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hearts4hughes · 2 years ago

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12. “because she’s totally whipped over ___” with jack please?

whipped - jack hughes

jack hughes x fem! reader

100 followers celly !!

warnings: swearing, one mention of nsfw, but no actual nsfw

notes: this took me so long to write for no reason. i apologize for any mess ups in the writing. i did not proofread this. enjoy reading lovies!

gif is not mine

“uno!” trevor yells out, causing everyone to huff in frustration.

“that’s the tenth fucking time you’ve won!” jack exclaims, throwing his cards onto the ground.

“he’s cheating! how many times do i have to tell you guys this?” i say in an annoyed tone.

what once started as a night we were supposed to go out and get drunk, came to a halt when trevor found a deck of uno cards in a random desk around my apartment. however, that was three hours ago. now, quinn, trevor, luke, jack, and i, all stay sprawled out on my living room floor- probably on our twentieth game of uno.

“i’m sick of this bullshit!” luke dramatically rolls back from his sitting position, into a laying one. i giggle, hitting his head playfully, causing him to flip me off.

“oh, you’re sick of ‘this bullshit’? i’ve won almost every game, and every single time i’m accused of cheating!” trevor whines acting like his a victim of some sort.

“maybe that’s because you are cheating, zegras.” i widen my eyes, pointing at him. i’ve known trevor since i was ten, and there is no fucking way he is winning all these games without some sort of cheating.

“hey!” trevor yells in his defense. he looks around the room for someone to help him out, until his eyes land on quinn, “help me out over here, quinny.”

“don’t bring me into this.” quinn laughs, unproblematic as always.

“whatever, i’m going to grab some water.” standing up, i excuse myself, needing a desperate break from everyone for a moment.

walking into my kitchen, i grab a glass of water and check my phone.

from lola: how’s everything going over there?

i smile, looking at the text i received from my best friend.

to lola: pretty good. we didn’t end up going out, trevor found uno and we’ve been playing that ever since

from lola: is jack over?

my eyes widen at the last message. i gulp before beginning to reply.

to lola: yes, but what does that have to do with anything?

jack hughes has been my crush since we met. our families grew up together, so it wasn’t very surprising when i became great friends with the hughes. i mean what is there not to like about jack?! he’s adorable, completely insane at hockey, and he has a great personality. that’s like winning the lottery of men!

from lola: you know exactly what it has to do with

from lola: this is your fucking chance! make a move on him or something. put those flirting skills to work bae

to lola: are you insane or something? make a move on him now? both his brothers and his best friend are here too!!!!!

from lola: so what? at least you’ll have witnesses for when you retell the story to your children!!!!

before i can type my response, a familiar voice brings me back to reality.

“there you are!” jack beams, startling me and almost causing the glass to fall right out of my hand. “oh sorry, i didn’t mean to scare you, cutie.”

did he just call me cutie?

my heart flutters at the nickname and jack begins to move closer to me. “no it’s ok, just didn’t see you.” i couldn’t be more nervous right now as he is now barely a couple inches away from me.

“where’d you go? i missed you in there.” he admits as a devilish smirk tugs at his lips.

what the fuck.

someone pinch me so i can wake up.

nervously, i begin laughing it off. “yeah, uh, i just went to get some, uh… water.” i can barely say the sentence- my throat just getting dryer and dryer.

“you’re adorable. the boys wanted to play truth or shot. you in?”

i excitedly nod, putting my phone in my back pocket as jack grabs my hand, leading me into the living room. right as we enter the room, we see quinn with a bottle of schnapps, pouring the beverage into various shot glasses. jack sits down, tugging at my hand so i sit next to him.

“who volunteers to go first?” quinn asks, setting the bottle on the coffee table. luke raises his hand, pulling a loud cheer out of all of us as quinn passes him the shot glass.

“ok, moosey,” trevor begins, thinking of something to ask him.

“ask him about the magazine!” i yell out and everyone barks out a loud laugh- except for luke. he sits there with a flushed and embarrassed expression, dreading the question.

“moosey, that one summer when y/n bought that magazine with the hot brunette in the bikini,” trevor pauses, hyping us up, “did you or did you not steal the magazine to help you perform certain activities?”

“oh, fuck you!” luke throws his hands up, a big smile is spread across his face in embarrassment.

we all erupt in laughs and yells waiting for luke to answer. i look over to jack, who is laughing hysterically. he catches me staring and winks, putting his arm around me. my face turns basically maroon at the small gesture. i try to relax under his hold, but i can barely considering how close he is to me.

“answer the question!” jack yells, converting everyone’s eyes over to us. as they examine our current position, all their eyebrows furrow, but it’s short lived considering we all want luke to answer us.

“fine,” luke begins, pulling everyone’s focus back over to him, “i did steal it, but-”

he’s cut off by all of us yelling ‘we knew it!’ and ‘that’s disgusting!’. being pressed against jack’s chest, i feels vibrations from his laughter, causing my laughs to come to a small halt- only being able to focus on jack.

“but!” luke yells over our laughs, pulling me back into reality. “she was fine as fuck. don’t blame me!”

“i do blame you because i really wanted the swim suit she was wearing!” i say, in both disgust and laughter.

luke rolls his eyes, passing the shot over to me, indicating it’s my turn.

“y/n’s turn!” quinn yells, still on an adrenaline high as the room dies down. i roll my eyes, accepting the drink from luke’s hands, awaiting my question.

“my turn to ask the questions.” luke smiles deviously. “remember our friend, tommy?”

i nod, wondering where this question is going.

“did you or did you not have a crush on him?”

all the boys, once again, erupt with screams and laughs. however, when i turn back slightly to look at jack. his posture is now tense, instead of relaxed, and his eyes are filled with jealousy. nonetheless, he still lets out a fake laugh, fooling everyone else, but me.

to be completely honest, their friend tommy, was really hot. i wasn’t completely infatuated with him, but i definitely had a little crush on him. however, noticing how tense and jealous jack got from that question alone, makes me not want to answer it at all.

without another thought, i reach for the tiny glass, tossing it back. as the alcohol burns down my throat i make a face in disgust.

“booooooo!” trevor starts and luke and quinn begin to join in.

“sorry, but i am not answering that.” i shrug.

jack doesn’t say anything, he only continues to tense behind me.

uh oh.

“c’mon, admit it,” trevor says, “you definitely had a little something for him.” he moves his shoulders suggestively and i only roll my eyes in return.

“it’s not surprising if she didn’t.” quinn mumbles, turning everyone’s attention to him. i furrow my brows, what is he getting on with? he seems to notice us staring and raises his eye brows, “don’t try to act like you don’t know what i mean.”

“will you stop with this cryptic and mysterious shit?” jack finally speaks up. everyone nods their heads in agreement, waiting for quinn to further explain.

“yeah, why wouldn’t y/n not like tommy?” luke chimes in.

“because she’s totally whipped over jack!” he finally blurts out. my eyes go wide and my mouth drops.

the whole room goes quiet and all eyes are on jack and i. however, his hold around me does not change.

“wha-” i try to get out, looking back at jack who wears a proud smirk. “i’m not- well i don’t-”

“y/n,” trevor interrupts, “just kiss him already, this is tiring.”

i can’t even react before jack turns me around, his lips landing on mine.

wow.

#hearts4hughes #nhl imagine #jack hughes #hockey blurb #jack hughes imagines #jack hughes x reader #nora's writings 💐

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topguncortez · 2 years ago

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A Supposed Miracle || Bradley Bradshaw

Top Gun Celebration | Main masterlist

synopsis: A year ago you survived the unimaginable, but you weren't sure if it was actually the miracle they said it was. Written as part of my 1 Year TG Celebration:)

word count: 2.2k

warnings: Uranium Mission, description of injuries, mentions of PTSD, amnesia, paralyzation, cursing

prompts: "I don’t care if we are fighting, or if you’re mad at me, I’m still gonna be there for you.”

Rooster wasn’t sure what he was doing. What had possessed him now, of all days, to show up at your front door, he wasn’t quite sure. The last time he had seen you, you were barely alive. Blood seeping from your body, your temperature near dangerous levels, breaths so shallow and pulse so weak, Rooster had to press his ear against your chest just to hear your heart beating.

When the two of you were rescued, you were whisked off into the belly of the ship while he was being flocked to by sailors commending him for a good job.

“I didn’t do anything right,” He remembers saying to Maverick, as he sat on the cold metal exam table.

“Yes you did, you both survived-”

“I paralyzed her!”

Rooster knew that it wasn’t all his fault, but he had no choice but to move you. You were sitting ducks in the middle of the snow-covered field, wearing your green flight suits. You had cried and begged for him to leave you there, telling him you would rather “die on the battlefield in glory” than live a life where you could no longer walk, or take care of yourself. But Rooster wasn’t about to do that when an enemy helicopter arrived and opened fire on the two of you. He didn’t think twice as he picked you up in his arms, despite your cries and hits against his body as he carried you into a wooded area.

“You fucking dick, Bradshaw! You should’ve left me to die!”

“You can blame me for saving your life later.”

Three days. Seventy-Two Hours. Four thousand three hundred twenty minutes. two hundred fifty-nine thousand two hundred seconds.

That’s how long the two of you were out in the snow-covered woods. Both of your beacons had been crushed when you intercepted the SAMs to save one another. Rooster, who had merely a concussion and some bruised ribs did his best to try and keep you alive. He wasn’t sure where all the blood was coming from, too scared to cut away your flight suit to find out. He did his best to stop the bleeding, switching from packing snow against your body, to pressing a hot wire against the exposed skin. The two of you split an MRE that somehow managed to survive the wreckage. He could remember you making a joke about it.

“Not sure if we should be even eating something that can survive a jet fire.”

But Rooster made sure to save the last Twizzler bites in the package for you. He had hardly slept, forcing himself to stay awake to make sure you were still alive, and keeping a watchful eye for any wolves or other wildlife. He knew that his defense against a wolf was going to be useless, but he had gone over in his head what he would do to make sure you lived. On the last night, you were out there, Rooster held you tightly in his arms, the both of you coming to the realization that you might not live to see another sunrise out in the woods.

“You need to be the one to tell him,” You said, your voice barely above a whisper. Your skin was sunburned and your lips chapped from dehydration, “He won’t try and fight you.”

“He hates me, Reap, he always has,” Rooster said, gently rocking you back and forth.

“Jake doesn’t hate you,” You shook your head, “He is intimidated by you. He knows that you are the better pilot. But if it’s anyone else that tells him I didn’t make-” Your voice broke, “That I didn’t make it. . . he’ll drink himself to death. He’ll want to know everything.”

Rooster looked up at the night sky. All the stars seemed to be out, shining brightly above the two of you.

“I loved you first,” Your voice pulled Rooster away from his analysis of the stars, “You broke me when you left. Didn’t say why or where…you just left.”

“And I have regretted that day for all my life,” Rooster said.

He could so vividly remember seeing your acceptance letter to USNA sitting on your desk when he came home from one of his classes at the local community college. He didn’t even know you applied, let alone were interested in the Navy. But he was so mad, so angry that you had gotten something that he had wanted his whole life. Instead of waiting for you to come home from work, he quickly packed a bag and left, not so much as leaving a note to explain. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago that the two of you had finally reunited.

