#i'll be heading to bed early tonight though - work tomorrow and i want to actually be awake for it

[fluffghostrp]

The starters I owe on @strikelip haven't been forgotten about - i've just been on @corvidmagicae this week. in medical news, i've been officially cleared to go back to work, as well as start expanding my diet again? so yay?

[rowyn-writes]

Cinnamon and Sugar

Chapter Five

Warnings: Self hate, mentions of abusive ex, mentions of a minor character death, fluff

Characters: Reader, Dean, Michael, Jo

Pairings: Dean x Reader

Word Count: 3.5k

You had been living with Dean for five weeks now, and everything felt surprisingly normal. You both woke up early in the morning for work, so you got to have breakfast together. You liked having someone to talk to before going to work.

It was five in the morning as you and Dean shuffled around the kitchen in a comfortable silence. You had made some eggs and bacon for the both of you while Dean got ready for work. Since Dean passed the coffee shop to get to work, he would drop you off, and in return, you made him coffee to get him ready for the day. 

"Mornin' sweetheart." Dean grumbles as he comes out of his room, yawning. His hair was still tousled from sleep. You chuckle softly at the sight.

"Morning, Dean. Forget to brush your hair?" You snorted. Dean laughs as he smooths down his hair.

"Maybe I was trying out a new style, Y/n, ever think of that?" He sniffed, pretending to be mad.

"Aw, c'mon now, you never change up your routine, so I find that highly unlikely. And besides, you can't be mad at me forever, I made you breakfast." You set his plate down on the table, pouring a glass of orange juice for him.

"I got damn lucky to have you as a roommate." He sighed happily as he ruffles your hair before sitting down at the table, tucking into his breakfast.

"I could say the same." You smile as you eat with him. Storm was still asleep on the window seal. Despite Dean buying a cat bed for him to get into his good graces, the cat refused to actually sleep in the bed. He just sniffed at it before going back to what he was doing.

Once you and Dean were finished with breakfast, he took the plates and put them in the dishwasher, starting a load. You went and grabbed your apron for work before heading out the door with Dean, sliding into his beautiful Impala. "I hope you know that if I actually still drove, I'd totally wanna take Baby for a joyride." You joked.

Dean laughs softly, his eyes crinkling up at the edges. "You're more than welcome to drive her anytime you need, sweetheart. I won't stop you."

"Oh, um, nah." You shook your head gently. "I don't really drive anymore. I um, I got into a really bad car crash about a year ago and I don't really drive anymore because of it." It was the first time you had really talked about the car crash with anyone other than Jo or Jack.

"I'm sorry to hear about that sweetheart. Was everyone alright?" He frowns, looking over at you.

"Oh, um, yeah, I just had a broken arm. . . The other driver was okay too." 

Dean could tell that you wanted to drop the subject. "So, I was thinking, you don't work tomorrow, right? And you're done with exams?"

"Yeah, why?" You tilt your head curiously.

"Well," Dean said as he pulled into the parking lot of Chuck's. "I was thinking that tonight we go to my favorite bar and have some drinks, my treat. They're having karaoke tonight too, and I think it would be a lot of fun."

You mulled it over for a moment. You didn't drink much, but you thought this would be a good chance to get to know Dean a little better and let loose some. "I think that'd be a lot of fun, actually." You give him a gentle smile. 

"Perfect, I get off work tonight at 5. I'll pick you up and take you home on my lunch break, I don't want you walking home alone or anything." Dean gives you a boyish grin, the one that you had come to adore. 

"Thanks, Dean, you have no idea how much I appreciate your kindness." And it was true. Dean was kind to you when it felt like you hit rock bottom. Being evicted from you apartment was rough, and you never expected him to offer his home up to you. Even though you hadn't known Dean long, you trusted him, and it seems that he trusted you. You hated to think about where you'd be without him right now.

"Don't mention it, sweetheart. I'm just glad I could help you out. I've been where you've been before. My life has never been put together in the slightest, and there was a time when I had no place to go. I really could have used some help, and I want to be that person for you." He said softly, looking over at you.

"Well, I know I'm not much, but I'm here, and I can be the support you need. We can help each other." You offer him a gentle smile.

"I like the sound of that, Y/n, thank you." You lean over and give him a quick hug. 

"I'll see you on your lunch break, then. Let me go make your coffee really quick." You went in and unlocked the doors, making Dean a brown sugar latte and grabbed him a scone before bringing it out to him. "Have a good day at work." I reach through the window and ruffle his hair before heading back inside to tackle the day.

Jo was the next person scheduled to come in, and you hoped it was one of those rare days that she was actually on time. You had talked to her many times before about her punctuality, but it never seemed to stick with her. She was your best friend, and you didn't want to have to reprimand her, but it seemed that it was going to have to come to that. Thankfully, she was on time today, and you didn't have to say anything to her.

"Thank god my car started." She said as she walked in, clocking in on the computer. "I was scared she wasn't gonna crank. I really need a new car."

"Well, you're here, that's all that matters. Today's a Wednesday, so I'm expecting it to be a good day for us. This is usually our dead day, so I think it should be okay with just the two of us until eleven when Maddison comes in."

The day went off without a hitch, the customers were nice, it was a slow day, and everything seemed peaceful. That is, until the end of your shift. Dean was on his lunch break and he was waiting for you to clock out so he could take you home. He didn't mind hanging out in the coffee shop, as he found it rather peaceful. The front door dinged, signaling that there was a customer inside. "Hey, welcome to Chuck's! We'll be right w-" You broke off as you stared up at the man in front of you. Michael. You could feel your heart pounding out your chest as he glared down at you. You hadn't seen him in nearly two months, what made him want to come confront you now?

"We need to talk." He said gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest. He was 6'3 and he towered over you. It was something that had always intimidated you, especially when you were together.

"We have nothing to talk about. You need to leave." You tried to make your voice sound strong and determined, but it came out as just a small squeak. You hated the affect he had on you. For years he made you feel small, and even after the break up, he could still make you feel that way.

"Oh we have plenty to talk about, Y/n. Like how one day you just changed the locks to the apartment and had all of my stuff sitting out in the hall?"

"And you're just now wanting to talk about this, huh? You had nearly two months to reach out to me and to talk about this, but you picked now as the prime opportunity? When I'm at work?"

"Oh please," He scoffed. "You can hardly call this a job. Besides, I've been busy with other things." Dean's head perked up at the sound of arguing. He looked over at you and Michael. He could clearly tell you were in distress.

"Michael, just fucking leave. You're not welcomed here. Our relationship is over and there's absolutely nothing for us to talk about. You cheated, you were abusive, you were a shitty ass boyfriend. What else do you want me to say? I've listed a billion reasons as to why we broke up and you still can't accept that."

"Don't speak to me like that." He grabbed your wrist. "I guess I better teach you some manners." You try to pull away from his grasp. Before you could even shout for help, a fist connected with Michael's jaw. 

Dean looked pissed as he grabbed Michael by the shirt, slamming him against the wall. "What kind of pathetic coward lays hands on a woman?" He growled as he punched him again. "Come near Y/n ever again, and I swear to God himself, there will not be anything stopping me from beating you within an inch of your sad life. Got it?!"

You had never seen Dean so angry before, let alone get physical with someone. "And what's it to you, huh?! Why the hell do you care for some whore so much? Oh, I get it, you're fucking her, huh?" Michael laughed, throwing his head back.

Dean said nothing in return as he punched him once more before throwing him out to door. "Don't ever come near her again." Dean snarled before going to check on you. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he? I swear to God-"

"Dean. . ." You hugged him tightly. "I'm okay, he didn't hurt me. . . Thank you for sticking up for me." You whisper, tears in your eyes. Maddison and Jo watched as Dean wrapped his arms around you protectively. 

"No one's going to hurt my best girl on my watch, I promise you that." He said lowly, gently rubbing your back. "I'm guessing he's your ex boyfriend?"

"Yeah, he is. . . I thought I was finally free of him, but he keeps popping back up like an infectious disease." You were holding back tears, not wanting to cry in front of Dean.

"C'mon sweetheart, let's get out of here." He wrapped his arm around you and led you out to his car. "Do you need me to stay with you? I can tell Bobby something came up." 

You shook your head gently. "No, that's okay. . . I don't want to impose. I'll be okay until you get off work tonight. . . Honestly, I don't even what to think about what just happened. And it doesn't even surprise me that he came here. I guess I was just hoping he'd forget about me." You ramble on, looking at your hands.

"You wouldn't be imposing, sugar." He said, his voice soft and gentle. "If you need me, I'm here, okay? There's not much goin' on at the shop today, so Bobby can afford to be on his own for the rest of the day."

You felt tears brim your eyes as you kept looking at your hands, refusing to look Dean in the eye. "I-I could use some company. . . If t-that's okay." You whispered quietly. Dean tilts your head up gently with his finger so you would look at him.

"I'll stay with you as long as you need, darlin'." He then surprised you by kissing your head. He was so caring and gentle with you, which was something you weren't used to. He drove back to the house, letting you pick the music for the drive. Once you got back, he called Bobby and explained the situation before following you inside. He grabbed some blankets and popped some popcorn. "So, what movie should we watch? Comedy, rom-com, action?" 

"You really don't have to do this for me, Dean. . ." You felt like a burden. You made Dean call out of work just so he could sit here and watch a movie with you. You were an awful friend and roommate.

"You're right, I don't have to, but I want to. . . You're my best friend, Y/n, I want to make sure that you're okay. You've had a stressful day, and you need to unwind a bit. Plus, work was slow, wasn't much for me to do. I'd much rather sit here with my favorite girl and cheer her up." He sits down beside you, draping his arm on the back of the couch. 

You leaned into his side, resting your head on his shoulder as you let the tears flow. "I-I just want to be rid of him. He never let's me have any peace."

"Shh," Dean whispered softly, running his fingers through your hair. "I'm here sweetheart. . . He won't hurt you as long as I'm around, okay?" He kissed your head again, making you feel comfort. Storm jumped up on the couch, settling himself in your lap, purring softly. "See, darlin'? Even Storm's here to help you." That made the tears stream down your face harder. It felt like you couldn't breathe. Everything that you had held in from the break up came bursting out all at once, despite your attempts at pushing it down. Dean held you in his arms as you cried. "Breathe, Y/n, I need you to breathe for me, okay?" He murmured gently. You tried to breathe, but it just came out as choked sobs. Your body was shaking as you cried. Dean let you know that he was here, and that you were safe. You knew he was right. Being in his arms was the safest place for you. You knew that Dean would never hurt you, and that he would do everything in his power to protect you. 

Once you had calmed down, you found your voice. "Thank you for being here." Your voice was raw and hoarse from crying. Dean didn't mention it, he just smiled softly, kissing your temple.

"Of course, sweetheart. What are friends for?" He continued to run his fingers through your hair, as he could tell that's what was keeping you grounded. "We don't have to go out tonight, we can go some other time, I'm sure that you're tired after the day you've had."

You thought it over for a moment. "Actually, I think I still want to go out tonight. . . I just need to feel normal, and show that what he did doesn't get to me." You state confidently.

Dean grins at your confidence. "That's my girl." He let you get ready for your night out with him. You picked a pair faded ripped jeans from your draw, a black blouse, and a black leather jacket. You combed through your hair, trying to find a style you liked, eventually settling on having it braided. You came out of your room with a smile. Dean let out a low whistle as he saw you.

"You clean up nicely, darlin'." He grins. He was wearing a green flannel over a black shirt that fit him nicely and a pair of faded blue jeans. You couldn't help but smile at the compliment. 

"Thanks, De. Shall we get going?" You grab you wallet as Dean grabs his keys.

"Let's go." He smiles, resting a hand on the small of your back as he leads you out the door. You were very aware of his hand against your back. But you shouldn't be thinking about that. Dean was your friend and roommate. You couldn't risk anything. You slid into the Impala as Dean going into the drivers seat. You grinned as the car roared to life. The car was absolutely gorgeous, and you'd love to have an old car like this. That is, if you still drove. Past pains rear its ugly head into your thoughts, making you think of things you wish you could forget. You push it aside. Tonight was about having fun with your best friend.

You showed the bouncer your ID and you were let into the bar with Dean. It was packed since it was karaoke night. You and Dean slid up to the bar, you ordered your favorite drink and Dean got a whiskey and coke. "So, ya thinking about gettin' up there and singing?" Dean smirked as he looked to you.

"Me? Nah, I can't really sing." You shrugged.

"One, that's bullshit. I hear you singing in the shower all the time and you sound amazing. And two, no one who sings karaoke can sing. I'll do it with you if you sing." He offered you up a smile. You could never resist that boyish smile he had.

"I hate you, I hope you know that." Despite your words, you couldn't help the smile that spread across your face.

"Say what you want sweetheart. But hey, you get to pick the song and I can't complain."

"Oh really?" You smirked. "So if I picked a Taylor Swift song, you wouldn't say anything?"

"Hey, I can get down with TSwizzle, okay?" Dean held up his hands in defense. You couldn't help the laughter that racked through your body. 

"You did not just say TSwizzle-" You continued to laugh, Dean joining in.

"All I'm sayin' is that you can pick whatever song you like."

You went up to the karaoke machine, scrolling through until you found the perfect duet for you two. I Remember Everything by Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves. "We're up next." You grin as you pull Dean towards the stage. Dean followed you up on stage, grabbing the mic. "Ready?" Dean nods as the song starts. Despite having never heard the song, he did it justice. You never knew Dean could sing. When you sang your parts together, Dean smiled over at you, his eyes gleaming. Once the song was over, he helped you down from the stage.

"Y/n, you were amazing! I knew you had a good voice, but damn, that was beautiful." He praised you, gently patting your shoulder.

"Me? Dean, I had no idea you could sing like that. You were fantastic!" You gently punch his shoulder.

Dean chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck as the tip of his ears turn pink. "Thank you, sweetheart, I appreciate it." He grinned.

"Aaand I think that some of the girls over there found your singing attractive." You chuckled as you looked over to a group of girls that were eyeballing Dean. "You should go talk to them!" You encouraged.

"Nah," He shook his head. "This night is about you and me, and celebrating our friendship." He gave you a smile. You couldn't help the small butterflies you felt in your stomach. Instead of going off with a girl, he wanted to spend time with you. But at the same time, you felt bad, because you felt like you were keeping him from having a fun time.

You felt like screaming at yourself, because you always did this. Every time there was something good going in your life, you found a way to get in your head and overthink things. You wished you could turn those voices in your head off. Sometimes those voices got particularly loud, especially in times like these. You tried to push them away and have a good time with Dean, but you couldn't help it.

"You okay, Y/n? You got really quiet all of a sudden." Dean said softly. Damnit, he knew you too well.

"Oh, yeah, it's um, it's just been a long day, y'know?" You cleared your throat, looking up at him.

"We can head home if you'd like?" He suggested, tilting his head to the side.

"No no, I'd hate to be a bother. You look like you're having so much fun, and I don't want to ruin that." You spoke softly.

"Sweetheart, if you're tired or you just don't feel up to being here anymore, you can tell me. I won't be upset. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or feel like you have to stay for my sake. Besides, I don't care where we are, as long as we're together, I'm happy to spend time with you."

You gave him a soft smile. "I just don't think I'm in the right headspace right now." You sighed. "It's just been a long day with a lot going on. . . I promise to make it up to you."

"Don't worry about it, Y/n, we can just spend some time together and watch a movie if you'd like?"

"I'd really like that, De. . . Thank you." You whispered gently. Dean ruffled your hair and went to pay for the tab. You rode home in a comfortable silence as Dean hummed along to the radio. You were stuck in your own head again, per usual. You were leaned against the window, feeling the cool glass on your cheek.

"Are you sure everything's alright, sweetheart?" He asked, looking over to you. "You've been awfully quiet."

