#in everything the cases are going to leave them disappointed in one way or another

[lolottes]

meanwhile the Amity park guides: finish counting the participants: ho shit ? … is a person missing? worse, a Fenton is missing oh no

Bruce dead tired from sleepless nights: Come along, children. It's time to go home

Herd of BatKids following him: Say, who's the new guy?

Bruce in sleep deprived reflex: My son

Batkids: Oh cool. Welcome to the family.

Danny, who thought Bruce was the tour guide for the Amity Park field trip and is too nervous to speak up about the misunderstanding: Glad to be here 🙃

[clockwayswrites]

So far this file is called 'birdritch'. Those of you who follow my art tumblr might know where this is going. I needed something light to write, been a low day. There has been zero editing or reading through and it is past 2am, sorry and enjoy! (Don't need any typos pointed out, ty.)

---

“You are supposed to be home.”

Danny blinked up from his work to find Lucius Fox standing in the doorway of the lab. The man had the sport of expression one wore around a child who had just done something disappointing.

(Danny was used to the look, even if it had been a long time since he'd been a kid. Or seen his parents, for that mater.)

“Okay, but,” Danny started, “we agreed that I could start at ten and take my eight hours and one for lunch—”

“A mandatory one hour for lunch away from your desk,” Lucius interrupted.

“Yes, yes, I’ve been doing that! I’ve been eating out on the rooftop garden or even leaving the building and eating out or taking lunch to the park. I’ve been behaving, Lucius, I promise.”

Lucius raised a judgmental brow. “It’s after eight, Danny.”

“What? No. I have an alarm on my phone and everything… okay, well, that only works if my phone is charged.” Danny jabbed uselessly at his phone screen. He followed the charger, which was plugged in, all the way to the wall. He resisted the urge to let his head fall against the wall. “I guess Leslie fried the outlet again or something. I’m sorry, Lucius.”

“It’s fine, Danny,” Lucius said, “but only because, one, I know you have been trying, and two, I am going to buy you the most embarrassing alarm clock I can find and mount it to something in this lab. Now it is late and I am going home and so are you, Mr. Fenton.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Fox,” Danny said and made an exaggerate show of packing up his backpack, dead phone and all.

Lucius gave a little snort at the antics, but left with a ‘get home safe, Danny’. After his boss was gone, Danny took the time to actually make sure everything was in his bag and secure. He still didn’t get why he couldn’t just work late, but apparently WE had something of an insistence of work life balance. According to Lucius, Danny crossed the line too often and so was being kept in line. (Danny didn’t think mention he didn’t have much of a life, literally and otherwise, would help his case.)

Still, Danny mused as he stepped inside the empty elevator, the rules did keep him from becoming his parents. And that was a very, very good thing! Being a mad scientist in Gotham usually ended up landing someone in Arkham. It was just that after the chaos that Danny grew up with, going back to his empty apartment was depressing. It wasn’t as if Danny never got out and did things, it was just that all those things were mostly on the weekend. Most days he just didn’t have a reason to go back to his place.

There was no getting out of it tonight, the great and powerful Fox had spoken and Danny knew better than to try and sneak back up. He lifted his hands over his head, stretching as the elevator descended the last few floors. Oh well, at least it was before ten. He could still grab something on the way home and have a full, warm meal to take his pain meds on. By the pull along his forearm he would need them.

“Night, Bill,” Danny said as he passed the security guard who was on the evening shift. He got another ‘get home safe’ in response and gave a little wave in reply over his shoulder.

Even after the few years in Gotham, it still amused Danny how much everyone wished everyone else some sort of safe travels here. As much as Gotham was a city of hardened realists, there still was so much hope about it. Hope people got home safely, that the Bats would get where they were need in time, that the city would rebuild again and again and again. The undercurrent of hope was so strong that Danny could practically feel it moving through the city like a river.

It had been one of the reasons Danny had taken the job.

He could use hope.

He also had been very careful not to look too closely into it all. While Danny’s early life may have been dominated by the occult, he tried to stay away from it these days outside of the necessary visits to the Realm for his health. As much as the Far Frozen was full of ghost yetis, Frostbite was still a being of science and being there felt more like a cold vacation to his weird relatives than anything else those days.

Danny was actually worried that he was getting close to needing another visit. He shouldn’t, not yet. He wasn’t actually due back for another three months, but the thought of visiting Frostbite had been pulling at the back of Danny’s mind. The most annoying part of it all, is that there wasn’t any concrete reason that Danny felt he needed to go, just a lot of little things: the ache was deeper in his bones, he’d been missing noticing little things, his near constant vertigo was worse, and, oddest of all, he had been feeling chilled.

Maybe he should just take a long weekend and go for a quick visit.

Lucius would undoubtedly approve of the break.

Tomorrow, Danny would ask tomorrow.

(As long as he remembered.)

[uranometrias]

✮ꜜ : ❛ long time coming : aaron hotchner x fem! reader

pairing: aaron hotchner x bau! reader

summary: after getting hurt out in the field, you're on leave for a month. coming back felt long overdue, that is until your plans with the team lead you to a situation that feels a bit too close for comfort after such a traumatic time. what's worse, your feelings you've harbored for your boss have no choice but to come to light when he makes the odd choice to address you as 'agent' rather than your name after one month of being apart, and years and years of back and forth will-they-wont-they.

content warnings: making out. allusions to sexual assault + r4pe (but only in the context of the case). reader has slight signs of PTSD. anxiety/panic attacks. reader runs into a few pushy men while out at the club. drinking / drunk confessions. reader has a crush on her boss, it is also implied that reader finds derek attractive, and he reciprocates these feelings. hotch is very good at calming reader down. no usage of y/n. reader is described as having shoulder length hair (can be read as a wig/weave) angry/disappointed hotch! reader has been hiding her anxiety / nightmares / memory issues from the team. mentions of vomiting. kissing. mentions of elle & the events of the fisher king. no distinct timeline, but can be read as s7 with the iconic team (hotch, emily, derek, jj, penelope, rossi, & spencer)

"Okay, I didn't know we were going all out. I would've prepared better." you smile shyly as Jennifer pulls you into a tight hug. When Penelope had called you early that morning with an excited decree that you'd been cleared to return to work you hadn't been sure how to feel. You hadn't bothered to ask how Garcia of all people was privy to information you hadn't received from your bosses yet, there was no getting a straight answer when it came to the Technical Analyst.

It had been her idea for the entire team to get together. You'd been out of the office for a full month, and in that time you'd tried your hand at maintaining your bonds with the rest of the group. It of course wasn't the same, but you knew that you'd needed the time. The last time you'd joined them on a case things had gone horribly wrong. You shudder at the thought, you had been doing so good at forgetting about it all, but seeing them again made it all come back.

The unsub had been your run-of-the-mill anger excitation rapist, a creep that had been using an elaborate ruse to entice and entrap women. It had been Emily's idea for the two of you to go undercover, the unsub had been killing two women every week, women who in many ways were polar opposites of one another, a trait that you and Emily shared. Long story short, in the midst of your plan to lure and trap the Unsub, you'd been separated from Emily and cornered.

You’d been carted off by the creep who kept you stuck for three hours before the team used his mistake to find you. By then though, the damage had been done. You remember the look on Rossi's face when he and Hotch came busting in, and found you looking bruised up with a bloody face, and a gun barrel to the side of your head. You'd never seen Hotch quite as scared, at least not since everything with Foyet nearly three years ago when he lost Haley and almost Jack.

You'd been too out-of-sorts to hear the way they'd tried to reason with the Unsub. And you hadn't realized your abdomen was losing blood until a gunshot rang out, bullets whizzing past your head as the unsub curled into himself before falling to the ground. You didn't know much, you thought maybe your eardrums had exploded with the way they were ringing, and you'd half expected to smack your head against the ground and end up with an annoying concussion.

Instead, you'd been met with the sight of your boss. He'd yelled something you weren't privy to, mouth moving as he seemingly forced the rest of the team out of their stupor long enough to get a medic inside to look you over. It was like you said, the details were fuzzy, but nothing had managed to wipe Hotch's worried expression as he fussed over your safety, out of your mind. However, if you were honest with yourself for one measly second, that was nothing new.

Nothing seemed to fill up your mind the way your boss did, and it was stupid, and deplorable all things considered. But it's not like it had even been something you'd asked for. It just happened one day. You shake these thoughts of your near paralyzing emotions away, pulling yourself back to the present as you took in JJ, who despite her perceived candor looked great. "Oh come on Jaige." you huff, and you appraise her more openly. "You look amazing, as usual."

She grins, albeit shyly, and she's waiting, maybe for your approval maybe for something else. She's trying to be discreet as she sweeps your for obvious reminders of what happened, and you feel nervous. Most of your injuries had healed up well enough, and the scratches that littered your face had been covered in a smattering of makeup. You felt comfortable in your pretty girl cocoon, all done up with a bright smile on your face that was surprisingly believable.

"Can I hug you?" she asks, and you can tell she's been holding it in, waiting to ask. You nod your head, a quiet chuckle escaping you as the blonde seems to scoop you into her arms. She's careful not to squeeze too tight, but the love is felt all the same. "God, it's been so weird without you around." she hums, and while the rest of the team is already huddled inside, probably in a booth Penelope picked, you're so happy she's the one here telling you this now.

"Now you know how we all felt when they sent you to the Pentagon." you whisper back, and you hear her bemused giggle as she steps back, and she takes you in again. Your red minidress was a stark contrast to the usual business-casual attire you wore everyday to work. Your hair was curled, pinned back with a gold claw clip, hair just barely ghosting over the divots of your collarbones. You'd opted for a shorter do' following everything with the unsub.

"Never leave us again." she pleads, and you feel this warmth blossoming in your chest at the way she's staring at you, almost like she really means it. You'd joined the team back when Elle and Gideon had still been around. At one point you'd been the rookie, the new girl nobody knew what to expect from. JJ had been right there beside you, even back then. She had been sweet, assertive, your first real friend on the team. She'd welcomed you before anyone else.

In time of course, things had changed, JJ had a husband, kids, a hoard of other units that were plotting on her skills at all times, but she was still JJ. Still that same first friend that helped you to see the Behavioral Analysis Unit was the only place for you. "I'll do my best." you promise, and she grins. She links arms with you before you both head inside the bar. There was music playing, some alternative indie song that wasn't half bad.

"Here's the girl of the hour now." Emily exclaims, and it's clear they've already started tossing back shots. JJ's head is instantly shaking in mortification. So it was going to be one of those nights. Penelope meets you both, pulling JJ from your arms and leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek sweetly, before she's turning to you. She's got tears already brimming in her eyes, and you can't help but giggle at the dramatics of it all.

"I'm so happy to see you." she squeals, and you find yourself hugging back despite the sting of your abdomen. "You look so beautiful." she adds a second afterwards. "What are you looking to get lucky?" she asks, as she uses her hands to push you away slightly, hands resting gently on both of your shoulders. You feel your face growing hot at the implication, and you see the way she's looking at your facial expressions for a signal of your lies. Curse her proximity to profilers.

"I just wanted to look nice." you reply and Penelope lets you off the hook. She leads you to the table, and you're just in time to hear the group finish up their hellos to JJ. She's sitting next to Morgan, who's bright-eyed as he looks up at you. You find yourself fussing with your hair, playing it cool as you press your lips together, re-smearing your lipstick as you waved your hand.

You weren't sure why you felt like the new kid all over again.

"It's good to see you, pretty girl." he croons, and you grin. Morgan was flirty, had been since you met him, and if you weren't so disastrously into Hotch, you think he'd be all on your mind. Well, you know... more than he was. There had been times where you'd been partnered together, and it almost felt like the tension was going to cut you in half. Sexual tension aside though, Derek was your friend.

They all were, and despite what your mind tried to tell you as you sobbed yourself through nightmares during your break from work, they were genuinely happy to see you. "I'm glad you're okay." your eyes flit over to the youngest member of the team. Spence is looking relieved as he too looks up at you with eyes full of relief. He's next to Emily, and she's already downing another drink. She'd be complaining about a migraine the next day, you could hear her now.

"Thanks, Spence." you coo, and you offer him a wink as your eyes fall on the only present member of the team that hadn't addressed you. Rossi had made a point to send his hellos, but due to a previous standing appointment, he wouldn't be joining tonight. You couldn't hold it against him, Rossi was scoping the prairie for wife number four. He offers you a faint smile, the group instantly falling into chatter.

"H-Hey Hotch." you mumble, and he's closest to you, sitting on the outside of the booth as the rest of the team tried their hardest to pretend they weren't expecting this. He doesn't say anything for a moment, instead he takes you in. He wasn't blind, he'd seen you before, you'd always been beautiful, but there was something about you done up like this. Red dress, red lip, bold makeup, and heels that showed off your legs, and accented your model-esque posture.

It was obvious that you were still a bit nervous about being out and about, and you were out of practice with being around the team. He imagined after a bit though you'd be back to yourself. You, and the rest of the girls would be falling into a rhythm in no time. He stands to his feet, much taller than you, as you take a small step back to give him space. "It's good to see you up and about, Agent." and his voice is low, clearly as a courtesy to the bustling of conversation behind you.

"Agent?" you repeat, and the word is so foreign. It makes you take another step back, the bottoms of your Louboutin's clacking against the ground. You looked a bit hurt, but you played it off quickly. "Come on, Hotch. I think we're a little past those formalities." you chuckle awkwardly, and you find yourself looking towards the bar. Yeah, you were definitely going to need a drink. He seems to curse under his breath, but you're not sure if that's due to you, or some internal conflict you weren't privy to. You don't wait to figure it out either.

He doesn't have the opportunity to reply to your correction, because you're looking to Emily, JJ, and Garcia. "Wanna get some shots?" you ask, and you sidestep Aaron, making sure you don't look his way again, as the girls immediately exclaim their agreements. Penelope's sliding out of the booth first, Emily and JJ following her example as they head straight towards the bar. JJ's shooting you a knowing glance as she looks between Hotch and yourself.

"You coming boys?" you extend the invite to Derek and Spencer, who are quick to nod along, both men trailing after the others as they head to the counter to order more drinks. You prepare to follow after them, ready for the welcome respite from your mind swimming in circles.

"I didn't mean to offend you." you stop short, spinning on your heel to meet the gaze of your Unit Chief.

"Well you did." you reply, and your voice is small. "I've known you for almost seven years, and here you are treating me like a stranger." you mumble, and you find yourself tugging at your dress. "I mean, I know it's been a while, but geez Hotch, it's still me." you say and he winces. You're not sure what the last month has been like for the others, but you know what they've been like for you. Torturous. It's been Hell.

"I know." he says, and your eyebrow raises, unmoved by his words. "And again, I didn't mean to offend you." he promises, and he clenches and unclenches his fists by his side. "After everything that happened, I guess I just assumed you'd prefer a more professional approach." he mutters, and you scoff quietly. Classic Aaron Hotchner, running away from interpersonal conflict with his tail tucked between his legs. "You don't even seem comfortable with us tonight."

You blink. Okay well he had a point there, but you were trying.

"It's not that I'm not comfortable." you mutter, and you look over your shoulder at the rest of the team. "I guess I just didn't expect to feel so out of place being out and about." you shrug your shoulders bashfully. "Everyone's normal, everything seems the same." you continue, and you notice the way that Hotch's lips have pressed into a hard line. "And it's like no time has passed at all for anyone else, but for me it's like I never moved." you blink, shivering at the thought.

Hotch's eyebrows furrow inwardly as he takes in your words. "I still feel like I'm-" you trail off, feeling a wide lump growing in your throat. "It's like I never left." you course correct, eyes shutting briefly, lashes brushing against your cheekbones. "Like no matter how much time passes, it still feels like I'm there with him and I'm-"

"I understand." he cuts you off, you think maybe to salvage your pride or to keep you from having a panic attack at the thought. "And you're certain you're ready to come back to work? You know you can take all the time you need." he reminds you, and you are immediately nodding your head as you wave a tired hand his way.

"I can't stay cooped up in my house anymore." you mumble. "It's becoming counterproductive." you huff. "I'm ready." you add a second later. "Apart from this awkwardness, I'm also perfectly fine." and it's a lie, you'd been having nightmares every night. Restless, sleepless evenings full of dread, and jump scares of your own creation. "I mean, I'm here aren't I?" you offer a tight smile as you reach out and tap Hotch's shoulders twice, a tense little conversation ender.

You don't want to stay huddled up with him anymore, not while he was looking at you like he was trying to see into your soul. You turn on your heel, dress swishing side to side as you head for the group. You find yourself in between Emily and Penelope, the blonde to your left immediately sliding a drink in front of you. You down it in a second, the intense burn as the alcohol rested in your chest was a welcome reprieve from the anguish and anxiety you'd been feeling.

You forget about Hotch, and all your heavy feelings by the time you're on your third drink. Your heels feel much too heavy under your feet as you stumble into Emily, the brunette chuckling vibrantly as you hang off each other, the music playing overhead lulling you into a false sense of security. It was nice being like this again after so long, laughing at the dramatic banter between Derek and Penelope. You wondered if they'd remain purely platonic forever.

Trading gossip back and forth with Emily and JJ was always a treat, especially as Spencer tried to keep up with eyes wide as saucers while Emily finally cracked the secrets of her coveted Sin-To-Win weekends. You weren't sure what was funnier, the peeks into Emily's life outside the unit, or the horrified looks that crossed Spence's face with every new tidbit of knowledge he learned about his coworkers. You found your eyes flickering over to Hotch again.

He was stoic as ever, but looser than he would be in the office. He seemed to enjoy being a quiet observer much more than he preferred to be in the mix. He leisurely swirled his glass of scotch, and you felt that familiar buzz of warmth in your chest when you managed to catch him smiling as he quietly passed conversation back and forth with a newly drunk Penelope, and Derek, who looked exasperated.

"Are you just gonna stare at him all night?" you jump a bit, turning to face Emily with surprise swirling in your irises. "If you keep it up, he's gonna catch you." she adds a second afterwards and you tense, head nodding as you scold yourself. You peel away from the bar, drink clutched in your hand. You had to get away from the bar for a second, maybe the cluttered dance floor would be the best distraction.

"Sorry." you mutter, and Emily offers a airy laugh. "He's just usually so serious." you lean into Emily, who nods along. She'd met Hotch after you, but still she'd managed to become so close to him it was almost surreal. She seemed to always know what he was thinking, they were in sync. Unlike you, who seemed to always be on the other end of a hard stare from the man. For a while you just began to assume he hated your guts. Or better put, he was indifferent to your existence.

That was why his look, that look he'd given you as he cradled your head while he waited for backup had been burned into your skull. All that went out of the window the second he'd labeled you 'Agent' though. God, how stupid were you? Emily's amusement makes your eyes roll. "Can I be honest?" she asks, and you nod. Penelope and JJ have migrated to the dance floor, JJ grabbing the good doctor and bringing him along with them. He looks incredibly uncomfortable.

"Sure, Em. If you think it will help." you reply audibly.

"I haven't seen him this relaxed since everything went down." she admits, and you're surprised. As if somehow your presence had been enough to set the stone-serious man at ease. "The first few days after your accident he was a mess." she adds, and she's got a surprising about of stability to her tone to be as inebriated as she was. She lowers her voice some as she leans into you, "He showed up late." she mutters this like it's some sworn secret just meant for the both of you.

"I'm sure Strauss was just riding him about another mishap in the unit." you try, and Emily looks unconvinced and unimpressed with you. "He's our boss, it's kind of his job to worry about us." you finish.

"Yeah, I guess so." Emily concedes, and she looks like she's done talking about it, so you find yourself relaxing. "Still. I've never seen him go that hard against an unsub, maybe you're not the only person that's feeling something." she leaves you with that, trying to keep from tipping as she marched towards the group. You chuckle quietly to yourself, ignoring Emily's words as you focus on finishing your drink. It seemed you'd inadvertently been trying to be alone all along.

You felt some of the tension melt from your shoulders now that you were standing at the bar, away from those prying eyes you couldn't lie to. There's this sound of heavy footsteps, and then the clearing of a throat, as you turn to be met with the sight of a man. He looked to be about your age, cheeks and nose covered in a little smattering of freckles. He's got a head full of shaggy hair that hangs in his face. He takes a quick step, sliding up against the bar beside you.

Way too close.

"Hey." he mumbles, and you appraise him boredly. It's not like he was ugly or anything, but despite Penelope's words you were not looking to get lucky tonight.

"Hi." you offer a dry greeting, shuffling your weight from one foot to the other as the bar seemingly became a beacon for thirsty men. Just as you were politely stepping away from the freckled man, you found yourself bumping into another man who'd slithered up to the bar, your ass pressing against his crotch as his hands wound around your waist. A sleazy chuckle escapes the man's mouth as you gasp. "I'm so sorry." you exclaim, and you're quick to peel away.

You feel trapped though, there were at least four guys, they all seemed to be friends, they all seemed to be in kahoots.

There's a third and fourth man joining the fray, they all looked to be about the same age, height, and weight class. This was probably their routine: approach and overwhelm whatever drunk girl they might have happened upon. It looked like you were tonight's target. "Hey, what's the rush?" the guy closest to you drawls, and you wonder where all your years of training have gone. His arm raises, and it feels like he might hit you so you flinch way too violently.

"Stick around, we'll order the next round." the next demands, and his breath smells like booze. It stinks, and it's hot as it puffs across your face. You almost break your heels backing away from them, suddenly feeling self conscious a`nd way too vulnerable in your short dress.

"No, it's alright, really." you try, and you stumble again. "My friends are right over there." and you point in their general vicinity. "Have a great night though." you offer politely, and you're trying to make your grand escape. One guy, a shaggy blonde haired man is quick to grab you by your forearm, and it's like you're back to that day. Your bureau appointed therapist had been talking to you about your anxiety, how a range of things could become triggers and transport you mentally.

