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the-goddess-of-mischief-writing · 9 months ago

Text

Chocolates and euphoria

pairing: cpt. John Price x reader (cod mw)

tags/tw: afab!reader, nsfw, food play, p in v, unprotected sex, desperate sex, slight cockwarming, 18+ so minors please DNI

a/n: a late valentines blurb inspired by this post

John Price MASTERLIST

Just imagine John Price not greeting you by the door when you come home from work, and he's returned from deployment while you were away. Instead, he answers your greeting by beckoning you further into your shared flat with an 'In here, love'.

You drop your things to the floor, more concerned with seeing Price after weeks of him gone than the temporary shucked-off and slipped-out jacket you leave behind in the foyer.

Your flat is not big, but his voice had been faint enough that you know he must be in the bedroom, probably unpacking his stuff, sorting what needs a wash -more or less everything- from the weapons that needed to be locked into the gun-safe.

Imagine your shock when pushing the door open to not find him straightening from a bent-over position of his bag on the bed but sprawled in it with only a measly bit of the duvet, the one you changed yesterday just because you knew how much Price likes to come home and feel free from sand and dirt, over his crotch, legs partly intertwined but giving you a tantalising view of his bare thighs down to his shins, hands behind the pillow propping his head up. You stall, freezing in the entrance as you blink, perplexed at the sight you couldn't even imagine finding your Captain. Not even in your wildest dreams.

"Happy Valentine's, love."

His greeting falls on partly deaf ears. You hadn't given it much thought, even if it was hard not to notice the copious amount of red, pink and white hearts or love-shaped everything you'd passed the last few days on your way home from work. But with a heart-shaped box of chocolate square on top of Price's crotch, it clicks in your head that the 14th of February coincided with his return home.

You let out a short laugh because you seriously don't know how to react to what your eyes rove over again and again.

"Not appreciatin' the welcome-home gift I've got for you?"

Despite the slight shuffle as he props himself on his elbows and the box of chocolates sliding nearly too much to not tug the duvet down with it, your eyes ascend until they meet Price's.

There's an evident mirth practically shining in them, crow's feet highlighted in the edge of his eyes as he attempts to fend off his smile.

With the lack of any and all seriousness concerning the situation, you purse your lips, head ducking into a shake as you can't contain an amused chuckle, moving from your spot.

"Love it", you can barely get the words out. Your feigned straight face crackles as you walk closer, eyebrows scrunching together, chest convulsing from trying to not break into another laugh. "My very own hairy Cupid".

It's Price who breaks the facade with a timbre low chuckle and head craning back as you slow down when reaching the edge of the bed.

"I tried." He gives you a shrug, and you notice the now upward tug of his lips once he looks up at you.

"A very appreciated attempt", you giggle, settling on the side of the bed, leaning to the centre where Price rests.

He meets you halfway, pulling you closer with one hand clutching the back of your neck, almost dragging you down as well, and you need to catch yourself against the mattress in your now twisted position. You both chuckle into the kiss as the chocolates rattle in their casing after your hasty movement and Price's shuffle to get closer to you.

"God, how did you think of this?" You glance down his body towards the most eye-catching object at the moment, smile ever-present like the silent laughter in your eyes when they return to meet him.

"Gaz showed me a not-so-subtitle photo he thought was funny". You closed your eyes, chuckling at the mental image of the situation.

"Should thank him the next time I see him". Price rolls his eyes when you look at him again.

"You and Kyle bother me as much off duty as them two sergeants do on". He scoffs fondly.

You cock your head, bottom lip jutted out. "Don't be too hard on them".

"Easier to chew their ear off than your pretty face", he murmurs deeply with a considerable drop in his voice. "C'mere".

Rather than give in to his pull, fall deeper into the closeness he beckons you; you pull away with a giggle and crawl down the bed until you settle between his legs.

He cocks his head, both elbows now planted on the bed again as he stares down at you, eyeing how your kneeling form is hidden beneath your skirt, the fabric flowing out and filling the space he'd unconsciously given you between his legs.

"Not where I imagined you".

You place a hand on Price's abdomen when he goes to sit up, pursuing your lips with a feigned sad furrow between your brows. "Why? Where else would I be able to taste the chocolates you gave me, John?".

What's not hidden in the perfectly innocent face you pull and direct at him is the glint in your eyes and the way you rap your fingers against his stomach rather than pulling your hand back to your side. But Price decides to play into it.

"Be my guest", he waves his hands towards the box, somehow still balancing enough to keep the small part of Price's covered front hidden.

