would go to her house later with ice cream and a heating pad.

“so, are you doing anything special?” chad asked him as they made their way to their dorm.

“i’m going to take a shower and then head to y/n’s. we’re having dinner at her house, she’s not feeling well.”

well, no. if this morning was any indication, she was probably having the most stressful of days, thought chad. he hadn’t seen someone care so much about a person like y/n cared about ethan.

when they were one block away, chad subtlety sent y/n a text telling her they were close. the girl’s heart started going wild in nervousness.

“fuck, they’re coming. everyone hide!” y/n yelled.

“we’re right beside you.” mindy muttered under her breath.

“leave her alone.” anika muttered, dragging her girlfriend to the hiding spot.

chad unlocked the front door and let ethan go in first. he turned on the lights and was stunned by shouts of surprise!

the group greeted him with a hug and a happy birthday, and the guy could only mutter low thank you’s, completely overwhelmed with appreciation.

y/n put a birthday hat on him with a joyful smile. “happy birthday, babe. did we surprise you?”

his eyes got glossy, and for a moment, y/n panicked. but then ethan smiled, making a few tears fall. “you all did this for me?” he asked looking around. there were balloons everywhere, warm fairy lights hanging behind a table filled with food and colourful letters sticked to the wall that read happy birthday.

“of course.” y/n said softly, pressing one short kiss on his lips.

“it was mostly y/n, not gonna lie. she has been working on this the whole day.” chad spoke up, wanting her to have the credit she deserved.

“thank you, guys. this is… more than perfect.” ethan went to give every each of them a hug. when he reached y/n, he completely broke down. “i love you so much. thank you. you didn’t have to do all this.”

“i just want you to know how much you mean to us. how much we love you.” she rested her forehead against his. “i’m so lucky to have you in my life. this little party? this is the least i could do to show you how special you are.”

“you make me feel special everyday, y/n/n.” he whispered as she cleaned his tears.

“fuck, the yelling and the mistreatment were totally worth it. this is so wholesome.” chad said looking at his love-sick best friends.

y/n rolled her eyes. “look, just in my defense, you were all being kind of lazy. honestly, i just asked you to hang up the fairy lights and the garlands. you don’t need an hour and a half to do that!”

“but you were a little on edge today.” tara said.

“and insufferable.” mindy added.

“i was not!” y/n frowned.

“you texted us every thirty minutes to ask us how ethan was doing.” mindy retorted.

“can you blame me? i was guilty for not being there the whole day. i didn’t want him to feel sad about it.” she defended herself, hugging her boyfriend tightly.

“she’s making us feel like assholes again.” chad whispered to tara.

ethan laughed. “leave my stressed girlfriend alone.” he kissed her cheek. “i love you even when you’re bossy, on edge and insufferable.”

y/n let out a chuckle and snuggled into his chest. “i love you too.”

“he gives you a back-handed compliment and gets cuddles?” mindy asked offended.

y/n shrugged. “it only matters that he said he loves me.”

“i hate you both.” mindy rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. even she couldn’t deny they were the cutest couple.

“i love you, guys. this is the best birthday ever.” he said happily.

when it was time to blow the candles, ethan looked around and his heart had never felt warmer—his chosen chaotic family gathered around buzzing with excitement, was there anything else he could wish for? there was only one thing that came to mind: please, never take them away from me.

“group hug!” y/n yelled when the candles were blown, and next thing he knew he was being tackled to the ground. “happy birthday, eth. i love you forever.”

“i love you forever too.” he pecked her lips.

“ew! not with us above you!” sam snickered.

“do you have to be lovey all the damn time?” mindy gagged.

with the love of her life in his arms and the sound of their friends making fun of them and acting annoyed, ethan had never felt happier.

[burnyouwithacigarettelighter]

(2) TENDER LIKE A BRUISE ─── ethan landry 𖦹

ೃ⁀➷ “No other word makes my mouth as tender as your name.” — ‘Soft Human’, Emery Allen

pairing. spiderman!ethan landry x reader

warnings. swearing, mention of blood + death, mildly suggestive

summary. after that first night, ethan and you have acquired an unspoken bond. your friends sense this bond, but, unfortunately, think it’s something else entirely. (1) (2) (3) (4)

a/n. more spiderman!ethan. im really loving this au, but i also have no idea what im doing. expect some more fics, though not entirely in chronological order.

ii. 

The rest of that night went like this: you ordered pizza, but by the time it got to your apartment, Ethan fell asleep on your couch. 

So you forced him to wake up, all but shoved three slices of pepperoni pizza down his throat, then locked him in your room and made the boy rest. 

(Waking him up was far harder than you thought it would be. He slept like the fucking dead, and looked like it too, hands perfectly by his sides, staring straight up at the ceiling.)

You were cleaning up the boxes in the living room when you heard a commotion in your bedroom, alongside Ethan’s familiar, profuse apologizing. 

“Ethan?” You called out, walking down the hall. “What’s going—“ 

Suddenly, the door to your room opened, and out came Ethan, hair messy from sleep, being pinned against the hallway wall by Mindy. 

“What the fuck were you doing in—“ Mindy said furiously, her hand balling up the fabric of your (Ethan’s) shirt. 

“Hey- Hey! Mindy, put him down! I’m right here,” You said, wide eyed. You could see the pain blooming in Ethans side as Mindy man-handled him, his brows twisted taut, eyes squeezing shut. 

At the sound of your voice, Mindy let go of Ethan immediately. From your room behind her walked out Annika and Tara, who were cautiously stepping away from the two of them. 

Ethan’s hands held his bandaged side subtly, leaning against the wall like he had when you first let him into your room. 

The guilt churned in your chest — how could you not think about your friends entering the apartment with him in there? Of course Mindy would be hostile, for Ethan had never come over if Chad wasn’t there first. 

Without thinking, your hands graced both of Ethan’s arms. “Are you okay?” You whispered in his ear, and waited for his curt nod before turning to Mindy, Annika and Tara’s prying eyes.

“I’m— we—he came over to study, and he fell asleep so I…” You racked your head for a plausible excuse, so you didn’t have to tell everyone he was fucking Spiderman and that he almost bled out in your shared bathroom just three hours ago. 

“Study?” Tara cut in, raising an eyebrow. “Weren’t you at the party?” She gave Ethan a pointed look. 

Ethan opened and closed his mouth, looking between you and the rest of your friends. “I left, like, an hour in. I have Econ tomorrow, so I needed to - to study.” 

Mindy took a deep breath in, then flared her nostrils, letting the air out. “Okay. Okay, I’m sorry,” She backed away, hands in the air like she was getting arrested, “just wanted to know why this dude you don’t even talk to was sleeping in your room.” 

Then, she walked off, down the hall into the living room, hands still in the air. Annika and Tara slipped away similarly, but Annika gave the both of you a particularly long and suspicious look. 

You looked at Ethan. Ethan looked at you. 

“How’s my stitch work?” You said lightly, trying to break the silence while gesturing to his side. 

A small smile broke on Ethans face. “I think my head needs the concern more,” he said, rubbing the part of his head that hit the wall. 

“Well, I’ll get you an ice pack if it's that bad. Now sleep. I’ll wake you up when you need to leave - if Sam catches you in here, it’ll be a repeat of last time.”

Ethan grimaced, touching his nose nostalgically. “Noted.”

After Ethan entered your room, stretching and letting out the yawn he had been holding in, you closed the door, and made your way to sleeping in the living room. Any looks you got from your friends, you ignored. 

This knock-on-your-window-patch-Ethan-up-let him sleep-over-situation repeated several times.

It wasn’t one you particularly liked, however. Over time, you and Ethan grew closer. It's a little hard not to get to know each other when one is saving you from near-death, and knows your biggest secret. 

You found out how sweet Ethan was, his consideration far more than mere politeness. He was a good person, one who often put his life on the line for people he didn’t even know. So, seeing the boy in pain every time he snuck in tugged at your heart-strings. 

You didn’t exactly… know why Ethan was so good. Any time he talked about becoming Spiderman, he seemed so tense, so guilt-ridden. His voice had an intonation of loss, of pure grief that he wouldn’t let anyone touch. 

(If anything, that grief was hurting him more than the injuries you were patching him up for.) 

Besides that, even now, you two had never hung out in normal circumstances, and most times you saw Ethan, he was clad in that red-and-blue latex suit. 

It had you wondering what exactly you two were. A walking first aid kit and the hero? Or friends?

It's not like you didn’t understand - becoming so close so quickly would make everyone suspicious, so keeping this relationship on the low was absolute key. 

(But that didn’t mean it didn't hurt a little.)

Ethan coming over in secret like this had now been happening at least weekly for five months straight. During that, the nature of your relationship evolved: sometimes, Ethan’s injuries were bearable enough that he swung back out your window (to your adamant behest), or, he was awake enough to watch a movie with you in the living room, or even just knocked on your window during his patrols to say Hi.

One night, you forgot someone was home. You’d done up a nick on Ethan’s neck - a place he couldn’t reach by himself - and you’d forced him not to swing back to Brooklyn, even if his police walkie was rattling off several alarming police codes. 

“Ethan,” You said, holding the walkie up. “This is going to get you killed.”

“I’m fighting crime! Of course I’m going to get hurt.”

“And I would much rather you didn’t get hurt.” 

“Am I cutting into your study time?”

“No, dumbass, I just don’t want you to swing injured. I care, you know? About you.”

Ethan paused at that, looking at you carefully. “I — um,” his face was pink, “okay, fine. I’ll… stay. But just for tonight - next time, I’m going no matter what you say.”

“Just promise me to stay safe, alright?”

Ethan nodded, slightly hesitant. “I’ll try.” 

“Good.” You pressed the walkie talkie into his chest, “So, Chinese or Thai tonight?”

“I’m thinking Indian, actually,” Ethan said, trailing behind you into the living room. “Do you remember that place from last time? They made the best—“

Then, catching the both of you completely off guard, Quinn’s door swung open wide. 

Out came another one of her regular hookups - the prison suit guy, whose forehead stitches were now a light scar - who looked shocked at the sight of you guys and quickly scurried out. Then, out came Quinn herself, who waved the guy goodbye. 

Quinn almost ducked back into her room without saying a thing to you guys, obviously ridden with fatigue, but quickly spun back.

Quinn blinked, rubbed her eyes, then blinked again. 

“Are you two —“ She pointed to you two, jaw dropped, obviously wrong thoughts in her mind, and you were both quick to correct her. 

“No! No — we,” Ethan started and stumbled, looking at you for help.

“Econ! He came over for econ help.” You finished for him, placing your hands on your hips.

Ethan nodded vehemently, “I’m hopeless at the statistics.”

“Didn’t you ace stats in highschool, E?” Quinn said pointedly, quickly sobering. 

“Well, these— these ones are harder, okay!”

“It’s really hard,” you tried to convince her. “Everyone is almost failing this unit. I’m barely getting by with the extra textbooks I had on the subject.”

A beat passed. 

And then Quinn seemed to consider this, leaning her head against her doorframe. “Well, whatever. Now go bang or study stats, I don’t care, just be quiet. I’ve got swim practice tomorrow.”

You and Ethan both gave her a perfect, agreeing smile, and she disappeared into her bedroom. 

“Oh my god,” You whispered to Ethan first, “She thought we were—“

“She thought we were…” He repeated, eyes wide, finger tugging at one of his curls. 

“That is the funniest thing I’ve heard this week, my god.” You shook your head, flopped on the couch, and that was that. 

(Inwardly, your reaction stung Ethan a little. 

Was it really… really so implausible that you two would be, well, together?)

And about the misconception of being together? Your whole friend group believed what Quinn did, too. 

One similar night, after Ethan changed into a pair of his clothes (after the first few instances of patching him up, he began keeping clothes in your room) and you were about to put a movie on, you two had  walked into the living room, and found your entire friend group waiting for you there. 

Sure, dressing Ethan’s wounds happened often enough that they were home and asleep while you did so, but you didn’t think you two were that loud. At least, loud enough to wake the entire house. 

It was early morning, 2-am or something, and Ethan had been texting back his dad, pretending he was just coming home from a party. Ethan had to regularly assure his father that he was indeed safe and sound, something you weren’t exactly privy to the origin of. 

(There was a cloud of mystery concerning Ethan becoming Spiderman, his family’s undue concern for him, and his and Quinn’s deceased brother, Richie. You couldn’t put a finger on it, but you just knew it was all connected.)

Ethan was just behind you when you stopped at the sight of your friends in the living room, your jaw dropped. Ethan bumped into your back, stumbling and apologizing, until he saw what exactly had made you stop. 

“What the — what are you guys doing here?” You said first, at their piercing gazes. 

“We’re staging an intervention,” Quinn said, trying to be serious, before breaking and letting out an ungodly laugh. “Oh my god, you guys need to stop fucking in the bathroom!”

“What?” both of you said in shock. Your face burned red, as did Ethans, who looked at you. 

“E, I am so proud of you man, but you guys gotta be normal about this shit,” Chad said, scrubbing his face. 

“Why the bathroom, exactly?” Tara leaned back, eyes red with sleep, like she had been waiting for hours and was slowly succumbing to the fatigue. 

“Just! Hol— hold on, a sec. We aren’t fucking in the - in the bathroom, okay?” You said, arms gesturing wildly. Your face was practically on fire now, the whole room feeling a touch too warm. 

“We aren’t even together!” Ethan added on quickly, though shying further behind you. 

Annika snorted, then leaned her head on Mindy’s shoulder. “You guys don’t have to hide it. You do know we can hear you in there, right?”

What? You weren’t making any undue noise in the bathroom, you had made sure of it. Any possible noise they could hear would just be the dry bandage and Ethan’s overdramatic whining, which—

Ethan’s whining. 

“Oh my god,” you whispered under your breath, brows becoming permanently furrowed. You jabbed Ethan lightly in the side, “This is your fault, you know?”

Ethan spluttered, “How is it—“

“You’re always so loud in there, and I keep telling you to—“

“And that!” Mindy cut in, pointing at you two. “We cannot forget to mention that.”

“‘That’ what?” Your head swiveled to Mindy’s pointed finger, letting go of Ethan’s sleeve that you hadn’t realized you were holding. 

“”’That’ what”’?” Mindy mocked in an (incredibly inaccurate) impression of your tone. “Jesus, I mean all the arguing and the teasing and the touching!”

Everyone nodded simultaneously, as if your (not real!) predicament was extremely easy to notice. 

You blinked rapidly, looking at your friends then back at Ethan. “This is - so ridiculous,” you said, under your breath. 

“Is it, though?” Ethan shrugged, head tilted and considering the facts against you two. “I mean,” he explained himself, “all of a sudden I’m always over “studying” and you’re sneaking me around the house instead of letting everyone know I’m here. We spend a little too long in the bathroom together, you keep your window a smidge open for me, and you keep my clothes in your closet.” 

Well. With all that splayed out on the table, it did sound like you were hooking up. It was a great cover, if you were being honest, if only it didn’t make things so damn awkward. 

Suddenly, as if Ethan knew what you were thinking, his arm snaked around your waist and pulled you close to him. 

“Okay, fine,” Ethan started, looking at your group of friends. “You caught us. We’re, well, dating. Surprise?”

Through Chad’s cheers and everyone else’s relieved sighs (that of which they didn’t have to painfully watch you and Ethan sneak around the apartment together anymore) Ethan whispered to you, disguised as a kiss to the crown of your head. 

“This fake dating cover is gold. The perfect excuse. You’ll help your friendly neighborhood Spiderman, right?”

In response, you nodded your head slightly, then looked up at him with a plastic smile, talking between it. “Thanks, babe. I’ve become your personal nurse.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of my sidekick.”

“Just don’t ‘Death in the Family’ me, Landry.”

taglist: @iloveneilperry @backtotheshitshow @hazehepburn @powowowy @ifilwtmfc @oscarisdaddy69 @al1v3cvp1d2@bloodyeverything @l5byrinth @gojosbucket @diamondci1ty

[wed-in-the-apocalypse]

Caught

Tara carpenter x reader

Drabble 2

----

2 months of dating Tara, it had to be the best 2 months of your life, but dating Tara also came with some difficulties, you see, it was hard not to tell absolutely everyone in the world about your beautiful, amazing, talented girlfriend: Tara Carpenter.

And this was one of those times.

You were hanging out with the core 4, along with Mindy's girlfriend and your best friend; Anika, and Ethan with Quinn.

You guys were walking in the city as usual, per Tara's request to explore the city, and of course you loved showing them around, but you weren't in the greatist mood, the problem was that Chad had been all over Tara the entire evening, you tried to keep your jealousness at bay, it wasn't his fault, afterall, your relationship with Tara was a secret, still you couldn't help but feel jealous at the sight of Chads arm slung over Tara's shoulder as he talked her ear off, but you tried not to look and kept going.

"Hey guys, Can we stop for some food?, I'm hungry" Ethan whined, "Sure, There's a pizza joint right here" Anika said, pointing at a small building, "There's alot of people in there.." Sam muttered, eyeing it wearily, "It's fine, I'll go in and grab some pizza," Quinn said from behind you, "Who has money?" "Oh, I do," You reached into your pocket and pulled out some 10 dollar bills, "Here" Quinn took it, "Thanks, Okay, What kinda pizza do you guys want?" "Mushrooms!" Chad exclaimed, "Pineapple is fine" Sam murmured, "Ugh, That's all so gross, Get some cheese pizza for me" Mindy made a disgusted look, (idk, mushrooms and pineapple on pizza is just gross to me) Quinn nodded and went inside.

You didn't have to wait to long before she came back with four boxes, "Thank god," Ethan whimpered, "Mmm, this is great" He said taking a huge bite out of his pizza slice, "Alright guys let's go back to the apartment" Sam called, so you all followed her back.

----

When you got back and Sam finally found the key you all burst in, Mindy crashing into the couch as a loud groan left her, and you chuckled, "My fucking ass is sore," Mindy whined, "Why'd we have to go ice skating?" "Because i wanted to remember?," Anika said flopping on top of her girlfriend, "And it was funny watching you and Chad fall" "Hey!," Chad protested, "It was slippery.." They countinued to insult eachother and you sighed, quietly slipping into Tara's room, you sat on the bed with a heavy sigh, trying to get the image of Chad catching Tara from nearly falling on the ice out of your head.