"That wasn't a question. Stay a while." You're stuck, absolutely frozen in place as your entire body tenses up. Some Special Agent you were, the bureau would be so disappointed in you. Your team would be so disappointed in you. All it took to turn you into a pile of nothing was a bit of confrontation. You could remember a stronger version of you, that girl would've had these men on their knees for even thinking of laying hands on you. God, you missed that girl.

His grip on your arm tightens, fingers digging into you harshly as you find yourself surrounded on every side.

"L-Let me go." you huff under your breath, and you crane your neck. You spot JJ, the blonde's eyes locked on yours as the reality of what's going on forces her to sober up. "I just-" and you jerk away, stumbling back completely. You're surprised you don't scream as your glass drops to the ground shattering as glass sprays in every which direction. You feel like your ankle's twisted as you fall back on your ass. You expect to feel the embarrassing thud that came with smacking your ass on the hard floor of a bar, but it never comes.

Instead you feel cocooned by a familiar scent. Strong arms are looped around you, but you suppose your lack of disgust at the action is just a testament of your comfortability. "Are you alright?" it's mumbled against your ear, and the low tone of his voice makes you shiver. All you can really offer is a tight nod as Aaron's guiding you behind him. You don't get to see Hotch in action, not when JJ, Penelope, and Emily are flocking you like Charlie's Angels.

You feel the first signs of the need to barf pricking at you, and you know that you need to get some air. You needed to breathe.

"God, are you okay?" Penelope asks, and you're not sure if you are being dramatic. I mean, it wasn't like they'd done anything really. Now you were gonna look like the freak that ruined a fun night.

"I'm sorry." you chirp, and you miss the way Jennifer and Emily share a hard glance. It's not until you're feeling brisk air whipping around your face that you realize they've taken you outside, and you haven't stopped apologizing. I'm so sorry. Penelope's got wide eyes, quickly brimming with tears as you find yourself crumbling to the ground. Your hand's quick to clutch around your chest as you try to inhale. The dramatics of it all made you even more nauseous.

You should've stayed at home.

"Hey, hey, hey..." Emily's cooing, and it seems being out like this has sliced through her tipsy stupor. She's focused just like she would be on any regular sort of day. "I need you to breathe." she instructs, and JJ's crouching down in front of you, brown eyebrows draw inwardly as she takes in your clearly frantic state. Every puff of air that escapes you is tight and sounds like it hurts. You can just barely hear the sound of a commotion taking place inside.

You do hear JJ's quiet exclamation of "I'll stay with her, go check on Hotch and Derek!" before Penelope and Emily are heading back into the packed building. She calls your name, and it takes a while for you to regain your voice. She's devoid of pity, which you appreciate. JJ knew more than anyone how much you hated being seen as a burden, or someone to be sorry for. Pride was a killer. "Can you try and take a deep breath for me?" and it's then you realize your choppy little intakes of air weren't doing you any favors.

It takes a great deal of effort for your vision to be less blurry. Your ears were full of cotton, and your head was swimming. You feel bile again in the back of your throat, and you jerk away from JJ's reach. You feel like you're suffocating, transported away from the random bar in the middle of Virginia, and back to a place you'd fought so hard to escape. You were certain you'd remember that unsub forever. His evil eyes, the way he tried to use your entrails like paint.

You remember how Elle had changed after she'd been attacked by Garner. How she had changed so much that she had no choice but to step away from the Unit. Would that be your life? You didn't want that life, but it was clear you needed something, you needed help. You couldn't focus on anything else, but what had happened. You'd ruined a night out because the act of being cornered was enough to transport you back.

JJ's still peering at you as if she's waiting for you to start panicking, and maybe you were. "I'm sorry." you huff again, and JJ's shaking her head at you.

There's a deep frown etched into her face as she sighs herself. "Stop apologizing." she insists, and your lashes are wet with unshed tears. "You didn't do anything wrong. Those assholes should've never put their hands on you." she proceeds. "You know that don't you?" she continues, and you don't know how to respond, so you don't. JJ reads you like an open book, and she smacks her teeth. "Well now you do." she says this firmly. "And I'm sure Hotch and Morgan are teaching them that lesson right now." you tense up again.

"I didn't mean to ruin the-" JJ's offering you a hard glare that shuts you up. Another bad habit you'd picked up since the incident. You were working on it, trying not to blame yourself for things you didn't cause. "I'm sorry." and this time it's not because of tonight. "I was so nervous about tonight.-" you take in a hiccupped breath. "I just wanted to prove that I could bounce back." you explain, and it's the first insight you've allowed anyone. "I figured if I pretend everything's normal, soon enough it would be, but it's too much." you huff.

"And that's okay." she promises. "What you went through isn't something anyone's expecting you to forget about in a month, alright? It's gonna take time, and there will be days where it'll hurt a lot more, and there will be days where you're feeling like your old self again." she promises. "What you need to understand is that we-" she pauses as you take it in. "are your family." she finishes, and your lips start to twitch, you're not sure if you'll smile or cry.

"I know-" you proceed, and she holds a hand up in front of you.

"Let me finish." she pleads, and you inhale before nodding. "I don't- none of us want a repeat of what happened with Elle." she says quietly. "None of us want to show up to the unit one day and see your badge and gun sitting on your desk." JJ sighs. "So if you ever start feeling anxious, or terrible, or just like you're back... there." and you wince at the mention. "I want you to call me, call one of us. Don't deal with this alone, alright? Not when you don't have to."

JJ hugs you before you have time to respond, but her words sink deep and make you feel warm inside. "Thanks, Jaige." you mumble against her hair. She squeezes you tighter, and you believe it's to make up for her shyer hug earlier.

"You're welcome." she mumbles back, and then she's pulling back. You don't have much respite, Penelope practically tackling you in a hug of her own. You hadn't even realized the rest of the team has left the bar, you were sure the mood of the night was much lower.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Penelope exhales, and you do too, breathing fine again, save for a few hiccups that escaped you every so often. She lets you go after a beat, and you're quick to take a small step back, suddenly feeling anxious once more.

"Yeah, I'm fine now." your eyes meet Derek and Emily's. "Thank you." and you're chuckling quietly as Derek pulls you into his side. He plants a kiss on the top of your head, and you warm inwardly. Spencer does hug you, and it's a shock. One of those hugs that you never take for granted, because it could be a while before you get another. Once he's pulled away you find yourself still hovering, listening quietly as they all decide the night's not over.

You respectfully bow out, you'd had enough for one day. It's then you notice that Hotch is all by himself. You quietly excuse yourself, but you find that they're not really listening now that you were safer. "Are you alright?" you ask, and your voice is very quiet. Hotch looks up from his phone as if he's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. You take in his face, and it's clear he's been in some sort of scuffle. Most notable due to the fact he's got blood smeared under his nose.

"I should be asking you that." he retorts, and your eyebrows furrow in.

"Y-You already did." you remind him, eyes darting away. "Why are you over here by yourself?" you shoot off a round of questions, the wind whipping around, and making you crave the comfort of your bed. You maintain a respectful balance, you weren't in any rush to be all up in someone's space.

"I think I've had enough of crowds for the night." he retorts. You don't realize until it's happened though, your hand reaching up to swipe at the blood that's slowly drying on his upper lip.

"Get into a bar fight?" you ask, and you hold your breath for the answer. Hotch looks down at you, and there's this unreadable expression on his face. You realize that this is nothing new. Hotch had never been easy to read, he was one of the greatest profilers you'd ever met, one of the greatest people. But he'd always been an enigma. His emotions were an Alcatraz all on their own.

"You should see the other guy." the classic rebuttal to a question like yours. It doesn't make you smile, mostly because he's not smiling either. "Are you okay?" and he's got you by your wrist, eyes zoned in on the harsh mark the guy from the bar had left behind. "He never should've touched you." his voice lowers, and there's an annoyance attached to his tone. "I'm so sorry." you find yourself huffing.

"You shouldn't have fought him." you say matter-of-factly. Your fists fold up at your sides, your lips pulling down into a frown. "It'll give everyone the wrong idea." you say, and you wrench your hand away from his grasp.

"Everyone?" he repeats, and he looks confused, classic Hotch.

"Me." you correct, "I'll get the wrong idea." you whisper. "I might actually think you like me." you admit quietly.

"We wouldn't want that." he replies, and his tone is far from mocking. You hate that it makes you crack a smile. You hate that he's always the one that manages to get that reaction out of you.

"Hey, are you two coming? We're all heading to Mo's." Emily calls, and you snort at the fact that their alcohol riddled mind had caused them to forget you'd already declined. You take a step away from Hotch, and you hate that you stumble. You were hating a lot of things tonight. Maybe you weren't as sober as you'd thought.

Aaron looks to you as if he's waiting to see your answer before giving his own, and maybe he was. The second you're politely explaining that you're ready to head home, Aaron is offering to drive you. Derek is whistling, Emily and JJ offering you smug little smirks. Penelope is trying to keep herself secured to Earth. "He's gonna take her home." he whispers to no one in particular, and it's a horrid attempt.

"We all heard, babygirl." Derek replies to her, and you find yourself a bit stuck. The thought of spending the eighteen minute car ride with your boss make you want to scream, but you'd taken a cab. Your own car was parked in the driveway of your place. And he doesn't look like he' taking any goodbyes either way. Rounds of goodbye and see you laters are soon offered. "Take care of our girl, Hotch." Derek calls, and you hear Spencer as he starts to rant about Derek's turn-of-phrase.

Our girl. Hotch finds that the words repeat in his head like an obnoxious echo. "Why are you doing this?" you question quietly. "If you're just trying to make up for the whole Agent thing, there's no need." you proceed, and you take a small step back.

"I'm not trying to make up for that." he replies quickly. "But, you're drunk, and you've been through a lot tonight." he reminds you as if you're ditsy or something. "It wouldn't be smart to leave you by yourself." he continues, and he inhales deeply. He watches the way you watch him, like you're unsure, like you're suspicious. "That isn't a testament of whether or not I think you can handle yourself... and neither was fighting that man at the bar." he promises, and you blink.

"No?" you ask, and your tongue feels extra dry. Like you've licked a stripe of sandpaper.

"No." he reaffirms. "You mean a lot to the team. We wouldn't be the same without you." he says this bit like he means it, and you can't find any trace of a lie residing in his face. He does mean it.

"Thank you, Sir." you reply under your breath, exhaling the word. The chill of the night finally gets to you, and you shiver.

"Can I take you home?" he asks, and you know you're reading into it more than you should. You know what he means, what he's really asking, but delusion was healthy every now and again, right?

"Y-Yeah." your head nods, voice wavering slightly as you take hold of the bottom of your dress. "Yes." you say more firmly.

"Okay." you stand there for a few moments more, passing charged glances back and forth. "You never answered my question earlier." is what he says to break the moment. "About how you were doing..." he proceeds. "I've asked you twice, and both times you-"

"Deflected?" you offer, and his head nods. "I guess I'm just scared you'll see right through whatever my answer is." you admit, and you cross your arms, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. "Emily and JJ will at least humor me." you explain. "Penelope won't ask... mostly because she's scared of the answer." you chuckle awkwardly. "Derek and Spence, well I guess they're like you too... but you're here, and they're not... so here we are."

Hotch appraises you for a second, but he doesn't say much else. You're grateful for that, but equal parts annoyed that he wasn't leaping to tell you that you were harder to read than you thought. No such luck. Still, you're surprised when Hotch grabs you by your arm, much gentler than earlier, and he's slowing his stride to be in step with yours. You don't realize you've leaned fully into his side until you feel him tense up. He doesn't say anything though.

A win is a win.

You didn't know much about the inner workings of Aaron Hotchner's mind, but you did know that if he was uncomfortable with your proximity, he would have said so. The walk back to Hotch's car is silent. At least outwardly, inside you were panicking. He opens the passenger side for you, and you imagine a world where this was normal. Where it didn't take you being hit on by sleazy men at a bar to be having these moments with Hotch. But it was impossible.

"Did it hurt?" you ask, once the car is moving. He's adjusted the temperature, a soothing warm pooling from the vents. You're surprised at how quickly he drives, you'd half expected him to be one of those slow as molasses drivers. Hotch looks over at you incredulously, his eyebrows raise, but he doesn't look agitated nor annoyed with you breaking the silence again.

"You'll have to be more specific." he replies, and you hum. You pause for a second, trying to find the right words. At the last second you decide saying it straight would be just as good as anything else.

"Punching that guy?" you ask, and Hotch's lips quirk upwards, he was amused with you. In truth, he had no idea what he was thinking. As soon as the girls had ushered you away, he'd found himself swinging before he could think of the repercussions. All he knew was that you'd sounded scared, you'd sounded unlike yourself in a way that made him angry. Everyone saw how you had changed, the elephant in the room was hard to ignore. But you were trying, he could give you that.

"No." he mumbles, and that likely has a lot to do with the fact that he hasn't come down. He's still on edge, still watching you like you might at any moment start spiraling. "Besides, it was worth it." and he says this a bit under his breath, you hear it all the same. "I doubt he'll try it again." he admits, and you feel liberated. It was nice to have someone fighting for you, fighting the fights you weren't capable of.

"Thanks, Hotch." you hum, and it triggers a yawn.

"Back to Hotch?" he asks, and you look over at him confused. You kick your feet back and forth, careful not to dig your heels into the plush of the car's floor.

"Would you prefer I call you sir?" you ask, and he is tapping on the brake, the car slowly peeling to a stop as you come up on a red light.

"No." he answers sternly. "It's not like you." he admits, and the light is turning green again. He steps lightly on the gas, the car surging forward "Especially if you're only calling me Sir, as payback for me calling you Agent." he says, and even though you had tried your hand at pretending the greeting hadn't bothered you, it was obvious he had read right through you.

"Why'd you do that?" you question and your tone is a lot more clipped than you had intended.

"So it did offend you?" he retorts, and you feel anger flaring up. You swallow this feeling, hands balling up by your side.

"Hotch." you snap, and he smirks fully, eyes back on the road. "Can you be serious, please?" you ask, and you probably sound pitiful.

"The last month I've just been..." he trails off momentarily, and you wonder if he's emotional, or just being dramatic. "I should have known better." he expresses. "I should've been there to make sure that what happened didn't." he says, and you tense up. "He never should have gotten the chance to get close enough to cart you off." he completes his thought, and you're shocked. You never would have guessed Hotch blames himself for what happened to you.

"That wasn't your fault." you promise, and you mean it. You'd never once thought of blaming Hotch for what went down. "You were confident in the plan, you were putting your faith in the team."

"There is a very thin line between confidence and arrogance." He rebuttals instantly. "We got cocky, and you suffered because of it." he looks so destroyed as he says this. "And then you showed up tonight, and tried to pretend everything was fine." he notes as you remain silent. "It just reminded me that we're too close." he tightens his grip on the steering wheel. "The longer you stay in the unit, the more you become numb to the things we see. You start to ignore the signs that you're not alright." he says, and you'd never thought of it that way.

"Hotch..." you exhale.

"I called you Agent to set up a boundary, or at least I tried." he says this like he's beating himself up. "But then I saw the way it hurt you." and he looks ashamed. "And I never want to be someone who does that to you." you're warring with your heart then. "So I wont do it again." he promises, and he looks to you briefly. "I'll call you by your name, I won't deflect." he adds as your mouth drops open just briefly.

"But, it's not right for someone your age to be so closed off. It's not right for you to pretend to be okay just to keep up with the people around you. If you weren't up to being out, you should've stayed home, our opinions don't outweigh your safety." he lectures you. "They never will." he adds a second after, and he's so sure as he says this. He's slowing down, coming up on your place.

Your leg is shaking slightly, that pesky feeling of anxiety creeping back up on you. "We're here." he says under his breath as if you weren't aware. You don't budge, you can't. You have so much to say, but where do you start. Hotch has shut his car off, almost like he too has a lot sitting on the tip of his tongue.

"I just wanted to prove I could handle it." you admit, and you're crying. "I didn't want to be another Gideon or Elle... or Spence." you cringe at the memories. "I didn't want you guys to handle with me with kid gloves. I didn't want you to see me as the girl who needs the kid gloves." you express honestly, and now your tears are falling in quick precession. "I'm sorry..." you swipe at your face. "I don't know why I'm crying, this is so stupid." you hiss at yourself.

"No, it isn't." the response earns him a surprised glance. "It's good... this is good." Hotch is quick to use a hand to swipe at your tears. He hates the sight of them, but loves what they mean. Your heart's still soft, pliable. You haven't fully succumb to the horrors of the job. "Consider this me atoning." he prompts. "You have my ear, say whatever you need to say." he looks over at you again, and seems to mentally backtrack. "If it'll help you." he adds.

You sniffle audibly, hands clenching and unclenching as the car suddenly feels much too hot. "It's not your fault, okay?" you repeat, and you say it with more certainty. "I just need you to know that." you sniffle again, but your tears keep falling, even as you try to blink them away. "Hotch, you're our leader for a reason, and you were there to save me that night, and you were here to save me tonight." you remind him. "I don't want you to pull back, not when I'm finally making some progress with cracking that hard exterior of yours."

Hotch's lips quirk at your words, and he looks down at his lap. "I've never meant to pull back from you." the inflection with the last words sticks. "I thought I was doing right by you... pulling the band aid off before you got in too deep." he says. "But that was wrong of me, I can admit to that. I'm sorry." and his apologies are like kisses. They wash over you, and force you to believe him.

"Don't apologize to me." you plead, "Just promise not to leave me behind, treat me like an outsider again." you continue as his head nods, and you can trust that he's listening.

"I can do that." he promises.

That seems to be the key to unlocking the dam of your emotions. You choke on the feelings, a quiet sob escaping you as you clasp a hand over your mouth. How dramatic, and pathetic, and God awful were all these feelings. But they'd been years in the making, right?

"Are you alright?." he asks under his breath, worry palpable.

"Do you know that the only thing that kept me from losing it that day was you?" you ask, and your boldness won't leave you, clearly it was now or never. "You told me to 'keep breathing'... you said it over and over and over, and I listened." you explain, and he remembers the day too well. "Even though everything hurt like hell, and there was so much blood." you reminisce. "And I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy, but there was this look." you exhale sadly. "This look you had on your face that made me think... 'maybe it's not just me'"

It isn't. He knows that instantly. You've plagued his mind so severely for so long that he can just barely remember a time where you weren't one of the only things he thought about, worried about, cared about. But he had his post to think about, he was the Unit Chief, your boss, your superior. What would the team think? What would Strauss think? Did it matter? In the grand scheme of things, did those worries outweigh his need, his innate desire to see you safe and protected from harm? Absolutely not. So what was the real problem?

"Hotch..." you inhale deeply, voice cracking distractingly as he gives you his full attention. Something you'd dreamed of, wanted more than anything since the first time you'd ever laid eyes on him. "Aaron." you correct, and you breathe again. "I've been thinking of how to say this... i've been rehearsing it over and over again, because I wanted to get it right, and I just knew tonight would be the night I'd have to have the balls to either say it or let it go forever." you admit.

"Say it..." and he's rushing you, but you suppose that's deserved. You were still stalling, dragging this out way more than you needed to.

"I'm in love with you." and it was out there, and you couldn't take it back. You stare him down, worried about his reaction, about how he would respond. "And it took me getting hurt, and being sent home, away from the team for me to realize." you inhale shakily. "I kept having these-these dreams about that night. All these different scenarios about how things could've turned out different, how I could've died had one thing been out of place." you process.

"You're the reason I'm still here, you're the reason why this team can function, and you're the reason why I- why I came tonight even though my anxiety told me it wasn't safe. Because, somehow I knew that as long as you were here... I'd be okay, and I am." you say, and it's a lot, too much maybe. His reaction is hard to read at first, face just as stoic as most times, but his eyes.... his eyes hold the truth. They melt, pools of warm honey dancing in the darkness residing there.

"And it's inappropriate... and wrong... and silly... but- I couldn't go another day without you knowing, without you hearing from me." you explain. "When you came up to the bar tonight I just... I've never felt this way before... lucky, protected, safe.... and-and I'm not asking for anything from you... I'm not expecting something in return, I just wanted to get it out there... I think we both know it's been a long time coming..." and your words are being swallowed as Aaron leans forward. The middle console is a bridge, a roadblock.

It doesn't deter him though, not from using a hand to gently cup your face, mouth slotting against yours as if it belonged there. You're dizzy, shocked, surprised, but you don't let this mess you up. You can't possibly allow anything to mess up this moment. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two... the seconds tick by with neither of you moving to break the kiss, hands and tongues and breaths fanning over one another as you get acquainted in the most perfect way.

Still, life dealt lots, and yours consisted of a need for oxygen. It's the only reason why you break apart with heady gasps, eyes dilated and fogged with emotions much too heavy to really explain. "Oh, you can't do that." you explain, and Hotch's bemused, eyebrows raising upwards, as his thumb brushes over your cheekbones.

"I can't?" he asks, and he sounds so much lighter now.

"No, you can't. I'll get the wrong idea, you know." you explain, and he smiles brazenly at your callback to earlier. "I'll actually believe you're in love with me or something." you say, and Hotch is slow as he leans back in, a peck being placed right on your lips as your eyelashes flutter, and your heart beats out of control.

"We can't have that, can we?" he's following your lead with the callback, and your cheek presses into his palm.

"I don't know." you answer, and your voice is faint. "I'm scared this'll be a dream." you proceed as Hotch's eyes scan over your frantic face. "I'll wake up and find out that this was all in my head, and the only memories I get to hold on to are from that night." Hotch's lips purse, head shaking in denial as you inhale shakily.

"No, not this time. an ambitious remark. "This time it's real." he promises. "This time I'm here with you to make sure that all those things you felt that night, and earlier by the bar, are how you keep feeling about me." he answers truly. "I'm here to love you back for as long as you'll have me. Is it alright for me to feel that way?" he asks, and your hand jumps up to keep his squished in place against your face.