And now, you were going to die in the arms of your first love.

“I love you, Y/N,” Rooster said, and he felt your body tense for a moment, before it relaxed in his arms, “I have always loved you. I have never stopped loving you. I will never stop loving you.”

You squeezed Rooster’s hand, “I… Love…”

Rooster looked down at your face, seeing the light go out in your eyes, “No… No, no, hey,” He shook your body, patting your cheek lightly, “You don’t get to do this,” He laid your body gently down on the ground, placing his hands in the middle of your chest and starting compressions, “C’mon, Reaper! C’mon! Don’t…” Rooster looked up at the sky, “You son of bitch, you give her back to me! You give her back to me right fucking now!”

— — —

They called it a miracle. But it felt like anything but that to you.

You spent a whole month, unconscious in the ICU in England, before you were moved back to the US, where you spent another two weeks hooked up to machines. When you woke up, you had no recollection of the last several years of your life. You didn’t know that the blonde man sitting next to you was apparently your fiance, or that you had graduated top of your class at TopGun, or hell, that you had even made it to TopGun, to begin with. You didn’t know what had happened out in the woods, other than that you were paralyzed from the waist down, and you would never fly again.

The only person that you did recognize was Maverick, and even those memories were a little hazy. He had helped you get settled into your house (which had been totally renovated to be wheelchair accessible). Your fiance, whose name you learned was Jake, helped you get reacclimated to most things. He was nice and was doing everything he could to help gain some memories back. Over time you remembered certain things like Jake’s birthday, or that you had a 1972 mustang mach 1 sitting in Maverick’s hangar, or flashes of the last mission you were on. But the most prominent memory in your mind was of coming home to an empty house and that blue Bronco gone from the driveway.

You had asked Jake about Rooster several times, and he just danced around the subject. He told you that Rooster was a part of the mission, and he had taken a different position instead of staying in North Island with the rest of the team. You also remembered that when Jake lied, his right eye would twitch.

You had spent the better part of that year in intense physical therapy. Your doctor believed that you could probably regain some function and learn to walk with assistance. You thought that hell week at USNA was hard, but nothing would prepare you for this journey. Day after day, Jake would pick you up from therapy physically and mentally exhausted. Learning how to walk again at age twenty-seven was a lot harder than toddlers made it look.

Between your doctor, various therapists, Jake and Maverick, by the time the one-year mark of the mission came around, you were able to stand and walk with the help of your walker. Being able to graduate from physical therapy felt better than any promotion you might’ve received from the Navy.

But now here you were, a year to the day later, staring at the man who had been constantly on your mind. You had actually started to believe Jake’s story about Rooster taking a job somewhere else because, for the last year, he had been totally MIA. Jake had taken you to the Hard Deck and out several times with the dagger squad in the past year, and every time, Rooster wasn’t there. Nobody mentioned him. Nobody even talked about him if you were around. There had been no texts, no calls, and no letters from him in the past year.

You were actually starting to wonder if maybe he was dead.

“So you are alive,” You scoffed, “Congrats.”

“Reap-”

“No,” You shook your head, “You don’t get to fucking call me that. Do you even know the hell I have been through in the past year?!”

“I’m sorry,” Rooster said simply, “I just couldn’t face you knowing that I put you in-”

“A wheelchair?”

He sucked in a breath and looked down at his shoes. He looked a lot like the man you remembered. Sandy brown hair, sunkissed tan skin, those sweet baby cow eyes that you had fallen in love with. He was wearing a pair of Levi’s that hugged his thighs just right, and one of those infamous Hawaiian shirts that used to belong to his dad. His Rayban caravans dangled off the chain of his dog tags that were tucked underneath his white tank top.

Rooster licked his lips and looked up at you, for probably the first time since the standoff had started. You had cut your hair, it was shorter than what he remembered, sitting right above your shoulders. He could see that your face had some new-age lines to it. Your arms now had more black and colored ink than clear skin on them. And your eyes, those once soft and loving eyes, were cold and hard as you glared at him.

“I’m sorry,” Rooster said again.

You shook your head, “Why are you here?”

“Because I-” Rooster still wasn’t sure why he was here. He thought he would have more time to figure that answer out before you asked, “Because I wanted to see you. I heard that you are coming tonight and I-”

You scoffed, “So you decide now, a year later, that you wanna show your face?”

“Look,” Rooster was trying to keep his cool, but his patience was starting to wear thin with you, “I don’t care if you hate me. I don’t care if we are fighting, or if you’re mad at me, I’m still gonna be there for you.”

“But you-”

“You weren’t the only one who lost something out there!” Rooster yelled. You looked taken aback by the sudden increase in his voice, “Okay? You weren’t the only one out there for three days. You weren’t the only one. . . planning a fucking funeral in your head. You weren’t the only one who lost something out there.” You looked down at your lap, hearing Rooster take several deep breaths to calm himself. He knew that he fucked up but not coming to see you sooner, but he wasn’t sure how he could face you.

“Did you tell Jake to lie to me?” You looked up at the man.

“No,” Rooster shook his head, “I asked him about you almost every day for about three months. I wanted to know how you were, what you were doing if there was any update on your injury, or if you gained your memory back, but Jake just kept it to a minimum. Eventually, he told me to stop asking.”

“Fucking Jake,” You rolled your eyes, “I broke up with him about three months after I woke up. It was just too hard to pretend to love a man when I hardly knew him.” Rooster nodded, “But to make you feel better. . . I asked about you too.”

Rooster clenched his jaw, trying to push back the tears in his eyes. You held your hand out to him, and he walked forward, placing his large hand in your smaller one. You squeezed it, just like you did when you died in his arms a year ago.

“I’m sorry.”

The two of you let out a soft chuckle as you spoke at the same time.

“You first,” Rooster said.

“I’m sorry for how I treated you when you found me. I just knew right away I was fucked and I didn’t see any point in living a life where I can’t fly. But I realized how fucked and selfish that was to tell you that. You saved my life, Bradley, a-and. . .” You blinked a couple of times, trying to find the right words, “Thank you for that.”

Rooster’s jaw dropped slightly, and he gave your hand a squeeze, “I’m sorry for being too scared to come and see you. I let my own fear and self-hatred get in the way. And you saved my life too.”

You smiled at him, “Do you want to come in for a drink?”

“I’d love nothing more.”

taglist: @damrlova @shanimallina87 @phoenix1388 @desert-fern @mygyn @cherrycola27 @yanna-banana @seitmai @topgun-imagines @bradleybeachbabe @startrekfangirl2233 @xoxabs88xox @atarmychick007 @bradshawseresinbabe @Munsonswhore86 @happypopcornprincess @Sophiaslastbraincell @bradswolfe @fandom-princess-forevermore @thedroneranger @angelbabyange @callsignharper @genius2050

taglist form:)

I just wanna say a quick shoutout to @a-reader-and-a-writer for sending in this request and being just an all around awesome person. you guys don't see it on here, but I'm in a discord with Vee and she is one of the most reliable, and knowledgeable, and nicest people I have ever had the opportunity to interact with. I can always count on Vee to pop in with an answer to my questions or a funny one-liner or angst that hurts so deliciously good. She's an amazing writer and friend and fandom-dweller (. . . yeah that's the word). She's always so positive and works hard to create an awesome and safe space on her blog, on the dash, in the server. She's just amazing <3

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isadollie · 26 days ago

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'trick or treat?' ft. satoru gojo

jjk 2024 halloween event | masterlist

— satoru x fem! reader, established relationship, satoru being himself, i suppose

— a/n: i very much hate this drabble but here it is. reallyyy not proud of this one lol. but i just had to include my man satoru in one of these so...

"whose candy will be the best?" satoru asked as he looked down at his basket, full of different goods. you two left the house in your matching outfits a few hours ago, walking around the neighbourhood. you had a lot of fun together, but satoru only really focused on the sweets.

you hummed in thought, recalling all the people you visited so far. "well, i gotta admit, suguru gave us the most." you said, and satoru pouted. "he gave YOU the most! you got like ten different candy from suguru alone, and he gave me maybe two of these."

"stop complaining." you rolled your eyes. "that one old lady literally gave you everything she had just cause you smiled at her."

gojo grinned. "what a sweet woman. she even asked for my number."

soon you reached another door, but as you were about to knock, you hesitated. "are you sure this is a good idea?" you asked as you looked over at your boyfriend, who currently had a mischevious smile on his face. "oh, c'mon angel, this is going the best one so far! it's nanamin we're talking about! i can't wait for him to see me."

you just sighed, and knocked on the door. when the door opened, nanami stood there with a polite smile on his face and a big bowl of candy in his hands, probably expecting some children to show up. but then, his eyes settled on gojo, and his expression changed into an annoyed one. "no way. no way." he simply shook his head with a sigh.

your boyfriend pouted again. "hey! c'mon, admit i look good and that you missed me or something."

nanami scoffed. "no."

satoru sighed and put his hand out. "okay. just hand the candy over."

"no!"

"hand the candy over, nanami."

you only sighed and waved your hand dismissively, walking away to wait for satoru, not wanting to be a part of the fight. after a few minutes he came back with the whole bowl he took from nanami. "ready to go home, angel?" he asked excitedly, and started walking without waiting for your answer.

🎃

you let out a yawn as you walked into your shared apartment. it was almost midnight now, and all this going around made you tired. satoru walked in after you, humming a little happy song as he carried all the candy you two collected.

"i'll go take a quick shower now." you said as soon as the door closed. "then we can watch a movie and enjoy the sweets together."

"sounds like a plan!" satoru immediately agreed, plopping down on the couch. "i'll pick a nice film, hurry in there!"

you nodded and left, yawning again.

after the shower, you walked back into the living room. you were really tired, but you smiled to yourself regardless, thinking of how you will spend time with your boyfriend, just sitting together and eating the candy. and then your smile dropped.

satoru was sitting on the carpet, surrounded by tons of candy wrappers. his face was covered in chocolate as he currently ate what seemed to be the very last candy from the huge basket you collected.

you stared at him with wide eyes as he swallowed the last piece of chocolate and put his hand on his stomach with a smile. when he noticed you, he gave you an innocent look.

"...to my defense, i told you to be quick--"

#🎃isdl2024 #jjk fluff #jjk x reader #jjk gojo #jujutsu gojo #gojo x reader #gojo satoru #jjk satoru #gojou satoru x reader #jujutsu satoru #satoru gojo #satoru gojō x reader #jjk x y/n #jjk x you #jjk #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen #kento nanami #geto suguru

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nathanbatemanfucker · 1 year ago

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ALEX HIIIII!!!!!!!! i saw ‘aaron hotchner x reader’ in your tags and i RAN here 🤭🤭🤭💞

okay so what about #10-“Let me call you mine, just for tonight.” 😩🦋🦋 with aaron <3333

thank you ilysm!!!!!!!!!!

Instead

prompt: #10 “let me call you mine, just for tonight.”

pairing: gn!reader x aaron hotchner

contents: implied sexual content, angst, exes in love, hope for the future

wc: 1.1k (listen it got out of hand)

an: i hope you enjoy this my sweet fay, despite it being angst i had a really fun time writing it. perhaps im slowly returning to this man 🤭 love youuuu bb <33

summer blurbs prompts + masterlist | cm masterlist

You’ve always reminded yourself there was the possibility of seeing him when you come back home. You’ve prepared; there is nothing to say, nothing to change. Going your separate ways once the two of you had graduated from undergrad just made sense. Living states upon states from each other, working insane hours— the two of you were never going to fit together the way you did those few years. And while it hurt, neither of you wanted to hold the other back.

