#let him crash cater's pizza party!!!!

[egophiliac]

Do you have any final theories/desires for Book 7 Part 12?

(slamming fists on table) I DEMAND MORE CHE'NYA

[copperbadge]

Still badgering away at The Chicken Salad War and I did not realize how delighted I was going to be by introducing semi-masc nonbinary Jes Deimos to gallant butch Ylias Lazaar. I don't quite know where their subplot is going to go if anywhere but I feel like it may be somewhere awesome.

"Mr. Lazaar," said a familiar voice, and she turned to see LeFevre at her elbow, looking pleased. "A great success for you, I think." 

"Seems to have gone all right, yeah," she agreed. "I heard you were going to crash."

"Alas, I could not -- I ended up invited," he said, grinning. 

"And you brought guests?"

"Ah, I didn't mean to bring the royal family down on your head so soon," he said, leaning in. "They are terrible gossips; I should have remembered when I told King Theophile that he would likely share the information. Still, His Grace Gerald is pleased you use his oil and His Grace Michaelis enjoyed the matbucha greatly."

"And you? No constructive criticism?" she asked. 

"Not tonight. I have never opened a restaurant myself, but I can understand this is your triumph! And in any case they are small quibbles. I will need to dine here more times before I speak," he replied. Someone tapped him on the arm, and he turned, then nodded at the person standing just behind him -- the one who'd been speaking with the old king a moment before. "Mr. Lazaar, may I present Ser Deimos, who came with His Grace. This is Mr. Lazaar, the chef of the hour. She/her," he added with a smile. 

Ser Deimos looked amused. "They/them," they said, holding out a hand. "We're honored to be able to attend -- I don't think we realized when Gerald told us he was going that it was your soft open." 

"It's my pleasure. Not everyone gets to feed the royal family on their first night," she replied, bowing over their hand. "And you're an ornament to any dining room." 

Deimos looked delighted. "Thank you, that's kind of you to say. If I'd known the food was going to be this good I'd have scared up a party. I have a lot of friends in from out of country at the moment."

"Well, we open reservations tomorrow morning -- but for the royal family, I can set aside a table," Ylias replied. 

"Don't, just yet," Deimos said, looking around. "I'm thinking more of a party. Could we rent the restaurant?"

"The whole restaurant?" Ylias asked, blinking. Simon looked smug. 

"If not, that's fine -- we'll take the offer of a table -- but my son's graduating next week, and we were thinking of a group dinner the night before. Simon here is catering the night of," they added. "It'll be twenty or thirty people, and some of them have been doubtful that Fons-Askaz could live up to New York, foodwise. Yes, I felt the same," they added, catching Ylias's expression. "The only thing Fons-Askaz can't offer that New York can is the pizza, and only because our Eddie hasn't got the time to open a pizza restaurant." 

"I hadn't..." Ylias fumbled slightly. "I'm sorry, we have a catering menu but I hadn't arranged any kind of contract for renting the space. It'd need to be a handshake deal and I couldn't quote a fee off the top of my head."

"Of course, I threw this at you with no warning. Here," they said, reaching into their pocket for a wallet and pulling out a card. "Email or phone is fine. If you can send me a proposal by Sunday, I can make a deposit on Monday. I'm comfortable with an informal deal as long as we have terms written out over email. If you don't feel ready, just let me know -- we'll definitely be back regardless." 

"I'll be in touch," Ylias managed. Deimos gave her a bow and a smile, and retreated to their table.

[Then, later]

As they left Plate & Press, full of good food and possibly slightly tipsy, Jes leaned against Michaelis's arm and said, "Holy shit."

He gave them an amused look. "Yes, the food was very good. Nice space, too. I can't remember the last time I had such a pleasant evening out."

"Well, yeah, but I meant the chef," they said. He glanced at them, frowning.

"The Lazaar fellow?"

"Lady, I think. Uncertain, actually. Butch, possibly. She/her but Simon called her Mr. Lazaar." 

"I noticed her, but I didn't see anything particularly unusual. Why?" 

"I love you to bits but you're hopeless," they said. "You really didn't think she was hot?"

"I don't form opinions about sex appeal, generally," he reminded them. "Present company excepted." 

"Well, she is hot in a very specific way -- like you, actually, sort of masculine and chivalrous -- and she called me an ornament to her dining room. I may have had a little moment." 

He laughed. "Oh dear, am I going to have to fight a chef for your favors?" 

"No, it's just nice to know I still got it." 

He kissed the side of their head, affectionate. "You're an ornament wherever you go, but I'll make a note to remind you of it more often. Seems she's making a stir -- Simon likes her also, I think. Sometime soon we're going to have to kick Gregory and Eddie out of the residence for an evening, and I think I'll recommend that place for dinner. Gregory loves Tunisian food and I think Eddie would find a lot to interest him."

"You just want to spend a whole evening cuddling babies," Jes said. 

"Joan and the twins all require the benefit of my wisdom on a regular basis," he said. There was a wolf-whistle directed at them from somewhere over their heads; some young wag, out on the second-floor balcony of a small hotel, clearly getting an early start on Pride. She waved a pink-and-blue flag in their direction. 

"You can't have him!" Jes called. 

"I was whistling at you!" the girl called back. 

"I'll take him," her friend offered from the chair next to her. 

Michaelis chuckled. "Drink some water, young ladies, or you'll be in no condition for the parade this weekend," he called. 

"Vodka's sixty percent water!" someone on another balcony shouted, and someone else yelled for everyone to keep it down, and the discussion went on without them. 

[satancopilotsmytardis]

Drabble-A-Thon Prompt #8

Pairing: Shigadabi

Rating: Mature

Prompt: Freestyle!

Contents: Sex worker/professional sub!Dabi, Non-villains AU (yes quirks), Toga is 18, strippers, mentioned orgies, anal plug.

“Happy birthday!” Tomura nearly jumps out of his skin when he opens the door to his apartment a little after six, having fully planned to just crash and then see if anyone wanted to do something tomorrow. But of course one of them had snooped. He would put good money on it being Toga. 

“Get out of my house.” He says flatly as he enters, having to bat a balloon out of his face as he tries to hang up his coat. He has a lavish penthouse apartment, a good job at his adoptive father’s company, and good friends. But they are definitely pushing their luck coming into his space unannounced, and are lucky he’s wearing his gloves and none of them had been too close to the door when he opened it, because otherwise the chances of this having ended in bloodshed were nonzero. Toga and Magne are definitely responsible for having decorated the entire apartment in gray, black, and red balloons and streamers, a black table cloth thrown over his island with food and drink set out on red trays and cups. There is a small pile of presents wrapped on the coffee table in the living room, and his friends are dressed for a party. He finds Spinner, who is half hiding behind Magne. “This is not why I gave you a spare key.” 

“Which is why we didn’t use it to break in.” Atsuhiro tells him haughtily. 

“Your bedroom is fucking scary, Shig.” 

He lets out a long, low sigh. “Who else did you invite?” 

“Everyone in your black book that wasn’t crossed out.” Magne tells him. “Who’s ‘Firefly’? They didn’t answer the phone when we called and texted us instead with rates. Stripper?” 

“Sure.” He says, perking up a little. “Is he coming?” 

“Yeah, consider that your present from me,” Jin tells him, “Cause he was not cheap.” 

“Worth every penny.” Tomura tells them. He is used to throwing some pretty lavish, pretty risque parties at his place. But so far he’s kept those things separate from what he gets up to with his friends. It’s going to be a hell of a time making this shit work, but he’ll figure it out. He always does.

///

They have a couple of hours before other people arrive, and Tomura posts the rules for the engagement tonight. This is a mixing and mingling party, not an open floor. Papers won’t be checked at the door, nothing under the clothes, but there will be entertainers present. He hires a couple of actual strippers he knows he can get on short notice, and also sends Jin and Magne out to get a dozen more bottles of assorted alcohol. He has a reputation to uphold. Before they go, he puts their presents for him in his closet, thanking them for the thought, but telling them tomorrow he’d rather just have them over to unwrap them and then maybe order pizza and watch a movie or something. He makes sure that he’s got his bedroom in order, that there’s enough food ready and out, orders some last-minute catering to cover everything else, and then, when all of his friends are back, he sits them down and preps them. 

“My other associates are into the same styles of play that I am. There won’t be any play going on here tonight, but if at any point someone makes you uncomfortable or they cross a boundary, just tell them politely that you aren’t interested and they should back off. If they don’t, tell me and I’ll have them escorted out.” He turns his attention to Toga and Spinner, “Have either of you ever been to a strip club before?” 

“Yes!” 

“... No.” 

“General rule is no touching, but you can always ask. If you get over-excited, take a second to calm down. The dancers are here as entertainers, but they do work for tips, and different ones will have different rates, so just ask if you want to know, and as long as you're polite, you can turn down anything they offer. The two guest rooms are going to be for private dances, and if any of you spot anyone trying to get into my bedroom who’s not me or accompanied by me, stop them and get my attention.” 

“You seriously do throw orgies in here?” Magne asks. 

“Sometimes.” He prefers to just rent out the nearest club when he wants to host things like this, but he’s had people in his apartment for it before. 

“Ew. I’m never sitting on your couch again.” 

“I have a cleaning service I use to make sure everything is sterilized afterwards.” He says, taking his hair down, removing his tie, and unbuttoning the top few buttons on his shirt. “Besides, if you’re going to object to touching anything where someone has had sex in my apartment, you’re going to have to stand outside the door and shout into the room.” 

“Gross.” 

“You’re the ones who wanted my two worlds to collide.” They brought this on themselves. He gives a survey of the apartment, making sure that everything is good to go. “I have a list of cab companies that pick up after three for anyone too plastered to get home themselves, so when things start to wind down, let people know those are available.” 

He makes sure his friends are all good, and he readies himself for the party.

///

By ten o’clock, things are in full swing. Alcohol is flowing, music is pumping throughout his apartment, there are people mingling and dancing, the entertainers are doing their own thing, and everyone seems to be having a good time. Spinner is being a bit of a wallflower, but Magne bullies him into getting a lapdance and keeps guiding him around the room and pouring him drinks to keep him from clamming up entirely. But he hasn’t seen–

A too hot body presses along his back, the thickness of the straps of the leather harness crossing over his skin enough for Tomura to feel even through his clothes. He smells the distinct whiff of smoke, both from cigarettes and his quirk, and relaxes a bit as Dabi’s lips move against the shell of his ear. 

“I charge extra for parties.” 

“I know, firefly.” He says, turning to face the other man. The others must have told him that it was his birthday, because Dabi is looking mouthwateringly good in a strappy red leather harness with a tiny red thong, a bow sitting at the front of the waistband, and another pretty satin ribbon tied delicately around his neck. “They thought you were a stripper.” 

Dabi snorts, and loops his arms around his neck, pressing their bodies together from shoulders to hips. His mouth moves to Tomura’s jaw and he allows it, wrapping his hands around his slender waist and reveling in the heat against his skin. “Does that mean we can pretend to slip away for a private dance?” 

“Mm,” he definitely wants to treat himself to a full evening with Dabi, “I want you to wait, kitten.” Dabi immediately perks up when he hears what he wants from him. It’s no wonder he can charge what he does when he’s always the perfect sub no matter what the play is. “We’re going to have a private party once everyone else has left. How many drinks have you had, precious?” 

“None, Sir. You haven’t given me permission to drink yet.” He says immediately. 

“Good boy.” He loves how just that is enough to make Dabi’s eyes glaze a little, a shiver of his pleasure going through him. He used to think that Dabi was just a good actor, but it’s abundantly clear now that he just does like the things that they do together. “You can have two for the rest of the night, now go entertain, but no private dances, no lap dances for anyone else. I’ll pay the difference, but I need you to fill the role they hired you for.” 

“Yes, Sir.” But Dabi waits, and it really does feel like an indulgence when Tomura leans down to give him a kiss. He keeps it soft and chaste, a far cry from the low-level debauchery that is filling the space around them. But the restraint, knowing that they won’t be able to have anything else for hours yet, makes it have a current of heat in it that has nothing to do with Dabi’s quirk. 

“Go show off, kitten. I know how much you like the attention.” He gives him one last kiss against his temple, and then lets Dabi saunter off back into the crowd. 

Seeing that he’s wearing a g-string that does nothing to cover up the fact he’s wearing the glass rose plug he’d bought him a few months ago only makes Tomura want to kick everyone out immediately so he can enjoy him. But he holds off. The anticipation will make it even sweeter.

Dabi’s been staying the night more and more now. Maybe he’ll ask him if he wants to stay and meet his friends properly. Maybe he’ll say yes. Maybe when the cake comes out and Dabi uses his quirk to light the candles and he’s told to make a wish in front of everyone gathered, he wishes, looking over the blue flames into even bluer eyes, that this could be something real. Maybe the fact that Dabi brought him a present of custom red leather gloves that he gives to him after everyone else is gone means that it might come true. 

Thanks so much for participating! If you would like to join in, consider checking out my Ko-fi here!

[woozisnoots]

svt in college! | alex edition

° pairing: ot13 x reader ° genre: fluff(?), what my stream of consciousness finds funny, college!au ° word count: 1034 ° warning: slightttt violence ° a/n: i know i have requests to write >< but i really needed to write smth fun :( act as a shot of of serotonin into my veins ahahaha [insert fratboy emoji] disclaimer tho - this was ENTIRELY SELF INDULGENT and very very catered to me which is why vernon’s is unnecessarily long SO IM SORRY !!! i still hope you guys think its fun :D

° masterlist! 

seungcheol: a business major, minoring in international relations. has the slightest crush on you but suppresses it pretty well without you realizing because he knows you like someone else. he likes to take you on what he calls bestie dates to a nearby arcade or places to eat when you’re stressed.

jeonghan: a psych major, minoring in communications, whom you oddly spend a lot of time with because he asks for homework help every other day when you’ve only taken 1-2 psych classes in your entire life :P but he’s a good listener and subs in as therapist on the weekdays so you let him stick around. 

joshua: an english major. doesn’t know why and slightly regrets it but if it means he can keep the tinie bookshelf he has in his doom to make it look like he’s smart, then that’s motivation to keep him going. you tolerate him because you guys randomly go on trips at 2am and buys you food :D

jun: a childhood education major. the friend of a friend of a friend of someone’s cousin that happen to be your friend and so you see him at parties sometimes :) actually really fun to be around when you’re not too much into the party scene and play hopscotch or bean bag toss outside the persons’ backyard. 

soonyoung: the loud dance team captain that won’t give you 5 minutes of quiet time waiting for your chem professor to open the door to the lab room because he has his speakers on at max volume dancing to kelly clarkson,,,, he’s pretty chill otherwise, he’s in my math class. claims hes the eye of the tiger when he comes to class in leopard print

wonwoo: premed that’s somehow taking enough classes to graduate with a literature minor. he and cheol talk a lot because they’re in the same broadcasting club or something of the sort. you guys acknowledge each other’s presence and share a moment of tea together sometimes with cheol.

jihoon: double majoring in music composition and theory. says he absolutely hates it because he thinks the work he does is completely pointless. but then goes on to write you like 27484737 love songs within a week for a single assignment. denies to other people that you’re his best friend and that he hates your guts but you’re the only one allowed in his private studio on school days and can fiddle with his equipment sometimes :3

minghao: an art major minoring in history. eventually wants to be a gallery director so he can hold his own. you make him drag you everyone for his work when you’re bored or have free time bc he takes pictures for the school newspaper/website. you guys strike a negotiation that you drive and he buys snacks. 

mingyu: you only know him for playing in your uni’s (american) football team. his tall ass is like linebacker or some shit you don’t even know his major. you had to take a kickboxing class for PE credit and you swept him to the ground and put him a choke hold. you never let him live that down everrr. you also steal his lunch money from his bag when he’s at practice.

seokmin: a musical theatre major, minoring in music composition. you guys met through jihoon. you were absolutely FLOORED when you heard him sing as the lead for the school’s spring musical. it is now tradition that you guys get crepes after every show and make jihoon pay B) he hangs out with you and jihoon a lot and randomly make music together. and ahahaha people think jihoon and seokmin are fighting over you!! >:( that’s absolutely preposterous, seokmin is too good of a soul (you say this as you help him kneed dough for the pizza you guys are making together)

seungkwan: an education major, minoring in music because he wants to teach music to little kiddos ^-^ THE BESTEST OF THE BESTIES!!! like if you’re not hanging out with jihoon/seokmin or cheol, you crash at seungkwan’s apartment and raids his kitchen when you run out of groceries ;D he keeps making fun of you for your car until you remind him that he can’t drive. on the weekends, you guys love to bake muffin, cookie, or cake recipes to prep for the daycare on mondays :3

vernon: okay actually, he doesn’t go to college SHDJSJSHS you met him on the side of the road once when you decided to walk instead of using your car (silly you!) and you saw vernon doing some cool graffiti art (IT WASN’T VANDALISM!!!). which was a total coincidence because at that point, you were ready to take a bus and wait right at the bus stop where he set up. since it was a long wait, you guys talked and he kept you company. you learn that this is actually a big project he’s been working on and is finally getting paid big bucks for something he really likes doing. you learn that he’s a great conversationalist and you miss the bus first bus ride home and have to wait another hour or so whoops! this becomes more and more of a daily thing, slowly getting to know each other. fast forward months later and it’s your birthday :D and you don’t expect anything at all because how would he know, you don’t really like your birthday anyways UNTIL vernon surprises you with a spray paint drawing of your favorite animal! and then asks you out on a date and you guys fall deeply in love

chan: a linguistics major. yeah, he doesn’t know why either, he’s just rolling with it. says he’s liking it so far, but no one really knows if he’s lying or not, including yourself. you drag chan to college events like club fairs and rallies because you’re too embarrassed to go alone and no one else wants to go LOL he begs you to drive him places during your three day weekends because he always wants to go off campus and do stuff with you and the guy pals, but he doesn’t like the freeway :/ its fine though because he pays for gas. 