Oh, imagine the nearly audible gulp, that delicious heave of his chest you only managed to pull out when catching him off-guard, as your slightly cold hands settle high on his thighs as you bend down, keeping eye contact with those blues intently watching, as your lips slot around one of the chocolates, leaning away only when it's securely clutched between your teeth, only for you to raise a hand and with one finger push it into your mouth.

You hum in content, eyes fluttering as you wiggle a little with a smile, no doubt the taste of chocolate spurring your reaction. But Price's imagination is running rampant, the box of chocolates a plastic shield between where your mouth was and the very place all his blood now is flowing to. The taste he wants to fill your mouth is not that creamy delight that's excited you all in your teasing.

You raise your brows as you lick your lips, watching him. Price blinks out of his stupor when you cock your head, realising you're waiting on something.

"What?" His rough and hastily asked question makes you giggle.

"I asked if you want to taste one?"

Price nearly misses your question again when you start stroking your hands up and down his upper thighs, fingers brushing over the place where his thigh joins with his hip. But he does notice your vixen-like offer, purred in that innocently-laced voice you like to dip into when you play with him. And, like always, he walks head-first into the allure of sirens.

"Go on then".

You bite your lower lip in anticipation as you pluck one of the heart-shaped sweets and lean over his body to reach his lips. Price's hands find your waist, stabilising you as he cranes his neck, snagging the chocolates from your fingers, making sure to excessively lick the pad of your fingers in the process. An adorable scrunch of your nose is the reaction he searches for and is rewarded with.

Price only smirks as he falls down against the pillow as he bites into the chocolate.

"So?" You remain hovering above him, both hands now resting beside his head.

"Good, but not as sweet as you". He squeezes your waist.

"God, you're such a flirt tonight". You chuckle with a roll of your eyes.

"Mhm?" He hums in return, the edge of his lip upturned when you look down at him again

"Mhm", you reply, tongue rolling over your lips before catching it between your teeth, offering a smile in return.

A low sound vibrates deep in his chest, his voice sending shivers down your spine. It's silent for a few seconds as you look at one another before gravitating closer.

Your lips are soft compared to Price's slightly chapped ones, telling you he continues to vehemently avoid the chapstick you send along with him when he's deployed, but they're equally as sweet, the taste of chocolate fresh as he slips his tongue into your mouth. He groans appreciatively at your willingness, readily intertwining your tongue with his with a slight sigh.

Price wants you flush against him, feel you after weeks away from you, but when his hand travels to the curve of your back, arms about to wrap around you, you pull away, eyes fluttering open.

"They're different kinds?" You light up; this time, it's hard for Price to know if it's genuine curiosity as your attention falls to the box perched on his lap again. But when you hastily sit down on your haunches again, he can't help but chuckle, watching you pick up another chocolate with intrigue.

Neither of you had anticipated the caramel suddenly pouring out of the half-bitten heart, making you jerk slightly forward. With wide eyes, our gaze falls to the light-brown liquid having dripped onto Price, your eyes flickering between the pooling of fluid in the dip of his hips.

You giggle, and with a quick flicker of your eyes to his and then down again, Price knows what's coming before you move, your intention shining like a beacon in your eyes as you stuff the last bit of chocolate into your mouth and swallow quickly.

He feels the groan rumbling in his chest even before you lick a broad stripe along the skin not hidden by the box or covers. The press of your tongue so close to where he's throbbing for you makes his eyes flutter but never close fully, hips jumping, disturbing the box somehow still resting on his lap. Far longer than he'd anticipated originally.

"God, women", he groans. "That's 'nough of that", Price finally caves to your teasing, hard as a fucking rock and nearly breaking out in a sweat at the swings between lewd and sweet actions you've put him through the last few minutes.

He moves the box of chocolates aside, gently enough for none to escape the box, and tugs you forward until you sprawl over his naked chest. You have the nerve to giggle, but it quickly turns to a gasp as he rolls you over, his weight pressing you into the bed.

The flimsy part of the duvet between his crotch and your lower stomach does nothing to hide his hard and heavy girth pressing into your still-clothed. But as he urges you on your front, nothing but your clothes limits his access as he kicks away the duvet altogether, grinding against your backside with heady rolls of his hips.

"Fuck, missed you, love", he would drawl so sickly hot but sweet at the same time into your ear, making you arch against him. Price would it as encouragement, undoing the sip along the small of your back before tugging your skirt form your body, throwing it aside with much less care than the box of chocolates. Your shirt soon met the same fate.

And when you lay in nothing but your undergarments, you would feel something being placed on your spine, but before managing to crane your neck to see what it is, Price's thumb would crush what you quickly realised is a piece of chocolate filled with caramel, smearing it along your back. Your mouth drops open, eyes flittering to meet his gaze rather than down your back. He's grinning, satisfied his payback worked.