It wasn't working very well.

You groaned, falling back on the bed and putting your hands over your face, you couldn't hear the quiet pitter-patter of feet over the yelling and laughing, the door creaked softly as a small head poked through the crack, "Hey baby," A voice said softly, "You okay?, You were quiet almost the whole time we were out" Tara approached the bed, sitting at your side, "Yeah, i'm okay Tar, just a bit tired" You gave her a comforting smile, but she knew better, she raised her brow, you sighed, you both knew you couldn't lie to her, "I just.. it's silly but, it, hurts.. watching you with Chad, i mean, he acts like he owns everything! And i know it's not his fault, we're a secret but still" You sniffed, moving to face the wall. She put her hand on your chin, making you face her, "Y/n, I want you to know that i don't have any feelings for Chad, He's just a friend, And if you want, I can tell him that, Okay?"

Tears welled in your eyes at her reassurance, you sat up, smiling at her, whispering a soft, "I know", you leaned in, and she met you halfway. The kiss was like a promise, filled with love, and passion, words can't describe how you felt in that moment, you could cry, it was overwhelming the feelings you held for Tara. You kissed her with everything you had, telling her without words that you would be with her forever, because words didn't matter. You broke for air but she pulled you back in, this time with more hunger, desire, she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, your tounge swipping over her bottom lip, and she gasped, allowing your entry. Your hand snaked under her shirt, fingers softly scratching the perfect skin under her ribs, and she whimpered at the feeling.

You were to entirely entranced by one anothers beings to hear the footsteps approaching the door, you hadn't even noticed anyone else was in the room until she cleared her throat, you broke away. Anika was standing at the door, with the biggest grin on her face, "I fucking knew it!" Yours and Tara's faces were both bright red, from both emotion, and embarrassment. You stuttered out a "I-I-, Wait, you're not like, Mad?" Anika looked slightly confused at that, "What?, No?, I mean a little because you didn't tell me but no. I'm not Sam for fucks sake" A beat of silence passed, less than a second, as you both sat there in shock, "Okay, Well, I came to tell you guys that we're watching insidious," She went to leave, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Then she left you alone. Tara groaned, hiding her face in the crook of your neck as you laughed at her embarrassed state. She pinced your side, "It's not funny!" she complained, "Well it kinda is-" your sentence was cut short by Tara's lips on yours, she crawled back into your lap, and you happily shut up. "It's not funny" She muttered against your lips, "Okay, Okay, It's not funny" "Damn right" You chuckled at that, "Okay, I think we should go before they think we're having sex" You joked, and Tara nodded, sliding off of you, "Yeah, c'mon".

----

You walked into the living room, suprisingly no one looked at you differently, Chad looked at you and Tara with a hint of jealousy, and Anika smirked at you, but the others were busy watching the movie. You moved to sit next to Ethan, and Tara sat in the empty space next to you, subtly putting her hand on yours, in the dim light of the tv, no one saw as Tara leaned her head on your shoulder, Sam though, had seen it, giving you a slight smile and an approving nod. You smiled back, turning to the tv, you melted into Tara, feeling a wave of contentment wash over you.

Maybe this would work out.

----

sorry for procrastinating on this drabble <3

THIS TOOK FOREVER FOR ME TO DO WTF IM SORRYYYY

@caitlynskitten

@melrodrigo ?

@jenflirts

[mellowmadds]

Taste Testing | Ethan Landry

Ethan Landry/Reader

Summary: slushies and sleepovers don’t mix

Warnings: slight cussing

Word Count: 707

pure fluff (no description of reader so everybody can enjoy!)

..••°°°°••.. °°••....••°°

Sleepovers at the Carpenter house seemed to turn into a weekly thing. However, getting to spend any alone time with your boyfriend felt more like a challenge due to the core four always sticking together. Instead of getting to the Carpenter’s apartment on time Ethan took it upon himself to plan a small date before the scheduled weekly sleepover.

“Red is cherry flavored and blue is raspberry” Ethan read out loud while he stared too intently at the menu above the ice cream counter.

“Are we sure we want slushies instead of ice cream?” you asked while focusing on all of the delicious looking homemade ice cream. Ethan laughed while thinking back to the conversation you guys had earlier that same day.

“You were literally googling to see if any places nearby sold slushies while we were walking back from econ.” he stated before ordering two slushies one red and one blue. You thanked the lady behind the counter while putting some cash into the tip jar while Ethan paid over at the register. You guys walked out of the small ice cream parlor and down the street to the local park where you finished up the slushies and talked about your upcoming assignments in econ.

“Where the hell were you guys we’ve been waiting to start the movie” Tara exclaimed while throwing her hands up in the air pretending to be mad despite the huge smile on her face. As you and Ethan sat in your usual spot on the couch Mindy couldn’t help but notice the slight change in color on both of your lips.

“Why the fuck are your lips purple y/n?” Mindy laughed as she took a sip of her drink.

“Purple? What do you mean?” You asked confused before taking out your phone and opening the camera app.

“Jeez so are yours�� Anika said pointing over towards Ethan.

“Pur- wait me too?” Ethan asked before leaning over looking into your small phone camera.

“What kind of weird ass food did you two eat?” Chad laughed while walking into the living room with a bowl of popcorn.

“Nothing weird just slushies” You said, handing your phone over to Ethan who was trying to scrub the purple color off his lips.

“Purple slushies? I didn’t know they made grape flavored slushies” Sam entered the conversation clearly intrigued by what was being said in the other room before placing two boxes of pizza on the coffee table.

“I had the blue one though which was raspberry flavor” You said clearly confused.

“And I had the red one” Ethan chimed back into the conversation before placing your phone back in your backpack.

“What? That doesn’t make any sense” Anika said while grabbing a slice of pizza.

“Oh my god” Mindy said while trying to hold in her laughter.

“Y/n what did you and Ethan do today?” Sam asked, smirking while looking between the both of you.

“We went to the park and then we came here” You said, still clearly confused as to why the core four were so invested in this conversation.

“And what did you do at the park?” Tara spoke once again smiling as she thought to herself just how clueless you two could be.

“We drank our slushies?” Ethan stated but it came out sounding more like a question.

“And then?” Sam asked, laughing before finally sitting down and grabbing herself a slice of pizza. As you come to realize why your lips are actually purple you turned to Ethan giving him an embarrassing look.

“Do you think that’s why our lips are purple?” He whispered before turning to look back at the group.

“Okay now show us what color your tongues are” Chad laughed while throwing popcorn at the two of you.

“Shut up” You said before jokingly sticking your tongue out at Chad. While everyone laughed Tara threw her arms in the air once again before yelling at everyone to be quiet so that she could finally start playing the movie. The rest of the night was filled with laughter and this specific night would later turn into a core memory for the two of you to always look back on and get a good laugh out of.

[cloveroctobers]

OCTOBER PROMPTS 🎃 — 13. Tara Carpenter

A/N: The way y’all voted on that poll was a true landslide lol I guess I didn’t realize how huge the tara stans are. So here goes something for my final fall prompt, hope this doesn’t flop like scream 7 will 🤭🤫🫠 but this is a short and simple ending so I do hope you enjoy this.

PROMPTS are from HERE & HERE + I’m using: going to a pumpkin patch + “you look cold, do you want a hug?” + “you think someone died here?”

WARNINGS: slight language I think? Dark humor. Age-difference: with Tara being twenty-one and oc/reader being twenty-five/six + Chad and Tara never became a thing in this timeline!

<- read my previous october anthology prompt here.

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Being at a pumpkin patch in mid-November when the skies were painted like pale ice in a frozen lake and the trees lost their copper leaves for good was questionable for Tara. The air no longer had its crispness to it but it started to feel more along the lines of a wild animal taking bites out of your face here in New York. However Tara couldn’t find herself complaining—well despite the fact that Sam turned this into a group outing—Tara couldn’t wait to see Johnnie.

Johnnie was Sam’s age, older than Tara, and easily became likable in Tara’s eyes although Sam often gave Johnnie a hard time even in the beginning. Of course they still had to be cautious but Tara always stood on the fact that she just wanted to live life after it’s been at risk of being taken away for good. She wouldn’t be as naive as last year but something about Johnnie had Tara’s insides turning into mush—in a good way though—not in a decaying guts kind of way.

The train ride was recommended by Johnnie to her family’s farm from the city and that became a whole debacle between the friends, until Tara waved her phone in the air saying that she already purchased a ticket while the rest could spend forever trying to figure out what they wanted to do. Mindy found this humorous how whenever Johnnie was mentioned, Tara made it her mission to be tuned into the conversation if she checked out.

Mindy was the first to pick up on the signs before Tara did and took great pride in Tara coming to her first out of the core four. Chad would argue against that saying he was actually the first since Tara did start to vent when they pulled a all nighter together. However he actually had no clue who Tara could be talking about and ended up eavesdropping when she chatted to Mindy one afternoon when he was supposed to be studying…basically pick a twin to believe at this point.

Tara couldn’t wipe the smile off her face on the train ride, fingers rapidly flying over her screen to the dimpled grin on her face when she spotted Johnnie helping out at the entrance of her family’s pumpkin patch.

“They’re with me, cousin.” Johnnie informs the family member with hair as white as snow, before grabbing up the walkie to contact someone else to head to the front and help out, now being off the clock with her friends here.

“Can we get more free perks for Christmas?” Chad asks as they briefly embrace and Johnnie rolls her eyes.

Johnnie folded her arms, “Why? So you can continue bringing your flings around and eat their tongues instead of enjoying the scenery?”

Chad frowned, “who are these flings that you speak of? I’m here enjoying the pumpkins with my favorite sister.”

As he goes to toss an arm over the curly haired girl’s shoulder, she shoves him away, “save it for the jury, Chad. I saw you eyeing that pretty girl with the shell earrings and racer jacket not too long ago.”

“I mean…she could be the one.” Chad couldn’t even bother to deny his wandering eyes.

Sam, Mindy, and Tara all share a groan while Danny snickers at Chad’s usual antics before being elbowed by Sam.

“Hey Tara,” Johnnie says, falling into step with the smaller girl; after informing everyone of the many activities the farm included.

Tara smiles up at her, “Hey Johnnie…remind me why we’re going pumpkin hunting so late into the season?”

“Well…I’m having a Friendsgiving next weekend at my spot and…that maybe partly true but I also wanted to hang out with you again before that.” Johnnie was honest with this, which made Tara slowly nod her head in appreciation.

Johnnie used to attend the same university as the three, received her degrees, started her business of creating designs on amputee’s prosthetics and moved to New Jersey two months ago to purchase her own home. So her having her shit together was definitely inspiring (and not to mention attractive) in Tara’s eyes and although she didn’t have everything figured out herself, one thing she was sure of: spending time with Johnnie felt right, scary yet comfortable and safe.

“Ohhh that’s right, I almost forgot about that.” Tara widens her eyes in realization, cursing to herself that she actually did forget about this but knew she could blame it on being swamped in school work, while Johnnie stumbles.

With a hand on her chest, she sighs playfully, “you wound me carpenter.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Tara replies with a longing stare as they approach the line in front of a few booths.

Johnnie leans towards Tara who doesn’t realize she’s holding her breath, “what’re you in the mood for?”

“…hmm?” Tara asks, quickly pulling her eyes back to the line when Johnnie tries to catch her eye.

Johnnie laughs, “the menu. Anything catch your interest?”

“Well,” Tara starts as the autumn chill washes over the attendees on the farm, making her hunch her mesh covered shoulders a bit and clasp her hands together, “what would you recommend?”

“Everything.”

Tara scoffs as Johnnie winks at her.

“Can you even see the menu up ahead?”

“I’m not blind.”

“Nah, just short.” Johnnie teases while Tara quickly tosses a middle finger at the older girl.

Johnnie laughs to herself, picking up on tara’s attire which failed to keep her warm on this breezy farm. So Johnnie takes the opportunity to stand behind Tara instead, who is now bouncing on her tippy toes to what may seem like she was attempting to see the menu but it was probably to keep her blood flowing better.

Tara’s almost ready to swing until her belly realizes the familiar rasp by her ear, “you look cold, do you want a hug?”

Before her mouth can fumble out an answer, tatted hands come into Tara’s view as Johnnie locks her arms across Tara’s shoulders. She doesn’t find herself going stiff but easily welcomes Johnnie’s touch. A small smile graces Tara’s lips as her eyes fall in love with the dainty details of ink that decorate Johnnie’s skin. The artwork tells a story of Johnnie’s big heart which some may view as a contrast to her androgynous exterior much like the striking scar through Tara’s palm. That same scar Johnnie lightly draws a fingertip over from time to time and does so right now as Tara buries her nose against the side of Johnnie’s tatted other thumb.

Tara can even smell the balance of scents on Johnnie’s warm skin, a light creamy but earthy scent that makes Tara envision curling underneath blankets and staring out at Misty mountains instead of crowded streets full of loud voices, and suspicious faces. A sense of serenity that Tara wasn’t sure she’d ever find until she met Johnnie.

“What ya smiling at?”

Tara pries her eyes open, knowing she had been caught but keeps her eyes on the line that she didn’t realize moved forward some. “Nothing. You just think you’re so smooth when you could have been said you wanted to hold my hand earlier.”

Johnnie quickly places a peck to Tara’s temple so fast that she thinks she imagines it, “I want to do more than just hold your hand,” Johnnie ends up whispering before unraveling herself from Tara, who has to fight to hold herself up right.

“S’orry.” She mutters to those behind her as Johnnie takes the lead, heading right up to the stand, falling into small chatter with the worker before introducing an awkward Tara.

Tara is wide eyed as Johnnie banters back and forth for a little before they both set eyes on Tara.

“What?” Tara raises a brow, finding that she’s zoned out again just gazing at Johnnie socialize.

“You strike me as a apple nacho’s kinda girl.” The male worker says while Johnnie pretends to think about it.

“I’d say a apple cider donut but you’re of course welcome to try whichever or anything else on the board.” Johnnie responds, “on me.”

Tara tilts her head to the side, “what’re you getting?”

“The apple nachos,” Johnnie states.

Tara nods, “then I’ll get the donut…as long as you share.”

“Sure, sure. Anything you want,” Johnnie beams before turning back to the man, “you heard the lady!”

“Yeah, yeah.” He fans Johnnie with a knowing look before shouting out to the cooks off to the side.

With a carton tray full of crisp apple pastries—nachos, a side of caramel, two forks, and a yellow bag full of mini apple cider donuts, the two continued traveling through the large field together.

“Where have these been my entire life?” Tara groans after savoring the dessert.

Johnnie laughs, “right up here on this farm, I take it you’re enjoying those nachos?”

“Enjoying? More like I’d love to marry them! Can’t you tell by the way I’m murdering these bitches?! Perfect crunch on the outside and crisp from the apple on the inside, all with a side of caramel sauce?! It’s so delicious to the point i can’t even apologize for the noises you’re hearing because it’s your fault and I hope we finish them before the rest try to get any.” Tara admits through her rant while Johnnie abruptly stops.

Tara lifts her head, ready to question what was going on but Johnnie steered them in a different direction, “then we better head the other way since they’re all up by the goats and llamas.”

“Good call,” Tara says peeking over her shoulder to see Sam all cuddled up with Danny.

Disgustingly so.

Johnnie’s family farm was nice to be at although the temperature was constantly dropping but there weren’t many people out this evening, which was fine by Tara. The further they circled around the farm the closer they got to one of the rides here. It was the Ali baba—the large swing on the boot of a bulldozer? The pair stood beside each other outside the gate, watching as a few faces disappeared higher into the now gravel colored sky from side to side.

“you think someone died here?” Tara asks around the donut she previously stuffed her freckled face with.

Johnnie glances at tara and rotates to her better ear, “huh?”

The air from the ride and the earth along with the carnival music made it a bit difficult but after tara finishes the donut she speaks a bit louder, repeating the question, “you think someone died here?”

A couple shoot Tara a nasty look as they exit from behind the fence and Johnnie smirks at them with a mocking wave, leaning against the metal gate. Tara let’s out a snort as she leans towards Johnnie.

“Where’s that coming from?” Johnnie sweeps Tara’s bangs to the side.

Tara shrugs, “apparently horror films are not just a one month thing with Mindy. We’re now on your favorite series: final destination.”

Johnnie dips her head in understanding, “Ah,” and almost feels flattered that Tara remembered, “well this farms been open for about fifteen years and that ride’s only been around for the past five maybe? As far I know…no deaths. Why? You wanna get on?”

“Hell yeah I do,” Tara nods with a grin, “and I don’t care that I may puke everything up. As long as you promise to hold my hand.”

Johnnie taps her chin before matching Tara’s smile after lightly pressing their foreheads together, “I think I can do that, babe.”

‘Babe?!’ Tara thinks to herself as Johnnie takes their trash to the nearest barrel before meeting Tara half way with her hand held out.

And Tara doesn’t hesitate as she slips her smaller hand into Johnnie’s tatted one. She gives Tara’s hand a squeeze, fingers interlocked which Tara gazes down at while Johnnie watches Tara. When tara flicks her brown doe eyes back to meet Johnnie’s, they smile sweetly once more, feeling like this could be the start of—nope not something new! but a romance worth taking a stab-wait that’s not right either! chance on.

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[casualwriters]

Oh, Yea were parents. Now - Gale X fem teifling reader

A/n: I know I have been Gone for a Whille, so here this cute little fan fic of my fav boy.

Spoilers for the ending ~ ♡

With the brain being deafeted, WaterDeep was calling both of their names, Baulder Gates didn't need you anymore for the time.

Of course, the heroes will be back eventually. Gale details and Illusions didn't show the true beauty of your lovers. Home, you only lived in Baulder Gates and were thrilled when he put the power of the Crown of Karsus aside and decided to have a life with you instead,

the last time you spoke to the others was a few months ago still greiving over Karlach Death, and not seeing the pepole you gone so close with but it was nice, starting you're own life together.

Tara and you needed to run some errands together.

Gale was with Willow, the young girl they found in the rumbles of broken buildings in Baulder Gates she was barely six years old, when you looked at her she was cover in grime dirt and gashes cover in dry blood.

Her platinum blond hair was knotted covering her elf ears. You could tell she was only a half elf.