"I dunno, I'm just really struggling mentally today. After everything that happened this afternoon, I just feel so. . . empty?"

"I get it darlin'. What do you need? Do you need some time by yourself, or do you wanna curl up on the couch with me and watch some Dr. Sexy MD?" He questioned, his voice gentle.

"I think that spending some time with you could help. . ." You couldn't help but smile. You felt safe with Dean, and even though you were having a tough time, you knew that everything was going to be okay as long as you were with him.

[tia-amorosa]

Sunset Died - Wolff/Sekemoto

Departure

Later. Thornton actually wanted to go to bed. But what Sam had said at dinner tonight gave him no peace. “I know it all sounds incredible to you. But there are scientific studies and evidence that there are people who are hypersensitive. Sam is probably one of them.

“hypersensitive, huh…”. Thornton watched his daughter sleeping in her crib during the conversation. “He lost his father, Thornton. Even though he was still very small, he's certainly witnessed and experienced a lot. And he has a deep connection with his dadthrough Yumi's conversations alone. Maybe it's just a strong family bond, but maybe it's also a gift he has"/ ‘I won't believe the whole thing until it actually happens’…

Morgana took a step closer to him. “Please don't say anything like that, okay? We've all been through bad things…"/ ”Yes, and we're far from over. “. She looked at him with her head tilted. “There are still plenty of people here who still have hope. But what I'm most worried about are the many babies that will be born in the near future"/ ‘What do you mean by many?’/ ‘At least four, Jamie, she…’/ „uh…Well, hallelujah’..

“Yes, I thought the same thing when she told me. She didn't notice for months. Her periods had always been irregular and then suddenly her baby had a growth spurt…"/ ‘Thanks, I don't want to know all the details…’/ ”Hn. Anyway, she's off work for now. Oh man, so many offspring…"/ ”Yeah, and not enough provisions. I'm going to see Cy tomorrow”.

The night was freezing cold. Noticeably colder than the previous winter nights. And it was inevitable that falling asleep was taking longer than usual. They started to think more and more about the next few days… weeks. Why was it taking so long with outside help? That was one of the many questions they often asked themselves.

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

The night was quiet. At least in the city… But something was happening in the cemetery. Leighton appeared from the afterlife. A little confused at first. “Why was I sent here today? I was told I would only be allowed to visit if… wait, can that be? Mother…Sam?…”. His son wasn't the only one who seemed to be able to sense something in advance.

“If it's… Really meant to be… Then I'll wait. “. Leighton knew that if he left the cemetery, it would disintegrate. The dead, or rather their souls, are bound to this place to a certain extent. And only here was it possible to meet. So there was nothing left for him to do but hope and wait.

The next morning looked anything but sunny, as Yumi had predicted. But she spoke with confidence. And even if the weather was worse, it wouldn't stop her from making her way to the cemetery. No snow fell during the night, but there was still a thick white blanket on the ground to cross. But it's still too early.

But it wasn't too early for Yumi. As she had gone to bed early, the night was not particularly long for her. As she was about to go to the bathroom, her body stopped abruptly in front of her bedroom door. A strange feeling came over her, so intense that she could hardly believe it. “L-Leighton…h-hh, M-Morgana?”.

It didn't take long before Morgana came running out of the bedroom. “What, what happened, Yumi?"/ ‘I…I don't know, I…You…you're one of the few who doesn't think I'm crazy…’/ ‘That's true, but…What's wrong?’/ ‘Leighton, I…I can feel him, he's here…’. Yumi rubbed her hands together from nervousness.

Morgana knew that Yumi often had moments like this and tried to calm her down a little. “Hey, what do you say we have breakfast first, alright?” / ”What? No! Me, I don't want to eat now, I want to see my son!”. Her voice trembled and Morgana realized that her whole body was doing the same. “Please, +… i know he's there.”

Just a few seconds later, Sam came out of the bathroom. He wasn't the only one who had gotten up early. “Morgana…"/ ‘Sam…don't worry, I…’/ ‘Grandma has to go to Daddy…’. She looked at him with wide eyes. There was something like sadness and expectation in his gaze at the same time. “Hh, all right then. I'll help you get dressed first, alright?”. Yumi nodded with a pained expression on her face.

After about 15 minutes, Morgana came downstairs with Yumi and Sam. Thornton came out of the kitchen in surprise. Then he looked at his wife. “Don't ask, okay? We'll be on our way now.” He looked for a moment at Yumi, who was standing nervously at the front door.

While his grandmother couldn't hide her nervousness, Sam stood silently beside her with an unusual calm. Almost like a little soldier waiting to give her safe conduct.

“Morgana….” Yumi's voice rose resoundingly through the room, in it you could hear not only her impatience, but also a bit of fear. “Sorry, I'm coming…”. Morgana hugged her husband again before leaving the house with the two of them. And you could feel an unfamiliar chill in the air….

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

@greenplumbboblover

Poses by @poses-by-bee , 77 Pose,

[avengers--assembly]

Appendix

Summary: Peter is feeling sick during movie night and after originally deciding not to tell Tony the information comes out either way. Unfortunately, we're not dealing with the basic stomach flu

Sicktember prompts:

5. Rogue Organ (tonsils, spleen, appendix, gall bladder ect…)

12. “You’re not fine, you’re throwing up/coughing up a lung”

14. Clean Sheets/Fresh Pajamas

Word count: 1609

Warnings: vomiting (not extreme though)

●◇●◇●◇●◇●◇

 There was nothing wrong with him. He was fine. The constant ache that had settled in his stomach was just an inconvenience. A mild discomfort at best. He could handle it and finish movie night with Mr. Stark. Peter just had to sit through another 40 minutes, and he’d have a free pass.

Mr. Stark was already giving him worried glances ever since he’d declined dessert—a rare event. The excuse of being full from dinner was weak, at best. Quoting Mr. Stark, Peter was never not hungry. Except tonight, when his stomach was aching, and he was swallowing the feeling of nausea.

Another bout of it attacked him, distracting him from whatever was happening on screen. He squeezed his eyes shut, exhaling softly. He had to stay quiet. No attracting attention. He could practically feel Mr. Stark’s gaze flicking toward him every few minutes, so Peter straightened up and forced a smile.

But oh, crap. He was going to vomit. All over the stupid fancy couch and the soft grey blanket Mr. Stark had thrown over him earlier when he’d started shivering. He steadied himself with a hand, pulling himself upright.

“Bathroom,” was all he said before leaving Tony behind, walking as casually as he could. Don’t throw up here. Not here. Wait.

The pain wasn’t just a dull throb anymore. It was sharp, searing. It felt like someone was jamming a hot knife into his side, twisting it until all he could think about was the burn. He clenched his fists, swallowing down bile as he reached the bathroom.

The bathroom was lit with a soft white glow as he threw the door shut and dropped to his knees at the toilet bowl. He emptied his stomach until there was nothing left. When he finally felt as if he was running on empty, Peter rested his head against the cold ceramic, his hands protectively wrapped around his stomach.

Ouch. That hurt. Why did it hurt so much? Even the stomach flu he’d had last season hadn’t been this bad. What horrible food poisoning was this? Maybe that hot dog from patrol? Ugh, just thinking about food made his stomach churn again.

“I must inform my boss that you are unwell,” Friday’s voice floated across the room, and Peter froze. He didn’t even want to know how the AI knew he was sick—there weren’t any cameras in the bathroom.

“Please, Fri, I'll tell him as soon as it gets worse.”

“I must inform you against this as you already have a fever over a 100 degrees, but I will stick to your wishes until I find them unreasonable.”

Peter forced a smile at the ceiling. “Thanks, Fri. I owe you one.”

A fever? That wasn’t sounding good at all.

After taking a deep breath to steady himself, Peter made his way back to the living room. He felt the tremble in his legs as he walked, but forced his expression into something neutral, hoping the dim lighting from the TV would hide his pale face.

Mr. Stark twisted to look at him, and Peter prayed his discomfort wasn’t too obvious.

“Kid, I was starting to wonder where you disappeared to. Wanna finish?”

“I, uh… actually, I thought I should go to bed. School day tomorrow and everything, you know?”

Peter leaned against the doorway, trying to look casual, even as he used it to support his weight. The pain was getting worse. He had to get out of there.

“Eh, it’s only like 10. Aren’t you usually up much later with patrol?”

Peter could almost feel the raised eyebrow from across the room.“I’m tired. And an early bedtime is, like, super good.” His voice wavered, panic creeping in. He couldn’t stand here much longer. It hurt.

“Sure you’re okay, kiddo? First, the ice cream, and now an early bedtime? Not turning into a responsible adult, are you?”

Peter forced a smile, trying to play it off. This was good. He was going to pull this off. No problem.

“Mr. Stark, how could you?” Peter shot back, mock-offended. “I’m not eating my vegetables tomorrow, just because.”

But then Mr. Stark stood up, stretching, and Peter realized he was running out of time. If Tony came any closer, he’d notice the fever for sure.

You could just tell him you don’t feel good, a voice in Peter’s head reasoned. You don’t have to suffer. That felt like something Friday would say. He really should tell him. At that moment, his stomach decided for him, and Peter vomited all over his clothes and the floor. His cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"Peter!” Tony yelped, rushing over. It was clear Peter was about to be fussed over. He just knew it.

“I’m fine…”

“You’re not fine. You just threw up. Why didn’t you tell me you were sick? Friday?”

Tony was already ushering him toward his bedroom, keeping a hand hovering inches from Peter’s back, not quite touching him. Which, fair, Peter thought, he was feeling gross and covered in vomit.

The smell of it curled around his senses, almost causing him to gag again. Definitely gross.

Friday’s voice chimed in: “A fever of 101 degrees, sir.”

“Friday!” Peter whined. “I trusted you.”Tony raised an eyebrow. “My AI, my loyalty,” he teased, though there was worry etched into his features. Peter wasn’t too scared about being murdered for not telling him earlier.

“Okay, kid, let’s get you cleaned up and in bed. Sound good?”

“Yeah...” Peter mumbled as they walked into his room. He really didn’t want to shower right now. More like curl into a pathetic ball of patheticness, but he had to clean up.

“I don’t feel very good…”

“Yeah, kid. Vomiting over everything kind of gives that away.”

“Not everything,” Peter muttered, his embarrassment flaring up again. Tony’s expression softened as he ruffled Peter’s hair affectionately.

“I know, bud. I’m just joking.”

With a grumble, Peter wiggled out of his shirt, tossing it onto the floor. Without it and his trousers, he was technically clean. No need for a shower. He could deal with that tomorrow. Probably.

“Pyjamas, kid. I’m getting something to help with the nausea. Guessing you have a stomach bug again?”

Peter only shrugged in response before Tony left him alone. He exhaled sharply, trying to chase away the shitty feeling clinging to him like a second blanket.

Pyjamas. He could get dressed. Easy.

Sure.He stumbled to the dresser, staring unimpressed at the contents. Everything felt irritating—like it would rub his skin the wrong way. After what felt like forever, he finally settled on a pair of bottoms and one of Tony’s MIT hoodies draped over his chair. It was definitely comfortable.

****

A few hours later, Peter’s peaceful rest was shattered by stabbing pains in his stomach. He groaned, curling up tighter in his desired ball, hugging the ache away. He thought he was better after the medicine Tony had given him, but now it hurt even more.

The movement stirred Tony awake. The man had insisted on staying the whole night, for emotional support or something, but Peter hadn’t cared. He could hardly breathe, his breath coming out in ragged pants.

“Pete?” Tony mumbled, half-asleep. Peter wanted to answer, but the words wouldn’t form, and only a whimper slipped out.

"Kid?” Now Tony was awake, switching on the light and flooding the room with brightness. Peter squinted against it, his eyes tearing up from the pain.

“Where does it hurt, baby?” Tony brushed a hand through Peter’s hair, trying to comfort him. Peter panted out, “Stomach.”

“Uncurl for me, kiddo. I want to check something.” Peter moved slowly, each shift making the pain flare. He cried out, but did as asked, uncurling completely, tears welling in his eyes.

Tony’s hands pressed gently on Peter’s stomach, testing different spots. “Does it hurt here?” He pressed a bit above the middle. Peter shook his head. The prodding continued until Tony’s fingers hit the lower right side, and Peter yelped in pain.

“Shit. Kid, I think we need to get you to the medbay. Friday, call Bruce for me. Tell him it’s an emergency.”

“What? No! I’m fine,” Peter tried to argue, even as he lay there, unable to move.

“I think your appendix might disagree with you on that one.” Peter’s eyes widened in panic, groaning again. Would he always have bad luck?

****

Tony leaned his head against the wall, appendicitis. Of course his kid would get it the one week he was staying over at the compound. And of course he would keep it to himself for some time too. 

He would probably have to call Aunt Hottie sometime today. A basic requirement to fill in Peter’s aunt but first he needed some time to chill out.

Gosh. Appendicitis.  

After nearly a decade of struggling, he got Peter to the medbay. The kid wanted to be cooperative, Tony was sure, but walking proved to be a challenge. And keeping body fluids inside oneself. The elevator took the causality of being drenched in vomit this time.

At least Peter was well on his way to recovery, sleeping peacefully in the hospital bed after Brucie helped out and removed certain rogue organs.

Tony breathed out, rubbing a hand across his face. The kid was fine. An organ lighter, sure, but fine. Tony didn’t need to worry about him that much. A few hours under, and he would have his hyper spider kid back, still the anxiety gnawed at his chest.

Loving people come with this. Worrying. Because he really did love the kid. The honesty settled in a part deep inside of him. 

Love. Yeah.

[heartache-otbs]

daylight - lrh (songfic)

an: this song is stuck in my head and i figured it'd be an ouchie fic so im sorry

summary: songfic, daylight by maroon 5 (first verse / chorus)

pairing: luke hemmings x reader

warnings: angst maybe? it's sad.

word count: 767

Here I am waiting, I have to leave soon. Why am I holding on?

Luke lays under the cool silk sheets, your body close to his as he lightly caresses your face under the moonlight. He can't sleep.

He hasn't been able to sleep for weeks. He's been stressing about going off on tour, without you. He loved his job, he loved travelling the world and he loved his fans.

But he also hates his job, because it takes him away from you.

Tomorrow is the day he has to leave, you had fallen asleep pretty early, tired from helping him back and prepare. So Luke had been staring at you for hours, memorizing what your face looked like and touching every square inch of skin he could, trying to hold on to you.

We knew this day would come, we knew it all along. How did it come so fast?

Luke doesn't know why he's desperately trying to hold onto you when this day was inevitable, how could he be so upset when this day had been coming for months? Shouldn't have he accepted it by now?

He thought it was just yesterday that he came home to you, announcing that he could finally go back on tour after the pandemic. How happy you two were and how proud you were of Luke. There was so much love and happiness in that moment, yet that memory in Luke's mind has faded into a blue hue of hidden regret.

It's too soon. Luke begins having second thoughts. I can't leave.

This is our last night, but it's late. And I'm trying not to sleep. Because I know when I wake, I will have to slip away.

Luke has hit the point of exhaustion, he can barely keep his eyes open but he refuses to go to sleep. The moment he wakes up he has to get in the car and get on the road, you couldn't take him because you had a school priority that you couldn't get out of.

"That's okay," Luke had sighed when you told him that you wouldn't be able to see him off "you need to do what ya need to do YN"

Inside he was torn to shreds, knowing he couldn't kiss you at the gate made him not want to go through it.

So Luke kisses you now, soft kisses all over your face while you sleep, his soft lips lingering on your warm skin every few seconds as he makes sure to kiss every inch.

And when the daylight comes I'll have to go, but tonight I'm gonna hold you so close. Because in daylight we'll be on our own. But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close.

You actually cried so much before bed. Once Luke got in the shower, you lost it. You were in such hysterics that Luke heard you from the bathroom and came out to comfort you, tears escaping his face as well.