[rmtndew]

Begin Again

Summary: Walter Marshall is a dedicated homicide detective doing his best to balance his work life with being a single father to a teenage girl. Fiona Sparks is a woman doing her best to take care of everyone and everything around her, except for herself. Neither has had the best luck with relationships, but once they meet, they’re willing to give it another shot, this time with each other. (It’s basically just romantic fluff) 

Pairing: Marshall and OFC.

Rating: PG

Warnings: Mentions of death, cancer.

A/N - This is a sequel to ‘All I’ve Ever Known’. I started writing this because I needed an escape for some personal stuff going on and my coping mechanism included giving Marshall all the love that man needed, and imagining him being the softest boyfriend to me, then passing those details on to Fiona (my OFC).

I also made a Spotify playlist for this story, if anyone is interested - Begin Again Playlist 

 Tag list - @hollydaisy23, @alyxkbrl, @onlyhenrys, @omgkatinka, @speakerforthedead0​, @gearhead66,  @thethirstyarchive, @oddsnendsfanfics, @littlerinoa, @agniavateira, @aaescritora, @justaboringadult, @beenthroughalot, @seriouslygoodlookinggents,  @xxxkatxo

If you want to be added/removed from the tag list, let me know!

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

The last Wednesday in October was a gray, misty, windy day. It was cold, the kind you felt more in your bones than anywhere else, with the sky occasionally spitting out sleet. I spent the entire twenty-minute drive to my job at Waverly Catering clutching the steering wheel so tightly that my hands were cramping by the time I arrived from white-knuckling it the whole way there. Usually, I would get to work early enough to enjoy the silence and finish off my coffee before officially starting my workday. That day, however, I spent the very little extra time I had trying to get my hands to stop hurting, then chugged down my coffee that had cooled dramatically to a gross lukewarm temperature. 

Before going in, I checked my phone. I always kept it on silent while I drove. My mom had a tendency to text me, make a dozen spelling mistakes because of auto-correct, then correct them one by one, leaving me with about thirteen separate texts to read. It didn’t use to bother me, I thought it was charming and very distinctly Mom. But when she’d gotten sick at the beginning of the year, every text she sent that I couldn’t read immediately made me panic, worrying that something terrible had happened to her, even when I’d just seen her at home a few minutes before. So for my sanity - and hers - I started putting my phone on silent until I got to work, or wherever else I was going. It was a habit I’d kept even after she’d gone into remission because her cancer may have been gone, but my anxiety over her wasn’t. 

That morning when I checked my phone, I saw that I had two texts, but they weren’t from Mom. 

Marshall:  Good morning, Fi. I hope that I get to see you today. I’ll be chained to  my desk with paperwork for a while. This is the first time I’ve not dreaded it. You’re my silver lining.

That was cheesy. I’m sorry. I’m bad at this.

And just like that, all of my stress melted away. The weather didn’t matter, my disappointing coffee didn’t matter, even the cramping in my hands didn’t matter. All that did matter was that Walter Marshall thought of me as his silver lining. Yes it was early days, yes we’d barely known each other a month, yes we’d only gone on two dates, but he made me happier than I’d been in a long time. I felt like I’d been holding my breath for two years, starting when my dad had died in a car crash, followed by my boyfriend Ezra breaking up with me, then losing my job as an interior designer, and capping off with my mom’s cancer diagnoses. Then Walter came along and it was like I could finally breathe again. 

Me:  Please don’t apologize. You have no idea how much I needed to read that this morning. Feel free to be as  cheesy as you want. And I hope I get to see you today, too, even if it  means you’re chained to your desk.

Marshall:  If I don’t see you for some reason,  can I call you tonight? I miss your  voice and you make me want to get better at this talking thing. 

I could feel myself blushing. Even over the phone he made me feel like a teenager with a crush. I had no idea that anyone could make me feel that way as an adult, but he did every time he texted me. 

Me:  Of course you can. Even if we do see  each other, you can still call, if you want? Practice makes perfect, and all that.

Marshall: I’d like that. Talk to you soon.

I sat back in my seat with a sigh as I looked out at the sleet falling from the gray sky, spattering my windshield, blurring out the image of the trees in the park across from me blowing and bending in the wind. 

It was going to be a good day. 

“You look...dare I say it? Happy?” Darcy said as I walked into her office.

I smiled. “You may dare to say it because yes, I am quite happy.”

“And what brings you to such an extreme emotion so early on such a disgusting day?”

I went to her desk and sat in the chair opposite her. “Well, for one, I know that you’re about to do me a big favor that I will forever be grateful for.”

“Fiona Sparks asking for a favor? I’ll mark the day in my calendar,” she joked. “What kind of favor do you need?”

“I need a copy of the peanut butter cookie recipe.”

“For what purpose?” 

“See, that’s where the happiness part comes into play and you, being one of my dearest friends, would love to see me happy.” 

“I would but I’m unsure how a cookie recipe is going to do that.”

“It’s not for me,” I said, smiling wide. “I met this guy -” 

“What? Who?” she asked enthusiastically, her eyes wide with excitement.

“His name is Walter Marshall. He’s our detective who never changes his lunch order.”

“You’re dating one of the homicide detectives? You can feel free to thank me later for giving you that order, by the way. But right now I want details: How long have you been dating and why am I just now finding out about it?”

“We’re not technically dating. I met him a few weeks ago for the first time and we went on two dates last week.” 

“You haven’t dated anyone in over two years, and then you go on two dates in one week?”

“Well, the first was just a coffee date. Saturday we tried having a proper one.” 

“Tried?” she asked, raising her eyebrow. 

“He wanted to take me to dinner, so we went to an Italian place, but before we could order, his daughter called. She was supposed to be at a Halloween party, but some of her friends had lied to her, I guess, and it ended up being a basement party with slightly older boys and she felt uncomfortable, so we went and picked her up. Then we all went for pizza together.”

“He has a daughter, which is some heavy baggage to begin with, but you met her on your second date? That’s a lot, Fiona.” 

“I know it seems like it, but it’s really not. She’s a good kid. And he’s an amazing father, which, oddly, just makes him more attractive,” I said. “But that’s not the point. The point is that his daughter was, understandably, a little iffy about me being with him when he picked her up until she found out that I’m the one who brings the cookies. She apparently loves them and I told her that I might be able to get her a copy of the recipe and that seemed to pave the way for her not hating me instantly. And she’s thirteen, so that’s a pretty big deal.”

“I have so many questions right now but I can’t sort them all out so I’m going to be annoying you with them all day, just be prepared for that. All I want to know right now is if you want the recipe laminated or not?” 

I let out a relieved breath. “Yes, please, if you don’t mind. And thank you so much, Darcy. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“I do know. You never ask for anything, even simple things, so the fact that you’re willing to ask me for a favor means this is a pretty big deal,” she said. “He must be a good guy.”

I nodded. “He really is.” 

I arrived at the police station that morning a little before eleven. I’d left the shop early, worried the weather might get bad again and didn’t want to be late for my delivery. Thankfully the sleeting had stopped, allowing me to get there a few minutes early. A few minutes that I used up trying to pull my dolly through the parking lot. The lot had been salted, which was good in that at least it wasn’t icy, but the wheels on my dolly didn’t seem to like the brine mixture. They kept locking up on me. Between that and having to fight against the roaring wind, it took me an embarrassingly long time to reach the station door. Before I could push it open, someone opened it from the inside for me. I looked up, expecting to see Officer Bates. He was the security officer that was posted downstairs and always went through the containers full of lunches that I brought to the homicide unit every week. Instead, I saw Marshall.

“Hello,” he said with a smile. 

I immediately felt like giggling. The last time I’d seen him, we’d kissed. And seeing him right then, seeing his beautiful, handsome face, I wanted so badly to kiss him again. Instead, I felt myself grow shy as I blushed so fiercely that my cheeks stung with the new heat that rushed to them. 

“Hi,” I said. He pulled the door open all the way, then stepped back, allowing me to walk in. My stomach fluttered as I looked back at him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He closed the door behind me. “May I help you with your cart?”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Would you let me help you take it back to your car when you leave, at least?”

I fought every instinct inside of me that insisted I say no. Darcy was right: I hated asking for even simple things. I never wanted to burden anyone. But since I’d met Marshall, I’d learned that his way of showing interest or affection was to do things for me. But he always asked first, wanting my permission. It challenged me, but in a good way. I didn’t need to always go it alone if I didn’t have to. 

“Um, yeah, I’d appreciate that. Thank you,” I said. “The wheels didn’t seem to agree with the salted parking lot. You could probably pull it a lot easier than me.” 

Marshall stayed with me as Officer Bates went through the containers I’d brought in. He wasn’t close enough to make anyone passing by question it, but it was close enough that my hand hanging at my side could feel the heat coming from his hand and forearm, that was visible from the blue henley that was pushed up to his elbows in a way that I found incredibly attractive. My fingers itched to seek out his, but I fought it. Keeping them obediently beside me. Once Officer Bates was done and gave me the all clear to take the food up, Walter walked me to the elevator and pressed the button to call it down. Then he held the door back, letting me in first before following me. After the door slid closed, he fell back half a step, putting him right beside me. His hand bumped mine, his fingers snaking through, gently holding mine. I smiled, knowing I wasn’t the only one itching for contact. 

I turned without a thought and placed a kiss on his shoulder. Then I paused, a moment of panic rising in me that maybe we weren’t at that level yet. But before I could move or feel too worried, he placed a kiss on the top of my head.

“I keep thinking about Saturday,” he whispered. 

“Me, too,” I said. I looked up at him. “It was...pretty amazing.”

He smiled. I could see his sharp canine teeth. They were oddly charming. “Yes, it was.” He laced his fingers with mine more securely, properly holding it. “I know I mentioned calling you tonight, but I hoped that we might have dinner again instead. If you’re not busy?”

“I’m exceptionally not busy tonight.”

“Good.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead before turning his head back to face the elevator door. “I won’t be able to finish all my paperwork today, there’s too much and it keeps multiplying like rabbits, so since I have to do it tomorrow anyway, I’m going to knock off here around five. Could I pick you up after that? Around five-thirty, perhaps?” 

I nodded, smiling. “That sounds great.”

The elevator dinged as we reached the homicide unit floor. He gave my hand a couple of gentle squeezes before letting it go as the door slid open. He stepped out, then held the door for me like he had before, letting me pull my cart out. He walked with me almost all the way to the break room before a shorter man with glasses stopped him. 

“Lieutenant Marshall, can I speak with you in your office for a moment?” he asked. 

“Of course.” Walter touched my shoulder. “Excuse me,” he said to me quietly before leaving for his office. 

I continued on and was met by most of the detectives waiting for me. Like usual, they didn’t talk to me much, just thanking me for the food before taking their box and going. I took my time, hoping that by the time that I was done, the man speaking with Walter would be gone before I brought him his lunch. When I was done, I packed up my cart before taking Marshall’s boxed lunch and walked down the hall, finding the door to his office open. I could hear him talking still and wasn’t sure what to do. I’d made a deal with him a few weeks back to always bring his lunch to his office whenever I delivered - the first time was because a uniformed officer looked like he was going to swipe it, after that, it was to thank him for rescuing me from a pushy creep while I was with my ‘friends’. We’d never discussed if I should interrupt while he was working. I chewed my lip, debating what to do for several seconds before deciding to just take a chance and knock on the door frame. The worst case scenario was that I looked like a very dedicated delivery woman making sure that all of my orders reached their proper owners. 

“Yep. Come in,” Walter called out in response to my knocking.

I entered his office only far enough to be seen and not a step further. I didn’t know if Marshall wanted people to know about us, so I was prepared to make a quick exit if I needed to. “I have a delivery for Detective Marshall,” I said. 

He looked at me and smiled, then waved me in further. “Harper, this is Fiona Sparks. Fiona, this is Commissioner Harper.”

“Hi. It’s nice to meet you, sir,” I said. 

“You, too.” He looked at me over the top of his glasses. “You don’t happen to be related to Rodger Sparks, by any chance?” 

I felt speechless for a moment. I hadn’t heard anyone other than Mom say Dad’s name in months. Finally, I forced myself to nod. “Yes. He was my dad. How - how did you know?” 

“We went to college together. You’re the spitting image of him,” he said. “I was sorry to hear about him passing away. I lost my wife around two years ago as well. A brain aneurysm.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t get any easier.” 

“No, it doesn’t,” I agreed.

He looked at me for a moment longer, then back to Marshall, who was standing patiently with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked back at me briefly before taking the folder he was holding and tapped it against Marshall’s shoulder. “You know what? This can wait until tomorrow,” he said. “I’ll bring it by in the morning.” He left Walter and stopped beside me before leaving the office. “I’m very sorry about your father. Rodger was a horrible sport when he lost at cards, but other than that, he was a great guy. And probably the smartest man I ever met.”

I smiled slightly. “He was a horrible sport at cards.” 

He smiled back. “The worst.” He gave me a wink. “It was a pleasure seeing you.” 

“You, too.”

When he left, he closed the door behind him. I looked at Marshall as he walked towards me. “Did I interrupt something important?” I asked. 

“No. He was just asking about a cold case.”

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to come in since he was here. Next time, if you’re talking to someone, would you rather I left your lunch in the break room?”

He stopped in front of me. He was so close. He smelled like coffee and Old Spice. I swallowed thickly, trying to meet his gaze as he looked down at me. He shook his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “No. I’d still like you to bring it to me, please. If that’s alright?” 

“Yeah, of course. I just don’t want to get in the way of your job.”

“You won’t,” he said. “But I’ve let my job get in the way of other things for too long, so maybe it’s time someone got in the way of it for a bit.” 

“You have an important job, though. If you were a boat salesman, I might feel a little differently about disrupting your work.” 

His smile grew as he tilted his head at me. “A boat salesman?” 

“I mean a job where it wouldn’t really matter all that much if you were distracted every once in a while. If someone doesn’t sell a boat, it’s not that big of a deal. But if you don’t solve a murder case...that has very real repercussions. I wouldn’t want to be a reason for something slipping by in a case.” 

He put his hand on my cheek, directing my eyes back to his. “That won’t happen,” he said. “I take my job seriously. That’s never been a problem for me. My problem has always been figuring out how to balance it with the rest of my life, which I never could, and I neglected a lot of people because of it. Especially Faye.” He shook his head. “I’m still not good at it. But I had a case back in the winter that...put Faye’s safety in jeopardy, among other things, and it made me realize that I need to put more of an effort in my life outside of this job. Despite how hard that is for me.” He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “You motivate me to slow down a bit. And that’s a good thing.”

I took my free hand and placed it over his, then turned my face slightly and placed a kiss on the inside of his wrist. “I would be happy to slow down with you,” I whispered. 

Marshall had a smile that somehow showed in his eyes more than his mouth, and that’s how he was looking at me right then. “I’d like that.” 

A knock on the door startled me. I took a step back, his hand falling from my cheek. He then ran it over his face, almost like he was trying to scrub the irritation of being interrupted off it. Then he folded his arms across his chest before calling out for whoever it was to come in.

The door opened and a man stepped up to the doorway. He was wearing plain clothes like Walter, so I assumed he was a detective, too. He all but ignored me as he and Walter spoke. Half of what they said was in a jargon I didn’t understand, so I just stood there, head down, waiting. After a few minutes, the guy left, only halfway closing the door as he did. When Marshall finally turned back to me, I could see that he was frustrated. I knew he wouldn’t admit it, but me being at his work right then was only going to cause more irritation with every interruption we had. 

“As much as I hate it, I should probably get back to the shop. We have a big order going out tomorrow, so there’s quite a lot to do today to prepare for it,” I said. “Plus, I have a date with a very handsome detective tonight that I want to get ready for.”

The frustration on his face seemed to melt away as he looked at me with a smirk. “Is it anyone I know?”

“Possibly. He does work in your unit.” 

“Is that so?” he asked. I nodded. “Well, if I see him around, I might have to have a talk with him.”

“And what would you say?” 

“I’d tell him that he better be good to you because you deserve to be treated well.” 

My stomach fluttered. “You can rest assured that he treats me very well. Better than any man ever has.”

“All those other men were idiots.”

I smiled. “Maybe so.” 

He shook his head. “Definitely so.” He reached out and took his lunch from my hand, then turned and placed it on a filing cabinet behind him. “Will you let me help you to your car now?” 

I nodded. “Yes, please.”

He put on his coat and followed me to the break room. He pulled my dolly for me, moving it like it was as light as a child’s toy. Even when we made it to the parking lot, he didn’t seem to have any issue with the wheels fighting against him. Then he picked it up and placed it in my trunk with ease, despite how I very often fought to get it back in. I thought about telling him that he was welcome to help me anytime he wanted, but I was afraid it wouldn’t come across as a joke and he would feel obligated to actually help. 

“Thank you. You made my morning a lot easier,” I said after I closed the trunk. I looked at him. “I guess I’ll see you around five-thirty?”

He nodded. “I’ll call you when I leave here, but yeah, I should be there by then,” he said. “And I promise it’ll only be the two of us and no cheap pizza.” 

“To be honest, I quite liked the pizza. It didn’t taste cheap. And I really, truly didn’t mind Faye joining us, but it'll be nice to have dinner with just you tonight,” I said. “But that reminds me - I put a copy of our cookie recipe for Faye in your lunch box.” 

He smiled. “Thank you. She’ll be very excited about that.”

“You’re welcome. And let her know if she has any issues with it, she can call or text me.” 

The crease between his eyebrows appeared as he looked at me thoughtfully. “Are you sure?” 

“Yeah. I’ve made them enough times over the last year and a half to make every mistake you can with them. If she has a problem, I can probably diagnose it over the phone.” 

“You don’t mind her having your number?”

I felt my facial expressions mirroring his, but from confusion. “Of course I don’t mind. As long as you’re okay with it,” I said. “Unless you think your ex-wife would mind? I don’t want to step on her toes or anything.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think Angie would mind for that purpose, and I don’t have a problem with it. But I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

“I don’t but I’ll leave it up to you. If you’d feel more comfortable being the middleman you can always call me for her.” I gave him a big smile. “And I can help you practice the whole talking thing. Then it’s a two birds with one stone kind of deal.” 