Gale moved quickly, summoning Mage Hands, and his hands moved the rocks away from the innocent girl. What shocked both the teifling and the wizard was that she ran straight and hugged Gale.

"Love is this normal," he mumbled, surprised he awkwardly wrapped his arms around the child

Gale groaned "I know what you gonna say" he says throwing his hands up and when he saw you're puppy pout he chuckled he couldn't say no to that beautiful face, "of course I wouldn't want to leave her stranded " but a small smile quirk up on his lips knowing this was the right choice and that how you ended up with the young half elf in you're life.

"Okay, so why do we need these things?" Has you looked down at Tara, her wings tucked, in her furr, she spoke, " Gale needs some something about Willow being a wizard last time she try a spell, I was balled for almost a week!" She says, shivering her tone filled with annoyance but humor. Covering you're mouth you chuckled.

" At least I made you a warm sweater," you said. You could tell the Tressym wanted to say something to you just from bringing up the horrid memories, but she scoffs, "It was warm. I give you that." She says

WaterDeep was beautiful, waking to shops and shops, getting ingredients for the potion you didn't mind helping Tara because not everyone can understand feline.

"Momma, watch out!" Moving quickly, Tara gasped and flew away behind you, moving quickly. The fireball hit the brown door, and the chard was now noticeable.

"Oh, by the God's," you groan, pinching your noise looking up seeing Gale cheek red has he was sitting in front of a large book his brown hair. The strands falling into his face

A dorky smile was on your partners face. You took care of Willow for almost eight months now, and it still warmed your heart when she called you mom.

"I got what you need, my loves," bending down and kissing Willow's head , she giggles, skipping over to Tara to help her.

Wrapping your arms around Gale's neck, leaning into his back, he automatically relaxes you.

"What are you reading," muttering into his neck as Gale turned the pages his body was relaxed and calm snickering "well Willow was reading the begging book of Wizarding " laughing out loud " how am I not surprised you're teaching her magic, " she kissed his cheek " but I'n the house?" You asked

Gale pouted, and you raised a brow, and he threw his arms up from laying on the book. "I can't say no to you. Fine the balcony it is, " he says." You step away, and he turns his head, planting a kiss on your lips.

"Dad, dad!" Willow says, and before you guys could turn around and watch her, Gale fell off his chair as the slice of ice hit the tabel you yelp ducking and slipping on the ice, "beginner I very much doubt that" you say trying to contain you're laughter Gale stood up dusting his robes off "Hey at least she can defend her self" he says smiling .

[radiant-reid]

One Final Chance

A/n: Based on this request. Requests are still open

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Genre: angst

WC: 2k

CW: mentions of feeling nauseous

Penelope's message for the team to meet at Quantico was common. It wasn't as detailed as usual, but Spencer figured it had to be a developing case. Most developing cases were incidents of child abduction, so Spencer wasted no time on his journey to the BAU.

Usually, he'd call Y/n, see if she wanted to go in together. But this had to be urgent from the tone of Garcia's message, so he concluded she would have also been rushing to get there, not having time to take his call.

Plus, he knew he'd see her at the round table.

"Where's Y/n?" He immediately asked when he realized she wasn't sitting in her normal seat. The seat directly to his right.

Everyone else was around the table. And he knew that her place was closer than his to the BAU, so it would only make sense for her to be there before him. He concluded she was at her apartment because of the last text message she'd sent him. Informing him of her adventurous evening plans to read the book he'd given her in her famous reading chair with a pint of ice cream.

So, as her best friend, he had the right to be worried. Not just worried, with every second that passed, he felt increasing intense waves of nausea.

"She's fine, Spence," JJ assured him, sensing the vibrations of worry coming off him.

Spencer nodded, still tapping his leg as he waited on either her arrival or someone to provide an explanation about why she was missing.

Penelope dramatically opened the side door, revealing Ben, the missing girl's boyfriend.

He, rightfully, looked uncomfortable about being the center of the team's attention.

"What's going on?" JJ asked, her tone laced with excitement. Spencer had no clue why but he didn't like it.

Ben rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting around the members of the team.

"We're actually not here for a case," Penelope announced excitedly.

Spencer glanced at Emily with a firm look. He felt betrayed he had been called in. The fact Y/n wasn't there, but her boyfriend was instead was unnerving. "I approved this." Emily defended. "What can I say? I'm a romantic." She offered as an explanation. Apparently, it was a joke because everyone else laughed.

Casting his gaze around the table, Spencer realized no one else shared his concerned look. They all looked happily surprised.

"Is what I think is happening about to happen?" Tara asked eagerly, looking back at Ben.

Spencer was growing instantly concerned, worried about why everyone else seemed to understand what was going on, but he didn't. He didn't think he'd missed a memo, but he was out of the loop.

Ben nodded at Tara, stepping forward. Penelope patted him on the arm lovingly.

Spencer would never understand why everyone else liked Ben. He also never understood why he hated Ben. But he did. A lot.

"I'm here to ask you all a very important question," Ben announced, almost nervously. Spencer's leg was bouncing in dread. "I want to propose to Y/n, and I'm here to ask you all for your approval, I guess," Ben spoke nervously.

Spencer always hypothesized, from his extensive research, the world would end with a bang. Maybe a bang from an asteroid colliding with Earth. Maybe a bang from a nuclear explosion. It was meant to end with a loud noise nonetheless.

But, his world had just ended with 6 words 'I want to propose to Y/n.' The phrase rang in his ears, each time getting louder. It felt like a bomb had just gone off, and he was standing right next to it. Then, again, a metaphorical one had. The ringing was so loud he struggled to hear everyone else's congratulations and encouragement.

Everyone else felt happy. Spencer felt nauseated. He had seen some terrible things, but nothing compared to how queasy he felt after hearing those words.

"So, you'll help me plan it?" Ben's words brought him back to Earth again.

Emily was the one who noticed. Emily was the only one who knew. She felt horrible about it, permitting Penelope to call Spencer in to have his heart crushed. And she noticed his heartbroken look.

She couldn't stand looking at his sad puppy dog eyes, getting up and pulling him out of the room, into her office. She flashed everyone else a look, so they knew nothing was seriously wrong. Despite the fact it was.

Spencer's life was over.

"Spencer, I'm sorry, I had no idea he was going to do that." Emily started, placing a hand on his arm to comfort him.

Spencer shook his head. It wasn't her fault at all. He knew she wouldn't have let Penelope call a meeting if she had known what it was going to be about. He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a sob.

Emily pulled him in for a hug, letting him rest his head on her shoulder as she ran her hands up and down his back. Once he started, Spencer could stop sobbing. Letting all his pent-up emotions out. It was a long time coming.

"Shh, hey, it's alright." Emily comforted, trying to calm him down.

She couldn't stand to see him like that. She'd known him since his mid-twenties, although she thought he was much younger. Spencer was like a little brother to her. He was easily the kindest, most caring, sweetest person she'd ever known.

She'd seen him heartbroken before. She'd seen all the horrible things he'd gone through that could have destroyed a person, but everything him stronger. And he was so strong.

After Maeve, Emily questioned whether he'd be able to love again, she would have understood if he wasn't able to, despite the fact he deserved it, but he did.

He had loved Y/n for years. And now she was going to marry someone else, and Emily could feel his pain.

"Emily..." Spencer started. Emily sat him down on the couch, sitting down next to him. He was thankful she did because he could feel his knees getting weak.

Every single thing in the world seemed to have darkened.

Once his tears slowed, Spencer felt like he could speak. "I love her, Em." He simply stated.

Emily nodded, holding his hands in hers. "I know, Spencer, I know."

Somehow, it got clearer. "I lost Maeve," Spencer remembered. "I don't know if I can lose Y/n too."

Emily wasn't sure what to say. So she decided it was better to speak from the heart. "I think you have to tell her." She spoke before she understood the implications of what she was saying.

Spencer furrowed his eyebrows, and rightfully so. "What?"

"You're going to regret it if you don't," Emily explained. "Can you really go the rest of your life without confessing your feelings to her?" She urged. After hearing that, Spencer didn't think he could. "I definitely don't think you can tell her after she's engaged, so go now. Don't think. Don't anticipate what she'll say. Just lay it all out, and things will figure themselves out."

Privately, Emily hoped Y/n felt the same. She wouldn't tell Spencer because she had no evidence of it, but she thought they'd make a great couple.

Spencer jumped up off the couch. "Okay, I'm going to do it." He decided, the thought making him dizzy.

Emily gave him one final good luck hug. "You're one of the best people I've ever met, Spencer. And you deserve all the happiness in the world." She reminded him before watching him leave the office. She just hoped it would all be alright.

Spencer spaced out most of the drive to Y/n's. He drove past all the same sights he usually would, but nothing seemed to stick. It was like his life was a movie, and he was only watching it.

When he got to Y/n's apartment, he felt nauseous. Absolutely sick to his stomach. It was pure adrenaline pulsing through him like it was blood.

Y/n's face brought him back to the present moment. As beautiful as ever.

"Hi, Spence." Y/n greeted him, cheerfully smiling. All he could think about was what he was going to say next. "What's wrong? You look pale." She mentioned.

"Can I come in?" Spencer asked, not waiting for a reply as he entered. He didn't know what room he wanted to do it in. He hadn't even thought about it.

Somehow, his feet took him towards the outdoor couch on her balcony. Y/n followed him cautiously. She noticed his shell-shocked look.

Spencer noticed the warm cup of tea on her outdoor table and the book next to it. The book he'd gifted her. Maybe it was a sign.

"Are you okay, Spencer?" Y/n asked him. Spencer lightly nodded, trying to find the right words or any words. She took hold of his hands.

Something about her soft touch calmed him. "I have to tell you something. And I'm not sure how you're going to react. But please don't hate me." Suddenly, he had all the words.

Y/n squeezed his hands, drawing his attention back to his eyes. "Tell me, Spence." She requested.

"I love you." Spencer blurted out. "I've loved you since the minute I met you. I've just been too nervous to tell you, I guess. I've always wanted to be more than friends." He spoke far too quickly, only able to breathe once he'd stopped.

Y/n's face only showed shock. Mouth open, eyes widened, her hands losing their grip.

"Spencer." She started, and he prepared for his heart to be shattered. He just hoped he wasn't going to cry. "I love you." She announced and the blood that had stopped pumping less than an hour ago finally started circulating again. "Why just now?" She asked him.

As stupid as it sounded, Spencer only just realized she obviously didn't know. "Uh, Ben." He started.

"I was going to break up with him." Y/n cut him off.

How Spencer could feel more relief was beyond him, but he did.

"He's going to propose," Spencer announced. "That's why now. I couldn't tell you once you got engaged, so it had to be now."

"Oh." Y/n let out, smile dropping.

Spencer's mind jumped to how fucked up it was. Ben was currently planning a perfect proposal, while Spencer was declaring his love to his girlfriend.

He shook his head. "No, wait, you have to pick him. He's good for you."

"No, Spence. I'm not going to pick the safe choice." She declared adamantly. "I don't love him half as much as I love you."

Still, it didn't reassure him. "Are you sure?" He asked. "I feel like an idiot being here."

Y/n shook her head. "Spencer Reid, I love you. Please let me." She pleaded.

As scary as it was, he'd already done the hardest part. "I love you, Y/n Y/l/n." He declared.

Hearing that, Y/n leaned in, cupping his cheeks as she placed her lips on his. Spencer finally felt like his world had fallen into place. Everything part of the universe was at rest as he kissed her back.

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[snelbz]

Life As We Know It {Chapter 30}

Summary: After the sudden deaths of Nesta’s sister and Cassian’s best friend, they gain guardianship of their nephew, Nyx.

Based on Life As We Know It (2010) and a prompt sent in by anonymous for our Nessian fanfic contest. This is a modern au.

Written with @tacmc.

Life As We Know It Masterlist

Shelby’s Masterlist

Tara’s Masterlist

A/N: Wow. The final chapter. Tara and I are so glad you've come along on this journey with us. We've absolutely loved writing this story for you all and we hope you've enjoyed it as well.

Nesta looked around their home.

It was decorated to perfection - at least, that had been Nesta’s goal. The theme for Nyx’s second birthday was space cowboy, which had happened when Cassian wanted a cowboy theme while Nesta wanted an outer space theme.

It had been a challenge to perfect the space cowboy theme - especially when it came to a two-year-old’s birthday party.

There were aliens with cowboy hats and paper cows on UFO balloons. In the corner of the living room, there was a horse wearing an astronaut costume - a decoration that Cassian had created, and one he was quite proud of.

Nesta herself wore a “space-like” outfit that reminded her fondly of Zenon: Girl of the 21th Century. When Cassian came down the stairs, however, it looked like he had just walked out of the Wild West.

He wore chaps over his jeans, and Nesta found her mind wandering on those chaps alone.

She hoped he kept them.

They would be useful in the future.

He also wore a plaid button down and a cowboy hat.

She thought he should keep the cowboy hat, too.

Nyx, however, looked like the cutest little mess Nesta had ever seen. His onesie looked like a spacesuit, but on his head, instead of an astronaut helmet, he wore a teeny little cowboy hat. On his feet were genuine cowboy boots.

Nesta laughed as they reached the first floor landing, and Cassian’s grin widened.

“Now introducing our two-year-old space cowboy,” Cassian said, unable to control his laughter.

Nyx’s grin was wide as he clapped. “MAMA!”

Nesta laughed, taking Nyx into her arms. Yeah, he looked ridiculous, but he also looked oh so cute. “Happy birthday, sweet boy.”

Nyx took Nesta’s face in his hands and gave her a big, sloppy kiss.

With a chuckle, Nesta said, “Thank you, that was very sweet. Now, let’s go make sure everything’s ready, yeah? Our guests will be here soon.”

“Dada,” Nyx said, pointing to Cassian. “Hi-hi.”

Cassian laughed. “Hi, bud.” He went straight for the corner and adjusted his astronaut-horse.

Nesta just shook her head and brought Nyx into the kitchen.

It smelled delicious.

Nesta had spent the entire morning cooking.

At first, she had no idea what to make for a space cowboy party, but she really felt like she nailed it. She had a taco bar, which worked for every type of party, and baked and decorated a cake that looked like Cassian’s horse in a spacesuit.

It was ridiculous.

And absolutely perfect.

Nesta looked at the clock. “We have twenty minutes, Nyx. We have to make the homemade tortillas and get out the salsas.”

“What about the alcohol?” Cassian asked, sweeping into the kitchen.

Nesta rolled her eyes. “It’s our two-year-old’s birthday.”

Cassian blinked. “So, no whiskey, just wine?”

Nesta clicked her tongue. “Check the wine cabinet.”

“Yes ma’am,” Cassian winked, tipping his hat before he left the room.

Nesta snorted, even though she found it deeply charming and handsome as hell.

Yeah, she definitely hoped he’d keep that outfit.

Nesta took the dough out of the fridge that she had rolled earlier that morning and a rolling pin. When she had countless flat, doughy circles she dropped them in the oil-filled skillet one by one. Fifteen minutes later, she had a giant stack of flour tortillas and was carrying them, alongside a tray filled with different types of homemade salsas, to the table she had set up in the living room.

There was a quick knock on the door and it cracked open before Nesta could even turn towards the door.

“Oh, my.”

She laughed at Azriel’s reaction to the house, turning to see him carrying in a stack of presents, Elain’s camera bag and Persephone’s diaper bag. “Go big or go home, right?” She chuckled.

“You decided to go big at home,” he replied, shaking his head.

Nesta wasn’t surprised to see that Azriel hadn’t dressed up, wearing his traditional all-black attire instead, but a little space princess in cowboy boots ran in right after him and she couldn’t stop the grin as she looked at Seph.

Elain was a just a few steps behind, and as she came in, she dropped a black cowboy hat atop Azriel’s head. He rolled his eyes, but said nothing as he adjusted the hat, and was off in search of Cassian.

“Okay, you’ve outdone yourself,” Elain announced, beaming as she looked around the house. “This is awesome.”

Nesta shrugged. “He only turns two once, right?”

“I’ve got the wine!” Cassian announced, pushing through the kitchen door with two bottles of wine and a glass of whiskey.

Nesta chuckled. “I thought we said wine only?”

“We did,” Cassian said, setting the bottles on the table. “For the guests.”

“Am I a guest?” Azriel muttered.

Cassian snorted and motioned to follow him into the kitchen.

In the middle of the room, Nyx and Persephone were dancing to the techno space playlist Nesta had put on.

Elain laughed, quietly. “I need to get out my camera. Anything I can help with?”

Nesta shook her head. “You’re good. Take pictures and send them all to me.”

Elain promised she would, and Cassian and Azriel came back out with their full glasses of whiskey. Nesta looked around.

Elain was right.

They had done well.

Nesta hoped the rest of the guests thought so, too.

Before they knew it, the house was full, people were laughing and eating and drinking and Nesta couldn’t help but smile from where she stood to the side watching it all.

What a difference 365 days could make. Nesta couldn’t believe it as she watched Nyx and Persephone play with Viviane, who had also come dressed up, much to Nyx’s delight. He kept stealing her hat, and she let him, donning his tiny one instead, though it didn’t fit on her head.

She couldn’t help but think of the two people who were missing though. The two people who should have been here. Her eyes drifted to the cross Cassian had made, where it sat on the mantle, it’s permanent home.

A set of strong arms wrapped around her waist and she leaned back into Cassian’s embrace.

His chin was resting on her shoulder, and he said, “Nyx is happy. We’re happy. But… It doesn’t feel right without them here.”

As always, he knew exactly what she was thinking. She gripped his arms over her abdomen and held him there, letting him know she understood.

“They’re here, though,” Cassian whispered into her ear. “They’re here and they’re watching us, watching him. They wouldn’t miss today.”

Nesta nodded and held onto him tighter. If she would have tried to say a word, the tears would have come.

Sad tears because she missed her sister and brother-in-law.

Happy tears, though, because she loved Nyx, and she loved Cassian, and she couldn’t believe how far they had come in the last year.

Clearing her throat, and wiping a tear that had snuck out, she announced, “Let’s open gifts and have some cake!”

Cassian kissed her cheek before he was on the floor, Nyx climbing on top of him, and helping the two year old open his gifts.