As you held each other, Luke kept promising that he was never going to let you go. That he'd never let anything come between the two of you, that he'd hold you forever if he needed to. He made a slight joke that he wouldn't go if it made you stop crying.

Was it really a joke though?

What the big thing was about the next day, was that you two had never necessarily been separated for each other for a long period of time. You two had gotten together right before the pandemic started, so you spent all of your time at each other's houses. Moved in together pretty quickly, he hadn't gone anywhere for work and if he did you went with him, because of the pandemic you had online school.

But now with societal normalities back in place, you and Luke had to be separated from each other. Something that you both would have to learn how to deal with.

You two really didn't know how to exist without the other one on hand, some would say it was an unhealthy codependency but you and Luke were just happy.

What would you even do without Luke? It'd be so quiet. So empty. You'd no longer have his comfort coming back from class. No more making pancakes for him on Saturday mornings. Your routine will be all out of sorts, what will make up for it?

You tried not to think about it once it crossed your mind, instead, you let Luke hold you as you drifted off, sinking into the last night you had him next to you, dreading the daylight.

[silverynight]

The roommate

<---Previous

Part XIII

"Welcome home, Kacchan!" Izuku jumps into his arms, prompting the pro hero to chuckle. He looks tired, but for some reason he's in a good mood.

"Do you want me to cook us something for dinner, baby? Is Shoto going to come back tonight?"

Izuku blushes after hearing the pet name, as he always does, no matter how many times his partners use it.

A lot has changed in just three weeks, they all live together now; Katsuki moved in with them and sold his apartment. It made Izuku nervous at first, but both Shoto and Katsuki are very confident about their relationship.

"No, Shoto is going to come back until tomorrow. It's just you and me now."

"Dinner for two then..."

"Wait, are you sure? Aren't you tired?" Izuku asks, grabbing him by the arm gently. "We can order something..."

Katsuki smiles fondly at him before leaning to kiss him on the top of his hair.

"I'm fine... I'll just take a quick shower and I'll be back soon."

They have adapted quickly to this... Izuku is honestly happier and loves them both so much, although he still worries about being selfish. He has told them about his concerns once or twice and they always assure him this is exactly what they want too.

People have mixed feelings about their type of relationship, although Izuku has learned not to take them seriously and avoid Twitter as much as possible.

"I hope that frown is just because you're hungry and not something else, nerd," Katsuki scolds him, although he's not actually upset. He then gives him a kiss on the lips.

"I'm fine, Kacchan. I promise!"

"Alright, I believe you, baby," he mumbles over Izuku's hair before lifting him up with one hand. "Wrap yourself around me, we're going to make dinner!"

Izuku giggles and does as Katsuki tells him; making dinner together just means him being carried with one arm by his boyfriend while he uses the other to make everything himself.

They watch a movie afterwards, Katsuki refuses to let Izuku sit anywhere that's not his lap, even though the green haired man insists that could be uncomfortable.

At some point Izuku falls asleep and the next thing he knows is that he's in Katsuki's bedroom, being pulled against a broad chest. He nuzzles against it and cuddles with his Katsuki until they're both fast asleep.

A kiss on his cheek wakes him up and he realizes it's early in the morning already, however, Katsuki is still asleep. He turns around and notices that Shoto is leaning over him, standing next to Izuku's side of the bed.

"Good morning, baby," he smiles, amused, running his fingers through the other's messy, green hair. "Sorry to wake you up, but I know you have to go to work."

Izuku nods, still sleepy, finally realizing that Shoto is not wearing his hero suit; he must've changed first.

"I'll get up in a second."

"Alright," Shoto chuckles, giving him another kiss. "I'll make breakfast."

"No, you just got here, you should be in your room, trying to get some sleep!" Izuku protests, removing Katsuki's arm off his waist, prompting the pro hero to narrow his eyes in his sleep. He finally gets up, only for Shoto to take him in his arms. "Let me–"

"It's okay, I want to," Shoto assures him before kissing his shoulder and carrying Izuku out of the bedroom. "You can help me though."

As they make pancakes for everyone, Izuku can't believe he got so lucky; his boyfriends are absolutely amazing.

***

Izuku's coworkers are very supportive of him, but also a little bit too curious about his relationship with the two pro heroes.

"Who's better in bed?"

Izuku chokes on air and feels his face getting really hot suddenly. He doesn't have any trouble answering certain questions, except that one.

He shakes his head, while the woman chuckles and leans closer to him.

"They're both THAT good? Great. You deserve it, cutie."

Covering his face with both hands, Izuku makes a mortified sound before he hears Hatsume's footsteps.

"I didn't know your job was to make Midoriya blush..."

"Sorry, boss!" She says, before turning one last time to wink at Izuku: "Wish it was though..."

Hatsume rolls her eyes before looking back at the green haired man who resembles a strawberry at the moment.

"We all are very happy for you... Just keep that in mind."

Izuku nods, but can't bring himself to say anything because he's still too embarrassed to utter a word.

Fortunately, work distracts him for a while.

At least until another coworker mentions people have been disappearing in that particular zone and everyone gets tense and starts discussing the matter, although that seems to motivate them to work twice as hard in the different hero suits and gear they've been working on.

They can at least help the pro heroes that way.

***

He's saying goodbye to the others as he gathers his things and prepares to go to the market, when he notices Shoto waiting for him outside.

"What are you doing here?" He asks, smiling happily. "I told you I was going to buy groceries first."

"We are going to buy them," Shoto corrects him before pulling him into his arms, he usually does that, although this time there's something different about the way he holds him.

"You should be resting..."

"I had the whole day to do that."

"Did Kacchan head to work?"

"Yes, but he'll be back before I go too," Shoto assures him, prompting Izuku to look back at him with curiosity.

"You don't have to wait for him!" He chuckles as they both get in Shoto's car. "It's not like I can't handle being alone for a while! I mean I've done that before!"

It's just a joke, but there's something about the way Shoto's expression changes.

"We were talking about changing our work schedules anyway, so one of us is with you all the time."

As they get to the market, Izuku frowns, he steps out of the car and stares at Shoto.

"You know I can take care of myself, right?"

"Yes, of course..." Shoto mumbles nervously. "We just want to spend time with you."

Maybe Izuku is being too harsh, it's probably nothing... Maybe they just truly want to be with him all the time.

He takes a deep breath and checks the grocery list on his phone.

Curiously, that's exactly when Shoto's phone rings. He answers, but he turns around.

"Yes, he's with me. He's fine... I'll text you."

Izuku is already crossing his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes at Shoto.

"Was that Kacchan?"

"Yes."

"Calling you in the middle of his shift?"

"He's worried about you... We're worried–"

"Alright, you'll tell me exactly what's going on when we get home."

"Of course, baby," Shoto nods, clearly trying to calm Izuku down. He gives him a kiss on the cheek and Izuku lets him because even though he's slightly irritated that doesn't mean he's not going to give him and Katsuki (when he gets home) an opportunity to explain themselves.

***

Next--->

Patreon

[lisutarid-a]

[Gakuen K] Totsuka Tatara Route Translation

Scavenger hunt

LIST OF CHAPTERS

[Translation under the cut]

Yata: Yahooooo! It's the long-awaited sport festival! I'm going to go wild today, Uraaaaah!

Yata: I've entered in all possible events!! I want to know what I'm capable of!!

Fushimi: Tsk...Shut up... 

Yata: Oi idiot, what did you just say!

Claudia: [Attention please. Students participating in the scavenger hunt, please assemble at the west gate now]

Yata: Oh, I've been called. I'll leave the match with you for later! Prepare yourself!

Saya: (Yata-kun seem to be in high spirits. Guess it's because the midterms are finally over)

Fushimi: ...

Saya: (Fushimi-kun seemed to be the same as ever, though)

Saya: ( Oh, as I recall, the P.E. grade depends on our performance at the festival)

Saya: I can't lose to Yata-kun! I have to work hard too.

Totsuka: Hee-eey, here you are.

Saya: (Eh!)

Saya: Senpai. Hello.

Totuka: Hi. It may sound strange, but, do you have any good luck charm with you right now?

Saya: Luck charm? Yeah, I have one.

Totsuka: Ah, really?

Saya: Yes. I buy one every year. It's a good luck charm for health. Is it okay?

Totsuka: Uhm. Any will be fine. Can I borrow it for a while?

Saya: Yeah, here. Are you, by any chance, participating in a scavenger hunt?

Totsuka: Exactly! I'll return it to you soon!

Saya: (Ahhh, I'm tired...I'm gonna go to bed early tonight)

Saya: ..Eh, I don't have my charm.

Saya: (Ah, yeah. I gave it to Totsuka-senpai. He'll return it to me tomorrow)

Totsuka: Oiii, wait!

Saya: Senpai.

Totsuka: Ahhh...I finally caught up with you.

Totsuka: I found you, however I am too tired to move properly.

Saya: Senpai, are you all right?

Totsuka: Actually, my legs are giving away already. Do you have a minute? Why don't we sit over there and talk?

Saya: Yeah, it's okay.

Totsuka: That's good. Aaah...I'm tired.

Totsuka: I was thinking to return the charm I borrowed from you. Here, take it.

Saya: You could have done it tomorrow. Thank you for going to the trouble.

Totsuka: By the way, thanks for lending it to me. I really wanted to return it right away, but I had a lot of things to do. Sorry.

Saya: How did the scavenger hunt go?

Totsuka: How do you think?

Saya: Ummm...Because Totsuka-senpai is smiling so much...could it be first place?

Totsuka: Correct! I won first place!! But the fact that I was revealed by my facial expression is kinda embarrassing.

Saya: Congratulations! First place is awesome!

Totsuka: Haha. Thank you.

Totuka: I was surprised myself. I've never been first in sports.

Saya: Are you not good at it?

Totsuka: I don't dislike exercise itself, but I'm not very good at it.

Totsuka: Come to think of it, last year's obstacle competition was also a mess.

Saya: Could it be that you were in last place?

Totsuka: Around it. I was trying to get through the net and got tangled up in it. I almost made it to the finish line.

Saya: That was dangerous...

Totsuka: I also participated in the 100-meter run, but I tripped on a rock and fell on my head. It was a tough time.

Saya: (That sounds like a lot more than "a tough time"...) 

Saya: Emm...Senpai, this good luck charm you returned, please take it to youself if you want.

Totsuka: But it would be bad if I take it.

Saya: You getting injured all the time, so I'm kinda worried.

Saya: I know it's only a comforting thought, but I want Totsuka-senpai to have it.

Totsuka: ...I got it. I'll gratefully recive it.

Totsuka: Where should I put it. On the bag...On PDA also be good.

Saya: Fufu, please, don't lose it.

Totsuka: Of course, I'll never lose it. Since it was given to me by you, who cares so much about me, I will treasure it.

Saya: Y-yeah.

Saya: (Senpai suddenly looks so serious. It took me by surprise...I didn't know he could make that kind of face)

Totuka: Uhm. Like this. If I put it in the inside pocket of the bag, I bet I won't lose it.

Totsuka: Sorry for holding you up so long. Let's get going.

Saya: ...

Totsuka: Ah? Hello-o? Can you see me?

Saya: !

Saya: Oh, sorry. I was just thinking.

Totsuka: Are you okay? I'll walk you home.

Saya: It's still light, so I'll be fine. I know you're tired from the sport festival, so please take a good rest today.

Totsuka: Yeah, you too. Thanks for the charm. See you tomorrow.

Saya: Yeah, see you tomorrow!

[Prev chapter] [Next chapter]

[casspurrjoybell-33]

Wreckless - Just So Tired

*Warning Adult Content*

It seemed to Emmett Locke that Finnegan Walker was doing everything in slow-motion. His hand seemed to tremble a little as he unlocked the door. As soon as he was inside he simply let his shoulder drop and his bag fell to the floor with a thud. It looked like it took every bit of his remaining energy just to lift the carryout bag onto the counter. Emmett felt horrible for making a scene when Finnegan was obviously exhausted.

"I'll take care of dinner if you want to get a little more comfortable. Sorry, I didn't realize you were so tired. Let me help."

Explaining or arguing was way too hard so Finnegan just padded into his room and shut the door behind him. Getting out of his clothes sounded great except that he just had to put on some presentable pajamas and take them off again before bed and that was too much work. His contacts were definitely coming out though... glasses needed to happen now. He settled for kicking off his shoes and removing his belt and tie and then headed back out.

"Smells good."

Emmett pulled the second plate out of the microwave and put it down on the table, slipping into the seat. Finnegan was already shoveling food into his face but it didn't seem like he was actually tasting or enjoying any of it. He had questions, lots of them but didn't feel like he had any right to ask. One was fairly important though. Just how early was early? He hoped that it didn't mean 4:30.

"Please tell me you get to sleep in tomorrow? At least a little bit?"

Swallowing took effort but he managed to take a drink as well.

"I'll skip the gym so probably five? The tech won't be in until six so as long as I'm there by then, no worries."

Emmett felt lame for forgetting all about his issues at work.

"Still not up and running?"

Finnegan couldn't help but sigh.

"No. Just one fault left though and we think we have it figured out."

More quietly he added...

"Of course we thought that last night."

"I'll think happy thoughts, darling. I'll clean this up, you should get some sleep."

Finnegan knew that he was right but going to bed right after eating an entire plate wasn't exactly a good idea.

"Emmett? I don't want you to worry about me, I'm fine. And I'm really, really sorry about your mom. I wasn't trying to keep a secret from you or anything, it just doesn't matter anymore. I'm not trying to be difficult."

Emmett came over with a dishrag and wiped the table.

"I overreacted, sorry. I didn't realize how much it still bothered me, I guess. I just freaked."

When a large flash of lightning lit up the entire living space, they both looked towards the row of windows.

"I'm going to go."

Finnegan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If he hadn't been so tired... this would have been an easy call. He knew that Emmett didn't want to be outside in this weather and knew how ferocious spring storms could be. The problem was that he needed his sleep. A huge boom of thunder scared even him and he saw Emmett shrink back for a moment before gulping in a deep breath of air.

"You should stay. You don't have to drive in this... I know it bothers you."

He looked over at the clock and wished he could mentally roll the numbers back.

"I really do need to be in bed in like half an hour though."

Emmett wasn't sure exactly how those sentences went together and he didn't want to assume, not after tonight.

"Should I just let myself out after if it's still storming when you go to bed or... ?"

It took Finnegan a second but finally he realized that Emmett was being cautious and polite.

"I meant that you could stay-stay. I have an extra toothbrush. Just not sure I'm exactly up for anything tonight, I'm pretty much tapped out."

Emmett's gut reaction was to be offended because he didn't consider himself exactly pushy, he certainly hadn't been with Finnegan but instead he nodded.

"Not a problem."

The rain was coming sideways now, pelting against the windows but the thunder sounded a bit further away, thankfully.

"I mean, I definitely owe you but I just, that didn't come out right."

"No worries, darling. Why are you still wearing work clothes?"

He looked adorable in his glasses and Emmett really wanted to run his thumb across Finnegan's shadowed cheek but he felt like the fancy clothes were a huge wall between them right now. No wonder he'd been so confused by Finnegan's invitation to stay, the boy looked like he wanted to throw him out right now.

"They're just, they were easier. I can change. Do you want some pants to sleep in or anything?"

Emmett just raised his eyebrows, hoping Finnegan was joking.

"I sleep in as little as possible but I can leave on my boxers, no worries."

An idea slipped in and then right out of Emmett's mind and he couldn't quite catch it the first time but within a few seconds his brain had managed to put something together for him. Maybe he hadn't changed earlier because his pajamas were as silly as his boxers had been the other night.

"I don't care what you sleep in, darling. I figured out that you're a little and it doesn't bother me."

"A little what?" he asked, not sure what he'd missed.

"A little, you know, a little."

"A little person?" Finnegan asked even though he knew it couldn't possibly be right.