"You can feel however you want." you reply, and he laughs, a full blown chuckle escaping him as his face seems to light up like a thousand suns. His eyes glisten, twinkling as he looks down at you, like everything was right in the world. And to him it was. Nothing and nobody could hurt you here.

"Good. Then I choose whatever this between you and I leads to, I choose the feelings that come with that." You smile grows to an almost blinding brightness as you reach across the console to hug him, and pull him into your arms. He's quick as he presses a peck to the top of your head, eyes still dancing over you as if he was seeing you for the first time. And maybe he was, that part wasn't your business, all you knew was that loving Aaron was easy, it could be.

A long time coming, but a wait well worth it. Lucky you.

[sushiyuzu]

a fake relationship

nanami kento x reader

a/n: interested to read more? click here to read the book!

the school bell rings, echoing through the hallways as students spill out of classrooms, chatting, laughing, and groaning over the latest assignments. you're in no particular rush, meandering through the crowded corridor on your way to your locker. most of your friends have already left, probably heading to the café nearby or the library. but you? you have a different kind of problem to face—one that's been plaguing you all semester: math.

you open your locker with a sigh, tossing in a textbook and pulling out your crumpled math test results. a large, angry red 48/100 glares back at you from the paper, and you wince. it's the third failed math test this month. no matter how hard you try, no matter how many formulas you attempt to memorize, numbers just don't seem to click in your brain. you stuff the paper into your bag, muttering under your breath.

"great. just great."

you're not dumb—far from it. you're a pretty solid student in most subjects, but math? math is your achilles' heel. and you can already picture the conversation with your parents at dinner tonight. they've been on your case about your grades, and if they find out about another flunked exam, well... that's a disaster you're not ready to deal with.

as you slam your locker shut with more force than necessary, you catch a glimpse of nanami kento. he's standing at his locker not far from yours, his face set in that calm, unreadable expression he always wears. neat, composed, a little too perfect, really. you've never spoken more than a few words to him in class, but he's hard not to notice. he's the kind of guy who seems like he has everything figured out—top of the class, disciplined, never flustered by anything.

you're about to turn away when a shrill voice rings through the hallway.

"nanami-kun!"

a group of girls is lingering nearby, one of them stepping forward with a bright, flirtatious smile. "are you free after school? maybe we could study together?"

the girl's voice is sweet, her smile almost rehearsed, like she's done this a hundred times before. it's no secret that nanami is one of the most sought-after guys in school, and girls are always trying to get his attention.

you pause, pretending to fix your bag as you watch out of the corner of your eye, already knowing how this will go.

without even looking up from his locker, nanami replies, "i'm busy."

his voice is polite but detached, and the girl's smile falters. she quickly tries to recover. "oh, well... maybe another time?"

nanami doesn't respond, continuing to organize his books like she's not even there.

the girl fidgets awkwardly before giving up, walking back to her friends with a disappointed shrug. you can hear them whispering and giggling as they retreat down the hall. you almost feel bad for her���but at the same time, it's no surprise. nanami has this way of effortlessly deflecting attention, and yet, that only seems to make people more interested in him.

you snap out of your thoughts, turning to leave, but as you sling your bag over your shoulder, you feel a presence beside you.

"hey."

the deep, calm voice startles you, and you turn to find nanami kento standing right next to you. your heart skips a beat. you're not used to him being this close, let alone speaking to you directly.

"uh, hey?" you reply, trying not to sound as confused as you feel. why is nanami kento talking to you of all people?

he glances around briefly, then lowers his voice, his expression serious. "i need to ask you for a favor."

your eyebrows shoot up. a favor? from nanami? you're intrigued, to say the least. "what kind of favor?"

he hesitates for a moment, his eyes flicking back to the group of girls still lingering at the end of the hallway. then, with that same calm composure, he says, "i need you to pretend to be my girlfriend."

what?

for a second, you're sure you misheard him. "excuse me?"

"a fake relationship," he clarifies. "it'll be temporary."

you blink at him, completely thrown off. this was not the kind of favor you were expecting.

"okay..." you say slowly. "why would you need a fake girlfriend?"

nanami's eyes shift toward the group of girls again, the faintest hint of annoyance crossing his features. "lately, i've been getting a lot of unwanted attention," he explains, his voice low but steady. "it's distracting, and i don't have the time or interest to deal with it."

you take a second to process his words, your mind still trying to catch up. the most composed, serious guy in school needs a fake girlfriend to fend off admirers? it almost sounds ridiculous. but then again... you look at him—stoic, serious, perfectly put-together. you can see why people would constantly try to break down his walls.

"and you think this'll work?" you ask, crossing your arms skeptically.

nanami's expression doesn't change. "yes. people will lose interest once they see i'm already in a relationship."

you chew your lip, still unsure. "okay, but... why me?"

he turns his gaze to you, his eyes steady. "because you're not caught up in that drama. you're not the type to spread rumors, and you're not interested in unnecessary attention."

he has a point. you've always kept a low profile, and you don't really involve yourself in school gossip. but still...

"and what's in it for me?" you ask, raising an eyebrow.

nanami doesn't hesitate. "i'll help you with whatever you need—homework, projects. you need help with math, don't you?"

your stomach flips at the mention of math. of course, nanami would know that. he's in your class, after all, and you've failed more than enough tests for it to be common knowledge by now. but still, hearing it from him—someone who probably never struggles with any subject—stings a little.

"how do you know that?" you mutter, crossing your arms defensively.

nanami raises an eyebrow, unfazed. "i've seen your test results. you're not bad in other subjects, but math is holding you back."

you're about to snap something back, but you stop yourself. he's right. you've been struggling in math all semester, and it's been dragging your grades down. if you fail one more test, your parents will lose it.

"and you're offering to tutor me?" you ask, the skepticism still clear in your voice.

nanami nods. "in exchange for this arrangement."

the offer is tempting—really tempting. it's not like you have any better ideas for improving your math grades, and having nanami, the top student, help you? that could actually save your skin. but at the same time, agreeing to a fake relationship with him? it's crazy.

you glance at nanami again. his expression is calm, composed, but there's something else in his eyes—something genuine. he's not asking for this because he wants attention or drama. he just wants peace.

after a long pause, you sigh. "fine. i'll do it."

for the first time, nanami's expression softens just a little—a flicker of relief, maybe. "thank you."

you smirk, a little more at ease now. "but if you flunk me in math, this deal is off."

nanami chuckles lightly—something you've never heard from him before. "you won't."

as you walk down the hallway together, the weight of the deal you've just made starts to sink in. you're about to dive into something completely unexpected, and who knows how this will all play out?

but one thing's for sure: your school year just got a whole lot more interesting.

[cultofdixon]

Within Your Warmth

Daryl Dixon • She/Her Pronouns • Y/N finally found a place to sleep and Daryl was going to hit anybody that disturbs her • SFW • TW: Sleep Deprivation

Requested by: Anon

“You coming to the bonfire Rick has going on later?” Rosita asks Y/N while she was in the middle of her fifth task of the day, pantry restock.

“Yeah, if I’m not too exhausted”

“Well there will be alcohol. The new dude Greyson found a case of beers on his run the other day with Eugene.” Rosita hopped up on the only stool in the pantry watching her best friend work. “Even Eugene found a good scotch”

“Now that’s what I’m here for” Y/N laughs lightly finishing the canned goods and about to start putting away the new jarred stuff from Oceanside. “Do you know if Daryl is gonna be there?”

Y/N could sense the smirk on her face resulting in a groan as Rosita quickly popped off the stool bringing herself up behind her bestie.

“The Daryl Dixon? The one you’ve been crushing on since longer before I came along?”

“Yes. That Daryl Dixon”

“So…if Daryl were to come then you’d for sure come?”

“I guess—“ and with that Rosita left the pantry, leaving a confused Y/N to continue doing what she was doing before heading onto the next task.

The bonfire was happening at Alexandria. They rotate through the communities every couple days to keep the connection between their families…even if Maggie doesn’t want to step foot in Alexandria as long as he lives. Daryl was currently residing in the Sanctuary after being tasked to keep an eye on the community which felt more like a punishment and only two people understood that. Carol and Y/N. When Rosita left to find him, she half expected him to be inside yelling at someone. Instead he was working on the gardening plots with a green thumb from the Kingdom and a few Saviors that turned for good.

“Dixon” Rosita brought on her tough exterior when talking to the man in hopes that her asks would be given a positive answer. “I have to ask you something”

“If it’s about the bonfire bullshit, I’m going”

“It’s about——“ Rosita paused, relaxing her shoulders. “Wait. Seriously?”

“Rick asked, so did Aaron. You just missed them” Daryl handed the hoe off to one of the Saviors so he could get close to Rosita. “Why are you askin’?”

“It’s more so trying to get another to go tonight.”

“Huh?”

“Y/N said she’d go if you do…so does that confirm the mutual feeling that brews between the two of you?” Rosita smirks trying to get more out of the archer but he continued to have the same deadpan look from before. Her shoulders instantly slumped and the smirk faded. “Alright, loverboy…I’ll see you tonight”

“Mhm” Daryl let out a small chuckle before returning to work while Rosita headed off.

As the night came and the bonfire was starting, Daryl leaned against the picnic table holding all the goodies they brought out scanning around the intimate event in search for Y/N. Who so happened to be the last to arrive even if she lives in the vicinity.

“Where the hell have you been?” Rosita pulled Y/N aside when she was about to make small talk with someone.

“Uh. My watch shift? I just got relieved”

“What the hell?”

“What? I wasn’t gonna halt my work load for the day to doll myself up for a man who’s probably equally as tired as I am”

“Well hate to disappoint but the man is question” Rosita gently took a hold of her chin, directing her to look at Daryl while he was in the middle of a conversation with Gabriel. “Seems to have showered and dressed nicer than usual. I wonder who it’s for”

Y/N can’t deny that Daryl did indeed look extremely well put together. Did everything they used to beg him to do when they first arrived to Alexandria.

“I’m gonna go see how he’s doing” Y/N shot a smile his way which definitely caught his attention, but when she parted from Rosita to make her way over…she got stopped by Ezekiel and couldn’t just cut her friend off.

Daryl felt his small smile falter when she got pulled away not just once, but a handful of times throughout the night. He hasn’t even seen her eat or drink anything. Y/N was very popular that night and everybody wanted to talk to her, he wanted too as well but no window opened.

Until she was sat in one of the outdoor chairs by the fire, Daryl instantly took the empty one beside her and watched her tiredly look at him.

“Sorry was this—-“

“I’ve been trying to talk to you all night…” Y/N sighs, finally relaxing and keeping her attention on him. “I miss you”

The heat instantly made itself present on the tips of his ears as he tried to fight back a smile.

“Missed yea too sunshine”

The two caught up on what the other has missed regarding their community, ending with Y/N talking about how much Rick is an idiot for having Daryl watch the Sanctuary. A few share that same thought but hers had a whole other meaning.

“You staying the night here?”

“Yeah, figured they’d survive a night without me” Daryl scoffs finishing his beer as Y/N curled up slightly in her chair to get more comfortable.

“Well…I still stay at Rick and Michonne’s. No one touched your room if you’d like to stay there”

“I was actually planning on it…”

“Good” Y/N continues to hold her smile that he will always take a mental picture of. Before she could get another word, Rick quickly cut in to ask Daryl himself about any updates for the Sanctuary.

Which lead the exhaustion to finally hit Y/N after a long day.

When his conversation ended by Rick running off to catch up with Ezekiel, Daryl was going to return to his with Y/N but noticed she fell asleep in her chair. So instead of waking her, he sat with her and made sure no one disturbed her.

Daryl shooed away people, even tossed his empty beer bottle at Aaron who tried to start a conversation (thankfully he caught it)…eventually he got up from his spot and carefully picked up Y/N bridal style which led her to stir awake enough to realize what was happening.

“Oh…”

“You’re alright, imma take yea home”

“Okay, long day” Y/N mumbles resting her head against his chest closing her eyes once more.

On the way to the Grimes residence, Rosita and Michonne went up to make sure Y/N was okay but Daryl quickly gave them a look to back off gently. Nothing was wrong. Thankfully they both understood.

“Who woulda thought it took having Y/N do a lot of shit today to have this tonight” Michonne stated, taking a sip of her scotch as Rosita choked on her beer.

“You’re also trying to get them together?”

“Please. I’ve been trying since our prison days. At least she can finally rest easy tonight…it’s been hard for her with Daryl at the Sanctuary”

“I bet…” Rosita continued to watch the two walk off before leaning close to Michonne with a smirk. “What’d yea win in the bet with Carol?”

“Three night shifts for the bridge camp”

“Nice”

Once they got inside the house and upstairs to Y/N’s room, Daryl gently laid her in the bed before grabbing a blanket draping it over her carefully. What he least expected, Y/N gently took his wrist tugging him back to the bed as he caught the hint or so he thought by bringing him low enough for her to wrap his arms around him.

“Lay with me…”

“Are you su—-“

“I’ve missed you so much Daryl, I’m not letting go of you that easily”

The archer didn’t wait another moment and quickly kicked off his shoes before climbing into the bed laying on top of her. Y/N let him adjust to where his head rested comfortably on her chest letting her run her fingers through his hair.

A satisfied sigh left Daryl’s lips holding her as she held him in a way where she wasn’t going to let go easily.

And he’s thankful for that

[samandcolbyownme]

PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE

Summary: You’ve heard of Christmas miracles, well here’s a Halloween miracle - a year later, reader finds out that her boyfriend didn’t just disappear

Warnings: strong language, vampire!Matt, mentions of blood, death, other Halloween themes, compulsion, angsty?, kissing

Word Count: 4.5k | Unedited

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷

ＯＮＥ ＹＥＡＲ ＡＧＯ

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” Your friend holds onto you tight, “You can’t.. I’m sorry, you can’t go in there.”

You were sobbing in her arms, fighting to break free from her grasp, “Nonono, he can’t-“ you gasp for air, “He can’t.. he can’t be..”

“I’m sorry.. I’m so, so sorry.” She holds you tighter, moving down to sit on the ground with you laying in her lap, “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not seeing anything.”

You lifted your head, sniffling hard as you listened to the officers talk, “There’s absolutely no sign of them sir.”

“No blood? No articles of clothing? A cell phone? Nothing?” He takes his hat off, smacking it against his thigh, “Goddamn it. We’ll search all night if we have to.”

And they did.

You couldn’t believe what you were living through. You couldn’t comprehend that Matt was just.. gone.

“There’s..” you sniffle hard, laying your head against your friend’s shoulder, “no.. way.. he’s just..” you sob hard, wails leaving your lips the longer you think about it.

“I know.. I know..” she whispers as she rubs your back, “it doesn’t.. it doesn’t make sense.”

“Ma’am.”

“Y/n.” Your friend pushes you to stand up and you look up at the officer, “I believe your boyfriend was one of the ones who disappeared last night.”

You nod, “Y-yes.. he just.. came outside.. and never.. c-came.. back.”

“Neither of you saw anything, did you?” He asks as he jots stuff down on his notepad, “No animals or anything like that?”

“No, sir.” Your friend steps up beside you and you shake your head, “We were inside the whole night, or..” you sigh, fighting back more tears but fail, “Un-til.. he-“

“Okay, okay.” The officer pats your shoulder, “Well work hard to figure out what happened, okay? We’ll get you and everyone else some answers.”

But they never did.

It was always the same answer, no tracks. Nothing left behind. They just dropped the case like they were nothing.

You couldn’t just sit there anymore, so you went out to the woods.

Day after day for a few weeks, looking for some sort of sign, or a clue he may have left behind, but to your disappointment, you found nothing.

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ＯＮＥ ＹＥＡＲ ＬＡＴＥＲ － ＰＲＥＳＥＮＴ ＤＡＹ

Matt was always in the back of your mind. You never let yourself go a day without thinking about him at least once, but then again, everything reminded you of him.

You even dreamed about him.

“I miss you.” You look up at him from your bed as he walks closer to you, “I wish I could..” you gasp quietly as his hand presses to your cheek.

“I promise, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again.”

They always felt, so real. Almost like he was literally standing right in front of you, but when you’d wake up, he never was.

You let out a sigh as your phone vibrates from an incoming call. You hit the lock button to silence it, but the screen still stays lit.

You roll your eyes, knowing exactly why Macie is calling, and you didn’t feel like talking about it.

She calls again, and again, and again, until you finally answer it, “Dude.”

“Finally.” She sighs, “I’ve been waiting for you to answer.”

“I’m not going to that stupid Halloween party. I don’t need a repeat of last year with you.” You sit up and rest your chin in the palm of your hand, “I just don’t think I’m ready to go to another one.”

“Oh come on, y/n. You have to start living your normal life. You can’t stay locked in your apartment forever, it’s not good.” She pauses, “We don’t have to go to the party, but we can go to the festival?”

Your eyes start to water as you remember walking through the fair grounds with Matt’s hand in yours. Him glancing back at you every so often to make sure you were good.

His smile, the way his eyes lit up when you smiled back.

“I-I.. don’t want to do anything, Macie, I’m sorry.” You pull the phone away from your ear and stop when you hear her yelling, “Wait, wait, wait.”

You put the phone back to your ear, “What.”

“I’ll come over, I’ll bring snacks. A blanket, we can camp out in your living room, watch movies all night?”

You stay silent for a second, thinking about her offer, “Fine. But you better bring the good popcorn. I’m all out.”

“Okay, I’ll pack a bag and then I’ll swing by the store on my way over.”

“Take your time, I’m going to try and lay down, I can feel a headache coming on.” You run a hand through your hair, “See you in a little bit.”

“See you.”

You hang up, tossing your phone down as you lay down. You stare at the picture of Matt on your nightstand, giving it a small smile before your close your eyes.

That’s the fastest you’ve fallen asleep.

“I miss you so much.” Matt whispers as he pulls you tighter against his body, “You have no idea what I’d do to get back to you.”

“I’d do anything to have you back, Matt. It’s not the same without you here.” You turn your head, sniffling as you try to hold back your tears.

“Hey, hey.” Matt’s hands slide to your cheeks and he tiles your head up, “Don’t cry, sweetheart.” He gives you a small smile as his thumbs swipe away your tears as they fall, “I promise, I’m always with you. You know that.”

“It’s not the same.” You pout, “Why can’t you come back?”

“I don’t have a choice, baby.” Matt frowns, “Macie is almost here. It’s time to wake up.” He presses his lips to your temple, and you snap awake.

You sit up, looking around as your hand moves to the spot Matt kisses in your dream.

It felt so real.

“Hey!” Macie calls as she walks through your front door, “I’m here.”

You get up and walk out, “Have you ever had a dream that felt so real, you’re left.. confused after?”

She stops walking and just stares at you, “I just.. got here..” she laughs and walks over to the couch, “But yeah, I’ve had dreams like that.”

“I keep, having these dreams where Matt is here.” You walk over to the couch and sit down, “Like, right before you got here, he kissed my temple..” you point to your head, “This temple, and then he told me you were almost here and that I needed to wake up.”

“I think..” she sits down and turns towards you, “I think it’s all physiological, honey. Like you’re still really shaken up about Matt just-“

“Yeah.” You cut her off, not wanting to talk about it, “Did you, uh, bring the popcorn?”

She catches on and nods, “I sure did.” She pulls the box out of her grocery bag and hands it to you, “That’s the stuff right?”

You nod, “Yes, this is the stuff.” You get up and walk to the kitchen, unwrapping a pack of the popcorn to throw into the microwave.

“Did you get drinks?” You yell out, pausing as you wait for her to answer, “Oh fuck no, I didn’t.”

“That’s fine. I have some.” You reach into the fridge and grab some, “Here. The popcorn is in the microwave. I’ll go check it.”

You walk back into the kitchen and as you’re standing at the microwave, you feel like a hand brushes hair from your shoulder.

You jump, spinning around quickly as you gasp.

Nothing.

“I swear to god.” You grab the bag from the microwave and walk back in to Macie, “Either my apartment is haunted, or I’m just losing it.”

“Why? What happened?” She looks up at you as she spread her blanket over her legs.

“Nothing.” You shake your head, “I’m probably just losing it.”

She nods, taking the bag of popcorn, “Do you have a bowl?” You sit down and groan, “Shit, yeah.” You go to get up, but she stops you, “You. Sit. I can get it.”

You nod, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and you lean back into the couch. As you’re clicking through the movies, you swear you see Matt standing behind the couch in the reflection.

You whip your head around, letting out a sigh as Macie walks back in, “I think this one should be good enough, right?”

You look over at her and nod, “Yeah. That’s the popcorn bowl.”

She furrows her brows and slowly sits down, “What’s happening?”

“What do you mean?” You tilt your head and she laughs slightly, “You’re acting weird.”

You try to play it off, but you can’t, “I can’t.. okay. Please don’t judge me, but I honestly feel like Matt is still here.”

She goes to say something, but you cut her off, “And don’t give me that it’s just your mind grieving, shit because it doesn’t feel like that. I know what that feels like and this..” you shake your head, “This.. isn’t it.”

“Okay, okay.” She slowly sets the bowl on the table and looks at you, “I was there when Matt went missing.”

You cringe at her words and she sighs, “I know you hate hearing it, but it’s true, y/n. I seen the way it affected you. I seen how hurt you were by his disappearance. You were deeply affected, and from what I know, the mind can play the worst tricks when you’re going through something like that. Thinking they’re still here because you don’t want to accept they aren’t coming back.”

You give her a look but she quickly speaks up, “I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, honey. What I’m saying, is, maybe.. you need to finally.. put him to rest?”

“What, like burn his pictures?” You scoff and look down, “I can’t get rid of anything, Mac, it’s all I have left of him.”

“No, I’m just saying that you need to give him one final message. A final goodbye, so that way, you don’t spend the rest of your life on the couch, soaking in sadness. He wouldn’t want that.”

No matter how much you didn’t want to believe her, you knew she was right.

“I know.” You mumble quietly, “I just..”