It only took one or two gifts before he was completely distracted by trying to play and wasn’t even paying attention as Cassian opened his gifts one by one. But they made it through the pile and Nesta carried in the astronaut horse cake, which had Nyx on his feet and chanting, “Cakecakecakecakecake!”

With Cassian’s help, Nyx blew out the big “2” candle and narrowly avoided a smash cake for the second year in a row.

“Not this year, bud,” Cassian chuckled, carrying a confused Nyx to his booster seat in the kitchen. “We’re all going to eat this one. Not just you.”

His irritation disappeared as soon as Nesta sat a piece down in front of him, but he made nearly just as big of a mess as he had the year before.

“Nesta!” Elain called, and she turned from where she was cutting more pieces in the kitchen. “Come here, I want to get a picture of you guys.”

Her eyes found Cassian’s and they softened, thinking back to the picture they’d been forced to take a year before.

“Still think you’ll burst into flames if you brush arms with me?” He asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Maybe,” she said, and he chuckled as she wrapped an arm around him. “But I’m not as bothered by it as I used to be.”

Cassian grinned, and Elain took a picture of their little family.

*

It was the day after Nyx’s second birthday and all three of them anxiously waited in the living room. It wasn’t that they were scared about the visit, but after last time, there was a little bit of nervousness surrounding them all.

Well, everyone but Nyx.

He was giddy as he played with all of his birthday toys.

Nesta was pacing, while Cassian watched a hockey game around the path she was wearing into the carpet.

“Come sit down, Nes,” he said, reaching for her hand. “They told us it would be this afternoon, but that could be anytime.”

“I know, I know,” she said, biting her nail. It had been a horrible habit of hers when she was younger, but now it only appeared when she was nervous

He caught her other hand in his. “Sit,” he repeated, tugging her towards. “You know what the doctor said about stress. It’s not good for—.”

A knock on the front door had Nesta bolting for it, and Nyx asked, “Hello?”

Cassian couldn’t help but chuckle as he stood and walked to him, crouching down in front of him. He smoothed Nyx’s dark hair back from his face and said, “I need you to be good today, okay? Be a good boy and daddy will take you to get ice cream after dinner.”

He nodded and repeated, “Ice cream.” Or he tried, but he couldn’t quite pronounce it.

Cassian could only grin down at him.

“You’re taking too long,” Nesta chastised, hurrying toward the door.

Cassian rolled his eyes but said nothing more as Nesta reached the door, smoothed down her non-wrinkled dress, and opened it up.

Alis Birch stood on the threshold, a folder in her hand, and, surprisingly, almost wearing a smile. “Nesta, it’s a pleasure.”

Nesta nodded, hesitantly. “Yes, you too. Come in, please.”

Alis crossed the threshold and nodded at Cassian. “Good afternoon, Mr. Nazari.” She looked at Nyx. “And glad to see you wide awake for one of my visits.”

Nyx smiled as he waved, and said, “Hi-hi.”

“Ah, he’s talking,” Alis said, going into the living room and smiling at the toddler.

“Oh, he hardly ever stops,” Cassian snorted. “Picks a new word up every day, I swear.”

“Sit,” Nesta said, sitting in the chair. “Please.”

“Thank you,” Alis said, taking her place on the couch. “I hear someone just had a second birthday.”

“Yesterday,” Nesta said, nodding. “We had a party. He had fun.”

“Good, plenty of toys and excitement, I assume?” She asked, watching as he played with a chunky, wooden puzzle made of farm animals. As if it were a gift from the gods themselves, he slid the cow into the right hole, and grinned up at Cassian. “Mooooo!”

He chuckled as he sat on the arm of Nesta’s chair. “Good job, bubba. Cows do say moo.”

He kept on grinning but went back to his puzzle.

“So,” Nesta said, clearing her throat. “What sort of questions do you have this visit?”

Alis didn’t say much, just looked around at the living room and kitchen. Cassian’s astronaut horse was still set up in the corner, as he’d insisted it was a work of art and as such, deserved to be displayed for at least a few more days. “Honestly, I don’t have many today. You two have made it very clear that Nyx is your main focus, and I can tell that he’s very happy and is thriving under your care.”

Cassian doubted she knew it, but Nesta released a breath she’d been holding and nodded. “We love him, more than anything. We— We’ll always miss Feyre and Rhys, but it’s not just about doing right by them anymore. Nyx has…” She took Cassian’s hand and continued. “He’s become our son, and we’ve become a family. And we couldn’t imagine it any other way at this point.”

Alis nodded and jotted a few notes in her binder. Nesta could have sworn a hint of a smile was on her face. “And, as far as the relationship between the two of you goes, where do we stand? It’s been a few months since we last discussed it.”

Cassian was the one to answer. “We’re engaged. We have been since Christmas, and, since Nyx’s birthday just passed, the wedding planning will start soon. And actually, we’re also—.”

“We couldn’t be happier,” Nesta said, interrupting him, holding up her left hand and showing the sparkling diamond on her ring finger. She gently squeezed his hand, and he didn’t ask, but nodded. “We couldn’t be happier and neither could Nyx.”

Alis looked from Cassian to Nesta to Nyx, and nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. I’ll put in a good report, and you have nothing to worry about. Truly, I wish you all the best.”

Nesta smiled, and it was genuine. “Thank you, Mrs. Birch. Thank you.”

“I’ll leave you all be,” Alis said, standing. She closed her binder. “If you ever need anything, please reach out.”

“We will,” Cassian said. “Thank you.”

With one last smile, she said her goodbyes and was gone.

Nesta leaned against the closed doors and sighed a loud sigh of relief. “We did it. We’re done.”

Cassian pulled her into his arms and hugged her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I never had any doubts.”

She pulled back and looked up at him. “I sure as hell did. Who knew an old woman could be so terrifying?”

He chuckled but shook his head. “What now?”

“We wait for Tarquin to reach out to us. There’s some official paperwork that will have to be signed after she submits her report and findings, but…” She looked over at Nyx who was still engrossed in his puzzles. “We’re officially a family.”

Smiling, Cassian leaned down to kiss her. “And we didn’t tell her about this one because…?”

His hand brushed over her abdomen, over the life that was growing inside.

“I’d say we’re entitled to a few secrets of our own,” she replied, smiling. “Besides, they’re more focused on ensuring Nyx is taken care of. We’ve proven that time and time again.”

They’d found out Nesta was pregnant just a few weeks before. Not even ten weeks, and for that reason, they hadn’t told anyone, not even Elain and Azriel.

“Fair enough,” he muttered and kissed her, again.

Nyx had walked up to them and was tugging on Cassian’s pant leg, begging to be picked up, which is exactly what he did.

They hugged him tight, and felt an overwhelming amount of peace.

A year of ups and downs and chaos had passed, but they had made it.

They were a family.

All four of them.

[fanficimagery]

Talking to the Dead

Imagine your sister calling in a favor, only to find out said favor is for the vampire sheriff of Louisiana.

Words: 6.3K Author's Note: I am not Bill's biggest fan, nor am I Eric/Sookie's biggest fan either. That said, this takes place AFTER all damn drama with King Bill. Eric still runs Fangtasia alongside Pam and Sookie still works under Sam at Merlotte's. They're friends. That's it.

Eric sits behind his desk, the bottom half of his face covered in blood as Pam files her nails. She had been going through Fangtasia's books when she realized the money wasn't adding up and that some of their product was missing. So when Tara brought forward those responsible in making sure Fangtasia was up to date with their taxes and everything, Eric called in a favor from Sookie to get a read on them. Only Eric lost his temper and killed the two men, leaving thousands of his money stashed somewhere only the dead knew of now.

The office door opens and Sookie stumbles inside, still in her Merlotte's uniform. She takes one look at Eric and sighs. "Did you have to kill them? I just wasted a trip out here, Eric Northman."

"How tragic," he deadpans. "You wasted about five dollars in gas, meanwhile I'm still out of thousands, Miss Stackhouse."

"Don't you take that tone with me, Mister!"

Pam snorts. "Shame your little fae powers don't allow you to speak to the dead," she drawls. "That would really come in handy right about now." Sookie opens her mouth to defend her still untrained powers, only to pause and snap her mouth shut. Immediately that catches both vampires' attention and Pam leans forward, interest piqued. "Have you been holding out on us, Tinkerbell?"

"No." Sookie scoffs, suddenly overcome with wariness. "But I, uh, I might know someone who-"

"No." Eric cuts her off. "No witches."

"She's not a witch," Sookie says. "Y/N is, um, she's my sister."

Eric freezes before he leans forward in his chair. "There's a third Stackhouse? How come we never learned of this?"

Sookie sighs and drops onto the couch. She shrugs. "Y/N's powers manifested a lot earlier than mine did and they.. well it drove her crazy. She was in and out of the hospital, and the death of our parents didn't do her any favors. She started rebelling at seventeen and drank herself into oblivion. Constantly."

Pam hums. "Sounds like my kind of girl."

Sookie frowns at her before looking back at Eric. "She's actually due for a visit tomorrow. I'll bring her by."

"How are you so sure she'll do this for us? If I recall correctly, you did not come peacefully," Eric muses.

Sookie rolls her eyes. "Y/N is a free spirit. If I hadn't told you she was my sister, you wouldn't have known we were twins."

"Twins?" Eric seems to perk up, eyes lighting up, and this time it's Pam's turn to roll her eyes.

Sookie scoffs. "Don't be gross. We'll be by after my shift tomorrow."

Finding an Uber into Bon Temps after the sun had set was almost impossible, but fortunately you found someone who was willing to make the trip. You knew Louisiana had become a vampire hotspot, but you didn't know people had found traveling in the state quite so fearsome.

You don't have much on you, with the exception of a small suitcase holding a few change of clothes, so you opt to be dropped off at Merlotte's rather than your childhood home. And upon exiting the car after making sure your payment went through, you grab your suitcase by the handle and walk towards the entrance. A few whispers attempt to reach out to you, but you shake off the echoes of death and march on.

There's only a handful of locals inside Merlotte's, but the no-good nosy folk still all stop to see who's entering their local establishment. Inside, the whispers get louder, but you reign in your control and shake your head clear. What the hell happened here that there are so many echoes?

"Do my eyes deceive me or is that my favorite Stackhouse?"

You're already grinning as you find the source of the comment, grin widening as Sam's familiar handsome self makes his way towards you. "Come on, Sam. We all know who your favorite Stackhouse really is?"

He laughs as he opens his arms for a hug and you drop your suitcase to step into his embrace. "Jason's bragging again, isn't he?"

You huff a laugh and pinch his side, the two of you not speaking of all the years he spent pining after your sister. "So where is my twin?" You ask as you pull back and roll your eyes when Sam readily picks up your suitcase.

You follow him to the bar as he says, "She's taking a call in the back. Want me to let her know you're here?"

"Nah, but can you put in an order for me? I miss Lafayette's burgers."

"Sure thing, chère. What do you want?"

"Cheeseburger with everything, cut the onions. Extra ketchup. Fries. And whatever beer you have on tap."

Sam chuckles as he's already pouring your beer. "So the usual." You grin as he slides your glass across the bar. "I'll be back."

Taking a seat on the stool there at the bar, you grab your glass and sip at the ice cold beer. It feels so good sliding down your throat that the sip turns into a gulp, and before you know it half the glass is gone. Needing a breath, you set the glass down and inhale deeply. As you exhale, you burp, and then take a moment to stretch in your seat while glancing around. A few people are still staring and murmuring far too low to their companions for you to hear, so instead you raise an eyebrow at them- challenging them to say their opinion out loud. None of them do and you scoff an amused laugh before drinking the rest of your beer.

Sam reappears. "Long flight?" He takes your glass and refills it.

"Flight was fine. It's the people of Bon Temps who annoy the shit out of me." Sam frowns, but you shrug off his concern as he quickly glances around at those in his establishment. You're well aware of what everyone thinks of you and Sookie thanks to Sookie's abilities, and you're grateful you didn't quite get the same ability as her. If you had to hear every living being's thoughts on top of the dead's, you'd have permanently committed yourself long ago.

"Well I talked to your sister in the back. She said she'll be right out."

"That's fine." Accepting your second glass of beer, you smile gratefully at Sam before taking another drink.

"Girl, I knows you ain't tryin' to eat my food without saying hello."

You turn on your stool, one knee crossed over the other as you beam at the cook. "Lafayette!" He approaches with your plated cheeseburger and a basket of fries, setting them in front of you before pulling you into a hug. "I wouldn't have left without saying hello. I just wanted my food first."

"'Course you did," he muses. "How long you here for, little Stackhouse?"

"Um, I'm kind of between jobs at the moment," you sheepishly admit. You quickly grab a fry and pop it into your mouth. "I'll probably stick around until I can find something or Sookie kicks me out."

Lafayette swats you with his dish towel. "You know damn well Sook won't kick you out. That sister of yours misses you lots. She's been talkin' nonstop about your visit."

"If you need a job, chère, I'll be happy to give you one."

You pop another fry into your mouth, grinning over at Sam. "Lord knows you can barely handle one Stackhouse, Sam. No way in hell you can two- three if Jason is around as much as I'm assuming." Sam opens his mouth to retort, but a shriek cuts him off. It's Sookie and she barrels right into your side. "Jesus Sook," you laugh. "Warn a girl."

As you and Sookie quickly catch up (she's all for you staying as long as you need), more patrons enter Merlotte's and Lafayette's forced back into the kitchen. Jason and his best friend Hoyt walk in, so you walk over to join them as Sookie gets back to work also.

Jason is glad Sookie won't be in the house all on her own since he has his own place and Hoyt is just glad to see all the Stackhouses together once again. You finish your cheeseburger and fries there at the table with them, along with three glasses of beer and two shots courtesy of your brother who wanted to properly celebrate your homecoming.

Jason and Hoyt leave, you waving them off when they asked if you wanted a ride home. Sookie's shift is just about over and you remember her asking if you could wait for her because she wanted to take you someplace. So when Sookie comes out from the back to collect you from the bar, you're slightly swaying on your stool as you grin at her.

"Are you drunk?" She incredulously asks. "Y/N, I need you level headed."

"Ooohhh," you coo and reach out to bop her on the nose. "And just what do I need to be level headed for, sis?"

"Can you walk?" She asks instead. You laugh and nod, hopping off the stool and giving yourself a moment to make sure the room isn't tilting. She sighs. "That's good enough for me. Come on. A friend of mine needs a favor." She walks behind the bar to collect your suitcase and a bottle of water from the small refrigerator under the bar. "Bye, Sam! See you later!" She then calls out as she leads you down a hall. You hear Sam's muffled reply from one door in particular and then Sookie's leading you out the back exit and towards her car.

Outside she opens the passenger door to her small yellow Honda Civic that looks newer than the last time you saw it, and tosses your suitcase in the backseat. She pushes you down onto the passenger seat and holds the water bottle out to you. "Drink."

You take the bottle without a word, twist off the cap, and start to guzzle the water as she shuts the door and walks around the car to the driver's side door. You only get half of it down before needing to breathe. "What.. am I.. guzzling water for?" You ask in between breaths.

As Sookie starts up her car, she casts a wary glance your way before looking back to where she's driving. "Shreveport. We're going to Fangtasia. The owner of the bar needs you to listen to some echoes."

"Fangstasia?" Your brow furrows as you try to wrack your brain about why that sounds so familiar. A moment later, however, the answer comes to you and you groan. "First off, I can overlook the vampire bar. What I can't overlook is that of all people to tell our secret to, you chose vampires. Vampires! Do you know we're like crack to them?"

"I'm sorry, okay! I got involved with them a while back, which is a mistake that I can admit now, but Eric actually tried helping me in his own way. Somewhat. We've become friends."

"Sookie." You groan again. Your sister pouts and you decide to keep quiet, sipping on your water and wishing it were something stronger. "So what does this Eric know about me listening to echoes?"

"Nothing really," she says. "I know how you like your privacy, so last night was the first time I mentioned that I even had a sister." You grin, not hurt at all by her not mentioning you to others. "I just said that you could listen in on the dead. They don't know about anything else."

"Good. I like to keep 'em on their toes." Sookie snorts at your all too amused expression. "And besides, I learned a new trick! I can't wait to test it out."

Your sister glances between you and the road, her smile faltering. "Are you- are you sure you're okay to do this? I know how it can get when you're not truly focused."

"We're on the road." You giggle. "No turning around now."

This time it's Sookie's turn to groan. "I knew I should have asked beforehand. Now the night's gonna end with one of us pinned to a wall."

"Oooh. Kinky."

The rest of the drive is painfully quiet, with the exception of some gospel music station Sookie has playing on low. You're humming a completely different song under your breath, right arm hanging out the window and letting the humid air rush over the skin of your arm. Thankfully the drive isn't too long and Sookie is soon pulling into the parking lot with a building partially decorated with neon red lights. The outside of Fangtasia is not what you expected, but seeing the line of both human and vampires in their scantily clad outfits makes you excited to see what's going on inside.

You're practically bouncing in your seat as Sookie parks and she can't help but grin at your apparent excitement. "Get it all out now," she says. "You won't be smilin' the closer you get to the buildin'. Not while you're half drunk."

"Shut up and let's go!"

Sookie fondly rolls her eyes and the two of you simultaneously pull down the sun visors to check yourselves in the small mirrors provided. Happy with your reflections, the two of you climb out of the vehicle. As your sister comes around to your side, you hook your arm through hers and the two of you head for the building.

Instead of heading straight to the back of line, Sookie leads you directly to Fangtasia's bouncer and ignores the grumbled displeasures of those waiting in line to get in. It takes you a few seconds to recognize the dark skinned female checking ID's, but when she turns to greet Sookie and her eyes widen upon seeing you, you grin. "What's cookin', good lookin'?"

"Oh Lord," Tara muses. "Eric's gonna murder the both of y'all."

Sookie huffs and she holds you back as you attempt to poke at Tara's abdomen. "Who put him in a bad mood now?"

Tara shrugs as she swats your hand away. "It's Eric. He's always in a bad mood unless he's balls deep in some fang-banger."

Your sister ew's and you grin, clearly impressed, until Sookie elbows you. Tara just chuckles and gestures inside. "Go on in. You know where to find him. See you later, Y/N."