"I'm as tall as you are."

What?

Emmett could barely wrap his head around his response.

"Not a little person, obviously. I think I'm an inch taller than you though. But, no, a little. Like, you know..."

He was one... he had to know... unless he was playing dumb because he didn't want to admit it.

"Look, I don't care, really. I mean... I guess that's a lie, I don't want to be involved in diapers or pacifiers... there are some things... I shouldn't have said I was okay with it."

The thought of Finnegan wearing a diaper to bed made him cringe.

"Shit, this is going all wrong."

"Diapers?" Finnegan spat.

"What the hell are you fucking talking about?"

It was more of an accusation than a question. How had this turned into another hallway fight? Emmett put his hands up in surrender.

"I totally... I don't want to fight, Finnegan. I wasn't trying to start something. I just wanted you to know that... I don't know. Look, we'll have to talk about it sometime when we're both feeling better."

He felt fine but Finnegan was exhausted and more than a little bit irritable.

"I don't want to talk about it later... just explain why the hell you're talking about pacifiers and diapers. A little what? A little baby?"

Emmett sat back down.

"A little is someone who pretends to be younger than they are. Maybe pretends is a bad word but they feel happiest when they're acting younger, haven't you heard of it?"

Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he would be explaining this to Finnegan and knew he'd probably made a mess of it.

"I mean your toys, your boxers, the cartoons."

Finnegan's eyes grew wide and it wasn't because of the lightning that looked and felt like it was going to hit his apartment building at any moment. 

"Having a few toys on my desk doesn't mean I wear diapers, Emmett. And the boxers... I'm sorry but I didn't plan on coming over or anything happening. I always wear boring ones on dates... those are just for fun. What else? Cartoons? Lots of people watch cartoons... they make me happy and help me relax. I enjoy them... what's wrong with that?"

Finnegan wasn't sure why his heart was racing so much or why he was so nervous. When Emmett took his hand... he almost flinched.

"There's nothing wrong with it, darling. I just want you to know I'm fine with all that... if you were worried. I got to thinking that maybe you didn't want to put on your pajamas because they had transformers on them or something and you might be embarrassed... but you can."

Emmett looked at Finnegan until he finally caught his eye... watched them flit away and then down.

"I like you, all of you, well, the cancer thing threw me for a loop but forget that. I like you, Finnegan. And if you like toys and cartoons, that's fine by me. You can wear funny boxers on our dates. Okay?"

[dzpenumbra]

6/1/23

I think I can safely say that today sucked. I was woken up 1 hour after I fell asleep to a phone call from a family friend. The dude lives probably 20-30 minutes away and has a history in art. We were last supposed to link up... I think in February or March? And I told him then that afternoons and evenings work for me. Like... I always make a point to specify that.

So, I woke up and immediately rolled over and went back to sleep, then woke up to another call 2 hours later. I listened to the original voicemail. He was heading through my city and... wanted to see if I wanted to go with him? To another town upstate? And didn't even tell me what he was doing there... And he called at 8AM, with no advanced notice. And I barely know the guy.

Engaging the voicemail with my brain made me fully awake, yet exhausted. That horrible feeling. I put the box fan on and... still couldn't get back to sleep for at least another hour. I took the opportunity to finish the Amazon order. Fuck it, right?

Eventually, I got up. I ate some food, that usually helps me fall asleep. Then I went to the comfy chair and got myself to pass out for another hour and a half. And... I've been up since then.

I even did yoga, and a small workout. I got a pizza delivered so I didn't have to worry about food. But... I never made coffee all day. My whole rhythm was thrown off all day. And it's been pretty hot all day too.

So I've been enduring most of the day with this nasty headache, and I've been really hot, and even a little nauseous for bits of it. It's been really rough.

I can't keep living like this. I swear, it's just one little thing and it just --- ugh. I don't even feel like catastrophizing. I don't even have the energy.

It's early (for me). It's 1:45. I've been nodding off for the past 4+ hours. Now, I'm gonna make sure I get to bed at a somewhat decent time. And I'm going to pray that I can actually sleep in the heat. Apparently it's supposed to get into the 90's tomorrow.

I did the test beads too. Not the spray part though, but I finished designing them and Mod Podge'd two of them. The other two I'm just going to spray without Mod Podge just to see the difference.

So yeah, the rest of the thoughts I have rattling around in my head are just... catastrophizing and lamenting, and... again... I just don't have the energy for that. I just wanted to say, because it's been in my head all day... that I feel bad for flaking and not texting that family friend back. It's just a text, I could've done that at any point today and I just flaked. I feel bad. I don't need to, it's not the end of the world and I'll likely text him tomorrow, but like... I've been doing that more and more lately, not responding... because I just get distracted or sucked into something, or just flat-out forget, then hours go by and I remember and by that point... it's awkwardly late. I've never really had a problem with this my entire life until the last couple years, in fact... I was always really good at reliably getting back to people and responding. Just something I noticed. I'm going to do tarot and then water my plants and head to bed.

Past - Ace of Swords, inverted (Intellect, apply logic and reason, Clarity and focus of mind.) Present - XVI: The Tower (Drastic transformation, unforeseen change, paradigm shifts.) Future - XIII: Death (Life-altering transformation, sudden natural change.)

Wow. I was not expecting something this heavy tonight. I guess we'll see what to make of this. Two cards back to back that make my heart do that tight spasm thing. Fun.

Let's start on a... naw, its not a good note. The source here is something interfering with my clarity, my ability to deal with logic and reason. Sound familiar, fellow anxiety disorder victims? It could be other things too, but that's where my intuition is bringing me tonight so... let's explore. That thread is connected to a card that I never like seeing. The Tower. The Tower means... okay... say your current life, your personality, your routine, the things you know and love... they're all bricks in a tower that you are building to keep you safe from the chaos and unpredictability of the world. The Tower is the sudden unexpected lightning bolt that strikes that Tower, throws you from the parapet and sends the whole thing crumbling to the ground. And what this catastrophe leads to... is Death. Death gets a bad name, of course. Why wouldn't it. It's fucking Death. However... Death in this context is about... a natural conclusion. I had to do some research on it because The Tower and Death are actually really similar cards. The closest I can tell is that... The Tower is more... unforeseen? More out-of-the-blue. And Death is... a natural conclusion to a chapter. Not necessarily "the end" in totality, but a natural, inevitable conclusion. That's what I got from it, at least.

What this means for me? I'm not sure, honestly. And, if you've been following these readings, I've had a pretty healthy ability to intuit my way through this... but... I honestly think my anxiety and a latent fear that fate might actually be real... they might be causing me to draw a self-protective blank. What life structure is being shattered? The staying up until 7AM crap? The nocturnal thing? I mean, I barely have any structure at all. Which is why I dread The Tower so much. If you have a schedule, a family, a job, a routine, all of those things concurrently... if you lose one of them... I mean, it fucking hurts, don't get me wrong... but like... you still have the others. If you have schedule, job, routine, but lose family? You still have the other 3. So... I've already lost my family... I barely have a routine other than yoga at the start of my day and this at the end, and making sure I do something productive in between, and try to do my one meal that I call "dinner" before too late. I don't have a schedule at all, really. So... the only thing left is... my job. And that one... I really don't want to get back into that.

So... I'm kinda hoping that... given the surrounding circumstances of today... that The Tower is my sleep schedule change. And maybe weaning off of RP streams. Maybe getting away from RP in general, other than as a tool for me to socialize. And maybe that's where the Death comes in? The inevitable conclusion that I'm going to have to walk away from?

I feel like I'm missing a piece. I feel like I just skipped right over the start. Maybe I don't really understand the Ace of Swords as well as I thought, let me look at it. Because the other two make a lot of sense to me, and seem to be echoing a very clear message of an imminent dramatic life change, but I just... don't really understand what about. Maybe... it's exactly that. Maybe the problem is a lack of clarity and vision.

I don't know, maybe I just need time to reflect on this. This was pretty heavy. It makes the past few nights feel like training wheels or something.

Agh, what am I not seeing clearly! It's nagging me. When I get big things like this... my puzzle-solving brain comes out and feels like some kind of time-travel movie where the protagonist has a very important but cryptic clue and they have to figure out what it means so they save the world or some shit.

Look... My world got flipped upside down like... 3 or 4 times over the course of the last 365 solar cycles. What's one more, eh? XD What's one fucking more.

Well okay, lets try to do breadcrumbs then. So... if The Tower is the Present, it means... it's happening right now. And there was a giant paradigm shift that fucked me up today. My family's intervention into my life, through a family friend that was almost guaranteed to be urged on to contact me by my mom. This fucked up my sleep severely, which has had me feeling like garbage and could take me days to recover from. That's sudden, it's unexpected and out of the blue, and it made a dramatic impact. So... if that is The Tower... then... how the fuck does the inverted Ace of Swords connect to that? A blind spot? An impairment or inability to use reason? What, because I wasn't prepared for it? I mean... I was fucking asleep. I don't know. Maybe because I was too anxious to follow up with this guy, because my last interaction with him was talking about how it was tough for me to leave my cat alone because she was very sick... like a week before she died... I don't know. Even that seems shaky. And then how does this phone-call fucking up my sleep... turn into Death? It could be Death of the staying up until dawn shit. It could be Death of going to bed when it's light out, and bitching about the neighbors making noise at 10 AM. I mean... it can be that. If I choose. If I can make it work.

Yeah, that's the best I've got tonight. I really didn't wanna do anything taxing tonight and then... this happened.... XD Oh well. I gotta go pass out.

[aamethyst000]

looking after someone with dementia - March 2,23 1:28pm

I came to her house yesterday evening at around 530pm, almost forgot to heat up her supper yesterday (I actually felt guilty about it) and stayed upstairs for a bit to keep her company for an hour or two. then I remembered that I was told she likes to be alone some time, so I came downstairs to figure out how to work the tv. I managed to figure it out, got on YouTube and started watching "The Last of Us" part one: episode 12 (markiplier let's play) at the part where ellie is taking care of injured Joel and then ended up being kidnapped by the cannibalistic Pedophile (he deserved so much more pain before death). Joel manages to save her even though he isn't fully healed.

I went to bed at 130am last night, had a hard time going to sleep because I COULD NOT just warm up for the life of me. I actually woke up before my alarm this morning, I was gonna say I am surprised but I think it is because I am in someone else's house. She seems to wake up very early, is she goes to bed at like 7 or 8. She has been kind to me so far, we didn't have much of a conversation. I guess she prefers that, judging by the way she talks to the nurses when they come in. I was told that I CAN go home for a few hours but the thoughts and doubts in my head are telling me otherwise. so, I am waiting for a friend of hers (also a nurse) to come here so I can ask her if I can head home for a few hours and then come back. I just don't know when she will be here.

3:30pm - yeah, I am not going home at any point today. kind of disappointed cause if the frie d comes over NOW. there will be no point. by the time I make it home, I'll only have time to change and get tf out again. I wanted to brush my teeth and take my pills (forgot to pack them). it is kind of annoying when stuff like that happens. I had assumed I'd be here another day, I was just hoping to go home and let off some tension I have in my body. oh well, one more full day.

I just finished watching TLOU part one on YouTube, ill be watching ellie's storyline before I start on part two. Poor Ellie went through so much in her life. She was even being trained to kill fireflies. I'm a little surprised at that at the same time,it sounds like something the government would do to gain power again.

6:05pm - I just finished watching ellie's storyline, and OH MY GOD I AM IN TEARS. I fckn LOVED IT!!! AND now I am watching part two of TLOU, I am READY for tears man. anyway, I think the lady I am looking after is slowly getting ready for bed. at the very least, she is slowly getting settled down. last night, she went to bed at like 730. she got up pretty early this morning. so far, this is not much different to my own daily routine. which is great ^-^ my nerves has finally calmed down a lot today. I even wrote 4 pages in my journal!

7:24pm - woo, I might be able to go home some time after lunch tomorrow. the daughter of the lady with dementia will hopefully be here by then. she just messaged me telling me she just got home, hopefully it wasn't a rough ride back. poor thing fell off of the roof of the shed. I have been double checking the woodstove and the front door all day (actually both of us have). the front door slide open sometimes and the woodstove doesn't warm up the upper part of the house. I feel bad about that. anyway, she put herself to bed, turned off all the upstairs lights and turned off the TV. I might go to bed early tonight, knowing I have to get up at like 9am or even 830am.

[wlwmarvelenthusiast]

Turn Your Luck

Summary: After a day filled with bad luck and a series of unfortunate events, Natasha manages to turn your day around

Pairing: Reader x Natasha Romanoff

Warnings: None

Words: 6,167

When you woke up in the morning and smacked your big toe off your bed frame, you didn't even think twice of it. It sent a jolt all throughout your foot, but after a few swear words, you were already feeling a little better. You didn't bother making the bed you'd just stood up out of. All your life you'd reasoned that it wouldn't be 24 hours before you just messed it up again. You grabbed a towel and moved into the bathroom. The hot shower made you forget all about the sore toe you'd been sporting only a moment earlier.

You were feeling great when you stepped out of the shower. The warm water had always instilled comfort into your very bones even this early in the morning. You wiped some of the condensation off the mirror to brush your teeth. The tube of toothpaste was completely empty, and the drawer where you usually kept the new ones was also barren. You rolled your eyes at your own irresponsibility, before brushing your teeth without any toothpaste and then using some mouthwash to try and compensate for it. You stepped out of the bathroom.

You got dressed in your favourite white shirt and black pants before making your way into the kitchen. You tossed your phone onto the counter as you passed it on the way to the small kitchen table. You were after the fruit bowl, which was already needing a refill. There were still a few apples left, though, and you were expecting to have one for breakfast. You were mistaken. You pulled the empire apple out of the blue bowl to find the bottom had grown immensely soft and was clearly not in any condition to be eaten. You were disappointed but tossed it into the compost bin and moved on.

Humming a soft tune as you moved, you popped a pod into the single-serve coffee maker and pressed start. You were moving toward the fridge in no time when a strange noise caught your attention. You whirled to face the coffee maker. Instead of the steady stream of coffee you usually got, it was spraying the hot liquid like it was a shaken pop can. You jumped behind the small island, using it as a shield. Thankfully, you'd managed to keep your white shirt safe from the wrath of the coffee. When it stopped, you finally dared step back into the kitchen. The dark liquid was dripping down every nearby surface. You huffed, running some paper towel across the biggest surfaces quickly.

You gave up on the coffee. It seemed you weren't going to get it anyway. You glared at the machine as if it had intentionally smitten you. Instead, you reached into the fridge instead and poured a glass of orange juice for yourself. You sipped it before setting it back onto the countertop. When your phone buzzed and indicated an incoming message, you reached for it. Your elbow hit your glass and it fell onto its side. The orange liquid spilled off the counter and into your white shirt. You gave the mess the middle finger, tossing a dishtowel on it to soak it up, with the intention of actually cleaning it after work. You already had to clean the coffee up anyway.

Any attempt at breakfast was abandoned. After the three kitchen incidents combined, you were convinced you'd be better off heading to some drive-thru on the way to work. Now in a new blue shirt, you grabbed your bag and headed out your front door. You unlocked your car, slid into the driver's seat, and hit the ignition. The car sputtered for a few seconds, before refusing to start. You tried again, and then again, before groaning, taking out your frustration on the steering wheel in front of you. You stood up and stepped back out of the vehicle, slamming the door behind you with much more force than necessary.

Then, it was off to the bus stop. You headed down the sidewalk to the nearest one, pulling out your phone as you walked so you could check your app to find out when the next bus was coming. When you saw big red letters informing you that the bus was halted until further notice, though, you had to refrain from throwing your phone hard into the concrete. You supposed you should have had a little sympathy for those in the accident that had halted your bus, but you couldn't find it in yourself right then. Your morning was not going well.

