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ariesqueencobra · 1 year ago

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what we used to be | V

Pairing: Eli Moskowitz x Fem!Reader

Summary: Your dad disapproves of Eli and Cobra Kai. You're also waiting on Eli to ask you out. Oh, you also get punched in the face.

Warnings: violence, blood, mentions of tattoos

Word Count: 2.2k

A/N: I think this chapter is cute! Make sure that if you want to see more of this story to comment and reblog! Comments let me know what you like about the story and reblogs help others see the story! Thanks!

I don't consent to this work being copied, translated or reposted.

“Junbi!” Sensei shouted.

You followed his directions, getting into the correct stance.

“Good, bow,” he slapped his hands against his outer thighs, watching as the class listened. “Fighting positions,” he held his fists up.

You watched him and yourself in the mirror when he instructed you to go through the motions. You felt proud as you were getting the hang of it, the gi you wore allowed you to blend in with the rest of the crowd, and for once, you didn’t feel out of place.

“Stabilize your base, Hawk,” Sensei kicked Eli’s foot out, making him grunt. “Keep your balance. Full rotation when you strike,” he demonstrated.

You watched before correcting your own mistake. But as Sensei continued to walk through the rows, you jumped when he neared you.

“Did you just flinch?” He asked you and you averted your gaze. He narrowed his gaze before checking out the rest of the class, and coming to a conclusion. “Holy shit, we got a room full of flinchers”.

“Yes, Sensei!”

You felt stupid for saying it, but your instinct told you that was the best response.

“That was not a question,” he shouted. “Raise your hand if you’ve never been punched in the face,” he asked and stared in amazement when everyone besides his first two students held their hand in the air.

The nerves that appeared in your stomach told you what your sensei was thinking. Your stomach dropped when it was right.

“All your life you’ve been avoiding fights so you don’t break your nose or lose a tooth,” he paced back and forth before stopping in the middle of the mat. “There’s only one solution and that is before you leave this dojo, each and every one of you is gonna take a punch, very hard, to the face,” he directed.

You gulped.

“Miss Robinson, line them up, unflinch this group,” he ordered before walking back to his office.

She hesitated, glancing at Miguel for support until she cracked her knuckles, beginning with you.

“Sorry, Y/N,” she sucked in a breath before reeling back her fist and knocking you square in the face.

The impact was hard.

You actually stumbled a few steps back as you held your nose. You felt a dribble of wetness on your upper lip and when you reached to wipe, you saw blood. The sight made you freak out, but as you assessed the rest of yourself, you realized you were okay.

You survived.

Still, the pain that radiated in your face was new and unwelcomed.

“Nice job, babe,” Eli grinned, patting you on the back. “Total badass”.

You smiled in response as you walked off the mat, grabbing a tissue from your backpack to help with the bleeding. You spent the rest of the time, waiting for Eli’s turn.

Every person faced Aisha’s punch, all of them groaning out in pain afterward. Some had already left class and finally, it was your boyfriend’s turn.

She punched him so hard he went flying. The gasp that escaped you was comical as you went over to his aid.

“He’s okay!” Aisha shouted.

“I’m fine,” he groaned, doubling over as he struggled to get up.

You grabbed him by the arm, hosting him up as you led him back to the front.

“That was intense,” Eli said, rubbing his shoulder where he landed on the mat.

“Tell me about it,” you giggled but immediately stopped when that caused pain to erupt. “Wanna head back to my house?” You touched your nose, seeing that the blood was stopping.

“Sure, maybe we could spar a little, some one on one,” he smirked, wrapping his arm around your shoulders.

You felt your face heat up as you began to walk towards your bikes. “That’d be fun,” you grinned.

Once you were back at your house, you were glad to see that your parents weren’t home from work yet. You made your way to the fridge to grab a few drinks and snacks for you and Eli before you made your way to the back.

“Sensei is training us hard, but I kinda like the challenge,” you smirked, handing Eli his drink.

“Same, I never felt more badass than I do now,” he raised a brow. “So you ready?”

“Ready,” you raised your fists.

It was fun more than anything, to be honest.

You kept your focus on your stance but it was enjoyable getting to mess around with your boyfriend on the grass.

“You’re going too easy on me,” you giggled when you dodged a punch that was easy to block.

“Well I don’t want to hurt you,” he smiled, ducking when you swung your arm.

“Oh, c’mon, I took that punch without a sweat, you went flying,” you snorted.

“The details don’t need to be recounted,” he dismissed, making you laugh again.

Without another thought, you tackled Eli, making him fall onto his back on the grass. The look on his face was priceless before you swung your leg over him so you hovered above him. “I win,” you smirked, reaching down to peck his lips.

“What the hell is going on here?” Your father's voice boomed in the backyard.

Your eyes widened and you were quick to get off of Eli.

“Hi, Dad,” you ran your hand over your hair, gulping down the awkwardness.

“Hi, sir, we were just practicing karate,” Eli jumped up, standing beside you.

“Karate?” He looked puzzled. “Since when did you join karate?” He glanced at you.

“A week ago,” you answered. “Mom said it was okay,” you added.

“Wait here, I’m not done with whatever is going on between you two,” he jutted a finger at the space between you and Eli.

“Hang on,” you touched Eli’s arm before heading inside.

You entered the kitchen, hearing your parents' voices as they spoke to each other.

“She wanted to join karate, you know it’s hard for her at school with the bullies,” your mom reasoned, prepping the vegetables in the sink.

“You know how I feel about karate,” your dad said, his hands placed on his hips.

Your mom rolled her eyes. “Our daughter’s never been more confident,” she retorted. “You know she’s on a good path,” her gaze softened.

You took a step forward, still not being known by your parents. The creak of the floorboard turned their attention to you.

“It’s true,” you began. “I really like karate,” your voice lightened.

“What’s the dojo?” Your dad asked.

“Cobra Kai,” you stated.

The way his disapproving face changed to one of fear piqued your interest, but his next words made you forget about that thought. “Absolutely not,” he shook his head. “You’re quitting,” he ordered.

Your mouth fell open and you glanced at your mom who had a “you're serious?” look. “Why not?” You whined.

He stepped away, shaking his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You didn’t know what it was like growing up with Cobra Kai in the Valley, their students were a menace, it was a good thing they got banned in ‘85,” he explained. “You don’t know Cobra Kai like I do,” he huffed out.

You knew there was more to the story, but you couldn’t pinpoint it at the moment. Knowing you wanted to keep your position at Cobra Kai more than anything, you kept your mouth shut with the questions.

“It’s different now,” you reasoned. “Sensei Lawrence is turning us into badasses, not losers,” you frowned. “I mean look at Eli” you pointed out into the backyard where he was practicing some positions.

Your parents followed your gaze and your mother made a sound of approval but your dad was quick to dismiss it.

“He looks like he’s on his way to becoming an ass,” he turned back to look at you. “And now what? You’re dating him?” He scoffed, his features telling you dating the boy you had a crush on for the last decade was the most offensive thing you could ever do.

“He’s not an ass,” you rolled your eyes. “And, as a matter of fact, I am,” you crossed your arms over your chest, finding the confidence to hold your stance.

“I don’t approve, of him or the karate,” he waved his hands out in front of him. “I want you to end things with him,” he pointed at your boyfriend.

“Dad?! No!” You scoffed. “I’m not ending things with Eli and I’m not leaving Cobra Kai,” you defended.

“Then you’re grounded,” he stated, point blankly.

“Mom!” You turned to her.

She sucked in a breath, placing a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Eli’s a good kid, we both know that,” she began. “As for Cobra Kai, maybe this is a lesson she needs to figure out on her own,” she shrugged. “But no matter what, we’re gonna be there for her, right?” She pressed a smile, lightening her tone in hopes that it got him to change his mind.

After a beat of silence, he inhaled deeply. “Fine, you can keep dating the kid. But there won’t be any more unsupervised visits and your door has to be open at all times,” he raised a finger, tone firm. “As for Cobra Kai, I want to tell you right now, I don’t trust that it’s changed one bit so be careful, okay?” He warned.

You gulped. Part of you wanted to take his warning seriously, but the other part of you was relieved that he agreed. With a smile on your face, you ran up to your parents, engulfing them in a hug.

“Thanks, guys,” you breathed out, pressing a kiss to both their cheeks.

You pulled away, running out to the backyard to meet Eli.

“They approve,” you beamed. “Of you and Cobra Kai!” You admitted.

He faltered. “Wait, me? They didn’t approve of me?”

“My mom has always, but you know how my dad is,” you shrugged, grabbing his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “But it’s all okay now,” you reached over to kiss him on the cheek.

“Awesome,” he grinned.

You were stretching between Aisha and Hawk when Miguel began talking about his “not-a-date” with Samantha LaRusso.

It was cute seeing him get all excited for it but your heart sank when you realized he was going on a date before you and he wasn’t even dating anyone!

The thought made you sigh out loud but it went ignored as Miguel droned on.

“I need somewhere romantic but not too romantic,” he contemplated.

You snickered when Aisha rolled her eyes. About to open your mouth to speak, Eli beat you to it.

He jumped up on his feet, undoing his belt before shrugging the material off. “You could take her to get tattoos. I know a guy, who just hooked me up with this bad boy,” he said as he turned around.

Your eyes went wide.

Oh shit.

“That is badass,” Aisha said.

You were silent, in complete shock. You couldn’t believe your boyfriend got a tattoo without telling you.

“Fourteen hours in the chair,” he stated.

You shook your head in disbelief but a crease formed between your brows when you recalled the day he was MIA. “Is that why you canceled on me?” You asked, feeling kind of offended.

“Sorry about that babe, I wanted to surprise you,” he quickly apologized as he tied the belt again, sitting down and kissing you quickly. “Also don’t tell my parents,” he added.

You snorted at that.

“Any other suggestions?” Miguel pivoted the conversation back to its main focus.

“Maybe do something she likes,” you suggested. “Or dinner and a movie, maybe a picnic on the beach, those would be my ideal first date,” you emphasized, sending a look towards Eli.

“Kinda corny,” Miguel disagreed.

“I’m out of options then,” you sighed, focusing back on your stretching as your mind thought to the possibility of going on your first date with Eli.

It made sense to go on a date at this point in the relationship. You had been dating for longer than a week, you kissed several times. What’s the hold-up?

That question plagued you for the rest of class so much you didn’t realize you were walking out of the dojo.

“Good luck on your not-a-date,” Aisha wished Miguel. “See ya later, guys,” she bid you and Eli.

“You’ve been quiet since Miguel brought up his girl problems, did he get you too depressed?” He chuckled, wrapping his arm around you.

“No,” you shook your head. “Just the date talk got me thinking,” you shrugged, glancing down.

“About what?” He asked, pulling his bike off the rack.