Price would keep your gaze as he lowered himself until close enough to your back that you couldn't see him as much as feel his hot tongue collect the mess he made. You would gasp, head jerking forward, face pressing between the pillows and the mattress. Feeling him hum pleasantly at the taste of you combined with the treat coating his tongue would make the hair on your body stand at its end, your back arching like a wave to get as close to Price's tongue as possible. His chest swells from how reactive you're to him, nearly crooning when he grasps at the fleshy part of your hips, digging his fingers into your skin, eliciting a muffled mewl.

He would take your bra off while licking your skin clean of the treat he smeared across your body, rewarding you with a cheeky nip of his teeth as you wiggle out of the fabric he then discards somewhere.

While Price would pepper kisses all over your back, shoulders and up to the nape of your neck, one hand would slide between your legs, past your panties and graze right over your weeping pussy. A small gasp leaves you as your hips move a fraction, your head now practically going lax at being surrounded by him.

His fingers do wonders to your clit, and more choked sounds leave you as he plays with your body like he never had left and returned with new callouses on his palms rubbing sinfully against you.

The very patience Price is known for, and the cool-headedness everyone who meets him praises, would snap so quickly you could think all those comments were for a facade he kept up. But seeing you desperate, whimpering, whining, arching and grinding back against his hot cock pressed against your ass would do things to the most stoic man.

He wouldn't even bother taking off your panties. Your more than naked state enough for him to paw and grab at. They would merely be pushed aside, hoked somehow to the side by your thigh and ass as he guides the head of his cock over your heat. Low groans and bordering gruffs would press from his lungs while moans and staggering breaths leave you as he guides his cock over your heat to collect your wetness.

Price would groan in pleasure when he finally pushes all the way into you in one slow push, burying his cock so deep inside, the thick head of it kissing a spot that only he can reach. You always felt tighter, wetter the first time he fucked you with all the pent-up frustration and adrenaline yet to subside from his body after a tour.

His burly body would envelop yours as he fell down to his elbows, holding you close as the slow rock of his hips soon picked up speed, the sound of his hips smacking against your ass filling the room.

Your walls would throb, squeezing tightly around his girthy shaft as he pumps in and out of you, whining into the pillows you'd buried your head into before craning your neck to the side his hot breath fanned from.

The kiss would be uncoordinated, tongues intertwining and lips slipping before remaining open as you panted and moaned against each other. Everything tastes of chocolate and euphoric highs as a particularly lewd mewl escapes your mouth and vibrates against his. Price's beard would scrape against your chin and jaw, the scratchy feeling making you roll it onto your shoulder as it added to your overall pleasure, giving him access to your neck. He would shower the newly offered skin in kisses that wouldn't fade just because his lips left, giving some extra love to the sweet spot below your ear that made you clench so deliciously around him.

Your orgasm would crash over you a second later, body twitching, mouth remaining open, panting against the side of his face as he growled a 'there you fuckin' go, feels so good flutterin' 'round me' straight against the shell of your ear.

Price doesn't let up, fucking faster and harder into your pussy while your brows would crease against his forehead as he tries to dip his head to taste you again. But he can't, his own open-mouthed groans met by nothing but overstimulated puffs of silence from you.

And then his thrusts started to get sloppy, bucking every few times until he moaned against your mouth whilst spilling deep inside you, hips rocking and pushing against your ass as if to climb into you.

Price's body weight would press against your back, your arm worming out from beneath your body and around his neck to let him know he could take his time, you didn't mind his heft against you. He would worm his arms around your body, one circling your waist, the other your chest, huffing a sigh of bliss, pleased by your nails raking against the nape of his neck as you caught your breaths.

There was no doubt you'd have to change the sheets again later, either because of the mixed fluids you could feel trickle out of you or the chocolates that, without a doubt, had stained the white duvet.

Taglist: @starlitselkie @melancholyy-hill @redheadonfire20

#captain john price #john price x reader #john price cod #john price x you #john price x fem!reader #john price x y/n #john price x female reader #cod mw2 #captain price #john price call of duty #task force 141 #captain johnathan price #captain john price x reader #john price #john price smut #call of duty modern warfare #cod smut #cod fic

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hina-hina · 2 years ago

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Can you do a platonic fic with Price? Price is the reader’s father? She’s like a carbon copy of her father’s personality and his habits. It’s gotten to the point where the similarities are eerie.

-🍁 anon

Hello 🍁 Anon!!! This was such a cute ask to do!! I would also like to say that, as of now, I'm only doing headcanons so I hope that's ok

(≧﹏ ≦) Thank you for requesting!!