It was a good thing you hadn't smashed your phone against the sidewalk. It was the only thing you could use to get you to work now. You switched apps and ordered an Uber to come to pick you up. When the driver arrived, you climbed into the back seat and gave him the address of your place of work. He nodded and pressed his foot down on the gas. Your eyes had been glued on your phone, but your gaze flickered at the driver's movement. He was adjusting the mirror and you were absolutely sure he'd angled it to face you a little better. You could have puked when you realized the creep was checking you out. You didn't say anything, at this point just wanting to get to work and be done with it.

You practically sprinted into the building when you arrived. Security didn't seem to mind your rush, having seen your face every day for over three years anyway. You hopped up the stairs two at a time, faster than the elevator would have been able to carry you anyway. When you reached the meeting room door you took a few seconds to catch your breath, not wanting to seem too flustered in your professional environment. When you finally pushed the door open, everyone was rising to their feet. Their eyes all darted up to glance at you. You smiled sheepishly.

"You're late."

"I know, I'm sorry." That was honest. You might have been frustrated, but you hadn't wanted to inconvenience any of your coworkers as well. "I've really had a rough morning."

Your boss nodded. "We've all had those days. I'll send you an email and give you a summary."

You thanked him and left the meeting room with everyone else. You trudged into your office, throwing your bag to the floor, and refraining from slamming the door behind you. You collapsed into your office chair and closed your eyes for a brief moment. But you didn't have time for that. The paperwork on your desk needed your attention. You gave it. The hours you spent on all the files, emails, and documents were the smoothest thing that had happened all day, even if it was mind-numbingly boring and felt absolutely endless. It might have been smooth sailing, but it didn't brighten your spirits at all.

When your phone rang, you reached out blindly until you felt your hand come in contact with it. You shuffled it until it was upright in your hand. You were so completely absorbed in the document that was displayed on your computer screen that you didn't even bother to look at your phone as you fumbled to slide the answer bar. Only when the incessant ringing had finally ceased did you know you'd successfully answered the call. You hesitated before you slowly raised the phone to your ear, eyes still scanning the lines in front of you.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Hun."

Immediately you regretted not checking the caller ID before answering the phone. You could have kicked yourself. In fact, the move was so ridiculously and incredibly stupid that you could have beaten yourself to a pulp. The voice on the other end of the line was familiar, completely unwelcome, and not a surprise after having the day that you were having. You turned away from the screen, resting your elbow on the desk and massaging the migraine that was beginning to form in your forehead. You sighed heavily, sure she heard it.

"Hi," you stated. "What?"

"Hun-"

"Please stop calling me that, I already asked you."

You had asked her that. Multiple times. You'd broken up months ago after she'd broken your heart. Catching her in bed with someone else had left you shattered and unsure if you could trust anyone. You'd been okay for a couple months now after some comfort and reassurance from your best friend, who you were having dinner with tonight. You glanced at the time. Your attention was unfortunately brought back to the girl on the phone, though, when she sighed your name as if she were the one who was hurt. She had no right to be hurt.

"I just-"

"I'm working," you finally said bluntly. "Is it urgent?"

"No. No, I'm sorry. I... I can call you tomorrow."

You wanted to snap and tell her not to bother, but you didn't. You just nodded despite her not being able to see it, said goodbye, and hung up. Once more you were faced with the urge to smash the stupid phone. Once more you fought it, instead shoving it into a drawer so you could ignore it and work on the mountains of paperwork you had to get through before your six o'clock reservations. You got back to it. Soon enough, the information was able to push your ex far from your mind. You didn't want to think about her anyway.

It felt like it had been eons since you'd arrived at work, and yet, according to the clock in the corner of your screen, you still had over an hour until your reservation. You might have slammed your head down onto the desk in front of you had two things not stopped you. The first was the migraine that was still throbbing in your head, and the second was the ringing of your office phone. Even though you knew she couldn't call you on here, you checked the caller ID before you picked up this time. It was the front desk.

"Hey, Tamara. What's up?

"There's someone here for you. She said you're going to miss your reservations."

"Reservations? It's only 4:45."

Tamara hesitated. "Daylight savings. It's 5:45."

You had entirely forgotten about that and even if you hadn't, you would have expected the computer would auto-update something like that. But you had forgotten, and the computer hadn't jumped forward, and now you were going to be late, and you still hadn't turned in the file that you'd promised to turn in today. You groaned in frustration, but transferred the file to a flash drive, shoved it into your bag, and left your office. Clearly, everyone else had remembered the time change, as the office was empty.

You cursed all of your coworkers in your head. You made for the elevator. When you stepped on and hit the button to bring you down to the lobby, you actually crossed your fingers. With your luck, all of the cables on the elevator would snap and you'd plummet all the way to the parking garage and die in a fiery explosion. Thankfully, your little gesture of luck seemed to work, for the doors slid open safe and sound in the lobby. As you stepped out, though, your bag hit the door, and the company ID snapped off and slipped in that tiny little crack between the elevator and the floor and out of sight. You cursed loudly.

You didn't dare shine your flashlight down the crack to try and see how far it'd gone; either your phone would have gone down after it out the doors would have slammed shut on either side of your skull. Neither of those things were a chance you were willing to take. You abandoned your ID and continued to the front desk, letting Tamara know what had happened. She nodded in understanding before pointing out your best friend, who had come to collect you after you'd let her know this morning that you'd taken an Uber to work. You approached her and tapped her shoulder.

"Hey," she said brightly.

"Hey, Nat."

Natasha Romanoff was the best thing to happen to you all day. She was your very best friend. Too, maybe you wanted her to be a little more. She was the most beautiful woman you'd ever laid eyes on, the red waves on her head only accentuating her emerald green irises, which sparkled when she smiled at you. That was only her physical beauty. Though she was, to most everyone that knew her, a tough, scary Avenger, you knew it was a façade. Natasha was the kindest, most generous, selfless, and caring person you'd ever had the pleasure of knowing.

"Tamara tells me you forgot about daylight saving time started last night."

"Shut up," you grumbled.

"Irritable because you lost an hour of sleep?"

"Nat," you said, already feeling bad for snapping at her. You rubbed your head. "I'm not having the greatest of days."

That was how your friendship with Nat was. You both understood that not every day was a good day. She tried to convince you not to compare, but you especially understood that. Natasha had been through hell on Earth when she was a child and you wished with every fibre of your heart that you could bear some of that for her. But you couldn't, and you were sure that if you could have, she wouldn't let you. So instead, you understood the bad days, and in turn, she did too. When you stated that today was one of those days, she turned to you with concern sparkling in those beautiful eyes.

"You okay?" She asked.

Your heart fluttered when her hand took yours.

It was a friendly gesture, of course, but you couldn't help but wish it otherwise. You wanted to hold her hand and have it not be just as a friend. You wanted to be able to intertwine your fingers with hers and squeeze her hand tight and feel that constant touch against her. You didn't want it to be friendly, you wanted it to be more. You wanted it to be so much more. You wanted to call her yours and for her to call you hers. But she was just a friend, and it was far better than nothing.

You hadn't always believed that someone could fall in love without some sort of a romantic relationship leading up to it. Now you realized it didn't need to be romantic. You and Natasha were close. You were closer than you'd ever been with anyone before. Because of that relationship, you knew you loved her. You were head over heels in love with her at this point, and you'd realized that a little while ago when you caught yourself fondly admiring her as she drummed her fingers against the table, deep in thought. It was a habit that had once had the ability to drive you up the wall.

"Hello?" She tried again. Her hand squeezed yours.

Your stomach flipped. "Yeah. I'm alright. Just waiting for my bad luck to run out."

"What happened?"

"What didn't happen?" You scoffed. "My fruit is all spoiled, my coffee maker broke, I spilled orange juice on my favourite white shirt, my car won't start, my bus wasn't running this morning, my Uber driver was a creep, I missed my meeting, I almost missed our reservations, I lost my ID badge and... she-who-must-not-be-named called."

Natasha's eyes darkened, her hand gripped yours tighter, and her gaze moved to meet yours. You took a chance and swiped your thumb over the back of her hand to try and get her to ease the tension out of her muscles. It seemed to work, as she relaxed a little. Her shoulders moved back down, the crease in her eyebrow lessened, she loosened her grip on your hand and exhaled carefully. She nodded in thanks, green eyes once against soft and gentle as she searched your eyes. You knew she was looking for any hint of you being upset. You weren't, though. You were with her.

Natasha hated your ex-girlfriend about a hundred times more than you did. She'd begged you to let her sneak over to her house at night and slash her tires and egg her house. You'd given that a firm no, not wanting Nat to get in any sort of trouble. It was Natasha's idea to never speak her name again, and to burn a bunch of photos and clothes that were left behind at your house. She'd gone so far as to have the bench you'd once carved your names into removed from the park and replaced with a brand new one... on Tony's Starks card, of course.

"What did she want?"

"Dunno. I told her I was busy," you actually laughed a little for the first time that day. "It wasn't exactly a lie. I was swamped today."

"Hey, if Fury is overworking you, I'll kick his ass."

Imagining Natasha kicking Nicholas Fury's ass was utterly amusing. You had no doubt she could, but Fury was a force. She'd kick his ass and the next day half of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be at her doorstep to retaliate. But he was a good boss. It wasn't his fault you'd procrastinated your own work for days. That was on you, and you knew it. So, you shook your head no, he wasn't overworking you. She seemed satisfied by that, but the topic of your ex wasn't dropped yet.

"Next time she calls you can direct her straight to me."

"Tasha, you won't answer."

"Damn right I won't."

You laughed again. It brought a smile to her face too.

With that, you continued on down the street without another word of she-who-must-not-be-named. You had almost reached the restaurant where Natasha had left the reservations when you stepped on something that most definitely was not concrete. If Natasha hadn't had your hand, your leg sliding out from underneath you would have left you on your ass. She held tight to your hand, her other arm catching you around the waist. You had to force yourself from blushing red as a tomato.

You glanced down at what you'd stepped in and could have punched someone. The white paint that was being used on the storefront had spilled onto the sidewalk and of course, you'd stepped in it in your new, black shoes. You scraped the bottom of it off on the sidewalk, grumbling all the while. Natasha had let go of your hand when you'd tugged it away from her to wipe the excess paint on the side of your shoe onto the post of the 'no parking' sign next to you. It was still ruined, but at least you'd gotten enough off that you wouldn't stain the restaurant's floor.

"You weren't kidding with the bad luck, huh?"

You shook your head no. You motioned onward, though. She got the hint, and you closed the distance between you and the restaurant. You shifted your bag on your shoulder as you stepped in, hoping they wouldn't notice the wet paint you were tracking onto their floors. If you managed in and out without them seeing, you'd be alright. It was New York City. You were sure people had walked in with worse things on the underside of their shoes.

You watched Natasha closely as she gave her name for the reservation. You hated how the host eyed her even more than you hated how your Uber driver had eyed you this morning. You didn't want anyone to eye her like that. You wanted to be the only one allowed to look at her like that. You knew you weren't, though. You ripped your gaze away from where it had been travelling along her jawline just in time for the host to arrive and lead you to your table. You sat across from her, keeping your eyes down and you collected your thoughts.

"What are you having?"

When you looked up, her eyes were trained on you. Her eyes were your absolute favourite part of her. They always shone so brightly, and so clearly expressed whatever she was feeling. They sparkled like they could see into your very soul and were so deep you could get lost in them for hours. Even the colour was perfect. They were that amazing shade of green that had very quickly become your favourite colour. You often found you'd been staring into them for a little longer than what might be considered normal. Now was one of those times. You looked back down at the menu.

"I'm not sure. Definitely a drink," you hummed. "Though I might get poisoned."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't think your luck is so bad that your assassin will choose to poison you today."

No, because she would protect you from anything. She always had. You might have been a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and perfectly capable of protecting yourself, but she was always stepping in front of you to defend you. You couldn't say you minded. You liked having her at your back. Some people had a physical location where they felt safe. You didn't. Natasha Romanoff was your safe place. When you were with her, you felt like nothing in the world could touch you. She wouldn't let anything hurt you, and you wouldn't let anything hurt her.

Soon enough the waitress was stepping up to your table and taking your order. You gave yours first, opting for a simple fettuccine alfredo. Natasha gave hers, unaware of the way you watched her lips moving as she talked. When the waitress left and she looked back to you, your eyes were cast toward the window, watching a young couple pass by, huddled close together in the cool March evening. When she called for your attention and you gave it immediately, looking over to her. She sipped her wine as you did.

"You said your car wouldn't start?" She said.

"Yeah. It keeps sputtering on and on."

"I'll drive you home and take a look at it tonight. I know a thing or two about cars."

It was a good thing she did, because you knew absolutely nothing about what was going on under the hood of the car. All you could think was that maybe the battery had died on you, but that wasn't possible. If you'd left the lights on, you would have been able to see it through the window in your bedroom the night previous, and you hadn't. There was no other reason the battery could have been drained. You'd driven the car yesterday from your house to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York location. You might not have known what the hell was wrong, but Natasha would figure it out in seconds. The thought of her bent over to study the underside of the hood made you shiver.

The image was pushed from your mind when the waitress returned with your food. She placed your pasta down in front of you and you thanked her politely. She set Natasha's down as well. The redhead smiled widely and after double-checking that everything was alright, the server left the two of you to your dinner. Natasha glanced up at you, a very amused smile playing on her lips. You knew exactly what it was about, too. You'd gotten the wrong order and said absolutely nothing of it. Honestly, you didn't really care. At this point in the day, you just wanted to eat.

"You could've said something," Natasha teased.

"It's nothing. I'm hungry and this is just as good."

"We can still say something."

"It's fine," you assured.

"Let's stop and buy you a couple hundred good luck charms on the way back to your place."

You laughed aloud.

Dinner was good, despite having gotten the wrong order. You suspected that was due to Natasha's presence. The two of you had been exchanging stores of the craziest missions you'd ever gone on. Of course, she was winning. She was an Avenger. Your missions as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent were anything but boring, but they didn't compare to the alien invasion last year that Natasha had been at the heart of. You'd been helping from the edges of the city, evacuating civilians and the like, but you suspected she'd killed hundred more of the Chitauri than you did: one.

Before long you'd both finished, and the empty plates were cleared away. The server returned to you with the bill. You made sure your card was out before Natasha could even think about trying to pay. They collected your card, and you gave Natasha a very smug little smirk. She only rolled her eyes and thanked you softly. You thought all was said and done when the server returned. You prepared to leave but she shook her head, signalling you to stop what you were doing. She reached out, handing you your card back. You took it.

"I'm afraid the transaction isn't going through."

It seemed that your bad luck had struck again. You were fully confident that there was enough money in your account. There had been last night when you'd checked it, anyway. Either you'd had the misfortune of your card deciding to kick the bucket while you tried to buy dinner for Natasha, or even worse, someone had gotten into your bank account and cleared it out. That thought made your heart drop into your stomach as you reached for your phone, hardly noticing Natasha pulling out her own credit card this time.

You prayed for one tiny bit of luck today. Your prayers went unanswered. You logged into your online banking to find that someone had managed to get your credit card number and had been online shopping all day. Your card had long hit its limit and you were already dreading the phone call you were about to have with the bank. You huffed as you set your phone down roughly on the tabletop. Natasha glanced over at you as the server took her card this time. She raised an eyebrow. You were sure smoke was billowing from your ears.

"Luck isn't turning yet?"

You didn't answer that. "Thanks for dinner, Natasha."

She laughed. When the server returned her card and wished you both a good evening, she took your hand and dragged you back out the doors onto the noisy streets of New York. She was leading you back to S.H.I.E.L.D., where you knew she must have left her bike. When you got there, she scanned her ID and brought you both down into the parking garage. She brought you right to the motorbike and lifted the helmet off from where it was hanging on the handlebars. She reached out and set it on your head, doing it up underneath your chin. Her fingers brushed your skin as she worked at the straps.