“Nothing,” you opted to answer.

Riding your bike home alongside him was the highlight of your afternoon, but today you were quiet. It felt like the Halloween dance all over again but you didn’t want a repeat of that. Still, you weren’t sure how to bring it up without sounding desperate.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Eli,” you reached over to kiss him goodbye.

He nodded, waiting by the curb until you entered your house. “Y/N!” He shouted.

You paused fishing out your keys from your bag. “Yeah?”

“I want to take you out, officially,” he smirked.

“Really?” You didn’t even try to hide your excitement, dropping your things and running towards him. “Where?”

“It’s a surprise,” he shrugged. “But tomorrow, seven alright? I’ll pick you up,” he said.

“Okay,” you agreed, beaming with happiness as you grabbed his face to kiss him before you went back to your dropped things. You waved at him before shutting the door behind you.

You were going on your first date!

#eli moskowitz x reader #hawk x reader #eli moskowitz #eli moskowitz imagine #cobra kai

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buckevantommy · 6 months ago

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yay writing game! 2 + i + 𓆟 for bucktommy? 🫶🫶

“what they said back there. is it true?” + confusion + the war room of a military blacksite

"Tommy, h-hey—" He's putting distance between himself and the base. Buck's long stride has him catching up in no time but Tommy doesn't stop, won't even look at him, just keeps going like he can outpace his past if he walks fast enough. Buck doesn't think that's possible, and he'd know. "Tommy!"

As Tommy pulls up at the foot of an outcrop, Buck hangs back a step.

"What they said back there.." He almost doesn't want to ask. It doesn't make sense. But he needs to know, needs to hear it from Tommy. "Is it true?"

Even by the light of a crescent moon shrouded in cloud, he can see the small shake of Tommy's head. "That's not who I am." He says it to the night vista stretching out before them and to himself more than to Buck.

Buck hears what he's not saying, and it's a gut punch. "Tommy.."

Tommy's shoulders hunch. Buck can hear him trying to calm his harsh breaths in the still night air. "It wasn't my call," he says firmly, but his voice is smaller, retreating into the memory. Buck cautiously steps forward, keeping space between them but needing to see Tommy's face. Tommy stares resolutely ahead. "It was Gerrard's op. We were given direct orders, and we disobeyed. Sal, Eli and me— we tried to stop it." His breath stutters. The clouds part enough to illuminate the telling wetness of Tommy's eyes. "But we were too late. Waited too long." He swallows back the rest. Tears glisten down his cheeks.

Buck's heart clenches painfully. The unease in the pit of his stomach that had opened like a gaping maw back in the compound doesn't disappear entirely, but it shrinks so it doesn't feel like it's about to swallow him whole from the inside. He may not know everything but he knows enough, and the urge to comfort Tommy overcomes everything else.

He moves in near enough to take Tommy's fist between his hands, gently prying his fingers open so he can slot his own between them. Tommy doesn't resist, allowing Buck's touch, his proximity.

Finally, he looks at Buck: quiet devastation, guilt, and remorse written all over his face. It's a familiar sight Buck's seen in the mirror.

He squeezes Tommy's hand. Tommy's breath hitches as he squeezes back on a shaky exhale. Buck eliminates more space between them, tipping forward so their foreheads touch. They stand like that, together under a sky of veiled starlight in the middle of nowhere, breathing each other in.

As the minutes float by like the clouds above them, Tommy leans a little of his weight on Buck; physically, emotionally. Buck gladly takes it, and reaches up to grasp Tommy's neck, holding him close, and presses lingering soft kisses to the salty tear tracks on his cheeks.

Buck's got him. And he knows tommy: whatever crap Gerrard's cronies try to dredge up from the past or throw at them in the present, it won't be enough to stop them from trying. They're in this together, and they can't be beaten so easily.

doing this thing

#bucktommy #evantommy #fanfiction #fic meme #.txt #idk what this is. spy stuff and black ops and whatnot.. 👥#tevan kinley kinkley firepilot

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trueaffections · 6 days ago

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★ word on the street with ELI LANCASTER ★

first up, roll call: your position at eden and how long have you done it? hi, my name is eli and i’m a server. i’m coming up on one year – do we throw a party for that, or is that redundant, since we’re already throwing parties every night?

what’s your drink of choice to make for yourself or others? oh, i suck, i’m usually just a white claw girlie. so basic. i like a margarita sometimes, if we’re doing cocktails, but that’s a lot of ingredients to wrangle when a seltzer gets the job done, you know?

we’re passing you the aux. what’s your number one club classic? coming of age by maisie peters. i’m pushing that one hard right now, for sure. i like shawn mendes a lot too. i made my sisters go see him with me a few years ago.

what’s your most iconic night out memory? we used to throw bonfires all the time, cause i grew up at the beach, and there was one year a bunch of tourists had complained about us, so they had some kind of neighborhood watch that was really cracking down on us. the closest i ever got to getting caught, i had to literally go underwater in a cave to hide. just kind of hanging out down there in my jean shorts, holding my breath, praying there aren’t any guests in there with me. isn’t that so stupid? all that trouble, over a little dry humping. crazy. and i probably still went and did it again!

what’s your craziest rideshare story? one time i was out at some bar i definitely shouldn’t have been in with my boyfriend, and we called an uber, because he was at least responsible about aiding and abetting underage drinking. and i would get nervous and shove in behind the driver so i wouldn’t have to talk to him and blow our cover. i’m keeping it lowkey, i’m not making eye contact, we drive in silence for a few minutes, and then the driver out of nowhere is like “hey, eli lancaster, how are you doing back there?” which is the most terrifying fucking thing a stranger can say to you when you’re already paranoid in the backseat of his car. until i realized it wasn’t a stranger, it was my cousin. i mean, statistically, i have a big enough family in a small enough corner of north carolina that it shouldn’t have been that surprising, but he scared the shit out of me – and my boyfriend, who i honestly think deserved it a little for not recognizing his profile picture.

what’s your typical fast food order after the clubs close? i just want mozzarella sticks. i get drunk and my body craves fried cheese. i’ve almost burned the house down more than once trying to bake them while under the influence, so i’ve had those privileges taken away, but i that’s why i have so many beautiful roommates. to help me make mozzarella sticks.

you ready to kick this interview up a notch? do i even have a choice?

truth or dare? i’ll do a truth.

what does the last text that you sent say? my last text… was to phoebe, and it’s me asking her what color uniform we were supposed to wear tonight. and since we live together, and work together, and have all the same friends, if you scroll through our text log, it’s literally just me asking her over and over what color uniform we’re supposed to have on. i messed it up once our first month here, and i learned my lesson. never as an adult have i felt more like i was pulled into the principal’s office…

#i feel like i did my girl dirty but shes shy shes going thru something rn idk...

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mjonthetrack · 12 days ago

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*disc: this fic contains graphic material such as rape,assault,homicide,explicit language,etc. It is a work of fiction based on the show Criminal Minds, It will be an alternate universe meaning it will NOT follow the time sequence or character plots exact to the show. I do not own these characters aside from my own oc and do not own the images used.

Chapter 41 The Burn Begins

They landed just after dusk. Black SUVs fanned out across a remote gravel road in Alabama. One of the satellite compounds sat tucked behind a dense tree line—abandoned on paper, humming with silent threat in real life.

Hotch issued orders with sharp efficiency, pairing off agents, detailing the entry points. Tactical gear was donned. Guns were checked. The air was tight with adrenaline.

Reid stood on the outskirts of the circle, his eyes locked on the compound as if staring could tear it apart. His vest hung a little loose—he hadn’t bothered adjusting it properly. His lips were tight, jaw clenched, and his hand gripped the edge of the SUV door like he needed something solid to keep himself from unraveling.

Morgan caught it. Had been catching it for days.

“Yo,” he said, approaching and nudging Reid’s arm with his elbow. “You ready?”

Reid didn’t answer immediately.

“She said she didn’t ask me to stay,” Reid murmured, voice low.

Morgan nodded slowly. “Yeah. But you stayed anyway.”

“She didn’t stop me,” he added like it mattered. “But she didn’t… ask me to come back either.”

Morgan let out a soft exhale and looked him dead in the eye. “She’s been to hell, Reid. And she came back dragging her own damn chains behind her. You think she’s gonna know what to do with someone like you? Someone who waited for her?”

Reid’s throat moved as he swallowed the weight in his chest.

“She doesn’t have to know what to do with me,” he said quietly. “I just want her to stop hurting.”

Morgan studied him. “Yeah, well… so do we all. But wanting ain’t gonna change the war she’s in. You gotta hang on, Doc. We need you sharp in there. No hero moves. We clear?”

Reid nodded once. “Yeah. We’re clear.”

Hotch’s voice cut through the air. “Move out.”

—————

Inside the Compound

Smoke. Gunshots. Screams.

The takedown was fast and brutal. JJ and Rossi took point at the side entrance, flushing out two armed men who were shocked to find the BAU coming in through the dark. Morgan tackled a third near the generator, his fists finishing what the butt of his gun had started.

Reid and a tactical agent covered the eastern wing, clearing narrow halls reeking of damp cement and gasoline. Rooms lined with reinforced doors, some locked—others open with evidence of victims already moved.

Reid burst into a smaller room—maps, chains, and a woman’s torn jacket on the floor. Not Hunter’s. Still—

“Clear!” he called, but his voice shook.

Hotch’s voice crackled in the comm. “Containment complete. Begin sweep.”

Reid stood still for a beat longer than necessary. His hands were trembling.

————

Back at BAU HQ — Hours Later

Everyone looked like they’d aged ten years. Hotch was silently reviewing footage. JJ paced, still in partial gear. Garcia was furiously typing, trying to cross-check the names they pulled.

Rossi poured himself a bourbon and slid one over to Morgan.

“Evidence is still not at any of these sites,” JJ said, exasperated. “We’re chasing shadows.”

“No,” Morgan said. “We’re flushing them out. Eli’s starting to squirm. He’s showing his hand.”

Across the room, Reid sat hunched at his desk, staring at the one photo Garcia had enhanced from the compound—an old blurred image of chains on a rusted floor from her time captured. His fingers hovered over it but didn’t touch.

Hotch approached silently and set a file down in front of him. “Go home. You need to sleep.”

Reid didn’t even blink.

“I said—”

“I’ll go when she’s home,” Reid interrupted, voice low. “Not before.”

No one had an argument for that.

—————-

Chapter 42

The door slammed heavier than intended. Reid didn’t care. Hotch’s order to “go home” wasn’t a suggestion, it was a dismissal—and Reid felt the weight of it sitting on his chest like an elephant. Home felt foreign. Empty. Too still.