He smiled back, nodding his head. “And if she doesn’t need help?” 

“You can still call.” I shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to have a reason for calling. If I’m not at work, I’m usually pretty free. I may be cooking, or watching ‘The Golden Girls’ with Mom, but that’s about it,” I said. “I’m afraid you’re courting quite a socially boring person.”

He laughed. “I’m not sure if you’ve caught on, but I’m not exactly a sociable person, either,” he said. “So perhaps we make a good fit for each other.”

“Perhaps so,” I agreed. “We can be selectively social together.” 

“Sounds good to me.” 

I let out a sigh and watched my breath turn to steam in front of me. “I better let you get back to your paperwork and I need to go help Darcy at the store. We have over fifty loaves of bread to bake before the end of the day, so depending on when I get home, you may have to deal with your date smelling like freshly baked bread.” 

He squinted slightly. “I’m not really opposed to that,” he joked with a smile that showed off the sharp ends of his canine teeth. 

I laughed. “Good to know.” 

He gave me a short hug, kissing my cheek as he pulled back. “I’ll see you this evening.” 

“I’m looking forward to it.

[dontlikedarkness]

killer bass five headcanons

there’s no reason for this i just love the idea of them as a friend group

when dj comes out as gay bridge throws him a “coming out party”, he claims not to need one but she’s super proud of him and wants to celebrate it so she fills his apartment with balloons and invites a few of their friends over and they get really, really drunk

coincidentally courtney comes out as bi that night, she doesn’t remember it but dj pulls her aside to talk about it the next day and is super supportive of her and they have a bonding moment where they talk about growing up in the closet (she also admits to having had a crush on gwen at one point and squashing it down because of how she betrayed her - duncan knows this, of course, but she’s never gone into as much detail as she does with deej)

the rest of the five make sure they both know they love and support them and it’s all very sweet but dj has to tell geoff at one point that he’s actually not into surfer dudes and that he doesn’t think he’s brody’s type, either

bridgette and geoff get a cat together (it’s actually geoff’s idea, although bridge gets on board fairly quickly) and duncan, of all people, is at their house like five days a week for the first month they have the cat just to see it. nobody has any issue with it but court teases him to no end

of course they follow suit and get a cat of their own not too long after, he’s an old ragdoll mix because court has a soft spot for older cats and duncan just wants a little fluffy thing to run around the house (he has mild attachment issues and courtney’s busy a lot - so he likes the company)

dj and bridge go to vet school together, bridge takes a job with an animal shelter after they graduate while dj becomes a vet tech

duncan gets a job at an autobody shop and starts dragging everyone along to classic car shows; courtney is the first to go and he makes a date out of it, they eat good italian food and then take a walk down main street to watch the cars go by, court thinks it’s super cute when he sees one he’s impressed by and starts explaining the mechanics of it to her even though she doesn’t understand a word he’s saying (he’s a lot smarter than he pretends to be so seeing him geek out over something is a privilege)

music festivals become a summer tradition after dj takes them to one and they all find they like different aspects of it; bridge likes it for the indie music and the different outfits everyone wears, geoff and duncan mostly enjoy the weed, and court loves how carefree everyone is. she takes the opportunity to dance with everyone, especially deej because he gets all goofy and smiley

bridge teaches all of them to surf, geoff already knows how and dj isn’t great at it but court ends up being a natural; duncan tags along but normally just lounges on the beach. he claims its “for the view” (courtney) but he secretly enjoys the alone time, he uses it to sketch all of them looking peaceful and enjoying themselves out on the waves

they have a gift exchange every halloween because no one will let bridgette buy them christmas gifts, she goes super overboard and puts a bunch of thought into them and they all worry about her spending too much money. so one year she suggests halloween gifts and nobody thinks anything of it but suddenly it’s a yearly excuse for her to shower them all with love and attention and lots of gifts. they let it slide because she’s impossible to say no to and she just gets so happy when they open her presents

geoff kidnaps courtney whenever she’s getting overly stressed and takes her down to this little family-run seafood restaurant on the coast; she finds it hard to talk to him the first time he does it but she relaxes very quickly and ends up looking forward to their little solo trips. he has a way of making all her problems seem small and it’s nice for her to get away sometimes. they’ll go out for ice cream together and walk along the pier and it’s all very date-ish but it’s so special for two of them, seeing as they’re best friends with each other’s respective partners and they don’t get much alone time together. bridge jokes once that duncan might have to be wary of geoff stealing his girl and everyone present immediately sends her enough glares for her to throw up her hands in defeat and snuggle back into geoff

karaoke nights are a bridgette, courtney, dj thing. they go out once a month and book a room and just do whatever for an hour. courtney is a really good singer and so is dj, so they’ll do duets for bridgette and she loves to watch them once they’re a few drinks in and stumbling over the words to fergalicious

duncan volunteers at bridgette’s shelter a lot once he and court adopt their first cat, and they get along really well, so sometimes they’ll go for drinks afterwards and rant about their significant others and their workloads and bridge will end up crashing on their couch, much to courtney’s amusement. they claim it’s payback for the court-geoff “date nights” that are pretty much a weekly thing at this point

they go on group dates once deej is comfortable with introducing his boyfriend to them. duncan and courtney are always the first to leave but nobody ever minds

they have a long-standing tradition dating back to their total drama days of sitting down over a meal and having a quick check-in. obviously the food back then was much worse but now it’s usually a take-out pizza and a few beers

bridge introduces them to the idea of beach bonfires and duncan is always quick to suggest it when they need a chance to unwind and have some fun

the groupchat isn’t used often since they all live so close and spend so much time together but when it is used, it’s either duncan sending sneaky pictures of courtney to piss her off or geoff sending some cheesy inspirational quote he found online

deej is the first to get married out of all of them. bridge organizes most of the wedding and court agrees to sing for him; she even pulls out her violin. nobody says anything when duncan has to step outside because he’s tearing up. geoff gives a very long, inappropriate speech but at least no one can say he wasn’t entertaining

the next wedding is geoff and bridgette’s, a short five months after dj’s. courtney is the maid of honor and deej does all the catering. the boys all get matching tattoos to commemorate the occasion (dj’s is in a very easily hidden place) and the bachelor party is a bit off the rails. dj is the only one who remembers it but he won’t tell them much

when duncan and courtney finally get married the group has drifted apart a bit but they pull back together in time and talk for weeks afterwards about how good it was to hang out again

all of their kids call the rest of the group their aunts and uncles; unsurprisingly, uncle geoff is a fan favorite, especially with dj’s little girl

kids keep them busy but they still make time roughly once a month to see each other, even if the kids have to tag along or be left with family for the night

[440mxs-wife]

Baker’s Dream, Part 2

Pairing: Sam x Reader

Date night at your place went perfectly, with you cooking dinner for Sam. Afterwards, you shared a piece of tiramisu, taking turns feeding each other. You even packed up some leftovers on the lasagna and the dessert as a gift to his mother.

As the weeks went by, you and Sam grew closer, often just spending time at each other's homes. It didn't matter whether you went out in town, or had pizza and a movie at your house or his penthouse. As long as you were together, that was the most important part.

Everyone at work could see how happy the two of you were and they silently cheered you on. Sam's colleagues saw how much happier Sam was now that he was with you, especially after what he went through with Amelia. Your bakery crew kind of teased you about how cute you and Sam were, but they were all secretly rooting for you.

One night, you and Sam were snuggled up on his couch watching a movie. Your head rested on Sam's shoulder, and your left hand was flat against his chest. His free hand was absently drifting through your hair as you tried to pay attention to the movie.

"Hey, I almost forgot to ask you. Mom and Dad are throwing a small dinner party this Friday, and they wanted to invite you. Not too many people, just Mom, Dad, Dean and his girlfriend. Oh, and Jeremy Robinson, our CFO. He's an old friend of Dad's from the Marine Corps and helped Dad get the company to where it is today," Sam finished.

"This Friday? I think I can fit that into my schedule," you grinned. "Is it formal, or what should I wear?" you asked.

"Well, if it were up to me, you would wear...." Sam trailed off and waggled his eyebrows at you.

"Yeah, I know what you'd rather I wear, or should I say not wear," you retorted, playfully tapping his chest.

Sam chuckled at your comment. "Baby, I'm sure whatever lovely outfit you put together will be perfect. I'll pick you up and we can go over to Mom and Dad's together. Unless you'd rather leave from here," he remarked as he nuzzled your neck.

"Mmm, that is a very tempting offer, Mr. Winchester," you said breathily. Sam's stubbled face was causing small fires to ignite throughout your body. "I think it's a decision I should definitely sleep on," you answered, rising from the couch. You held out your hand and started walking towards Sam's bedroom. "It's this way, right?" you gestured with your head.

Sam nodded slowly, his mind running a mile a minute to make sure he understood you properly. "Here, let me show you," he replied as he stood up from his place on the couch. He paused in front of you, taking your face between both of his hands and stroking your cheek with his thumb. "Are you sure, baby?" he said softly.

You nodded. "I'm sure, Sam," you answered. Sam pulled your face towards him so your mouths crashed together. His hands went from cradling your face to rubbing your back and winding his fingers through your hair.

"So beautiful," he whispered. He led you by the hand to his bedroom, where he turned on the light on his nightstand.

Sam stood before you, gazing into your eyes. His hand brushed away a stray lock of hair, which he tucked behind your ear. "How did I ever get so fortunate to have someone like you in my life? Going into that hotel bar was one of the smartest things I've ever done, because it led me to you. I love you so much," he finished.

"I will always remember that night we met. There I was, drowning my sorrows, and you threw me a lifeline. You showed me that I deserve better than my ex, and you're it, Sam. At least for me, anyway. I love you so much," you remarked.

Your mouths slammed back together with a hunger you each could satisfy only for the other. Clothes were peeled off and you soon found yourselves under the blankets together. You and Sam took turns learning about each other, with your tender touches and hot kisses. He took the time to show you how much he loved you, and allowed you the opportunity to return the favor. As the two of you moved together, you built layers of passion, each one higher than the last, until you both found your release.

When your heart rates had returned to normal, you turned to face Sam and rested your head on his shoulder. His arm snaked around you to keep you close to his chest and he kissed your sweaty forehead. "Goodnight, Sam," you mumbled before your eyes drifted shut. "Goodnight, my love," Sam whispered into your hair.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hand in hand, you and Sam marched up the porch steps to his parents' house. Before ringing the doorbell, you turned to face each other. "You have nothing to be nervous about, baby. They're going to love you. Mom already does, and Dad's bark is worse than his bite, I promise," he smiled. Sam brought his hand up to brush your cheek, then slid it behind your head. He tipped his head forward to capture your lips with his in a slow, sweet kiss.

The door opened, which broke your kiss with Sam. "Having a little appetizer, eh Sammy?" a voice from the doorway said.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Dean," he muttered. Sam placed his hand on the small of your back and ushered you into the house, glaring at his brother as introductions were made. You giggled at the siblings' interaction, which seemed to relax Sam a bit.

He continued guiding you towards the kitchen. At about halfway, Mary rushed towards you with outstretched arms to engulf you in her embrace. She released you and turned to a tall man with salt-and-pepper colored hair that you knew had to be John Winchester. More introductions were made, with handshakes and hugs also exchanged.

Mary announced that dinner would be ready in about 20 minutes, with just a few things to finish up. You excused yourself from Sam's hold, assuring him that everything was fine. You followed Mary into the kitchen to see if you could help. She protested, however, saying that you were a guest. She relented with a laugh when you told her that your mother would never forgive you for not helping, guest or otherwise.

While you assisted Mary in tying up loose ends for the meal, she asked how things were going with you and Sam. Your cheeks grew warm as you stammered to answer her question. The words didn't matter, though, because she could tell how much in love you were with each other.

Mary handed you a basket of bread to take out to the table while she grabbed one of the other dishes. You looked up to see Jeremy Robinson, CFO of Winchester Enterprises and his daughter, Amelia, walking through the door. Sam did not see Amelia as she walked in, since she was hidden behind her   father.

As soon as she saw Sam, she grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him into a hug with a forceful kiss on his lips. You turned your eyes from the scene in the living room and stumbled back to the kitchen to help Mary. She saw the tears shimmering in your eyes and wondered what had happened.

Before she could ask you, Sam burst through the kitchen door and took you aside, entwining his hand with yours. "Baby, I know you saw that, but you have to believe that I had no idea that she would be here tonight," he pleaded. "What happened in there meant nothing to me. You are the one that I love, the one who holds my heart," he vowed.

"I know Sam, I believe you and more importantly, I trust that you're telling me the truth. It was a little shocking to say the least, to see some other woman kissing my man," you grumbled.

Sam dipped his head down and you rose up on tiptoes to kiss him. From the doorway, you heard Amelia demand, "What's going on in here? Who is this, Sam and why are you kissing her??"

He looked her square in the face, a small smirk gracing his lips. "This is my girlfriend, I'm kissing her because I love her," he answered. "Shall we head to the table for dinner, my love?" he asked, gazing into your eyes.

"Absolutely, Sam," your hand reached for his again and intertwined your fingers. As you sat down at the table next to Sam, Mary caught your eye and winked at you in support. You gave her a small smile in return.

Dinner conversation flowed easily, with the men mostly talking about the business of Winchester Enterprises. Dean's girlfriend and Mary asked you about the bakery and offered suggestions for future offerings. Amelia mostly glared at you from across the table, clearly under the impression that Sam should be with her, not you.

You mentioned that you brought over an apple and a cherry pie for dessert, which piqued Dean's interest. He knew of your bakery by reputation, and didn't hesitate to pay his compliments. You had catered the baked goods for a wedding he went to for one of the other executives. On occasion, Baked and Brewed had also provided the muffin trays for many a Winchester Enterprises board meeting.

"I'm tellin' ya, Sammy. You gotta marry that girl, keep all that baked goodness in the family," Dean declared.

Sam gazed lovingly at you and squeezed your hand under the table. "We're not quite there yet, Dean, but I don't intend to let her get away," Sam replied softly. He leaned over and gave you a lingering kiss on your temple. "I love you," he murmured against your skin.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next two weeks at the bakery were pretty hectic, with people  pre-ordering their pies for Thanksgiving. You were back to working 12-hour days, but Sam had given you a key to his penthouse apartment. After your long day at work, you couldn't wait to soak your aching bones in Sam's Jacuzzi tub.

On those busy days, Sam made sure to take good care of you. He usually had dinner ready or takeout on the way by the time you got to his place. As soon as you walked in the door, Sam was ready with open arms to greet you with a hug and a welcome-home kiss. Evenings were typically spent cuddling on the couch watching movies or talking till all hours of the night.

At least twice a week, Sam made sure to stop in to the bakery to see you so you could have lunch together. Mary and her friends stopped in once a week for their "Silver Foxy Ladies" meetings. For these occasions, you provided a pastry tray, which always led to one or  more ladies getting something to take home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Six months later

The front door opened to reveal Mary Winchester's beaming face, holding  open the screen door as she ushered you and Sam indoors. You caught a  fantastic aroma from the kitchen and nearly started drooling.

"What is that heavenly smell, Mary?" you asked.

"Oven-roasted  chicken, garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli cheese casserole. Speaking of which, I should check how much longer before dinner," she responded with a wink.

You reached up on tiptoes to give Sam a kiss before heading to the kitchen to help Mary. She was getting used to having you in there to help and keep her company. She truly enjoyed spending time with you and was beyond happy that you and Sam had found each other.

Back  in the living room, Sam, Dean and John were crowded together, speaking  in hushed tones. You and Mary brought in the last of the food dishes, then called the men to the table. Sam seemed to be hanging back for some reason, so you went over to where he was standing.

"Sam, is  everything okay?" you asked, worried. You took his hands in yours. "Whatever it is, you know you can talk to me. I'm right here for you,"  you assured him.

"I know, baby, and I love you so much for always being there for me. There is something that I hope you can help me with. You see, Mom found this, and thought that I might know someone who would like to wear it," he started. He pulled a small black velvet box from his pocket and dropped to one knee.

Your hands flew to your mouth as you realized what was happening. Sam opened the box to reveal a simple yet elegant engagement ring. "It's been in my family for  generations. It was my grandmother's and she was married to my grandfather for over 50 years. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Sam asked.

All you could do is nod your head vigorously, as  the power of speech temporarily eluded you. Sam slipped the ring on your left hand ring finger for a perfect fit. "Yes, Sam," you whispered. "I would love to marry you!"

From the dining room doorway, cheers went up and everyone was hugging and offering their congratulations. After dinner, you and Sam sat on the front porch swing, snuggled under a blanket in the cool night air.

"It really doesn't get much better than this, does it?" you asked. "Quiet night, under the stars with the man I love," you said.

"Baby,  this is only the beginning. Meeting you was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I finally found my missing puzzle piece. I love you so much," Sam remarked, nuzzling your neck.

"And you came along before I even knew how much I needed someone like you in my life. You're  my missing puzzle piece as well. I love you, Sam," you replied.

[lonelypond]

Can’t Get Started

Love Live, NicoMaki, 3.5K, 1/2

Nishikino Maki is trying to make in the piranha fishbowl of movies, music, and Hollywood. Yazawa Nico already has. And they keep crashing into each other.

Can’t Get Started

No matter how many luxury, fancy, five star, $$$$$ hotels Nishikino Maki would spend time in, she would never get used to the powder room lounges, with interior design as fancy and challenging as the living areas of the ‘finest’ homes. This one had a wood and platinum motif, with large low sofas scattered over a space the size of her moderately luxurious apartment. There were pitchers with cucumber water and a thick book full of very unclothed photography, which actually interested Maki, as a photographer herself, but here, where women came in and out every few minutes, she felt too exposed to pick it up, have a look, and see who had made that particular editor’s cut. So no lingering after the deed is done. In a room seemingly designed for lingering. And one fidgety blur of movement in a corner Maki made certain to only catch out of the corner of her eye. No staring. Time to move on, no matter how tempting the couches seemed compared to the roomful of noisy chatter and chummy elbows.