"Normally I would never condone riding without a helmet, but I only have one. This head," she said, rapping her knuckles twice against the helmet on your head. "Is much more important than mine."

"Is not," you laughed. "There's hundreds of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but there's only six Avengers."

"And there's only one you," she insisted. "The helmet stays on that pretty little head of yours, and that's final."

That compliment seemed to awaken the butterflies in your stomach. They were still present when you both climbed onto the bike. They fluttered even more when Natasha told you to put your arms around her and hold tight. You could have stayed like this forever if she'd asked you to. You almost wanted her to ask you to, because you loved the ways your arms fit perfectly around her waist. Facing forward, she wasn't able to see the smile that was growing on your lips. Maybe all that bad luck was to make up for this.

Reluctantly, you took your arms off from around her when she pulled into your driveway. She put the kickstand down and took the helmet once you'd pulled it off and handed it back to her. You straightened out your hair a little bit in the reflection of your car window. Wordlessly, Natasha had moved to the hood of your car and tapped on the red paint to get your attention. You unlocked the car and popped the hood for her. She unhooked the latch and lifted it up, studying the inside carefully. That scene you'd been picturing earlier was coming true before your eyes.

"Start the car for me?"

You nodded. You dropped your bag on the doorstep, digging through the pockets until your hand had closed around your car keys. You withdrew them by tugging on the dinosaur keychain that Natasha had once given you after winning it at the arcade, where you'd spent hours at all the different games. You slid into the front seat, turning on the car when Natasha gave you the thumbs up. The car sputtered loudly. Then it made a sound you might have mistaken for a gunshot. The backfire nearly made you jump out of your seat. You quickly got out.

"You alright, Nat?"

"I'm good," she nodded. She moved away from the car. "It's probably just your spark plugs. When's the last time you had them replaced?"

You raised an eyebrow. "Hell if I know. I drop it off for a tune-up and expect them to tune it up."

Natasha laughed. "I'll grab some tomorrow and replace them for you."

You nodded. You watched as she reached up and grabbed the hood of the car, closing it again. She rubbed her hands against her pants. You clicked a button on your car keys, locking the doors. The lights flashed to indicate that it was indeed secured. You fiddled with the keys in your hand to get the house key out, opening your mouth to invite Natasha in as well, but found you couldn't find the golden key. You growled at nothing and dug through every pocket in your bag to see if it had fallen off in there, but there was no trace of it.

"My house key is missing."

Natasha actually laughed at this. "Did you walk under a ladder this morning? Spill the salt? Break a mirror?"

You glared at her. "Can you help me get in through a window?"

She nodded. You both moved around to one of the windows that you'd left open last night, after telling her you weren't sure you had locked it when you shut it this morning. Indeed, she found that once you'd removed the screen, she was able to slide the window open. You linked your fingers together to make a spot for Natasha to use for leverage. You boosted her through the open window and then moved back to the front door just as you heard the deadbolt slide out of place.

"My hero," you grinned as she opened the door. "I owe you a drink. Come on."

"I still have to drive home."

"Stay the night," you offered. "If you don't, I could very well just get murdered tonight."

Natasha laughed. "Well, I'd better stay and make sure you're okay, then."

You smacked her gently. She knew her way around your small bungalow well, having visited what could have easily been a million times. She made herself at home on the couch, tossing her leather jacket beside her. You moved into the kitchen, only paying half a glance at the towels you'd thrown over the two spilled beverages. You poured the both of you a drink and then brought them into the living room, kicking back on the couch beside her. You grabbed the remote, clicking the TV on. The screen lit up the room. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed the beautiful face beside you that had been illuminated. You turned back to the screen.

"I can put Netflix on," you said, pressing a button. "What do you want to watch?"

"Can I test your luck?"

"What?" You responded, turning your full attention to her.

She didn't offer an explanation. You felt her hand touch your thigh. Your breath hitched and the remote almost fell to the floor. You managed to set it down on the table as your cheeks began to burn red. She left her hand there for a few seconds before it slid away, letting you take a moment to remember how to breathe. Her hand moved away and wrapped around her glass. You knew how obvious you were being when you watched her touch the rim to her lips and the slight movements in her neck as she swallowed the alcohol. You needed a drink too, but you were frozen.

"I just mean... I could either turn your luck around or just maintain the bad luck."

You still didn't know what she meant. She was setting her glass down on the coffee table. Her eyes searched yours and you were once again tossed into the sea of green that you were so obsessed with. When she leaned forward and connected your lips, though, you lost sight of emerald green. Her eyes had shut and only a second later, yours had fluttered shut as well. You put a hand on the back of her neck to hold her closer and moved your lips with hers. You wondered briefly if you were dreaming. You didn't have long with your thoughts. Your mind was so overcome with whatever was happening right now.

Natasha pulled back. Her hand had, at some point, moved back onto your thigh, and was resting there gently. Your hand moved to cover it. She flipped hers over so that her fingers could intertwine with yours and for the first time, it didn't feel like it was just in a friendly manner. It felt so much more than that, just liked you'd wanted it to. Your eyes moved from there up to her face. She had been studying you intently. You'd never seen Natasha Romanoff look nervous. Not until that very moment. You chuckled a little, nervousness in your chest as well, and let your eyes fall.

"You definitely turned it," was all you said.

"Yeah?"

"By a long shot. I mean, I think this amount of good luck was enough to actually balance out the bad luck."

You didn't know Natasha could giggle, but she did. The sound made a smile immediately spread over your face. You reached out and took her hands in your own. You leaned forward and kissed her again, infatuated with the feeling of her soft lips pressed against yours so rough and yet somehow so soft. One of your hands pulled out of hers so it could thread through the red waves on her head. You'd wanted to do that for so long. She only pulled back when you'd both lost your breath. Your forehead rested against hers and you could smell the whiskey on her breath.

"Do you know how long I've wanted that?" You breathed.

"I'd guessed it, but I thought it was just my imagination because I wanted the same thing."

You laughed. She put her hands on your shoulders, pushing your back down against the couch and then putting her knees on either side of your waist. Her lips were on yours again, a little hotter this time. You didn't complain. You just let her lean down over you and kiss you and run her hand down your side. You only raised a hand to her chest and pushed her away when you once more felt the need for oxygen burning inside your chest. She didn't move far, face inches from yours, studying you this time from above. You blushed under her gaze.

"I... I've felt really strongly about you for a while," you said, hand moving so you could trace your fingertips across her cheek. "You know what I mean?"

"Are you trying to tell me you love me without saying you love me?" She asked, the teasing back in her voice again. "Because you're not going to scare me off. You can say it if you want."

"I love you, Natasha."

"I love you, too."

You couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't funny in any way, but maybe it was the relief trying to find a way out of your body. The sound seemed to make Natasha's eyes, sparkle. Your heart softened and the laughter fell from your lips and you didn't move a muscle. Her face was so beautiful looking down at you like it was. You felt so right having her touch you like this and touching her the way you were. Her hands were holding her torso up above yours and yours were touching her face so gently. It wasn't like a friend touched a friend anymore.

"Thanks for turning my luck."

"Are you kidding me? I'm the lucky one."

"I think we're both really fucking lucky, Natasha. Thank you."

[egg-on-the-run]

Massage

The turtle's s/o is exhausted, they help make things better with a massage.

(she/her pronouns used)

Leonardo

She's already asleep in his bed when he comes home from patrol. Usually she waits for him on the couch, even when she was tired, but Splinter had specifically told him she was already asleep, warned him to do his best not to wake her up.

She must be exhausted.

He tiptoes in as quietly as he could after his shower, spots her lying flat on his bed: not tucked in, just lying atop his blankets on her stomach. She had been too tired to lift the sheets.

He can see how tense she is, can see the way how even in her sleep her shoulders still rise to her ears, how her finger twitches with an anxious need to keep moving. Her face scrunched up slightly, adorable, but he would rather it be relaxed and soft.

He's careful and slow moving her onto the bed properly, still not setting her under the covers just yet. He's even more careful when he straddles her legs, keeps his weight off them almost entirely. His hands start at her lower back, kneading into her very softly.

She jolts and eyes snap open, "What are you doing?"

"I uh, I was giving you a massage, you look tense, even in your sleep."

"Oh," She relaxes, "You're an angel, just scared me a little." Her head hits the pillow again, already drifting off.

He tries once more, hands softly pressing into her lower back. She lets out a breath of air, sinking further into the mattress. He continues, travelling further up her spine. Usually he hates the sound of bones cracking (all of his brothers teased him constantly about it), but tonight he was quite happy to hear little pops coming from her spine. He especially didn't mind when she gave a little moan afterwards.

His hands travel further up towards her shoulders, kneading and rolling his wrists into the dozens of knots in her back. Her shoulders were so tense that she whined whenever he was too rough. He had to be gentle, working them out slowly.

By the time he was finished, she was sleepily trying to reach his hand with her eyes closed.

"Cuddle me," She mumbled as she found his hand, "Pretty please? I've got tomorrow off."

"Of course," He replied, moving to help her under the sheets, "That was the plan anyway."

He pulled her tight against his chest, hearing her bones crack once more as she melted like putty in his hands. He kissed her forehead.

"Thank god you've got tomorrow off, I'll let you sleep in as long as you want." He sighed, relaxing himself, "I'll make sure the lair is quiet."

She didn't hear a word of what he said, she was already fast asleep.

Raphael

Raphael was the king of tension. He wasn't like Michelangelo where little bothered him, or like Donatello who had those random self care days, or even like Leonardo who learned to de-stress through meditation. Oh no, Raphael carried tension like a mother with a clingy child: pulling on his shoulders, weighing him down and making him irritated.

It came with the whole anger thing.

So there have been countless times where she has used her knuckles to work the knots out of his shoulders. It was no easy task, especially when she had to use most of her body weight to actually get through each and every knot.

But she'd do it a hundred times more if he needed her to, and Raphael knew that, knew it all to well.

So when he sees her already grumbling to herself at the latest email that just came through to her laptop, when he see her shoulders rising to her ears in frustration and hands balling into fists, he knew he had to do the same thing for her as she had done countless times for him.

She jumps when he first puts his hands on her shoulders, but recognises the warm touch shortly after.

"What are you doing?" She asked, one hand reaching up to rest on top of his, she kept her attention glued to her screen, "I have a lot of work to do, Raphie."

"I know," He said, beginning to knead into her shoulders, "Just a massage, you look stressed."

"Oh with that lovely email, I am more than stressed."

She's always had a sharp tongue, never directed it to him (never intentionally) but he knows her patience is wearing thin and work certainly wasn't helping. He thought about taking his hands away entirely, not wanting to pester her; but she ran her thumb across his hand, typed with only one set of fingers, and Raphael remembered how often she did this for him when his patience was thinner than a piece of paper.

He pressed his hands into her shoulders again, watched as her head leaned back and body moved with his hands. He knew the feeling, when the knots were so tight they just hurt. He continued to work his hands into her shoulders, and slowly it seemed to stop hurting and the tension started to melt away. She closed her eyes, pushed her laptop away from her and just let herself be for a moment.

"Those big ol' hands of yours," She said, voice more like a breath, "So gentle with me."

"Not like you, using your damn elbows to get the knots out."

"But does it work?" She laughed.

He chuckled, "Of course it works, you're the best at this."

"Oh I dunno, you might give me a run for my money, this feels like heaven right now." Her head rolled to the side, turning slightly to kiss his hand, "Take me to bed Raphie, please."

With one final squeeze he let go, moving his arms to wrap around her waist and carry her to bed. Work wasn't important, this was.

Donatello

The lair was far too noisy, Donatello's lab was far too bright. Everything was just too much, all at once. Even as she sat on his desk, the reflection of his computer in his glasses from behind her was glaring into her eyes. He sat between her legs, arms around her waist and rambling about — god, she didn't even know at this point. She'd spaced out long ago, too overwhelmed to even try and catch up.

He moved his head at he spoke, Donatello was always an expressive fellow, and the light bounced off his glasses right into her eyes. She squinted, scrunched her entire face up and groaned.

"You have a migraine," He said plainly, "I have some painkillers in my drawer—"

"I took some earlier, they just haven't kicked in yet." She frowned.

She looked in pain, Donatello hated to see her like this, hated when there wasn't anything he could do.

He reached up and cupped her face, "Have you had enough water today?"

"Yeah," She mumbled, "Been using that new water bottle I got."

"When did you last eat?"

"Went out for dinner with some coworkers."

Donnie hummed, not knowing what else could cause her such a migraine. They usually had a reason behind them, she didn't usually just get them randomly. He wondered if she'd be on her phone too much, not to sound like Splinter, but she's been talking to him for the past hour or so, her eyes should have rested by now.

She pushed her cheek into his hand, letting his hand squish the chub on her face. Donatello squeezed gently, rubbing her cheeks in a circular motion.

"What are you doing?" She asked, voice muffled by his hands.

"Massaging your face," He replied, moving to knead her cheekbones with his thumbs, "Maybe it's tension that's brought this on."

"Maybe..."

He moved his thumbs over the bridge of her nose and followed the shape of her eyebrows, he repeated the action a few times before gently rubbing her temples.

"You're really good at this..." She murmured, eyes closed and jaw slack. Her face was no long scrunched up, but instead so completely relaxed she looked as though she was already asleep. Donatello persisted, using his thumbs to move the tension away from her face. His hands moved to her hair, grasping tightly and then releasing, he tickled his fingers through her locks: slowly so as not to pull on any tangles.

By the time he'd moved back to her jaw, he was pretty sure she'd fallen asleep where she sat. He smiled softly at her, kissed her forehead, and carried her off to bed.

He needed an early night as well.

Michelangelo

She had been on her feet all day, running errands for a coworker who had recently hurt their leg. Said coworker was fine, and would be perfectly capable of putting of such errands until their leg was better (really, Mikey huffed, using his girlfriend like a servant). But she could never just say no, and even after she'd ran around the city collecting bits and bops, dropping off items and buying groceries, her coworker hadn't even offered her so much as a sit down before he not-so-subtly led her out of his apartment.

So she came stumbling to the lair, exhausted and drained beyond compare and ready to collapse but still so eager to see her darling Mikey. He was in the shower when she arrived, she knew because Raphael told her, and because she could hear his singing before she'd even arrived.

She dragged herself to his bed, kicking her shoes off and not even caring where she left them. She collapsed to her knees before she could crawl under the blankets, lying surprisingly comfortably on the floor.

"Hey, hey angel! What are you doing down here?" Mikey's cheerful voice woke her up, along with a little shake of her shoulder. "We snoozing on the floor now?"

"So tired..." She mumbled, eyes fluttering closed, "Carry me to bed."

"No problem, the whole five feet distance it is." Mikey chuckled. He picked her up, sliding her onto his bed, careful not to bump her head on Raphael's top bunk. "All those errands huh? Guy owes you a thanks at least."

"Jackass kicked me out before I could even sit down at his place," She glared at the mattress above her, "So rude."

"Uh, totes rude? My girl did all that for him and he doesn't even let you sit down? Jackass is a very nice way to describe him." Mikey smiled at her, "Your poor little feet must be sore after all that running around."

"I think my ankles are swollen."

"Just a little." He teased, moving to sit between her legs. He took one of her legs and squeezed firmly along her calves. His hands slid down to her ankles and he frowned: they were slightly swollen, he had only been joking but turns out he was right. He rolled her ankle for her, moved her foot so that it pointed and then helped stretch her heel. He squeezed her calf one more time before moving on to her other leg.

"You're so sweet," She babbled, "Thank you for taking care of me."

"No problem babe, somebody has to," He laughed, "And it's not hard work."

She smiled at him, eyes struggling to stay open. He smiled back at her, not that she could see him, and softly told her to go to sleep; he'd take care of her.