He hadn’t seen Hunter since he’d left her at the safe house. The memory of her standing in the doorway, saying nothing as he walked out, haunted him like the echo of a scream in an empty room.

The knock on his door wasn’t light—it was the kind you feel in your spine.

“Open up, kid,” came Morgan’s voice from the other side.

Reid sighed, running a hand over his face before opening the door.

Morgan stepped inside, eyes immediately scanning the place. “Damn. You look worse than the coffee you make.”

“I’m fine,” Reid muttered.

“No, you’re not,” Morgan said, cutting through the bullshit. “You haven’t been fine since she went radio silent.”

Reid’s jaw clenched. “She didn’t go silent. I left. Hotch wanted me on the mission.”

“You didn’t want to leave,” Morgan said gently. “But you did. And now you’re unraveling.”

Reid didn’t answer.

Morgan leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “You know she’s not just some case file, right? You didn’t look at her the way you look at puzzle pieces. You looked at her like she was the one thing that made sense in this messed-up world.”

“She was scared, Derek,” Reid finally said, voice breaking at the edges. “And I still left.”

“You followed orders.”

“I should’ve stayed,” he whispered. “She was shutting down and I let it happen. Now I don’t know if she’s safe or if she’s falling apart alone.”

Morgan’s voice softened. “Then make it right. We’re closing in on Eli’s operation. When we end it, when she’s free of his grip—don’t hold back. Tell her. Be there.”

Reid stared down at his hands, clenched into fists. “What if she doesn’t want me anymore?”

“She never stopped wanting you, kid,” Morgan said. “She just stopped believing she deserved you.”

Reid didn’t answer, but the look in his eyes shifted. Purpose. Determination. Pain repurposed into resolve.

Morgan clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Suit up, genius. We’re gonna finish this.”

——-

Chapter 43 — Checkmate

Quantico – BAU Headquarters

The bullpen buzzed with restless energy, a new urgency humming under everyone’s skin. Reid stood over the evidence board, tapping his fingers restlessly against the edge of the table. Eyes sharper. Movements tighter. The remnants of heartbreak sat heavy in his chest, but there was clarity in it now. Morgan stood next to him, jaw locked as he stared down case files and surveillance photos.

Garcia chimes from her monitor,“I’ve cracked into the encrypted comms. Our boy Eli had a whole other tier we didn’t even know existed. Like, I’m talking sick little breadcrumbs left like he wanted to be found—but only when he decided.”

JJ adds across the room “He’s planning something. This isn’t just ego. It’s control. He’s trying to reclaim her.”

Morgan growled under his breath,”He’s going to try and take her again.”

Reid froze mid-step, mind racing through everything. The coded language in the notes. The patterns in his surveillance network.

Reid interjects cold, to the group,”No. He’s not going to try. He is going to. Tonight.”

Hotch says,”How do you know that?”

Reid meets his eyes without blinking, “Because this entire operation has been psychological warfare. This is his endgame move. Hunter’s the one variable he’s never had full control over… and he knows we’re closing in.”

Rossi stepping forward,“Then we hit him before he moves. Gear up. Everyone.”

———

Hunter – Safe House (Later That Night)

Hunter stood in the kitchen, back to the counter, hand curled around her weapon. The unease in her bones wouldn’t settle. The lights flickered once. Then again.

The hairs on her neck stood up.

Something was coming. Her instincts had never been wrong.

She turned, loaded, ready.

———

Cut to – SUV, En Route

Morgan’s posture was tight with urgency, “She’ll never forgive herself if something happens to us. She’ll try to handle it alone.”

Reid sat clenching his jaw,“Then we don’t let her.”

—-

Safe House – Seconds Later

The moment the first shadow moved outside the window, Hunter was already firing. Two shots, one down. But there were more—masked, moving like shadows, trying to subdue, not kill.

She took a hit to the shoulder but stayed standing, teeth bared like a soldier back in enemy territory.

Right as she was cornered—

CRASH.

The BAU SWATs in. Morgan hits the floor running, gun drawn. Reid is right behind, fury carved into every tense line of his body.

Morgan was firing as he moves,“Hunter!”

She collapses just as Reid gets to her. He drops beside her, arms catching her as she slumps.

Reids voice cracking, barely breathing,“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

Her eyes flutter open just enough.

Hunter looked weakly, smirking,“Took you long enough, Wonder Boy.”

——

Cut to – Interrogation Room, Quantico

Eli sat across from the team—handcuffed, bloodied but smiling. He looked at each of them, unbothered.

Eli was chuckling,“Must’ve been quite the show, huh? She fought like hell, didn’t she?”

Hotch even, deadly calm,“Your network is gone. Your men are dead or arrested. You lost.”

Eli replied “Lost?” then he leans forward “She’ll never be the same. I own pieces of her none of you even know exist.”

Morgan stepped around the table. One punch—fast, hard, no warning. Eli’s head snapped sideways.

Morgan was snarling,“You don’t own anything. You’re just a coward who hides behind bruises and threats.”

Eli had bloody smile,“She still wears my ring.”

Then came Reid.

He stepped forward slowly, calmly, a blade behind those brown eyes.

Reid spoke quietly,“I’ve studied psychopaths. I’ve profiled terrorists, serial killers, and sadists. You’re not unique, Elijah. You’re not even impressive. You’re a formula.”

He leaned in, close enough Eli could feel his breath. Then added“You wanted to break her? She survived. You lost.”

He turned without waiting for a reply.

Eli speaks up“She still loves me, doc. I wonder if she screamed your name or mine when she—”

Rossi stepped in next,one hard elbow to the table. The metal groaned.

Rossi sneered with“You ever speak her name again, I’ll make sure you forget your own.”

——

End of Chapter —

Back in the hallway, the team stood in the darkened corridor, looking in at the man who once held them all hostage without ever firing a shot. Now? He was caged.

But they weren’t celebrating.

Reid speaks quietly, to Morgan,“He almost had her. Almost had us.”

Morgan responds,“But he didn’t. We’re not done, pretty boy. But this… this was the start.”

—————

Chapter 44 The Quiet After

Hunter didn’t say anything when the nurse told her she was being discharged.

There was a calm in the air that felt like a lie. The kind of silence that comes after a storm levels a town—not peace, just absence. She moved mechanically, slipping on a clean black hoodie, zipping it up halfway over her tank. The bruises along her ribs flared when she moved. The nurse offered a prescription and a smile. Hunter didn’t take either.

When she stepped outside, she didn’t head for the car Hotch had arranged. She didn’t ask where she was going. She just stood there, under the weight of a sky too bright for how numb she felt.

Reid found her like that.

He didn’t say her name. Just walked up slowly, careful not to startle her.

“You okay to ride with me?” he asked gently.

She blinked like she hadn’t registered he was real. Then a nod. “Yeah.”

The drive was quiet. Not awkward. Not even tense. Just quiet. As if both of them were afraid to speak the wrong word and break whatever thread was still holding things together.

When they pulled up to the house—a different safe house this time, one Garcia personally vetted—Hunter stayed in the passenger seat, hand on the door handle but not moving.

“I don’t know where to go,” she finally said.

Reid looked at her, really looked. The way her fingers trembled, the way her shoulders curled inward just slightly. He wanted to reach for her. Instead, he swallowed hard.

“You don’t have to decide tonight.”

Hunter gave a soft, joyless laugh. “That’s the problem. I’ve never decided anything for me. Not really.”

He didn’t answer. Just waited.

After a moment, she opened the door and stepped out. He followed.

Inside, the lights were already on. The place was warm, safe, but felt unfamiliar. She dropped her bag by the door and walked toward the window, arms folded tightly across her chest.

“You’ve barely said a word to me since…” She didn’t finish the sentence.

“I didn’t know what you needed,” Reid said carefully. “And I didn’t want to break anything you were trying to keep together.”

She turned then, finally facing him. “You didn’t break it, Spence. He did.”

Her voice cracked on the last word.

He took a slow step closer. “I know. But I still should’ve done something sooner.”

Her eyes locked on his, and the wall she had held up so tightly finally fractured.

“You were the only thing that didn’t feel like war,” she whispered. “Everything else in my life has been a fight. A battlefield. Even love—it was a weapon he used. But you…”

She trailed off, swallowing hard.

“I thought if I let myself want you, he’d find a way to take you from me too. That you’d become collateral. So I kept you away. Cold. Sharp. Like that would make you safe.”

Reid didn’t move closer. He just let it sit. Let the silence fill the space instead of rushing to fix it.

“I’m not safe,” he said softly. “But I’m here.”

She gave a breathless laugh that sounded like it hurt. “You always are.”

Reid looked at her like he had a thousand things to say. But the words didn’t come. Instead, he nodded, like he understood something unspoken.

Hunter moved toward him. Slow. Careful. Like if she stepped too fast the moment would vanish.

And when she reached him, she didn’t speak. She just wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her forehead to his chest. Her voice was barely a breath.

“Stay tonight?”

He wrapped his arms around her without hesitation. “Always.”

—————

Chapter 45 Aftershocks

The night settled around them like a blanket too heavy to shake off.

Hunter hadn’t said much since the moment she asked him to stay. Reid didn’t push. He sat on the couch, his legs stretched out, a book open in his hands he hadn’t read a single word of. The light in the corner of the room buzzed quietly, casting soft yellow against the far wall.

He glanced toward the hallway again. Her bedroom door was still cracked.

He was cursing himself quietly in his head.

Say something. Tell her. Now. You idiot.

But nothing came.

He didn’t want to say the wrong thing and shatter the fragile peace between them. He hadn’t forgotten what she'd said earlier—how he was the only thing that didn’t feel like war. The weight of that felt biblical. He didn’t want to misstep and send her back behind that wall she kept so well-constructed.

So he sat. Waiting. Reeling.

Then he heard it.

A soft clink of metal. A ring against wood or glass.

He turned his head instinctively, eyes narrowing slightly.

She stepped into the hallway not even a minute later.

And everything inside him stalled.

She was barefoot. Her curls were down, a little messy from the towel-dried wave of her shower. She wore an oversized sleep shirt, one that hit just at the tops of her thighs, catching every curve in the low light. But it wasn’t the shirt that knocked the wind out of him—it was the way she looked at him.

Deliberate. Still a little uncertain. But more than anything else… in control.

She walked toward him slowly, and he stood without thinking, book forgotten, pulse thudding.

Her eyes flicked to his—sharp, intentional. The kind of look that said I’m choosing this.

And then, without warning, she grabbed his face and kissed him.

He gasped softly against her mouth from the sheer force of it—not rough, not messy, just sure. Her fingers curled in his hair, pulling him into her like she’d been waiting years to let herself go.

He didn’t resist. How could he?

But his brain? Spinning.

She’s kissing me. Oh God, she’s kissing me. Is this happening? Does she really want this? She wants this.