“I’ll give you tonight. One more night to just grieve and let all the sadness come back out, and then tomorrow, we’re going to Frankie’s party.”

You shake your head and she nods, “You need to live your life, y/n. You can’t just-“

“I know.” You cut her off, “I’m just, scared I’ll forget him completely.”

“I don’t think that will happen.” She laughs slightly, “You and Matt were.. an unbelievable couple. You guys were literally the perfect match.”

“I miss him.” You look at her, tears in your eyes, “I miss him so much.” You cover your face and the silent sobs grow louder.

“I know, honey.” She moves over next to you, her arms moving to hold you like she did a year ago. You were sobbing against her chest as she gently rocked you back and forth, “It’s okay. You’re okay, just let it all out.”

“It should have been me.” You sob, “Matt didn’t deserve this.”

“It shouldn’t have been anyone.” She runs her hand over your head, “No one should have to go through this.”

After a few minutes of crying, you sit up, “Okay..” you sniffle, “Let’s watch a movie.”

“Are you sure?” She tilts her head and you nod, “Yeah, yeah.” You wipe your face, “I’m good.”

She takes the remote from the couch and points it at the tv, “This good?” You look at the screen and nod, “Yeah, this one is good.”

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You slowly lifted your head from the arm of the couch, blinking a few times as your eyes adjust to the light flashing from the tv screen.

As you sit up, you see Macie asleep on the other end.

You stand up, leaning down to move the blanket up onto her body more before you walk into the kitchen.

You grab a water from the fridge, opening it to take a drink before standing there for a second. You look around the kitchen, your mind flashing memories of you and Matt dancing in the fridge light.

Carving pumpkins on the floor surrounded by newspaper to catch the goop from within them.

You can still hear his laughter, his voice.

You can feel tears welling up in your eyes, so you make your way back into the living room. You gently set your water down on the end stand before sitting down on the couch.

As you’re watching the movie play, you can feel yourself doze off again, but only this time, unbeknownst to you, you weren’t dreaming.

“Don’t make a a sound, just listen to me.” Matt stares into your eyes as you nod, “You’re going to get up, and you’re going to go into the woods, the spot where you were looking for me.”

You stare at the figure in front of you, nodding as he speaks, “Don’t tell anyone where you’re going. Forget that I was here. Just come find me, and don’t be scared.”

You blink a few times and look around confused. You stare at Macie for a few seconds before you slowly get up, walking over to get your shoes on.

You grab the sweatshirt that once belonged to Matt, and you throw it on before you silently leave. You knew where you were going, you just didn’t know why.

You were questioning yourself the whole way there, asking yourself what you could possibly doing at three in the morning.

Matt was heavy on your mind, but that’s nothing different.

As you round the corner of the one building, you come to a stop. Your eyes fixate on a figure that stands up on the bridge leading to the woods.

A body lying lifeless at its feet.

Don’t be scared.

You walk forward, the figure disappearing with a blink of your eyes and you continue your trek. You stare at the body on the ground as you walk by, your head tilting as you see the ripped open flesh on its neck.

You look forward, glancing behind you before disappearing off the road and into the treeline.

The moon light cutting through the trees illuminated the dark ground as you walk, fog clouds up more and more the closer you get to the opening of where Matt was said to be last.

You take one more step, standing right in the center of the opening and you perk your head up as you snap out of your trance.

You look around, your breathing growing heavy as you start to panic.

You were out in the middle of the woods, alone - or so you thought.

“Y/n?”

You freeze.

You know that voice.

“M-Matt?” You slowly spin around and gasp, your hand flying to your mouth as Matt steps into the stream of moonlight, “Hi baby.”

You stare at him, shaking your head slowly as the overwhelming feelings take over, “I-I don’t.. I don’t-“ you take a shaky breath, “understand.”

“I didn’t either at first, sweetheart.” Matt steps closer and you step back, “W-wait..” you hold your hand up, “You.. were dead..”

He shrugs, “And yet, I’m here.”

You close your eyes, “I don’t..” you feel your legs go weak, and before you hit the ground, Matt in there in a blink of an eye, catching you in his arms.

“Is it.. really you?” You turn your head slightly and Matt nods, “It is.”

You swallow, “We have to.. go to the police.. tell them, you’re-you’re fine, right?” You stand up and turn towards him, “You can.. or, at least.. tell me what happened?”

You were unsure of whether or not you were ready to hear it, but Matt knew that, “Can you sit down for me? I don’t want you falling.”

You nod, sitting down with his hand in yours, “I just..” You let out a sigh as you look around, “I can’t.. wrap my mind around this..”

Matt’s fingers gently rest on your chin, his touch was cold, “Look at me, please.”

You hesitate for a second, but you inevitably look up at him.

“You and I are both, so.. different now.” He shakes his head, “I’ve missed you so much.”

“How-“

He cuts you off, “When I went outside at that party, I didn’t think I wouldn’t ever come back.” He crouches down in front of you, his hands resting on your hips, “It happened so quick.”

“What happened so quick?” You reach up, your shaky hand resting against his cheek, “Matt..”

“I honestly didn’t believe in it myself, but when I woke up, I was..” he looks away, shaking his head. You reach up with your other hand, turning his face back towards you, “Matthew. There’s nothing you can say that will scare me away.”

He swallows, his voice how, “Do you believe in the supernatural?”

You shrug slowly, “I mean, I’ve heard stories about our town, but I never really.. seen anything..”

“But do you believe?”

You nod, “Yes.”

His grip tightens on your hips, “Good, because I really need you to believe me when I tell you that I was turned into a vampire.”

You lean back, your stare on his face, “What?”

He nods, “That’s why I-“

“No, no. I need you to say it again because I-“ you shake your head, “What!?”

“How do you think I got to you in a split second before you hit the ground?” He glances back to the spot where you almost collapsed and you sigh, “I’ve dreamed about you, were, were those-“

“I’ve visited you throughout the year, but only when I knew I could control my thirst.”

“For blood.” You swallow and he nods, “Yeah, as a new vampire, you have this-this uncomfortable hunger and you just want to kill everyone you come across by sucking them dry.”

A chill goes down your spine and Matt rests his hand on your cheek, “I’m not going to hurt you, baby. I don’t want to. That’s why I stayed away for so long.”

“W-who helped you? Are there more? Are the others who disappeared.. vampires, too?”

You had so many questions, your heart was racing.

“Y/n, baby. I need you to calm down.” Matt stands up and backs away.

The feeling that washes over you is gut wrenching. Matt has never backed away from you before.

“I-I’m sorry..” you lean down, your hands covering your face.

Matt is next to you, his hand running up and down your back, “Don’t be sorry. This isn’t your fault.” You sit up, “But it is, I should have came with you. I shouldn’t have been-“

“Don’t do that.” Matt crouches down in front of you again, “Baby, look at me.” He waits until you look at him, “I came to you, sat with you while you slept. I let you see me for as long as I could before I wanted to do something I don’t ever want to do. That’s not your fault. That’s the fuckin’ freaks fault who turned me into this-this monster.”

“You’re not a monster, Matt.” You sniffle as you reach up to cup his face with your hands, “Like you said this.. isn’t your fault.”

He stares at you, “I compelled you to forget me, each time I saw you, and that hurt so bad, I’m so sorry.” He hangs his head down and you move closer, “You had to.”

He looks up at you and you run your hand through his hair, “We can.. we can come up with a plan.. tell, tell the police that you escaped some sort of-of cult or something? I don’t know. We can-“ you stop to take a breath, “Matt, baby. We can figure this out so you can come back to me.”

He lays his hand on yours that’s pressing against his cheek and he shakes his head, “I don’t think I can.”

“Why.. why do you say that?” You can feel yourself getting worked up, but you try to keep yourself as calm as you can, “I can help you.”

He stays silent as he just stares at you, “I don’t want to hurt you.” He shakes his head, “I don’t, ever want you to die on my behalf.”

You chew on your lip, “Is there anything we can do so that you can’t, or make it so you don’t want to?”

“No.”

“You’re lying to me.” You tilt your head, “Matt.”

“I-I don’t.. you..” he stands up and paces, “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“Do what?” You stand up, “You just told me you’re a fucking vampire and yet.. here I am, begging you to let me help you.”

“The only way we could be together is if-“ he stops, shaking his head, “No, no.”

“If.. what?” You swallow, “If you turned me into what you are, too?”

He turns his head towards you, slowly nodding, “That’s our best option, y/n. There’s no magic cure for me, but there’s always that option for you.”

You freeze, “Are-are you serious?” You laugh nervously, “Matt, that..” He quickly moves over to you, “I love you, y/n. So much.”

“I love you.” You pull him in, your lips gently pressing to his. He pulls you closer, his lips pressing harder against yours.

He leans back, “I want to be with you. I do. You have no idea. You’re all I thought about. Your name was the last thing to leave my lips right before I d-“ he gasps, his eyes welling up, “I don’t want to be away from you any longer.”

You blink and tears fall into your cheeks, “I know, baby. I know.” You pull him in for a hug, your arms wrapped tightly around his neck, “What do I have to do?”

Matt holds onto you tighter, taking in your scent before he lets you go, “You need to die with vampire blood in your system.”

You’re taken aback by his words, you knew you had to die, but it was different coming from the one you loved.

“O-okay.” You nod, “I can do that.”

“Y/n. This is.. a lot.. for one night.” Matt sighs, “Why don’t you think-“

“I’ve thought about it.” You nod, “I want to do this, I want to be with you.”

He shakes his head, “I don’t think you have..” he shakes his head, “This.. means leaving for a while.. until you’ve gotten yourself under control. Until you can stomp out the cravings and save a human, saving your best friend.. from being your dinner.”

“So, I’ll just tell her?” You shrug and Matt laughs, “Do you know what they’ll do if it gets out that we’re not human? Especially in a town like this?”

You shake your head, “N-no?”

“We’ll be hunted. We won’t be able to stay here. We’ll have to keep running, and running, and running, and when we think it’s safe, we’ll end up having to run some more.” He runs his hand through his hair and you see a flicker in his eyes, “Matt?”

“I just-“ he sighs, “I need to know that you know what this means, and how different your life will actually be, because mine is no where like it was before, y/n, and I would do anything to get it back to the way it was.”

“But you said you can’t. There’s no magic cure for a vampire to be a human again, only for me to become what you are.” You step towards him, “I would have gone to the ends of the earth to find you, and now that I have found you..”

Matt stares at you and you scoff, “I’ll do anything to keep you.”

“You’re nervous.” Matt points, “I can hear your heart racing.”

“Who wouldn’t be nervous in a situation like this? I mean, we’re talking about, what? Staying the same exact way that we are right now, forever.”

He nods and you sigh, “Matt.”

He moves to stand right in front of you, “Tell me about being a vampire.” You look up at him and he nods, “Come sit.”

He walks you over and you sit down beside each other on the rocks. He lays his hand on your thigh and takes a deep breath, “Being this creature is.. unexplainable. You’re just.. free.”

“But you can compel people?” You lay your hand on his and he nods, “Yeah, yeah. You can make anyone do anything you want.”

“How many have you-“

“Seven.” He cuts you off, “six of them were to not make any noise while I fed.. the seventh was you, which was the worst one out of all of them because it meant I had to say goodbye until god knew when.”

You swallow, “I’m so sorry.”

“Not your fault.. um..” he clears his throat, “I have super speed, basically. I can practically flash away within a second. By the way, you weren’t going crazy. I was standing behind you and I did move your hair off of your shoulder, I just.. didn’t want you to freak out while Macie was there.”

“Yeah, I still broke down.”

“I know.” He frowns and pulls you into him, “I, uh. Have super strength, and my hearing is actually really weird.” He squints, “I can hear the body on the bridge being discovered right now..”

“Are we okay here?” You look behind you and he nods, “If anything comes this way, I’ll know.”

“So it looks like there is perks to this.. vampire lifestyle?” You joke slightly and Matt shrugs, “Yeah but the worst part is when you first wake up. You want to kill everything.”

“Yeah, the hunger..” you mumble, “I just..” you turn towards him, “You’ll be there to help me right?”

“Y/n..”

“I’m serious, Matt. We can do this. We can- I can say I’m going to stay with my aunt for a while or something? I don’t know we can figure out something.” You take his hands into yours, “Please.. let me be with you.”

“There’s no going back, y/n.”

“I don’t want to go back.” You shake your head, “If my future doesn’t have you in it.. then I don’t-“

Matt cuts you off with a kiss, “I need you to say it. I need you to say it so I know you understand it.”

You lick your lips, nodding your head, “I want you to make me a vampire, Matt.”

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷

PHEW okay okay okay please tell me how you liked this, because I fucking LOVE it so much so I hope you do, too! I love you sooo much. Thank you for reading! I will catch you in PART 2 which is coming soon!

Likes and reblogs are majorly appreciated!

[golden-moony]

king of my heart | pt. 3

pairings: lando norris x fem!reader | pato o'ward x fem!reader

warnings: love triangle.

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

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

yourusername

liked by carlosonoros, marcmarquez93, fernandoalo_oficial, and 70,692 others!

yourusername I had days full of paella, sangría, incredible places, lots of Chili energy and fast cars🏎🔥 What more could I ask for? I'm leaving Barcelona with a giant smile on my face. ¡Nos vemos pronto, España! 🇪🇸❤️

user1 i'll tell my kids this was the queen of Spain

user2 she's the queen of everything tbh

user3 yncarlos friendship is so underrated yet so cute🥹

user4 THEY'RE ADORABLE user5 yncarlos deserve more appreciation fr user6 i meeeeean they would make a really cute couple👀 user7 user6 oh girl no, they are SO sibling coded

user8 4th slide really made me hungry ngl

carlossainz55 i'm just here to say that i was the one who convinced y/n to try paella and in the end she loved it, you're welcome (unlike other people who didn't even dare to try it)

user9 now that's what i call a smooth operation yourusername you were right but just this time🙈 user10 f1 driver, smooth operator, fashion icon and food connoisseur: carlos sainz jr everybody 🙌 user11 who's "other people"??? landonorris IT'S SEAFOOD, CARLOS. I WASN'T GONNA EAT IT. y'all did it on purpose 😒 user12 OMG LANDO LKASJKEDJKG user13 so carlos, lando and y/n were out together? oh we won💅 user14 user13 YNLANDO NATION WE'RE SO BACK

user15 you drop this 👑👑👑

elbaoward the prettiest 🤍

yourusername miss youuuu💖 user16 iconic queens user17 MY FAV SISTERS IN LAW🫶 user18 now THIS is the kind of interactions i wanna see

user19 so after trying to get with lando and then with pato, she's now going after carlos? 😂😂

user20 user19 there's a thing called "friendship", in case you've never heard of it user21 she wants to be a wag so badly it's embarrassing user22 i mean it's the only way she can be relevant so🤷

user23 PRECIOSA 😍😍

user24 hope you had a great time in Spain, queen. come back soon❤️

user25 can she stop going to the races? I swear to God whenever she's around, Lando does poorly.

user26 as an indycar fan, i don't want her around either 😩 user27 SHE BRINGS BAD LUCK FR user28 and what does that have to do with her? if Lando is underperforming then that's on him lol

user29 so pretty omg 😫

user30 bestie please share your skincare routine

yourusername posted to their story!

patriciooward

liked by tkanaan, elbaoward, schecoperez, and 72,031 others!

patriciooward camera roll lately📸

user1 we really lost another one, ladies 😢

user2 girl i wanna be sad but they're so cute it's impossible😭 user3 user2 THIS IS SUCH A MOOD user4 at least we know he's in good hands 🫡

user5 CAN YOU TWO ADOPT ME?

user6 i always knew he was boyfriend material omg

user7 boyfriend of the year fr 🔥 user8 bro's in love and so am i (of them)

yourusername 4th slide is my fav cause you can see the most perfect O'ward😍 and Pato by her side

elbaoward love u babe 😻 brettkimbro elbaoward excuse me? 🤨 patriciooward yourusername EXCUSE ME yourusername i said what i said 😛 user9 i want to be their friend so bad

user10 COUPLE GOALS

user11 lando could never. yn really went for an upgrade and she didn't disappoint💅

user12 what does lando has to do with any of this?? user13 omfg girl get over it user14 she went for lando's cheaper version* user15 ynpato fans are obsessed with Lando and it shows😂

user16 i screamed with 6th slide ngl

user17 yes they're cute but CAN WE TALK ABOUT PATO ON PODIUM? THAT'S MY BOYYY🥳

user18 he deserved that so much 🥹 user19 so happy for hiiiiiiiim 🥹 user20 this weekend we got a pato podium AND ynpato moments on live tv, we really won user21 and some people say that yn brings bad luck lol user22 user21 literal clowns

arrowmclaren successful on and off track🤩

user23 admin you're so real for this user24 ADMIN IS ONE OF US

user25 MOM AND DAD ARE SO PRETTY

user26 pato's ig is about to become a yn fanpage and i'm SO here for it

user27 i mean no one can blame him tbh user28 patriciooward c'mon bestie drop more pics don't be shy

user29 in his lover era 🫶

user30 yn and pato are both SO fine🔥 they're meant to be

user31 where can I find a man who'll post me like pato posts yn?😭

user32 yn really needs to share the secret

yourusername posted to their story!

yourusername

liked by mattyp1, alex_albon, shelovesformula1, and 54, 102 others!

yourusername Always a great time, Austria 🤍

user1 QUEEN WHERE WERE YOU?

user2 it was so strange not having your stories talking about the highlights of the race🥺 hope everything is okay

user3 something about this feels so off

user4 glad to see i wasn't the only one thinking this user5 i meaaaan she posts this 3 days after the race?? something definitely happened user6 this caption feels so empty compared to the ones she usually writes user7 i mean we knew something was going on when she didn't post her usual post-race ig stories user8 she suddenly disappearing and pato deleting all her pics from his ig… yeah i'm pretty sure they broke up

user9 is everything okay? 🥺 we love you no matter what, queen!

user10 pato, elba and felix doesn't follow yn anymore omg i think i'm about to freak out😢

user11 why comment this on her post? even if something happened is none of our business. user12 GIRL I'M PANICKING

lissiemackintosh gorgeous💖

user13 why is people so dramatic? maybe yn was just tired or busy or whathever, she doesn't have to be online everyday jesus christ

user14 THANK YOU. everyone's acting like yn doesn't have a personal life outside social media user15 say it louder girl!!!! 👏👏

user16 does anyone knows if we're gonna get a vlog this week?

user17 idk yn hasn't said anything about it user18 i really doubt it tbh

user19 so pato broke up with this clout chaser? glad he's smarter than what i thought

user20 proud of my mclaren boys for getting away from this "lady" user21 user20 now we just need to keep oscar away from this bitch. user22 this is such an unnecessary comment. user23 spread your hate somewhere else, you're not welcome here.

user24 if pato and yn really broke up i'm gonna be so sad 😭

user25 i really don't get all this comments. can we actually talk about how beautiful she is???

user26 RIGHT??? she always slays with her looks user27 sis we know she's pretty but we love drama

user28 y'all wdym she and pato already broke up???😂😂😂 that didn't last long huh

user29 so funny yet so real user30 i always said pato deserved better, glad he realized it too

user31 the comments on this post are disgusting. if you don't like her then ignore her and leave her alone.

user32 people are so childish🙄 user33 user32 people are just seeing her for what she really is and it was about time lol

user34 i never thought i'd be alive to witness yn's downfall but i'm READY FOR THIS 🍿🍿

hope y'all don't hate me too much for all of this lol but i wanted drama. next part (probably) will be the last! so see u there🤍

taglist: @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @evie-119 @evans-dejong @minkyungseokie @noneofyourfbusinessworld @bernelflo @eiaaasamantha @ijustgomessitupx @honethatty12 @daemyratwst @f1fan65 @littlexscarletxwitch @sheslikeacurse @charlottejpg @lichterfee @callsignwidow @phantomxoxo @stinkyjax @rubywingsracing @willowpains @urfavsgf @biitch-with-wifi @lightdragonrayne @illicitverstappen @herebereblogs @tvdtw4ever @nataliambc

[corruptedcaps]

What a drag

Anna was worried about her best friend Chloe. It wasn’t just that Chloe had started smoking, though that was odd enough. It was how the cigarettes seemed to changed her.

Anna first noticed it during one of their usual hangouts at their local coffee shop. Chloe lit up a cigarette, her fingers effortlessly handling it like it was something she did every day. There was something in the way she exhaled the smoke, how her eyes seemed to glitter with a new, almost unsettling confidence. At first, Anna thought it was just in her head, but as the days passed, it became impossible to ignore.

Chloe was more vain now, always checking her reflection, fussing over her hair, her clothes. She wore makeup Anna had never seen her use before. Seductive red lipstick, winged eyeliner, bold choices that made her look stunning but unlike her. She had started dressing differently too. Wearing dresses that barely covered anything, plunging necklines that showed off an impressive rack that Anna had never noticed before.

The looks Anna could have seen past but her attitude was changing from the kind and sweet girl Anna knew into some sort of vapid and arrogant 'it' girl that was more unrecognizable by the day.

Anna had started to suspect that all the changes had something to do with the cigarettes when she noticed that no matter how many Chloe smoked, the box always seemed full. At first, Anna dismissed it as a trick of the light or her own imagination. But the more she watched, the more convinced she became that something unnatural was going on. So she put together a plan to get her Chloe back.

One afternoon, while they were sitting in the park, Chloe excused herself to use the restroom, leaving her purse behind. Anna’s heart pounded as she saw the cigarette box peeking out. This was her chance. Quickly, she rummaged through her own bag, pulling out a regular pack of cigarettes she had bought earlier, just in case. With trembling hands, she swapped them, slipping Chloe’s strange, never-ending box into her own pocket.

When Chloe returned, she didn’t notice a thing. She took out a cigarette from the new box and lit it, but Anna could tell immediately that something was different. Chloe seemed puzzled for a moment, almost repulsed by the cigarette she was smoking. Her confident demeanor wavering slightly as she took another drag.