Your relationship was based in choice and fire and tenderness. How the bicker of back and forth turned into something soft, something sweet and erotic. You’d never been able to find the flame that sparked when you were with him with anyone else, so you’d given up.

It takes 10 years. You’d gone almost 10 years without seeing him— you come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas respectively, sometimes even the 4th of July. Aaron Hotchner never comes home. Until he does.

He says words that you never expected— words some part of you buried deep down has always wanted to hear.

“Let me call you mine, just for tonight.”

You shouldn’t even be here. He shouldn’t even be here. You’ve avoided this for so long and all it took was once for you to end up here. For you to say yes to him. Over and over you’d said yes, because what else could you say?

He’s always been your weakness. You’d agreed to coffee when you saw him in the grocery store. Said yes to dinner at coffee despite the awkward tension between you. Said yes again to coming back to his hotel room despite the tan line from his removed wedding band.

When those words— let me call you mine, just for tonight— spill from his mouth as you two stand in his hotel room, you can acknowledge that this is the perfect time to say no.

Still, you can’t bring yourself to say it. Instead you say, “We’ve done this before, Aaron. Why hurt ourselves?”

The words have hardly left your mouth before he’s answering. “Because I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you left.”

“I didn’t leave, we came to an agreement,” You grit out, arms crossed against your chest defensively. “We wanted different things, coasts apart.”

He puts his hands up in surrender, “I’m not blaming you.”

“That’s what it feels like. And you never fought for me— I posed the idea and you just went with it.”

His mouth presses into a thin line, brow furrowing in confusion, “Was I supposed to know that I was meant to fight? I always respected you and your autonomy.”

You know that he’s right. Choice and fire and tenderness.

Your shoulders drop as all the stubbornness in you disappears. You can’t look at him. “I don’t want to fight, Aaron, please. I don’t have the heart for it.

He steps forward— that’s all that’s left between the two of you after this little tiff, a single step. His hands, warm and calloused, rise to cup your face, lifting your gaze to his own.

“I know, you never have, have you, honey?” He asks gently, not a single drop of malice or condescension. “We get worked up just to fizzle out. I’m sorry, I am. But, I don’t know if I can let you walk out the door like this.”

You have to close your eyes before you drown in him. In his deep brown eyes, in his strong pine cologne that surrounds you. It’s too late, you’re sure of that when he angles your jaw further and you feel the ghost of his breath on your lips. And while it took so much strength to look away, it takes none to press your lips to his.

For a while that’s all either of you do— kiss and explore the way you’ve changed. His mouth feels the same, his tongue deep and searching but his skin is different, his beard is gone, his shoulders are firmer. He feels how you’ve become softer, how your mouth might taste even sweeter.

You pull away once your lungs burn and not a moment sooner. It could end here, you could keep all those promises you’ve made to yourself and walk away from him. Nothing and everything has changed. Once again you think that you should do the right thing to save you both. But instead, you sit on the couch and pat the spot beside you.

You and Aaron truly talk for the first time since seeing each other in that grocery store. You tell him about your loneliness. He tells you about his, about the horror and gore that accompanies it. You bring him close and kiss him until he’s dizzy, until you’re in a vacuum where none of that exists. Just the two of you.

Eventually, he guides you to the bed with respectful eyes, eyes that say this is your call. You make it, pulling him in for another kiss by the collar of his polo.

In the quiet darkness of the night, he touches you like you never left him. He kisses every inch of your skin, and reintroduces you to a level of pleasure that left with him.

And when you wake in the morning, you’re warm— almost too warm. But, you aren’t quite ready to move and accept the reality that dawn brings. You’re losing him all over again. There’s a familiar stiffness in your bones, a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that takes you back to that cool May morning.

Rising out of bed, slowly and carefully, is one of the hardest things you’ve ever done. Not because you haven’t snuck out of bed before, leaving a one night stand or two wondering about what they did wrong. But, because Aaron’s always been it for you. Because you’re leaving the warmest bed you’ve ever known.

Dressing quietly, you press a parting kiss to his forehead, so light that you feel like a ghost. Maybe that’s what you are, a ghost in Aaron’s life the way he’s one in yours.

When Aaron wakes, he feels the chill left in your absence. He knew what he was getting himself into; he’d only asked for a night, hadn’t he?

That chill stays with him as he gets ready. But, when he reaches for his wallet, a small bit of paper falls out. He bends to pick it up, and smiles— written on the paper are familiar digits. Ones he’d deleted from his phone long ago, ones he’s been trying to forget until now.

He thinks for a moment that he should throw it away, spare you both the back and forth for something that might crumble all over again. Instead, he opens his phone, saving your number once more. His chest thaws a bit at the potential of more.

#fay 🦢#aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner x gn!reader #aaron hotchner x gender neutral reader #aaron hotchner blurb #aaron hotchner fanfiction #criminal minds fanfiction #arson writes #summer blurbs

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tiedyeflannels · 5 months ago

Text

Adventure of a Lifetime

Kim Taehyung x reader

Chapter 14 | Masterlist

A/N: *warning sirens* ANGST UP AHEAD!! This is what writers would call the "climax of the story", but in all seriousness, this chapter was THE main reason why I had started this series. If it wasn't for this, it would probably still be in my drafts, ngl... Anyways! I hope you enjoy!

We laughed as we stepped through the door and into Tae’s apartment. We were immediately greeted by Yeontan as we took off our shoes and made our way to the kitchen.

“I think it’s so cute how they basically switch personalities when they’re drunk,” I laughed as I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge.

“Who? Jk and Hobi,” Tae asked, right behind me as he reached over and got a bottle himself before I closed it.

I smiled, nodding, just when Jeong-Gyu walked into the kitchen.

I turned to greet him, “Oh, hey!”

“Yo! When did you get back,” Tae asked, taking a sip from his water bottle.

“A few hours ago. Where did you two go? I was surprised that we didn’t see you when we came home,” Jeong-Gyu leaned on the island, looking between both Tae and I.

“Tae took me along to his practice with the members, then we had dinner together. Didn’t he let you know,” I asked.

Jeong-Gyu shook his head, “No, he didn’t.”

“Sorry, I should’ve texted you and Y/s/n just to let you know where I was going so you wouldn’t have had to worry,” I said, looking between them.

There was tension starting to grow in the room, but I couldn’t place a finger on why.

“Anyway, I’m gonna go take a shower and then get ready for bed since it’s getting late,” I said.

“Yeah, I should, too,” Tae said, as he followed me out. I headed over to the room Y/s/n and I were “supposed” to be sharing and saw laying on the bed, scrolling through her phone.

“Yo!”

“Hey,” I said, passing by the bed and walking over to my suitcase to grab some clothes.

“Did something happen between you and Jeong-Gyu,” she asked, looking up from her phone for a second.

My brows furrowed as I shook my head, “Not that I know of… why?” She hummed before she gave an answer, “I’ll let you take a shower first.”

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion as I walked over to the bathroom and closed the door.

“Okay. What do you mean ‘Did something happen between you and Jeong-Gyu’,” I asked as I shook my hair out with a towel.

She sighed, “Well, he’s been acting differently ever since we got home and realized that you weren’t here. I knew you had to be with Taehyung, but his mood seemed to turn sour after I said that.” I tilted my head in confusion at what she told me.

“So I wasn’t sure if something had happened,” she said.

I hummed, guessing that he was causing the tension in the kitchen earlier, but still not understanding why Jeong-Gyu is acting like this.

I shrugged, “I guess I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow.” She hummed in acknowledgement, “Are you getting ready for bed?”

I nodded, “Mhmm, I’m sleeping on the couch in the living room after you kicked me out last night.”

“It’s not my fault! You know I don’t like cuddling,” she said defensively.

“Yep, and that’s my fault…” I said, monotonously.

“Anyway, thanks for letting me know about Jeong-Gyu. You know where I’ll be if you need anything. Night,” I said as I started to walk out of the room.

“Good night, Y/n/n,” she called out after me.

Walking over to the living room and rolling the blanket out, a conversation could be heard in the kitchen, but since if was muffled I thought I would stay out of what they were talking about.

That was until… I heard my name.

Maybe they we’re talking about me in passing, I thought as I shook my head and finished setting up where I was going to sleep when something in their conversation caught my attention.

“Are you really upset that I brought Y/n along with me?”

“It’s not just that,” Jeong-Gyu aggressively sighed, which made me draw closer to the kitchen to hear a bit better.

“You’ve been taking Y/n’s attention away with your charms!”

“What are you talking about,” Tae questioned and I couldn’t help but agree; what was he talking about?

“This trip was supposed to be just us having fun, but you had to take them away,” Jeong-Gyu sarcastically said.

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not my fault. You’re the one that started to abandon Y/n to hang out with their sister. If you cared more about your friendship than this little crush of yours then we wouldn’t be having this problem,” Tae said sharply.

“Oh! So you’re saying that you just took pity on them, acting like some kind of hero so Y/n would fall for you good looks and charm. Is that it,” the younger brother spat out.

“Do you even hear what you’re saying?!”

“You get everything! A good job, good looks, millions of fans that throw themselves at you left and right! Why can’t you just let me have this?”

“I thought you had feelings for Y/s/n,” Tae asked, voice slightly raised.

I quietly peeked into the kitchen debating whether I should stop this or not.

“Yeah well, all this time without Y/n made me realize that I have feelings for them, too!”

I huffed and rolled my eyes before deciding to end this and started walking in.

“Too bad, because I have feelings for Y/n too,” Tae spoke, making me stop in my tracks and my eyes widened.

What does he mean by that…

“Y/n,” he gently muttered, making Jeong-Gyu turn in my direct and pulling me out of my daze.

“What’s going on here,” I sighed.

“How much did you hear,” Tae asked.

“A little too much for my liking.”

Jeong-Gyu visibly cringed at my statement, definitely not liking that I heard the argument.

“Listen Y/n, I can explain,” he tried to start, but I held up my hand to quickly silence him.

“I don’t want to hear it right now because you’re clearly not in the right state to think rationally,” I said, pointing to his chest that was still heaving from the anger that he had earlier.

“And I don’t want you two to keep fighting, so take the air mattress and sleep in the family room down the hall. I’ll talk to you about this later.”

I gave him a pointed look before he solemnly nodded and walked out.

I closed my eyes and sighed before looking at the eldest brother. He stayed standing where he was, brown eyes on me. I walked over and lead of the island beside him, arms crossed.

“You seem awfully calm for hearing everything that happened,” he tried breaking the tension.

I weakly smiled, feeling a bit too overwhelmed by all of this.

“What happened,” I sighed.

He shrugged, “You’re guess is as good as mine. All I know is that he was going on about me ‘stealing’ you away from him.”

“He’s an idiot,” I huffed.

He nodded and we stood there for a while in silence as the tension started to dissipate.

“How do you feel about him having feelings for you?”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged, “I think he just misses me by his side and is now mistaking that for romantic feelings.”