He kissed her back like a man finally let out of a burning building.

Her lips were warm and demanding, and when she broke the kiss just long enough to whisper, “I want you,” there was no hesitation left in him.

They stumbled back toward the bedroom, his hands finding her waist, hers tugging at the hem of his shirt, hungry to feel skin.

Her voice was breathy as she kissed under his jaw.

“I want this, Spencer. I want you.”

When they reached the bed, she laid back first, pulling him over her gently, her fingers mapping out the muscles beneath his shirt. She moved with the hunger of someone reclaiming something stolen.

His hands were reverent, sliding along her thighs, her hips, up under the shirt. He kissed her like he was memorizing her—slow, deep, trailing from her collarbone to the curve of her breast. Her breath hitched every time he lingered.

She arched when he finally touched her beneath the fabric, hips rocking, eyes dark with want.

“Spence,” she whispered, fingers curling against his back. “Please.”

He nearly lost it at the sound.

The moment he pushed into her—slow, deep, gentle—he stopped breathing. His hand was laced with hers above her head, the other steadying her hip. Her legs wrapped around him tight.

“You feel…” he choked on the words, chest tight. “God, you feel like everything.”

She pulled him down into another kiss, softer this time, lingering. Letting the silence stretch and settle.

They moved together like they were made for it—no frantic pace, just deep, slow strokes, building heat and reverence. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, her lips tracing words against his shoulder.

Every moan, every gasp, every whisper from her unspooled something inside him.

And when she whispered his name as she came—his real name, not the playful nicknames, not the guarded words—he buried his face in her neck and let himself fall too.

Afterward, he stayed tucked against her, hand still wrapped with hers. Neither of them said anything for a long time.

And when she turned to him, eyelids heavy, her voice barely a breath…

“You were the only thing he never touched,” she said, “and now I finally understand why I never let myself have you.”

Reid just held her tighter.

“You’re not his anymore,” he murmured. “You never were.”

#romance #angst #x black oc #spencer reid x black oc #spencer reid fanfiction #criminal minds fic #criminal minds fanfiction #alternate universe #mature fic

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fourraccoonsinacoat · 1 year ago

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Sharing a sneak peak from my next fic because I love all these idiots, especially Jaheira. Sassy elder mentor is a character trope I'll never get tired of writing.

For context, this fic centers around the "very twee" comment from Astarion after Durge resists. We going there!

_______________

“Come on,” a hand on her shoulder suddenly began directing her away from Astarion towards the exit of the chamber. “I plan to burn these clothes and soak myself in holy water until morning in order to get the smell of this cesspit off.”

Eli glanced back at Astarion but didn’t resist. Jaheira had decided it was time to go, and gods help the unfortunate soul who defied such a decision. She could hear Minsc some paces behind her and Jaheira, lauding Astarion’s skill in the previous battle and musing about whether they might be able to find a blacksmith who could craft a Boo-sized crossbow.

“I do wonder, though, if Boo’s tiny hands might make such a design too difficult to construct,” Minsc conjectured heartily.

There was some speculative squeaking before, “Right you are, Boo! Any blacksmith worth their hammer should welcome the challenge!”

Eli sighed as they walked, a little too miserable for someone who’d just sidestepped death.

“What? Did you want to spend more time in the gruesome murder temple?” Jaheira needled, eyeing Eli curiously. “Maybe find some nice intestines to hang on your wall?”

Eli ignored the teasing, nodding her head in the direction of Astarion. “Did he seemed concerned at all? You know, when Bhaal showed up and sucked my soul out through my nose?”

There was a hint of bitterness in Eli’s voice that Jaheira did not miss.

“That’s what you’re concerned about, right now?” The druid tried and failed to keep a snarky edge out of her voice.

“He said it was twee,” Eli whispered fiercely, annoyed.

Jaheira gave her a look that walked the line somewhere between pity and perplexed.

“I don’t even know what that means. And before you start spiraling into your anxious thoughts, remember this.” Jaheira fixed Eli with her best wise old elder look and said with an air of gravitas, “Men have the emotional intelligence of a gelatinous cube, which is unfortunate for those of us who are attracted to them. Give him some time for his brain to catch up to his heart.”

Eli felt the tightness in her chest slightly relax and she gave a small appreciative smile.

“Speaking from experience?” she asked.

Jaheira barked a laugh. “I can’t play the part of the mysterious and enlightened advisor if I give up all my secrets.”

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klaineccfanficlibrary · 1 year ago

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do you know of any fics that exist in an au we’re the s4 breakup never happened? like blaine hanging out in the loft with rachel santana and kurt while he was still at mckinley in s4.

From a previous ask, where Blaine didn't cheat in season 4, we have these three below. However, most writers tend to follow canon that they broke up for some reason in season 4. ~Jen

The Secret About Blaine’s Cheating byMadPie

After reading everything I could possibly find, this is what I think actually think Blaine did that night with Eli, and this is how I believe how Kurt will find out.

~~~~~

Loneliness Found Me by CoffeeAddict80

Instead of cheating on Kurt, Blaine finds himself singing about his feelings to what he thinks is an empty auditorium.

~~~~~

Exhibit McKinley by @tonks42

AU Season 4. Living so far apart from NYADA student Kurt, Blaine decides to send his boyfriend a series of letters and objects to chronicle his senior year.

~~~~~

The Air in My Lungs By JButler

Kurt wasn't trying to be perfect, just honest.

~~~~~

Check the Season 4 tag for fix it fics.

Scenes During the Break Upby misqueue

A collection of vignettes set in season 4 across the time in which Kurt and Blaine are broken up. Not in chronological order. For the Klaine Advent 2013 challenge. Stories are consistent with my The Architects of Life canon ‘verse.

Note: Many of the stories have the friends-with-benefits tag.

~~~~~

There are lots of season 4 fics where Blaine hangs out with the newbies, Sam, Tina and Artie when they are split - Killerqueen80 on AOS writes some great stories.

Glee Gen Fictlet #2 Graduation Party By Killerqueen80

The remaining four seniors plan a graduation party, all of new ND and some of the graduates who have helped them at competitions and such are invited to attend. it ends up being biota 2.0. basically just shenanigans with former grads witnessing the drama free family dynamic the current seniors helped create.

~~~~~

If you want Blaine hanging with Kurt, Rachel and Santana, here are some that are set in season 5.

Drunk on You by flaming_muse

It takes Kurt three times to fit his key in the lock of the apartment’s door, partly because Blaine is swaying heavily against his side, a warm, drunk weight keeping him off-balance, and partly because the alcohol in his own system is making the lock swim just enough in the plane of the door that he can’t quite catch it.