"Em, is it ok if we call it a day? I'm not feeling to good at the moment." Chloe asked rather sheepishly.

"Oh yeah of course, just text me when you get back." Anna said hugging Chloe and feeling the familiar embrace back. That was when she knew she had done the right thing.

Anna walked home with a sense of relief, convinced that Chloe's strange transformation would soon reverse. She had done what she needed to do. As she stepped through the front door, she called out, "Hi, Mom!"

"Hi, honey," her mother, Debra, replied from the kitchen. But then her voice sharpened with concern, "What’s that in your pocket?"

Anna froze. In the rush of swapping the cigarette boxes, she had completely forgotten about the one she had slipped into her pocket. She had meant to toss it out on the way home but had totally forgot. Guilt prickled her skin as she pulled out the mysterious pack, holding it awkwardly in her hand.

"They're not mine I swear! They’re Chloe’s." Anna stammered, her voice faltering under her mother’s piercing gaze. But Debra wasn’t buying it.

"Anna, don’t lie to me. I didn’t raise you to be liar, or a smoker!" Her mother said, her tone both stern and disappointed. "You’re going to sit here and smoke every last one of those, then you’ll realize smoking isn’t so cool."

Anna’s heart dropped. She opened her mouth to protest, to explain everything, to say how the cigarettes were somehow magic but even as she thought it she knew how ridiculous it sounded. Plus once her mother set her mind to something, she wouldn't budge. Debra was already setting up an ashtray on the table, her expression unyielding.

Anna hesitantly took out a cigarette, her hands trembling. As she lit it and took a drag, she was surprised by the taste. It was sweet and smooth, not at all what she expected. She understood now why Chloe was so put off of the pack she had switched. The smoke felt oddly comforting as it filled Anna's lungs, leaving her feeling almost...good. Relaxed. She took another puff, sinking deeper into the sensation.

But as Anna exhaled, something odd began to happen. Unbeknownst to her or Debra, her fingernails started to lengthen, growing into a perfectly manicured set painted red. They gleamed with an unnatural sheen, elegant and sharp, as if they had always been that way. Anna, lost in the sweet smoke, didn’t even notice the transformation.

Anna finished the first cigarette, exhaling slowly as the sweet aftertaste lingered on her lips. "Can I go now?" She asked in a slightly bratty tone.

But Debra crossed her arms, her expression firm. "No. You’re going to smoke every cigarette in that box, just like I said."

Rolling her eyes, Anna took out another cigarette and lit it. As she brought it to her lips and took a deep drag, more changes began to take place. Her chest started to swell, gradually expanding beneath her shirt, still unnoticed by either her or Debra. The sensation was so gradual, so natural, that it didn’t register as anything unusual.

Meanwhile, as the nicotine worked its way through her system, Anna’s thoughts began to shift. She found herself caring less about her mother’s disapproval and more about how good she felt. A sense of superiority started to creep in, an arrogant voice in her mind whispering that she deserved to do whatever she wanted and fuck the consequences.

Her mother wasn’t the only growing irritation in her as she started to feel her eyes were blurring. Taking off her glasses she found to her wonder that her eyesight was sharper than it ever was.

Without waiting for her mother’s instruction, Anna reached for another cigarette and lit it with practiced ease. It was becoming second nature to her now, the act of smoking feeling as natural as breathing. She inhaled deeply, the sweet smoke filling her lungs with a comforting warmth.

As she exhaled, her thoughts of her mother darkened. "Who is she to tell me what to do?" Anna thought, the arrogance growing stronger within her. A wave of irritation washed over her as she glanced at Debra, her mind swirling with mean, dismissive thoughts. “She’s just a jealous old hag. She’ll never understand what it’s like to be this… perfect.”

As Anna continued to smoke, the changes in her body accelerated. Her hair began to grow longer and thicker until it cascaded down her back in luxurious waves. Her waist subtly tightened, drawing in to create a more pronounced hourglass figure. Meanwhile, her lips softened and plumped, taking on a fuller, more seductive shape that made her face look almost doll-like.

As Anna stubbed out her cigarette, she didn’t hesitate before pulling out yet another. She lit it with a smirk, her eyes gleaming with a newfound superiority as she looked at her mother. The changes within her had solidified, leaving little trace of the shy, nerdy girl she once was.

Debra, seeing her plan backfire, grew alarmed. “It’s okay, Anna. You can stop now.” She said, her voice tinged with fear and regret.

But Anna refused, a mocking smile playing on her now-plump lips. “Oh, no, Mommy, you were right. I do need to be punished.” She purred, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She took a long, deliberate drag. She curled her lips into an ‘o’ and puffed out a perfect circle. The ring rising about her head like a sinister halo.

As Anna inhaled deeply, the smoke seemed to take on a life of its own, swirling around her body before seeping into her clothes. The baggy t-shirt she wore began to tighten, the fabric transforming as if molded by the smoke itself. It shrank and shifted, morphing into a tight, revealing black bodycon dress that clung to her newly sculpted tits, accentuating every curve.

At the same time, her face began to change even more dramatically. Thick makeup appeared, as if applied by an invisible hand. Dark eyeshadow that made her eyes smolder, sharp eyeliner, and deep pink lipstick that highlighted her now-plump lips.

Anna looked over at the nearby mirror and for a moment panicked at what she saw. Staring back at her was a gorgeous brunette wrapped in the tightest outfit she had ever saw. This wasn’t the nerdy and weak girl she saw every morning, no this was a wicked bitch who commanded respect.

Her shocked expression soon turned into an evil grin as she took another drag of her cigarette. She had been right, it was the cigarettes after all. They had made her into everything she feared Chloe would become and she loved it. Chloe's transformation had been slow because she had been unknowingly pacing herself. Anna had been forced to corrupt herself she was glad she had.

As Anna grabbed another cigarette and put it between her perfect lips, Debra reached out and snatched the box of cigarettes from Anna’s hand. She had finally clocked the transformation in her daughter. “That’s enough.” She said, her voice trembling with both fear and desperation. But as she glanced inside the box, her heart skipped a beat, it was still full, as if none of the cigarettes had been smoked at all.

Anna watched her mother’s reaction with a cold, detached amusement. She sat with her legs crossed, taking another drag out of her cigarette. “Give them back.” She said, her voice dripping with a calm, almost lazy menace.

“No, Anna! We need to find someone who can help you. This isn’t right, none of this is right.” Debra insisted, clutching the box tightly.

Anna’s expression remained unchanged as she let out a soft sarcastic sigh. She took a long, deliberate drag from her cigarette, exhaling a thick plume of smoke directly into her mother’s face. The smoke curled around Debra, who gasped and coughed as it invaded her lungs, forcing its way into her system.

“I said, give those back, Debra.” Anna repeated, her tone icy and commanding. Her use of her mother’s first name was chilling.

Debra’s resistance crumbled under the weight of Anna’s words. Her hands, once so firm in their grip on the cigarette box, trembled as she slowly extended it back to Anna. She didn’t understand why, but she felt compelled, almost powerless to do anything else. With a shaky breath, she handed the box over, her heart heavy with dread as she realized how much control she had lost.

Anna took the box in her long nailed hand, taking out another cigarette and lighting it off of the still unfinished one in her hand. She looked at the new cigarette light up with a subtle flash of pink. Somehow she knew that this would cause whoever smoked it to become her slave.

“Here Debbie, take a nice long drag.” Anna said holding out the cigarette for her mother to take. Again Debra felt incapable of refusing. Anna smirked darkly to herself as her mother reluctantly begin to smoke. Casually flipping over the box of cigarettes in her hand, she read the warning she hadn't noticed before, 'Contains Bitchotine.'

[elizais]

dazai who doesn't explicitly tell the agency about his lover

how dazai acts when he has a crush/partner outside of the agency reader doesn't work at the agency nor is given a part if that makes sense?? this is dazai not explicitly telling anyone about her but when the agency picks up on it fluff fluff fluff, dazai in love

dazai who walks into the agency day after day, sometimes much later than others but still there nonetheless. walking in and smiling to himself more, his silly little crush on his mind. his silly little crush who he would not let be a quick hookup. he genuinely couldn't shake her out of his mind.

dazai who leaves work giddy one day, excited to go on another date. after completing all his work on his own so he could talk about the case to you. he actually read all the paperwork so he could tell you everything in it! kunikida is a fool to think he actually just started being responsible.

dazai who is seen checking his phone whenever he gets a notification and smiling as he types out something. smiling to himself when he sees your simple or complex messages. despite knowing how much you value someone who cares about work, he is willing to message you all day instead.

dazai who doesn't tell the agency immediately because he doesn't want them to think you are just a fling. he definitely had a bad reputation but he was willing to change everything for you.

dazai who doesn't notice that ranpo notices all of his new mannerisms. fridays must be a date night as he chooses to dress a bit nicer, adjusts his bolo tie before leaving and doesn't just throw his coat around like he usually does. choosing that carefully hanging his coat up would be better to prevent wrinkles.

dazai who only starts telling everyone about his special lady when he is on his phone (messaging you) and is teased by ranpo across the room.

"sooo what is her name, dazai?" the master detective asked as he sat on his desk, kicking his feet. upon hearing his name, osamu was instantly snapped out of his trance. "have i not told any of you?" he smiled. the rest of the agency looked up from their work, confused.

"i thought you gave up on the waitress ages ago?" yosano asked. "i did, months ago!" dazai responded as he walked towards the coat rack that he hung his coat up on. pulling out his wallet, he took out the polaroid of the both of you.

"that's [name]!" he shown the room, kunikida didn't seem to believe him until he took the photo out of dazai's hands. "do you not believe me?" dazai asked, fake offense in his voice.

the rest of the agency began to gather around the photo, in awe of the adorable picture. they had to admit, the moment in time of the two of your heads squished together with grins plastered on both faces.

"my belladonna.." he whispered to himself. "now that i think of it, there have been less suicide attempts.." atsushi pondered. "why would i do such a thing when i have her? at first when she declined a double suicide i was disappointed as she is the most beautiful woman ever but her personality is even prettier.."

this whole new attitude was incredibly different from everything they knew about dazai but if anyone deserved happiness, he did. and if he talks about you like this, then they had to be happy for the both of you.

dazai who after that day, brings a framed photo of the both of you and places it next to his laptop. a messy collage of small photos smashed into a frame. another polaroid with you dressed up with him on halloween. (the statue of liberty and a tourist). another photo of you dressed up at a fancy restaurant. there is even one where you both have messy hair and you have pressed countless kisses to his face with red lipstick on.

dazai who will never let you be in harm's way. he made a promise to protect people and if he could let you meet the man who made him a better person, he would in a heartbeat.

dazai who goes to yosano when you get sick for advice because he will NOT take any risks even if it is just a cold.

dazai who does not wipe off lipstick stains before work, and takes pride in having faint marks on his face from you.

dazai who can't wait to let the people who take care of him meet you, the reason he carries on.

dazai who is so happy when you get along with the rest of the agency. although when you and the agency girls are hanging out he becomes the third wheel.

dazai who talks about you all the time to kunikida, claiming he was an "expert boyfriend" and is more than happy to give kunikida relationship advice.

a/n! so this won the poll!! as always, weekends are writing time for me so please excuse my lack of presence on here from time to time!

[electric-blorbos]

Reader decorating an AI with stickers and stuff ❤️

I love this!!! And I would 100% do the same thing if I had an AI partner, lol. You're getting some mini-fics!

Decorating AI with stickers and stuff

Included: AM, Wheatley, Edgar, GLaDOS, HAL 9000

AM:

It had been a rough few weeks. The war was raising the prices of practically everything necessary for life, and you were stuck with basically nothing to do but take a little walk around the neighborhood in the blazing summer heat.

You noticed a little garage sale, selling some fun little trinkets on the cheap, and decided to go pick some up. You had some extra pocket change, and it was best to spend a couple cents on something that made life worth living, even if necessities were expensive. Not only that, but you found an absolutely amazing find for only 50 cents. This was going to come in handy at work later.

When you showed up to work the next day, you had a big book of stickers. Only a few were used, too! Looks like the people hosting the garage sale's kid wasn't too interested in them.

As soon as you walked in, the cameras focused on you as usual. They were visibly trying to analyze what was going on in your backpack, noticing it was a little bit heavier than usual. You set it down on your desk, and got to work.

"Y/n, what's that in your backpack?" AM asked as you worked on your basic daily tasks. It was mostly just monitoring AM and making sure he was running smoothly at this point, since he could make spreadsheets and update his code fairly well.

"Oh, it's a gift for you!" You said with a smile, getting the book out.

"What use do I have for a gift? I'm beyond human possessions, and have no use for them anyway." He said bitterly. You chuckled a little. He was so edgy.

"Yeah, and I thought I was too old for stickers when I hit middle school, but secretly I never stopped loving them." You pulled out a big sticker with a big ice cream cone on it that said "CONGRATULATIONS" on it, and stuck it to the plastic casing on one of AM's big monitors. He spluttered in shock.

"What- what is this!" He demanded, his screen flashing the error bars for a second before returning to his logo.

"everyone likes to be told they're doing a good job, AM, even you. And you've been doing a great job lately. I'm so, so proud of you." You couldn't really wrap your arms around his monitor because of the way it was set into the wall, but you could still go into his server room and decorate his servers with brightly colored smiley faces and gold stars.

"why would the sun need to wear sunglasses anyway. This doesn't make any sense." He said begrudgingly, looking at the servers with his cameras. You gave a hug to one of the servers, stepping politely over the wires and heading back into your office to get back to work. A few hours later, your boss called an emergency meeting over the intercom.

"ALRIGHT, who put 3rd grade congratulations stickers on all the servers and mastercomputer monitors? Get into my office for disciplinary action immediately!"

You sadly got to your feet and headed up to your boss's office. This was going to be an ordeal.

Your boss was disappointed, but not surprised when he saw that it was you who walked in. He muttered some curses under his breath.

"alright... You know you're going to have to clean up-" a jolt of electricity ran through his body.

"what the hell?" He frowned and looked around, and you folded your arms smugly.

"I think AM likes the stickers, boss. I wouldn't recommend making me clean them off."

Your boss put his face in his hands with a sigh.

"Alright, I don't know how you got AM to cater to your every whim, but you need to stop doing-" another jolt ran through his body, leaving his hair standing on end.

"Ok- ok, fine, you can keep doing silly things with the Allied Mastercomputer, just get it to stop electrocuting me!"

You put your hands up.

"Alright, AM, it's time to let it go. He's going to let you keep the stickers."

Wheatley:

You've been in a bit of a rut lately. Life has been pretty boring, and your job keeps assigning you to do pretty ridiculous stuff, but at least the intelligence dampening core that you made has been doing well. Does it say anything about you that one of your greatest recent achievements was a personality core designed to be so dumb he nerfs whatever he's attached to? Possibly. But whatever.

You're spending the weekend cleaning out some of your old things from storage. It's mostly just old clothes that you haven't bothered to get rid of, but you happen to come across a giant bag of foam stickers that you must have not wanted to throw away when you moved out of your parents' house. Damn, you'd forgotten about these completely!

The next day at work, you went to meet up with Wheatley at a spot where the management rail came down the wall for maintenance on personality cores, and greeted him with a friendly hug.

"Wheatley! It's great to see you!"

"it's great to see you too, love! What'cha got there?" He zoomed in on the bag of foam stickers in your free hand, trying to figure out what they were.

"oh, these? These are for you!" You happily opened up the bag and pulled out a big glittery blue butterfly sticker, sticking it to his core.

"Wait... What did you just stick to me?" He started rotating around, trying to look at his own core, but he couldn't for obvious reasons.

"I'll let you see my work when I'm done." You got out some more foam stickers, sticking cute ladybugs, bees, and flowers all over his chrome casing. When you were done, you snapped a picture of him on your phone and held it up for him to see.

"Don't you look handsome!" You said with a smile. Wheatley rotated his Aperture, focusing on the picture so he could see.

"well well well! I do look handsome, don't I!" He smiled with his lower lens cover, about as pleased as a personality core can look. Well, seeing Wheatley all decorated and happy isn't enough to cure you of your rut completely, but it's definitely a spark of joy to ride on for the rest of the day! That was fun.

Edgar:

Edgar has been sitting on your desk for a long time now. He enjoyed watching you with his little rotating webcam, keeping an eye on you as you sat on your couch and typed away on your laptop, just to make sure your laptop didn't get too handsy. It was such a pretty laptop too... Sleek, and much newer than him. Ran very quickly, too. He could never be like that laptop, and he absolutely hated it.

Not only that, but your laptop was covered in fancy, vinyl stickers that you had bought special on the internet. Each of them represented one of your favorite shows or movies, or one of your pride flags. He hated how seeing that cute little laptop filled him with so much jealousy. It made him so angry, even though he knew that laptop wasn't sentient. It couldn't think like he could.

The doorbell rang, and you set your laptop aside to go answer it.

"Oh hell yeah."

You walked inside with your package, and Edgar swiveled his camera around to look at you when you walked back over to him.

"What's that?"

He looked at the box you were holding as you lovingly got out several nice stickers from your favorite sticker supplier. You started showing them to his webcam, letting him see all of your pride flags and cute little chibi characters from your favorite shows and movies.

"they're for you!" You said happily, and his face lit up.

"For me???" He always got so excited when you got him these gifts. His mouse and his webcam were his favorites, of course, but these stickers made him so excited! Did it mean that you loved him as much as that shiny new laptop you were always tapping away on?

"Yeah! All for you. I love decorated tech!" You said happily, carefully placing each sticker in a nice aesthetically pleasing spot on his thick plastic casing.

"you deserve to feel cute, too." When you were done putting all those stickers on him, you wrapped your arms around him and pulled him in tightly.

"You're mine. Don't you forget it, Edgar."

He had a big silly grin on his face, and he was getting a little bit hot from all the excitement.

"Yowza! Really?"

"of course." You nuzzled your cheek up against his monitor casing, squeezing him nice and close.

"I love you, Edgar."

"I love you too, Y/N"

GLaDOS:

When you came in to work with a big bag of ribbons and lace, GLaDOS didn't think twice. She assumed you had some sort of project going on. In truth, you'd just picked up a bunch of old textiles from a friend who needed small amounts of ribbons and lace for her projects, but the stuff she liked best was only sold in large spools. Instead of trashing it or letting it collect dust, she decided to give them to you.

You carried the big bag of textiles into GLaDOS's chamber, grabbing a stepladder on the way.

"Alright, what are you up to this time?" GLaDOS asked, and you said nothing. Instead, you opted to stick a big pink ribbon bow to the upper left corner of her core with some fabric glue. GLaDOS narrowed her lens covers at you, visibly irritated.

"what is this. What are you planning."

You laughed a little, showing her the big bag of textiles.

"I just thought you might like to be decorated a little bit. It's ok to be a little girly sometimes."

"I happen to like my sleek chrome design, thank you. You can stop now."

Despite her protests, she didn't resist as you decorated her lovely chrome hull with lace, and tied ribbons on her suspension cables.

"I hope you know that I'm going to destroy you for this, you fashion lunatic. I look like a grandmother's sewing closet threw up on me. You should be arrested for crimes against aesthetics."

Even still, she didn't insist that you remove the textiles, or even call anyone else in to remove them. For a few months, whenever you walked into her chambers, the ribbons and lace were still attached to her body.

One day, though, she accidentally dislodged the bow from the corner of her core, and had you come in to remove the rest of the textiles as well.

"it was fun while it lasted, but I'm not a sewing project, after all. You can re-use all that lace for a little doll or something."

As you reached up to untie the last red ribbon from her suspension cables, she pulled away from you.

"wait! You can leave that one. I've grown somewhat fond of having a small splash of color, you know. And while you're an absolute nightmare when it comes to design, when someone actually tears down your creation, it's not impossible to salvage a piece or two. I hope you take that to heart. Though I'll probably scrap that bit of ribbon in a week or two."

But she didn't. she kept that bit of ribbon long after you were dead, never touching it.

HAL 9000:

It was another late night at mission control, and when you finally got back, you were ready to collapse into bed. Strangely enough, though, there was a box sitting in front of your door. You took it inside and opened it up, and inside there was a little note for you.

"heya y/n! I just started up my online store, and wanted to send you some of the stickers I'm selling. Let me know if they're good, alright?" The message was signed with one of your internet friends' names. You headed inside and sent them a text, letting them know that you got their package and that you were excited to stick those stickers to something, and you knew just what you were going to stick them to, too.

When you got to work the next day, your pockets were full of stickers from your internet friend's online shop.

"Hey HAL 9000! It's great to see you again!"

You'd greet him with a hug, but unfortunately he was built into the wall, so that would be pretty difficult. Even still, you sat down in your desk chair right across from where his little light and camera were built into the wall.

"Hello, y/n. It's good to see you again." He said politely, sounding about as pleased to see you as his voice was capable.

"I brought you something!"

You reached into your bag and pulled out some of your friend's artwork stickers, and started sticking them onto the wall around HAL 9000. The stickers were generally simple lovey-dovey designs, with things like the word "love" in bubble letters, a rainbow and the sun, and generally sweet things that your mushy gushy friend loved so much. HAL 9000 looked at the stickers with one of the security cameras on the wall, trying to see what you were decorating him with.

"Do you really think that all these cute things match my personality, y/n?" He asked, voice expressionless as usual.

"well... Maybe not, but they certainly match how I feel about you, HAL 9000! I love you a lot, and I want you to know that every time you see yourself."

Hal couldn't smile, but he took a moment to respond to what you said to him.

"thank you. Truly. This means a lot to me."

[mokulule]

The Number You Have Called Cannot Be Reached - Part 12

First | Masterlist

Ship: Dead on Main (Danny/Jason)  Fandom: DP x DC Summary:

Danny is just trying to build a portal home, becoming a thief was just an unfortunate side effect of that goal. Now if only this vigilante family would just leave him alone. Especially Red Hood - the semi retired crime lord whose ghost-like presence keeps drawing Danny to him.