A moment of silence fell upon us before he raised another question.

“And…” he hesitated, “How do you feel about me… having feelings for you?”

I stood there for a moment.

How do I feel about it, I asked myself before saying, “I don’t know.”

I looked at him, trying to decipher my emotions, but the more I tried, the more I became confused.

He sighed, “I’ll just get my confession out of the way, if that’s okay?”

I slowly nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“I’ve really liked hanging out with you, Y/n. I’m not sure when I started having feelings for you, maybe it was that day at the park or when I first set my eyes on you at my parents’ house, but there isn’t a day that goes by that you’re not on my mind. You’re incredibly smart and witty and sweet and I would love to stay by your side for as long as you’ll let me.”

Tears started stinging my eyes as he took a couple steps to stand in front of me.

“I know it’s confusing and you still need to work out your feelings so I won’t ask you to give me an answer right now. I’ll wait how ever long you want, whether it’s tomorrow or when you go back home or a year from now.”

I dryly chuckled as a tear rolled down my cheek.

Tae softly brushed finger across my cheek, clearing the tear before leaning in close and replacing it with a gentle kiss.

He pulled back far enough to look at me and whispered, “Whatever your decision is, I’ll wait for you. I promise.”

He quietly left the kitchen as my tears started to freely fall.

Chapter 15

Taglist:

@maple-leaves-in-the-wind | @eli-xar | @amaroho

#bts fic #bts x y/n #bts x reader #bangtan #bts #bts fanfic #bts x you #kim taehyung #taehyung x reader #taehyung #bts v x reader #bts v

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les-pompiers118 · 8 months ago

Text

Illumination (a 9-1-1 ficlet)

A little Buck & Hen coda piece for episode 7x04. About 1.2K words, not rated. Contains major spoilers for "Buck, Bothered and Bewildered."

Also posted to AO3 here.

“Hey, what’s going on with you today?”

Hen’s voice startles Buck off the frame of the open roll-up door at the back of the equipment bay, where he was—what? Gathering his thoughts? More like letting them run amok, because there seems to be no getting them under control at the moment. Even the mindless task of polishing the engine had proved too much, and Buck just… needed a minute.

It’s been approximately eighteen hours since Tommy kissed him. Eighteen hours in which his whole damn perception of himself has been turned upside down and inside out. So there’s that. But there’s also been an embarrassing amount of losing himself in the memory of it, and imagining what it might be like to do it again. Maybe with Tommy’s broad chest pinning Buck against a wall… or those rough, competent hands on Buck’s skin somewhere… Or—

“Nothing,” Buck answers, a little too defensively, but of course Hen can tell he’s lying.

“You’ve been distracted all day, Buck.” She gives him an unimpressed look. “Are you and Eddie still not talking about how you tackled him during a friendly basketball game?”

“I didn’t tackle him! It was more like… a mid-air hip check.”

Hen huffs and shakes her head. “You can take the boy off the football team, but you can’t take football instincts out of the boy, I guess.”

“Hip checking is hockey, not football,” Buck corrects her. “And to answer your question, Eddie and I did talk about it and it’s fine. He knows I just, uh, let my emotions get away from me during the game. I apologized for it. We’re good.”

“Then what are you all in your head about? Last time you were like this, it was when you were secretly contemplating donating certain bodily fluids to a certain former roommate and his wife. They didn’t ask you to help with baby number two already, did they?”

“No! I’m just—”

Buck breaks off with a wince. God, he’s not sure if he’s ready to tell anyone yet. He’s definitely not ready to make some big, dramatic announcement when he’s still trying to wrap his head around this. Not that he’s waffling about what it meant—the head-to-toe thrill that went through him when Tommy’s mouth collided with his. Buck recognized that sensation right away, with all the certainty of someone who’d accidentally touched a live wire. He’s not a kid, for Christ’s sake.

Talking about it—out loud—though. That’s a different story.

On the other hand, this is Hen. Who better to unburden himself to than her? And then maybe he’ll be able to focus on what he’s supposed to be doing here, at work, and save his personal mess for after the shift ends.

“Okay,” he begins, pulling Hen gently by the arm out into the parking area. “Okay, but please don’t tell anyone. I mean, anyone. But especially not Chimney.”

“All right,” Hen says slowly. “What did you do?”

Buck takes a deep breath. “I kissed Tommy.”

“You what!?”

“Well, he kissed me, actually. He came over to clear the air, because he was afraid he was the cause of some bad blood between me and Eddie. You know, since they’ve been spending so much time together, and it was driving me… Uh, I’m not proud of that, either.” Buck runs his hand over his mouth and pushes on. “Then we were talking, and he said he’d teach me Muay Thai if I wanted, and then the next thing I knew, he was just… going for it.”

“Wow,” Hen says simply, and even though Buck can’t bring himself to look her in the face right now, he can tell she’s genuinely shocked. “Wow, I guess you really never can tell with some people. Not that Tommy and I were ever especially close, what with the way things were when I first arrived at the 118. Huh.”

Buck stops himself from telling her that this conversation is supposed to be about him, not Tommy. Honestly though, it hadn’t occurred to him until this moment to think about whether Tommy is out or not. That’s not cool, Buck chastises himself.

“Uh, yeah that’s probably another reason this should just stay between us for now. We didn’t really talk about whether it’s okay for me to tell people. About him.”

Hen raises her eyebrows. “But you did talk, didn’t you? He didn’t just run off or something?”

“We sort of talked? He asked me out on a date. Saturday night.”

“And you said…” Hen prompts.

“Yes,” Buck tells her, with a whooshing exhale and a grin. “I said yes.”

“Okay, then. Good. So what’s the problem?”

She’s looking at him with that mix of patience and exasperation that he knows too well. Like he’s being dense.

“The problem is that I’m thirty-two years old, Hen! It shouldn’t have been such a surprise to me that I—” Buck lowers his voice to a loud whisper. “That I’m into guys, too. Like, don’t most people just know? While they’re growing up?”

Hen reaches over to squeeze his arm. “Not necessarily. There are plenty of good reasons why some people don’t figure it out until they’re older. Sometimes much older than thirty-two, by the way. There aren’t any rules here, Buck. Everyone has their own path to get there. But… you are there, you think?”

“Oh, god. Yes.” Buck gives a small laugh, just lets it bubble out of him. It’s like opening a valve, releasing the pressure inside of him. “I’m one-hundred percent there. No doubt in my mind at all.”

“That’s wonderful. Even so, give yourself some time to process it, okay?”

“I will. But, uh, how long does processing take?” Buck asks helplessly. “I feel like I’m back in that hurricane. There are about fifty different emotions hitting me from all directions right now, and it’s kind of hard to function.”

“That’s just the nature of the beast, I’m afraid. It’s a scary thing, having that big revelation about yourself and figuring out what it means for your life.”

“I’m not scared. More like… in a daze. Every time I think about it, it knocks me back again. And then I think about tomorrow night and I start to get all jittery. Nervous. Cause I’ve never done this and I have no idea how to go about making a guy like me.”

“He already likes you, if he asked you out, right?” Hen says. “So focus on that. Anything else?”

Buck considers it, tries to loosen the tangle of feelings that’s filling up the whole of him right now and lay them out in an orderly way. Hen doesn’t rush him.

“It’s just a lot,” he says eventually, giving up on putting it into words, “and I kinda wish I could switch off my brain for a while.”

“I’m sure. Trust me, all those messy, upsetting emotions will settle down, and then you’re gonna feel really good about it.”

“Oh, I already do,” Buck reassures her. “I mean, I did last night even, right after it happened. And now, still. Just kind of… illuminated on the inside. That sounds weird, doesn’t it?”

Hen shakes her head, then puts her arms over his shoulders and jerks him into a tight hug. Buck returns it gratefully, glad to find an anchor in this crazy day, at last. When Hen speaks again, close to his ear, her voice is uncharacteristically wobbly.

“That’s the joy, Buck,” she says. “That’s the joy of it. And that’s what makes the struggle all worthwhile.”

#911 abc #911 ficlet #7x04 coda #evan buckley #hen wilson

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 1 year ago

Note

My sis in law lives 5 hours away and finally got some time to come down and clean out her storage units that she shares with her legal husband. They have been separated for quite some time but she is still in contact with him. She recently has been getting her life together- her kids got taken away bc of drugs and she has been on/off drugs and finally has a job for more than 6 months. She also planned this on Father’s Day weekend and asked my husband to help her move her stuff. Her dad also came down to help but not to life heavy things as he is elderly. My husband requested that our older kids go to help her too.

It was supposed to take one hour to get the moving truck, but instead it took three.

So she has taken up most of the afternoon and then my husband tells me there are two extra people coming over for the Father’s day dinner. She also left at 8:00pm and didn’t come back until 5:30am the next morning. She’s a grown woman, whatever.

After she left I looked over the bins of stuff which is mostly toys and books from the storage unit and discover it is toys from her separated husbands kids. They were taken away by OCS a few years ago and he still has a lot of their things. She was trying to give me their old toys and books. The bins and toys are covered in mouse poop and pee. It was disgusting and nasty. I couldn’t in good conscience even think about giving away the items because they were so filthy.

I was so aggravated. Did she really expect me to disinfect all the items by myself?

I called my husband and told him we had to take ALL the stuff to the dump that day. The kids had seen the toys but I told them they couldn’t touch or play with them because they had poop on them.

I said my piece to my husband that I didn’t appreciate her leaving all this mouse poop covered stuff and he got defensive, saying she was just trying to be nice by giving us all this stuff.

I’m still aggravated though, because how can you not see all the mouse droppings all over everything?

AITA for being aggravated that my sister in law left over 6 bins of stuff at my house that I can’t use, no matter her intent?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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julieverne · 2 years ago

Text

No body, no crime

---

The men Jane dated had a habit of disappearing.

Casey went missing in action, Agent Dean went undercover and no one knew where he was.

Jane didn't date that many men, actually. But then Maura's exes started going missing too. Ian was never really in the map but his last known whereabouts was Antarctica. Maura received an annulment from a marriage she hardly remembered. Jack moved to a different state. The rest were dead at Jane's (or someone else's) hand, or in jail. Jane was starting to get suspicious.

---

Paddy Doyle stood when Jane came in.

"How is she?" he asked, always his first question. Jane showed him her lock screen - Maura holding a plaque with an enormous smile. "Good," he said, sitting when Jane did.

"Do you know why I'm here?" Jane asked.

"Do I ever know why you're here?" Paddy countered and Jane grit her teeth.

"Agent Dean is missing. So is Casey."

"Are those names supposed to mean anything to me?"

"Agent Dean. You shot him. I.. may have been involved with him. Likewise with Casey."

"You're saying I shot two of your boyfriend's?" Paddy asked incredulously. Jane sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"I'm saying they're both missing, and I dated them both. Along with Ian Faulkner, Maura's former flame, and her current one moved multiple miles away suddenly. Don't act coy with me, Paddy. This is your machination. What are you playing at?"

"I didn't kill your precious boyfriends, Detective Rizzoli, if only because I know it would make Maura sad, and you get very angry when she's sad."

"Then where are they, and why are you doing this?"

Paddy leaned back in his chair and looked over at Jane.