Got slightly carried away with this one, but I hope you like it!

||Captain Price with a Carbon-Copy Child||

Warnings: some angst

Price never really imagined himself as a dad

But then, he had you and it changed his whole perception on fatherhood

He had always assumed your personality would be more like your mothers, due to you spending more time with her

But, after you got older, it became clear you were just a mini Captain Price

You had heard him once call someone a muppet and you didn't stop saying it for weeks

Once you got to your teen years, you probably tried to smoke one of his cigars

He found out and you were grounded for a month

You always miss him so much when he leaves on deployment or to go back to base

Insist he video call you whenever necessary

You begged him to take you to the base and show you around

He reluctantly agreed

When he brought you in, you were immediately enthralled with everything happening on base

When he introduced you to the other members of the 141, they could immediately notice the uncanniness

"This is Sergeant John MacTavish"

He smiled good-naturedly, "Call me Soap."

"The hell kinda name is Soap?"

Soap's face dropped as the others start laughing

Captain Price smiling proudly to your right

When you tell him you want to join the army when your older, he is not happy

He never wanted this life for any of his loved ones, but especially not you

It spurs into a big argument

He doesn't want you to join the military because it's dangerous and always thought he does the dirty work to make the world a safer place for you

Your angry, thinking that he's trying to control your life

It ends up with you not talking to each other the whole time he is on deployment

It pains him whenever he sits down for your video calls and you don't pick up

The other members of 141 would notice his change in attitude but not know how to help

He would eventually go to Laswell for advice

She would advise the two of you just talk it out, heart-to-heart

He dreads this because he has never been particularly good at talking about his feelings

But he is willing to try for you

He takes leave for a few days to come see you

When he comes home and you see him, you break into tears, your previous anger forgotten as you run and hug him

He hugs back, squeezing you tight with one hand pressed to the back of your head and a gentle kiss to your temple

"Don't cry, dear, It's okay."

You begin apologizing profusely through tears as he continues to just hold you and shush you gently

When you finally calm down, you two have that talk

He explains that he didn't ever want to seem controlling but he also wanted to keep you safe

You explain your feelings, how you were constantly worried about his safety

He had never really thought of that, apologizing for making you worry

"Now, I'll be worried half to death by it but if, when your old enough, you still want to enlist I'll support you. But you have to be careful for your old man, got it?"

You smile, nodding your head rapidly while you grab him in a hug again

"Alright, alright. Now, let's go get some ice cream or something."

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ac-19 · 2 months ago

Note

Can you do some Jason Hayes imagines?

Here you go babe ❤️ my inbox is always open for request!

Unconditionally- J. Hayes (Bravo 1)

Summary: things get though when Jason comes home from a mission more closed off to you than ever.

"What are you doing here?"

I didn't take the tone of his voice personally as I slid into the seat in front of him. I knew what I was in for when I came looking for him here. Naima told me this morning that the boys were touching down in VA Beach today, and considering the fact that Jason didn't tell me himself meant that he was trying to push me away.

He was nursing what looked like his fifth beer when I got there and I wasn't going to push him to tell me everything that happened on his deployment, but after three months I was hoping he would be at least a little excited to see me.

"Naima told me you guys were home."

"Again, what are you doing here?"

"Checking on you."

"You're not my mother and I didn't ask you to do that."

I nodded.

"You don't have to ask Jase, I'm doing it because I love you."

"Well that's a stupid thing to do."

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What?"

"Love me."

"Why's that?"

"Look you should just go home. Your house."

I nodded.

"You're clearly throwing yourself a pitty party right now, so fine I'll stay at my house tonight, but you're not getting rid of me this easy Hayes."

"Look you deserve someone better than me."

"And that's for me to decide Jason."

"You deserve a better life than I can ever give you."

I shrugged and leaned back into the chair I was sitting in and crossed my arms across my chest.

"And what does that look like to you? Enlighten me."

He leaned forward and leaned onto his forearms.

"White picket fence house with a couple of kids running around. Married to an accountant or some shit like that. Someone who you can rely on to be here."

I chuckled.

"It's that's the life you see me in than you don't know me at all, Jason. Listen to me when I say that I love the life we have, you, me, and Cerby."

Jason shook his head.

"Ok, let's go. I'm gonna take you home."

"I'm good."

I nodded.

"Fine. I love you Jason. I'll call you tomorrow."

Jason just grabbed onto his beer bottle and downed the rest of it and he pushed himself up and headed to the bar. I put my head down and pulled a twenty dollar bill out of my purse, a post it note and a pen.

I slid the corner of the twenty dollar bill with the note "Get home safe❤️" under one of the empty beer bottles as I dropped the pen back into my purse and pushed myself up. I looked over at the bar, but Jason completely ignored me. I pushed the exit door and walked down the street to where my car was parked and headed over to my place.