[chrissypoox2]

R U N A W A Y 🖤 Chapter 2

Pairing: Bangchan x Female reader

Genre: Fluff 

Word Count: 1,088 

a/n: So ive deiced to turn this into a 4 chapter series buut i actually odnt know how im gonna end iy anyways enjoy. (This chapter might seem weird because im switching up the plot a bit, from what the orginal is supposed to be) 

TW: Alcoholism

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

You wake up in the morning feeling next to you. Chan had already left for work, and even though he said this weekend was his weekend off he still left to go to the studio. He was a determined person when it came to getting things done. Which was no surprise. You get out of bed and head to the washroom to ready yourself for the long day ahead. You're still thinking about the little runaway date and want to make sure everything is perfect for when the date is official. 

Sometime next week should be good. He is on holiday break all week so the date could last longer than just one day. 

You got on your computer and worked on the date for almost 4 hours before you finished the draft plan from the date. Looking up venues and restaurants and budgeting with whatever you got from your job was a tedious task. Your phone rings and when you look it's Chan. You pick up your phone and answer.

"Hey babe, what are you up to right now." Chan started conversations where he was all sweet and then ended up asking you to bring things to the studio for him. He is sweet regardless but he does go the extra mile to butter you up.

"Nothing much just playing games. Why? Do you need me to bring you something?" You knew Chan forgot something why else would he call you?

"Haha no I didn't forget anything I genuinely just wanted to check up on you"

Awwwee how sweet, but there has to be a catch this 

"Oh okay, well I'm fine. How are things at the studio?"

"The studio?" Chan sounded a bit confused by your remark.

"Yeah isn't that where you went? That's why you left early this morning? I assumed you were just at the studio working on music?"

"No actually the others and I are in Busan right now for a promotional, I just wanted to call to also tell you I won't be back home till tomorrow morning. So you don't have to worry about dinner tonight just make sure you eat and sleep well k?"

MORE TIME TO PLAN WITHOUT BEING INTERRUPTED HELL YEAH 

"Oooh okay, don't worry about me I'll be okay."

"Alright call me if you need anything. love you" 

"Will do, I love you too. Bye." You hang up the phone and get up to eat something, at the pace you working at you could get this done by the afternoon and pick up a couple of quick and easy commissions to do for some extra change. 

You continue your day as normal after finishing the date and also setting the budget. You're on your way to a babysitting commission, but it's on the part of the town that you are not familiar with. You look down at your phone and continue to follow the route. You look up with it saying that you've arrived and the house looks sketchy, but you're getting $75 for watching the kids for only 2hrs, it was a good deal and one that you couldn't easily pass up on. You knock on the door and some old guy who recks of alcohol opens. 

"y/n?" the man looks at you squinting his eyes and chugging down a beer. 

"Yes! Hello Sir, I'm here to babysit-" The man rolls his eyes and interrupts.

"Yeah, I know, come inside please." You walk in hesitantly and the man continues to give you instructions.

"I'll be out for 2 hours the kids are sleeping but when they get up there is food in the fridge in containers with their names on it. Our dog is in the backyard and isn't allowed in the house. He leaves a weird smell. If you need anything my number is on the fridge door. If my wife gets home don't leave her here with the kids. She needs her sleep after a long day of work. Also here.." the man hands you half of the payment while standing there. 

"Here is the first half, I'll give you the rest when I get back. Have fun." and with that, the man left. You didn't wanna assume where he might've been off to, but when you continued into the house it was messy and he was so worried about the dog leaving a smell, the house smelled bad already. You wanted to go the extra mile even if they didn't tip you for it and clean up the house just a bit. 

-TIME SKIP- 

an hour had passed by and you got the smell out of the carpet, the dishes were clean, and you lit a couple of candles you found and organized the bookshelves and the Cds. The kids' toys were all neatly packed away. You even did some yardwork too just for the heck of it. Then the door opened and you had assumed it was the wife. You walked to the door to greet whoever came but you were met with a strange man. 

"Hey you, do you know where the owner of the house went? Tall dude, black hair that's up the ear length, he has a mole on his right cheek?" You weren't sure what to say, so you didn't say anything, you just nodded no. The man looked disappointed but left after standing there for a couple of seconds he left. As soon as he left you went and locked the door, and with that, you locked all other points of entry. 

They better give me more than $75

The wife came home and the kids woke up, you played some games with them to keep them occupied and cooked some popcorn so they could enjoy their movie. It made you wonder what married life would be like with Chan. It would be wonderful for sure.

The father came home and gave you the money with a $50 tip for cleaning and handling the strange man and told you not to worry about it when you brought it up. The next commission was also babysitting but it was in a completely other part of town. 

-TIME SKIP- 

It was about 9 pm when you finished your commissions. You did a total of 5 commissions and were able to make $700, which would be more than enough for your trip on top of what you're already putting in. 

You finally get home and you are so exhausted that you fall asleep as soon as you touch the couch. 

TO BE CONTINUED

[kuronanox]

Bad Dream - Kira Izuru

Kira looks down at the paperwork in defeat as he groans and tried to reorganize them. The wind from the window was gusting everywhere causing them to fall on the floor.

Shuffling noises were in the background as he cursed under his breath.

A small feminine hand had reached over his as Kira eyes looked up to meet (Your Name).

"Need some help Kira Fukutaicho." She asks him as he looks down at the papers again.

"Did you need something?"

"I came to turn in some papers! I've been feeling under the weather."

He props the papers on the desk to even them out and turns to her. "If you don't feel good, get some more rest (Your Name)."

She shakes her head and hands him her work. "I can't let you run the Squad all alone."

Kira slightly smiles at her as he gave his attention back to his work.

She took in his features and noticed how much he didn't smile anymore, during the academy days he was so innocent and cheerful. Growing up they were close but now it seems as she didn't know him anymore.

"Did you want to come over for dinner tonight?" She asks him as he looked up from the papers.

"Who's going?" He asked with curiosity, Kira didn't wanna intrude on her personal life especially when one of the reasons why he was feeling down was because of her relationship with Hisagi.

"Just me and Shuhei! But don't worry he won't mind! I think he kinda misses you." She winks as he wanted to frown.

"Don't you think it's weird?" He says a bit rudely not noticing his tone of language as her eyes widen from disbelief. Noticing her face sadden a bit he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in that way. I'm actually behind on the Captains papers so I probably won't have time." He added.

"Well you don't have to do it alone! Shuhei is in the same position so maybe you guys could do it together and we can all drink a bit! I'll even invite Matsumoto Fukutaicho if it lightens the mood!"

Kira didn't want to be in the same room as (Your Name) and Shuhei. He tried to think anyway possible to escape tonight but she seemed on insisting he come out.

"I guess, what time tonight?"

"Around 8! I'll cook dinner!" She says with a smile on her face as she ran out happily.

Knowing it made her happy that he was coming out was okay with Kira even though he wasn't in the mood to socialize.

"Kira?" Shuhei asks with a smile as he got back from work while leaning his zanpakuto on the wall.

"Yes! He's seems down a lot recently so I thought inviting him to dinner would be a good way to have fun, oh Matsumoto is coming too!" (Your Name) said as she pulled out some veggies and protein out from the fridge.

Shuhei wrapped his arms around her body as he kissed her temple as she smiled while cutting the broccoli.

"That was nice of you, I've been worried about him." He tells her letting go and washing his hands to help prep with dinner.

"And I've been worry about you." (Your Name) states to Shuhei as he raises a brow and started to wash the rice.

There was a knock on the door before he could say anything.

"Hey we're here! Open up!" Rangiku cheerful voice rang around from outside as Kira was standing behind her with a tired expression.

"Hey! We just got started on dinner! Come on in!" (Your Name) welcomes them into her and Shuhei shared home.

It was Kira first time here, he took in the view. There was nothing really special that stood out to him except a few decor and a guitar in the living room. There was a few picture frame of the couple as they smiled to each other.

There was jealousy in the blonde lieutenant as he looked away from them and set a bottle of sake down he brought.

"Kira! Finally see you've been out of your own quarantine!" Shuhei greets him and pats him on the back.

"Slightly busy that's all." He tells the older man and smiles.

Rangiku sat down and cracked a sake open while they waited for dinner. She was in a cheerful mood today. "Oi we haven't been able to drink together in a while!" She tells Kira as he chuckles and gets himself a small cup.

"Likewise."

As him and Rangiku took small talk he could see in his peripheral version Shuhei and (Your Name) happily cooking together. There was small kisses stolen from each other as they were in sync.

"Dinner is served!" Shuhei yells placing down the rice, salmon and veggies along with miso soup to wash it down.

"Wow a chef in the house." Rangiku says as they all dug in.

"You guys started without us!" (Your Name) pouts noticing that two bottles of sake were already empty from Kira and the busty women sitting next to him.

"Ooo sorry that means y'all have to catch up!" She says as they poured themselves a cup.

Kira slightly smiles at (Your Name) cuteness as he took a bite of the fresh cooked fish. A part of him was thankful that it wasn't them three alone. He already didn't wanna talk much but the alcohol was kicking in and he was also thankful rangiku was there.

He didn't notice how hungry he was till a pair of chopsticks had put down a new piece of salmon in his bowl nonchalantly. It was (Your Name) as she was conversing with Rangiku about their new beauty routine with Shuhei listening and putting his input.

It felt like he was in the academy again, when he forgot to eat or wasn't eating enough (Your Name) was always feeding him and taking care of his health. The lieutenant knew she brought him out tonight so he could enjoy himself more.

"Thank you." He says as her flushed face smiles at him and went back to her conversation.

He blushed but it wasn't noticeable because of all the alcohol he already consumed.

"Kira you are particularly quiet for being drunk already!" Rangiku chimes in as he was lost for words.

"I- I am not drunk!"

"Sure you are! You finished 3 bottles alone already!" Shuhei laughs as he just groaned.

It was later in the night when it started to get rowdy, they all had a few to many as they were shouting to each other.

They were playing card games and gotten into it. They decided ride the bus because apparently kisuke had showed Rangiku a while back when she was in the human world. He told her it was a drinking game a lot of college students were doing so she wanted to hop on the trend.

"Kira you're on the bus so you have to keep drinking till you get these cards right!" She said as he took sips of the beer they had brought out for back up.

As he was drinking (Your Name) and Shuhei were cleaning a bit since it was getting messy.

Him and Rangiku were having to much fun that Shuhei retired for the because he had an early morning but he insisted on them staying and enjoying themselves.

By the time Kira won the card game he was sauced and couldn't walk in a straight line. He knew drinking with Rangiku was going to be a disaster.

"Did you want me to take him back?" He heard Rangiku ask (Your Name) as he was slumped on the table.

"It's okay, he can stay for the night. We work together anyways so I'll wake him up tomorrow." (Your Name) tells the older lady as she left for the night.

"Okay big boy, help me will ya." She tells Kira as she laid out a futon for him to sleep in comfortably.

He wrapped an arm around her waist as he walked towards the bed made on the floor. Tripping on his foot they fell over as she gasped.

"Kira you are crushing me!" She silently whispers so Shuhei wouldn't wake up from their shenanigans.

"Just let me hug you (Your Name)." He says breathlessly with his eyes closed. Kira wanted to enjoy this moment because he knew she could never be his.

"Kira?"

He looks down to her lips as she looked up to him innocently. A part of him didn't want to be the bad guy but what was so wrong with being bad once in a while.

He knew it was the alcohol bringing out everything he was holding in, he was going to regret his actions the next morning. Cupping her face he kissed her parted lips. It didn't help that she wrapped her legs around his waist as he groaned. Letting his tongue slip into her mouth.

She flipped him over so she sat on top, just when things were beginning to get spicy he opened his eyes and.

"KIRA IZURU! You wake up this instant now!" He heard a voice called out as he jumped out of bed and looked to his side to see a concern (Your Name) next to him. She sighed in relief and pushed his hair out of the way from his face.

"Are you dating Hisagi San?!" He asks quickly out of breath as she tilted her head and slightly smacks his forehead.

"Ow!"

"Hello! What were you dreaming about? I'm dating you stupid." She says as he calmed down a bit and laughs rubbing the back of his neck.

"It was just a dream, thank goodness."

(Your Name) looked confused as she jumped on top of Kira and laid her head on his chest.

"Whatever it was Izuru I'm always going to be yours." She says as he laid back down and rubbed her back. He was cheesing to himself to know (Your Name) wasn't going anywhere.

"I know, it was just a dream." He says as she kissed his lower lip and grinned.

"I love you, you know that."

"Of course, I love you too, always."

(Authors note: just a cute fluff I made! Have y'all seen Kira now! He's making me simp! noooo I already have my bleach bias and he's breaking it!)

[marchtomydrums]

In the beginning 6

Alex Cabot X Casey Novak X Reader

Alex’s POV:

Today has been extremely long and I’m ready to go home. Walking into my office I see you sitting on the couch crying.

“Y/n? What’s wrong?” Your headshot up at my voice quickly drying your tears.

“Alex, sorry I thought you’d be in court. I just came in here for privacy.” You stuttered.

“Why are crying?” I ask sitting across from you holding your hands in mine. You shake your head “Jack fucking railed my ass today. He doesn’t think I’m cut out for this.”

Anger spikes in my body. How dare he? Seeing you hurt and crying because of his words pissed me off.

“I’ll kill him.”

“No Alex, I have to deal with this on my own.”

“But he’s wrong. He doesn’t see you every day as I do. You can do this y/n. He’s full of shit.”

You chuckle at my words squeezing my hands.

“Well, I appreciate that Alex but again I have to do this on my own. I just came in here to be alone. They’re vultures out there.”

“Yes, I’m all too aware. Either way, don’t let Jack or anyone else cause you to doubt yourself. Take it in stride and keep fighting. Understand me?”

“Yes. Thank you.” You lean in to hug me and I kiss the top of your head. As you pull back I can’t stop myself from taking your lips into mine. I don’t stop until my lungs burn for air regretfully I pull away. You lean your forehead against mine our breath mingling together. You stayed like that for a while until you calmed down.

“ Sorry.” You mumbled quietly to me as if you were embarrassed.

“It’s okay. We all have bad days.” I tell you.

“What time is it?”

“7:30 why?”

“Shit! I missed the bus. I’ll have to wait for the one at 9.”

“I can take you home or you can come back to the house with me.”

“I would but I have an appointment tomorrow and the office is closer to my apartment.”

“Okay, well I’ll drive you home.”

“It’s out of your way. I’ll be fine.”

“You think I’d leave you here?” I ask you.

“Get your stuff, I’ll drive you home.”

The drive there is quiet. I keep looking between you and the road trying to see if I can read your expressions. As we pull up I notice it’s not a very good neighborhood.

“This is where you live?”

“Yes.”

I put the car in park as you quickly lean over to peck my cheek and try to exit the car.

“Wait!” I say tugging your arm. You stop to look at me.

“Can I come up?”

“Do you want to?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know. This place doesn’t really seem like your scene.”

I chuckle “let’s go up.”

Walking into the apartment I notice how small it is. The layout is similar to a studio and I’m sure you pay an arm and a leg for it.

“Well, this is it?”

I take a minute to look around. Even though it’s small you’ve made it cozy. My eyes are drawn to the photos on the wall.

“These are beautiful.”

“Thanks.”

I stop to see the blush across your face.

“Wait. Did you take these?”

“Yeah. “

“Y/n these are really good.”

“It’s just a hobby.”

I smile at you as I continue to look around.

“You have a nice book collection. You read a lot?”

“Yeah.”

“Me too. This your siblings?” I question holding the framed picture.

“Yeah, two sisters and my brother.”

“You close?”

“Yeah. But I don’t really see them much since I moved.” You say sadly.

“Umm, you should go. Casey is probably wondering where you are.”

“Casey’s visiting her mom tonight. I already told her where I was. She said she was going to call you later on.”

“Oh.”