Maki was back to continue her decor appreciation jam session after only ten minutes because of a small accident with the soup. Award shows should be like the Oscars, someone else in your seat when you needed air, not occasions where you not only had to juggle nerves but also food. Maki shook her head at herself, looked at the curry down the front of her dress and wondered if water would make it better or worse.

She stopped. There was the blur, now in the center of the ‘lounge,’ a tiny dark haired woman, pacing and muttering, hands flying back and forth, making shapes in the air, leaning into a couch, patting an imaginary cheek, turning to one side, smiling and waving, unusually...red eyes wide and friendly. And then they spotted Maki, and narrowed.

“Sorry…” Maki coughed and ducked her head, pointing to her dress, “spilled soup. Just…” Maki smiled shyly, “thought I saw you in here ten minutes ago. Are you okay? I get nervous too.” A flip of her finger across the still damp soup stain to demonstrate empathy.

Now there was staring. The eyes were red, almost rubies, with that same illusion of faceted depth that the best jewelers carve into their efforts, bringing out magical warmth from mineral cold. Then an incandescent smile happened that knocked Maki back, “Nico is fine. Nico is just rehearsing her acceptance speech so fans like you,” a broad, broad wink, “aren’t disappointed.”

Nico. Yazawa Nico. Maki took a better look, this woman was so tiny, but yes, the eyes should have been a giveaway, set deep over a nose that was much sharper than Maki had even seen in any of the movies where Yazawa had bled out all of her emotions for an audience eager for stories of romance, tragedy, and triumph with an actress unafraid to be as unapologetically gay on screen as off. From superhero to Empress, Nico had swept the international cinema scene, scoring box office hits in both small indie films and action blockbusters. Maki had been impressed by the actress’s range, cried and laughed over her performances, and maybe had a slightly illicit dream or two. Like every other gay and bi woman on the planet.

“Hello?” Yazawa’s hand was waving in front of Maki’s nose, “Nico can help you with the spill. I have a stain stick in my purse, It’ll keep it from setting.”

Maki nodded. That sounded sensible. Like a plan. And Nico’s dress was silver slashed with black fringe, that went with the silver slashes across sharp cheekbones above lips that could really only be described as a sensuous dark plum.

The actress was waiting for some kind of verbal reply, but Maki had half turned and was just staring at a pattern on the couch and running a hand through her hair, as adjectives and screenshots kept flashing on her internal movie screen. Then Yazawa’s hands were on her shoulders and she was being shoved into a chair, “But first you listen to Nico’s speech…” Yazawa paused.

“Um…” Maki realized her elevation had changed and she glanced up, Nico watching her critically.

“Name?” Nico urged.

“Maki.” Easy question.

Nico nodded and the tension eased. “Okay, Maki, hi I’m Nico, I have a big presentation in…” Yazawa glanced at a delicate twist of a silver watch, “20 minutes, so it’s kinda urgent, can I run something by you? So I don’t sound like an idiot.”

“Yeah, I always sound like an idiot too.” Maki blurted.

“Well,” Nico stepped back, “thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Sorry, Ms. Yazawa...” Maki bit her lip, “you’re always so polished on screen….”

“It’s Nico. And I never write my own dialogue. On set improv is lame.” Nico stepped back, her eyes focusing somewhere else, hands seeming to measure out where the stage and microphone were, “Writers work as hard as Nico does so they deserve respect.”

Maki thought Umi would be pleased and surprised to hear that from a celebrity she had occasionally doubted the work ethic of. Maki, as a composer, was usually immune from actors altering her artistic choices but it was a near daily struggle for Umi. Maki wondered if Nico would be interested in reading their latest, an intimate musical…

Nico’s hand again, fingers snapping this time under Maki’s nose this time. She jumped as Nico began to sound testy again, “If Nico can keep your interest, she can keep anyone’s…”

“Not, that’s not...I just...my friend Umi is a writer and always complains about actors who want to improv.”

“Posers.”

Maki grinned, “Exactly what she says.”

Nico patted Maki encouragingly on the shoulder, amused, “Introduce Nico later. Now you listen. We only have 15 minutes before...” Nico flung her arms wide, nodding to each side, gathering in imaginary shouts and whistles.

“Okay.” Maki stood, stretched her arms out in front of her, sat, leaned forward, slammed her hands into her knees, the picture of alert attention, and winked at Nico, “Go.”

Nico laughed, stepped behind her imaginary podium, whispered, “clap” so Maki did while Nico’s hand gestures called for more. Then the flip of the hand for quiet.

“Thank you. Tonight is very important to Nico…”

###

Sundance...party...one pissed off caterer...Maki had no idea what she did to annoy the woman...oh wait, yeah that...but Umi was going to be SEVERELY disappointed when their party, intended to impress award winning designer Minami Kotori turned out to be Maki smiling awkwardly and handing around a bag of stale chips and a growler. It was a weeknight, the Thursday before the second weekend, and Maki had had hopes of catching the ska documentary she’d connected a musician friend with. But no, here she was frantically searching for...a pizza place, maybe? Fewer crowds than last year, when they’d come the first weekend, but still enough people bustling that Maki felt like she was elbowing people awkwardly in the halls of high school again. And then her heel hit a patch of black ice and she sssssssslllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiid down the sidewalk until some obstacle forced her back on her butt. That was going to be sore, Maki thought as she reached a hand behind her, levering herself up was going to be at least a three limb job, both legs and one arm.

“Here let me help you. Are you okay?”

Maki recognized the voice and winced. Yazawa Nico once again catching her in an imperfect moment. “Hi. No, I’m fine.”

Nico snorted. She was in a black snowsuit with cute pink flair, fake fur, and patches scattered all over her arms and legs. She took Maki’s hand and when the redhead nodded, pulled. Maki rose and stumbled forward, suddenly finding herself with A list celebrity arms supporting most of her weight while dreamably delicious, not even mildly chapped lips pinched back what was probably a belly roar of laughter.

“Sorry.” Maki stepped back, hands brushing the snow off her leggings. Why hadn’t she dressed for the weather? Leggings based on samurai armor, an oversized Northwestern hoodie and a Reign ballcap would not have been any stylist’s choice.

“No soup stains?” Nico teased, clapping together pink mittens that looked like Muppet fur. Maki thought there might be eyes on the palms. She wasn’t sure if that was cute or creepy.

“No food at all.” Maki sniffled, feeling the cold soak into what was going to be a sitting bruise, and having no real options as her mind raced through possibilities. Umi and Kotori would be headed back with a small crowd after the premiere of Umi’s latest film and Maki had nothing, “I have to go. Nico to see...I mean nice to see you, Nico.” Maki tried to smile but she knew her face was giving away how many non options she was discarding per second.

“What’s the matter?” Nico asked so casually, so quickly, Maki almost forgot where she was.

“I pissed off the caterer. And Umi…”

“Your writing friend….”

“You remembered…”

Nico tapped her temple, “Nico keeps future industry connections who know cute redheads in the most secure part of her memory.” Nico frowned, “Sorry, Nico meant intelligent and attentive test audiences. Nico’s not a creep.”

“Then why are there eyes on your mittens?” Maki couldn’t help asking.

“Huh...” Nico laughed, raising one of her hands, turning her mitten into a sock puppet, the pitch of her voice dropping, “Hey, friend, let’s make a snowman…”

Maki glanced around, a little frantic, not sure how to react, especially as this new conversation track was her stumble entirely, “Sorry no...there’s not really anywhere...I really...Umi’s going to be so upset…”

“They make my little brother laugh. He’s 13 and I’m trying to keep him silly.” Nico rolled her eyes, “They grow up too fast.”

“Oh.” Maki hated being this confused. And feeling this incapable. But Nico was grinning at her and cute and surely Umi and Honoka could charm Kotori without catering. There was ice cream in the freezer. Probably.

“So what did you do to the caterer…?”

Maki shoved her hands in her kangaroo pocket so she wouldn’t just throw her hat somewhere as she remembered the scene. “Ummmm...ran over the main dish because I was running late and backing out of the condo driveway when they were unloading…”

“Sounds like a movie meet cute.” Nico’s eyes were twinkling while Maki was getting shorter and probably tilting toward the left as her hip contracted from pain and cold. “So is it a private party...why did Nico miss getting her invite?”

“Oh, it’s for anyone who goes to Umi’s premiere.” Maki glanced at her watch. “Which is going to be over soon.”

Nico pulled out her phone. “What’s your address?”

“Why?” There wouldn’t be much of a party, and Honoka would surely just hit Nico with every project her clients might need an actress for.

“Nico knows someone. Is this Umi or who she’s trying to impress allergic to anything?”

“Minami? I’m not sure.”

Nico whistled, “Kotori, the Divine Kotori of Floating Feather Atelier….Nico really needs to come to one of your parties. Nico hears she’s big on cutesy food…” Nico frowned, considering. “I might know a place...”

“Where?” Maki got ready to run.

“You are not touching anything breakable, droppable, or poisonable. Nico will send her assistant.” Nico handed Maki her phone, “Just give me your contact info and Cocoro will take care of it.”

“Okay.” Maki took off a glove and tried typing but nothing registered. She kept punching until Nico took the phone back, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Just talk.”

“Okay.”

Nico typed in the digits as Maki recited them. “All right, Nico will send a rescue party to your wreck. Don’t back over them.”

“I’m walking everywhere from now on. Rogue Salmon spaghetti carbonaras are obviously stalking my car.” “Probably safest. Are you hanging out this weekend? Nico’s chairing a diversity panel. People are going to be talking about it for months.” Nico kept typing, biting her lip as she muttered things Maki couldn’t make out.

“Flying to Tokyo in the morning.” Nico looked disappointed so Maki explained. “Family business. My parents...”

“Oh. Nico will text you a snap of her agenda and her dress so you can see what you missed.”

“Okay.” Maki nodded at Nico, who had finally glanced up from her phone.“Thanks, Nico. I’d better get back.”

As Maki turned, Nico giggled. “Send Nico back a pajama selfie.”

Maki whirled, “What?”

Nico, with a too innocent expression on her face, was watching her mittens out dance each other, “We should go to a party TOGETHER sometime.”

“Stop by tonight. You have the address.”

Nico’s mittens dropped to her sides, her voice apologetic before it dipped back into a teasing edge. “Guest of honor three places. Already late for the first. And Nico has to hurry her assistant because there’s a cute redhead with no food to stain her clothes…”

Maki blushed and bolted. Nico had a very distinctive, short, snorting laugh and Maki feared that further conversation would draw a crowd. Plus, the liquor delivery was probably waiting.

###

Maki’s phone vibrated with a text from an unknown number, “We’re here.”

“Who?”

“Food.”

Maki had changed into jeans and a turtleneck, and was about to put her last layer on. Shoving her arm quickly into the formal jacket, she hopped down to the door.

One young woman, leading three young men with huge insulated bags, stood, impatiently tapping her fingers against the doorframe, “Maki?”

The grim tone made Maki wonder if she should pull out her ID. “Yes.”

The woman turned, “Take everything inside, find the kitchen, set it all up, my sister said not to let her touch anything.”

The staff nodded and shuffled past Maki once she stepped out of the door and onto the porch so they could get through.

The young woman glared at her. “Nico already tipped them.”

“Okay.” Maki was staring. This young woman was almost identical to Nico in coloring, but no amusement had ever lurked in her blood red eyes and her entire expression screamed “Not on my watch, you don’t.”

“You should probably go back inside.” The not Nico pointed.

“Okay.” Could this be over soon, Maki wondered.

“I have to text Nico a picture.” Nope.

“I’ll take you to the kitchen.” Maki had said something right, but it was too late to score any points. The “thank you” in response was perfunctory.

“I’m Maki Nishikino.”

“I know.”

Maki knew Nico had mentioned a name but its memory was as slippery as the Park City pavement.“You are?”

“Ms. Yazawa, Nico’s assistant.” Stated slowly.

“Right. Thank you.”

No reply. Ms. Yazawa racewalked into the living area, and Maki could hear her ordering the three young men around.

Maybe everything would be self serve. And Nico’s...sister? Evil clone? would make a quick exit. Maki wasn’t looking forward to the party and extra scrutiny would make it so much worse.

“Maki!” Honoka Kosaka cheerful trill echoed as the front door banged open, ‘Everyone loved Umi’s script. And they can’t wait to meet you.’ Maki waved at her old friend and agent as the ginger in a kilt and shawl bounced into the living area. The food had arrived just in time. But a smile was more than Maki could muster as the memory of the younger Yazawa’s frigid attitude kept scalding her.

###

The condo was finally quiet. Umi, Honoka, and Kotori had gone off somewhere to continue what Umi called ‘negotiations’ while Honoka had whispered date. Which Maki wasn’t thinking about. Because the condo was finally quiet. And then her ringtone went off. Maki groaned and grabbed her phone, wondering what the new crisis was.

A text from an unknown number: ( ˘▽˘)っ♨ how was the party? My sister said you didn’t spill anything while she was there.

Maki smiled. Nico.

M: （－－；exhausting

N: In bed already? Pajama selfie?

M: Collapsed in chair fully clothed so not terribly exciting.

N: Depends on the chair ପ(⑅ ॣ•͈૦•͈ ॣ)ଓ

Maki shot a quick pic of the fabric pattern.

N: 10/10 would slouch right there with you

M: I’d be terrible company. During party: |_-｡), after party (o_ _)o

N: And yet, here we are...(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

Maki ran a hand through her hair and sighed. What she really wanted to do was soak in a bath for hours, candles lit, music low, but past experience had taught her that as soon as Honoka came back she’d barge into wherever Maki was with an update.

N: Is the rest of Team 'Slide In Through My Window' there?

M: You know the script title?

N: Nico talks to people. Your friend Umi made quite a splash at the writing panel. Bet actresses are swooning to get a look at the script ヽ/❀o ل͜ o\ﾉ

Maki frowned.

M: Are you?

A pause...Maki could see Nico typing, then the bubble disappeared. Then more typing,

N: (,Ծ_ლ) Honestly? There’s no good way for Nico to answer that.

Maki leaned forward, her fingers flying.

M: Why not?

N: *groans* Because of course, duh...hot new thing and turns out I love the score for the 'Déshabillé and Disaster' short and YOU composed that, but mostly, Nico is swooning over an excuse to keep talking to you.

Nico knew her work. The first thing people mentioned was usually the hit steamy summer bop she’d written with Carly Rae Jepsen last year, not the Le Cristal d'Annecy winning animated short so Nico had either done her homework or was a genuine enthusiast. Either way…Maki found herself typing too quickly to reconsider anything she said.

M: You don’t need an excuse.

N: Are you going to be in LA for awards season?

M: Yes.

N: Nico will see you then. Cocoro hasn’t overscheduled me yet…So let’s crash a party together.

M: Can it be a small, quiet party? *yawns pathetically*

N: Get some sleep. And don’t forget to send Nico a pajama selfie when you get to Tokyo. Or at least a chair pic. Nico needs to know your furniture preferences.

And Nico had attached a selfie where she had the most serious of faces, one eyebrow quirked to its sharpest, most questioning extreme.

Maki couldn’t help it. The guffaw just rolled out; there was no other word for it. This was flirting. This was nice. No one staring and making her feel uncomfortable. A minute to think. Maki relaxed into the chair, legs pulled up, remembering Nico’s grin. This was flirting. A nudge. A wink. A dare. Maki took a risk.

M: Not too well padded.

N: (╯‵□′)╯︵┴─┴ Rude. Nico’s furniture is padded perfectly. ಠ‿↼

Guffaw followed by giggle. Maki was feeling better. Maybe she could actually sleep before leaving for her flight. IF she taped a huge DO NOT DISTURB ME, HONOKA to her door.

M: Thanks for your help, Nico. You saved me. Although I don’t think your sister likes me.

N: She’s not the deciding vote in the Yazawa family. Chat up Cotaro, he likes donuts, you might be able to swing a majority. Nico will put in a good word for you.

M: You’re probably exhausting in person.

N: All the to die for parties are ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)

M: *collapses further into chair, CRUSHED under weight of brush with celebrity*

N: Nico is not fatal, Ms.OVERdramatic, just friendly.

M: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

N: Sleep it off, recluse ❤⃛ヾ(๑❛ ▿ ◠๑ )

M: (b~_^)b

N: Cute. See you in LA.

See Nico in LA. It was now a plan. And Nico would be in one of those dresses designed to show off every perfectly padded curve. Maki felt herself redden and then panic jumped to her memories of red carpets and last year. The crowds. The cameras. And how everyone sweeping by, svelte and confident, had brought out every clumsy twitch in her body. But Nice was certainly not the watch the red carpet on a laptop with takeout and TWIG commentary type. Maki sat up, maybe if she started with a dress. Could Umi and Honoka talk Minami Kotori into coming back to the condo for some fashion talk? Maki could use a little divine design intervention.

A/N: Enjoy this first half. I started this while finishing up Jingle Bell Jazz when I heard Nancy Wilson's version of "I Can't Get Started." Juggling a few storylines so I'm not sure what'll be next after this as summer and Shakespeare and crimes against humanity by the government of my country continue.Thanks for reading. Take care!

[jpat82]

Work Out

@vampireshavemorefun I lied, this will have three parts.

Part 2

Mature content

Mature content

It was a long four hours, your boss had you running around the entire city picking up stuff for his party at the end weekend. You were exhausted by the time you were done doing your own errands but you still changed into leggings and a loose tank. You pulled on your running shoes, and had left the apartment you lived in.

No way in hell were you going miss this run with Sebastian, you parked in the gym parking lot locking the door as you rounded the building. There he was leaning up against the brick building, track pants and a loose shirt. He looked up from his phone, smiling as you neared.

"Hey, how was work?" He asked, as you walked up.