Bushwick futurefic, set within the next year or so, after Blaine’s graduation, no spoilers past 5x03

~~~~

Bushwick Game Night by flaming_muse

Pictionary in the Bushwick loft is serious business.

Bushwick futurefic, set sometime in fall 2013, spoilers assumed through but not past 5x07 (“Puppet Master”)

#klaine fanfiction #fic finder #season 4 #seson 5 #fix it #canon divergence

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disneyanddisneyships · 11 months ago

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I need alistar like.. having the best life

Like make him happy

Have his family give him Christmas presents underneath the tree when he doesn’t expect them giving him any cause he’s never experienced a single act of kindness from his dad ever

Please

Make him happy

Make the boy happy

As you wish.

I got so carried away this has more plot than I wanted it to.

Alistar sighed as he made his way through the village. It was snowing out, and he was freezing cold. But he HAD to pick up the Christmas gifts he had gotten for his friends.

They had done so much for him in the past 3 years and he was determined to start paying it forward.

Between getting therapy from Eve, sparring with Mia like old times, and even spending time with ELI of all people, he owed his new family a debt.

And the first part of it would be paid off with Christmas gifts.

Alistar had never gotten Christmas gifts as a kid after his mom had died. And even before that, his father would always throw them away the second they were left out on the floors of the castle.

His Christmases were often spent in the dungeons of his father's castle, feeding the mice that came and went to keep away from the cold... even though the cell was just as cold as the outside. Maybe even colder.

.......

"Larry? I'm here to pick up an order!" Alistar called as he wiped his shoes off outside before walking into the shop.

"Ahhh! Prince Alistar! A pleasure as always!" The older man exclaimed from his seat by the fire. "Come on in! I'll just go back and get your order!" He exclaimed as he stood up and walked further into his house.

Alistar smiled as he looked around. The house was cozy. And is he sniffed hard enough, he could smell fresh cookies in the oven.

"Cutting it a tad bit close, are we?" Larry asked as he came into view with a small red gift bag.

"I would've been here yesterday, but Rosa was having trouble moving her plants inside, Ella needed help with the horses, and Mia needed help with her weapons so they wouldn't get all rusty...." Alistar explained as he fished in his satchel for some money.

"You're certainly helping everyone out quite a bit!" Larry stated with a smile as he took the due amount from Alistar.

"It's the least I could do. They've already done so much for me... and after what I did to all of them... I really should pay their kindness forward," Alistar explained as he took the gift bag and placed it gently in his satchel so it would be safe from the snow.

"Ahhh working for those Christmas gifts! I see how it is!" Larry chuckled.

"Oh I doubt they'll get me anything!" Alistar laughed. "I don't really deserve Christmas and... it was never a big childhood thing for me growing up,"

"Oh well that's too bad! It's a great time of the year!" Larry replied.

"I'm glad you had that experience, sir! I'll make sure to come back sometime! Have a great christmas!" Alistar stated as he put hus cloaked hood on and walked back to the castle in the snow.

........

Alistar walked inside the castle, taking his cloak off and hanging it up to dry before walking into his room to get the rest of the gifts he had gotten for his friends.

The gifts consisted of personalized items for each friend and family member he had.

Ella's gift was a silver dove necklace. Loreley was a silver ring that changed color from red to blue based on her emotions. Mia's was a new dress that looked just like one of her mom's old ones that Alistar had seen her in. Alruna's was a triple ring set that if punched with them, would cause bodily harm. Eve was lifted a sketchbook. Eli was gifted a "free stab" coupon and a new hammer, due to how alistar noticed his old one was broken. And Rosa?

Well that's what Alistar went to pick up.... it was a lovely Rose styled hair pin, along with a glass rose pen and.... an engagement ring.

Alistar looked at the red velvette box the ring came in and gulped. He was beyond nervous... he was never very lucking love, everyone knew that.. but when he had met Rosalyn.... it was as if his whole world could be seen within her beautiful brown eyes.

Closing the box, Alistar picked up all of the gifts and rushed down to the library to put them all underneath the tree.

Just in time. Tomorrow was Christmas eve.

........

As alistar woke up in a cold swet the next morning from a nightmare, he took a breath to compose himself.

Today was the party for the whole kingdom and he had to be the best version of himself he could.

"Alistar?" Came a voice from the other side of his door.

He would recognize it anywhere.

"I'm coming Rosa! I'll be right out, love!" He called as he took off his sleepwear, catching sight of all his scars in his vanity mirror.

A permanent reminder of his trauma and the trauma he caused to others.

After getting dressed, Alistar opened the door to see his beautiful rose.

"Well good morning, gorgeous~" he flirted as he held out his arm for her.

She giggled, taking his arm as they walked into the kitchen. "Good morning!" She replied.

......

Breakfast was loud, and Alistar stayed silent almost the whole time, his left hand intertwined with Rosa's as his other hand held his fork.

"We have so much to do today! Have we gotten the flower shipments in for the decirations?" Mia asked as she took note of Ella's answers.

"Yes! We have! Rosa was also very kind in providing some of the roses in her part of the garden!" Ella replied as she smiled at Rosa.

"It was my pleasure!" Rosa agreed.

"So.. Alistar.... do you have any plans for tomorrow after we open gifts?" Ella asked, attempting to talk to her former best friend.

Ever since the final battle of it all, things continued to be very awkward between Ella and Alistar. Despite how good of friends they used to be, Alistar still had walls built up that stemmed from the life he had lead full of betrayal and abuse.

"Oh! Um..." Alistar trailed off as he glanced over to Rosa before turning back to Ella. "I... I actually have an important question I need to ask you.. bit I'm afraid I'm unable to do that... right now...." He stated with a smile.

"Oh! Alright, no worries!" Ella exclaimed before going back to talking with Mia.

......

After breakfast, Alistar paced around the dining room, waiting for Ella and Eli to be done talking with the captain of the guard.

"Yes just let two or three people in at a time so there won't be such an overwhelming meet and greet with us!" Ella confirmed.

The guard nodded before exiting the room.

"Alistar, you've been pacing for 30 minutes," Eli stated with a raised eyebrow.

"O! Right! What was it you needed to talk about?" Ella asked.

Alistar took a breath. "Im... I'm going to ask Rosalyn to marry me...."

"WHAT?!" Ella screeched with a giant smile.

"Shhhhhh!" Alistar hushed as he looked around the room.

"Wow.... are you sure you're ready for that?" Eli asked as he crossed his arms.

"I'm.... more sure than I have been in a long time.... the thing is though.... I dont know when the right time is.... and i wanted to ask how YOU two got engaged," Alistar explained as he cuddled with the ring box.

Ella smiled to herself. "Well um.... Eli took me on a picnic for our anniversary... and.... he did it under the willow tree just outside the kingdom.... around the place where he and I first met,"

"That... sounds really great for you guys...." Alistar smiled before turning to Eli. "How did you know it was the right time? Or the right place?"

"Like how you knew it was the right time to stab me?" Eli asked.

Alistar's lips formed a thin line before Eli let out a chuckle.

"I'm messing with you.... I guess... I really.. DIDNT know until I felt with my entire being that I couldn't go another moment without asking," Eli described. "I wish you luck.... youre giving her a good christmas present.... your mom mustve been good with gifts," Eli stated.

"Oh um... no not really... I never really got gifts as a child after my mom died. Unless you count my pet mouse, Mike, but I found him when my dad threw me in the dungeons," Alistar replied as he held the ring box in his pocket.

"You.... You've never had christmas?" Ella asked.

Alistar shruggsed, waving them goodbye as he walked back to his room, leaving Ella and Eli to just stare at one another.

..........

The party went off without a hitch, children got presents, parents got drinks, And the royal family and friends of the castle spent time together.

Except for Alistar.

He was nervous. So incredibly nervous.

No time was the right time. Every moment he even though about the proposal he saw Rosa talking to a new person.

He needed to get his head on straight.

As the night went on, more people turned in including Rosa and Alistar's missed opportunities.

It was good he was distracted though, because he didn't notice his friends leaving the castle alltogether.

..........

The next morning rolled around and Alistar was startled awake, holding his knife out from under his pillow and pointing it at..... Loreley?

"Shit..... you can't wake me up like that.... I'm sorry...." Alistar apologized as he put the knife back under his pillow and rubbed his face to wake up.

"Whatever. Cmon! It's Christmas morning!" Loreley exclaimed as she walked out of the room.

Alistar followed after her, putting his slippers on but not bothering to change into his day clothes at all.

Everyone was sat around the tree in the library, practically buzzing with excitement as they all looked over at him.

He waved awkwardly before walking over and sitting next to Rosa.

"Hey um.... Ro?" He whispered in her ear as the others started talking.

"One sec, Eli is opening his gifts," she stated with a smile as she cuddled up against Alistar.

"Alistar, you got me a gift?" Eli asked as he picked up the bag.

"Oh you'll love it, E!" Alistar replied.

"Oh! A new hammer! Thanks man! I had to throw mine away last week!" Eli stated with a smile.

"Keep looking!" Alistar stated.

Eli raised an eyebrow as he brought out a piece of paper labeled "free stab coupon" before laughing.

"Now you can return the favor anytime you want!" Alistar stated.

Eli continued to laugh.

As time went on. And more presents were opened, Ella looked at Alistar.

"Hey, Al?" She asked.

"Um... just.. just give me one Sec, El!" He stated as he turned to Rosa. "Rosa... could we slip away for a second? I have to ask you something," He muttered.

"Alistar um... we-"

Ella was interrupted by Rosa and alistar standing up.

"Sorry! Keep going without us okay?" Alistar smiled, completely unaware of the 20 something presents all labeled "Alistar".

Rosa leaned against the hallway, her head tilted. "Al? What's wrong?" She asked with a small smile.

"W.. well um.. nothings wrong.. necessarily... but um.. I was... wondering... y-you and I have been... well we've been together for some time now and.... w.... um...." Alistar stumbled through his words.

"Alistar?" Rosa asked.

The blonde took a breath and got down on one knee. Rosa gasped, her eyes widening.

"Rosalyn.... will you marry me?" He asked.

On the brink of tears, Rosa nodded her head frantically and hugged him, almost knocking him over.

After a good few minutes in each other's arms, Alistar and Rosa headed back into the library.

"Sorry about that guys! Did everyone open their gifts?" Alistar asked as he and Rosa sat down.

"Well... yes..." Ella stated.

"Really? Then... wait why are there so many under the tree? Is it for decoration?" Alistar asked.

"..... Al.... They're for you," Ella smiled.

"... w..... what?" His voice cracked.

"... Alistar... everyone deserves to have a christmas.... so we... we all got you a present for each year you never had one," Ella stated, holding her breath.

In that moment? Alistar realized what he had been missing out on.

He never had a biological family who cared enough to do any of this... but he always had a family who did.

And every time it was always Ella.... and now... he had even more family members to rely on.

#the prophecy of immortal fire

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direwombat · 1 year ago

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tagged by @aceghosts, and @socially-awkward-skeleton on this wip of a wednesday (tysm <3)

brain hasn't been letting me write recently, so here's something from a few weeks ago. it's the intro to the "soft praise kink jakesyb" smutfic i will eventually come back to (also uh...katc spoilers but these spoilers are a LOOOOOOOONG way off and still kinda falls in line with fc5 canon so spoilers but not really but still kinda). tw for decapitation

Sybille storms through the hallways of St. Francis. The Chosen wisely part for her as she carves a bloody streak of red across the floors. She’s drenched in red, her eyes wide and almost manic. Her pupils are tiny pinpricks surrounded by thick rings of green, and her chest heaves with every shallow breath she takes. Every muscle in her body is tense, poised to strike and lash out at anyone who gets in her way, and the sweet, metallic taste of iron fills her mouth.

Yet, she looks leagues better than the victim she’s carrying with her.