“But if you want me to leave I can.”

“No.! I just I don’t know Alex, I don’t know how to do this with you.”

“Do what?”

“This! I mean one minute your nice and you want to spend time with me and the next you’re tearing my head off. I don’t know what to do here.”

I’m quiet for a minute processing what you just said. Mentally kicking myself for making you feel this way. Why can’t I just open up to you? Why do I feel like I need to be on guard all the time? I look over to see you watching me.

“I’m sorry. I’m trying. That’s why I came up here. I want to know more about you. I want to have what you and Casey have. I keep fucking it up.” I breathe out heavily.

“Alex, you don’t have to try so hard. I get being guarded but like I’ve said before I won’t make Casey choose. You really need to figure out what you want.”

“I want you.”

“Well, your actions speak louder than your words Alex,” you tell me as you're about to walk off. I grab your arm stopping your escape leaning in to kiss you gently on the lips.

“I want you,” I whisper against your lips. I can feel your smile.

“Let's watch a movie. And ill stay the night if that's okay.” I ask you trying to prove to you that I want this to work. You nod your head yes and we do just that. As much as id love to touch you and kiss I refrain. I want you to be ready and sure before we do anything. I want to be able to love you the way Casey loves you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today has been rather quiet around the office much to your surprise. Alex has you copying some documents and running flies from here to there. You're about to head back to your desk when you see Casey standing across the room. You walk up beside her and lean over to see what she's looking at. There's a girl in Alex’s office, she is young and pretty. The two are laughing as they talk oblivious to the world around them.

“Whose that?”

“Emma something, she wants a job here.”

“And flirting with Alex is going to help her to get it?” I ask Casey jealousy evident in my voice.

Casey chuckles “I guess she thinks so.”

“Hmmph.”

“Yup. I'm just watching.”

The two of you watched as Alex and Emma talked. Emma must be a comedian the way Alex is laughing. You roll your eyes at the laughter that rolls out of Alex’s chest. Casey seems indifferent about it until the girl's hand is on Alex’s shoulder. Her body tenses up for a moment.

“You know if she gets this job she’ll be

Alex’s right-hand man. You will answer to both of them. “

“So you're telling me I not only work for the Ice Queen but Malibu Barbie as well?”

Casey laughs “that's a good one! We should call her that.”

You roll your eyes at Casey as Alex and Emma are walking out of the office. You both smile at the girl as she walks by before making a beeline to Alex’s office.

“Can I help you two or do you just like watching me work?” Alex asked looking between the two of you.

“Does she work here now?” you asked sharply. Alex is taken back by your attitude and is quiet for a minute.

“Yes, she does. She starts tomorrow.”

“Hmmph. “

“Is there a problem?”

“Nope. Not at all. Do you need me?”

“Uhh no. You can take lunch if you want. I figured the three of us would go out.” Alex says looking at Casey for some sort of explanation.

“I’m actually meeting my brother he's in the city for two days. So I'll see y'all later,” you say walking out the door. Alex looks over at Casey shocked.

“What the hell was that about?”

“You were flirting with Emma.”

“No, I wasn't!”

“Looked that way to us.”

“So you're mad at me too?”

“Nah, you know better than to cheat on me.”

Casey tells her nonchalantly. Alex chuckled shaking her head as Casey walked out of the office swaying her hips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been a week since Emma started and she's already on your last nerve. When she's not asking you to go fetch her coffee she's talking to you about how hot Alex is. You've already told Casey to get the bail money ready because you are about to lose it on Emma. Casey assured you that Emma isn't Alex’s type however, Alex hasn't said a word to you about it. All day long they spend talking to each other and laughing. Meanwhile, Alex barely pays you any attention unless it's to run files or get coffee.

It's late in the afternoon and almost everyone has gone for the day. Casey left early to stay with her mom for the night and you are supposed to be riding home with Alex. However, Emma is still in there talking her up. Finally, Emma is leaving but not before talking to you.

“Your still here?”

“Yup, I'm here when Alex is here so.”

“Oh yeah. She's great isn’t she?”

“Yup. She's something alright.”

“Do you know if she's dating anyone?”

“What?!”

“Alex. Is she seeing someone?”

You're looking for the words but it seems that Malibu Barbie has rendered you speechless.

“Umm.”

“I think I might ask her out. She's hot, god I bet she's good in bed too.”

Emma is going on and on and all you can do is just stare at her in disbelief.

“Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow bye. “

You sit there for a minute replaying her words in your head. Jealousy taking over your body. You shot up out of your chair and into the office slamming the door behind you. Alex jumps at the noise looking at you confused. She called your name but you ignore her as you make your way behind her desk. You pull her up on her feet and kiss her. Your tongue demanding access in her mouth. You grab her ass pulling her closer to you Alex moans in your mouth. You pull back with your lungs burning for air. You look up at Alex who still has her eyes closed.

“Your mine,” you tell her pulling her body into yours.

“I never said I wasn't,” Alex says confused.

“Emma wants to ask you out. She thinks you are hot and good in bed.”

“Well, she's not lying.” Alex chuckled.

“Your mine,” you growled.

Alex looks at you with a smile, her eyes are a darker shade of blue.

“I'm yours,” Alex says nodding her head as she leans in to kiss you once more. This kiss is slower this time. Pulling back you rest your forehead onto Alex’s trying to catch your breath.

“I want you, Alex.” you barely whisper.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Y/n if this is about Emma I promise you that was never going to be a thing. I'd never do that to Casey or You. “

“I know that. It just pissed me off that she was thinking about you like that.”

“So we don't have to do this if you aren't ready. I don't want you to feel obligated or regret it.” You smile at Alex’s words seeing just how sweet she could be. Brushing her hair behind her ears you can’t help but stare at her.

“You’re so beautiful.” Alex blushes at your comment.

“I want you and I know that if I changed my mind you’d still hold me tonight. But I want you Alex. I need you.”

Alex leans in to kiss you again grinning from ear to ear.

“Let’s go home.”

[brynnwrites]

Sleep Snuggler

Aaron Hotchner x Reader

Summary: Hotch unexpectedly shows up at reader’s hotel room when he has a nightmare during a case. Reader consoles him and discovers something interesting about his sleeping habits...

Type: pure blissful fluffiness (soft!hotch makes me weak)

Warnings: none

Everyone on the team had nightmares, even though they were rarely openly discussed.

You had reconciled long ago that it was just part of the job. You had been on the BAU team for almost three years and had come to accept fighting sleepless nights several days a week with melatonin drops and your favorite TV show.

Spencer was the only one with whom you had actually discussed nightmares with out loud. He reassured you that they weren't constant, but warned you that they never did truly go away. That much you had figured out for yourself, but it was nice to have verbal reassurance that you weren't alone.

That's when you and Spencer agreed that whenever either of you woke up from a nightmare you would call the other and, if it was bad enough, come keep them company until they felt comfortable going back to sleep. That's why when you heard a knock on your hotel room door during a case, you were confused as to why you didn't have any missed calls or texts.

You assumed it was Spencer but looked through the peephole anyways. What you saw made you question for a moment if you were actually awake.

"Hotch?" You asked quietly, opening the door and squinting at the brightness of the hallway light.

"Y/N, I'm so sorry to wake you, I just..." he looked scared and was breathing hard, prompting your next question.

"Is everything okay? Is the rest of the team okay?" You asked groggily, teaching up to rub one of your eyes.

"Yes, yes, they're fine," he nodded, "it's just...gah, this sounds so stupid when I actually try to say it."

"Hotch, if something's bothering you, you can tell me," you said softly.

"I had a nightmare," he said, his usual stoic, confident tone much more quiet and unsure, "you were in it, and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Oh, Hotch," you placed your hand over your heart, "that's really sweet of you to check on me. You have absolutely nothing to worry about, well, I mean, besides the case, but you don't have to worry about that until tomorrow." That was your attempt at making him smile, but when he remained uneasy you continued, "I'm fine, okay? Look at me, no harm done at all, everything is functioning."

You have a little twirl and wiggles your fingers and toes for emphasis. That made him crack, sighing into an almost-smile. That was sufficient for you.

"It just seemed so real, I needed to make sure," he shook his head at himself, "again, it sounds so stupid when I say it out loud."

"It's not stupid, Hotch," you reassured him, boldly reaching out to grab his hand, "But if we're going to continue this conversation, we better do it in here before we wake up the whole floor."

Hotch pursed his lips and nodded, allowed you to lead him inside your small hotel room, "you can stay as long as you need to, and we can just talk. That's what me and Spencer do sometimes when we have nightmares. We go to each other's apartments and just chill until the other feels okay going back to sleep again."

"You and Reid go to each other's apartments at night?" He asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

You could've sworn you saw a spark of jealously flash in his eyes for a moment, but you blamed it on being sleep deprived.

"Sometimes, yes," you giggled, "we never do anything, if that's what you're asking. We're just friends. We'll sit on the couch and usually watch Star Trek if we're at his place or baking shows if we're at mine. It helps just having someone there, not being alone."

Hotch nodded wordlessly, still standing there while you sat with one leg tucked under you on the edge of the bed. He looked contemplative as he scanned the room you were in, allowing your eyes to rake over his form without him noticing.

He looked so much softer, so domestic in his pj's. It was what you expected him to wear, a plain white tee shirt and some plain black sweatpants, and from the looks of it they were thrown on hastily, as they were on backwards. You giggled to yourself, until it registered in your mind that that most likely meant he slept in just his tee shirt and boxers. Or maybe just the boxers. That was enough to make your cheeks flush pink, thankful that the room was dark enough to conceal it.

"What?" Hotch asked quietly.

"Huh?"

"You're staring," he said in his profiler voice.

"Oh, sorry," you giggled, "it's just that your sweatpants, they're on backwards. And inside out."

Hotch laughed, he actually laughed and ran a hand over his face, "I'm just really doing well tonight, aren't I?"

"You sure are," you teased, glancing over your shoulder at the clock on the nightstand, "It's three am, you should try to get some more sleep."

"I know, this is entirely inappropriate, I shouldn't be in here," he said quickly, turning to go but you called out his name, causing him to freeze.

"Or you could stay. That way if the nightmare comes back you can know that I'm still okay?" You offered.

"Y/N, I really shouldn't," he began to argue, although you could tell he didn't want to go.

"I won't tell anyone, I promise," you pushed, "please, just stay."

And so he did, turning on his heel to face you once more. You slid to the other side of the bed, getting comfy as you waited for him to climb in next to you."

"Do you mind if I fix this?" He asked, referring to his askew sweatpants.

"Not at all," you chirped, unable to control the words that left your mouth next, "And if you're more comfortable without them, I really don't mind you taking them off all together."

Even in the darkness, you could tell that flustered him. He shook his head, looking down at his feet with the slightest smirk on his face before removing the article of clothing and slipping under the covers.

"Goodnight, Hotch," you said, turning away from him so that he couldn't see how much this was getting to you, having him so close.

"Goodnight, Agent Y/L/N," he murmured into the dark. That's the last thing you heard before you fell back into your once uninterrupted, peaceful sleep.

With morning came the sun shining through the crack in the hotel window curtains. It filled you with warmth as you fluttered your eyes open, startling yourself when you felt an unfamiliar weight on you.

You looked down to see a mass of dark brown hair almost blocking your view of the arm draped across your waist, and the memories of the night came flooding back. Aaron Hotchner was in your room. In your bed. And now he was snuggling you.

You almost couldn't believe it and definitely couldn't control the widespread grin on your face as you tilted your head to the side to get a slight look at his own. You were on your back and his face was snuggled into your tee shirt clad chest. His lips were rosy and parted, letting out little puffs of air as his nose was pressed into the fabric causing it to scrunch slightly. His eyelashes looked so long from your point of view as they rested gently against his flushed cheeks. You then noticed one of his legs was tangled with yours as you shifted slightly, the hairs on his leg rubbing against your bare one, causing you to shudder slightly at the sensation. You tried really hard not to focus on the fact that he was also wearing just his boxers on the bottom, choosing to let your mind linger on the more innocent parts of the delicate moment.

You laid like that for what felt like an eternity, but you didn't mind one bit. You spent the seconds carding your fingers through his surprisingly silky hair, moving it off his forehead lovingly before letting it fall back into place. Your other hand traced tiny shapes on his muscular back.

You wished you could stay like that forever.

But alas, there was a job to be done, and it just so happened that Hotch naturally woke up every day at 6:45 like clockwork, if he wasn't woken up by a work call sooner. His eyelashes fluttered as he struggled to open his eyes, his body obviously content in the sleepy state it was in, not wanting to wake.

He moved slowly, face lifting slightly to register his surroundings before meeting your gaze.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," you cooed, somewhat teasingly, but with a hint of meaning behind it. He was, indeed, beautiful when he slept.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to crowd you," he said, voice gravelly and way too good sounding for it to be that early in the morning, "I hope I didn't wake you."

"Not at all," you hummed, deciding to resume the movement of your hand through his hair, to gauge his reaction, "the sun had no trouble doing that."

Surprisingly, Hotch made a noise of amusement, relaxing into your hand that was in his hair, letting his head rest on your chest once again. He must've still been really tired to not question the action.

"How come you didn't warn me you were a sleep snuggler?" You asked smugly, relishing in the feeling of his warm breath on you when he laughed lightly.

"In all honesty, I didn't know I was," he said with a shrug, "I kind of like it, though."

"Me too," you agreed sweetly, "and I kind of like this Hotch."

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously.

"I like you all sleepy and warm and not worrying about it being unprofessional or whatever," you replied with a giggle.

He screwed his eyes shut, his voice lowering to its usual Hotch tone, "It is unprofessional," but his actions contradicted him as he snugged his face further, "however, this is far to comfortable for me to fight you on it, so I'll let it slide, just this once."

Your balloon of hope in your chest deflated as reality struck. Of course, this was a one time thing.

"Right," you mumbled, shifting uncomfortably underneath him. He could sense the change in mood, as he rose up and propped himself on his elbow next to you, removing his arm and his leg from you.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing, it's nothing," you shook your head, mustering up a fake smile, "I'm fine."

"For a profiler, you really are bad at hiding that you're lying," he smirked.

"I'm not lying!" You defended quickly, "Really, don't worry about it."

"It? So there is something wrong," he said triumphantly, "tell me."

You sighed, grabbed the pillow behind you and plopping it over your face dramatically, "I don't want this to be a one time thing."

"I couldn't hear you," he said teasingly, "move the pillow and speak up."

You cursed yourself for being so attuned to following his orders as your body automatically removed the pillow from your face, now flushed a dark pink.

"I don't want this to be a one time thing," you admitted sadly, knowing he would tell you that he didn't feel that way or that relationships within the team were off limits.

He sighed, a small smile tracing his face. You could get used to him smiling. He looked down at your arm, now resting where his was on your tummy, and placed his hand on it lightly, ghosting his finger up and down the length of it. Goosebumps erupted over your skin.

When he finally spoke, it was soft, "I was hoping you would say that."

You were taken aback, "Huh?"

"I don't want this to be a one time thing either," he said, meeting your surprised gaze. You must be still asleep, you knew you had to be dreaming.

"Really?" You asked dumbly, unable to coherently put together a better reaction.

He chuckled, "yes, really. I've been trying to figure out a way to tell you how I've been feeling for months. I guess I can thank my nightmares for giving me an excuse."

You shook your head with a dumbfounded smile, "What now?"

"Well, we'll have to work out the logistics of it professionally, of course," he said solemnly before smiling once more, "but I have a feeling we can make it work just fine."

You smiled, giddy with all the possibilities of a future with Hotch. Your Hotch.

"Get back down here, sleep snuggler," you demanded with a laugh as you pulled him down unceremoniously on top of you once more.

You spent what was left of the morning before Hotch had to sneak back to his room under the covers, all wrapped up in each other.

It was bliss. Pure bliss.