Cerberus greeted me the second I walked through the door of my house and I smiled as I pet the top of the dog's head.

"Looks like you're going to be crashing here for one more night Cerby, you're dad's being an asshole."

The dog barked, almost in agreement, and I chuckled as I put my things away and headed to my room to get ready for bed.

The next morning I debated calling Jason but knowing him he probably wouldn't pick up so I loaded Cerby into my car and headed to our favourite breakfast spot to grab some food before heading over to his place.

I knocked twice and there was no answer so I bent down and got the spare key from under the mat. I swiftly unlocked the door and pushed it open. Cerby ran inside, excited to see Jason and I smiled as I closed the door behind me.

"You know that's breaking and entering."

"Not if I have the key."

He nodded.

"You said you'd call."

I nodded as I stepped inside his apartment further and put the bag of food and tray with the coffee's in it down onto the kitchen table.

"Be honest with me right now, would you have picked up the phone if I called?"

Jason shruggred as he picked up the cup of coffee off the table.

"Thanks for dropping by."

I scoffed.

"Wow. Listen, I'm not going anywhere Jason, no matter how tough shit gets, why can't you get that through your thick skull?"

"I'm trying to protect you here. This life is just going to slowly destroy us and I don't want to do that to you."

"Oh you're really gonna give me the I'm doing this to protect you speech? I've done two tours in Afghanistan as a combat medic Jason you're not the only one who's seen some unthinkable shit. I know exactly what you're life looked like when we started dating. I knew what I was getting myself into."

Jason nodded.

"Look, if you want me gone, say the word and I'm out the door, but I don't believe that's what you truly want."

The silence that followed was unbearable and I just nodded. I grabbed my coffee cup, put the key to the front door on the kitchen table and turned around and walked over to the door. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I put my hand down on the handle.

"Stay."

I dropped my hand to my side and turned around to face Jason.

"Stay."

I nodded.

"You've gotta stop pushing me out Jason. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I can handle more than you think."

Jason nodded.

"I don't deserve you."

I nodded.

"You're right. Especially when you're being a grad A asshole."

Jason gave me a small smile.

"Can we eat?"

I smiled.

"I had other things in mind."

Jason nodded as he put his coffee cup down on the table and quickly made his way over to me. I quickly put my coffee cup down onto the windowsill and my lips crashed against Jason's as he wrapped his arm tightly around my waist.

With one arm Jason reached under my butt and scooped me in my arms while I wrapped my legs around his waist. Seconds later my back hit his matress and I smiled as Jason quickly pulled off his shirt.

"Now this was the welcome home I was in visioning."

Jason nodded.

"I'll make it up to you. For being, what did you call me?"

"A Grade A asshole. And you better Hayes."

#seal team #seal team imagines #seal team x reader #seal team imagine #jason hayes #jason hayes x reader #jason hayes imagine #jason hayes imagines

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roosterforme · 2 years ago

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We Broke the Bed | Rooster x Reader

Summary: You and Bradley manage to break your Queen bed. Time to upgrade to a King.

Warnings: Fluff, smut, swearing, angst

Length: 1800 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You?

Check my masterlist.

Bradley was helpless to tell you no. He found it almost impossible to deny you anything you wanted. When you told him you wanted ice cream after dinner? He took you out to your favorite neighborhood place for a scoop. When you mentioned you wanted to go to the beach? He started packing towels and sunblock. When you told him you wanted to see the new movie coming out? He was purchasing tickets on his phone.

Literally the only thing that he was unable to override for you was the deployment paperwork currently hanging on the refrigerator. He was leaving in a few days, no matter what.

So anything you asked for before then? He gave it to you.

"Harder," you moaned as he slammed you from behind. You were on your hands and knees at the edge of the bed, and Bradley was gripping your hips. He drove himself harder into you, giving your ass a little slap in response.

"Oh, God! Harder!" you demanded, your hair coming loose from your ponytail and flying all over the place. He watched your ass bouncing against him as he braced his feet on the floor and fucked you with everything he had.

Soon you were whining and crying out, chanting his name in time with his hard thrusts. He was grinning wildly when he suddenly heard the sound of wood splintering.

"What the?" he mumbled and slowed down a tiny bit to check out the bed frame, but you started moaning again.

"Bradley! Don't stop! I'm sooo so so soooo close." So he focused on the task at hand; getting you off exactly how you wanted him to. You were moaning and whining and shouting his name, and he came hard when you clamped down around him. He pushed you flat onto your stomach and collapsed mostly on top of you, still inside your pussy. And that's when the bed broke.

Neither of you spoke for a moment after you suddenly dropped several inches. "What just happened?" you mumbled, your mouth buried in the bedding. "Did I come that hard? Or did I imagine that?"