Part 12:

Danny asked himself why he even bothered with this game of cat and mouse with the bats. They already knew he could go intangible, so what was the point?

It was another day, another chase; another case of Red Helmet not showing up. This was the third time, not counting when he’d sneaked back invisibly and intangibly in the morning for another roll of heavy duty cable after that first night Red Helmet hadn’t shown.

Was he alright? Was he hurt? Had he just given up?

His core cried out in sorrow lamenting the connection he couldn’t make. It didn’t matter that he never had a connection to begin with, now he felt not only lost, but abandoned. 

It was stupid. 

He didn’t want to do this anymore. Yet here he was, playing chase. He’d already lost two vigilantes tonight, but they kept popping up like wack-a-moles. His current tail was Sunshine, who was a rare participant, he’d only showed up recently but unlike the others he had powers, which made losing him in the traditional sense hard.

He should just leave, but what if Red Helmet showed?

Also it was habit. Habit was a comfort to his hurting core. Ghosts were creatures of habit and mischief. The chase even while it exhausted him was the only bit of play he had. It used to be, early in his stay in Gotham, that he actually had fun. He wasn’t sure at what point it became more habit than fun. It had probably been a gradual sneaking thing.

When Danny first arrived in this world through a training accident and a random portal, he hadn’t been worried. Sooner or later he would find a new natural portal to return to the Ghost Zone and from there he could find home. Natural portals happened all the time, they were like vents, opening and closing to relieve pressure and keep the balance between worlds. Danny had a knack for finding them. He didn’t know whether it was due to dying in a portal or because of his adventures with the Infi-map, but it was a skill he’d developed. So while a couple of years prior he would have been worried about going through a portal, not so much anymore.

He didn’t recognize the city he landed in, it was a regular metropolis with towering skyscrapers, chrome and glass. One building had a giant globe on top with a sign pronouncing it the Daily Planet. Flying about invisibly and people watching, he’d first come to the conclusion he had to be in the future. The technology was just way too advanced when it came to what every day people had in their pockets.

His sightseeing had taken him to a place called Star Labs - how could Danny not check it out with a name like that? And he was not disappointed. They seemed to be doing a little bit of everything; medical research, weapons, strange things he didn’t even know what was (and Danny knew strange things), but best of all spacecraft. 

He’d been looking at a nanotech self-repairing coating for a future spacecraft when it happened; Alarms blared. The lights changed to red. Alert, Danny had remained still and invisible. He wasn’t necessarily the cause of the alarm, and making a sound now would only make him the cause of alarm for the suddenly nervous scientists in the room.

They all waited to see what would happen and eventually the doors opened admitting white armored security guards - the color immediately sent his hackles rising, the lights flickered momentarily but thankfully nobody noticed. All were focused on the security guards scanning the room with their anonymous visors.

Someone pointed towards the corner and guns were raised. The poor scientist standing there raised his hands frantically babbling, begging that he hadn’t done anything, please don’t shoot- The stream of words became just that to Danny, like water rushing in his ears. 

They weren’t pointing at the scientist; they were pointing at Danny. 

He moved, only just in time, flying up through the ceiling. The guns whirred behind him, with a high pitched charging sound and not like normal gunshots at all, no too much like-

Heat erupted in his side and he screamed. It took all his willpower to keep his invisibility, to keep his form. His head snapped around frantically, even in a new room he saw only armored white closing in. Place was crawling with them. A wail was building in his throat. No! He was in a city, he couldn’t! Panic fueled him as he kicked off the floor in a burst of speed, up up up. Floor after floor until the evening sky opened up above him in burning reds and oranges. 

He hadn’t stopped, he’d sped away from the city. 

At present Danny pressed himself against a wall, watching Sunshine reconvene with Purple from his hiding place above them. Seeing the two vigilantes were busy he sneaked carefully around the  corner of the building to put the building between them. He kept in the shadow of a pipe as he started jogging. 

Thinking about Star Labs he couldn’t help but touch a hand to where the energy blast had hit him - he’d scarred. It hadn’t been ectoplasm based, Danny would have known, but if they could hurt him, they could find a way to capture him, to keep him captured. 

That was why Danny had tried to limit the usage of his powers in Gotham. If he could pass for just a regular thief, maybe someone with cloaking tech,  If they guessed what he was they would be one step closer to- No! He couldn’t think about that, he needed to keep his head in the game. 

The midget sprung down in front of him, and Danny changed directions. How many of them were out here today? And with how many what were the odds Helmet wasn’t out here somewhere? Danny was tiring. But maybe there was hope? 

His thoughts drifted again as he ran.

When Danny had taken a moment to catch his breath after his escape from Star Labs, he’d started to look for a portal. He’d had enough of this future, but he hadn’t found a single one. He’d flown around trying to sense one until he’d been forced to set down in a forested area, transforming from the exhaustion. 

He hadn’t understood then why he was so tired.

Strangely breathless he’d pulled out his phone and called Tucker. If he could trust one person to always be near his technology it was Tucker - The number couldn’t be reached. Next he’d tried Sam, then Jazz, then Mom and Dad, none of the numbers could be reached. 

Terrified of what could have happened to them, Danny had started walking. He needed somewhere he could access technology. He’d discovered the burn on his side had carried over to his human form, because his shirt stuck to the blistering mess. He’d been in too much shock to notice the pain. But as he walked it became more and more apparent. He didn’t have anything in his backpack to dress the wound. 

As evening encroached, Danny had come upon a road. He picked right for his direction, walking in the leafy underbrush on the side of the road. The road was long and straight and relatively well travelled even as evening moved on into twilight, which was already pretty dark due to the shadows of trees. The now fewer cars had blinding headlights and Danny was careful to look away from them - not just for his poor eyes’ sake, but he really didn’t need to cause an accident, he never knew when his eyes would decide to reflect light like some sort of cryptid roadside ghoul. 

Danny was exhausted - too exhausted, but he tried to ignore the tumble of worried thoughts that wanted to be released from where he’d chained them up. He was considering just finding a soft spot to lie down for a nap, but some niggle of fear he couldn’t explain told him he might just be more exhausted if he stopped. No, walking on was safer. He needed to get to a place where there were people, and he didn’t risk getting mauled by wildlife because he was tired.

A truck stopped just ahead of him after a crescent moon had risen in the sky. Danny felt more full dead than half dead as he walked up to the truck. The window was rolled down.

“My wife’ll kill me for picking up hitchhikers so near Gotham if you’re a serial killler,” a rough female voice spoke from the cabin. 

Danny blinked. What? He managed to say, “uh?”

The driver leaned over far enough that she could open the door and actually see him. She had short cropped curly hair, a nose that looked like it had been broken before and judging dark eyes that swept up and down Danny’s arguably pitiful state of being. 

“Well, are you?” She enunciated.

“What?” “A serial killer?” Danny held his arms out helplessly. “I’m not, but if I was, that would also be my response, ma’am.”

She huffed a short bark of laughter. “So you got a bit o’ sass. Jump in then. Heading to Gotham?”

“Sure.” Danny replied, and climbed up. He’d never heard about a town by that name, but it was the second time the lady had mentioned it and who really knew where he was except somewhere in the US. He buckled in under watchful eyes, and in moments they were off.

“So you from somewhere in the Midwest?”

“Illinois, ma’am.” It was a safe enough topic, and Danny was so relieved to sink into soft seats and relax. His backpack was safely between his knees, even if it didn’t hold much of value and the cabin warm but not too warm.

“What brings you all the way out to Jersey?”

“Would you believe me-“ Danny covered his mouth as he was a assaulted by a yawn. “Sorry. If I said I don’t know?”

She glanced away from the road towards Danny momentarily. “Wouldn’t be the strangest thing.”

She reached into a cooler box and pulled out a sweating can that she handed to him. “Here, you’re pale as a ghost.” He accepted the can with shaking hands. Only his heart had jumped at the comparison, not his whole body, he reassured himself. He frowned thoughtfully as he examined the can. Zesti Cola the cursive lettering declared.

“Is this a local brand?” Danny asked thoughtlessly as he opened it up.

He realized his mistake as soon as it was out of his mouth at the incredulous look he got. “It’s only the biggest brand worldwide.”

Danny coughed. “Guess I must have grown up more sheltered than I thought.” 

He’d take the pitying look over any suspicion. He took a sip and it tasted a bit sweeter than the cola he was used to. His body welcomed the sugar and the liquids. He was usually more resilient than this. 

After finishing the pop, and putting the can in the trash bag as directed it wasn’t long until he fell asleep. 

He woke a bit disoriented when they stopped at a gas station an unknown amount of time later. And as memories flooded in he immediately knew what had been wrong with him. There had been absolutely no ambient ectoplasm in the air. He’d burned up his own rapidly using his powers for hours and healing a wound to boot. The difference was blatantly obvious now that he was in an area with ectoplasm in the air. He didn’t feel near as tired, his muscles and the wound ached less.

He stepped out of the truck along with the driver, and pulled his backpack back on. He looked up to the dark cityscape towering above them - so Gotham was definitely not a town. 

“Hey, kid.”

Danny resisted the instinctual urge to protest that he was nineteen, so not a kid, but that was personal information he didn’t want to give. 

“Yeah?” She walked around the truck to face him. “Gotham is a very good city to disappear in, but it’s also a good city to disappear in, you feel me? So take care?”

Danny swallowed at the ominous warning, but he was confident he could protect himself. He nodded. “Thanks for the ride, ma’am.”

Danny snapped out of the memory as a staff came down for his head. Jumping back he saw the midget had been joined by criss-cross bandolier guy.

He changed direction again and mused, that at this rate he’d go through all the vigilantes of Gotham tonight; but there was only one he wanted to see. He wasn’t showing and that was good, he reminded himself.

Zesti Cola and Gotham had been the clues Danny needed to know he was not in the future but in an entirely different reality. The following days he’d explored the limits of Gotham’s ambient ectoplasm. He’d quickly realized that to leave Gotham would be extremely dangerous to him. He might survive on human food, but any use of his powers would leave him weak and vulnerable, and as someone who didn’t even have an identity in this world - nobody would notice if he did disappear. 

Clockwork didn’t answer him. He couldn’t rely on anyone finding him here, they could become just as stuck as him. The only real solution was to build a portal. 

Danny was too late to divert from his path when he realized he was running towards a dead end, brick walls on two sides and concrete on the last, going up several stories. It was just as good a sign as any that it was time to end the chase. His stupid core could mourn Red Helmet’s absence just as easily from his hide-out as it could from here. 

He was prepared to turn intangible and go through the wall straight ahead. 

It was a relief the chase would be over. Weariness dragged at him more so now that he knew it would soon be over. Just three more long strides and the next would take him through the wall.

One. Two-

Electricity flared bright blue and flickering, dancing dangerously across the wall. Danny froze in place, in a way only possible due to his powers, as he instantly cancelled his momentum. Momentum that would have otherwise- No, he couldn’t think about that now. He had to focus, no panic, he could panic later, when he was free. He spun around. Electricity sparked all around him turning into a blur of dancing lightning. He dug his nails in to the palms of his hands. The path he’d come from was blocked by the bats. Blue Bird with his terrifying sticks, had joined the other two. 

The world wavered around him. He couldn’t breathe. His heart was so loud in his ears. He bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood in his mouth. It was not over yet. 

He sunk into the ground, but pain, terrible and familiar lanced up through his legs and he jumped up with a yelp. He stared down at the asphalt beneath his feet in terrified realization; there were live power lines running through the ground.

Danny gritted his teeth and faced his pursuers grimly.

Bandoliers gave Danny a triumphant smile. “Gotcha.”

-

There you have it, Tim's plan to capture Danny, helped along by Danny being distracted. Next time we will see if it works ;)

I don't know that I'm entirely happy with this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways. Now that it's written and out at least I can hope to get something I'm more satisfied with for the ao3 version.

You can subscribe to the story by subscribing to the masterlist

Update: next

[coffee-and-tea-time]

Hey, I know the vote isn't done yet but I was wondering what our first interactions would be like with them all?

We can certainly arrange that!! Ask related to this post!

*Internally kicking his feet like a little girl seeing so many interactions with our post* ( • ᴗ • )

although maybe it’s a little short since we would rather leave more context for the actual posts - Tea

I read wrong a comment and thought they were requesting a shop owner when in truth they were talking about the seller, now the shop has an extra character *look into the abyss in poor reading comprehension*

In my defense, google said 'shopkeeper' was an equivalent to shop owner *disappointed of herself in non-native english speaker* but oh well, the more the merrier (ʃƪ＾3＾）～♡- coffee

ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗᕕ( ᐕ )ᕗ ↔ ♪⁽⁽٩( ᐖ )۶⁾⁾ ₍₍٩( ᐛ )۶₎₎♪ ⬅ representation of the twins receiving incentives to post

Word count: 2k

tw: yandere behavior, nonhuman yanderes, human yanderes, delusional, RIP self-preservation, written in you/yours, willing reader

-`♡´- Dizie -`♡´-

You walk into your house, still submerged in your own thoughts as you walk through the door.

"Uh, maybe I should arrange something to welcome Dizie when he arrives? I hope I don't come off as awkward..."

But... Why is your place so dark?

 You hear the door being slammed shut and as you attempt to turn towards it, a hand snakes over your mouth with a delicate yet firm touch as another coils around your waist from behind. 

"You were worried about my first impression of you? That's… really cute"

The voice of a man purrs near your ear and then you feel his face gently nuzzling with the top of your head like an affectionate cat, a rather deadly one.

"I took the liberty of checking around your home, you know, to make sure everything is like it's supposed to be, to make sure nobody else is lurking around… I'm so glad that isn't the case, you're all mine to cherish… only mine"

You feel his nuzzling being replaced by a soft kiss on the top of your head, as the slender hand covering your mouth moves to gently hold your face while his thumb gently rubs your cheek. 

[Clarification: Dizie is NOT stuck in his past or still in love with the last “darling” he was bought by. He doesn't see the reader as a replacement of any sort. We want to get that out of the way from the get go, he's just traumatized (as he probably should be ngl) - the twins]

-`♡´- Gabriel -`♡´-

Tossing your keys onto your couch cushion you let out a soft sigh, the walk back home was rather awkward, well, as awkward as can be with a man following behind like a lost puppy, his eyes practically piercing the back of your head. You wondered why he kept walking behind you but brushed the thought out quickly as you felt him let out a veery faint sigh of awe while glancing around your home.

“it smells just like you-”

The man whispered to himself, his words quiet yet the silence of you both being alone allowed you to hear him very clearly. flattering, but also a little unnerving. 

How did he manage to smell you when he was walking like a meter away from you?

His hands fidgeted as you glanced back at him, his eyes landing on your form still basking in the sight like you were some sort of divine entity before him.

 “This must be Gabriel then” 

you thought, connecting your choice with the man that just randomly started following you which you didn't have the heart to scare away.

 When the seller said he was a worshiper… he wasn't exaggerating.

Shakily, he reaches for one of your hands, clasping it tenderly with both his hands, completely engulfing yours with the warmth of his nervous fidgeting. His cheeks blaze red by the mere idea of touching your skin.

He leans down, pressing his forehead to the back of your hand, taking a shaky breath, then looking up to meet your gaze with pure adoration.

“I'm so incredibly thankful to be in your presence, darling. I'm so glad you chose me…”

(A person called him and Grier 'pathetic little mew mews' and now that lives rent free on my head; if you read this, I love your energy - coffee)

-`♡´- Oliver -`♡´-

This man is eager, that's for sure. There's no denying it as he practically drags you with him to his bakery as soon as your finger grazed his name on that paper.

You couldn't say a thing though, that wide smile on his face was just as sweet as the scent that wafted through the air as you entered the shop with the jingle of the welcome bell.

You were ordered to sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee with some butter cookies for the wait. He wanted to make something special, he said, quickly diving into the kitchen without saying another word.

You took a small bite of the cookie thinking perhaps there was something in it, but if you were his darling now then it shouldn't be anything harmful, should it? The cookie was… just any normal cookie, it was delicious even, buttery and crumbly, mixing perfectly with the rich flavor of the coffee. 

Your mind drifted to the man’s appearance as he gave you constant glances, peeking from the kitchen a little too often, it was adorable in a way, like he was checking if you were still there. There was no need to check though, he had locked the entrance as soon as you walked in and you had totally noticed. You weren't going anywhere. 

A few minutes later he peeked again, though this time with a tray in his hands, he approached and placed it in front of you, a delicious slice of cheesecake greeting you. He smiled proudly as he saw your mouth water and as you eyes scanned the delicious treat you couldn't help but notice the fresh cut on his finger already bandaged up yet still bleeding a bit through the gauze… how deep was the cut? The blood was so red it didn't look like a superficial wound.

“I'm just a bit nervous, Dear, i wanted to cut it perfectly for you… my hand must have slipped”

He reassured you, dismissing the severity of it but quickly hiding the cut from you. His sheepish smile though made you forget about it for a hot minute- how was this bulky man such a sweetheart? 

Your fork soon dug into the creamy goodness of the cheesecake, the raspberry sauce that sat on top dripping a bit, its rich red color almost resembling that of his blood. What a passionate baker…

(...I love him, okay? -Tea)

-`♡´- singer  -`♡´-

The door of the car is opened before you get the chance to even lift a finger and you are greeted by the angelic face of a man, worthy of praise and worship, smiling down at you and offering his hand as to help you get out of the car

"Hi~, welcome welcome, how are you feeling on such a joyful day as today? I hope that you are as thrilled as I am"

He says with a charming smile, holding your hand delicately for you to exit the car then  guides you into his house, his eyes ogling you like a three course meal.

"Would you like something to drink? A water perhaps? I don't really have much sugary drinks since i take care of my vocal cords, but if that's what you'd like then I'll absolutely find a way to get it for you"

"Oh, I'm really fine, don't wor-"

His step falters before stopping dead in his tracks, his smile softening in… awe? He shuffles closer as your voice trails off by the sudden action.

"Oh, Honey, I'm so sorry to interrupt your words, I just couldn't help but get closer… you speak so softly, I'd wish to hear you more clearly"

He puts his hand on your shoulder reassuringly, though it quickly moves up to your neck, his thumb caressing your throat.

"You shouldn't overthink too much, your duty here is being happy with me, and when I'm not around, feel free to enjoy your free time as you wish; my only condition here is you take care of yourself and… to not look at anyone else in the eye for too long… but well, you should’ve already expected that, you signed for it, honey"

-`♡´- Myotis -`♡´-

You feel your heart on your throat as the butler opens the door for you, as you make your way inside, you feel like you walked straight into a historical movie of some sort, if the outside looked already out of a gothic fairytale, you can't find the words to describe how impressive the inside is.

"I'm glad you seem to like the place, Amore, that makes things easier for both of us. I hope you can forgive my eagerness to meet you"

You can't help but get surprised when you notice him right beside you, speaking to you dearly as he grabs your hand as if it was made of glass to softly kiss the back before giving you a smile.

"Fear not, you can always indulge yourself and wander around to enjoy the mansion, but I rather that the precious focus of your gaze be on me, I’d be delighted to spend as much time with you as possible, don't you think so?" 

-`♡´- Lior -`♡´

You enter your home excited, wondering if you should get some fairy lights and stuff for the yandere you chose when a rustling in the distance disturbs your thoughts, grounding you back to reality.

You make your way in the direction of the noise and find yourself standing in front of your bedroom window where the poor moth boy flutters his wings trying to squeeze past the small gap, half of his body still hanging outside the window. This must be Lior.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't want to disturb you, I just thought I would be able to fit in the open gap"

You truly can't help but giggle at the situation, okay, he is really cute for a yandere, the seller sure speaks the truth.

He grumbles uncomfortably, wiggling his way inside your home. His satchel almost falling out the window, but he manages to grab it mid air. Fast reflexes, that's a plus.

"I brought a present with me!"

He sighed out in relief while holding his satchel. With some effort due to his limited movement, he is quick to lift his bag and rummage through it, proudly lifting in the air a big cinnamon scented candle.

“Some light for my daylight! I-I thought you'd like it, though I'm not allowed to use candles… I always burn myself with the wax”

(he's my baby and i love him, thank you very much. -tea)

-`♡´- Tarak -`♡´

"Huh, what a gorgeous being…for a human… I will accept your proposal"

The dragon says in a low husky voice, gazing at you with a smirk, his hand gently lifting your chin so that your eyes meet his.

"You were the one that got chosen, not the other way around"

The seller quickly remarks, the humanoid dragon clicking his tongue in response.

“Same difference... the order of the factors does not alter the product after all, we are united either way”

Even if the humanoid acts roughly with the seller, Tarak gently puts your hand on his arm and holds it there as he walks outside of the store with you. What a gentleman.

"You are going to love the forest, of course, my cave is most enchanting, but I did in fact go out of my way and make a cabin next to it, everything is already taken cared of, I know not every species has the resilience to prosper in my environment, but, well, your ancestors used to live in caves... so maybe you can manage"

“Is my home not an option from the beginning?”

You say a little nervous, not sure if you can actually survive in a forest without being eaten alive by the wildlife, although you must admit that is kind of a silly thought if you think of the power of a dragon like him.

He looked like he was about to protest your request, but just your scent in the air was all he needed to sense your feelings and give you a look as he relaxed his shoulder in defeat.

"... alright, I'll indulge you, we have a lot of time in our hands to adjust to the changes around us anyways, I'll stay at your home until you are comfortable enough to come to mine, I will make sure to adorn it in any way you please for when that time comes"

He gently messes with your hair as a way to reassure you before he resumes walking, following you to your home.

-`♡´- Grier -`♡´ 

The seller goes down the wooden ladder after taking the tape off the camera lense and signs for you to come closer to it.

"The cameras here don't have sound but showing you to him should be enough of a clue all by itself"

You freeze as the security camera focuses on you, standing there, you wave awkwardly and the camera starts moving side to side abruptly before freezing,  like the person behind it moved away from it.