"Lookin' forward to it." Sookie drags you inside and the second you step foot in the darkened hallway, you sway on your feet as pressure builds up in your head. "Wait, wait, wait." You step aside to lean against the wall, shaking your head clear and trying to build up mental walls. When you catch a glimpse of your sister, you see her smiling sadly at you and are grateful she doesn't gloat about being right. "This is why I don't hang around vampires much," you murmur. "So much death."

"Sorry. I know I should have asked beforehand, but I didn't want to give you a chance to say no. Eric's annoying when he doesn't get what he wants."

"Yeah, yeah." You wave her off, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. Once you feel a bite more settled, you push off the wall and meet your sister's gaze. "Okay. I'm ready."

Entering the main part of the club you can't help but look around in wide-eyed wonder. While most would think you were awe, you actually weren't and instead bit back the comment about how ridiculously cliché the establishment is. Everything is in blacks and reds, vampires in leather or electrical tape are dancing on poles, and the humans reek of desperation.

"Huh. No one's on the throne," Sookie muses.

You glance towards a raised platform, eyes lighting up at the sight of two actual thrones. Sookie's grip on your arm, however, stops you from attempting to go up there. "At least buy me a drink before we meet Mr. Scary Vampire." You pout.

"Nope." She starts marching away from the bar and towards a back hallway. "You're drunk enough already. You can have one at home when we're done here."

"Boo. You're no fun."

Sookie stops right outside a black door and impatiently knocks. You grin at her already huffy attitude and then walk in behind her as soon as someone permits entrance. The office is very plain, with the exception of a blood red couch off to the side and the two vampires behind the desk, and you frown as Sookie guides you towards a black leather chair and pushes you down into it.

"So this is the mysterious Stackhouse." The blonde male drawls.

You drag your gaze from your sister to the vampire in question and sit a little straighter in your seat as a lazy smile stretches across your lips. "And you're the mysterious vampire I've only heard about an hour ago." You then look at your sister. "Please tell me you banged this one."

There are simultaneous snorts from behind the desk and Sookie exhales roughly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Eric. Pam, this is my sister Y/N. She might be a little drunk."

"Just a little," you muse, giggling.

"Well at least we know who the fun Stackhouse is."

You perk up again, putting one finger on the tip of your nose and pointing at Pam who's smirking at you with the other hand. "And don't you forget it."

"As amusing as this is," Eric drawls again, "I need a favor. Are you capable of doing what your sister claims you can do?"

"I wouldn't be here if I couldn't." You smirk. The smirk falters however as you feel a chill slide across the back of your neck. You still and slowly glance over your shoulder, whispers you hadn't been listening to earlier getting louder. You wince and turn back around, strengthening your shields. A moment passes before you clear your throat and say, "But I have two conditions before I start."

Eric and Pam had been watching you closely, intrigued the second Sookie held up her hand to stall their questions when they noticed you zone out and stare at the corner of the room. "Money is no issue," Eric then says.

"Pft. I don't want money."

"Y/N!" Sookie reprimands. "You're in between jobs. Take the money."

Without looking at your sister, you wave your hand at your sister to get her to shut up. You know you've done your job when she swats your hand so you continue speaking to Eric. "First condition, no biting! I don't care how delicious I smell. No gnawing on the tiny little gremlin."

Pam's lips stretch into a wide smile whereas Eric's lips faintly twitch. "And the second?"

"I get free drinks from the bar whenever I'm here."

"Deal."

"Yes!"

"You're such an idiot," Sookie mutters.

You look to your sister, bouncing in your seat in excitement. "Joke's on Dracula. I'm gonna be in Bon Temps for the foreseeable future. That's a lot of free drinks for me. Suck it, Pixie."

"Oohh. I like this mouth breather. Can we please keep her?"

You meet Pam's gaze and wink. "As beautiful as you are, sweet stuff, you are so not my type."

Her left eyebrow raises as she's still clearly amused. "Because I'm a vampire?"

"Nah. Because you're female," you say. "I can appreciate a hot as fuck lady when I see one, but I still prefer cock."

"Okay!" Sookie nearly shouts as she stands up. Eric beams at your drunken blunt attitude. "We're here so Y/N can find out where your money is and we're way off topic. Can we please get on with it so I can get her home?"

You snort. "Prude." Sookie slaps the back of your arm and you squeal, slapping her arm back. You glare at her until her lips twitch and then you're back to giggling, looking back toward the vampires. "So let's do it. Do you have anything of the dead guy I'm supposed to be listening for? It'll make it easier to listen in on him."

Pam shrugs. "His blood is still in the dungeon. Will that work?"

"Gross, but yeah. Lead the way."

As soon as you stand, the voices amp up and you sway at the sudden onslaught of voices. You grit your teeth and tune them out, nodding at Eric who had stilled to keep an eye on you. He gestures to follow after Pam and you do, Sookie and Eric following behind you. Pam makes a beeline for the stage of thrones, but before you can follow there's a hand gripping your wrist and leading you towards a door behind the bar.

You're led down into a dimly lit dungeon behind Eric and you can't help the next words that leave your mouth. "It's always such a let down when the dungeon is actually a dungeon and not a sex dungeon."

Eric turns around to stare at you with a leering gaze and Sookie groans. "Been in a lot of dungeons?"

"Not really." You shrug and walk towards the back of the room where there are metal poles sticking up from the concrete floor. Chains hang from each of them and you shiver as your fingers run over them, the metallic rattling immediately tuning you in to the whispers. Subtly shaking your head, you look towards Sookie. "You know the drill."

She nods, pulling small orange styrofoam plugs from her pocket. "If it looks like you're struggling, plug my ears. Or get out."

"Bingo." You grin at your sister before looking at Eric. "If it gets bad, I expect you to vamp speed her little butt outta here."

"And how would I know what bad looks like?"

"Oh you'll know," Sookie mutters.

Grinning one last time at Sookie and Eric, you turn back towards where Eric obviously chains up those who end up on his bad side. So touching the chains again, you let the rattling and whispers overcome your senses.

"..dangerous. Need to leave."

"..bad place. I just want to go home."

"Stupid fuckin' vampers."

The room turns hazy and silhouettes walk to and from around the basement. You stare at them, letting the voices come and go until you find the one you're looking for.

"..so screwed. Never should have done it." Your gaze zeroes in on the silhouette, watching it pace back and forth. "It was just a little money. Pocket change."

"Never gonna find it. Calm down. We're already dead."

You listen a bit more to their whining, hoping for anything useful when a loud dry sob pierces the air. You wince and whirl around to spot the source of noise.

"Did she- can she hear us?"

"If she can then she can tell that goddamn vamper where his stuff is." You whirl back around, gasping at the too close silhouette. "Hello." A chill rushes through you and your too tense muscles seem to relax as a haze takes over your mind.

"Y/N? You good?" Sookie asks. She warily glances around, she and Eric both noticing the atmosphere in the room thickening.

"Hm?" Your eyes blink rapidly as if clearing your vision. "Yeah. All good," you hear yourself saying.

"Well what did you find out?" Eric asks.

You feel your head turning left and right as if taking in your surroundings before you turn around and walk towards the wall where more chains are hanging. Eric growls at being ignored and Sookie quietly assures him that this is normal. Reaching for a chain, you feel your hand gliding along one chain and picking it up, caressing a metal stake at the end of it.

"Y/N," Sookie cautiously calls out. "What are you doing?"

Getting a good grasp on the stake in one hand, you turn around and smile at Eric- a chilling smile that immediately sets Sookie on edge and lets even Eric know that something is off. "Fuck your money. You're never gonna get it, you dead piece of shit."

"Y/N, don't!" Sookie screams as your arm suddenly thrusts the stake towards the side of your neck, only to stop mere centimeters from the intended target.

Sookie gasps and Eric raises an eyebrow in surprise. "Are her eyes supposed to completely white over?"

"Well she did mention learning a new trick." Sookie nervously shifts beside Eric and they watch you slowly come back to yourself, expression hardening.

Eyes completely white, you stare straight ahead as you lower your hand without any resistance from the spirits. "You dead fucks try that shit again and I will obliterate your fuckin' souls, and mark every soul in your goddamn family. Do I make myself clear?" You seethe. The dungeon gets chilly before the tension seems to suddenly dwindle. The whispers amp up before completely dying out and you stand a little taller. "Good. Now where is the money?"

Eric and Sookie patiently watch Y/N as she lazily glances back and forth before the white recedes from her eyes. Her shoulders sag and she meets Eric's gaze. "That Rafael guy had a building he was renovating over on.. over on.." she trails off, brow furrowing as she tries to collect her thoughts.

"I know of it," Eric says.

She sighs. "Well the money's in the wall on the second floor. Happy demolishing."

Then like a puppet with its strings cut, Y/N collapses right before their very eyes.

          - - - - - - - - - -

A pounding at your temples is what wakes you and you groan as your eyes flutter open. You're apparently still at Fangtasia, back in Eric's plain office and laying on the most uncomfortable couch you've ever laid on.

"You're awake. Good."

You begrudgingly sit up, wincing as the throbbing persists. Glancing around, you frown as you notice you and Eric are the only two in the room. "Where's my sister?"

"Miss Stackhouse couldn't bother a mere hour in my presence so she went out front to pester Tara."

"You two exes or something?"

Not even close. "No. I admit I pursued her once, but it was only to satiate my curiosity about why she smelled so divine." Bill fuckin' Compton was also a cock block of epic proportions.

You snort. "Cock block. Who is Bill and why did he cock block you from Sookie?" Eric stills and he goes quiet. You frown at him and then between one blink and the next, Eric is kneeling in front of you.

Can you hear me?

"Um, yes?" You say. A moment passes and then you realize your slip-up. You groan. "Okay, so yeah. I can't read the minds of humans, but apparently I can read the minds of vampires. It only happens when I'm at my most vulnerable and being slightly possessed makes me vulnerable."

Eric slowly smirks. "Well aren't you my new favorite Stackhouse."

You fall back against the back of the couch, groaning. "Whatever. I don't have the energy to argue with you. Just please don't tell Sookie. She gets all huffy when I can do something she can't."

Another blink and Eric is sitting beside you on the couch. "Is there a reason why you can read vampires and she can read everyone else but vampires?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." You shrug. "I eventually came to the conclusion that we're just a part of different courts. She's Light Fae and I'm Dark. She flourishes under the sun and I under the moon. I don't really know."

"Have you tried getting answers from other Fae?"

"Yeah, no. I met a member of the Fae court and that's a hard pass. Those fairy fucks can keep their imposter foods. I like this realm just fine, thank you very much."

Eric's lips twitch. "If the vampires find out about your powers, they're going to fight to put their claim on you."

"Is that your not so subtle way in trying to convince me that I should ask you for protection?"

"I'm the sheriff of this area, sweetheart. You won't be able to find anyone better suited for the job."

You huff a quiet laugh. "Keep your fangs to yourself, sweetheart. I can take care of myself."

We'll see about that.

Settling in at what was always known as Gran's house, you almost take Sam up on his offer to become a waitress or bartender at Merlotte's. But then a day after doing Eric a favor, a check arrives for you- a check worth thousands of dollars- along with an offer from Eric to work every other day at Fangtasia to read the vampires coming and going from his area.

You didn't get back to him right away, instead choosing to just keep to yourself for a bit and re-familiarize yourself with the town. And then just when you think you have a lid on things, a constant buzzing makes a home just at the back of your skull.

For days Eric tries reaching you through texts and calls, but you just don't have the patience to deal with him. The buzzing is non-stop, the echoes of the dead sound as if they're underwater, and you can't hold a conversation longer than a minute. Sookie seems to understand that you can't be around people, so she leaves you be for the most part.

Your sister is currently at work so you have the house all to yourself. You haven't been able to clear your head and the buzzing is only getting louder and louder. You're nearing your breaking point, so when there's a knock at the front door you try to ignore it.

The knocking persists so you reluctantly roll out of bed, frowning as you march downstairs and towards the front door. Through the screen door you can see Eric standing there. You scowl at him, he grins, and when you push open the door he's immediately leaning against the door jamb. "You've been ignoring me."

You sigh and cross your arms over your chest. "I haven't been feeling well. Something's.. off."

That causes his faint grin to drop. "Is it something serious?"

"I'm not sure. I just- it feels like something bad is on the way."

"Well in that case.." Eric straightens up and stares down at you. "You're going to invite me in so I can protect you-" you scoff, "-or have primal passionate sex with you. You pick."

Though your mind is on overdrive, you can't help but faintly grin at the tall vampire. "I'll take a raincheck on the sex, but if you still want to come in, then come in."

Eric smirks as he crosses the threshold of the house and you shake your head at him before turning around and leading him to the living room. You take a seat in the corner of the couch, curling up with a pillow in your lap, and Eric sits on the middle seat to be as close to you as possible. "How long have you been feeling like this?"

"Few days now," you tell him. "There's this.. buzz. It's constant and it just keeps getting louder and louder."

"And the voices?"

"Muffled. No matter how much I concentrate, I can't hear them clearly. It's like they're trying to tell me something, but I can't tune in to the right station. It's annoying." Eric hums in thought and you attempt to change the subject. "So what brings you down here to Bon Temps? Surely my first impression wasn't that memorable."

He smirks as his arm rests along the top of the backrest of the couch, his fingers tugging on a few pieces of your hair. "It's rare for someone to amuse me these days. And you weren't what I was expecting Sookie's twin to be."

"Between the two of us, Sookie got all the perkiness. I, uh, I got stuck with all the doom and gloom." Eric quirks an eyebrow at you and you chuckle, wincing a moment later as an lingering echo screeches in your ear. Your attention is immediately drawn towards the kitchen where you see a silhouette walk by and the buzzing amps up.

Without uttering a word, you get up and follow it.

Eric watches as Y/N laughs one moment and then in the next second her expression is completely blank and attention elsewhere. Normally he'd be offended, but after learning what he could from Sookie he knows to never bring Y/N out of a trance. So in order to protect this little fae that just continues to become more and more interesting, Eric gets up and follows Y/N through the kitchen and out the back door.

He keeps several feet between himself and Y/N, his curiosity piqued as he notices her stop in the middle of the field behind her home. She glances back and forth as if searching for something, slowly turning in a circle. She winces and stumbles back, eyes wide and heart pumping furiously. Whatever's going on, Eric's instincts suddenly kick in and he doesn't like it. He doesn't like the look of fear on Y/N's face.

One sudden stumble sends Y/N to her knees, hands clamping around her ears.

"No, no, no," you mumble. The buzzing is extremely loud now, voices are screaming but you're still unable to make out what they're saying. Rocking back and forth, you glance around and your heart sinks as you watch Eric standing there across from you. "Go. Get away. I can't-"

"What's wrong? I can help you."

You shake your head. "You can't. You need to go. Get away from me. Please."

Eric watches you and you whimper when you see his resolve strengthen. He's not going anywhere. Clenching your eyes shut against the onslaught of noise, you slam your hands down on the ground in front of you and your fingers dig into the earth. Your breaths come faster and faster, and when you can't take it anymore your eyes fly open as you open your mouth and scream.

Your scream drowns out the buzz, the voices become clearer and it's only there alongside your scream do you understand them. You don't know how long you scream for, but when you stop your throat feels raw.

"What was that?" Eric asks.

"Sookie."

He's immediately kneeling before you, fingers under your chin to tilt your face upward. "What did you say?"

"My sister. She's not- she's not safe."

"She's at work under the ever watchful eye of the shifter."

"She is. Until she walks out back to take out the trash," you say. "Please," you beg. "Just.. just go check on her."

Eric continues to hold your gaze for a moment longer before he gives you a terse nod and then stands tall. Your eyes follow him as she lifts off into the air and it's like a weight is lifted off your chest. You sob in relief, curling in on yourself with your face in your hands.

"..inside.. safer.."

The hairs on the back of your neck stand up and your cries immediately cease. Sniffling, you sit back up and glance around the field you're in. Hearing the chirping insects and the ruffling of tree limbs puts you at unease, so you climb to your feet and hurriedly make your way back towards the house. You don't breathe until you're inside, behind closed doors, but even then you're still a little tense and wondering if your sister is okay.

The minutes tick on by as you pace back and forth in the kitchen, and you yelp when you turn around and Eric is standing right there. You raise a fist in order to punch him, but stop halfway there and instead poke his chest as you push him back a step. "Don't do that."

He smirks. "Sookie is fine. A couple of human junkies needed some money for their next fix. The sheriff is on the way to take care of the issue."

"Thank you." You sigh. As you move aside to take a seat at the table, you glance back at Eric and see a blood trail falling from his ear. Your eyes widen and you rush towards him, uncaring about boundaries when one hand lands on his chest and the other grasping his chin to turn his face sideways. "Your ear! I told you to leave before I screamed. Why didn't you listen?" You let go of his chin and then shove him a step back as you go back to pacing.

Eric chuckles. "You've been keeping secrets. You're not just Fae, are you?"

You shrug. "I'm not really sure what I am. I only found out I was part Fae because you guys told Sookie she was. The mind reading is from Fae abilities, but the screaming-"

"The wailing is a whole different breed."

You stop pacing and face him once more. "There's only one creature that wails," you say, "but I gave up on digging into our family history a long time ago."

"You truly are a rare breed, Miss Stackhouse. Half fae, half banshee. The vampires are going to be in a tizzy over you."

You groan. "A problem is inevitable until I agree to a claim, isn't it?"

"Aren't you a smart cookie."

You scowl at Eric then, holding his gaze until you sigh. "If I say yes to a claim, can I have your word that you won't take advantage?" He smiles then and though this vampire is ridiculously good looking, you rather not be someone's pet. But alas, you know he's right. "If the offer for a job at Fangtasia is still open, I'll take it. I don't plan to leave Bon Temps anytime soon and I'm going to need the cash."

"Sweetheart, if you agree to be mine I'll give you all the cash you could want."

Your nose wrinkles. "I'm so gonna regret this." There's a faint click! as Eric's fangs appear, his eyes darkening as he readily bites into his wrist. "Don't tell my sister."

Drink up, little one. We're going to have some fun.