Every thunderous step of her combat boots leaves wet, red footprints across the linoleum, striding alongside the dripping trail originating from the stump of Eli Palmer's neck.

She carries the head by its hair -- his head by his hair. Her fingers weave through the dark, tangled, matted locks. The skin is pale, his chapped lips a frigid blue, and his jaw hangs slack now that there’s no tension to keep it shut. His warm brown eyes -- eyes that looked upon her with affection, with a look that said “Under any other circumstances, we could have had something great,” -- are nothing more than cold, glassy marbles, quickly clouding over.

She had done her job. Served her purpose. Made her sacrifice.

The worst part of it is that she had done it entirely sober. No Bliss clouded her judgment. No red tinting the edges of her vision or “Only You” echoing hauntingly somewhere in the distance. She was entirely aware of what she was doing as she committed every single gruesome action against Eli and the Whitetail militia.

He had fed her, clothed her, armed her, fucking saved her. He was the one who pulled her from the Grand View all those weeks ago. He was the one who trusted her when no one else did, when her mind was still in the early stages of ripping itself apart. He didn’t judge her for her instability like Joey, or challenge her decisions like Grace eventually did. They were equals. Former soldiers, thrust into positions of authority against their will and burdened by the responsibility others placed on them. He let her into his bunker. Trusted her when trust was hard to come by.

And in exchange, she killed him; smoked the militia out of their burrow as if they were nothing more than rabbits. She had hunted them down. Picked them off, one by one until it was just Eli left. He had begged her for mercy. Pleading, saying that this wasn’t her, that it was Jacob’s conditioning. She was better than this. Stronger.

She showed him just how strong she was by meting out the Judgment for his sins, as her new role in the Project demands. Then, she had cut through the cartilage of his neck and slipped her knife between his vertebrae to bring a trophy back to her Master.

Proof she had made her sacrifice; that she had done as ordered like the good little soldier she is. Jacob’s right hand. His pet. His Judge.

Kicking down the door to Jacob’s office, she barges in without announcing herself. He’s sitting at his desk with his reading glasses perched precariously on the tip of his nose. A number of files lay spread out across his desk, and he’s meticulously cross-referencing them when she drops Eli’s head on top of them with an undignified splat.

“It’s done,” she says grimly.

tagging: @wrathfulrook, @harmonyowl, @ivymarquis, @jillvalentinesday, @cassietrn, @poetikat, @confidentandgood, @strafethesesinners, @trench-rot,@miyabilicious, @simplegenius042, @g0dspeeed (sorry about what syb did to cappie's man here), @inafieldofdaisies, @josephslittledeputy, @adelaidedrubman, @madparadoxum, @voidika, @strangefable, and anyone else with something to share today! (taglist opt in/out)

#and by 'soft praise kink smut fic' i mean #'syb does something awful and she feels guilty about it. but jacob rewards her for the atrocity and tells her it was good actually'#wip wednesday

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nota1eks · 1 year ago

Text

masterlist of all my fics!

im notaleks on ao3. but here's all my fics in goddamned order (best to worst in my opinion)! also with so, so many links so you can get to the places :))

WHUMPTOBERS

Aleks' 2024 Whumptober !! -- 8 PHM, 2 Threshold

PROJECT HAIL MARY (23 fics)

SERIES: 434,000 hours

The Elimination Project -- Rocky's POV of the trip to Tau Ceti (then his arrival back on Erid)

and if i make it through, it's all because of you -- (AKA "AIIMIT") sequel to TEP / Rocky and Grace's return and settling on Erid; Adrian POV

OTHER

5 times people thought Grace and Stratt were "engaged in sexual congress" + 1 time they didn't! -- 5x fic, just what it sound slik e(but really 4x bc we saw one in the book

and so on -- the days following the explosion at baikonur, all the way up to coma time; Ilyukhina POV

off-brand trolley problem -- the unseen meeting wherein The Scientists have to decide whether or not to kill grace

everybody's got a plan until you're punched in the face -- (by Sherbet42 and myself!) (AU wherein Yao & Ilyukhina survive) the hail mary crew argue over whether or not to go save rocky. someone gets punched

untitled stratt fic (or, stratt slaying) -- after grace has been kidnapped off to launch, stratt goes through some of grace's items

fanfic of fanfic: Damage Control [podfic] -- "After the Adrian Adventure™ Ryland ... needs to get it together for himself, his planet, and his friend...but maybe some good company and rest will help." (MWL)

You shut your mouth, how can you say I go about things the wrong way? -- good ol ryland grace has a mental breakdown after having had published his paper on water & life (and getting fired)

EPIC RAP BATTLES OF HISTORY: 1 ng of astrophage VS 1 mg of astrophage!!! -- dubois and shapiro do a bit of science before launch. it’s an edge case they’re testing, but it’s better safe and tested than sorry later…right? right?? / or: the test that gets dubois and shapiro killed.

Just The Two of Us: You and I -- one-shot collection of grace & rocky being The Best Duo

Eva Stratt, Praetor Maximus -- scientists and stratt being a little silly. really just self-indulgent because i wanted to write about the earth crew :)

a dream of water -- grace has a lil breakdown on erid 'cause he's lonely and sad and has scurvy

Get Back to Where You Once Belonged -- AU wherein grace was able to ge tback to earth. i wrote this a LONG time ago so it's not very good.

all-nighting -- grace works too much, for his lack of having a life. stratt, concerned for the safety of everyone on stratt's vat (and grace's, tbh), intervenes

alone no longer -- grace and rocky discuss romantic, sexual, & platonic attraction. grace is sure something is wrong with him -- he has never felt romantic nor sexual attraction. rocky thinks otherwise.

pandaemonium: a discord chatfic -- THE CREW GET A DISCORD? IT GETS GOT? / *I DONT EVEN KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE THIS. / **wanting to try a new type of CSS 🤝 the 3am flavour of phm brainrot

it's hot and we rot in this oven... -- a day in the life of a worker on the sahara, assembling/laying down blackpanels

Rocky T. Cowboy (I AM SO SORRY) -- (deep breath...) rocky as a cowboy. i'm not sure either. it's crack, ok?

Whumptober day 7: Radio Silence -- After the launch of the Hail Mary, Stratt gets got and, while her imprisoner-state is being decided, a solo faction keeps her in a box

happy new years! -- a little baby new year's fic about grace, stratt, and dubois hanging out :)

settle down, class. -- abby et al's perspective of grace booking the hell out of class. written simply to get me out of a writing slump.

THRESHOLD UNIVERSE (3 fics)

Are We Even? (Paradox Bound fic) -- Harry and Eli thought that their journeying would be easy. fun, even. That is, until a man shows up, robs Harry, and threatens Eli. Then thee two travellers must come to a consensus in their argument -- however one-sided it may be.

bad things happen to the people you love (Koturoverse AKA Threshold Universe fic) -- post-terminus shits and giggles. also AU where aleks (not me, i'm on about aleksander koturovic) lives bc he's great and so silly

praying or surrendering (neither will help anyway) (Koturoverse fic) -- koturovic does have the key to the cuffs and repays a debt by helping murdoch inside.

X-MEN (1 fic)

first impressions -- Erik set out, this morning, certain that today would be the day he'd kill Schmidt. ... But in the evening he finds himself on a foreign boat, ... and he feels...hopeful.

BODIES (NETFLIX SHOW) (1 fic)

haunted by longing -- Alfred is sooo gay but he has sooo much internalized homophobia but we love a good moral dilemma in this household

MISC (2 fics)

je te souris, tu me surprends (et j'aurais voulu te plaire encore) -- 2024 olympics fic

and if they're beside me, i know i need never care -- 2024 olympics fic

#project hail mary #phm #ao3 #fanfic #fic masterlist #masterlist #to be edited #to be updated #aleks tries to be organized #and FAILS #aleks writes

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boogomol · 2 years ago

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@futurespacess / continuing from here

Those cold blue eyes locked with the other at the mention of respect, and he felt himself bubble up with a laugh. “That is easier said, than done, my friend… Not everyone can gain the respect of others, except through shows of grand feats, I imagine.” It was all he knew, battle and more battle. So, of course his view on ‘respect’ was so twisted up. “The things of fairy tales…” Though, for himself and his own form of respect, he had so much of that for this individual, who was casually floating a bottle of alcohol. It was at the next suggestion that he momentarily forced his gaze away, as if distracted by something in the corner of his eye. He hadn’t really ordered the other to do something in a long while, leaving him to his own devices, not since they were children. So, to be given this chance again, after all this time, he folded his arms across his chest to think it over. “… Are you sure?…” It wasn’t the question on if it would relieve his pressure, that he was certain of. No, this was on if the other man was truly fine with him being able to flex his power in a way. Not that he was afraid of getting hurt, far from it, but didn’t want to ever pressure the man into doing something. He wouldn’t be asking, if he wasn’t… The thought came to him, and he sighed. “Very well… - Alright!” A hand moved to rest on his hip as he turned to him, again, and looked so serious. He could only think of one way, at the moment, to get his mind off of everything. “… Hurt me, then.” Again, all he knew was to fight, and keep on fighting. It just made sense to go at this with full-on attack, as he didn’t see any other option, or at least could not think of it. “Go on. I can take it…” He oozed with that confidence, and a dashing smirk.

The bottle abruptly falls out of the air, shattering against the floor. What a stranger request to make of him, almost laughable his psychics attacks are nothing to take so lightly as a game, but if the boss really wanted to play, well, he wasn't one to go against a direct order, not when it comes from him, for Eli he would do anything.

❝ We shall see about that ❞

He playfully retorts, without so much as looking up from where he had made himself comfortable. This was challenge now, a prime opportunity to demonstrate how skilled he had become, sometimes it felt as though his boss took his abilities for granted.

Though for a moment, nothing happens, the air hangs still in an eerie silence, but soon enough the other will begin to feel a tugging at the back of his mind, an inexplicable nagging feeling that rapidly develops into a screeching headache as the psychic forces his way into the other's mine.

#futurespacess #: I C #: T H R E A D #V : AU #[BOY WE IN IT NOW]#[Anyway it wasn't letting me trim so new thread]

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bonesandthebees · 2 years ago

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okay first of all i love the title anyways lets go!

i should potentially reread the prequel bjt yolo

title sic infit means so it begins thats neat i like it

im never going to shut up about the way you describe things like this is a dude resding a book but every word is written with such care that its so much more

ooh a ferronnière fancy i am googling so hard rn

the announcement from the snippets! i am very excited about this bit

i think that if wilbur isnt told about it that means it probably has something to do with him in some way. but i do think that even though he thinks phil would be told that he might mot have been its probably a pretty big thing i would think. if it was nothing wilbur would know i think so yeah i would assume that even if it doesnt directly pertain to wilbur that it will be something that will impact him

ah his choice on the heir? yes

i like the break you chose it fits

tnt duo!

i feel like its gonna be some curveball idk im like so skeptical that it would be that easy i also didnt read the summary oops anyways but ywah i feel like a secret third option gets named heir or something like tommy because you said we dont meet him this chapter but will next and yeah idk i dont ever expect things to go how people think they will

phil wasnt told

its definitely going to be a curveball

i dont think its the announcement they think it will be i truly think if it is related to the heir hes going to bring in a third option or just announce that a third option is the heir

something is happening tonight lets see it

how gay are ponk and sam on a scale of 7-10?

NEW VISITORS. TOMMY!

willum hehe

I WAS RIGHT (potentially)

i am so excited for this fic oh my god its going to be so good i can just tell

this pendant means so much its his family and his power and his status and its interesting

YOU HAVE PINTEREST BOARDS I WANT TO SEE THEM

OMG AND THE PLAYLIST FOR THIS FIC oooooooh i like the vibes

anyways im sooooo excited for this fic i think its going to be a fun one!

- 🪿

thank you!! the original title was just 'under the rose' but it felt off to me (partly bc I have a fic already titled under the brine and I thought it would be too similar) so I wanted to make it slightly different but still hold the same meaning. eli helped me brainstorm different words to add to it and then they suggested hanging and I was like ooo ok yeah we're gonna go with that, and I'm very happy with it now