"Tiring." You laughed, the two of you walked to the end of the street towards the huge near by park. "I swear I've been in every corner of this city today."

"Really?" He questioned as the two you crossed the street.

"Yeah, my boss is throwing a huge charity event at the end of the week so I get the luck of having to get everything for it. And it's forties themed so.. yeah, every corner of the city." You both started to jog as you hit the trail on the other side without even questioning where you were going.

This was your usual trail you ran after work, so it was just natural that you took it.

"Forties? Sounds like fun." He stated, ducking under the low cherry branch, pink blossoms just over his head.

"It will be, just a lot of preparations. He's ocd when it comes to detail, so everything has to be perfect. From the catering, to the wine and liquor, to the table clothes and music." You chuckle as you both rounded the dirt corner. "He can be hell to work for, but the pay is amazing and I get full benefits. Plus the vacations, last year I got to see Rome and not spend a dime on travel expenses."

"Dang, sounds like you got it made." He laughed, you glanced over smiling at him.

"Yeah, but I don't have much of a social life. Five of my work days I work twelve hour shifts, the other two are four hour over time shifts." You replied, seeing the pond looming into view, completely engulfed by willow trees. This was one of your favorite spots in the city because it was so far removed from everything.

"No days off?" He asked, pointing to the benches up a head.

"No, not really." You replied, slowing to a walk as you approached the benches. He frowned at you as the two of you stretched. "I got the job shortly after I moved out here so it's not like I have a lot friends I would hang out with."

"Still, everyone needs down time." He remarked. "A pretty girl like you, should have guys lining around the block to ask you out.”

“Uh.” You could feel your flush up again as your eyes darted away from him.

“It’s even cuter when you get al flustered.” He smirked, grabbing your hand pulling you flush up against his toned body. “Ready to grab a bite to eat?”

You tried to find your words while staring up at those beautiful eyes but nothing came out. You just nodded your head slowly, smirk plastered on his face knowing that he was making you nervous.