[mickeytheticklee]

Mixed Emotions (a heartstopper fic)

Ler!Elle Lee!Reader

Warning: Tickling

Ps I've only read a bit of the comic so sorry if this comes out extra crappy I'm doing this by impulse

It was a girls day out as Darcy, Tara, and Elle wanted to go shopping. They thought they needed the space away from the boys to talk about to the usual girl stuff even if it's the lesbian couple and Elle who currently doesn't know if Tao likes her. But today was different as there is a plus one to their friend group. You came along to their shopping trip making Elle less lonely by the Tara and Darcy's cute affection. You met Elle a week after she came to a new school, as you were also new too. You were much more of the quiet side and loved art like Elle. But you didn't have much friends as you weren't the social type. You were behind the couple, looking at the sky while you were holding Elle's bags.

Darcy: Food! Food! We are going to get food!

Tara: We just ate ice cream ten minutes ago.

But you can never go wrong with food. You all went in, sitting at a booth and chatting about anything random that comes into your guy's mind. Tara went with weird food combinations until Darcy thought of something. She remembered an incident of Charlie and Nick tickling each other. It came out of nowhere but it was because Elle challenged Tao to eat something disgusting as a joke. He actually did it since Charlie promised him money. But back to the topic Darcy brung up it bought an interesting question to the booth.

Darcy: Are any of you ticklish? Say now or face the consequences.

Tara: I'm...not. Are you y/n?

Y/n: No...

Darcy: Looks like we got two liars at our table huh Elle?

Before Tara had the chance to say it she ran out of the restaurant. There wasn't anyone at the shopping centers so it wasn't like she was going to bump into anyone. You moved yourself slowly out of the booth, seeing that Elle was uninterested in your answer. But one foot of stepping out of the booth made you trapped in Elle's arms. You were on her lap, arms wrapped around your waist and her hands touching the surface of your sides. You were telling Elle that you weren't ticklish many times, she wasn't listening. She was just enjoying how you were talking the most when you're faced to your ticklish doom.

Y/n: Please...Elle I'm not ticklish!!

Elle: Uh huh, then why are you giggling?

Y/n: I am not gigHEHEHHEHEHEH

Elle was brushing her fingers and long nails at your side as you were kicking your knees up, banging on the table. Elle was seeing your reaction to every soft touch or poke that was bought to your midsection. You couldn't stop laughing even if the air was tickling you. She liked that whenever she was poking your belly you tried to seperate her arms from your belly. But it was pointless, her arms were on you like glue. Then the short instances of getting your armpits and neck but using her light speed powers to trap you again. It made her laugh when you went on silent mode by Elle squeezing every inch of your tummy. You were kicking your legs too much that Elle had to redirect herself out of the booth so you can kick your legs freely. Once she was finished and you were getting your last giggles in she adored you, with your body still on her lap.

Elle: You know you should lie more often, I like tickling the truth out of you.

Y/n: Of course you do...

Darcy and Tara came back in, both were out of breath from running. To them, no tickling happened, just empty threats of the tickle monster while Tara runs her ass off. In the end Tara did admit she was ticklish, but Darcy said the tickling won't happen until later. Darcy was wondering what happened as Elle was still holding onto you. Elle didn't have the confidence to say anything as a fear of the couple shipping them with you. She didn't want rumors to happen as the feelings for Tao still lingered in her mind. After eating they all had a sleepover at Elle's house. While everyone was doing their hair and nightly routine Tara realized she forgot her bonnet at home. Darcy offered to come with her to walk to her house, even if Tara's house was super far.

Darcy: I'll come with you.

Y/n: Doesn't she live an hour away?

Tara: I'll just find a shortcut we can go to. Be right back.

Elle knew they were doing this to create alone time with you. She made her feelings more conflicted after tickling you earlier. Like there's Tao who's a long time friend but then you catched her heart quickly by your cute laugh and soft smile. But it was probably a good thing they left as she had the urge to tickle you senseless. You were on your phone on Elle's bed, waiting on her to start back up the jams. She got out of the bathroom and got cozy with you on her bed. You were staring stupidly at the ceiling fan spinning, forgetting that your shirt was being lifted up. Then her hand was steadily patting your tummy and poking it again. You curled up your ticklish body in a ball but went back to a straight position.

Elle: What are you shy about? It's just me.

Y/n: I know...but you'll tease me for it.

Elle: You think I'm that type of person? I mean...you aren't wrong. But I won't tell anyone.

You both stared at each other's eyes, obviously falling for one another. But Elle was stopping by suddenly pulling a tickle attack on you. Her leg gets on top of yours as she pinches your hip. Of course her method of pinning you down doesn't last when you fall off the bed and land on your face. But to her surprise she got on top of you and tickles your sides and armpits. Her obsession with your big smile is such a weakness for her. Seeing it makes her tickle you more, and more, until you realize you can't win. She stops, and at a random moment you're suddenly on top of her. She gets starstruck and panics at how attractive you are.

Y/n: Guess I win this time huh.

Elle: Oh look over there.

Y/n: Huh...HAHAHAHANOWAITHAHAHA

Elle distracts you to tickle your sides so you can fall over. You fall over gently, and soon she wants to pin your giggly ass over but you're occupied keeping yourself in a ball position. However your ball position wasn't helping as she was still tickling your belly and close to getting the belly button, which is a spot you'll go crazy on. But she did realize the hips were a major crazy spot and digged her thumbs into it. You were doing a screaming laughing, which Elle enjoyed. Tao wasn't that ticklish enough to scream his lungs out, which is something Elle seems to enjoy. She always sees Nick and Charlie get into random tickle fights with Charlie screaming in laughter and wished someone could feel that way about her tickling.

Y/n: IMTICKLISHHAHAHIMTICKLISHHAHHAHHAHA

Elle: Oh really? I haven't really catched on.

Y/n: PLEASEPLEASEHAHAHHAHAHA

Elle: Alright I'll stop since you admitted it.

She stops, and your body stopped curling. She gets on top of you, rubbing your cheek and fanning you after a long and vicious tickle attack. This time she had heart eyes for you, and it was the first time she ever felt so warm over someone smiling at her. But then she didn't want someone catching her being head over heels.

Elle: What are you looking at huh? You got a crush on me or something?

You grabbed her face and a kiss happened. Elle's feelings were mixing up, being tossed like salad. But in the end she couldn't deny the puppy love she has for you and she enjoyed the kiss. She took a huge squeeze of your side while kissing you which made you giggle under your breath. You both got back to the bed and made out. Elle felt many fireworks exploding in her head looking at you. The shyest kid in school, falling in love and managing to open up to you. You both kiss as you just smile at her, not saying a word. Of course Elle liked it when you stood there like a complete idiot not knowing that you can be tickled any second. She squeezes your thighs and does a big squeeze on your tummy since your mind was lost in space.

Y/n: AHH!

Elle: I think I should tickle you again.

Y/n: I think you should.

You were running around the house as Elle chased you throughout the living room, catching you on the couch. Tara and Darcy came in with Elle pecking your face with kisses while you were giggling at how much it tickles. Yep, they knew all along.

[suneatersupportsquad]

red handed; colby brock

request:  im not sure if you do requests or even any imagines for colby brock anymore but i was wondering if you cold make a exception, so basically the plot is that the reader met colby through kat and since then they hit it off, now their in a secretive relationship the only person who knows is kat but she only knows the reader has a crush on colby. one day everyones hanging out in the same room room and colby is sexting the reader, sams curious to whos hes texting and they find out their dating.

dedication: @whydontweanons​

genre: fluff, subtle smut?

pairing: colby brock x gn!reader

characters: colby brock, sam golbach, katrina stuart, corey scherer, jake webber, kevin langue, brennen taylor, devyn lundy, tara yummy

word count: 1.8k

warnings: alcohol, what would probably be underage drinking, NSFW (barely), sexting (duh), mentions of COVID-19, quarantine

a/n: of course i’ll still write for sam and colby!! it’s just that, since i’m not as active of a follower of them as i used to be, my goal is to write for fandoms that i’m more invested in at the moment. but, honestly, i don’t think i could ever really stop writing for them. i love those boys so much. also this plot made me laugh so hard when i saw it in the best way possible. getting this request honestly made my day, so thank you for that!! anyways, i’m a little rusty, but here we go.

important links: masterlist

find more fics at my new blog @trapboysbunny

You and Colby had known each other for a long time - pretty much since he’d moved to LA with Sam - and you had been involved romantically just as long. You had met him and Sam through Kat on a boring Saturday night when all their friends flaked on coming to a little kickback they were hosting. Trying to be a good friend and cheer the boys up, Katrina had invited you to hopefully kickstart some emotional momentum. Your eyes met Colby’s for the first time and you clicked. Something in your gut had told you that the two of you would end up being close, and it was right. You had hit it off immediately, not taking very long to start laughing at one another’s corny jokes and telling stories over Smirnoff Ice while some random late night show played in the background. From that night on, it was history.

Since then, you two had been practically attached at the hip. If you weren’t sitting on the same room or facetiming, you were definitely texting one another. It became a running joke in your friend group that you two had evolved into a pair of siamese twins, or that being without you gave Colby separation anxiety. The two of you found it even more amusing when you actually began dating, not long after that fateful first night. It amazed the both of you that you were able to hide your relationship so well. No one had a clue. The two of you laughed about it quite often, actually, over late night phone calls and tipsy afternoons spent only with each other. No one knew, and nobody needed to know.

Colby, due to the internet and his fanbase being the way it is, preferred to keep his personal (and especially romantic) relationships more on the private side. His intent wasn’t necessarily to hide his feelings and relationship with you from his friends, but that particular topic of conversation never really came up in your friend group. Everyone had just kind of figured that everyone single would simply date someone when they were ready and tell everybody about it when they felt the time was appropriate. It wasn’t that Colby didn’t want to tell them, he just didn’t see the point in going out of his way to tell all of his friends hey after God knows how long I finally have a partner. He just didn’t want to make a big deal out of your relationship. Knowing his friends, they would definitely make it into some type of big thing, not to mention that Jake would dub the occasion as “cause for celebration” (which was really just an excuse to drink more). So Colby preferred to keep things on the quieter side for you two; neither of you wanted to make your relationship into an object for speculation.

Kat was the only person out of all of your friends to have any knowledge of your feelings for Colby. And thank God for her; if you didn’t have her to gush about Colby to, you probably would have either exploded or died. Or both. And she was there for every single second of it. She loved hearing about your movie nights, your urban exploring adventures, the sweet yet mundane things he would do to make you happy, literally anything. She ate that shit up like a man starved, and you did the same for her and Sam (regardless of the fact that their relationship was public already). You hadn’t told her explicitly about the nature of your relationship with Colby, really just gushed about your ever-growing love for the boy. Unbeknownst to you, she firmly believed that you only had feelings for Colby, clueless to the fact that the two of you had actually been dating for quite a while now. With her “go get ‘em, tiger” comments, along with similar remarks, you assumed that she had some sort of idea about your relationship with Cole, hence why you had never explicitly told her about your secret boyfriend. Kat, being the good friend that she was, never spilled your “secret” feelings to anyone else. Not even her boyfriend.

Eventually, quarantine started up amidst the international COVID-19 pandemic and you had begun practically living with the trap boys. A day without you in the house was enough to prompt concern for the boys, minus Colby who always knew the real reason why you weren’t coming over. This soon became the new normal, you taking a “day off” every few weeks to get tested just in case. At this point, it was almost comical that no one had figured out you two were dating yet.

One particular weekend afternoon, everyone in your friend group was hanging out at the house. You and Colby were sitting on opposite sides of the room, you next to Kat and Colby seated beside Sam. It was particularly warm today seeing as this Saturday landed smack in the middle of the infamous August heat wave, so you had thrown on a tank top and some shorts, nothing to flashy. Colby had dressed similarly, wearing only a muscle tee and a pair of trunks.

You were sat beside Kat, the both of you trying to listen to the story Devyn was telling. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t ignore the way your boyfriend was staring at you from across the room. You looked away from Dev for just a second to shoot him a glare when you realize exactly why he’s looking at you. The speed at which the blood rushes to your face is dizzying, and you drop your head to stare at your lap. Motherfucker- You sigh as you pull your phone out of your pocket. “Quit it with the blowjob eyes asshole,” you type before pressing the blue send button.

You feel his gaze break as his phone vibrates. Trying to ignore him, you refuse to meet his gaze again, putting all of your effort into focusing on Devyn’s story. Seconds later your phone vibrates in your pocket. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the screen reads, and you shake your head.

“Uh huh sure ok.” You pressed send again.

Another few seconds passed and your phone vibrated again. “That shirt looks really good on you.” 

You blushed as you read the message, flustered by the comment. Brows knitting together in confusion, you looked up to find him staring back at you with a dopey grin. You hunched over your phone and sent a message back. “You really think so?”

“Yeah, of course,” Colby replied, a gray typing bubble sitting under the message. “But you know how it would look cuter?”

You cocked your head to the side and typed out your response. “How?”

“On my bedroom floor.” You almost snorted at that, clamping a hand over your mouth to prevent any noise from escaping. Typical. Thankfully no one had been paying enough attention to you to notice that you were distracted.

Colby, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. “Give me this, dude,” Sam said, snatching the phone out of Colby’s hand and effectively bringing the conversation on their side of the room to a halt. “You haven’t been listening for like the past 20 minutes, dude. Now let’s see what’s got you so distracted.”

“You don’t need to look at that, Sam, it’s not that important-” The tall brunette sounded slightly panicky as he reached and grappled with Sam for his phone. Sam played around for a little bit before finally reading the screen, eyes widening in amusement.

Upon finishing his reading, Sam lowered the phone and Colby relaxed, already knowing that he was caught. “So who’s ‘angelcakes,’ huh Colbert?” Sam prodded teasingly.

Colby blushed ever so slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. “They’re just a friend-”

“Which friend, huh?” Sam continued his teasing, growing louder and louder with every response until all eyes were on the two boys.

Colby shrugged, trying to be nonchalant but looking more stressed than ever in actuality. “Just a friend.”

“What do you say we call this friend, huh boys?” Sam suggested.

Kevin nodded, agreeing. “I think we definitely should.” Brennen also nodded when Sam looked to him for approval, essentially finalizing the decision.

“Okay then, let’s do this thing!” Sam yelled, earning cheers from all the other curious folks in the room. The blonde boy pressed call and Colby simply held his face in his hands.

You jumped when your phone rang, honestly having forgotten that oh shit, I’m angelcakes. Everyone turned to look at you curiously, Colby even peeking through his fingers. You didn’t even pick up the device, already knowing whose name would be lighting up the screen. “You gonna pick that up or something?” Corey asked awkwardly.

You shook your head, leaving your phone face down in its spot beside your thigh. “No, it’s probably not important anyways.”

A beat of heavy silence passed before Tara spoke. “Gee, they sure aren’t giving up. Maybe you should answer it.”

“Nah, I’m sure it’s just-”

“Yeah, you should answer the phone, Y/N,” Jake agreed, the pieces seeming to click in his head.

You sighed, burning bright red to the tips of your ears. “Okay okay, fine.” You stood and clicked the answer button. “Hello?”

And there it was, your voice echoing from Colby’s phone. The room erupted in cheers of disbelief, the boys pouncing on Colby and the girls slapping you in playful excitement. “I knew there was something going on between you two!! There’s no way there couldn’t have been -- I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” Kat squealed, smushing you in a hug.

The rest of the girls echoed the sentiment, a chorus of ‘same’s and ‘I can’t believe you’s. It took a while for everyone to calm down but, once everyone settled, you and Cole managed to get some alone time. The two of you escaped out back, the less than mediocre breeze cooling the sweat that slicked your skin. You held each other, almost as though you were about to start slow dancing. “Damn, caught red handed, huh?”

You laughed breathily, leaning your forehead against his shoulder. “It was only a matter of time, ya know?”

“I know,” he agreed, cheek pressing against your hair. “I’m glad we don’t have to be weird around them anymore.”

“Me too,” you hummed.

Colby pulled away a little bit, just enough for him to look you in the eyes, your arms still around his neck. “Hey.”

You giggled, confused. “Hey.”

“I love you.”

You smiled your confirmation, eyes twinkling under the cheap backyard lights. “I love you.”

.x

[whimsical-musingss]

Calling

Summary: when the group arrives to Alexandria, a lot of things change, especially between you and Daryl. (S5)

Warnings: typical TWD violence/gore, grief and loss. Fighting. Age gap. Fluff. Not my gif.

Pairing: Daryl Dixon X F Reader

The large gate slides shut behind the group, and you immediately feel trapped. When you look at the others, you know that you aren’t the only one who feels this way.

Then Rick is off to speak with Deanna, who you assume is in charge here. You begin to feel more on edge as Rick walks away, and Judith begins to whimper in Carl’s arms.

You sneak a glance at Daryl, who is still holding the opossum by its tail. Your face twists in digust, which he notices, and raises his arm to move the dead animal closer. When you back away you notice the small smirk on his face, but he doesn’t say anything. Neither do you.

The group waits in anticipation for Rick to return, and it doesn’t take long before he does. Aaron points to you, motioning you to step forward. You do.

“Deanna wants to speak with you now,” he says, and you only nod as you begin to walk with him, turning back to the group. Rick only nods, but Daryl looks more agitated.

The walk to Deanna’s house is quick, and when you stand on the porch, you’re amazed how huge the house is. How clean and tidy the lawn is. And when Aaron leads you inside, you could only stare in amazement at the furniture and the rugs. And damn, they’re clean.

“Hello, Y/N,” a woman says, and she’s standing in the middle of the room behind a couch. There’s a camera next to her, facing a chair.

You could only walk slowly to her, feeling extremely out of place. You peek at Deanna, who gives you a warm smile. You don’t return it.

“Please, sit. Do you mind if I film our conversation?” She asks, and you shrug as you sit slowly on the chair. It’s soft, and you run your fingers over the arm.

“Rick told me your name,” Deanna continues. “Are you close with Rick?”

You shrug again, your eyes peeking at the camera and then back down at your lap.

“Tell me, Y/N, did you grow up in Georgia?”

You nod, confused at her questions.

“What did you do before?” She asks again, leaning into the couch, eyes trained on you.

“Um...I am, well, I was a doctor,” you mumble, fingers now picking at the fabric on the chair arm.

“Which field of medicine?”

“Pediatrics.”

“Ah, so, I assume you are Judith’s doctor at the moment?” Deanna smiles.