"I knew who you were. Before we met, officially. Had Intel that Maura was sleeping over, and that you lived in a one bedroom. Heard you were staying over at hers too, that your mom moved in." Paddy paused, nodded. "I like your mother. She doesn't know who I am, of course, but I like how happy she makes Maura." He fixed his gaze on Jane again. "I like how happy you make her. I like the way you protect her. The men she dates are weak and insignificant, but you - you're a challenge, even to my men. She's in a lot of danger because of her connection to me, and I can't have her shacking up with someone I can't work with."

"I don't work for you, Paddy," Jane informed him, her jaw set.

"Work with. We have a common goal. It's for the health and happiness of one Doctor Maura Isles. You make her happy, and so far you've protected her adequately. Would have preferred you didn't shoot me to do it, but I'll take it." He met Jane's eyes, and she nodded. If Paddy had shot Jane to keep Maura safe, she'd have taken it too; he knew that somehow. Jane would never let her defenses down around Paddy, but he was right. They did have a common goal.

"Get to the point. Visiting hour's almost over." They both knew this was outside visiting hours, that Jane could come and go as she wished, but he nodded anyway.

"You didn't ask for it, but I give you my blessing." Paddy leaned back in his chair, watching Jane's face fill with confusion, then a deep blush at what he was implying.

"We're not like that," Jane said uselessly, her hard front finally dropping a little. "She doesn't - I don't..."

"She does," Paddy said, sliding a packet of photos from his jumpsuit and across the table. They were a series taken over months, years, of Maura smiling up at Jane, of Jane's hand touching Maura, of Jane opening doors and buttoning coats, of Jane at Maura's bedroom window. There was one from the precinct, Jane shielding Maura with her body in a hostage situation. Another from the prison infirmary, Jane's face feral as she lifted a scalpel, the image grainy from the security feed. It should have felt invasive, but in most of those photos Maura looked content and loved. Jane exhaled slowly.

"She's the most valuable thing in my life. The only good thing I ever did. I have my men on her, but I have to be able to trust the ones closest to her. And, for a given value of trust, as it pertains to Maura, I trust you. So, you have my blessing." Jane looked back at a photo of Maura laughing at something Jane had said, her thumb rubbing over Maura's smile. She'd kill for Maura; she had already, multiple times. She'd die for Maura if she had to. Her first instinct in any situation was to get Maura to safety. She sighed. She'd been kidding herself for too long. It was there in the photos, in the way Jane looked at Maura. It was obvious when it was captured like that, laid out in sequence. She looked up at Paddy, tearing her eyes away from the photos.

"Where are the bodies?" Jane asked. "You killed them because they were getting between us. Or had them killed. You just want to tighten your payroll by taking your men off Maura, and if she's with me you'd be satisfied she was protected, wouldn't you? So where are the bodies?"

"You think I did it but you just can't prove it," Paddy chuckled. "Well, no body, no crime."

Jane snorted out a laugh. Paddy rolled his eyes.

"They blast music an hour a day. They don't care what we listen to. You have my word, they're alive and well compensated for their distance."

Jane eyed Paddy. He wasn't always honourable, but when it came to Maura he always tried to do the right thing. Maura would be upset if he'd killed them, and he had enough money and reach to get them out of Jane's way. So that Jane could date Maura.

From a business - Paddy's business - point of view, it made sense. Get the strongest person from the dating pool to protect what he needed protecting.

"She can take care of herself," Jane said cautiously, not wanting to admit that dating Maura would have multiple merits.

"Not from the sort of people who come after her," Paddy reminded Jane, who hesitated before she nodded. "So, we have an accord?"

"She doesn't even..." Jane voice dropped. "I'm not... a candidate."

Paddy just gave Jane an irritating smile and got to his feet, ready to return to his cell. "Give her my regards, won't you?" he said, and Jane dropped her head in her hands at the table. He'd left the photos for her. He probably had more. Jane bundled them up and went home for the day.

---

"I have such bad luck with men," Maura said, fidgeting with a ring. She looked shyly over at Jane. "At least I have you," she added.

Jane thought back to the phone call a frantic she'd answered with "Anything you want, I'll get it," not even trying to bargain for Maura's life. She'd have sold her soul to the mob for Maura's safety; in some ways she already had.

"You'll always have me," Jane promised. "And if you wanted to see if you have better luck with women..." Jane shrugged and sipped her beer, turning back to the baseball as though what she'd said had been of no consequence.

"Did you... all the men in our lives are missing, did you...?"

"Clear the way so I had a shot? Not me."

Maura shot Jane a look, but Jane shrugged.

"You think I did it but you just can't prove it," she echoed Paddy, knowing the reference would go over Maura's head. Instead Maura's eyes lit up with understanding.

"No body, no crime," Maura said nodding. "Paddy?" she asked, and Jane shrugged.

"He says they're alive. He also says I'm the only person he trusts with you."

"I won't have my biological mob boss father dictate who I can and cannot date," Maura said indignantly, then looked over at Jane's deflated face. "But in this case, he might be right," Maura admitted. "Okay."

"Okay?" Jane asked, confused.

"Okay. I can't get luckier than you, if I were to date women."

"Oh, you're going to get lucky alright," Jane said, closing the minute gap between them on the couch in one quick pounce.

---

Paddy didn't exactly walk Maura down the aisle, but one of the songs at the wedding was, for no reason fathomable to anyone but Jane and Maura, No Body No Crime. It played for their first dance.

"We should send Paddy some wedding cake," Jane said.

"As long as it doesn't have a file in it," Maura joked as her wife spun her around on the dance floor.

#rizzles #rizzoli and isles #maura isles #rizzoli & isles #jane rizzoli #taylor swift #no body no crime #Spotify

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bbygrldaemon · 25 days ago

Text

Mommy

Chapter 1: young, dumb & broke

ao3 link

Daemon Targaryen ran as fast as he could across campus, hoping and praying to whatever god might hear him that he would arrive at class on time. Mr. Broome was not a merciful man; he would fail him if he arrived late once again. In Daemon’s defense, it wasn’t entirely his fault—he slept like a log, and his alarm just wouldn’t wake him up like it was supposed to.

He barely had time to throw on the first shirt he saw and grab a piece of bread before running out the door of the room he rented. He couldn’t afford to rent a real apartment, so he rented a room from an old couple who lived near campus. They were kind enough to lower the rent so it would fit within his budget. He would admit it was a bit embarrassing to beg them to lower his rent, but he wasn’t ashamed to admit he was a broke college student. It was the truth, after all.

He came from a wealthy family, the Targaryens, owners of one of the biggest hotel chains in the world, Fire & Blood. His father, Viserys Targaryen, was the co-CEO along with his aunt, Rhaenyra Targaryen. But Daemon wasn’t interested in anything related to the family company and refused all of his father’s attempts to help him out. Daemon Targaryen refused to be a nepo-baby; he wanted his achievements to be his own and not his family’s.

Realistically, he knew he couldn’t completely separate himself from his family—he did have the Targaryen last name, after all. That’s why he insisted on only being called Daemon Arryn, like his late mother, even signing his work with that name. Daemon was an art major—a struggling artist if you will. That was his passion, even if his father didn’t approve and thought it was just a phase. It wasn’t.

Daemon finally arrived at his art history class with Mr. Broome. The clock read 8:20 a.m.—twenty minutes late. Not bad, but not good either.

“Nice of you to finally join us, Mr. Targaryen,” said Mr. Broome sarcastically.

“I’m sorry, sir. I just didn’t hear my alarm go off and oversle—”

“I don’t want to hear it, Daemon. You know what we talked about. Sit,” Mr. Broome interrupted, leaving no room for argument.

Daemon went and sat in his usual seat, next to his best friend Harwin Strong.

“Mate, you have to do something about your sleep schedule,” whispered Harwin, leaning closer to him. “You can’t be making this kind of impression in our freshman year.”

“Does it matter? I mean, we’re in college. I don’t get why he’s so insistent on this,” he whispered back. “But you’re right, I really should ... it’s just hard.”

Harwin stared at him for a moment. “I’ve told you several times that I can help you if you need it. You know my father doesn’t mind.”

“No, I have to do this on my own.”

“But why?”

“You know why,” Daemon replied, looking back at the front.

“Mr. Strong, Mr. Targaryen, anything to share with the class?” Mr. Broome asked, annoyed.

“No, sir,” they both replied at the same time. Mr. Broome stared at them for a minute, then looked away. “Good ... as I was saying ...” he finally said, returning to the lecture.

Daemon sighed, finally taking his notebook out and starting to write what was on the board.

The two-hour lecture felt like an eternity to Daemon, but it was finally over. He walked out of the classroom alongside Harwin, heading straight to the cafeteria—he was starving. Just as they were entering the cafeteria, his phone started ringing.

He looked at the caller ID and sighed. “It’s my dad. I have to take this,” he said, looking at Harwin, who nodded and walked ahead.

“Hello?” he said into the phone.

“Daemon, how are you, son?” replied Viserys on the other end.

“Fine,” Daemon answered, starting to pace.

“I’m glad, son,” his father replied. Daemon could hear a baby crying in the background. “Look, son, you know how the holidays are coming up? I know you said you wanted to stay near campus this year to adjust better, but Alicent thought it’d be a good idea to throw a Christmas dinner party this year with all the family ...” Viserys rambled, then paused, waiting for a reply that didn’t come. His father sighed.

“I know how you feel about Alicent and your siblings, really I do, but please, just for one week, put all that aside and come join your family ...” his father trailed off, sounding tired.

Daemon didn’t know what to say. If he was being honest, he really didn’t want to go. He still hadn’t forgiven his father for remarrying so quickly after his mom died. Aemma Arryn was the only person who truly understood Daemon and encouraged him to do what made him happy growing up. When she died, it was like his world collapsed on itself. He felt lost and turned to not-so-good habits. At that time, the only person who stood by his side was his aunt Rhaenyra, not even his father. She would listen to him talk and hold him while he cried. She was his lifesaver. He didn’t know what he would’ve done without her.

Viserys had lost it. He couldn’t even look Daemon in the eyes; he just ignored his son for months. When he finally talked to him, it was to tell him he was going to get married again—to Alicent Hightower, a woman half his age and the daughter of his most trusted friend, Otto Hightower. Daemon was angry. He couldn’t believe his father ignored him for months, and when he finally grew the courage to talk to him, it was to tell him he was marrying the daughter of the man Daemon hated most—the man who belittled Daemon in front of everyone, the man who spoke badly about him to his father.

Of all the women in the world, why did it have to be Alicent Hightower? And why did it have to be so soon?

“I’ll have to think about it, Dad,” Daemon finally replied.

“Please, son, I really want to see you,” Viserys paused for a moment and then added, “You know ... your aunt Rhaenyra already said she would come.”

Daemon paused and thought for a moment. “... Fine, I’ll go.”

Next Chapter →

#house of the dragon #hotd #fanfic #daemon targaryen #rhaenyra targaryen #daemon x rhaenyra #daemyra #harwin strong

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nerdzzone · 2 years ago

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An Overdue Commitment

Summary: Almost ten years after they first shared their feelings for each other, Chris and Madeline finally make their commitment to each other official.