Bradley chuckled next to your ear. He pushed himself off of you and groaned as he withdrew from inside you, gazing at the pretty mess oozing out of your pussy.

"Baby Girl, we broke the bed," he told you, kneeling down to examine the spot where the bed frame had splintered and then broke in half.

"You're joking," you gasped, pushing yourself off the bed as well. "Bradley! We broke the bed!"

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I didn't think that was even possible, and I know you really liked your bed frame," he told you as he winced. But you started cracking up.

"We broke a fucking bed, Roo!" you said, howling with laughter. You knelt on the floor next to him and climbed into his arms, shaking from laughter. "This is epic!" Soon you had both collapsed onto the floor, holding each other through your giggles.

"I'll buy us a new one," he finally managed to say, pulling you on top of him.

You wiped tears from your eyes and kissed Bradley's lips. "Well that's going to be a story for grandkids someday," you said as you gasped for air.

Bradley felt his face light up and his smile grow wide. He pulled you down against him for another kiss, slipping his tongue into your mouth. He kissed you like this for a while. The combination of knowing he was going to miss you while he was deployed, and the idea that you might even possibly want to have kids with him made him needy. He wanted to hold you all day long. But there wasn't time for that.

"We need to get to Mav's," he muttered eventually. Maverick had invited you both over to check out his hangar. Bradley knew he needed some help with a mechanical problem he was having with one of his planes, and it would also be the first time you got to see the space. "And then we can buy a new bed on the way home."

That triggered another round of laughter before you both managed to get dressed.

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

"I don't know, but let's grab the wrenches and see if that works," Maverick told Bradley. They had been working on Mav's plane for awhile as you explored the hangar.

"Y/N, can you grab us that wrench set, Baby Girl? It's on the toolbench," Bradley called to you. They both had their hands propping up the engine mount, so you scurried over to help them. The back of the toolbench was lined with photos that you wanted to examine more closely. But first you grabbed the tools that they needed and took them over.

"Let me know if you need anything else," you told them. Bradley leaned down and kissed you on the cheek and Maverick thanked you with a smile.

You wandered back over to check out all of the pictures. There were some of Bradley at varying ages, and he had been an adorable child. One was taken at a Little League baseball game when Bradley must have been about ten years old. There was another of him as a teenager wearing a suit. Perhaps he was dressed for a school dance? There was one of Maverick with Bradley and a blonde haired woman. That must have been Carole. You had been dying to see some photos of his parents, but Bradley still hadn't gone back to get everything out of his storage unit yet, including some promised photo albums.

Bradley looked a lot like his mom, but then you caught sight of a photo of a much younger Maverick with his arm around another, taller man. That man looked like the spitting image of Bradley; it must have been Nick Bradshaw. You pulled all the photos of Carole and Nick down from the wall and studied them. Carole was beautiful, petite and always smiling brightly. Nick was tall, handsome and had a crooked grin. Bradley looked so much like his dad, it took your breath away.

You took a few minutes to really soak in all of the details. Bradley had Carole's smile and facial expressions, but everything else came from Nick. As you were about to put the photos back up on the wall, you could hear Bradley speaking softly to Maverick.

"I'm just a little worried, since it's going to be my first time away from her."

"Worried? You told me you trust her," Mav responded. Your heart was hammering in your chest as you listened.

"I do," Bradley replied quietly. "I trust her completely. I'm not worried about that. I just think it's going to be hard on her. Six weeks is a long time when you've never done it before."

You pretended to be extremely interested in the aviation memorabilia near the workbench as you intently listened to what they said.

"If you love her, then she needs to get used to this. And you'll need to get used to the idea of having someone who loves you missing you while you're away. It's hard on both ends, I'm sure."

"Shit," Bradley mumbled. "You're right. It's going to be different for me this time too."

"It's obvious the two of you are crazy about each other, but this is going to be an equalizer. You be good to her. Don't you dare make her worry over nothing, Bradley. She's really sweet, and probably out of your league."

Bradley chuckled. "Don't I know it. You'll keep an eye on her while I'm away? Help her if she needs anything?"

"Of course I will."

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

After he had finished helping Maverick pack his tools up, Bradley watched as Mav took you on a little tour of the interiors of some of his planes parked in the hangar. He could hear your laughter as Maverick got you settled in the pilot's seat of his Cessna and outfitted you with a pair of massive headphones. You looked so happy. You always did. He snapped a photo of you waving to him from the cockpit so he'd have it for later.

"You two want to stay for dinner? We could pick up a pizza," Maverick offered.

"Thanks, Mav, but we need to get out of here so we have time to stop at a furniture store on the way home," Bradley told him, grabbing your hand in his.