“If you want to call it that.”

“Did you like your profession?” She tilts her head, analyzing you. You squirm.

Your brow furrows at her question, yet you know your answer. “I loved it,” you whisper, not meeting her eyes. “It was my calling.”

She nods, tapping her finger on her chin, thoughtful. “Did you have a lot of patients?”

You nod, a small smile on your lips.

“Besides pediatrics, do you have knowledge on how to treat adults as well?”

You nod again.

“All right, Y/N. It was very nice to meet you, and I’m sure I can find you a job here. You’ll fit in well here,” Deanna stands, and so do you.

“Thanks,” you mutter, and Aaron is outside when you open the door.

“What does Deanna mean by jobs? What jobs are there?” You ask.

“Did she give you one?” He asks.

“She said that she can find one,” you reply.

“And she will.”

When you return to the group, Rick immediately stands, his brow furrowed. “What did she ask?” Judith squirms in his arms.

“What I did before,” you whisper, looking down at Judith, letting her wrap her tiny fingers around your bigger one.

“Nothin’ else?” You shake your head at his question.

Daryl hovers, listening, the opossum’s tail still in his damn hand. And when it’s his turn, he takes it with him.

“I don’t think that’ll give Deanna a good impression,” you tease him, and he just scoffs.

The group is given two houses, but Rick has everyone stay together in just one, so everyone can sleep in the living room as a pack.

The group tentatively explores each house, however, finding changes of clothes and stocked fridges and cabinets full of food. You almost cry with joy when you turn on the shower, feeling the steam stick to your skin.

“You gon’ shower?” Daryl asks gruffly, and you turn to him, your change of clothes in your arms.

“I think so,” you say, your smile bigger than he’s ever seen it.

“Have fun,” he says, snarky, but he means it. Your smile doesn’t go away once you shut the door.

When the sun sets, everyone gathers in the living room, stomachs full and content for the first time in what feels like forever. You’re sitting near the windowsill, staring out into the darkness while you run a comb over and over through your wet hair.

It’s been forever since you combed it. Or washed it, or yourself. You feel better, refreshed, but still uneasy.

“Ya gotta knot or sumthn’?” Daryl quips next to you, obviously irritated how much you’re combing. “Just nervous,” you mutter, and stop moving the comb. You set it on the windowsill, sighing. He continues to look at you, and he has to admit, you look...nice. In a simple, clean tank top, skinny jeans, and sneakers. He flushes at the realization and looks away.

When there’s a knock at the door, everyone tenses, some standing up. Rick is the one who answers, and it’s Deanna. Everyone relaxes slightly, but Daryl is still tense next to you.

“I’m here for a couple of reasons,” Deanna smiles. “I’m here to check on you all, but also giving Y/N her clothes for her job.”

Your head jerks up at your name being spoken, and so does Daryl’s. Rick turns to you, nodding, so you slowly stand up and walk to the door.

“Hello,” you say, and Deanna nods. “I’m assigning you to be a doctor. Pediatrics as well as to treat wounds. No surgery,” she adds when you frown at the “treat wounds” part.

“Are...are you sure?” You ask, hands limp at your sides.

“You said it was your calling,” Deanna says.

“It’s been a really long time...I don’t think-“

“I think you can do this,” Deanna interrupts. “Make it your calling once again.”

She hands you a white coat and you feel like you’re at your old hospital, getting hired, and taking the same coat. Deanna also gives you a stethoscope, and you unconsciously put it around your neck.

“See?” She grins. “It’s still your calling.”

With that, you thank her numbly and walk back to your spot with Daryl. He’s staring, as always, and you look at him. “What?” You ask, and he smirks at your stethoscope. You scramble to take it off.

“Doctor L/N,” he smirks, and so you kick him with your foot. “Don’t be a prick,” you grin.

“You wanna do it?”

You shrug. “I don’t know. I mean, before...I loved it, but now, I know that the work I’ve done amounted to nothing.”

“Don’ say that,” Daryl grumbles. “You worked yer ass off, don’ forget tha’.”

You shrug, turning the coat over in your hands, folding it. Your eyes meet his, a small smile on your lips.

“Thanks, Daryl. You should become the official Alexandrian counselor,” you laugh when he scoffs, rolling his eyes.

The days become blurry. You’ve adjusted to your job, picking up the profession like it’s riding a bike. You mostly saw people injuring themselves for stupid reasons, especially during the apocalypse. You saw some kids, and you notice you are happier, more open, with them. You’ve become some sort of yourself again.

You didn’t see Daryl much. You mostly saw him in the evenings, when he’s sitting on the porch, smoking. You’d always chide him for it, but now it’s become a joke. Especially since you’re back to being a doctor.

It’s mid afternoon, and you stand at the front gates waiting for the group to return in case they need medical assistance. It’s been a couple of minutes, so when you see Daryl in the distance, you raise your hand to wave at him. He nods in return, and you smile when he begins to make his way over.

The gate begins to open, so you turn around to greet Glenn. Your voice dies in your throat when you see him. He’s pissed as hell, yelling about how Aiden could have killed Tara.

You give Tara a questioning look, and she shakes her head. You are about to ask, but Aiden jabs Glenn in the chest, so you decide to step in.

“Enough of this!” You say loudly, putting your hands up and stepping between them. “What the hell happened?”

“It doesn’t concern you, nurse,” Aiden snaps, still glaring at Glenn.

“Aiden almost killed Tara because he doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing,” Glenn says, and when Aiden tries to lunge at him, you put both of your hands to keep him away.

“Stop! What is wrong with you?” You cry.

Aiden flares down at you now. “Like I said before, nurse, stay out of it.”

“Don’t nurse me, asshole!” You say, disgusted. “I’m trying to stop you from making a big mistake!”

“Ya heard the woman,” Daryl growls, appearing behind Aiden.

“The girl isn’t the boss of me,” Aiden says stubbornly.

“Enough!” You say loudly.

“Listen to Y/N,” says Glenn. “She knows a hell of a lot more than you.”

Aiden’s hands fist your coat, throwing you aside like you weigh nothing. You cry out, landing on your side. You scramble to get up to stop Aiden from attacking Glenn, but Daryl is quicker.

He grabs the back of Aiden’s shirt, ripping him from Glenn. He’s on top of him, slamming his fist over and over on Aiden’s face.

“Daryl!” You gasp, throwing your arms around his torso, trying to pull him off. You didn’t see him, but Rick is suddenly there, and Daryl is off of Aiden.

“Are you okay?” You ask Daryl, making sure to kneel in between him and Aiden. His face is in your hands as you look for any wounds, but there are none. He avoids your eyes as Deanna approaches, saying something, but you ignore her.

“Daryl?” He finally looks at you, eyes soft. “Are you okay?”

He only nods. “Are you?” You nod.

“What about me?!” Yells Aiden, and you scoff. “Kleenex and ice, and staying away from him.” You nod at Daryl. “You know what he can do.”

You turn back to Daryl, grabbing his hands and helping him stand. He lets you, turning away and stalking off before you could say another word.

Deanna’s party was boring. You were asked the same questions. What hospital did you work in? How many patients? You tried to answer through gritted teeth, mentally exhausted from repeating yourself and having to listen to oblivious people. And the dress. Before all of this you would love wearing it, but now, it’s unpractical. And you had to shave for it. And the little heels? God, your feet were aching. You had enough. You said your goodbyes, claiming that you were tired and had an early shift tomorrow.

You walk back to the house, the wind making goosebumps appear across your skin. You lift the dress neckline higher as if can go for the millionth time tonight, not liking how much cleavage was being shown.

You weren’t surprised Daryl didn’t show. Yes, you were hoping he would, but deep down you knew he wasn’t a fan of gatherings. Especially something this idiotic.

You pass Aaron’s house, and the garage door is wide open, spilling light on the driveway and sidewalk.

“Y/N?”

You turn, and Aaron is walking out of the garage. “I thought that was you,” he says, and he points to your shoes. “I heard you coming.”

“Not creepy at all,” you quip. “Can I help you?”

“Just saying hi,” he says, unfazed. “Showing Daryl some bike parts. He’s going to be another recruiter for Alexandria with me.”

“Is that so?” You ask, leaning to look into the garage. And there he was, tinkering with parts and examining them. You walk up to the garage, fixing the neckline again, and Daryl’s head looks up when he hears your shoes.

“Hi,” you say, smiling. His eyes look down at your dress, your shoes, and back at your face. You fix the neckline again, uncomfortable.

“Hey.”

“Got a new bike? That’s great,” you smile at his work.

“Yeah. Where were ya?”

“A dumb...,” you trail off when Aaron looks at you. “A party. At Deanna’s.”

Daryl smirks at you, standing up from his work. “I’ll walk ya,” he mutters. He nods at Aaron, and you shrug. “Okay. You done?” You ask, and he nods.

The walk is short, only three houses down. But your feet hurt, so you walk slowly, and Daryl walks in pace with you.

“Recruiter, huh?” You ask, and he nods, kicking a stray rock. “Lucky. Get to go outside.” He only nods again, glancing at you.

“I don’t want ya talkin’ to Aiden,” he suddenly says, his voice gruff.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” you chuckle. “Prick shoved me.”

“If he touches ya, or goes near ya, tell me,” he continues. “I’ll beat his ass again.”

“I’ll help you,” you joke, but he’s not smiling.

“I mean it,” he says, stopping, grabbing your arm, but not hard. Your eyes shoot up at him, surprised. “Nobody touches you like that again.”

“I promise,” you say, and he eases up, letting you go. You grab his hand in response, smiling to yourself as he doesn’t try to pull away.

“Ya mean a lot to me,” he mumbles, and you nod. “You mean everything to me,” you reply, squeezing his hand.

You reach the house, and he goes and sits on the porch, lighting up. You decide to sit next to him, sliding off your shoes and spreading out your legs, sighing in relief.

“Pretty dress,” he mumbles, taking a drag.

“Thanks. I’m never wearing it again,” you chuckle, and he lets out a huff.

You hold out your hand and take the cigarette from his lips and putting it to your own, taking a small drag before giving it back.

“Yer a doctor,” he says, surprised.

“Which is a stressful profession,” you smile, exhaling away from his face.

“You always gimme shit for it,” he says, sulky, and you laugh.

“Gives me a reason to talk to you,” you reply. You move your body so you’re leaning against his chest, in between his legs, and Daryl doesn’t complain. He passes the cigarette back to you, and you take your last drag.

His arm is unconsciously thrown around your waist, and he’s like a big teddy bear, encasing you, protecting you.

“I think it’s clear now,” you say, “that I have feelings for you.”

“Very clear,” he says gruffly, and you can feel the rumble against your back. He puts out the cigarette, his now free hand running down your arm.

That’s all you need. You move your body around so you’re kneeling in front of him, noses almost touching. “You...,” you trail off, and he leans in, connecting your lips with his. It’s a short kiss, but soft.

“That answer yer question?”

“Clearly,” you reply.

[collecting-stories]

Shane pt. 2 - c. 17 - Daryl Dixon

Summary: Shane causes trouble but nothing that stops you from being with Daryl.

A/N: It's Norman Reedus’ bday so I had to get this posted tonight.

Georgia Masterlist | The Walking Dead Masterlist

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

The first time you told him that you liked him, Daryl’s response had been instantaneous. He knew how he felt about you but he also knew that getting into a relationship with you wouldn’t be good, for you at least. He didn’t want you to deal with the way that people would talk about you, the way he already knew they were when you were just hanging around him. 

Going to your graduation party wasn’t his best idea, he knew that too. But he thought about that invite all night, the way you’d smiled at him when you got out of the truck after he drove you home, asking again if he would come to the party. He’d avoided any other invitation you had offered and yet, for some reason, he couldn’t avoid this one.  

And when you kissed him, he didn’t stop you.  

It was the only time in his life that Daryl could remember doing something simply because he wanted to. He liked you and when you kissed him, he let himself like you without thinking about everyone else. Which was for the worst obviously, because the second he let himself focus on only the two of you, everything went to hell.  

He couldn’t stand Shane; the guy was a loser and always had been. The fact that you had wasted your time on him was unbelievable sometimes.  

“Shane, just go back up...I’ll be there in a minute.” You tried once more to get Shane to leave, to halt the growing tension in its path.  

“So, you’re seeing Dixon now?” Shane asked, looking passed Daryl to you.  

“Not really any of your business.” You snapped.  

“I already told you, whatever’s going on with you, I still care. I don’t want anyone taking advantage of you.” He replied and you almost laughed.  

“Rich coming from you,” you muttered. “Just go back up to the house, Shane.”  

“You know what,” Shane said, obviously ready to get one more thing off his chest before he left, “my family’s lived across from the Dixons for a while now. I know all about ‘em.” He said it as if it was a threat, looking over at Daryl as if it could uncover some great secret that you didn’t know about.  

“Good to know.” You pulled on the sleeve of Daryl’s jacket, getting him to look at you instead of Shane, “can you just take me home, I don’t care about the stupid cake.”  

“That’s fine,” Daryl nodded, “go ‘head and get in.”  

Before he could move out of the way and let you get in the cab, Shane grabbed your arm, trying to pull you toward him, “hey! I’m not done talking to you!”  

Just as he yanked your arm Daryl shoved him back, the motion making you lose your footing and fall on the grass, landing on your hip. You pushed yourself up in time to catch Daryl tackling Shane to the ground, knocking him into one of the lanterns.  

He punched him, fist slamming into his nose and Shane practically screaming at the feeling of his nose likely breaking. He tried to push Daryl off him but it was no use, Daryl continuing to punch him as they wrestled in the dirt.  

Annette had the sense to mention sending Shane down to get you and Rick, who had stopped by with Michonne to congratulate you and hopefully get a slice of cake, asked exactly where you were, knowing things weren’t good between you two. He and Michonne were heading down the path just as Daryl tackled Shane. They picked up speed, practically running as Shane got the upper hand, locking his arm around Daryl’s neck in a chokehold. You had managed to get up off the ground, kicking Shane’s back and throwing him off enough that he let go of Daryl, who rolled away from him and stood up.  

Rick grabbed Shane, pushing him away from Daryl.  

“Walk it off Shane!” Rick snapped. You imagined that was his stern Officer Grimes voice.  

“We were just talking.”  

“Like hell,” Daryl said, “touch her again, I’ll fucking kill you.”  

“Hey,” you grabbed his arm again, pulling away from Shane. “It’s fine, I’m fine,” you promised, trying to put your hands on his face and turn his head to look at you. Your eyes met in the dark, “It’s okay.”  

“Daryl,” Michonne started to say and he nodded his head, already knowing where she was going.  

“I’m leaving.” He said, pulling away from you. “I’ll see ya.” He promised.  

You watched him swing the passenger door shut as he walked around the other side of the truck, climbing in and backing out the driveway. Michonne was standing with you, Rick walking Shane back up to the house and away from you, dissipating the tension of the moment and leaving you in the aftermath of it.  

“Looks like you keep finding me after fights huh?” You said, looking over at Michonne, trying to make light of the situation.  

“You sure know how to pick ‘em.” Michonne replied.  

“To be fair, Daryl’s the only one I’m ‘picking’. Shane’s a douche, he just can’t take a hint.” You said.  

“So you and Daryl are dating then?” She asked, putting her arm around you to help you walk up the path now that Rick and Shane were far enough away. “God, I can’t remember a time he’s ever dated anyone.”  

“I don’t know if we’re...dating but-” you groaned, pain shooting up your leg as you miss stepped.  

Michonne gripped your arm, helping you get your balance. “Are you okay?” She asked, trying to look you over. The light on the path was limited to the lanterns, not enough that Michonne could clearly see though, “let's get you up to the house.”  

You walked carefully the rest of the way up to the house, ignoring some partygoers as Michonne brought you into the house, pulling a chair into the kitchen and instructing you to sit down so that she could get ice. The screen door banged open, Maggie and Beth coming inside, “I saw Michonne bring you in here, what happened?”  

“I’m fine,” you lied, shifting away from both of them so that they couldn’t see the dirt on the side of your dress or the hint of a bruise forming that was visible under the hem. You knew you should’ve been focused on the throbbing pain that was running through your hip but all you were really focused on was Daryl and if Shane freaking out on the two of you would change anything that had happened moments before. If he had the chance to overthink the kiss would he regret it and go back to trying to avoid you?  

“We’ll be right out,” Michonne promised, managing to kick the Greene girls out of their own kitchen, closing the screen door behind them. She was no stranger to news in King County and how fast it traveled, the last thing you or Daryl needed was anyone hearing about the fight he and Shane had gotten in. “Here’s some ice,” she offered you a bag of ice cubes wrapped in a dish cloth, pressing it against your hip as you took hold of it, “should help with the bruising. Can you tell me what happened?”  

“This like an interrogation or something?” You asked, crossing your legs to relieve the pain in your hip, taking weight off it as you shifted in the chair.  

“I just wanna understand what happened,” she explained, grabbing another chair and sitting down across from you.  

“I was down at the barn with Daryl when Shane came down, said Annette sent him to get me for cake. I told him I’d be right up and he started saying shit to me and Daryl...he gave us trouble a little while ago,” you said.  

“What happened then?”  

“Nothing, I was at the gas station. We got in the truck and left.” You replied.  

“You were with Daryl again?”  

“Shane doesn’t like that I’m not still head over heels in love with him.” You said, “he’s got something against Daryl too, doesn’t think I should be hanging around him.”  

“I’m sure a lot of people are thinking that.” Michonne admitted, knowing what people said about her friend.  

“That’s cause they don’t know anything about Daryl, they just like not liking him.” You snapped, looking away.  

“I’m not arguing with you.” She replied. “I been friends with Daryl for a little while now, he’s one of the best ones. Look, let me drive you home?” She offered.  

“I’m staying with Tara this weekend,” you mentioned, “we drove here in my jeep, she’s got the keys.”  

“Okay, wait here, I’ll go find her.”  

Before Michonne could get all the way out the kitchen door you called her, catching her attention. You turned in the chair, twisting to look at her, “do you think Daryl will still talk to me? I mean, he’s been saying we shouldn’t be together and now we kinda...finally got together...and Shane fucked it up.”  

“I don’t think Daryl’s going anywhere.” Michonne replied. “I’ll be right back, you ice that hip.”  