the prequel is very fun if you want some more context + rainduo being cute kids

lol yeah figured sic infit was fitting as a first chapter title

tyyy I always struggle with finding my 'voice' in the first chapter of a new long form fic, because I need to figure out how I'm going to describe things and what word choice I'll lean towards so this chapter had a lot of me experimenting with different descriptions. i'm so glad you like them though!

ty ty I always have fun (read: struggle) with choosing the line breaks for my fics because I want them to hold at least some kind of meaning/connection to the story but also look nice. I experimented with a few unicode flowers and the order to put them in before I decided on the break I have now and I think it looks exactly how I wanted it

curveball :)))

sam and ponk are like a 9 because ponk isn't the king and even though sam keeps saying it's fine they know they gotta show some decorum in public

the pendant gets talked about more in the prequel, but yes it shows wilbur's status as being the son of the consil. it's representative of the role that has defined his entire life at the palace so it holds a lot of meaning to him

usually I have no problem sharing my pinterest boards for fics, but I actually don't have a public board for this one I just realized. the only board I have for it is a private one so it can be as messy and disorganized as I want and mostly just be used to hold references. I might make a public one though and if I do I'll share it with you all! for now though all you get is this one screenshot of part of it (yes there are so many screenshots from game of thrones on it because the costume design for that show is literally amazing)

the playlist is also a lot of fun I am trying so hard to find exactly the right vibes for it

thank you so much I'm so glad you're excited for this!! i'm so excited to share it with you all after so long :D

#ask #goose anon #rose ch 1

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skylarsin7 · 6 months ago

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The Gipson Girls Job: Ch. 10

Chapter Ten

The alarm blared in Eliot’s ear, sending his blood rocketing through his veins. Embyr. She was in trouble. He had been trying to talk to her through the comms, but hadn’t received an answer. Now it was all too clear. He was out the door of his truck before his next thought formed, slamming it behind him as his strides devoured the pavement between him and the backdoor of the club.

Hardison froze as the alarm sounded, signifying the Embyr was in deep shit. He glanced around the room discreetly to confirm what he had noticed upon arriving. She wasn’t here. That had to mean that Victor had her holed up elsewhere, or even moved off site. Panic skittered through him, but he kept his face impassive. “Two honeys, bought and paid for.” Victor was all smiles now. Not only was their business to be concluded now, but he was about two point seven million dollars richer. Not that he would ever really see that money, but it was enough of an illusion for him to feel very much like that cat that got the canary. It still floored Hardison how much Victor was selling these women for. It was disgusting. He could hear Nate barking orders, Eliot’s ragged breathing. Parker was oddly quiet, and so was Sophie. He could just imagine the look on Soph’s face. He had seen how the girl had softened their Grifter, even in the few hours she had known her. Fussing around her like a mother hen. Hardison sent up a silent prayer that Eliot would reach Embyr before it was too late.

Eliot threw open the back door to the club, and it nearly slammed into the wall behind him. He swept in, his head on a swivel as he listened. Embyr had said she was locked in a closet that smelled of mold and the great unwashed. He skirted a half wall that led down into the basement, where the smell of mold was going to be strongest. From there, he paused, listening for the sound of trouble, a thud, a scream. Anything. The basement was quiet. Frustration tore through him, but he took a deep breath to calm himself. Getting all worked up before he had to would only exhaust him, and even a single moment of slowness could cost him, or Embyr, and he wouldn’t risk that. He stepped further into the spacious basement, keeping his nose peeled for any concentration of B.O over top of the mold. He closed his eyes, tapping into every memory he had of high school boys locker rooms, laundry duty after football games, the barracks at the base, of all that male sweat building to unbearable levels in the most inhospitable places he served.

There. He was off again, following the smell of sweaty jockstraps and old socks. His search led him to a door marked ‘Maintenance’, where the faint sound of a struggle could be heard. He tested the handle, and smiled. Dumbass didn’t lock the door behind him. He twisted the handle again, yanking it back as hard as he could.

Embyr could barely feel anything anymore, barely hanging onto consciousness. She wondered vaguely why, why she continued to struggle. It was futile anyway. Just as she was about to slip into the beckoning darkness, the door burst open, the scrape and clang of metal hitting concrete pausing Dario in his explorations. His grip loosened in his surprise and Embyr’s knees buckled. She collapsed to the floor, coughing as her lungs greedily sucked in the foul tasting air. Despite the lingering tinge of sewage it left in her mouth, any air was preferable to strangulation. Slowly, she lifted her head, her eyes, barely open against the invading light, took in Eliot as he stood in the doorway. His eyes glittered with malice he didn’t even try to hide, a fury he did not have a leash on. Embyr shuddered, fear of Eliot marring her relief that he had come to her rescue. His movements were a blur, launching himself at the larger man, who still hadn’t completely turned for the doorway, and wrapping his thick arms around Dario’s neck. The Enforcer’s eyes bulged, his mouth opening in a surprised ‘O’. With his free hand, Eliot swung at the man’s face, blood dotting his knuckles as he smashed in several teeth, breaking Dario’s nose. The huge man bellowed his fury and pain, struggling to keep his balance with the other man on his back. Still Eliot hung on like a rodeo rider, Dario a senseless bull prodded into violence.

Embyr’s eyes slowly came back into focus, the world gradually coming back into color. She scooted back into the closet as far as she could, shrinking in on herself as the two men fought. Dario slammed back against the doorframe, cracking Eliot’s spine on the corner. Eliot wheezed, and his grip loosened for a fraction of a second. Dario seemed to sense his enemy’s moment of weakness and gripped the arm that had been locked around his throat. He flipped Eliot over his shoulder as if he were nothing more than a child’s toy, slamming him into the floor. There was a sickening smack as his shoulder bowed against the concrete. He didn’t move.

Embyr couldn’t help the strangled cry that escaped her, which drew the Enforcer’s attention. Blood dripped lazily from his broken jaw, and he spat a combination of his viscous spittle and shards of teeth onto the floor by her feet. “You’ll pay for this with your body, foolish Bird…” He growled, the words slurred and hoarse from the mangled mess of his mouth. She drew her knees up to her chest, watching him with hate-filled eyes. She wished a thousand times over that her gaze would cause the horrific mountain of a man to spontaneously combust, but as he drew closer to her, not a mass of burning flesh, a sickening realization settled in the pit of her stomach. He was going to kill her. Slowly, and by the look on his face, she would suffer every torment humanly possible for a woman before he did so.

Tears, both angry and fearful welled in her eyes, tracking crystal saline down her cheeks. “Bastard. I’ll see you in hell.” She promised him. He grinned, triumph in every line of his face. “I won’t be killing you just yet, little Bird, but by the time I am done with you, you’ll wish I had…” He replied with a smug sneer, confirming her suspicions. She lifted her chin in defiance. “Do your worst. I swear that you won’t enjoy a moment of it. I’ll rip those grapes you call balls off and feed them to you.” She growled. Which, she realized belatedly, was probably rather comical from where he was standing, considering that she was a tiny, half-naked ball in the back of a closet.

Eliot groaned, his head spinning as he lifted it. Embyr was shrunk back into the corner, the most defiant expression he had ever seen on her face. It was deeper than the look she had worn in the living room when she was convinced that she would have to do this alone. This was recognition and resignation. The Gipson’s Enforcer advanced on her, meaty hands reaching for her. Faster than he could form the thought, he swung his fist, knocking it into the brute’s ankle. There was a muffled popping sound and Dario screamed like a banshee as his leg went out from under him. Eliot scrambled back out of the way as the mountain crumbled, crashing to the floor on his knees. With another cry, this one of fury, he braced his good leg underneath him and pushed himself up. Eliot was faster, standing with his fists poised to strike. Dario was easily a hundred to a hundred and fifty pounds heavier than Eliot, and at least a foot taller. Now that he didn’t have the element of surprise, Eliot wasn’t sure he would be able to best the Enforcer. Even with his injured ankle, Dario was a formidable force. In the alley, he had the advantage of space, the momentum of oncoming opponents. Here, in close quarters, he would be lucky to knock the brute unconscious.

Dario didn’t spare Embyr another moment of thought, reaching for his belt, drawing out a wicked looking Bowie knife. Eliot stilled. Any weapon changed the beat of this particular dance, but a knife in this tiny closet was as lethal as a gun. Dario smiled, his grin gaping in places from his missing teeth, and that made him look almost manic in his glee. Eliot backed away, hoping to draw him out into a more open space. He hoped that the brute would be dumb enough to believe that Eliot was scared of him, which would make him cocky. Inflated confidence in one’s abilities was a recipe for mistakes, a fact Eliot knew all too well. On que, Dario followed, slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. Eliot’s eyes flicked to Embyr, urging her without words that as soon as Dario was clear of the door, she was to run. She swallowed, but nodded.

Once Dario was in the doorway, Eliot beckoned him with one sarcastic bend of his fingers, his lips curving into a lopsided smile. Dario grunted, lunging forward with the knife gripped in one meaty fist. Eliot jumped back, the blade missing his abdomen by millimeters. Apparently, just because he was big, didn’t mean Dario was at least fairly skilled with that knife. Eliot kicked forward, aiming high on Dario’s thigh, hoping to knock the mountain of muscle off his balance, and giving himself the advantage. He all but bounced off his target. Still, it got Dario away from the door. He could see a flash of grey out of the corner of his eye, fighting the urge to sigh in relief. At least Embyr could get to safety. Dario also caught the movement and let out a bellow of frustration, twisting the knife in his grasp, and faster than Eliot would have thought possible, lunged forward again. The blade sank into Eliot’s shoulder, grinding against the bone as it did. Distantly, he could hear a high pitched cry from the doorway. Embyr. In a knee jerk reaction, Eliot kneed the Enforcer in the groin with all his waning strength. Dario’s eyes went wide as he sank to one knee, dragging the knife down with the momentum of his descent. The Enforcer’s hands cupped his abused man parts, his breath coming in short wheezing pants. Eliot hissed in pain, gripping the handle of the blade and yanking it out. Blood flowed freely from the wound, soaking through his shirt in a rapidly spreading fall. He didn’t think he had hit any major arteries, but it was hard to tell from this angle.

Embyr jumped up and ran, tugging her bra back over herself as she did so. Instinct and a little morbid curiosity had her turning at the last second when she reached the archway that led back upstairs. Just in time to see Dario’s knife cleave into Eliot’s shoulder. A scream tore itself from her throat and she doubled back, her eyes sweeping the space for anything she could use as a weapon. She spied a slender beam of wood laying on a stack of deconstructed scaffolding and grabbed it. Hoisting it like a bat, she charged, smacking the stunned Enforcer in the side of the head. There was a muffled crack, and Dario’s cry of pain as one meaty hand flew to his temple. Apparently the new pain distracted him momentarily from the devastating blow to his grapes. He twisted to look at her, fury and pain etched into every ugly line of his face, and she swung again, this time catching him square in the nose. It flattened the rest of the way on impact, blood gushing once more down his face. She swung again, a fury she had never known before bubbling up in her chest. Her vision darkened slightly, tinged red until the lines of reality blurred. She moved on instinct, paying no attention to the cries of the Enforcer as he put his hands up to protect what was left of his face. She continued to swing, even after the mountain crumbled into a heap on the floor, unconscious. Tears streamed down her face and she thrashed in protest as a strong arm wrapped around her, pinning her own against her torso.