“Alright, race you to the entrance?” He grinned letting you go and took off sprinting down the path.

~~~

The two of you found a small little pizza shop to stop and grab a bite. It was humble and quiet on the inside, and neither of you looked out of place being dressed in work out attire.

“Seriously if your ever in New York you have to go, best pizza hands down.” Sebastian stated, wiping his mouth.

“I doubt it but I’ll try it if I ever find myself there.” You laugh, the last hour conversations just seemed to roll like water. He turned out to be the biggest dork, although still bit of a mystery, a dork nonetheless.

“If I’m wrong, then I’ll buy you dinner, wherever in New York you want.” Sebastian smiled as he took another drink of his beer.

It was starting to get late and you knew you should probably be heading back. You just couldn’t bring yourself to leave, you were a couple beers in and also knew that even when you made it back to your car you shouldn’t be driving. Not that you were drunk, just still was a habit.

“Come back with me to my hotel.” He blurted out, catching you by surprise. “We can just hang out, watch a movie, I just don’t want to hang out by myself tonight.”

“Sure.” You replied, this probably wasn’t the best idea, you barely knew him but what the hell.

He hailed a cab as the two you stepped out into the darkened street. The ride to the hotel was quiet, but comfortable. The two of you walked into the hotel lobby, Sebastian pressed the button for the elevator. He smiled of at you almost bashfully as the elevator cab dinged its arrival.

You walked in with him behind you, time seemed to slow after he pressed the button for the top floor. He turned to face you, taking a step into you, grabbing your hips firmly in his hands. You pulled you roughly against his body as his lips crashed against yours. Heart in throat, you couldn’t lie to yourself and say you hadn’t wanted this to happen when he asked. But still you knew nothing of this man.

He stepped you back against the cab wall, You tongues caressing each other, he pressed his hips into you and you could feel his length against you. Your breath caught in the back of your throat. Slowly he worked down your neck as your brain started to clear.

“I don’t even know your last name.” You breathed, as his hand slid up your body cupping your breast.

“Stan.” He replied in a low voice as he nipped at your collar bone. Your hand slid up into his hair, tangling it way close to his scalp.

“Sebastian Stan.” You breathed, as rolled his hips into you, enticing a moan from your lips. The door rolled open to the penthouse suite, Sebastian grabbed your hand pulling you with him into the open room.

“God your adorable.” His voice was husky as he pulled you into him again. His lips meeting yours, his kiss was full of hunger as he walked you back to the couch.

“Why’s that?” You asked as he pulled your shirt over your head, his lips finding yours again.

“Cause you have no idea who I am.” He chuckled as you pulled his shirt over his head.

“Serial killer?” You giggled as he shoved you lightly to the couch.

“Not quite.” He laughed as he pulled your leggings off.

“Now you have me intrigued.” You chuckled as he pulled his pants from his body.

“Maybe later.” He grinned as he laid his body across yours, his lips seeking yours.

The minute his lips connected with yours all thoughts went out the window. He rolled his boxer covered hips into you again, sending a wave of heat to between you legs. Sebastian kissed down you neck, nipping lightly as he went. His hand sliding down your body to the junction between your thighs.

You moaned again, tilting your head back as he teased you through your panties. Sebastian continued to kiss down your chest, he stopped as he reached the top of your sports bra. He grasped the bottom with both hands, you sat up lightly and allowed him to pull the tight material from your body.

His mouth found your nipple as soon as it was free even before he had dropped the discarded item. His tongue swirling around the sensitive area, his teeth teasing it further. His hand went back to teasing your core.

“Someone is a little excited.” He said against your breast, slipping his finger inside your panties. Flicking your clit, you gasped in response.

“Sebastian.” You breathed out as you felt him slide his finger in you. Slowly he pumped his finger in you, hooking his fingers slightly upward stroking that spot inside of you.

Sebastian leaned back slightly, watching your face as he slowly started to building you to your climax. You grasped onto his arms as your body tensed up, getting ready to release your orgasm.

“Come on beautiful, I wanna watch you as you cum on my fingers.” His voice heavy with arousal. “Before I slide my cock in your tight pussy.”

That was the tipping point, you bit your lips as your orgasm washed through you body. Your walls contracting around his fingers, your breath coming out in short pants. He slowly pumped his fingers in you allowing you to ride out your high.

“Fuck, That was hot.” He chuckled.

@kitkatkl @octobermermaid

[star-trekkin-across-theuniverse]

Resource Management, pt2

Word Count: 2069 Tags: @supermoonpanda @rayleyanns @sistasarah-sallysaidso @feelmyroarrrr @anyakinamidala @dirajunara @anotherotter @little-study-bug @rampant-salamander @goodnightwife @samaxraph99 @anotherotter  @outside-the-government @kingarthurscat @coyote-in-space @originalpottervengerlock @dolamrothianlady @curiositywillbethedeathofme

The ringing would not stop, and I reached over to my night table, smashing my hand around to stop it. And yet, it persisted. I finally opened one eye and saw my phone sliding around on the sleek finish of the dark wood, the screen lit up, the ringing getting louder. Served me right for picking a horrible ringtone that got more persistent the longer it was ignored. I slid my finger across the screen and brought it to my ear.

“Hello?” I croaked, my throat dry. I must have been sleeping on my back.

“I can’t run.” Erin’s tone was panicked.

“What?”

“I tried to go for a run this morning because of next week. And I can’t do it. My knee starts to hurt after about a hundred feet and there’s this weird pain in my hip and my chest hurts and there’s a weird pain in my side now and all I did was walk a mile.” She drew in a deep breath.

“Okay. The knee and hip are an issue. Your chest hurts because you’re out of shape. The weird pain is for the same reason.” I hoped my tone was soothing because my words sure weren’t.

“What do I do?” She wailed. I pulled the phone away from my ear, and yawned.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“Outside your door. I have been banging for at least five minutes,” she gasped. “Oh my god, are you banging? Am I interrupting you and Agent Coulson?”

“He’s not here. What time is it?” I sat up and stretched before padding into the bathroom.

“It’s noon. Did I wake you up?” She shrieked, and I could hear it through my front door.

“Okay, I am hanging up now. I have to pee. I’ll be there in a minute.” I ended the call and shut the bathroom door, in case she could hear me through the apparently paper thin walls of my building. I brushed my hair and teeth when I was done and stumbled to the door, yawning and scratching my butt. I pulled open the door mid-yawn, and held it wide.

“Wow. I can totally see what Coulson sees in you. That’s a fine ass-scratch you’ve got there.”

“You’ll understand next weekend. Coffee?” I offered and headed to the machine to make us some.

“What am I going to do about my knee?” Erin threw herself onto the loveseat in my living room. I brought out a mug to her and returned to the kitchen for mine before sitting on the couch.

“We’re going to find a real running store and see if there’s an issue with your feet. And then I’m going to text my physiotherapist and see if she can’t sneak you in this afternoon.” I inhaled the steamy aroma of my coffee before sipping.

“Your physio works Saturday?” She asked.

“Yeah, she caters to a lot of the Monday-Friday crowd so she takes Sunday and Monday off, and opens and closes late during the rest of the week.” I typed a quick message to the physio office and sent it.

“I feel like something terrible is going to happen at the academy,” Erin blurted.

“Nah, you’ll be fine. Just don’t try to sneak into the hot tub,” I reassured her. I finished my coffee and made the requisite noises when Erin paused in the narrative of what had happened while I was gone. I appreciated the debriefing, as it would put any emails and to do lists she left behind into context. When my coffee was finished, I excused myself to have a shower and get ready to go out. Erin was busy googling running stores. My phone chimed as I was toweling off, and I ignored it, assuming it was the physio office. It chimed again right away, and then again. I picked it up and checked the messages.

‘Should be back on Wednesday.’ It was Coulson.

‘Please buy a bottle of whiskey. It’s been a long 12 hours already.’ If a text message could convey a tone, I was getting it from that message.

‘I’ll bring a pizza. Any requests?’ I suspected he was hiding out from his team in order to text me.

‘Chicken, Feta, Peppers, Bacon,’ I typed back, and added a selfie in my towel. ‘Miss you.’

‘I’m now aiming for Tuesday,’ he responded. I got dressed quickly, and my phone chimed again, but this time it was the physio office saying they could get Erin in as soon as we got there.

“Erin, let’s go! Physio can do you now,” I called as I grabbed my car keys. Erin jumped off the couch.

Erin’s movements were smoother and her shoulders had dropped when she came out of the physio office. She was no longer favouring her right side and she wagged a piece of paper in front of me with a half smile. The gleam in her eyes was mercenary.

“If that’s a note to get out of running, I will scream.” I stood and followed her back to my car.

“No such luck. However, I need a better pair of shoes. She has a written list of recommendations for the salesperson, she recommended a store, and she gave me a list of exercises to do to help. And a note that should help me get these shoes covered by medical insurance.” She flopped back into her seat and sighed in contentment. The running store was in a small storefront in the ground level of an apartment complex. When we entered, a salesperson greeted us, but didn’t pounce. We looked around for a few minutes, and Erin pulled out the piece of paper. As though it was a cue, the same guy who’d greeted us came over and offered to help. Erin explained her situation, and he looked over the notes from the physiotherapist before heading to the back. He came out with five pairs of runners to try. Erin went to work trying them on.

“Is there anything you need, while we wait on your friend?” He asked.

“I don’t think so. I think the runners I have are okay. I get a little twinge in my ankle, but I’ve always got that from running,” I answered. He checked on Erin and helped her lace another pair of shoes.

“Can I look at your gait? That’s really common, and we might be able to correct it,” he offered.

“Uh, okay? When you’ve got Erin sorted,” I agreed. Erin was disappointed to find that the most comfortable pair of runners was not the electric green pair, but the black ones that had the tiniest little fuschia stripe on them. It was my turn. The sales guy directed me to a treadmill, and instructed me on what to do. I ran for a couple of minutes and then stopped, winded.

“I have a pair of shoes that may help. And Erin will be jealous because they come in bright yellow. From watching your gait, I think your ankle is lacking support, and you pronate a little too much,” he explained and then vanished to the back of the store. He returned with two pairs of shoes. When I had the first pair on, he made me run on the treadmill again. I was waiting for the pain to start, but it seemed the runners really did make a difference.

“Okay, I’m sold.” I stepped off the treadmill.

“So you can take the yellow ones, or we have them in blue,” he offered.

“Blue please.”

I was ready for food by the time we finished paying. Erin suggested we try a little restaurant down the street from the shoe store. It was an excellent idea, and the quiet atmosphere gave us plenty of time to plan the rest of our day.

Like I had the weekend before, Erin was ready to blow off steam in order to mentally ready herself for the week ahead. In deference to my new relationship status, I kept it subdued, but Erin was like a peacock, colourful, gorgeous and showy as hell. I felt positively drab beside her, and sent a sassy text to Coulson to make myself feel better.

‘Erin wants to get wrecked. Am I allowed to let other men buy me drinks?’ I keyed in.

‘You are lucky that I am not busy right now.’ Came the immediate response.

‘I’ll take that as a yes. Too bad you aren’t here to reap the benefits of someone else’s hard work,’ I replied.

‘Remind me why I like you?’

‘Epic rack. Rapier wit. Dazzling intellect.’ It was in order of importance, I thought.

‘Maybe I’ll try to be back for Monday.’

Erin chose our usual bar, and ordered us drinks while I put my phone away. It didn’t take long for her ready-to-party aura to attract a few interested men. I tried to put my all into flirting, but sadly, I couldn’t stop thinking about Coulson. Well, it would have been sad, but I was too busy thinking about the next time I got to tear his clothes off, to be honest. Nonetheless, I did flirt successfully enough to get a mild buzz, and Erin was definitely the star of the night, so she wasn’t complaining either.

I called her in the late morning to see how she was managing, and heard the phone answer, then crash to the floor, followed by a groan, some scratching and finally after a moment’s silence, her raspy whispering voice.

“Who is the guy with his arm across me?” She asked. I stifled a laugh.

“Well, when I left, it was Matt-from-last-week. Peek at him. Is it?” I jogged her memory. I could hear the sheets slide as she turned.

“Yes. It is. I should go,” she whispered.

“I’ll bring pizza at around six.” I figured fair was fair.

“Right. Oh god, I think he just woke up. Bye.” The line went dead and I was left chuckling to myself.

Promptly at six, I knocked on her apartment door, pizza and beer in hand. She pulled it open and looked fresh. There were no telltale bags under her eyes, no puffiness. Her colour was good and she didn’t turn green when she saw the pizza. It wasn’t really fair. When I tied one on like that, I usually looked like crap the next day. Hell, if I had more than two drinks, I usually looked like hell the next day.

“Matt is SHIELD,” Erin announced, snatching the pizza from my hands. I couldn’t help myself. I laughed. “It’s not funny, Annie.”

“No, it’s totally funny. So was Rick.” I brushed past her to the kitchen, and grabbed us plates before meeting her in the living room.

“Shut up."

“Yeah, I was mortified.”

“He doesn’t know I know. But he talks in his sleep. And he kept talking about something on the helicarrier, and Captain Rogers.” Erin had big hand gestures. Coupled with a slice of pizza, I was worried about my eye safety.

“He knows Captain America?” I wasn’t sure she understood me over the mouthful of food.

“He was talking in his sleep. I wasn’t about to press for details.”

“I hope you don’t have my luck. Rick was the fitness instructor at the academy,” I offered.

“Awkward.”

“Very,” I agreed.

“So you didn’t pull last night.” She changed the subject as she dug into another slice.

“I’m kinda seeing Coulson,” I shrugged.

“Jesus, what? I didn’t realize it was serious.” She was incredulous.

“It’s been a week. Not even really,” I stated. “I wouldn’t say serious. But I really like him.”

“Well, you always had the hots for him.” Erin took a pull from her beer. “So it’s not surprising.”

“Not always,” I protested. Erin quirked her eyebrow at me in disbelief.

“Yes, always.”

There was really no defending it because it was true. He hadn’t been my only work crush, but I didn’t think the people involved with the Avengers Initiative really counted as attainable. And Thor did have a girlfriend. We watched crappy reality TV for a while and finished the pizza, and then sorted through her three suitcases and got her down to one carry on bag for the week, at her request. When I was finished, I headed home to bed, nervous about a week on my own in the office. And about the harassment seminar. And Tony Stark.

[seriouslyhooked]

False Alarms (A CS AU) Part 10/?

Modern AU where Emma is a Boston police detective and Killian is firefighter. They both get called to a fire in progress but it ends up being a false alarm, however there can be no denying the sparks between them. Includes fluff and my usual attempts at humor as well as a touch of fake-dating and meddling friends. Inspired by the song ‘False Alarm’ by Motoma and Becky Hill. Rated M for future chapters.

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six,Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine ; On Fanfiction Here.

A/N: Hey everyone! So I know I promised that the next chapter would be bringing the wedding, but alas a little thing called the muse got in the way and what I thought would all be one chapter now has to be two. The wedding will be hopefully be posted in about two weeks (I know crappy to wait, but I will be on vacation next week so alas, no writing time). That being said, before we get to the good stuff, there’s one last moment for our two heroes to get through. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

“I can’t believe this day is really here,” Ruby said as she and Emma hopped into their undercover car a few hours after they’d clocked in for work and finished up some weeks old paper work. “It’s your last patrol, Detective Nolan. How does it feel?”

“What do you mean it’s my last shift?” Emma scoffed as she put the car in drive and began navigating towards Tiny’s where she and Ruby planned to spend their lunch break in the best way they knew how, with pizza, neighborhood gossip, and a seat by the window on this lovely, mild day. “I’m taking a month off, not absconding from the country and turning in my badge.”

“I meant it’s your last shift as Detective Nolan. Come next week it’ll be Detective Emma Jones.”

The reminder of that impending change hit Emma right in the heartstrings and she couldn’t help the rush of warmth that manifested at the mention of her marrying Killian. To say that she was excited would not be doing this feeling justice. Emma was more than ready to be Killian’s wife and to call him her husband and honestly part of her wished they’d just run off together and eloped, but then the rational part of her knew that not only would she miss the chance for a wedding shared with her family, but her mother might actually kill Emma if she tried to pull a stunt like that.

“Do you think I’ll have to take a new picture for my ID? They probably have the old one on file right?” Emma joked but trying to diffuse the situation and pretend she wasn’t feeling as much as she was but Ruby saw right through that, sending her a smirk as she shook her head.

“I think that man of yours is taking you to two weeks in paradise after the picture perfect wedding your Mom dreamed up. Mix all that happy and the no doubt killer tan you’ll have and you should be so lucky that they let you retake it,” Ruby said, making Emma laugh heartily. After all Ruby was right and there was no point in denying that if everything went to plan (and even if it didn’t) Emma was going to be one happy person when she was finally wed to the man she loved.

“It is going to be pretty perfect, isn’t it?” Emma mused aloud and her friend immediately agreed, proclaiming that if there was one thing the world could count on Emma’s parents for it was protecting this city and going above and beyond for their only daughter’s wedding to a man they approved of.

“Honestly the only way it could be more perfect is if Tiny was catering,” Ruby acknowledged and Emma kind of had to agree. After all there was no better place for pizza in town and it was a regular staple in their lives for a very good reason.

“Speaking of, what’s on the menu today? Let me guess, twinkies and a party pizza, or maybe donut holes and a calzone?” 

“Actually, I’m kind of thinking salad,” Ruby tossed back casually.

“So what’s on the menu today? Let me guess, twinkies and a party pizza, or maybe donut holes and a calzone?”

“Actually, I’m kind of thinking salad.”

The immediate reaction to Ruby’s words were to laugh hysterically because after years and years of friendship Emma had never once in her life known her partner to willingly choose vegetables when junk food was an option. It was honestly borderline hilarious to her and her hearty chuckle indicated that, but then Emma noticed that Ruby was actually serious and she was floored.

“I’m sorry, I must be losing it. You, Ruby Lucas, want what you have referred to numerous times as ‘rabbit food’ or worse? This has to be a prank. Where are the hidden cameras?”

“Jeez you make it sound so bad,” Ruby said before shrugging and flipping her hair over her shoulder as she opened the door to Tiny’s. “I’ll have you know I can eat healthy. I’ve just, you know, chosen not to the past twenty some odd years.”

Okay this was just too weird, and as she tried to find an answer for why this was happening, Emma took her partner in completely, studying Ruby maybe harsher than need be but feeling in her gut that there was something bigger at play here. Maybe Ruby was sick or something, or perhaps she’d finally gotten guilted into healthier eating by a doctor, but then a tell popped up when Ruby averted her gaze down for a second and her hand came over her stomach. Suddenly it dawned on Emma – holy shit!

“Oh my God you’re pregnant!” Emma yelled, prompting Ruby to turn an unusual shade of red for her and causing her to shush Emma. “Oh my god I’m going to be an auntie!”

“Jesus, Emma do you have to tell the whole freaking world?” Well it wasn’t a flat out denial, which meant it was totally true, and if the late lunch crowd inside of Tiny’s knew now so be it. This news was too wonderful not to share.

“How long have you known?” Emma asked, not even remotely trying to hide her excitement and joy for both Ruby and Graham.

“Took the test last night,” Ruby admitted and Emma couldn’t resist it anymore, she had to bring her best friend in for a hug.

“Well way to bury the lead, girl. This is wonderful news. We’re excited right?” Emma asked, leaning back and checking in with her friend who was smiling genuinely.

“Yeah, we’re really excited and that’s not the only good news…”

“Ruby Lucas if you tell me you are engaged right now I will lose it,” Emma said, but when Ruby looked caught red handed at her words, Emma knew she was right. “How the hell did you hold out on me so long?! You know how much better paperwork would have been if you’d told me this earlier?”

“I know, I just… I didn’t want to crash your moment.”

“Crash my moment?” Emma asked, really not understanding and Ruby nodded, waving her hand as they walked up to the counter to place their order and then sat back down at their favorite table by the window.

“You know with the wedding and everything. This is your time, Emma, and I know how excited you are. I don’t know I guess I just felt like I didn’t want to take that attention off of you.”

While Ruby was absolutely correct in saying that Emma was excited for the wedding, her logic fell off the rails with the idea that Emma couldn’t be excited for more than one thing at a time. Marrying Killian was going to be magical, of that Emma was more than certain, but hearing that her best friend had found a similar happy ending didn’t create any resentments, it merely bolstered Emma’s already heavily present joy into something all the better. There was surely more than enough happiness to go around, and Emma wanted her partner to understand that.

“Ruby, I love you, but that’s gotta be the crazy baby hormones talking. This wedding isn’t about attention or spotlight. It’s about marrying the guy I love, and nothing aside from that could make me happier than seeing you get the same chance to live the life you want too. ”

“And this is why I love you, Ems. Best best friend ever.” Ruby said sincerely with a laugh though Emma saw tears starting to collate in her eyes and she was shocked. Wow, she’d really hit the nail on the head with those off the charts hormones because Ruby never cried, not even out of joy.

“Okay enough of the sappy stuff. Let’s get to what really matters, like when the heck were you going to tell me and when is this wedding taking place?”

Emma listened then as Ruby promised that she’d been intending to tell Emma sometime soon and then ran down the particulars that she and Graham had discussed. According to Ruby, the two of them weren’t really interested in the whole big white affair (which Emma could understand given how much work went into that) and instead they were hoping to elope in about a month or so when Emma and Killian got back from their honeymoon and could be the witnesses along with Ruby’s Granny.

“Ruby that sounds perfect,” Emma agreed with a smile. “And I’m sure Killian will feel the exact same way. You know how close he and Graham have gotten.”

“Oh I know,” Ruby joked good-naturedly. “The bromance is in full force with those two, and with Will too when he can get his head out of his ass.”

Emma was about to laugh at that not incorrect image when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She had this strange feeling of foreboding like she was missing something, and that only ever came when a situation was about to springboard. Why she’d be getting that while they were on break at the pizza shop Emma couldn’t imagine but in a split second she knew why.

“All right everybody freeze! One wrong move and I will not hesitate to put you down!” A man in a black ski mask yelled from the front of the shop. He was holding a gun, and looked pretty close to using it as he waved it around at the very few patrons in the shop, coming to make direct eye contact with Emma and Ruby as he did.

The adrenaline spike Emma got in that moment was sharp and swift, but years as a cop had taught her how to channel that fear into results. She had to keep focused on the end game and figure this out. If it was just one guy and they were lucky enough that he’d taken a look at them in plain clothes and didn’t know who they were they could manage this, but then Emma caught the sight of one of Tiny’s cooks being forced over to the counter by another masked man in black that had come from the back of the shop.

“Of course things pops off on your last shift. Typical,” Ruby muttered sarcastically but Emma didn’t spare her friend a glance, not wanting to draw any more attention to them. Instead Emma made sure that the assailant wasn’t looking her way before she pressed the emergency trigger on her belt. That would send an alert to the station that they’d walked into something bad and hopefully get someone the hell over here ASAP since it would be crazy for either Ruby or Emma to reach for their guns when there was a potential hostage situation unfolding.

“All right man, now open up and give us that cash. Put it all in the bag, and no fancy shit. You hit an alert button I start shooting, got it?” The man hounding the frazzled cook asked and the man gave a shaky nod, looking sheet white and ready to hurl all at once. Emma felt for him, but she really hoped this guy could handle this, at least for a few more minutes.

The best case at this point would be these guys finished the robbery and got the hell out of here. If shots were fired things would get bad, and there were ten of them who could be caught in the cross fire including two young kids who were currently cowering in the corner with their Mom and an elderly couple Emma recognized as two regulars named Marie and Charlie. Charlie was a war vet from back in the day Emma knew, and across the restaurant she shared a look with him and he nodded to her, conveying that he would stay put and be with his wife and not play the hero.

Unfortunately though, there were two other guys here Emma didn’t recognize who’d been eating, and while she was hoping they would sit still and not draw attention like any sane person would, one of the guys hands tightened to a fist and Emma could tell he was poised to strike. Clearly he thought he could take this situation on and the reality was he couldn’t, at least not safely. Emma tried her best to make eye contact with him and when she did she shook her head, telling him to cut it out but not knowing if he read her or not.

“Where’s the rest of it?” the man in charge yelled and the cook shook his head as his hands quivered with the drawer now completely cleared out.

“This is it, man. The owner made the weekly deposit yesterday. There’s nothing more to give.”