-

Despite you most likely driving Tara crazy all Saturday night into Sunday morning, she didn’t say anything negative about you and Daryl. She suggested that you talk to him, look for him at the autoshop or his house and, technically, you knew that was the best solution but you were nervous. Worried that Shane losing it on the two of you would push Daryl away from you and now that you had him, now that he wasn’t fighting it, you didn’t want your relationship with him to be over before it started.  

You drug your feet over it until Sunday night when you finally drove to his house, parking on the street and walking down the short driveway to the carport. “Did I know you had a bike?” You asked, catching sight of Daryl crouched down in front of a motorcycle, or something resembling one, that was up on supports.  

He turned to look at you, standing up and wiping his hands on the rag in the back pocket of his pants. “Been working on it for a couple months, had ta finish yer jeep first,” he replied, glancing passed your shoulder to the jeep sitting on the curb.

“Are you building it?” You asked, noticing the absence of tires on it.  

“Yeah, trying ta get it up an’ running.” He watched you walk closer, stepping up beside him to look at the bike closer. Daryl didn’t give much thought to what he did next, he put his hand on your arm, just above your elbow, drawing your attention to him. When you turned your head he leaned in, kissing you. “Sorry,” he apologized when he pulled away, “just wanted ta do that again.”

“That’s fine with me.” You smiled, kissing him one more time. “I was worried you’d throw in the towel on me after that whole mess with Shane.” You admitted.  

Daryl shrugged, walking over to the mini fridge and grabbing himself a beer, “he’s a prick, always has been. Don’t bother me. Ya alright though? Michonne said ya got hurt?”

“I bruised my hip,” you replied, crossing your arms over your chest. “Think it was when I fell.”

“Ya alright?” He asked again, “ya want me ta look at it?”  

“You want me to take my pants off...”

“Ain’t what I was saying.” Daryl was quick to explain, the red tinting his cheeks.

“I know, I just like bothering you.” You replied.  

“Ya are a bother,” he said, taking a sip of his beer, “I’ll give ya that.” When he walked back over to the bike, laying his bottle on the ground near it, you dragged the chair over closer to him so you could watch, beginning to tell him about the cake that Annette had sent you home with, offering him the piece you brought with you. 

-

Taglist: @hopesxxhigh @coffeebooksandfandom @jodiereedus22 @tehfabbooty @thecaptainsgingersnap @angelophany @of-storms-and-sadness @twdeadfanfic @mainokutan @sabertooth-potato @solllaris @bucky-barnes-babies @ly--canthrope @meziah-48 @dietspriteaddict @daryldixonandfrogs @jaycc7983 @easnuppa @imaginecrushes @tonystarkismyboy @watchmeaspire @harpersmariano @guccicloudz @sapphire-angel @buzzybhee @alexbealee @elodieyung @its-evita-here @marvelfanatic @pulplorrd @shizukunora

[hxneyandespressx]

since we’re alone, you can show me your heart

summary: what happens when derek gets a nightmare? the only one who can calm him down is his pretty boy

pairing: spencer reid x derek morgan (moreid)

word count:  1.9k

content warnings: mentions of gun and shooting

a/n: set after criminal minds season 11 episode 11 entropy

☆。*。☆。

Spencer ran frantically around his dark and messy apartment, picking up the case files and Chinese takeout boxes that had piled up on his antique coffee table. Few peanut oil stains stuck onto the wooden top. The anxious man took the nearest napkin, hoping that it was clean, and tried his best to wipe off the oil stains. Seeing that they wouldn’t come off, Spencer exasperatedly dropped the napkin onto the table and rushed over to his kitchen, grabbing the necessary cleaning supplies. He got his bottle of white vinegar and water, a pair of yellow rubber gloves, and an old rag underneath the kitchen sink.

By the time Spencer was done, every room in his apartment was clean to his standard. Not a book out of place, no dust lingering in the air. Spencer felt both scared and excited about having his co-workers come over to his place. He never had them over until today. He felt scared if a game, like truth or dare, made him confess his true feelings about his boyfriend.

Derek and Spencer had worked with each other for a long time. As the years went by, experiencing the highs and lows of being FBI agents together, the two of them felt their hearts yearn for each other, but neither of them acted upon it. They were scared of the possibility of rejection, tarnishing their friendship. It was not until Derek decided to break the ice and asked out Spencer. The young man was delighted to have his crush ask him out. It was the one thing that went right in his life.

Three months in and either of them hasn’t said “I love you” yet. Either of them was scared to frighten off the other. Saying “I love you” was a big commitment. They were trying to take things slow, not to rush each other, even though they had known each other for a long time.

The gang was heading over to Spencer’s for a little sleepover to relax as they hadn’t received any new cases within the past 2 weeks. It was nice to have a break from all the traveling and dealing with unsubs; however, it does get boring doing paperwork and in-office consultations for hours.

Spencer’s phone pinged multiple times and a bunch of text notifications came.

Hotch: Sorry, can’t make it. I couldn’t find a babysitter for Jack and Jessica is busy at work tonight. Maybe next time.

Tara: going out on the town with the ladies!

Penelope: sorry spencer but jj tara and i are having a ladies night :(

JJ: sorry spence! perhaps next time!

Rossi: Sorry kid. Forgot to tell you that I’m driving up to Montauk to visit a buddy of mine.

Spencer sighed and felt defeated. Everyone bailed on him at the last minute. Everyone except for Derek. That was fine with Spencer, as this could be a date night for them. Just then, the doorbell rang, indicating someone had arrived. Having a small smile on his face, Spencer scurried to the front door and opened it. It revealed one handsome Derek Morgan, who was holding a large pizza in one hand and a small bouquet of flowers in the other.

“I saw in the group chat that everyone else bailed on this.” Derek said.

“Yeah but this could be a date night for us.” Spencer smiled at his little proposition. Derek smiled, showing off his brilliant pearly whites, as he entered the apartment.

The couple spent their night-in watching movies, eating pizza, and Spencer going off tangents on his passions. Whenever Spencer starts to rant about one of his passions, Derek just stared at his little genius and smiled at how happy his boyfriend was. And that continued all night long, Derek listening to Spencer talk about 19th-century British literature, coupled with watching random movies of various genres.

Nearing 1 am, the couple laid on the couch, with Spencer in Derek’s arms. The tv was playing Julie & Julia in the background. Spencer was half asleep and noticed that Derek was sleeping already. He gently wiggled out of Derek’s arms and stood up from the couch, scratching his scalp and messing up his already messy curly hair.

“Hey. Let’s go to bed.” Spencer softly said, patting his boyfriend’s shoulder. Derek woke up, feeling groggy. Spencer led the way to his room, holding Derek’s hand. They both flopped onto the bed and Derek wrapped an arm around Spencer’s waist. They were used to sharing a room together, even a bed due to mistakes occurring at the hotels they stayed at when they were on cases. Sleep washed over them as the golden dust of the Sandman worked its magic.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Standing across from Derek were Spencer and Cat Adams. The hitwoman had a gun pointed at one scared Spencer Reid. Internally, Derek was screaming. On the outside, he kept his cool and calm composure.

“Morgan, get out.” Spencer demanded.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Derek said, his voice shaking a little.

“Hm… I guess we’re back where we started. You and me with a gun.” Cat said without a care in the world, keeping the gun aimed at Spencer.

“Reid, it’s time.”

“No.”

“We don’t have a choice. We have to do it,” Derek said. Spencer kept shaking his head no. “We found your father.” the unsub stood there in shock for a few seconds, before rage set inside of her.

“You’re lying. I don’t like men who lie. You men are all the same.” Cat said as she gauged the trigger on her gun. She shot Spencer in the head and without hesitation, Derek started to shoot at the unsub. Derek ran over to Spencer and held his dying love in his arms. He tried to keep him alive until the paramedics came. The last words Derek said was “I love you” before his boy wonder went limp.

Derek woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. He heard himself breathing heavily and felt anxious from the nightmare he just had. The frightened man groggily rubbed his eyes to get rid of the Sandman’s dust. Leaning his back against the headboard, Derek stared at the wall across from him, concentrating his eyes on one spot. He hoped that this technique would help him fall back asleep. Alas, he was shaken up from the nightmare.

The dazed man anxiously searched for his phone, wondering how much time has passed. Fumbling through the grey sheets and trying not to wake up Spencer, Derek found his phone, turning on the touchscreen, the blue screen lit up brightly. 3:20 am. Derek took a deep breath and sighed, leaning his head back onto the headboard and looked over to see his baby-faced boyfriend fast asleep. A soft smile appeared on Derek’s face, reminding him of his reality: Spencer being his angel.

Feeling restless, Derek pushed the comforter off of himself and quietly got off of the bed. He opened the bedroom door and went to the bathroom that was down the hall. His hands turned on the faucet and cupped together to gather the running water. Derek splashed cold water onto his face, making him more alert and awake. His eyes caught the sight of his face in the mirror. Smile lines decorated his face, which contrasted the dark circles forming underneath his eyes. Derek sighed and made his way towards the kitchen.

Derek has come over to Spencer’s place many times before, so much so he knows the way around like the back of his hand. With ease, his muscular hand grabbed a tall glass, with an accompanying coaster, in one of the cabinets above. He filled the glass with water from the faucet below. Loud gulps could be heard as Derek drank the water, cool and fresh like he had found an oasis. Just as Derek gently placed the glass on the coaster, his ears caught the shuffling feet of a tired Spencer.

“Derek?” Spencer tiredly said. “What are you doing up?”

“Just needed some water, that is all.” Derek said his half truth-half lie. The young man shrugged and went towards the refrigerator.

Unknowingly, Derek started to tap his fingers against the dark grey laminate countertop. Spencer caught the sound with his ears and turned to face his boyfriend.

“Derek? Are you okay?”

“Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Because you’re tapping your fingers across the countertop.” Spencer pointed out. When the tired genius mentioned the action, Derek immediately stopped, his eyes glancing at Spencer.

“We’re profilers, Derek. You can’t hide anything from me.” Spencer said, feeling concerned for his best friend. The mousy-haired man felt like a hypocrite after saying that to Derek. During the many years he worked with the handsome man in front of him, Spencer developed a crush on him. At first, it was just a silly little infatuation, but as time passed, it changed to being a crush. The young man was able to hide it well. That was until Derek reciprocated his feelings. That same crush turned into Spencer dating Derek. In these past few months, Spencer wanted to tell his angel of a boyfriend that he loved him, but he was scared that Derek would run away from him, just like everyone else in his life.

“Ha– you’re right, pretty Ricky,” Derek said in defeat, hanging his head low. Spencer came up behind Derek slowly, hesitant to show some affection to his probably scared boyfriend. He mustered up his own fears and gave Derek a hug from behind, and felt his boyfriend relaxing in his arms. The couple stood in silence for some time, savoring the unspoken quietness between them.

“Remember when you had to go in as bait for Cat Adams?” Derek asked, breaking the silence.

“Oh– yeah. Why are you asking?” Spencer responded, not getting the hint where the conversation was going.

“Two weeks since that case, I had these nightmares. I thought I could get through with it, but I can’t. My nightmare was about that. I dreamt that you were shot by Cat.” Derek explained.

“Derek…” Spencer felt shocked while his heart was breaking. He felt like he had to do something. But all he could do was sit and listen to his boyfriend get everything off his chest.

"I wish this is a nightmare that I could just wake up from... but it feels all real... and I hate every second of it. I felt like I was going to lose you when it actually happened,” Derek’s voice cracked a bit as tears pricked his deep brown eyes. “And I don’t want this to repeat. I wouldn’t forgive myself.”

“I won’t let it happen again,” Spencer quietly said, caresses Derek’s cheek. “We will make sure she stays in prison, alright?” Derek brought Spencer in for a long embrace. The mousy-haired man wrapped his arms around his athletic boyfriend’s waist as he placed his head in the crook of Derek’s neck. The soft warmth coming off of Derek comforted Spencer, clashing with her cold pale skin.

“I just uh…” Derek said tiredly.

“Yeah.” Spencer replied, smiling softly. He knew in his heart that Derek said “I love you” to him.

“You know?”

“I know.”

taglist: @homosexualyearning / @ssajelle / @iconicc / @sunlightgalaxy / @pumpkin-stars / @hotchgans / @pen3mily / @hotchsbabygirl / @gravelyhumerus / @morcias / @notsosmexy / @cherrychris​ / @hqtchner / @girlbossjareau / @pagetsimp / @a-writers-ramblings / @morceid

[ssajemilyprentiss]

Deja Vu

Pairing: Former Emily Prentiss x Reader, Jennifer Jareau x Emily Prentiss

Warnings: Angsty-ish 

Summary: You see how the things you and Emily used to do replays in her new relationship with JJ, and decide to remind her. High school AU. Based on Deja Vu by Olivia Rodrigo

A/N: My first request ever, yay! This is based on this request: “Can you do an Emily Prentiss x reader with deja vu by Olivia Rodrigo where Emily is with jj and reader see her doing stuff she did with her and then Emily hears that song ( but reader sings it) and Emily gets deja vu does that make sense?” by anon, so thank you for requesting this and I hope this comes out the way you wanted it too <3 Also i took the liberty of making this a highschool AU, I think it fits the song and I kinda have a thing for them ngl. Italics are Y/N singing

You were sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch when you heard her laugh, Emily Prentiss’s beautiful laugh echoing through the cafeteria. She was sitting next to her new girlfriend Jennifer JJ Jareau, sharing a strawberry ice cream with one spoon, just like you used to do. You see Emily was your ex-girlfriend, but no one knew besides your friends. She had told you she didn’t want to come out in school, and you were fine with that. But here she was a couple months later, out with JJ like your relationship never happened. What made your face turn to a frown was when you heard them talk about the trip to Malibu, they had done the previous weekend, again just like you two had. Was Emily being serious? Here she was basically copy pasting your relationship, but she pretended that you didn’t even exist when she saw you in school. 

You were awakened from your thoughts by a poke to the side, it was your friend Tara

“You okay?” she asks with worry

“Yeah, I’m fine” you mumble back

Your other friend Penelope let out a huff “Honey please don’t say your fine when you look like you could punch Emily in the face” she says and gives you a friendly slap on your arm.

You turn around and face them “I just don’t get it; she’s basically doing the same things we did when we were together with her, but she doesn’t even acknowledge me” 

Penelope gives you a mischievous smile “Why don’t you remind her sugar?”

You give Penelope a small smile “And how should I do that Penny?”

“Duh, the talent show next week” she replies

“What?” you ask, but before she can reply Tara joins in

“You’re right Pen, Y/N write a song and sing it when she’s in the audience” 

You start laughing at them, but they don’t join in, so you stop “Wait you were serious?” you say as your eye grow wide

They both give you a ‘are you for real?’ look

“Oh, you were” you mumble 

“Come one, Y/N you sing like a goddess” Penelope tries to encourage you and gives you a big smile which Tara joins in on. 

“Ugh okay fine” you reply making Penelope clap of happiness and you and Tara starting to laugh at her, going back to focus on your lunch.

**** ONE WEEK LATER ****

Emily Prentiss walks hand in hand together with her girlfriend JJ to the auditorium for the annual talent show. She wishes she doesn’t have to be here, but JJ insisted they go. They sit down next to each other and listen to the acts performing, Emily’s hand neatly placed in JJ’s. She doesn’t pay much attention to what’s happening on the stage, until she hears a familiar voice, the voice of an angel. It’s Y/N, she looks amazing on that stage, Emily starts paying attention and listens to the words Y/N is singing. 

”Car rides to Malibu Strawberry ice cream, one spoon for two And tradin' jackets Laughin' 'bout how small it looks on you”

Emily is confused, why is Y/N singing about how she and JJ were in Malibu? She starts thinking about that trip and how fun they had. But when she hears what Y/N sings next it hits her, and the pictures in her head are replaced

“So when you gonna tell her that we did that, too? She thinks it's special, but it's all reused

That was our place, I found it first I made the jokes you tell to her when she's with you

Do you get déjà vu when she's with you? Do you get déjà vu? (Ah), hmm Do you get déjà vu? Huh

Emily is reminded of the relationship she had with you, she forced herself to repress the memories of it because it still hurt when she thinks about it. The pictures in her head of JJ are replaced with you and your relationship. Emily unconsciously lets go of JJ’s hand, only for her to poke her in the side and ask 

“Em baby, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine” she replies and puts her hand back in JJ’s to calm her

While Y/N is singing Emily thinks back to their relationship. How you ate strawberry ice-cream with just one spoon, went on car rides to Malibu, watched re-runs of Glee and how you taught Emily how to play ‘Uptown girl” on the piano, and how she currently is teaching JJ the same thing. 

When Y/N sings the words: 

”I know you get déjà vu

I know you get déjà vu

I know you get déjà vu”

You look right at Emily, singing directly to her. When everyone stands up and claps for you when the song’s over, JJ stands up like the rest of the crowd, clapping for Y/N. What she doesn’t know is that the song she just heard is about her and her girlfriend. JJ tugs on Emily’s arm forcing her to stand up and clap as well. 

When the show is over Emily tells her friends and JJ to go ahead and that she’ll catch up on them. JJ gives her a worried look, but Emily tells her not to worry and go ahead. Emily sticks around waiting for Y/N and after a while she sees you. You’re being congratulated by your friends when Emily slowly walks towards you

“Y/N?” she says causing the girls to look up towards her

“Can I talk to you?” she asks again

“Sure” you reply “Go ahead guys I’ll catch up later” you tell Tara and Penelope

Emily and you walks out of the auditorium quietly, until she breaks the silence 

“You were great up there” she says and turns to face you

“Thanks” you reply, looking down on the ground

She puts her finger under your chin, forcing you to look her in the eye and continues

“I mean it Y/N, you really were great”

“And just like you said in the song, I get déjà vu when I’m with her, or I did when you were singing”

You give her a sly smile “Well that was kind of the point”

“I understand that” Emily replies “And I understand I’ve been a jerk toward you, and for that I’m really sorry. Can we start over as friends?” 

You stand quiet for a little while “Yes, we can” you finally reply with a smile

“Thank you” she says and embraces you in a hug and you hug her back, when you let go you start walking together towards your friends, catching up on what you’ve been missing out in each other’s lives.