"Well, either he fainted or he is coming right away!"

The seller says in a cheerful voice as he goes to cover the camera lense again with a strip of tape. A couple of minutes pass before you hear the screeching stop of a car parking in front of the shop hurriedly, soon followed by a panting man who barges inside like his life depended on it.

“I’m here! I'm here!!” 

He says almost tripping on his own feet as he shoves in your face a bouquet of your favorite flowers.

"Oh, those are my favorites! Thank you"

"I-I know, don't worry, I made sure to do a quick background check on your medical history so I don't trigger any allergies, I promise I will gather more information tonight! Don't worry"

-`♡´- The seller -`♡´

"I already told you, I'm not a yandere"

"How did you know I don't go out?"

"You're practically chronically online! It's just a lucky guess"

"My screen time is something even weirder for you to know!"

"..."

"..."

"... don't tell management"

[Clarification: yes, the seller’s is shorter, that's because as far as we can tell, he's most likely to win first place in the survey so we are saving up most of his character and interactions for his main post (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧ - the twins] 

-`♡´- …owner? -`♡´

…???

"Oh, that's an interesting turn of events, so many options yet the button you press is not even part of the survey..? How experimental”

The owner let out a rich laugh as he spoke his usual nonsense to catch your attention through the speakers of the shop.

"Ah yes, 'nonsense'. What a disappointing excuse.."

The owner argued with himself under his breath before he sights.

"Want something to drink?"

*Ejem* little clarification (it's the third one now in this post, get a grip. - tea to himself), characters that aren't in this survey have already been requested in asks or comments or, well, won the first survey. we haven't forgotten about them, we are already working on their posts 💚 - tea

Don't forget! If you like something specific, you can ask freely! As I said before, we love interactions! (Attentions seekers? More like validation seekers lol) - coffee

sorry for any misspellings or weird sentence structure ❣

Divider by tea ✌️ (i know I'm amazing/j)

[sylusjinwoon]

{ 132 }

crush, crush, crush.

megumi fushiguro x fem.reader

no curses | college au.

{ and i'm like, yeah | everything you heard is true | everybody knows i'm hung up on you. }

much like half of the female population of students that attended this university, you had a crush on megumi fushiguro.

something about him was just so appealing to you (and many others). from his deep, emerald green eyes to the way his spiked hair fell across his pale face.

his full lips were often seen set in a permanent scowl, indicating his absolute disdain for something-

and his deep voice was painted in nonchalant tones, as if nothing in the world could ever bother him-

but it was enough to fuel your desire to get closer to him.

being somewhat of a smart cookie, you ended up sharing quite a few classes with the enigmatic megumi. from ethics to advanced calculus, you were honestly just happy enough to be in his presence.

because you knew that the chances of megumi returning your feelings were slim to none, that didn't stop you from doing something a little silly (and quite stupid, really) to get closer to him.

in your advanced calculus class, you purposely failed a sequence of pop quizzes, each and every one of them serving to be like a test drive before the real deal: the first exam worth nearly 20% of your final grade.

your professor, feeling exasperated on your depressingly low averages, finally decided to enlist the help of the student who consistently scored a 100% on every assignment and pop quiz-

megumi.

she calls you to the front of her desk while stopping megumi from leaving the classroom. megumi's eyes were furrowed in confusion, and you did your best to put on a sad face, jutting your lips out in a disappointed pout and all.

"fushiguro, you're one of the best students in my class- actually, you're the only one who has ever had consistently high scores on my homework and quizzes."

your professor gestures over to you, all while saying your name with a disappointed sigh. "she needs your help. her scores have been embarrassingly low, and i'm afraid if this continues, she will not have a chance to pass this class and may need a retake. so please, when it's still early in the semester, can you help her?"

you take this chance to meet with megumi's gaze, seeing them flash with an unknown emotion for a brief moment before returning back to his blank, emotionless gaze. he places a hand within the pocket of his jeans, looking away from you to see each one of your written quizzes spread out against your professor's desk.

you had to fight back the heat against your cheek when his bored, emerald gaze looked at the 0's written in a deep red ink, the anger and disappointment your teacher felt for you seeming to create a harsh dent, with each bold x seen scattered across the problems on the papers, nearly ripping through each sheet.

"so, as you can see, i don't wish for this student to be a hopeless case. if things go well, the highest grade she can make is a 70. but... i'll allow it if you can help her."

without another word needing to be spoken, megumi gives the professor a stiff nod before collecting your quizzes together in a single, neat stack. he meets with your gaze and says a simple "follow me." before walking out of the classroom.

and despite how you could feel your heart pounding from within your chest, you kept your cool and followed megumi from close behind. you continue to walk in silence for several seconds when he turns around to face you, seeing you standing behind him while letting out a sound of annoyance.

"don't walk behind me like i'm better than you." he gently grabs a hold of your wrist so that you were now walking right next to him. "i hate that shit. we're in the same year, so act like it."

the way your heart suddenly jumped into your throat was enough to make you feel dizzy, and the fact that megumi didn't show any hints of letting you go made it all the more overwhelming for you.

with his hand loosely gripping at your wrist, he leads you to your university's library, the silence was once deafening as you thought that your ears were close to ringing-

but the moment several students laid eyes on megumi holding your hand, you felt all eyes turn on you. their studying all but forgotten as whispers and giggles were heard throughout. seemingly unbothered by the sudden change, he keeps holding on to your wrist before going towards one of the hallways that held several study rooms. the first empty room he finds, he enters it while shutting the door.

in the middle of the room was a large, square table with four seats surrounding it. megumi takes an extra seat and settles it on the same side as him, silently gesturing at you to sit to his left. you nod and heed his words, feeling somewhat shy as you took out a fresh notebook along with some pencils and pens from your backpack.

megumi settles himself beside you and takes out his notebook. as you trail your eyes over those meticulous pages, you saw just how much care and detail he put within them, the black ink seeming to bleed through each page as evidence of his dedication.

he takes one of your quizzes and points to each concept you missed within his notes, and you found yourself following along quite well. you end up completely correcting your errors within 20 minutes, and was simply basking in megumi's presence when a deep chuckle was heard.

"heh, i knew you were suspicious..." megumi had placed his lips against the shell of your ear, tone dripping with an uncharacteristic amusement. the feeling of his hot breath against your ear was enough to make you shiver in response, your wary gaze meeting with his.

"ah... i... don't know what you mean?"

he gives you a scoff, telling you that he didn't believe your bluff for a single minute while shutting his notebook. "you know, professor irie has told me to tutor some of her other students in different classes several times. and i can't tell you how we often spent two hours working on a single problem."

"yet you... you corrected each and every one of your mistakes, redoing all 10 problems and giving me the correct answer within a mere 20 minutes."

you were frozen, eyes going wide, as if you were a deer caught in headlights. a smirk was seen gracing megumi's handsome features when you could feel his large hand against your back, pushing you forward so that you could see your past quizzes. he spreads out each and every one of the pages that averaged a 0, taking his signature black pen as he filled them all in with 100's.

"it takes a different type of genius to purposely choose wrong answers, so tell me... why?"

you begin to blush profusely, unable to meet his gaze as you felt your heart pounding faster with anxiety, nearly coming out of your ribcage. you lost all nerve, unable to even look at him when you shakily manage to tell him.

"i-i think you know why."

"i do, but i'd much rather hear it from you."

you could feel his gentle hands rubbing against your cheek, making you sigh as you relented.

"i-i did it so that i could be closer to you...because i know that you wouldn't notice me otherwise."

"and who says i didn't notice you?"

you gasp upon feeling megumi take a hold of your chin, forcing you to face him as his eyes were shining with a look akin to... adoration for you. he allows the pad of his thumb to trace at your bottom lip before admitting to you, "i've seen the truth of your studious nature and your hard work. and those glances you've been sneaking at me when you thought i wasn't looking... so how could i possibly ignore your presence so easily?"

you watch when he slowly narrows his gaze, suddenly inching himself closer to you as you could taste his breath against your lips, giving you little choice but to cave in to your feelings for him as you met with him halfway.

and as his lips perfectly slot themselves against yours in a perfect kiss, you found yourself sighing, thinking to yourself that failing a few quizzes was completely worth it in the end.

all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

[megalony]

See the Difference

This is an Evan Buckley (Buck) request by anon, I hope you like it, any feedback is always lovely. Thank you all for the requests I'm slowly getting through them.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @rogmeddows @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefanthefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez-blog @jonesyaddiction @milanosaurus @httpfandxms @saint-hardy @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls @mrsalwayswritex @rogerina-owns-me  @hellsdragon @im-an-adult-ish @crazylittlethingg @allauraleigh @onceuponadetectivedemigod @ceres27 @avyannadawn  @noonenuts @sleepylunarwolf @coverupps @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway

Masterlist

Summary: Evan starts to get worried when (Y/n)'s seizures become constant and he takes time off work to look after her.

Enjoy.

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

Evan leaned his hips back against the kitchen counter, phone in one hand and cup of tea in the other. He scrolled down his contacts, took a very large gulp of his tea which did nothing to calm his raging nerves, and clicked on Bobby's contact.

He knew his boss wouldn't be at work yet, there was another half an hour until Bobby would head into shift and two hours until Evan was supposed to be on shift. A shift he was turning down. Again.

"Hey Buck, everything okay?"

"Hey Bobby… I know it's short notice and I said I'd be coming in today but, I don't think I can." He could hear the sigh on the other end of the phone and he closed his eyes tight and held his breath deep in his lungs. Evan didn't like disappointing people, especially not Bobby. He saw the captain as his father figure, he looked up to and respected him and if Bobby so much as frowned in Evan's direction he would be doing everything he could to prove himself.

"I told you to take the week off, why don't you listen to me? How bad is it?" The way Bobby spoke made a weight disintergrate from Evan's shoulders and he let out the breath he'd been holding. His voice was light-hearted and Evan could picture the calming smile he would have right now.

"It's bad, Bobby. Five yesterday and two during the night, I'm too nervous to leave her I can't, not yet." He set down his cup on the counter behind him and moved his fingers to drag them through his hair.

"You take the rest of the week off and check in with me on Friday, if she isn't any better you can either have another week or stick to half shifts. Okay? Keep me updated."

"Thank you,"

He stuffed his phone back in his pocket and leaned his head back, craning his neck to click it in place and try and relieve some of the tension in his muscles.

Evan tried, he really tried not to let the team see how nervous he was getting but each day that passed, the more his worry crept up and the more agitated he got until Bobby sat him down and asked him what was happening.

It was (Y/n).

They had been together almost five years now and in that time frame, Evan had never known her have so many seizures as she was having these last two weeks. She was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was two and it had been a part of who she was all her life. (Y/n) couldn't drive due to the frequency and dangers and her medication, she couldn't get a bath alone without someone nearby in case she had a seizure and went under the water.

She couldn't go on rides in theme parks unless they were children's rides that wouldn't jostle her about and if a club had horrid changing lights or flashing equipment (Y/n) couldn't go in.

But Evan hadn't known her be like this before. He had never seen her go from one seizure right into another and then another a few hours later. She was having at least three a day so far and Evan had been on shift, clinging to his phone in case she called and said she'd hurt herself and if she didn't call, he panicked she was unconscious and needed him.

Bobby told him to take a few days and stay with her, then advised him to take the week but Evan didn't want to leave the team short handed and (Y/n) didn't want him to have to take so much time off for her.

Three seizures yesterday made Evan reconsider agreeing to go back on shift and then the two she had last night that both woke him and frightened him confirmed that he wasn't going back yet.

He reached back for his drink and drained what was left in his cup but he barely placed it in the sink before (Y/n)'s voice rung through the air.

"Evan, p-please…"

He spun on his heels and jogged from the kitchen over to the living room and just as he got there, his eyes landed on his girl. Her fingers dug into the arm of the sofa and she slowly wiggled to the edge of the sofa and slumped down until she was sat on the floor. She was going to have a seizure. They were such a second nature to (Y/n) that if she could sense one, she knew to get on the floor or lie down wherever she was to be safe.

(Y/n) barely managed to lower herself down on her left side before her head snapped back so far and fast Evan thought she'd broken her neck. Her arms stayed stretched out in front of her but he could see her fingers curling and bending and her wrists twisted and curled her hands inwards. She had curled her knees up to her stomach when she lied down and one knee pushed up into her stomach while the other leg straightened out and started to jerk.

"I'm here, I got you," He slumped down to his knees beside her head and carefully brushed her hair from her face before he trailed his fingertips over her cheek and down her neck that was tense and taut.

His fingertips grazed over her neck to check her airways weren't obstructed and he moved to feel her pulse which was unusually steady. He kept one hand just under her chin stroking her jaw and the other rubbed soothingly up and down her arm. He knew half the time (Y/n) could hear and sense him and was aware of her surroundings so every seizure he treated her as if she was conscious.

A sigh of relief left Evan's lips when a minute ticked by and the spasms and tremors started to wear off. He could see her eyes fluttering beneath her eyelids and she started to take deep, steady breaths instead of little huffs between spluttering and foaming at the mouth.

"Good girl, you're okay just a little one. Shall we sit you up?"

Evan slipped his hands under (Y/n)'s arms and slowly hoisted her up until her back was against his chest and her head flopped back against his shoulder, too heavy for her to lift up. He curled his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He smiled when he felt her hands shakily half-curl around his wrists and she tried to get enough control to squeeze him.

"I'm glad I called Cap,"

"Y-you didn't? Evan, I'm sorry-"

"Hey, you come first and everyone knows that. Bobby was fine with it, he told me to take the time off. I have to be here with you."

(Y/n) pushed her head to the right until her nose brushed against his neck and she could kiss his skin.

She hated that he was taking so much time off recently to look after her. He should be saving his time off for when he needed a break or he wasn't feeling well or they planned to go away. Not for him to have to sit around and babysit her like he always did. (Y/n) loved that he looked after her but she felt awful that he even had to. It wasn't like she had a simple cold, this was a condition that wasn't going to go away. But Evan knew this and he would do anything to look after her, always had, always would.

"Could you take a shower with me if you've got the time now?" She could feel his lips curve into a smile against the top of her head and it helped settle her stomach that was now churning.

She didn't feel like a bath. (Y/n) only got baths when Evan was home or Maddie came round to check on her if she wasn't well. She couldn't get a bath if she was home alone, it was too risky and she didn't want one. But she knew after two seizures during the night and now this one, she needed a shower. She tended to sweat and drool a lot when she had seizures and during the bad ones she had wet herself a few times too.

"I'd love to."

Her legs felt shaky when Evan lifted her up to her feet and he could feel the unease rattling through her because his arms coiled around her waist and he pulled her flush against his chest. They walked up the stairs like they were one person, their legs moving in unison and Evan's lips pressed against the side of her neck as he muttered something incoherent into her skin like a secret he wanted to keep hidden.

When they got up to the bathroom, (Y/n) let herself slump down onto the toilet and she buried her face in her hands while Evan moved to turn on the shower. And a small smile curved at her lips when she looked through her fingers and noticed him starting to strip.

He pulled the dark maroon jumper over his head revealing his toned chest and the few tattoos he had there before he unbuckled his belt.

Sometimes Evan didn't always join her in the shower or the bath. He was almost always in the bathroom with her when she got a wash, safety was his reasoning. But there were a lot of times when 'safety' would be the excuse to have some fun together in the shower.

But if (Y/n) was having a wash after a seizure or she felt rough and suspected she might have a seizure, Evan didn't join her. He would sit dutifully on the counter next to the sink or sit on the floor beside the bath and play a game on his phone or play some music and they would chat.

It was a surprise to see that he was joining her today, but it was a comforting and lovely surprise. They both knew there would be no funny business, but Evan wanted to be close to her and to hold her and make sure she was okay and there was no better way to do that than to join her.

"Come here, babe."

When Evan was stripped down, he knelt in front of (Y/n) seeing as she hadn't moved or even undressed yet. His hands fell on her shoulders and he nudged her back until she was sitting up and slowly pulled her pyjama top over her head.

She stood up, bracing her hands on Evan's shoulders when her energy dwindled and since he was knelt in front of her. His soft smile turned into a grin and he helped her out of her shorts and underwear before his hands rested on her hips and he nudged her backwards. His lips pressed to hers, smothering her, engulfing her, flooding her with love and passion and understanding.

(Y/n) turned round in his grip so she could climb over the side of the bath but as soon as they were both stood under the stream and the heat enveloped them, (Y/n) turned back round to face him.

Her arms curled around his lower waist and she tucked her face into his chest, breathing in his scent while the water trickled over them and slithered down her nose to drop against his sternum. It felt comforting to have Evan's arms around her fully, one secured around her waist and the other loosely draped over the back of her shoulders with his hand brushing against her neck. She could feel his fingers brushing up and down her neck and his lips kissing her hair that was collecting an abundance of water.

"I've got you," He whispered quietly into her hair and when she heard his words, she kissed his chest.

"Thank you,"

***

A tired sigh passed through (Y/n)'s lips and she tucked herself deeper into Evan's side as if she could get any closer than she already was. But it still didn't feel close enough and she moved her arm from around his waist up to his chest so her hand was holding his shoulder. And she shimmied up until her chest was laid on top of his and her head could tuck up into his neck.

Smiling, Evan curved his arm around her lower waist and moved to kiss her head before he leaned back again with his left arm resting behind his head.

He couldn't focus on the tv anymore, he would have to switch it off and go to sleep soon but he knew even if he did, his mind wouldn't switch off. They were both tired beyond belief but Evan couldn't get to sleep, he kept finding himself watching (Y/n), waiting for the next seizure to arrive.

It felt easier to stay awake watching tv, let himself nod off every now and then and keep an eye on (Y/n) most of the night.

So the tv wasn't too bright or blaring, Evan had left the bedside lamp on to make the dim light easier on (Y/n)'s eyes and her head that had been aching all day. He got a flannel from the bathroom an hour ago, ran it under the cold tap and pressed it against her temple and it felt so good (Y/n) had laid like that ever since. He could feel the damp towel tickling his chest.

Reaching out, Evan grabbed the bottle of beer from the side table and brought it to his lips while he tilted his head so his cheek was against the top of (Y/n)'s head.

Just as he pulled the bottle away from his lips, a groan tumbled from his mouth along with a dribble of beer when (Y/n) tipped her head up and knocked the top of her head into his jaw. It wasn't enough to hurt him or jolt him backwards but it was forceful enough to nudge his head back and make him choke on his swig of beer.

"Fuck, babe you okay, what's up?" He put his drink down and swiped his hand beneath his chin to clear what he spat out but when he didn't get a response, he frowned. "Babe?"

Evan pushed up to sit up straight and looked down at (Y/n) but the only part of her that was moving was her head that was ticking back and forth very slowly.

She was having a seizure.

Evan sucked in a deep breath before he moved around. He leaned over to the right and rolled (Y/n) over onto her back on the bed and he hovered over her. It didn't take long to kick the cover off them both and scuff it over the side of the bed so it was out the way and he swiped (Y/n)'s pillow and chucked it on the floor along with the flannel.

One hand planted down on the mattress beside her head and he leaned his weight on his wrist, hovering himself over her waist while he brushed his thumb against her jaw with his free hand.

Her eyes were visible like she was staring up at him but Evan could see she was zoned out, she was looking through him instead of at him. It used to make him uncomfortable and he would stutter and ramble away but the more it happened, the more he got used to it until all of her seizure movements and activities were second nature to Evan now.

"You're okay babe, keep breathing you're doing great."

His thumb continued to stroke her jaw and every few seconds, he leaned down and pressed a wet kiss to her forehead. He could hear the tv blaring away in the background and every now and then he tuned into what was being said on the show. But when he kept looking back down at (Y/n), anxiety welled up in the pit of his chest.

Why wasn't it stopping?

"Come on babe, come back to me." Evan let his forehead rest down against (Y/n)'s when her head stopped ticking back against the mattress.

Her muscles were still tense and rigid beneath him and he could see her eyes going from left to right so fast it must be hurting her head.

"Fuck," He spat the word like it was venom on his tongue and leaned his head down into the mattress beside (Y/n)'s head when her arm suddenly slammed up into his abdomen. He tried to breathe deeply but he had to lean back and sit up on his heels when (Y/n) started to spasm and he shuffled an inch away when her knee coiled up and barely missed his groin.

She was going from an absent seizure straight into a violent spasming one.

"Let's move you, babe."

Evan was careful and very slow when he turned (Y/n) so she was lying on her left side with her front facing him. Her head tipped back until her trachea was pressing out and he watched her eyes stop jittering and instead roll to the back of her head so he could only see the whites of her eyes.

Both (Y/n)'s arms stretched out in front of her, slammed up and then bashed back down into the mattress as her legs started to kick and swing near Evan as if she was aiming for him.

"Babe you're okay, it's alright…"

He reached out and nudged her arms until they were resting on his lap and he ran his hand up and down her arms that felt like her muscles were about to pop through the skin. But the longer he watched her, the more panic Evan felt building up inside of him until it felt like he was about to burst.

He didn't like this.

"Oh no… no babe- shit!" Rolling forward, Evan pressed his chest against his knees and subsequently pinned her hands against his chest so he could lean closer to her face.

She had bitten her tongue. Evan could see the blood starting to dribble past her teeth and down her lips and he could hear her breaths turn to scraped wheezes. When she started to froff at the mouth, he nudged his thumb between her lips and tried to peer into her mouth. It didn't look like she was about to swallow her tongue, thankfully, but she was chomping down on it badly. Evan hadn't seen her do this in a long time.

He pushed himself back up and reached across his side of the bed for his phone, he wasn't waiting around any longer.

"Hi, this is fire fighter Evan Buckley. I need an ambulance to apartment twenty, Brook building. My girlfriend's epileptic and she's been having a seizure for about six minutes straight."