"Oh yeah? Still getting stuff for the new place?"

"Just upgrading to a king sized bed," you said with a shrug as you glanced up at Bradley coyly.

Bradley felt momentarily mesmerized by you, and his mind drifted back to this morning. "Yeah... we broke the bed."

Maverick choked on a laugh, and you smacked Bradley's arm, hard.

"What the hell, Bradley?" you muttered, trying to hide your face behind your hands.

"Oh, shit." Bradley hadn't meant to say that, but the look on Maverick's face had him laughing as well. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart!"

But you were already several feet away, hiding your face. "Bye, Mav!" you called over your shoulder as you power walked outside toward the Bronco.

Maverick pulled Bradley into a hug, both men still laughing. "Hey, you be safe on your deployment. I'll keep an eye out for your girl." They released each other, and Bradley was once again so happy to have his dad's best friend back in his life.

"Thanks, Mav," Bradley replied, shaking his hand.

Maverick nodded and waved goodbye. "And Bradley? Pick out a solid wood bed frame this time, okay?"

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

Bradley pulled the old queen mattress off of the broken bed frame, and started taking it apart to put it out with the trash.

"Thankfully the new bed and mattress will be delivered tomorrow," you said, as you got the queen mattress ready for bedtime. You and Bradley would just have to sleep on it on the floor for the night. He didn't mind where he slept, as long as it was with you, and frankly anything was better than when he shared the twin bed with you at the barracks.

"Yeah, just one night isn't too bad, Sweetheart. Not a long wait for the new one."

You smiled at him as he was disassembling the broken side. "I mean, I was referring more to the fact that we'll still have a few days to break in the new bed before you leave."

Bradley's gaze met yours and he smirked. "I love the way you think."

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

Up next for Bradley and Baby Girl is the Deployment Diaries series! I'm not sure exactly how long it will end up being, but it will chronicle three of Bradley's deployments! I hope you'll keep reading! Masterlist

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study-coffee-chicago · 3 years ago

Text

Overprotective (A Halstead Brothers + Halstead Sister! Imagine)

A/N: This was a request from an anon who wanted overprotective Jay and Will and angst and fluff! So, I hope I did your request justice!

Thanks for reading! Remember to like/reblog and comment! I love reading your comments because they put a smile on my face!

Thunderstorm (age 7)

It had been six months since your mom died. Jay was back from his second deployment and was now a police officer and Will was in New York for what you called doctor school. And your dad, well he was here in Chicago with you physically, but not mentally.

You whimpered as you hugged your teddy bear--whom you had affectionately named Officer Chuckles after you heard someone call Jay that at a picnic for police and their families--tight to your chest. The thunder was really loud and you swore it was shaking the house. And, to make matters worse, your dad wasn't here; he had left his seven-year-old daughter alone at home, during a thunderstorm, at 11:30 at night.

Your mom had loved thunderstorms and she'd always watch them as they rolled in. If it was morning, she'd sit and drink her coffee on the front porch while she watched them and listened to the rain drum down on the roof. If it was nighttime, she'd have something called wine, which she told you that you couldn't have until you were older, and do the same thing.

Because of this, every time there was a thunderstorm and your dad wasn't working, he'd always go to the cemetery to visit your mom. You didn't know what he did there. You just knew that every time there was a thunderstorm, you'd just be that much more scared.

Your mom used to comfort you when there was a thunderstorm; she'd tell you that the thunder was just a giant up in the sky bowling and that he just got a strike. But, your dad wouldn't really comfort you because he'd just leave. And, there was only so much Officer Chuckles and huddling in your blankets could do for you.

"We gotta call Jay," you whispered to your bear. "He'll know what to do."

So, you gripped Officer Chuckles in your little hand and then made your way into the kitchen. You jumped as more lightning and thunder cracked across the sky.

You flicked on the light and picked up the phone. You looked at the number on the fridge and carefully dialed it and then hit the "talk" button. Then, you listened to it ring while little whimpers of fear escaped your mouth.

"Dad? Why are you--" You jumped and a small scream came out. "Y/N? Kiddo, what are you doing up? It's late."

"I- I'm scared," you said quickly and ran back to your room with Officer Chuckles and the phone still in your hand and pressed up to your ear.

"Because of the thunder?" Jay asked gently.

"Uh-huh," you answered as you buried yourself back under your covers. "Daddy's not here and-and it's really loud."

"Dad's not there?"

"He went to see Mommy." You squeaked as more thunder came.

Jay cursed on the other end of the phone and hoped you didn't pick up on it. "Y/N, I will be there in ten minutes, okay? I just want you to stay in your room until I get there. Can you do that for me?"