“It’s not enough!” the masked man yelled, before shoving the cook to the ground and checking out the drawer and the area behind the register for himself. “I thought your guy said this place packs twenty grand easy, J!”

Wow these guys were green if they were giving away information like this on top of hitting a spot without knowing the shop’s schedule. Limited research was a sign of desperation, and the last thing Emma wanted to face was a desperate man with a gun, never mind two of them.

“They do man, but I don’t know nothing about no bank deposit shit,” the guy closest to Emma and Ruby countered, his free hand coming to his head in a nervous gesture. “How much we got?”

“Not even ten large.”

“Fuck,” The guy said, clearly shocked at this stroke of bad luck. “This is not good, Smitty said we need -,”

“I know what Smitty said! You think I don’t know?!” The guy said waving his gun around and making Emma worry. She signaled to everyone else in there to stay low and tucked away, but even that would only do so much.

At the same time Emma and Ruby were left to have a silent conversation of their own, where they managed to get on the same page. Yes they were good shots, and in a contest of who could draw faster no one beat Emma on the whole force, but there were too many civilians here for them to make this a standoff. Without shooting each attacker straight out which would be against protocol, there was very little they could do to ensure the safety of everyone here so they needed to get a message out to patrol. Emma had registered the threat, but they needed details of what they’d be walking into. Pulling out for a text was too much, but Ruby, with the utmost care to be discrete slipped her phone from her pocket, dialing the station’s emergency line directly and then letting the phone pick up on their surroundings.

“Well what the hell do we do man? Is there another spot we can hold up?” the following assailant asked.

“No there’s not another spot, genius! This is it! We gotta get that money one way or another.”

Through the glass Emma could see multiple under cover cars and cops at the ready, telling her that as long as she could get these guys out of here, the immediate threat could be handled. As long as they were in here though there were too many pitfalls and too many civilians in the line of fire to take the risk of striking back. This meant the only thing Emma could do was try and reason with them to get them the hell out.

“Look man,” Emma said as she got up from her chair, immediately drawing both men’s gazes and their aimed guns but focusing primarily on the weaker link in this job who happened to be closer to her. “The longer you two are here the greater your chance of getting caught. If you shoot someone or something, you’re leaving a trace that could get back to you and the longer you stand here the greater the risk someone from outside will see something. So the smart move is to just take the money and get out of here.”

“And how the hell would you know that?” The leading guy asked.

“I love Law and Order,” Emma replied automatically pulling a snort from Ruby, which unfortunately the guys heard.

“You got something to say, lady?” the guy asked Ruby, waving his gun her way. “Or is it just the blonde who thinks she’s so smart?”

“No I’m pretty much with her on this. That show doesn’t lie,” Ruby said, somehow managing to still bring some sass while appeasing the man’s bruised ego. It was a fascinating tight rope Ruby walked, and Emma knew only her partner could pull that kind of move off, but just as Emma thought they had these guys got, one of the guys from behind the counter blew everything.

“Listen to them man, they’re cops.”

Oh fuck! Emma thought to herself, knowing that was the final trigger this guy would need. He was clearly unhinged whether from nerves or fear or something darker and knowing they were cops was the final straw, plunging him into a full blown rage and panic that was by definition the shit hitting the fan.

“Shit you’re cops?!” the guy yelled, his gun raising towards Ruby again, and the next thing Emma knew instinct took over. She’d seen enough situations go south to know what was coming, and this guy was far enough over the limit of stress and crazy that he’d pull that trigger, taking out her best friend in the process.

Shoving Ruby out of the way and down to the ground was a split second decision, and she was already in motion when the bang of the shot sounded out. It cut through the parlor and pulled a scream from one of the kids, but that scream didn’t last long, at least not for Emma because it was soon drowned out by two other gunshots and the sharp searing sting of Emma’s being hit.

The space of time where the impact of the bullet gripped at her abdomen stole the breath from Emma’s lungs and blurred the lines of time. She couldn’t take in what else was happening and her thoughts were scrambled, caught between making sure Ruby was okay, making sure the perps didn’t hurt anyone else, and thinking that oh shit, she might have just been really hurt. She was hit, she was hit and as she realized an image flashed into her mind of Killian and the real fear set in for just a second that her choice to be heroic would take her from him.

“Emma!” Ruby yelled, cutting through the barrage of sound and swirling chaos in Emma’s mind, and then Ruby was looking at her, pulling at her jacket and then looking with relief that signaled to Emma even in her pain confused brain that it was okay. If Ruby had that face it had to be all right, it just really didn’t feel that way at the moment.

“It got your vest, Ems. You’re all right. Thank God you’re all right.”

Emma nodded remembering for the first time in all of that that she was outfitted for this worst-case situation. When she’d jumped into action she hadn’t thought twice about the vest but now she was more thankful for it than she could even process. Her instincts told her to walk this off or try to push through this now that she knew it was the vest, but Ruby was having none of it, requiring that Emma stay down and telling her that the perps were down and the situation was diffused. An ambulance was on the way, and they had to wait, because even if the vest had caught the worst part of that bullet, this pain was real and there was still potential damage.

“You got lucky, detective,” the EMT said to Emma when she was finally sitting up in the back of the ambulance minutes later being treated on their way to the hospital. Her vest had been removed for evidence and the sight of her injury was now exposed with her pulled up to reveal the already rapidly bruising point of impact. “A few inches over and this would have been a hell of a lot worse.”

“Don’t let my fiancé hear you say that. He’s probably going to have a heart attack as is,” Emma said before turning to Ruby with actual fear returning. “Shit, did you use my name on the radio call? Does everyone know?”

“Oh they know,” the EMT replied before Ruby could. “The Police Commissioner’s daughter gets shot… that kind of thing doesn’t fly under the radar.”

“Oh God,” Emma groaned, moving to put her arm over her eyes and wincing at the pull it had on her aching, pained muscles. God this injury was going to get old quick, and yet she had to deal with it and also deal with her freaked out parents and an understandably worried Killian. “Ruby you told him I’m okay, right? He has to know I’m okay.”

“He knows,” Ruby confirmed. “I called your Mom before we even left the scene. They’re meeting us at Mass Gen.”

“Good,” Emma said, surprising herself with the sentiment. Two seconds ago she’d been frustrated that they would all be bothered by this when it wasn’t a true emergency, but now she was relieved. All she wanted right now after that scary as shit moment was to see the people she loved, and them meeting her at the hospital would guaranteed that happening.

Emma expected some kind of witty reply or a teasing joke to cut the tension from Ruby, but none came and that caused some alarm for Emma. It was enough to make her look past the EMT and back to her friend who Emma was just noticing was very pale and looking even shakier than Emma herself felt.

“Ruby are you okay?” Emma asked and Ruby shook her head, looking like she was still in shock, but Emma waited her out, not giving up until Ruby admitted what was wrong.

“I don’t know whether to thank you for saving my life or scream at you for being so reckless, Emma. You could have been killed by a bullet meant for me.”

“Ruby you’re my partner, not to mention my best friend. I saw the chance to save you and I took it. I don’t regret that and look it turned out okay, right? I’m fine. This is nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, Emma. I heard you, you know,” Ruby said, tears forming in her eyes when Emma was so far from used to seeing them on her friend’s usually happy face. “When you fell to the floor you said Killian’s name. You knew as soon as you got hit what you might be losing.”

Emma didn’t remember saying anything aloud, but Killian had been on her mind yes, and in the flash of a moment where she’d believed she might be really hurt she’d been clinging to that image of the wedding they were heading towards and the future they were going to have. She’d been determined to live through whatever would come because she was never going to give him up, but that didn’t mean Ruby should feel guilty. It just put into perspective some things for Emma about what she wanted and what she might be willing to do for this job down the line.

“But I didn’t, Ruby, and maybe it was my imagination, but the way he was aiming that gun at you… I think you would have been hit a lot worse than I was.”

Emma heard Ruby mumble that she was probably right, but her friend seemed unconvinced. Yet whether she noticed it or not, Ruby’s hand went over her still flat stomach and Emma remembered just how much more was at stake in all of this than they realized. Not even twenty minutes ago Ruby had been confessing her good news to Emma, and that had all been over shadowed by a call too close to be even remotely comfortable.

“Remember that talk we used to joke was never coming?” Emma prompted, alluding to the moments the two of them had had on patrols over the years where they said they’d never go the desk and paperwork route or transfer to less intensive task forces. Once upon a time that career choice had seemed like a death sentence, but now, at least in the midst of today’s negative aftershocks, it didn’t seem so terrible at all. In fact it felt like the best choice given the fact that both Emma and Ruby were starting lives where they had so many more people to care about and so much more to potentially lose.

“Yeah,” Ruby said expelling a shaky breath. “We might have been wrong about that one.”

“Eh, it’s all good,” Emma joked. “We’ve been wrong before, we’ll be wrong again.”

“Maybe,” Ruby agreed, lightening up enough to smile a bit. “But you can be damn sure that you’re ass is never getting shot again Emma Nolan. I can freaking promise you that.”

“Sounds good friend,” Emma agreed, taking Ruby’s hand in hers. “Sounds really, really good.”

…………..

There would never come a time in Killian’s life when he enjoyed the minute details of wedding planning. Maybe that was wrong of him, and maybe he should be more involved in what color schemes were chosen or flatware selected, but at the prospect of all these choices, Killian felt just how unimportant it was in the long run. What mattered wasn’t that his groomsmen would wear navy or charcoal or that the china patterns were floral or stately. All that mattered to Killian was that in a week’s time he would be marrying the best woman in the world and the one he’d been lucky enough to be loved by in return.

That being said, however, Killian was hardly in a position to deny the usual fanfare of a wedding, and with his future mother-in-law calling the shots, Killian knew better than to resist. Doing so would only cause unnecessary conflict with a woman who’d be in his life forever, and worse his lack of choice would only make for more work for Emma who didn’t need the headaches caused by debates on the merits of lilac or lavender shades.

“How a person can dedicate so much energy to napkin wares I will never know,” Liam muttered as he saddled up to where Killian had taken up across the ballroom from the rest of the organizing. This was only supposed to be a temporary break so as to clear his mind from some of these frivolities, but Killian should have known his elder brother would follow him.

Honestly Killian was rather surprised that Liam hadn’t just suggested ditching all of this and leaving Emma’s parents and a happily situated Elsa to bounce ideas off of each other, but then again Liam had been adamant since finding out about Elsa’s pregnancy to never be far from his wife. It was a protective instinct that Killian understood but didn’t have the chance to actively partake in, for where Elsa and Liam worked together at the State’s Attorney’s office, Killian and Emma were in separate forces all together. Much as he might like to be out there with her while she was on patrol, Killian knew it would be for nothing. He didn’t have the proper training, and Emma was damn well capable of handling herself on her own.

“As long as Emma’s happy and we’re married, they can have every kind of bloody napkin in the city,” Killian acquiesced and Liam chuckled at that before slapping his hand on Killian’s shoulder.

“Not to worry brother, a wedding will come. You might be completely gone over this woman, but I’m happy to report she’s just as tied up in you.”

Damn right she is, Killian thought to himself as he grinned, feeling a lot lighter already than he had throughout this morning’s rather last minute planning.

“Your brother’s not wrong,” Chief Nolan said as he approached from the other surprise. “Emma’s just as ready for this wedding to come as you seem to be. You should have seen the look she gave her mother when Mary Margaret hinted at needing another week to get things perfect.”

“She really wanted to wait another week?” Killian asked, shocked given how many things were locked in and how many deposits had been paid months back but then David chuckled and shook his head.

“Hardly. She just wanted to get a little rise out of Emma, and she was nothing if not successful.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Liam replied with a laugh, cementing the moment as a positive one of two families coming together in a way Killian had never expected, but too soon it was broken by something that caught his attention. An alert that Killian recognized from Emma’s emergency calls sounded across the way, and then Killian saw his soon to be mother-on-law’s reaction and he knew, he just knew that this was serious and that it had to do with Emma.

“Oh God,” Mary Margaret murmured, but by the time she looked up both Killian and David were already in motion towards her. Only when she conveyed the information, Killian couldn’t comprehend it at all.

There was an incident. Emma and Ruby were on break at their favorite spot, a place Killian and Emma had been many times when their free hours coincided, when two assailants came in armed and looking to rob the place. Somehow things had gone south and there was an officer injured at the scene. That officer was Emma, and they didn’t have any more information than that an ambulance was en route.

“We have to go,” Killian said and thankfully there was no pushback as he said it. Instead Emma’s parents were right there with him, rushing to the car without any more delay.

“Killian, if it’s too much…” Mary Margaret began to offer as they got to the car, signaling at his driving, but it wasn’t. He could be cool under pressure. He’d get them to Emma wherever she may be and rise above this. What they needed was Emma’s mother monitoring the updates so they knew things as they happened.

“No, ma’am. I can do this. Just tell me where to go.”

“They’ll take her to Mass General because that’s the closest place. Head there now, we can probably get there straight away.”

Killian heeded the order from Emma’s mother, and took every indication from the Chief about which routes to take to avoid the traffic. While that was happening more updates came in, the most important being that the shot, while still damaging, had hit Emma’s protective vest. She was awake and responsive, bruised and battered, but given what could have happened and what Killian had been fretting over the past few minutes that felt like years, it was so much better than he’d been preparing himself before.

That didn’t ease the ache inside of him that remained for the torturous fifteen minutes that they were driving though, and though his brain rationally knew that Emma would be okay, he was still wracked with that lingering spike of almost crazed worrying. He needed proof that Emma was truly okay, and it wasn’t until he saw her there in the private ER bed fully conscious and sitting up that Killian felt any kind of relief. She was alive and alert and their time together wasn’t over before it even really got the chance to begin as his heart had fretted when they first got the call.

“You’re here,” Emma whispered when she saw him, her eyes softening and some of her own anxieties melting before Killian’s eyes as she looked at him and then glanced to her parents.

“Of course we are, Emma,” her mother responded as she came to take Emma’s other hand after giving Ruby a hug quickly. “We’re just so glad you’re all right honey.”

“That we are, love,” Killian agreed as he pressed a kiss to her temple and felt Emma lean into that bit of affection.

But before any more could be said or questions on specifics asked for, the doctors were there, bringing their expertise and saying that while Emma had some considerable bruising, they weren’t seeing signs of breaks or fractures anywhere. In short she’d been damn lucky and gotten off about as easy as a person who was shot could get, but even that comforting bit of intel didn’t change the need that Killian felt to keep his future wife’s hand in his and to stay right by her side in every moment that was possible. Emma, for her part, didn’t seem to mind either, and funnily enough there were moments when she seemed to forget she was the patient and she tried to make him feel better instead.

“It’s fine, Killian, really. I mean I know I got lucky, but I’m okay, and they got the guys who did it so there’s nothing left to worry about.”

Maybe for a man who loved less that would be true, but Killian knew as logical as Emma’s words were he’d never adhere to them. He was completely and utterly gone over this woman and no matter what her line of work or what her path in life was he’d want to protect her. He felt that need deep down in his soul like his place was beside her caring for her as she cared for him and being her partner. The thing was at work she had another partner, someone who Killian did trust just as much as Emma did, but that lack of control and that distance from the moments that might put Emma at the most risk had always and would always scare Killian more than anything else.

“Well I wouldn’t go that far,” her father clarified, putting in words much of what Killian was thinking. “There will always be worry about losing you, Emma. You matter too much to all of us to let that go.”

Killian felt that claim all too keenly, and the tightness in his throat and surging emotion he was reeling from told him that. The truth was though that Emma had chosen a profession and in turn a life where this was a risk. She was on the front lines of danger, even if this fluke of an incident hadn’t actually been sparked by her being on patrol, and that wasn’t going to change, not as long as she was a detective out in the field. That was a hard thing to accept too especially when Killian felt so bonded to Emma that the thought of losing her was too unbearable to linger on, but at the end of the day this was who Emma was. She loved her job, she felt an undeniable passion for helping people in the way she knew how, and Killian would never make her choose a safer path, not when he understood that drive and need to be on those frontlines just in a slightly different way.

“I know,” Emma acquiesced, looking over to her father as she did before offering an attempt at a smile, and deflecting a little from her current situation by prompting Ruby to distract everyone with some better news.

Killian wasn’t really sure what Ruby could possibly say to bring light into this situation, but when Ruby told them all that she and Graham were getting married and there was a baby on the way, he was happy for them, even as he was still caught up in all these feelings about Emma. Killian only had so much capacity for celebration right now, and though he wished he might be strong enough to rally and be totally fine, he was still stuck in the flux of all that had happened. He congratulated Ruby and Graham when he arrived minutes later of course, but there was still an edge underneath it all that kept Killian from feeling the joy for their friends as much as he might like, and though he seemed to be flying under the radar on that from the others, his Emma knew something was amiss.

“I vote that we never have another day like this,” Emma said softly and Killian sighed, running his thumb along her knuckles gently.

“I do as well, love, but with the lives we’ve chosen we run the risk of this not being a one time thing.”

“I’m sorry, Killian,” Emma whispered and he searched her face for a reason. This wasn’t her fault, so why would she apologize? But then she filled in the blanks of her statement and he understood. “I didn’t ever want you to have to face a close call like this, not after what I felt when you saved Gus. That feeling… it’s the worst feeling in the whole world.”

Yes, it was. Emma was not wrong in that regard, and that reality was something that had been bearing down on Killian even before this mishap. He’d carried the memory of that night when Emma came to him after his close call with him always, and he’d been grappling for months about what his future with the force would look like. He loved the men and women he worked with, and he felt the impact of what they were all doing so strongly. They made a difference and saved lives but it came at a cost, and now that he had Emma, it was a cost Killian never wanted to pay.

All he wanted was to marry this woman, get started on that family the two of them had been dreaming of, and find a way to combine his love of the firehouse and his crew with a slightly safer track. The adrenaline rush did nothing for him anymore, and it was a false high of sorts when compared to what he’d found with Emma, so right here, in this moment, Killian made a silent vow that he’d find compromise. He would put in for a transfer or a new line of command that was less in the direct path of danger, but just because Killian might be ready for a sojourn from the front lines didn’t mean Emma was, and it didn’t mean Killian would try and influence her to get to the same page as him much as he might like to.

“I knew from the start that you were a woman capable of greatness love, and part of that greatness is that you’re willing to give all of yourself to protect and serve. Scary as that might be at times when the chips are down, it’s honorable, and it’s one of the many things I love about you. I’d never resent those choices, Emma, because they’re part of who you are.”

Not for the first time since he’d first entered the room tears entered Emma’s eyes, and the sight of them tugged at something in Killian. He hated to see her upset at all, but these tears signaled something different from pain or remorse. In speaking the truth, he’d said what Emma needed to hear most, and by doing so he’d set them both free in a way from the worries of their day.

“Marry me,” Emma whispered and Killian laughed for the first time since all of this had happened, feeling so much of that pent up emotion seeping out as he did and he brought her hand that he was holding up to kiss gently, his lips lingering just a touch longer than might have been polite.

“Already happening, love,” he promised, vowing there and then that no matter what may come they would be man and wife and he would make sure to bring Emma the kind of life a woman like her deserved.

“No, I mean tomorrow. Marry me tomorrow, Killian. I don’t want to wait another day to be married to you. I don’t think I can bear it.”

Killian was struck with surprise at her request, but immediately his instincts told him that’s what he wanted to. He never considered it a possibility, not when so much felt set in stone for their impending nuptials, from the venue to the food to the bloody cake, but he would make it all work for Emma. No matter what mountains needed moving or battles would be fought to get her her heart’s desire, Killian would face them all and make them both happy in the process.

“As you wish, love.”

The two of them shared a kiss then, mostly disregarding the fact that the room was still filled with family and friends and nurses. It wasn’t swift by any means but sincere and sweet, an unspoken proclamation of love between the two of them and the loveliest kind of relief after this difficult day they’d faced.

“Mom,” Emma called out when she and Killian had pulled away from each other. “I know you have everything planned, and I know it’s going to be beautiful, but…”

“But you don’t want to wait to get your happy ending,” her mother replied as if she totally understood, and Killian watched as Mary Margaret took David’s hand in hers and shared a look of love with her husband before turning back to Emma. “Don’t you worry, Emma. I’ll take care of everything and it will still be the single best wedding this city’s ever seen. How does sunset tomorrow sound to you?”

“It sounds perfect,” Emma said, her eyes never leaving Killian’s as she did and her smile invigorating him in a way that no other remedy the world over could provide. “I guess this means we’ve got work to do.”

“Oh no, there is no we Ems,” Ruby said. “You’ve been through more than enough today. What you two need is to get your love-sick butts home.”

Emma laughed at the ridiculous label Ruby had given them and Killian couldn’t help but grin either. After all love-sick wasn’t so far off. He was totally consumed with his feelings for Emma, he just happened to find the sensation to be the most pleasurable of things and not an ailment of any kind.

“Are you sure?” Emma asked, feigning concern for the rest of them where Killian could see she was actually fine with that idea. She was putting on a façade to offer, but underneath that she was weary from the day, and like him, likely ready to be home and done with all of this.

“We’re sure, princess. We’ve got this,” David said as he came to press a kiss to her forehead. Then he stood up straight and nodded to Killian before tossing him a command. “You take care of my girl. Got that Jones?”

“Yes, sir,” Killian replied, knowing he’d do right by the request no matter what and watching as the others took their leave to plan that sudden ceremony after bestowing all their love and affection on Emma.

“So if we’re going home… I guess that means we’re breaking with tradition. So much for that night apart my mother wanted,” Emma said, pulling a growled out sound of disdain from Killian that made her smile even brighter.

“We were never abiding by that particular set of superstition, love. I was just letting your parents believe that we would to appease their more old-fashioned sensibilities.”

“Oh really?” Emma asked, now highly amused. “And what, you were going to scale to the second floor of my parents house and sneak into my childhood bedroom like it was no big deal?”

“If that’s what it took, yes,” Killian said, totally serious. “You should know by now that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Emma, and much as you might like to tease me I know you didn’t want that night apart either.”

Emma’s green eyes deepened in their color then, telling Killian everything he need to know. He was right, after all, and though it might feel unbelievable that he’d been so lucky as to make Emma fall in love with him as he was with her, that was their reality. All he had to do to know her heart’s desires was look inward, for they were in this together and in sync in a way that only came with a true and enduring love.

“So is that what tonight’s going to be all about… giving me what I want?” Emma asked her voice dipping lower and that so perfectly familiar heat flaring back to life between them full force. How she could be this damn tempting while injured Killian couldn’t know, but he’d have to resist for a while until he knew his lovely wife was truly all right and he wouldn’t hurt her in any way.

“As long as what you want coincides with what you need, love, it’s yours. I’d give you the world as long as I could still keep you safe.”