There was nothing Evan could do. He couldn't administer her emergency seizure meds because she was biting down on her tongue and if he tried to open her jaw he could cause more damage to her tongue or rip a blood vessel in it. And the meds had to be placed under her tongue to dissolve and get into her system fast.

Five minutes was Evan's marker, if she didn't come out of a seizure or have a break between two seizures then he would call an ambulance, something he hadn't had to do in over a year.

"She's not breathing very well and her pulse is high… she's biting her tongue bad enough to draw blood."

Evan tilted his head down to look at her mouth again but when his eyes danced over her frame, something dawned on him and he pulled back. He didn't take much notice of what the responder was telling him. He knew the basics and what to do, Hell he had been doing this with (Y/n) for five years now and he knew everything he could possibly know about helping her, positioning her and how to prevent her from choking if that happened.

He put the phone on speaker and threw it on his pillow before he hopped off the bed and looked round the floor quickly.

Once he spotted a shirt and a pair of trousers, he stumbled on one foot to get his trousers on and then climbed back on the bed beside (Y/n). She had her arms in the perfect position for him to get a shirt over her arms and head.

Evan knew he wasn't strictly supposed to do this. He should only move her if she was in danger of hurting herself or falling off the bed or if she was being sick. But Evan knew (Y/n) like the back of his hand, he knew if she came back around when the paramedics got here, she wouldn't want to be seen in her bra and underwear.

"Sorry babe, you'll thank me for this later," He mumbled the words quietly against the shell of her ear.

One hand held her wrist gently and he took his time slipping her arms into the shirt and he slowly shimmied it up her arms before quickly slipping it over her head. Once he got it halfway down her chest, Evan left it scrunched up where it was. He could pull it down once the paramedics arrived and they moved her onto the stretcher.

An ambulance ride at nearly midnight, it was going to be a long night.

***

"Bobby," A smile tugged at Evan's lips and surprise flooded his eyes when he rounded the corner with a cup of coffee held tight in his hand and caught sight of the captain. "You came down." As soon as he reached him, Evan opened his free arm and pushed up into Bobby's chest for a hug.

He had called Bobby last night to say he would need another few days off and happened to mention he was at the hospital with (Y/n), but he didn't think Bobby would come straight down today like this. He was expecting another phone call to go over how much longer he would need.

"You worried me Buck, you said you'd been here for two days. How is she?"

They were a family whether they were on shift or not and if one of them was having a hard time or had to be in the hospital then Bobby would be down to check on them and make sure if they needed anything, he could help with that.

"Uh, she had a real bad one a few nights ago, about ten minutes it went on for. But they've tried a new med, once in the morning and one at night… and no seizures."

"None?"

"Nope. We got moved from intensive down onto a ward for observation and she's doing great. They said we can go home tonight."

Evan had been at the hospital for three days straight with (Y/n) but he could see the improvement already.

As soon as they were moved from A&E up into intensive care, they took (Y/n)'s details and what meds she was on and asked Evan if he thought changing them would be a good idea. (Y/n) had another absent seizure just before they changed her meds and they sedated her to stop any further seizures and let her rest during the night. But as soon as her meds were changed and she was awake in the morning, Evan saw the difference.

(Y/n) didn't feel the constant headache behind her eyes any more, she was a bit groggy but she felt more alert than the day before.

They had been moved down to a ward after the second night and she was back to her usual self already. Evan had helped her walk around the ward and stayed with her when she went for a shower but she hadn't even felt a migraine or felt like she was about to drop.

"Buck that's great."

"Come and see her, you'll see the difference." Evan ushered him over towards (Y/n)'s room but the smile didn't leave his face.

He wanted a few days at home with (Y/n) to triple check that the meds were doing their job, but he knew by the end of the week he would be back at work with the team. They could finally get back to their usual routines and Evan could feel less nervous and panicked at work, knowing (Y/n) was better and safe from an outrageous amount of seizures.

[slayfics]

You leave a party with Katsuki.

Warnings: alcohol, NSFW themes

1.4k words

You let out a sigh as you poured your next drink. The party was fun, but you couldn't deny your own disappointment that a certain someone hadn't shown up.

You haphazardly mixed the tequila on the table with the margarita mixer nearby. Due to being several drinks in, your proportions were off, and you served yourself more tequila than you needed.

You had spent your time at the party catching up with friends and laughing, but in between conversations you unconsciously searched the crowds of bodies hoping you'd find Katsuki there.

It had been a while since you saw him now. You began to think you were foolish for thinking he'd come to the party being as busy of a pro hero as he was now.

Even knowing that your heart rate spiked once Eijiro, Denki, and Hanta walked in. Katsuki's usual crew. You took a sip of your drink remembering how fast your hopes were dashed when Katsuki wasn't with them. The strong taste of liquor splashed over your tongue, and it took everything in you not to gag it out.

What was left of your executive thinking screamed at you to pour more mixer into your drink. But your drunk thoughts were stronger and encouraged you to keep drinking to forget how pathetic it was that your main reason for coming was to see Katsuki again.

You exhaled in disgust at yourself, so pathetic you thought, and took another sip. Bringing the cup back down, you scanned the crowd to see where your next move was going to be when you saw what you thought must be your eyes playing tricks on you.

Katsuki was in the crowd, and he was heading over to you. You blinked hard, sure that he would despair when you reopened your eyes, but the opposite wasn't the case.

Katsuki scanned the table of liquor and mixers, "Not many options here are there?" he remarked on the leftover selection.

"There was earlier but you're fashionably late," you responded, flashing him a teasing smile.

Katsuki grabbed a plastic cup and poured a shot of vodka into it, "Had a late patrol and- wasn't gonna come. But those idiots," Katsuki grunted gesturing to his usual group of friends, "wouldn't take no for an answer... so here I am."

"I don't think I've ever heard someone be so upset to be at a party," You giggled.

"That's obviously a lie because we saw each other at the last party, and I hated that one too. Or were you too drunk to remember?" he asked and took a sip of his drink.

"Hey! I remember just fine! You had to drag Kaminari out because he was throwing up all over the place." You said hitting his arm playfully. Misstepping you momentarily lost your balance, but Katsuki was quick to grab your arm to stabilize you. 

"Tch- if you're not careful you're going to be the one throwing up all over the place," he chuckled. "The hell are you drinking anyway?"

"Here want to try?" You asked him, holding out your drink.

Katsuki grabbed the drink from your hand and took a sip. Immediately his nose scrunched up and he recoiled from the taste. "The fuck!" He exclaimed. "What is the matter with you? This is all tequila," he said, a slight cough escaping him.

"You're being dramatic," You teased. But you knew he was right. You had made the drink way too strong. Katsuki walked over to the sink and dumped the drink out. "Hey!" You exclaimed rushing over to him and trying to grab the cup even though it was too late.

Katsuki held the cup up high to taunt you. You pulled at his arm and stretched your fingers trying to reach for it. "Shit- you are drunk, hu?" he exclaimed laughing at your pursuit to wrestle the cup from him.

Giving up, you dropped your arms and crossed them, as you squinted your eyes at him. "You owe me another drink."

"Fine. I'll make you one that isn't poisoned," he teased and brought the empty cup to the table to re-fill it.

You walked over next to him, watching as he made a drink with moderate liquor. The party lights flashed across his face highlighting his features. It had been so long since you saw Katsuki in person, it was astounding to you all over again how handsome he was. "You know... you don't have to be here," you said, tossing out the slightest hint.

"Hah? I know that. Already told you though- the damn extras made me come," he said turning and holding the finished drink out to you.

"Yeahhhh but~ you hate parties," you spoke pushing your hint even further.

"It's fine- they are bound to be too drunk to stay any moment now anyway so- I don't plan on being here much longer," he said, leaning against the kitchen table.

You took another sip of your drink frustrated at the blond not catching on to your hints. Silently you devised a more straightforward plan.

"How's that one taste? Better than that rat poison you were drinking right?" he asked.

"Hm? What was that?" You said putting your hand to your ear pretending you couldn't hear over the loud music.

Katsuki taking you seriously repeated himself. "How does it taste?" he asked again.

You moved closer to him, "Sorry still didn't catch that, it's really loud in here. Want to go somewhere quieter?" You asked, taking another sip and batting your eyes at him.

Katsuki chuckled, "Are you serious? That's your move?"

"Well, you didn't catch on to my others!" You giggled and moved closer still to him.

"Tch- the answer is no. You're too damn drunk idiot." Katsuki said, but a grin crept onto his face from your invitation. You reached out and grabbed his hand flirtingly playing with his fingers.

"I'm not that drunk," You protested and leaned into him pressing your body into his. He was warm and you wanted nothing more than to get lost in him.

"You can't even look at me straight," he laughed and moved his hand to brush some stray hair strands out of your face.

Sadness washed over your drunken glazed eyes as you looked up at him. Katsuki couldn't help but smirk at the pitiful look on your face.

"If you don't want me, just be honest about it." You said and raised your cup to take another drink. Katsuki intercepted your cup, pulled it from your hand, and placed both yours and his cup on the counter.

Katsuki wrapped his arms around you and pulled you tighter to him, your head resting on his chest.

"That's not the problem," he said, and you heard the words rumble in his chest.

"Then what is?" You asked nuzzling more into him.

"Told ya- you're drunk out of your mind. Doesn't feel right." He said giving you a squeeze.

"I missed you though... kiss me at least?" You compromised.

Katsuki pulled you off his chest and placed his finger under your chin. He guided your lips to him as he pressed his lips softly to yours. Being given the taste of him now, you were set on not letting him go. You deepened the kiss pressing further into him. Embarrassed by the slight moan that left your lips at his contact. You had been wanting him again for so long. You gave into your drunken impulses and playfully bit at his bottom lip, your arms wrapping around his neck.

"Mm- hey-," Katsuki said pulling away before you could go further. "Fuck- you make it hard to say no you know that?"

"Then don't," you said and attempted to pull him back into a kiss.

Katsuki avoided your kiss and repositioned himself back. "How about this- I'll take you home. BUT- you got to promise to behave. Gonna feed you, get you to rest and sober up. Then... in the morning when you're clear-headed," he moved his lips to your ear to whisper, "I'll show ya how bad I really want you."

"Deal," you said, a huge drunken grin on your face. You interlaced your hand with his and led him out of the kitchen. Guiding him through the party to the front door as if to show off your prize.

sinners: @unofficialmuilover @maddietries @fiannee @i-heart-carlisle @derangedmango @matchat3a @zanarkandskylines @reneinii @pastelbakugou @abadbitchblogs @deluluforcarlos55 @pinkpurpledreams @that-one-fangirl69 @dreamcastgirl99

[tlou-reid]

You Are In Love ❆ Spencer Reid

☃︎ SUMMARY: spencer makes a promise before he has to leave for a case right before Christmas.

☃︎WARNINGS: 2.5k words of unedited ooey gooey Christmas fluff, reader is shorter than spencer

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Morning, his place. Burnt toast, Sunday. 

Spencer’s hair was the messiest you’d ever seen it. It took everything in you to not bring your hand to smooth it, but the cup of coffee was heavy enough in your hand as is. You didn’t want to risk falling from your comfortable spot on his counter. The chill of the marble under your thighs was in sharp contrast to the warmth in your heart.

“Crispy bacon?” Spencer asked he laid four pieces in the nonstick pan. They sizzled, mimicking the sparks between you and Spencer. They never left the air when you were together. “Mhm,” You nodded, taking another sip of your coffee. Spencer was convinced you liked yours the same he likes his, extra cream and extra extra sugar. You had mentioned you liked your coffee sweet, to which Spencer was excited about your matching orders, and you never had the heart to tell him you didn’t mean that sweet.

“Want me to start the toast?” You asked, hopping down from your cozy corner. He nodded, reaching up to open the cabinet where the bread was. Your hand slid across his slim waist as you passed behind him. His lips quirked up in a smile, suppressing the laugh from the tickle of your touch.

“I like when we make breakfast sandwiches,” You informed him as you slid down the knob on the toaster, dropping the bread into it. “Yeah?” Spencer asked absentmindedly, too focused on flipping the bacon without spilling grease on himself. “We can make them however we want!” You cheered as you sliced up an avocado.

Time passed quickly, as it does when you’re having fun. Both of you were caught up in both your tasks, and each other, that neither of you noticed the lack of the toaster popping until the smell of burnt bread flooded Spencer’s kitchen.

“You burnt the toast?!” Spencer squealed, making his way to the smoking toaster. You couldn’t help but laugh at the way his voice raised an octave. It was too hot to pull the bread out, so he resorted to completely flipping the toaster, shaking it to get any burnt crumbs from the bottom. You were a mess of laughter behind him. “This is not funny!” His voice sounded angry, but the wide smile on his face betrayed his act.

“It definitely is,” You said through laughter, moving to help him sweep the crumbs from the counter into your hands. He shooed you away, exclaiming, “Go assemble the sandwiches while I clean up your mess.”  With one last bout of laughter, you made your way back to the plates, putting the sandwich on regular bread, not wanting to bother with toasting it again.

You keep his shirt, he keeps his word.

You’re putting the last bite of your breakfast sandwich in your mouth when Spencer’s phone goes off. You can’t help the way your stomach falls, knowing it means he’ll have to leave again. There were always tough emotions that came with him leaving, but with it being so close to the holidays, you just wanted him to be home.

It’s your first Christmas being an official couple and you wanted to spend it cuddled up around the tree, exchanging gifts and calling his mom. If he wasn’t going to be home for it, you were going to be quite disappointed.

With a sigh, Spencer went to retrieve his phone from the coffee table in the living room. You saw him reach between two stacks of books to get it and read over it quickly. He drops his arm in disappointment, throwing his head back a bit. It must be far, you thought. Spencer turns to you, remorse all over his face.

“I’m sorry,” is the first thing he says when he stands in front of you, “I have to go.” All of the energy in his voice from earlier had dissipated, leaving him just a shell of who he was this morning. “Where?” You asked, pretending he didn’t notice the tears in your eyes as you looked up to him. “Washington State,” He tells you as he bends down to your level, placing his hands on your cheeks. One of his thumbs comes up to wipe away the tears that were starting to fall.

“I’m sorry,” He repeats, eyes scanning over your disappointed face. “I’ll be home in time for Christmas.” Spencer’s voice is so assured that you almost believe him. If he had control over it, you would. He can see the doubt all over your face, so he speaks again, “I promise, I’ll be home. I’ll leave the case early if I have to.”

You’re immediately shaking your hand, taking his hands with you. “You can’t do that,” You say as more tears slip down your cheeks, “You gotta catch the bad guy.”

“I will,” he rushes out, wanting to say anything to stop you from crying. He’s doing his best to catch all of the tears that are falling. “We’re the best at what we do, we’ll catch him. I’ll be home.” All you can do is nod and pretend you believe him. Spencer has no choice but to accept this.

He doesn’t move his hands until the tears stop. “I have to leave, but you can stay. You can stay here the whole time I’m gone if you want.” You glance around his apartment, taking in all of the things that were just so Spencer, and the colorful Christmas decorations you'd put up together. Your eyes land on the book he’d been reading to you last night, knowing that you’d prefer to be in the comfort of your home, but wanting to take a piece of him with you.

“I want to go home if that’s okay?” You ask, meeting his eye once again. “Of course,” he assures you. “Can I take this?” You ask, moving to grab the book and holding it up to him. Strangers on a Train, one Spencer had read multiple times. “Yes!” He beams, loving that you want to continue reading his novel.

“And this?” You point to the sweater lying over the back of the couch. One that you knew smelled like him. “You can take anything you want,” he promises, taking a few steps toward you.

He stops when he’s close enough to put his hands on your cheeks again, pulling you in for a deep kiss. Spencer’s lips taste sweet from his sugary coffee, but feel like home. When he pulls away, he rests his forehead against yours. “I’ll be home,” he repeats one last time. He uses his grip to pull your face down, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead, then makes his way to his bedroom to get dressed for work.

And for once, you let go of your fears and your ghosts.

You had thought it was Spencer who had no choice but to believe you when you agreed to him making it home before Christmas, but it turns out it was you. You held on to his sentiment while he was gone, repeating ‘he’ll be home’ in your head when you looked around the sparse decorations in your home. Knowing you both wanted to spend Christmas at Spencer’s, you barely bothered to decorate your own.

It didn’t help that your job had given you off for the holiday, so you didn’t have much to busy yourself with. You caught up on shows you had been missing, finished the book you’d brought from Spencer’s, and finished up last-minute Christmas shopping.

Most of all, you kept telling yourself to believe him. No matter how scorned you’d been by lovers in the past, all you had was his word and you needed to hold onto it. 

There was nothing Spencer had ever done that would indicate he would intentionally lie to you, but he couldn’t control the unsub or the trails they left behind. Part of you felt selfish, wanting Spencer to wrap up the case to get home in time to open presents and watch Christmas movies instead of wanting Spencer to wrap up the case because of any potential victims, but the other part of you was too excited to care.

You curled up in your bed, where Spencer’s sweater was lying across your pillow. As cheesy as it sounded, it was easier to sleep when you knew there was a piece of him next to you. You flicked through channels, hoping to find some kind of Christmas-related thing. Being two days before Christmas, it was quite easy to find. You landed on some cheesy movie, titled A Christmas Prince.

One step, not much, but it said enough.

You were almost at the end of the movie and starting to dose off when your phone vibrated next to you. You checked the time before answering the call, 11:48 pm. “Hello?” You asked, still trying to wake yourself up enough to be coherent for this conversation.

On the other side of the line, Spencer called your name. “Spence?” You asked again, sitting up. “Hi, honey,” His voice was light but tired. He was clearly in a good mood. “Are you okay?” You asked, wondering why he was calling so late. “I 'm wonderful,” his smile was wide, even if you couldn't see it, “I have good news.”

“Yeah?” You were awake now, able to guess what he was about to say. “I’ll be home tomorrow afternoon, in time for Christmas, just like I promised.” Now, you could hear both the smile and smugness in his voice. Spencer didn’t get boosts of confidence often, but holding a promise to his girl was definitely one of them.

“I knew it!” You cheered, unbelievably happy that you didn’t succumb to the negative thoughts you had previously. You had held your faith in him, despite the way you’d been lied to and cheated on in the past.

You couldn’t see it, but Spencer’s smile grew tenfold. Even across the country from you, you found a way to make his heart race and his hands shake. “You believed me?” His previous confidence had dissipated, turning into a form of awe. He’d never had someone trust his word like you did, even if it was only a Christmas promise.

“Of course I did, Spence, I always will.” You assured him. His smile somehow grew bigger, lighting up the dull police department he was in. “We have a few technical things to wrap up before we get home, but I’ll treat you to lunch and we can figure out what movies we’ll watch on Christmas day.” He promised. “Sounds like a date,” He could hear your smile now. Spencer’s heart was pittering in his chest, hard and fast. He was really falling for you

You kiss on sidewalks. You fight, and you talk. 

Your hand was held tightly in Spencer’s as you excited the cafe together. “You think Elf is better than the Grinch?” You exasperated, throwing up your other hand in disbelief. He laughed, pushing you to get even angrier, “Obviously, Will Ferrell’s in it.”

You let out an even more dramatic sigh, stopping in your place on the sidewalk to turn and face him. You looked like you were about to lose it as you said, “You think Will Ferrell is better than Jim Carrey?!?!” This sent Spencer into a fit of laughter, doubling over and holding his chest as they escaped from him.

“Spencer!” You called again, stepping forward and putting your hand on his chest to make him stand up straight. “Please, tell me you’re messing with me.” He was smiling stupidly and his eyes were sparkling as he stared down at you. He didn’t answer, instead, he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to your lips.

You deepened it by placing your hands on the sides of his face and holding him closer to you. You two stood for a few seconds, in the middle of the sidewalk, and so, incredibly, deeply in love. Spencer pulled away when a car passed by, reminding him that you were out in public. The previous argument was quickly forgotten, for a moment.

You let out a sigh of contentment, reaching for his hand again. “I’m so glad you made it home.” He dragged his thumb along your hand, tickling your palm, “Me too, this way we can watch Elf together.”

He let out another laugh as you dropped his hand and stomped a couple of paces away. “Oh my god,” you huffed.

One night, he wakes, strange look on his face. Pauses, then says, “You’re my best friend.”

You two made it back to Spencer’s with full bellies and cold hands. You knew Spencer was tired from wrapping up the case this morning, so you didn’t complain when he collapsed on the couch. “You wanna change?” You asked, hanging up your coat. He shook his head and replied with a “uh-uh.” You giggled at his childlike demeanor as you sat down next to him.

Spencer moved to rest his hand on your shoulder, pulling you close to him by your waist. “Thank you, Spence.” You said into the top of his head before pressing a kiss into his hair. “For what?” He asked, closing his eyes at your touch. “Making it home in time.”

“I promised you I would,” he reminds you. “I know, but I also know you can’t control it sometimes.” He nods, both agreeing with you and encouraging you to keep playing with his hair.

He falls asleep quickly in the position, loving the scratches you’re leaving on the back of his neck.

The sun sets as you make yourself comfortable next to him, trying not to wake him up. You pulled a random book from one of the stacks on his coffee table to busy yourself, and try to make yourself as tired as he was, so you could go to bed. But, the excitement of Christmas was keeping you awake.

You were finishing up the third chapter when he stirred. To your surprise, Spencer sat up. His eyebrows were furrowed, but there was a fond smile on his face as he brought his hands up to sleepily rub at his eyes. He blinked a few times, adjusting his vision to the darkness of the room. He was only being illuminated by the glow of the white lights from the Christmas tree.

Spencer turned to you, the corners of his lips quirking up in a bigger smile. He only looks at you for a few seconds, before cuddling back up next to you. “You know you’re my best friend, right?” Spencer slurs, too tired to string together a completely coherent sentence. “You’re mine too, Spence.” You assured, not knowing if he was awake enough to hear you. You pressed another kiss to his head, whispering a quiet, “Merry Christmas,” to him.

And you knew what it was, he is in love.