Part of the Back To You series

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August 2020

Pulling into his mother’s driveway, Chris felt a familiar sense of calm washing over him. It had been a long, emotional day and his head was still spinning with racing thoughts and bubbling anxiety, but even just the sight of his childhood home - with the promise of expert advice waiting for him inside - brought comfort to his weary heart. It was supposed to be a happy, carefree evening. The night before their wedding, he’d expected to spend it buzzing with excitement and anticipation of the following day, but instead he found himself feeling lost and helpless as he dragged himself out of the car and towards the house.

“Ma!” He called out as he pushed open the front door. “You home?”

“In the kitchen!”

Her quick response had a wave of relief washing over him as he hurried through the living room to find her. When he made it to the kitchen, he was greeted by not only his mother, but his sister, Carly, as well and the grins on their faces were a stark contrast to the melancholy way he was feeling.

“There’s the man of the hour,” Lisa cheered. “How’s our soon-to-be groom?”

Her enthusiasm had a soft smile sliding onto his tired face and he leaned down to hug her on his way to the empty chair at the head of the table.

“I’m okay.”

He’d tried to sound less miserable than he felt, but he noticed the concern creeping onto his mother’s face despite how his sister seemed too excited to see through his half-hearted acting as she asked, “Are you ready for the big day?”

“We are.” Chris nodded, but the movement was slow and uncertain. “But I’m worried.”

As if she thought he was joking, his admission had a burst of laughter falling from Carly’s lips.

“You’re worried about marrying Madeline?” Her tone gave away her incredulity, but her smile faltered as she saw Chris’ unwavering serious expression. Her laughter had done nothing to soften his frown or the wrinkles of his furrowed brow and there was a shift in the lighthearted atmosphere in the air. “Chris, that’s crazy.”

“I’m not worried about marrying her,” he clarified. “I’m worried about her.”

His added explanation did nothing to soothe their rising concerns and Lisa was quick to question him.

“Is she okay? Is the baby okay?”

“The baby’s fine,” Chris assured them. “And Madeline keeps telling me that she is, but I’ve got my doubts.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

It was clear from Lisa’s tone that she was eager for Chris to cut to the chase so with a sigh, he elaborated.

“She’s upset about her parents,” he informed them. “She’s been trying to hide it, but today was rough. She’s been crying all day and the only way I could get her to eat was by reminding her that she has to take care of the baby. I know they’ve been on her mind more lately since we found out she was pregnant, but I think with the wedding tomorrow it’s really getting on top of her again.”

A look of understanding crossed their faces, but at the same time Chris could almost visibly see Lisa’s heart sink.

“I’m not surprised,” she admitted, her voice softer as the corner of her lips dipped down into a frown. “She’s facing two huge moments in life without the people who meant the most to her.”

“That’s true,” Carly nodded in agreement as she shot Chris a sympathetic look. “Maybe it’s all just happening a little too fast? It’s only been a couple of months since you found out she’s pregnant and you’ve only been engaged for a few weeks.”

“I know that it’s happening fast!” Chris’ tone was harsh and defensive, but as Carly raised an eyebrow at his sudden sharpness, he mumbled an apology and let out a sigh before he continued. “I know it all seems kinda fast, but it’s what Madeline wanted. She wanted to get married before the end of the summer.”

It was almost the end of August and he’d only proposed at the beginning of the month, but Madeline had been eager to get things underway as soon as possible and considering they weren’t planning on having a full scale wedding, she’d been insistent that they could pull together a small backyard party in just a few weeks. At first he’d assumed that her urgency was to do with her pregnancy - so there was no bump in any pictures or maybe even so people wouldn’t know she’d been pregnant before they got married - but her concerns were more to do with the lingering problem of the pandemic. The restrictions had been eased slightly over the summer, but she was worried that once the kids were back in school and the season changed things would worsen and everyone would end up in lockdown again. Doing it soon while they knew they’d be allowed - and while they could do it outside - made the most sense.

“Maybe it’s just the whole idea of a wedding,” Lisa gently suggested. “I know you mentioned when you first got back together that it was something that she said she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to do.”

“Yeah, but that was her idea too,” Chris insisted. “I told her that I’d marry her whenever and however, but she said she wanted a party. Nothing big, but she wants to celebrate.”

A silence settled in the room as they contemplated his words, but after a moment of thought Lisa spoke up again.

“I think,” she paused and Chris noticed the tears swimming in the corners of her eyes. “That this is just never going to be an easy thing for Madeline to do. Greg talked about walking her down the aisle from the moment they found out they were having a girl and every little girl dreams of spending hours with their mother hunting for a wedding dress. However hard you try to make their absence less obvious, she’s going to feel it - thoroughly and painfully - all day.”

As much as Chris valued any of his mother’s wisdom, his heart clenched in his chest as he realized that she had no magic advice to take away his current turmoil. He could feel his frustration with the situation starting to rise and as he already felt emotionally drained, he didn’t have the strength to fight it.

“That’s what pisses me off the most,” he huffed, his hand that was resting on the table clenching into a fist as his jaw tightened. “Madeline doesn’t get to have the perfect wedding day that she deserves because some asshole decided to make the fucking shitty decision to get wasted and drive himself home! Every single happy moment in her life is going to be tainted by what he did and I don’t know how to make it better.”

“I don’t think you can,” Carly admitted, her voice soft as she knew it probably wasn’t the answer that he wanted to hear. “You can’t change what happened or ease her pain, all you can do is help her through it.”

“But how am I supposed to do that?” He questioned, his desperation shining through his voice. “How am I supposed to console her when she has every right to be devastated? I can’t reassure her that she’s fine or that it’s all going to be okay because it’s not, it’s not okay. It fucking sucks.”

Chris could feel his eyes welling up and he quickly tried to blink his emotions away before any tears could fall, but the sympathetic look in his mother’s eyes and the comforting way she reached out to hold his hand almost had him breaking under the weight of the pain he was feeling. Watching Madeline suffer and being so lost about how to help her was heartbreaking for him. He’d always prided himself on protecting her and on the rare occasion that he couldn’t, he’d always helped her pick up the pieces as best he could. But this time the pieces were too broken to put back together and that was a hard pill for him to swallow.

“It does suck,” Lisa agreed. “I know as well as anyone how hard it is to keep your head up and carry on with life. Connie and I had been talking about you two getting married since before you were even ten years old, it’s unbelievable to me that she won’t be here to see it finally happen.”

Squeezing her hand, Chris hoped to return some of the comfort she’d given him as he nodded.

“It almost doesn’t feel real. We used to talk about what our wedding would be like and they always were meant to be such a big part of it.”

His words were punctuated with a heavy sigh and as Carly reached out to supportively rub his arm, she broached another idea.

“Have you thought about ways you could try to tie them into it a little bit?” She asked. “Having a few little things to honour them might help Madeline feel like they’re still included.”

“Wouldn’t it just remind her that they’re not there?”

“She’s already painfully aware of that,” Lisa pointed out. “But Carly’s right, celebrating their memory in a positive way might help ease the pain a little bit.”

A realization washed over Chris as he knew that they were probably right. It seemed so obvious that there should be some kind of tribute to her parents at their wedding and the only excuse he had for the oversight was the speed with which they’d thrown together their plans.

“Well, shit,” he murmured. “How am I gonna organize something by tomorrow? Madeline was already asleep when I left and I don’t wanna start brainstorming with her in the morning in case it upsets her all over again.”

“I have an idea,” Carly assured him, her eyes lighting up with a flash of brilliance. “Do you trust me? We’re helping Maddie get ready tomorrow, I can bring it with me then.”

Chris was intrigued and wanted to press her for more information, but the exhaustion of the day was catching up with him and he was happy to leave it in someone else’s hands for the moment.

“Alright,” he nodded. “Thank you, Carly. That means a lot.”

“It’s the least I can do,” she insisted. “Don’t worry about it.”

Despite his impossible search for a simple fix to the problem, Chris felt better after his conversation with his family. It had proved to be a helpful reminder that they were all in it together - they all cared about Madeline and hated to see her suffering and they were all also feeling the loss of her parents as deeply as he was - and he knew that with their support the wedding would go as smoothly as he could hope for.

He stayed for a bit longer - swapping stories about the Daniels and questioning Lisa a little bit more about the discussions of a wedding between him and Madeline long before they got together - and by the time he eventually left, he felt a little more steady. As he crawled into bed next to Madeline and she instinctively rolled over to reach for him despite being half-asleep, he squeezed her tight and whispered a soft ‘I love you’ into her hair as he felt a renewed need to spend the rest of her life doing anything he could to ease even an ounce of the pain she was feeling.

The following morning, Chris was relieved to find Madeline in a much more uplifted mood than she’d been the day before. He watched her closely for any signs that she was putting on a brave face for his sake, but was pleased to see that while he was sure her parents were still on her mind, the main thing she was feeling was excitement and eagerness to become his wife.

The morning went by quickly and all too soon he found himself being shooed out of his own bedroom by his mother and his sisters when they came to help her get ready. Their arrival only increased his anxious excitement for the ceremony to get underway, but he managed to channel that energy into something productive as he set up the backyard with a team of his own. They were keeping it small - with Scott officiating, his sisters and two of his closest friends from high school in the bridal party, and only fifteen other guests made up of the rest of Chris’ family and a few of their other close friends - so finding the space for all the chairs wasn’t hard, but Chris’ heart sank a little as he put out two on the bride’s side of the front row that would remain empty in honour of her parents.

The moment reminded him of Carly’s suggestion of finding ways to draw them into the day and her mysterious idea about how to do so, but Scott calling him inside to get dressed and ready quickly distracted him. He tried to focus on the task at hand, but he was grateful he had Scott, his dad and his friends there with him to keep him on track because when it hit him that he was finally getting ready to marry Madeline it was hard to control his excitement enough to complete even simple tasks.

He’d been waiting for that moment for years. He’d known very early on in their relationship the first time around that he wanted to marry her so waiting almost ten years for it to finally happen was long enough. It felt like all his dreams were finally coming true and he was already on the cusp of tears just thinking about it so it was no surprise to anyone that he almost fell apart completely when Madeline walked into the room. Her dress was simple - the last minute aspect of their wedding had prevented her from shopping for an actual wedding dress - but it was perfect nonetheless and Chris felt his heart stop in his chest at the sight of her. Her eyes never left his face as she waited for a response, but after a minute of stunned silence she let out a giggle as she drew him back down to earth with a simple question.

“Do I look okay?”

A laugh slipped from his lips as he thought it was ridiculous that she even had to ask and he moved across the room, momentarily debating vaulting over the couch just to get to her faster.

“You look amazing,” he gushed, sliding his arms around her waist. “More than amazing, you look incredible.”

“Thank you. Your sister worked miracles with the make-up.”

“You don’t need miracles,” he insisted. “You’d look incredible if you weren’t wearing any make-up at all and if you showed up in sweatpants.”

His words had a blush rising in Madeline’s cheeks as she flashed him an ear-to-ear grin.

“I feel the same way about you, but you’ve scrubbed up pretty well yourself.”

“It did take a lot of miracles to make that happen,” Scott chimed in. “For a while we were worried that we’d never be able to pull it off, but we managed to make him look half-decent.”

Madeline giggled at his teasing as Chris shot his brother a glare.