“I love you,” Emma whispered and Killian smiled before making the same vow back. And when the doctor’s discharged Emma an hour later saying she might be tender for a few days but could go about her business regularly, Killian made good on his promises of giving Emma everything she wanted and gratifying them both immensely in the process.

Post-Note: So thank you guys so much for bearing with me in this last chapter before the wedding. I know I thought I was going right towards the wedding but I knew I wanted to mirror Killian’s close call with one for Emma too. Originally I thought I could articulate that in a smaller portion and then have the second half of this chapter be the wedding, but that just wasn’t going to happen. Anyway I promise that when I do finally get back from the vacation I’ll be taking next week I will bring all the fluff and cuteness to this wedding. I always love writing some CS vows and this will be no exception. Thank you all so much for reading and hope you have a great rest of your day!

[idiotgangleader]

Best Day of the Year (Jacob Frye x Reader SMUT)

Fandom: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Pairing: Jacob Frye x Reader

Genre: Fluff/SMUT

Warnings: NSFW

Word Count: 3,140

Synopsis: Jacob spends the day with reader on her birthday. Happy birthday @btrombley13!!! So sorry this is late

You were interrupted in your deep sleep by a gentle tickling feeling on your face. You could see the light pouring into the room behind your eyelids, but you still didn’t want to get up. It was early, too early. Whining softly, you instinctively tried to move away only to be pulled back against something warm. You tried to curl up back into the blankets but you felt another tickle against your shoulder, only this time it was followed by a familiar chuckle.

“(Y/N)...wake up, darling...” a familiar voice whispered oh so sweetly before peppering your face with a barrage of slow kisses. His stubble brushed against your skin in a way that made you smile widely even in your half asleep state.

You smiled when you became coherent enough to know who they belonged to, but you still didn’t feel like getting up. Instead, you rolled over and snuggled yourself into his chest in order to hide your face from his attack of kisses.

He let out a laugh and began gently caressing your shoulder, absentmindedly drawing small circles into your skin. He wasn’t a morning person by any means. Usually it was you that was fighting to get him to get up in the morning. What the hell was he doing this for?

“Jacob...ish too erwee...”

He only snickered before laying back and adjusting you so that you were lying on top of his chest. You groaned at the shift and whined again at the change in position and temperature. It wasn’t as warm when you were lying like this.

“No...Keep me warm...”

You tried to reach over to grab his arm and drape it over you, but it was out of reach. He laughed some more at your desperate attempts to go back to sleep. It wasn’t fair, it seemed like he could fall asleep whenever and wherever he wanted and wake up refreshed no matter how long he slept for. You on the other hand, needed a routine of at least six hours of sleep per night or else you turned into a zombie.

“(Y/N)...do you know what day it is?”

You felt him kiss the top of your head and you nuzzled deeper into his chest. You weren’t ready to give up on sleep that easily. Maybe you could get him to give in. If not, at least you got some cuddles out of it.

“I know it’s too early in the day...” you muttered before closing your eyes again and trying to focus on his heartbeat.

Finally, he wrapped his arms around you and you snuggled into the warmth of his body. As annoying as he could be sometimes, these were your favorite moments with him. Just laying in each other’s arms and enjoying each other’s company. As much as you wanted to sleep, there was no other place you liked to sleep more than in bed with him and his arms wrapped tightly around you.

“It’s your birthday...” he whispered in a sing-song voice before pressing another kiss to the top of your head.

You opened your eyes slightly when you heard what he said. That’s right, it was your birthday. But you quickly shook your head and closed your eyes as you rested against him once more. You had never made too much of a big deal over your birthday and didn’t really see the point in celebrating them. It was only the mark of one more year that you were closer to death. Still, you could use this situation to your advantage.

“So it is. Is it too much to ask for to start off my birthday cuddling with my favorite man in the world for a little while longer?”

He sighed before letting out another amused chuckle. You were pretty sure that he knew what you were playing at. He knew you too well and was very knowledgeable of all of your tricks. But it’s not like you were lying.

“Alright, love. Just for a little while, then we need to get up. I have the whole day planned out for us. You’re going to love it.”

By now, you were pretty much awake and turned your head to look up at him and flash him a concerned look.

“You? Having a plan? I’m already worried.”

He pouted before rolling his eyes at you and playfully poking your cheek.

“Contrary to popular belief, (Y/N), I am very capable of planning things out. I just choose not to most of the time. But for you...” He paused so that he could lean down and press a lingering kiss to your lips.

“...I make an exception.”

You smiled into the kiss and look up at him with loving eyes. He was such a goofball, but when he wanted he could be so romantic.

“I’m honored.”

The two of you stayed in bed for another half hour before Mr. Plan finally convinced you to get up. By convince, you meant he manually carried you out of bed. After getting dressed, you went downstairs to begin preparing breakfast only for him to interrupt you and hold the car keys in his hand cheekily.

“I’m taking you out for breakfast.”

The place he took you was a small diner that you had never been to before. It wasn’t fancy by any means, but once the omelet hit your tongue, you were in love. You were absolutely convinced that this was the best breakfast place in the world. When you asked him how he found out about it, he only shrugged and cheekily said that he wouldn’t reveal his secrets.

After the two of you finished eating you expected him to drive the two of you home, only for him to take you to an arcade and pay for an all day pass for laser tag. You had to admit, when he said that he had plans for the day, you genuinely were a little concerned. But this was turning out to be the best day that you had had in a very long time; although, you could do with him not whooping your ass in laser tag. You made a note to yourself: Don’t play laser tag with an assassin and expect to win. After hours of chasing each other around the darkened room, you were exhausted. Knowing Jacob, he could probably have kept going for days at a time, but he knew you were at your limit. As you were way too sweaty and gross to go out to eat and you were already starving from your day of running around, the two of you decided just to eat the pizza that was sold at the arcade. You had to admit, it wasn’t that bad. As you sat across from him, you stared at him and wondered how you ended up with the best boyfriend in the world. Unfortunately, he caught you staring and flashed you a knowing smirk.

“What is it? Still worried about my planning skills?”

You laughed before leaning over the table to press a kiss to his lips and wiping off a piece of pepperoni that was lingering on the corner of his mouth.

“No, actually I was thinking about how lucky I am to have someone like you. This has been the best day ever.”

He smiled widely before leaning over the table to kiss you back.

“Well, keep thinking about it. This day isn’t over yet.” He gave a false warning tone before his face lit up in his signature smirk that you loved so much.

“There’s more?”

Oh god, you couldn’t even begin to imagine what he had planned next. Especially since you didn’t really have much of the energy to do anything else that day. But you were certain that he knew that.

After paying for the pizza, the two of you left the arcade and he proceeded to drive the two of you home. Once you got out of the car, he quickly ran around to your side and took your hand. You eyed him curiously but allowed him to lead you inside. What could he be possibly planning now?

Once the two of you got into the kitchen, he let go of your hand and looked at you with a huge smile on his face that almost made you worried.

“Close your eyes.” He whispered as he began backing up towards the counter.

You smile at him and eyed him intently for a moment as you tried to figure out what it was that he was up to before doing what he said and closing your eyes. You heard some rustling in the background and a crash of a pan on the floor, but Jacob quickly assured you it was fine and you resisted the temptation to open your eyes. After a moment, you heard the sound of a plate being placed on the table and footsteps walking over to you.

“Alright, open your eyes.”

You opened your eyes and smiled widely when you saw the sight in front of you. There on the counter was a chocolate bowl cake that was filled to the brim with chocolate covered strawberries. You stared at it in awe before looking up to him in disbelief. There was no possible way that he made that himself. At least not without leaving the kitchen in ruins. You were also shocked that he would go with chocolate and strawberries instead of a traditional cake. But then you remembered how at every party he would tease you for constantly picking at the chocolate covered strawberries, if there was any there. Either way, this was so much better than a regular cake.

“Evie or a caterer?” you asked with a loving smile as you walked up to him. Once you got to him, you threw your arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. This was by far the best birthday you had ever had.

“Evie.” He said simply before pulling you against him.

He wrapped his arms tightly around your waist and kissed you back just as passionately, and you melted into the kiss like butter. His kisses always blew you away; it was one of the many things that made you feel so lucky to be the lover of such an amazing man. After a while, he pulled away and took your hand so that he could lead your back to the table.

“Go on, have one.”

You pouted at him playfully for pulling away when you were enjoying yourself but looked down at the chocolate covered strawberries, your mouth immediately beginning to water. Slowly, you picked up one of them and looked at Jacob as you teasingly placed the tip of the strawberry in your mouth and wrapped your lips around it. Your eyes gazed his reaction as you sensually sucked the chocolate off of the piece of fruit.

He licked his lips as his eyes focused on you and your mouth, no doubt imagining other more pleasurable things you could do with it. You didn’t forget that he woke you up this morning when you planned to sleep in, even though the day turned out to be absolutely perfect. This was the perfect opportunity to tease him and get a little revenge. Once you finished removing all the chocolate from the strawberry with your mouth, you bit into it and threw the leafy part into the trash.

“Delicious.” You teased as before licking your lips to get the excess juice off.

Before you knew what was happening, you felt his arm around your waist and your body being roughly pulled against his. You placed your hands on his shoulders to stable yourself, only to feel his lips on the corner of your mouth. You smirked and tried to turn your head so that you could kiss him properly, but he shook his head and gently held your face in place as he began tracing the outline of your lips with his tongue.

“Jacob...”

You whined into his mouth as you tried to pull him closer but he stood his ground. When he pulled back, he was staring at you with ravenous eyes that immediately sent pleasant shivers down your spine. You knew that look well, and you knew very well what it meant. Before you could comment on it, you felt your knees being scooped out from under you and your body being cradled his warm chest. Your arms automatically went around his neck and you looked at him curiously as you watched him carry you over to the living room before sitting down on the couch and propping you in his lap.

You smiled widely before reaching your hands up so that you could stroke his hair. His smirk melted into a satisfied smile before he pulled you in for a passionate, but gentle kiss. You tangled your fingers deeper into his hair as you kissed him back fervently. He hadn’t even really done anything yet except kiss you but you were already ready to push him against this couch and take him apart.

“Jacob...” you breathed as your lips danced with his own.

He took the opportunity of you whispering his name to shove his tongue into your mouth and pull you closer. If his kiss from earlier didn’t blow you away, this one certainly did. The two of you had been together for so long, yet every time the two of you were together like this; it was as if it was the first time.

Suddenly, you felt him lowering you down on the couch and you looked at him curiously before resuming kissing him. He only playfully nipped your lips before moving his body so that he was looming over you. His hands began roaming up your sides before his mouth moved to start roughly kissing your neck. There was no gentle teasing, no warning, just his mouth diving in to devour your sensitive flesh. Your hands went up to grip his hair tightly and he groaned in response.

That wasn’t enough; you wanted him to completely lose control. You weren’t in the mood for teasing today. You just wanted him to tear you apart. The gentle lovemaking could come later, but for now you just wanted him. And you wanted him now.

You quickly pushed him off of you so that you could pull off your shirt and bra in one movement, keeping your eyes locked on him. The actions seemed to surprise him but as soon as the garment hit the floor, he was back on you and kissing your collarbone hungrily. His hands roamed you sides and traveled down to your belly as his mouth moved down to your now exposed breasts. Taking your nipple in his mouth, his tongue swirled over the sensitive piece of flesh in a way that sent jolts of pleasure straight down your body. You gripped his hair even tighter and let out a few agonizing whimpers at his torture.

His hair felt so soft in your hands, you never got tired of feeling his dark locks in your fingers. However, you were getting impatient.

“Jacob...please don’t tease me...”

You heard him snicker before he pulled away from your breast and placed a chaste kiss on your lips.

“Well, normally...I would make you work for it. But since it’s your birthday...I suppose I can make an exception.”

You saw his hand reach down and expertly unbutton your pants singlehandedly before pulling them down your legs and off of your feet. Feeling a little jealous that you were the only one that was undressed, you reached for the hem of his t shirt and began pulling it up over his head. He leaned forward so that it would be easier for you before throwing his shirt over with the rest of your discarded clothes. Even after all this time, you couldn’t help but ogle him. He was so handsome, and boy did he know it.

“See something you like?” he asked before pulling leaning over and kissing you again with a little more force.

You smirked into the kiss and wrapped your arms around his shoulders, relishing in the feeling of his skin under your touch.

“Very much so...” you whispered seductively before reaching down to hastily unbuckle his pants. This only made him snicker more as he helped you pull them down before he sat back down on the couch. His member standing proudly at attention. Without any other warning, you pulled your panties off and moved to straddle his lap.

Your sudden action caused him to raise an eyebrow, but all the same he smirked widely and placed his hands on your hips.

“Birthday girl’s a little frisky, is she?”

You grabbed his shoulders and pulled him in for a rough and relentless kiss before reaching down and easing his cock into your dripping core. Both of you groaned simultaneously and you took a moment to prepare himself before moving your hips up and down on his length.

His hands gripped your sides tightly as his hips joined in movement with yours and thrust upwards into your entrance. God, you had wanted this all day. You kept your hands tightly on his shoulders to steady yourself and your eyes locked on his as you rode him. Those beautiful hazel eyes, you couldn’t get enough of them.

You angled yourself when his cock brushed up against that sweet spot inside of you. You threw your head back and almost screamed when you felt his hand cupping your pussy and palming your clit. How did he always know exactly what you wanted? At any rate, you certainly wouldn’t last long like this.

He seemed to be able to tell that you were getting close to the edge, for he sped up his pace and tightened his grip on your waist.

“Jacob!”

You almost lost it right then and there. You could feel the pressure building inside you that threatened to snap at any given moment. Then he did something you didn’t expect.

His eyes went dark for a minute before he reached up and roughly grabbed the back of your hair and pulled you down in to a bruising kiss that left you breathless.

That was it for you. You one loud groan into his mouth, you clenched around his cock and spent yourself. He didn’t release you from the kiss; instead he thrust hard a few more times before groaning into your mouth and releasing his seed inside you.

The two of you broke apart and just held each other for a few minutes before you eased yourself off of him and instead moved to snuggle into his side.

“That was...the best birthday ever...”

All you heard was a snicker and his lips pressing a kiss to your hair.

“I should make plans more often.”

[resmarted]

alright alright, finish your g&t cause now it’s time to leave on another plane where you are say, the young popstar turned actress that is cast for a cameo on a show im working on that’s about crime scenes and forensic detectives, and this is like your first job outside of your own world of yes men and fans so it’s new territory, but you’re unbothered by it bc you’re young and you have instagram notifications a mile a minute, and there are more important things to be doing. you’re a nightmare to work with, but everyone knows this because you’re also somebody’s daughter and you get what you want regardless. i don’t even have to interact with you because i’m always in the production office but gary calls in sick for the first time ever and suddenly we are short of hands and they need someone to step up, which i do instantly because gary is a teamster and i want to move up to that division because they get the best benefits and are unionized, it’s just much better money for much less work. well, that’s what i thought anyway. my only job today is to drive you from your hotel to the set, but the filming location is different than usual because it’s a desert scene and way out over on the other side of the hills. i don’t really know california geography but i’m assuming there’s just a lot of hills and everyone’s always just referring to the hills and whatever, the point is you walk out in this ridiculous disguise in an attempt to throw off paparazzi, this long blonde wig and retro rose colored glasses. of course that doesn’t work and you get bombarded with photographers, which is annoying, but the day only just started. you don’t talk to me or acknowledge me and that’s fine. you sit and watch videos on your phone and play various songs to snapchat yourself to, making kissy faces and different angles. i am driving at the pace of a snail, bumper to bumper traffic, and your phone keeps making little dings and noises. at one point you casually say mmk we’re going to make a stop at a prada, i need to pee. i laugh and you instantly snarl like, is there a problem? i start to talk and you’re like it was rhetoric-cal, and i shoot you a look in the rearview mirror like did this bitch just say rhetoric-cal? i try to explain to you that we are on production’s time and you say it’s an emergency without looking up from your phone. as soon as i’m about to respond i get a call from upper management basically saying to just do as i'm told. what is she, texting them? i sigh and give up like ok, let the nightmare begin. we have to turn all the way around to get on a different highway and sit in even more traffic, and when we get there you have the whole place shut down so you can do lines in the bathroom and shop for new handbags in peace. my phone is blowing up from producers urging me to hurry her back as fast as possible, and i’m already just settling on the fact that i’m just never going to be promoted to teamster, at least not anytime soon. you make me turn the radio up to full volume so you can get the most out of your high and your kpop playlist. you say you want in n out and god please no don’t do this to me, we are already so behind schedule, but of course you’re too powerful to disregard and too manipulative to be convinced into anything else. so we go and forty five minutes later you have ordered a massive amount of food, i guess for your invisible entourage, and you don’t even take a single bite. of course you don’t, what was i thinking, you don’t eat. you’re just trying to assert your power by stalling time as long and as luxuriously as you please. it’s not until i get back onto the freeway that the car starts to stall. oh shit, oh shit. oh shit oh shit oh shit no don’t do this to me, not now, not today. you groan that there’s no cell signal here and i bite my tongue from saying uh yeah bitch, there’s no wifi in the desert. you roll your eyes and for the first time i see you reach for something that isn’t your phone and ah yes, a flask. you take a decidedly long swig and i just stare at you in disbelief. a burp erupts from your body like a demon being exorcised and you wipe the back of your mouth with your arm. i can hear you go oh shit, my velvet kylie gloss. can you redo it for me? that’s when i lose my shit. i slam my fist against the car, breathing sharp through my nose like, no. no i can’t help you reapply your kylie gloss. i’m not here to wipe your ass, i’m just here to drag you to the job that you agreed to, and not only are you making it impossible but now we’re in the middle of fucking nowhere with no service and no way to even contact anyone to come out. you know i’m going to get fired over you, right? or does that not even register in your puny little glittery pea of a brain, you fucking moronic cretin sent from hell? you know it’s not normal for people to live the way you do, right? it’s not a fucking game, this isn’t some fucking party for you to pass out halfway through, there are people waiting around for the princess to arrive and guess who’s not showing up with the chariot? that’s right it’s me, it’s me you fucking tool. all because i got the bright idea to step up and take something that gary, who literally never missed a day of work ever, decided this was the day he wasn’t going to bother with this shit, and you know what? i don’t blame him. just as i’m about to further scold you, i turn around and see you bleeding heavily from your nose and foam starting to flood from your mouth. what the fuck? i scoop down to pull you up from the dirt where you’ve suddenly crashed and your body feels like a dead fish. i’m slapping you gently on the face trying to get you to snap out of it, and if nobody was stopping before they definitely won’t want to now, i look like your goddamn pimp right now. you half open one eye and manage to slur out a series of mumbles, and i make you repeat it again and again until it becomes words. you flop your head back and moan, take me to caesar sinai. fuck it. that’s it, i’m just gonna go for it. i am getting nowhere trying to wave people down and so i decide to just walk right into traffic, flailing my arms wildly at the first car that stops, which manages to somehow not leave a scratch on anyone. when an ambulance arrives and rushes us into er i pretend you’re having a bad reaction to seafood. i mean what the fuck am i supposed to say? i got a very expensive tabloid story’s worth of information to just give to any old creep that asks? i mean i hate you but i don’t want you to suffer for the world to see. they pump your stomach and when you’re lucid i’m sitting next to you, watching all the tubes going in and out of your body now. you’re so much nicer now that you’re docile from all this trauma. you meekly tell me hi, and i don’t know what the fuck i’m supposed to say now so i just kind of look at you and say nothing. i mean i’m so done with you at this point and am wondering how soon i can bail, is she even my problem now? isn’t someone else ready to take over? why has no one arrived by now to see you? does anyone even fucking care? that’s when your dad bolts in and starts firing off shot after shot at you like he’s talking to a drill sergeant and not his sick child on a breathing monitor in a hospital bed. he’s yelling at you like i was yelling at you, but way worse. what the fuck is wrong with you? do you know how close we were to being seen? i already had to pay off the staff to keep it under wraps from the press, and damn it that i didn’t just ship you off after your mother and i divorced. your heartrate speeds up and your breathing becomes labored and sir, don’t you think there’s a better time for this discussion later maybe? time? you think i have time to be dealing with this? that’s what i pay people for, why aren’t you dealing with this? maybe if you were doing your job i wouldn’t have to be down here and suddenly you pipe up dad, please stop. i’ll be fine. she just saved my life. that's right bitch, i'm a girl too this time. your dad does this weird 180 where he goes from being completely abrasive to so apologetic and there’s no in between, it’s like a switch that’s been turned. you point to me and say i didn't catch your name, and for a second i want to be like o rly? is that what the nice christian girl just noticed, that i'm a person? i tell it to you and your dad goes wait, you're the one that walked into traffic for my daughter. or maybe it's more like dawta. he tells me instantly that he wants to promote me - to being your personal assistant. she needs a handler i can trust, you're perfect for the job. ohhhh the fuck i'm not sir, but with all due respect, i don't think so. i'm just a teamster (not true) i'm not equipped to be overseeing a person's life at all hours. he goes, what do they pay you to be a teamster? and before i could answer i'm not actually a teamster he goes, i'll pay you triple. i really want to say no the fuck way but i also really want to be able to afford things like food and gas and sweet kicks. i sigh begrudgingly and in a blink of an eye in several months into living with you and, well, handling you. it picked up just where it left off, awkward and tense with a lot of me having to remind myself i can't get lash out at you because you're just this scared girl that doesn't even want to be doing this. your dad swears i can have my job back at the studio if i want it, that i don't have to cater to you and that i can be tough, but eventually the desire fades completely. i make solid meals like eggs and bacon for breakfast while you just eat little kid foods like lucky charms and pizza bites. you start to leave the news on around the house when i'm gone because you've become this attached little puppy that needs to feel like i'm there all the time. i make sure you take all your prescriptions at the same time every day, take you to your appointments on time, and i even check your nostrils every day which you are especially proud to do, like a little kid that just washed their hands and is getting the smell test but i'm looking for cocaine residue and dilated pupils. i'm the normal that you need in the background, or that's what i tell you one day when you ask why it is that you like the smell of coffee so much but not the taste. you resent that and we get into a strange fight like we're a couple, and are we a couple? there's something very cher and josh about the whole thing. you are staring with softest look i've ever seen and i ask, are you going to kiss me? you blush and fumble for words, stuttering but i put my finger very gently over your mouth like shh, it was rhetoric-cal. we make out forever after and all that, you know how these end every time why do i even have to still go over it with you? sorry, am i being a grump at you again just like ya fawtha? you kiss the dead out of me and i stitch my flesh around the broken parts of you, and together we make it back over the rainbow in one piece, just like we always do.