“Em, Em, it’s over. He’s out. It’s over.” Eliot’s voice sounded funny, like it was reverberating through a glass fish bowl, so very far away. She froze, going that eerie stock still as her vision slowly returned to normal. Horror flashed through her as she took in the bloody wood still gripped in her hand, the mangled body on the floor. She dropped the makeshift bat as if the material had burned her. Dario’s face was a mess, deep gashes wept lazily and splinters from her assault peppered the surface like a macabre pincushion. “Oh god…” She breathed, her knees turning to jelly, threatening to buckle beneath her. Eliot held her, slowly turning her to face him. “It’s alright, I’m here…” He murmured, holding her closer with his good arm. She pulled back, her eyes widening as she took in the blood on his shirt. He glanced down, shrugging with his good shoulder. “I’ve had worse, don’t worry.” His eyes slid from her face to her chest, which was still very much on display. It didn’t even occur to her to be embarrassed, though she probably should have been. Adrenaline still pumped through her veins, turning her skin a pale shade of rose. He swallowed, reaching for the tattered remains of her shirt, knotting the fabric between her breasts. It wasn’t ideal, but at least she was mostly covered. Her bra only went so far in ways of modesty. “Let’s get out of here.” He steered her from the wreckage, to the back door. He didn’t know if she had killed the man or not, but he didn’t want to be around when the Gipsons figured out their Enforcer had been decommissioned by the same girl that had escaped them twice now.

“Hardison, are you out?” Eliot asked into the coms. “Yeah, I doubled back twice to get back to Lucille in case I was followed.” He replied. Eliot nodded, though the other man couldn’t see him. “Good, we need an extraction. I’ve got Embyr. We will be two blocks south of the club on Maple. And we will need a med kit.” He could hear the pain and exhaustion in his voice and he cursed it. Now was not the time to fall apart. To his immense relief, Hardison didn’t ask too many questions but simply agreed. Embyr said nothing as they walked, trembled against him as she was tucked under his arm. He didn’t think he would forget for quite some time the look on her face as she’d laid into Dario. It was as if her conscious thoughts had been drowned out by the white noise that he knew intimately well from his years in the service and then as a retrieval specialist. If numb could have an expression, that was it. He tightened his arm around her.

They reached the rendezvous point, huddled together in the growing shadows outside the circle of light created by the street lamp. He could hear Lucille approach before he glanced up. The massive black van was a welcome sight as his vision was starting to tip dangerously. Blood loss was a bitch. The sooner they got out of here, the better. Hardison pulled up close to the curb, blocking Eliot and Embyr from view in case anyone was driving by. He hopped out, his wide eyes flicking from Embyr’s torn shirt and Eliot’s bloody shoulder. “What in the hell happened? Where’s your truck?” He demanded. Eliot leveled him with a look that pleaded that they wait to do the explaining until later, but Hardison didn’t move. Eliot sighed. “Dario. The Gipson’s enforcer…” He trailed off, the very thought of what he had been doing to Embyr when Eliot had interrupted him was enough to turn Eliot’s vision red. “He assaulted me.” Embyr finished in a deadpan voice. Hardison let out a muffled ‘Damn’ under his breath. “He was strangling me, and, um…tore my shirt…” Embyr continued as if she hadn’t heard the hacker’s exclamation. “If Eliot hadn’t shown up when he did…I don’t think I would have lasted much longer…” She admitted. It seemed that her words were breaking through the numbed state of her consciousness and she began to tremble harder, the adrenaline fading, leaving her feeling weak and hollow. Tears burned at the edges of her vision as the image of Dario’s prone body flooded her mind’s eye. “And…and…I think I may have killed him…” Her voice broke over the last and Eliot curled her into him, stroking her spine with his good hand. “It was the most brazen, reckless, but bravest thing I’ve ever seen. Even if you did kill him, I couldn’t be any more proud of you. Nor would I ever blame you for it.” He spoke slowly, calmly, willing that calm into her with his words and his touch. She nodded, her trembling slowing a bit as he held her.

“We need to get out of here. Victor will likely have gone to check on Embyr and will likely discover his Enforcer’s body and that his prized prisoner is missing. I’ll pick up the truck when it cools down around here.” Eliot urged. Hardison nodded once, not needing to be told twice. Embyr climbed into the back of the van, turning back for Eliot. He swayed, a muffled curse escaping him as he tried unsuccessfully to follow. Embyr held her hand out for him, and though it shook, she offered him an encouraging smile. With a deep breath, he heaved himself up into the cargo bay. He sank into one of the chairs with a heavy sigh, closing his eyes. His skin was worryingly pale. He was losing blood, fast. “Hardison, where is that med kit?” She asked sharply, concern an edge to her every syllable. “Under the seat.” The hacker replied, meeting her worried expression in the rear view. She dug under the seat, sliding out a huge, almost military grade med kit. She had to admit, she was impressed, albeit not surprised. She was sure this wasn’t the first time Eliot had come back from a job bleeding. She flipped open the top of the kit, grabbing a wad of gauze before pressing it against his shoulder, hard. His eyes snapped open, and he winced. “Hey, easy there…” He managed, his voice hoarse. She bit her lip. “Sorry, but we’ve got to stop the bleeding. We should get you to a hospital.” Eliot shook his head.

“Don’t do hospitals. Hate them.” He told her. Her lips pulled into a disgruntled pout. “But Eliot….you are losing a lot of blood.” She protested. Eliot couldn’t help the full belly laugh that escaped him, hissing as the action worried his shoulder. “Well isn’t this the pot calling the kettle black. I distinctly remember a young woman who was quite adamant about ‘O ‘Ospitals’ when she nearly had her head beaten in by not one, but at least a dozen thugs.” He jibbed, but his words were starting to slur. Embyr bristled. “So? I hadn’t been stabbed, Eliot.” She retorted sourly. Eliot shrugged once with his good shoulder. “A few stitches and I’ll be good as new.” She rummaged around the med kit with her free hand until she found the silk thread and suture needle. ”Hold this. I’ll sew you up since it's my fault you got stabbed..” She wouldn’t look at him as she said it, but her tone stated quite plainly that she wasn't to be argued with. He pressed his palm to the gauze, watching her. As much as he wanted to protest, to tell her that she had nothing to do with it, he respected her wishes and simply held the gauze in place.

Carefully, she laid out the needle and thread, reaching back into the kit for the small pair of surgical scissors. She threaded the needle with practiced ease, laying it on her lap as she turned to him. She had him move the gauze, a fresh flow of blood blooming over the existing stain. She carefully cut away the shoulder of his shirt, revealing the wound. “Awww, this was one of my favorite shirts…” He protested, but his voice was more slur than whine. She ignored him, hissing out a breath as she examined the jagged gash carefully, her skin turning a pale shade of green. He couldn’t look at her with that flood of concern in her eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll call Laura…” He began, pulling away, but she shook her head. “I can do it. It’s MY fault you are hurt in the first place. It’s just…I’ve never sewn up skin before.” She admitted. His desire to argue, to insist that he never should have allowed her to be bait in the first place grew, but the self-deprecation in her voice caused only a half-hearted chuckle. That was the part she was worried about? “It’s not too different from sewing up suede or soft leather. Just… a few more layers to stitch through.” He advised, calmly, as not to worsen her anxiety. Carefully, she squeezed the edges of the gash closed, gritting her teeth as she made the first stitch. His jaw clenched, but he didn’t make a sound. “Are you alright?” She asked quietly. He refused to look at her, lest he give himself away. His gaze wandered skyward, his breath hitching as she made the next stitch. “I’ve had worse.” He replied. Embyr frowned. “That didn’t answer my question, Eliot.” She nearly growled. This was not the time for his deflection. He looked at her then, pain etched into every line of his face. “I didn’t want to lie to you.” He said simply. She swallowed hard, refusing to look away. “Then don’t.” She replied. He didn’t speak, but his eyes told her more than his words ever could. She fell into a rhythm of threading and pulling, stitching the skin together as neatly as she could. When she was finished, she cleaned around the wound with more gauze and the contents of a tiny antiseptic bottle she found. She placed a large patch of gauze over the stitches, taping it in place. Eliot was impressed. Though she had been nervous, her hands shaking, she had swallowed her nerves and dove in head first with what needed to be done. She continued to amaze him at every turn. She didn’t wilt under pressure like some delicate feminine flower. She bit and fought with every bit of the ferocity of a cornered she-wolf.

When she was done putting the kit away, she sank back into her seat with a heavy sigh. It was as if all of the air had been released from her sails. She looked pale, almost sickly again. “Thank you.” Eliot managed softly. She nodded, her eyes closed, but didn’t speak. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. They sat that way in silence for what felt like forever. “You doing alright back there?” Hardison asked, stealing glances at them in the mirror. Embyr didn’t respond, her mind too tangled to form a reply. “F-fine…” Eliot managed, his voice breathy, faint. It drew Embyr’s attention immediately. He had his head laid back, his eyes closed. His skin was borderline gray now, sweat beaded on his brow. She reached for him, her fingers ghosting over his forehead, which was hot. His cheeks, in contrast, were ice cold. “Hardison, how far are we from the office?” She asked hurriedly, panic lifting her voice half an octave. “About ten minutes, why?” The hacker replied, his eyes flicking back and forth between them. “Too far from the hospital then.” She said, smoothing a few stray strands of Eliot’s back from his face. “Eliot, where is your phone?” She asked, cupping his cheek to make him focus on her. “Why?” He asked slowly, his voice barely audible, the slur in his words getting worse. He sounded almost drunk. “Where is your phone?! I’m calling Laura.” She insisted, her voice hiking higher, impatience slicing the air. Eliot shook his head, waving her off weakly. “‘M’fine…” He tried to reassure her, but she glared at him.

“Where is your damn phone Eliot Spencer!? Or I swear I will turn you upside down and shake it from you!” She cried, tears of either anger or fear burning the edges of her vision. She wasn’t sure which at this point. ”In m’pocket…” He managed. She dug into the pocket of his jeans without preamble, ignoring the fact that she was rummaging around the pocket of Eliot’s pants. “What’s going on!?” Hardison asked, Embyr’s agitation setting him on edge. Embyr didn’t answer him, scrolling rapidly through Eliot’s contacts to find Laura. The medic answered on the second ring.

“Hey there Eliot, how’s the girl?” Laura asked, her voice edged with a little dread, as if she anticipated bad news. “I was expecting you to call me and update me sooner than this Spence.” She chastised. “Laura, I need your help…Eliot is hurt. Lost a lot of blood. I sewed him up, but he’s turning gray and his speech is slurred.” Embyr spoke quickly, cursing the flood of emotion that welled up in her chest. If he died because of her…She shuddered. There was pause. “Honey, where are you? What happened?” Laura switched gears immediately, all medic now. “Hardison, what is the address to the office?” She asked hurriedly. He rattled it off for her and she relayed it to Laura. “Alright, relax. Keep pressure on the wound, and try to keep him warm. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” The medic replied before hanging up. Embyr’s heart was hammering out of her chest, almost painful against her ribs. Keep pressure on the wound, keep him warm. She glanced around the cargo bay of the van, seeing absolutely nothing to cover him with. She swallowed, unhooking her seatbelt.

Hardison was watching her in the mirror, his brows knitting as she slid across the bay to settle in Eliot’s lap. All she had to keep him warm was herself. She curled against him, laying her head against his good shoulder. She let her long hair down, letting it cascade where it would. She pressed her palm to his injured shoulder, applying as much pressure as she could. He grunted, but didn’t move beyond that. He didn’t even seem to know that she was there. She held onto him tightly, praying that they weren’t too late.

#leverage tv #leverage #christian kane #eliot spencer

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