“Shut up, Scott,” he fired back. “I’d uninvite you for that if you didn’t have such an important role.”

“Darn,” Scott smirked. “Then I guess you’ll just have to put up with me.”

Chris opened his mouth - probably to shoot back another smart remark - but Madeline cut him off before he could speak.

“Play nice, boys,” she demanded. “Why don’t we just get this whole thing underway? I don’t want to wait a minute longer than necessary to be your wife.”

The way Chris’ heart stuttered in his chest as those words left her mouth had Scott’s little taunts immediately slipping from his mind. Murmuring his agreement, he dipped his head to steal a quick kiss from her lips, but as he pulled away Carly sheepishly interrupted their moment.

“Do you guys mind waiting a few more minutes actually?” She asked. “We have something for Madeline…”

Chris was reminded again of their conversation from the night before and his curiosity was piqued, but not as much as Madeline’s as her brow furrowed in confusion and she turned to face her soon to be sister-in-laws.

“For me?” She questioned, waiting for Carly to nod as Shanna disappeared into the kitchen. “What is it?”

Carly let the question hang in the air until Shanna reappeared with a big bouquet of the same bright pink roses that Madeline’s mother bought her after every performance that she attended. The realization hit her as soon as she saw them and Chris noticed a shine of tears fill her eyes as she pulled out of his grasp.

“We know you weren’t going to bother with a bouquet, but we thought this would be a good way to have your mom here with us today too,” Carly explained as Madeline carefully took the flowers into her hands. “And if you look at what’s holding it all together, we wrapped it with one of your dad’s old ties so that he can be here too.”

As Madeline lifted the flowers to look at what Carly had just mentioned, Chris felt his heart clench in his chest as a sob fell from her lips.

“I don’t even know what to say,” she choked out. “Where did you even find my dad’s tie?”

“It was in that box of his things that I found in the back of the garage,” Shanna admitted. “I know you told me to donate it, but I thought you might regret it one day so I kept it just in case.”

“When Chris came by last night,” Lisa continued. “And said that you were missing them, we thought this might help.”

“It does,” Madeline nodded, as she wiped away the few tears that were sliding down her cheeks. “It really does. I can’t thank you guys enough for this.”

The women were quick to assure her that no thanks was necessary, but Madeline gently handed the flowers to Chris before pulling each one of them into a hug. His eyes were brimming with tears of his own as he was reminded once again how lucky he was to have such a caring and thoughtful family. He knew without a doubt that they always had his back and even though the gift they’d just given Madeline made it clear that they would always look out for her as well, he couldn’t wait for her to officially join the Evans family.

Once Madeline felt she’d appropriately expressed her gratitude and taken a minute to compose herself, Mark announced that all the guests had arrived and they were ready to get things underway. As Madeline had been very clear to Chris that she would never be able to walk down the aisle without her dad, they’d decided to skip the traditional wedding routine and walk down the aisle together.

That decision also meant that they had a brief - but much needed - moment alone once everyone left to take their seat or their spot in front of the small crowd.

“I hope I didn’t ruin my make-up,” Madeline mused, carefully wiping her bottom eyelid in case she’d smeared her mascara. “It’s all these pregnancy hormones, they’re making me such an emotional wreck.”

“Your make-up is perfect,” Chris assured her. “But it’s understandable that you’re emotional, this is a big moment and I know it’s hard to go through it without your parents.”

“It is,” she softly admitted. “But thank you for all your support. Yesterday and every other day. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“You never have to thank me for that.”

Chris leaned down to press another kiss against her lips and pulled her close as they took a moment to embrace the calm before the storm.

A few minutes later, the sound of music drifting in the open door that led to their backyard reminded them that their guests were waiting for them outside. Reluctantly taking a step away from Madeline, Chris held out his arm for her to hold. He could feel the emotions rising again as they purposefully walked out of their house to become husband and wife. The small number of guests meant that the aisle was short, but seeing the joy on everyone’s face as they strode between the chairs felt just as momentous and meaningful to them as if there’d been a hundred people celebrating with them.

When they reached the front, Chris was surprised to feel Madeline slip her arm away from his, but as he glanced over and realized what she was doing, he found himself battling back tears once again. Traditionally the maid of honour holds the bride’s bouquet through the ceremony, but Madeline had dashed off to the side of the aisle to place her bouquet on the empty chair that should have belonged to her mother. When she hurried back with fresh tears in her own eyes as well, she offered him a reassuring smile as she took his hand and squeezed it tight as they continued to their places, standing together in front of Scott.

Turning to face each other, Chris desperately fought to keep it together as Scott went through all the traditional parts of the ceremony, but as they reached the vows - which they’d written themselves - Chris was sure he was fighting a losing battle and he was glad that he’d volunteered to speak first.

“Madeline,” he started, clearing his throat and looking into her eyes as if she was the only person around. “It’s taken us a long time to get to this point. We both made mistakes along the way - ignoring our feelings or convincing ourselves that we had any chance of happiness apart - but I think we’ve both learned just how much we need each other. You’re the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning and my last thought before I fall asleep at night and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Our complicated journey has taught us both a lot, but one thing it has shown me is your admirable independence. You’re so strong, confident, and able to stand on your own two feet, but I’m so unbelievably happy that you not only chose to let me into your life, but you’re choosing to let me stand by your side forever.”

His voice shook as his vows came to an end as the sight of the tears streaming down Madeline’s face had him losing control of his own. He quickly wiped them away before reaching out a hand to cup her cheek and gently wipe hers as well. The urge to pull her in for a kiss was almost overwhelming, but he held strong as he knew that he’d get to do that soon enough. Scott graced them with a moment to compose themselves before prompting Madeline to share her vows as well.

“I should have gone first,” she laughed. “I wrote it all down, but now that you’ve made me cry I won’t be able to see what I wrote through all these tears.”

“Sorry,” Chris chuckled as he lifted his shoulders into a shrug. “Guess you’ll just have to wing it.”

Rolling her eyes, she ignored his suggestion as she turned to take the piece of paper that she’d given to Carly earlier that day.

“Chris,” Madeline started in the same way that he had, taking a moment to steady her breath before she continued. “I have been in love with you since before I could walk. I don’t remember that time in my life, but I also don’t remember a time when I wasn’t in love with you so I think it’s a safe assumption to make. We may have had some hiccups - as you pointed out - but my love for you never faded. You’ve always been my biggest protector and the person that I’ve always known I could turn to whenever I needed help. You make me smile even on my lowest days and I look forward to smiling and laughing with you forever. I’m so grateful to you for giving me a second chance and I can’t wait to begin this next chapter in our adventure together.”

If Chris thought he was an emotional mess before, he didn’t stand a chance after hearing what she’d had to say. His heart felt so full that he was worried it was going to burst right out of his chest and tried his best to hurry Scott through the exchange of the rings so he could pull Madeline back into his arms again. The moment the words “you may now kiss the bride” left Scott’s mouth, Chris darted forward to press his lips against hers, forgetting about their audience as he poured as much love and adoration as he could into their embrace. When they finally pulled apart, the cheers of their friends and family filled their ears as they flashed each other a grin before holding hands and heading back down the aisle.

Letting out a sigh of happiness and relief as soon as they got back inside the house, Madeline threw her arms around Chris.

“I can’t believe we’re finally married,” she smiled up at him. “And it only took us about seven years longer than it should have!”

“Well, I’ve been ready for this day since the moment you agreed to go on a date with me,” Chris smirked. “So, whose fault is it that it took us so long?”

“Shut up,” Madeline rolled her eyes. “I’m your wife now, you have to be nice to me.”

“Wait, I didn’t have to be nice to you all those years you were my girlfriend?”

“Yeah, you did,” Madeline nodded, letting her smile stretch across her entire face. “But now, I’m your wife and you’re my husband.”

The way she giggled with pure joy as she emphasized their new titles had Chris feeling so in love with her that it made him dizzy and the only response he could muster was to capture her lips with his once again.

After the ceremony, the chairs were quickly dispersed and the party shifted more into the backyard barbecue that they’d planned. Chris and his friends fired up the grill, the few teenagers and kids in attendance passed around a football and Madeline mingled with the crowd, relishing in the opportunity to catch up with everyone after the long months of lockdown that they’d just been through. She did her best to keep her mind from lingering too long on her parents’ absence, but after dinner, Chris brought it back to her attention when he appeared with his arms full of several bottles of her dad’s favourite scotch.

Distracted from her conversation with Anna, she shot him a quizzical look as she made her way over to the table that he was setting the bottles on, but he’d turned to make an announcement just as she got close enough to question him.

“Okay, everyone!” He shouted to get their attention. “I would like to make a toast and if everyone doesn’t mind then I’d appreciate it if you join me in having a glass of this scotch. I’ll explain why in a second.”

She asked him what was going on, but he simply flashed her a smile as he started pouring and handing out drinks so she accepted one of the glasses of pop that Scott was handing out to the kids and waited in suspense with everyone else. Once everyone was ready, Chris slipped his arm around Madeline’s waist as he spoke.

“So, as all of you know, we’re missing a couple of very important people here today. Madeline’s parents, Connie and Greg, were like family to me way before Madeline and I started dating. They were two of the most kindhearted people I’ve ever met and the way they supported me - with Greg always determined to keep my ego in check - is something that I don’t think I ever thanked them for enough. I asked Greg for permission to marry Maddie a long time ago and I really hope that I’d still have his support if they were here today and I hope they know that I will do everything I can to take care of Madeline for them for as long as I possibly can.” The sound of Madeline sniffling had him squeezing her closely against his side as he raised his glass. “So, I thought sharing a drink of Greg’s favourite scotch was the perfect way to remember them today because I know he’d be drinking it if he were here. To Connie and Greg!”

The group echoed the sentiment and lifted their glasses as well before taking a sip. Looking down at Madeline, he could see she was moved by his gesture, but before he had chance to check in and make sure she was okay, she spoke up too.

“If I could just add,” she said, catching everyone’s attention once more with her emotion ringing clear through her voice. “My parents loved Chris and they fought with me constantly when I first thought we should take some time apart because they knew it was a mistake long before I did. With that in mind, I have no doubt at all they would be so happy for us today and that wherever dad is watching us from now, he’s probably screaming ‘I told you so’ so loudly that I’m surprised we can’t hear him.”

A chuckle rippled through the group as anyone who knew her dad knew that what she’d said was very true. Everyone raised their glass again to toast Madeline's words as well and while they had the group’s attention, Chris took a moment to thank everyone for coming before they dispersed back into the party.

Once the attention had drifted away from them, Madeline put her cup down on the table beside them before turning to wrap her arms around Chris’ waist.

“Thank you, Chris,” she murmured against his chest. “That was really sweet.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” he assured her, holding her close. “I think it’s important to include them. They should be here and I’m sorry they’re not.”

Madeline was quiet for a moment, but just as Chris was about to nudge her for a response, she leaned back to look up at him.

“I don’t want you to think that you just married a crazy person,” Madeline prefaced her statement. “But I feel like they’ve been here all day.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Madeline nodded. “I keep getting this feeling of calm washing over me and it just feels like they’re close by. It happened while I was getting ready and during the ceremony. I don’t even know if I believe in any of that stuff, but I just have this gut feeling that they’re here today.”

“I don’t think that makes you crazy at all,” Chris smiled. “It makes perfect sense. Your parents loved you so much, I don’t think they’d let anything keep them away from your wedding.”

“That’s true,” Madeline giggled. “I got my strong will from somewhere.”

Chris chuckled as he nodded in agreement.

“You certainly did, but it’s one Daniels trait that I hope you pass on to our little baby too.”

“You say that now,” Madeline smirked. “But we’ll see if you feel the same when you’re locked in a battle of will with a three year old when she doesn’t want to go to bed or when she’s a teenager and wants a later curfew.”

“She?”

Chris caught her little slip up and raised a questioning eyebrow causing a blush to rise in her cheeks.

“Just a feeling,” she admitted. “I don’t care either way, but I do have a feeling that we’re having a girl.”

“I’ll take it,” Chris grinned. “If she’s anything like you then we’ll be lucky to have a daughter no matter how stubborn she is.”

His words had Madeline fighting back a smile as she rolled her eyes.

“I think you’ve had too much to drink, you’re getting all mushy.”

Chris chuckled at her accusation, but shook his head.

“If I’m mushy then it’s just because I’m so madly in love with you,” he informed her. “And today has reminded me how lucky I am to have you and how excited I am for the future we’re building together.”

“I’m excited too,” Madeline admitted. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

The glassy sheen that covered Chris’ eyes told Madeline that he agreed, but her lips twitched into a smile as he once again had no response to offer other than to lean down and capture her lips in a kiss.

In some ways, it felt surreal. It was hard to believe that she was standing in the backyard of the house she shared with Chris while pregnant with his child as they’d just vowed to spend the rest of their lives together. If someone had told her three years ago that her future would be anything like the life she was currently living, she would have laughed in their face and completely ignored them. Knowing that it was true and that she had the privilege of living the life that she currently was had her feeling so giddy that her cheeks hurt from her seemingly endless smile.

The absence of her parents was an unignorable loss and one that she’d worried would overshadow the entire day, but standing in Chris’ arms, she was happy to know that it hadn’t. She missed them unbearably, but the support and love she’d felt all day from Chris, his family, and their friends did a pretty decent job at filling the hole in her heart. She knew that she’d never completely shake the pain that she felt as she navigated the big milestones in her life without her parents by her side, but as she entered the next chapter of her life with Chris, she clung to the hope that his love would be enough to get her through anything that life threw at her.

Tags: @maggotzombie @moonlacebeam @mizzzpink @flowery-mess @flowerjewels @hockeychick10 @partypoison00 @theladybiers @sidepieces @patzammit @sparkledfirecracker @mytbel0st @denisemarieangelina @elrw24 @findthebeautyinbreakdowns @trottae17 @annvail @rach2602 @sarahdonald87 @firephotogrl74 @ourfinest-hour @k-evans-writes

#chris evans #chris evans fanfic #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fic #chris evans fan fiction #back to you

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moonlight0934 · 1 month ago

Text

Necrosis

Chuuya gets out of his car, then walks over to the building that matches the address that Mori gave him. Dazai is standing outside, his hands tucked in his pockets.

“Hi, Chuuya.”

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Nothing much, nothing much. I got out of interrogation for this mission.”

“Yeah, I was off duty when Mori called. I was having tea with Kouyou. So, what’s this about? Mori said that we have to do some kind of pickup, but I can’t think of a single delivery that would be important enough to warrant us going. Especially since it’s my day off.”

“I’m not sure exactly who we’re picking it up from, but we’re supposed to get the monthly reports for the organization. That includes routes, expenses, employees, and everything else that you can think of. Whoever normally collects them, and drops them off to Mori isn’t available.”

“Oh, that is important. Well, I guess we should get going then. Do you have the addresses?”

“Yes, and I have a list of names, and who has which list. Can you drive?”

“Yep, that was the plan. I even brought my car.”

“Awesome.”

Dazai walks over, and climbs into the passenger seat. Chuuya gets in too, and Dazai starts up his GPS.

“Ok, turn left out of the parking lot.”

“Shut up, that would literally drive us directly into traffic. I am not doing that, so give the directions right.”

Dazai sticks his bottom lip out.

“Fine, but I still kinda wanna die right now.”

“Me too, but I’m still not driving the wrong way.”

They stay quiet for the most part through the first and second stops.

Then Dazai says, “Ok, we have two more stops, but I’m not sure about this last address. It’s not in an actual neighborhood, and it looks pretty far out of town, so we might want to ask Mori about that one before we actually go there.”

“Ok, you can call him while I run in to get the third set of papers.”

“I will.”

That one is just as slow as the other ones, and Dazai is getting off the phone when Chuuya comes back out. Chuuya waits to open his door till Dazai hangs up.

“What’d he say?”

“He said that the information is right, but that the guy himself is eccentric. Apparently he’s really good at his job, but we should try not to piss him off. He didn’t say what would happen if we did happen to piss the guys off, but we’re going to try not to figure that out.”

Chuuya nods, starting the car again. They drive out to the man’s house, which takes them almost two hours to get to. It’s getting late by then, almost time for people to start getting off of work.

“Geez, we’ve been working on this stupid task for almost seven hours. How did it take this long?”

“I guess it’s cause we’re new. Those people don’t know us, and didn’t recognize us, so they had to take a lot of extra precautions to make sure that they were giving the information to the right people. No one wants to be responsible for the fiasco that would cause.”

“I guess you’re right, but this is still ridiculous. Only because we’re going to be stuck here in the middle of nowhere for however long this guy takes to verify our identities, then we’re going to have to drive two and a half hours to get back to base. I live thirty minutes away from base.”

“Yeah, it is kind of ridiculous. I also haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“I haven’t eaten since dinner last night.”

“Oof, that sucks. Why didn’t you eat breakfast?”

“I don’t know. I don’t normally section off time for breakfast on my days off, and I hadn’t gotten around to it. Normally if I don’t eat breakfast, I just eat lunch early.”

Dazai hums as they both get out of the car. Chuuya tucks the other papers into his backpack, and pulls out his wallet.

“Ok, I have my ID and driver’s license in case he wants to see it. Do you have yours?”

“I don’t have a driver’s license, but I have my ID.”

“Ok, that’s fine.”

Chuuya knocks on the door, and the door cracks open. An old man with bulging eyes pokes his head out. He looks them up and down, then steps out of the building. His stance is defensive so Chuuya attempts a placating smile.

“Mo-” Dazai doesn’t get any further than that before the man lunges forward, sinking a knife into Chuuya’s upper leg.

Chuuya punches the man back, smashing him through the door. His vision blurs, and his legs go out from underneath him. Dazai says something, but Chuuya can’t hear him well enough to tell what it is.

When Chuuya wakes up again, he’s tied up, restrained to the ceiling. Dazai is across from him, and he has some bruises, but looks otherwise unharmed. Chuuya can immediately tell that his ability isn’t working, but he has no idea why. Dazai picks up his head after a minute. His eyes look a little hazy, and he definitely has a concussion, but he immediately starts looking around. He gets more alert quickly, and locks eyes with Chuuya.

“Hey, are you ok?” Dazai asks, sounding breathless.

“Yeah, did he drug you?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No, nothing more than a few bruises. You, on the other hand, look awful,” Dazai replies, looking Chuuya over with a critical eye.

“Thanks, I feel awful too. Do you know what happened?”

“I have to assume that this man is even more paranoid than Mori made him out to be, and Mori didn’t tell him we were coming. I tried telling him who we were when he came down here earlier, but he called me a liar, and drugged me.”

“Oh, that sucks.”

Chuuya feels his head start to tip forward again. It knocks against his chest, and suddenly pulling his eyes open again after blinking feels like the hardest thing in the world.

“Chuuya?”

He can’t get his eyes to open again.

Dazai finally manages to get his hands free, and drops to the ground. They’ve been in this room for an undisclosed amount of time. Normally his internal clock is good enough that he can figure it out, but he’s been drugged for most of the time. Chuuya has been disturbingly still for a while.

As soon as he can get the feeling back into his legs and wrists, Dazai shakily walks to Chuuya. He unties Chuuya with uncooperative fingers, barely able to catch him before he hits the ground. Dazai lowers Chuuya down, not liking how hot he feels. He puts one hand against Chuuya’s throat, and the other against his forehead.

“Ok, so your pulse is really fast, and you’re definitely running a fever. Maybe you got an infection, so we’re going to check that stab wound he gave you,” Dazai narrates for himself as he pulls Chuuya’s hoodie off all together.

He gently pulls Chuuya’s shirt up and the waistband of his jeans down, his breath catching in his throat.

“Shit.”

Chuuya cracks his eyes open, his focus drifting to Dazai. Dazai barely even notices, his eyes focused on the wound. The area directly surrounding it is blue and black while the redness extends even farther than that. His hip and side are red with blister-like spots dotting the area. Dazai looks around, getting light headed.

When was the last time I drank water?

As if on cue, he spots a few water bottles at the bottom of the stairs on the other side of the room.

He must have just been throwing them down here, but how did he expect us to get them? I think this guy might be crazy. When I said I wanted to die, this was not what I meant.

Dazai stands, getting dizzy again. He manages to get the water, and come back though. Chuuya’s staring at the ceiling by then, unconcerned with what Dazai is doing.

“Hey, Chuuya, how are you feeling?”

“Hot.”

“How’s your stab wound?” Dazai asks as he starts trying to rinse it out.

I have no idea if this is going to help at this point. What do I even do? Why is his skin black? I didn’t pay enough attention to Mori if he even told me about this kind of injury. Is it some kind of infection?

“Stab wound? Oh, that, I can’t really feel it. Isn’t that weird?” Chuuya asks, sounding slightly concerned now.

Dazai bites his lip.

“Yeah, no shit.”

“Hm?”

“Nothing, I didn’t say anything. So you can’t feel anything going on with your leg?”

“No, why? Are you doing something?”

Dazai doesn’t respond, choosing to focus on what he’s doing.

“Shit, what do I do?” Dazai whispers, more to himself than anyone else.

Chuuya closes his eyes again, and Dazai shoots to his feet. He tips over this time, barely able to get his hands out in enough time to stop himself from slamming face first into the ground. Dazai scrambles to get back up. He opens another one of the bottles, and drinks some. Then he heads up the stairs, and tries to get the door open. He ends up trying to get the door open for at least half an hour before it clicks.

Did I do that?

The door swings right into Dazai’s face, sending him back down the stairs the hard way.

I did not do that.

The man from before steps down the stairs, glaring at Dazai. He walks over to Chuuya, and tips Chuuya’s face towards him. He frowns, and then starts to head back up the stairs. Dazai can’t even say anything, because his mouth is full of blood. He watches with dread as the door shuts and locks again. His vision is starting to fade out again, and he glances at Chuuya one last time, wondering if they’re going to make it out of this.

Man, after the reputation we’ve built up, this is a stupid way to die. Someone that wasn’t even supposed to be our enemy taking us by surprise. Dying in someone’s basement for any reason is a stupid way to die.

#whumptober2024 #whumptober #no. 16 #wound cleaning #necrosis #bungou stray dogs #chuuya nakahara #dazai osamu #angst #ambiguous ending #whump writing #writing challenge

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