"Uh-huh. But please come fast, Jay Jay. Me and Officer Chuckles are really scared."

"I'll come really, really fast. I promise. Now, I have to put down the phone so I can drive. But I promise I'll get there really fast. I love you."

"I love you, too, Jay Jay."

***

Jay cursed himself as he drove as fast as he could towards his childhood home. He didn't even speed, just tried to go the speed limit. But, it was downpouring so hard that he had to slow down so that he didn't hydroplane and get into a car accident. He didn't need that right now and you definitely didn't need that right now.

Jay walked up the front porch--forgetting his umbrella in his car because he was so focused on getting to you--and then found the spare key under the flower pot. The flower was fake; there's no way your dad could keep a plant alive.

"Y/N?" he called out as he slipped off his shoes once he was inside. "It's me. It's Jay Jay."

Thunder cracked across the sky and Jay swore under his breath and then took off running to your bedroom.

There, he found you huddled underneath your comforter clutching Officer Chuckles to your chest and resting your head against him. Your small night light was the only thing giving off light in your room.

"Y/N," he whispered, causing you to jump. "It's okay, it's just me. It's Jay," he said quickly and then flicked on your bedroom light.

Now that everything was bathed in light, you jumped out of bed without hesitating and held tightly onto Jay. "It's too loud! It's too loud!" you wailed as your fingers clutched the bottom of his shirt.

"I know, I know," he soothed and gently rubbed your back while you continued to cry. "But remember what Mom said? It's just a giant up in the sky bowling."

"Well, he needs to play a quieter game."

Jay laughed at that. "I mean, we could try to tell him that, but I don't think he'd listen since he's way bigger than us." You nodded in agreement. Jay crouched down in front of you, seeing as you had finally let go of him. "Y/N, can you grab me your most favorite backpack?"

"Why?" you asked, tilting your head to the side. "It's nighttime, not school time."

Jay smiled at your innocence. "I know. But, you're gonna come over to my house and we're gonna have a sleepover."

"Like we do on some weekends?"

"Just like that."

More thunder.

You grabbed onto Jay's hand. "You come with me to get my backpack in the living room?"

Jay nodded. "Of course."

Once you were back in your room, Jay started grabbing some clothes for you and you grabbed your favorite blanket and Officer Chuckles. Then, something dawned on you. You were always supposed to tell your daddy if you went somewhere.

"Will Daddy be mad?"

Jay turned away from your dresser and to look at you. "Why would he be mad, kiddo?"

"Because I'm not- I'm not telling him I'm having a sleepover with you."

"Oh, he knows."

"You talked to him?"

"I called him on the way here." Well, he sent him a strongly worded text message, but that was basically the same thing. All he needed to know was that you were coming to his house since you were scared of the storm (not to mention you were seven years old and you shouldn't be home alone in the first place). He hadn't answered the text yet, but at least he'd know where you were.

"Okay. Will you come with me to get my raincoat, too?"

Jay had just finished putting the last of a pair of clothes in your backpack. "I think we can grab that on our way out. Good thinking, kiddo."

He shouldered your little backpack and took your blanket from you so that it wouldn't drag on the wet ground when you walked outside. Then, you put on your rain boots and raincoat at the front door and clutched Officer Chuckles super tight and walked out to Jay's car, and started on your way to his apartment.

***

"Hold my hand when we walk through the parking lot, okay?" Jay said as he pulled into the parking lot of his apartment building.

"Okay."

He put the car in park and then turned it off and got out, quickly opening an umbrella he had stashed in his passenger seat. Then, he made his way over to your side of the car and helped you out and grabbed your backpack, and slung your blanket over his shoulders. You held tight to Officer Chuckles with one hand and held Jay's hand with the other while you two walked into his apartment building, the umbrella Jay was holding with his opposite hand shielding you from the rain.

Once you were inside, you handed Jay your raincoat and he hung it up on the rack because you couldn't reach it.

Jay started digging around in your backpack for the spare pair of pajamas that he had packed for you. "Okay, Y/N, why don't you go put on these nice comfy pajamas--"

"Because mine are kinda wet?" you asked and looked up at your big brother.

"Yes, because yours are kind of wet," Jay confirmed. "And then after, we can go to sleep, okay?"

Thunder cracked again and you jumped.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Jay said and crouched down in front of you. "I promise you nothing bad will happen."

"You promise?"

"I promise," he confirmed with a nod of his head.

You turned to go change your clothes, and then remembered something. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Of course."

After you changed into dry pajamas, you put your dirty ones in your backpack and left the bathroom to see Jay sitting on the couch waiting for you. "Ready for bed?" he asked.

You yawned. "Uh-huh."

Jay glanced at the clock. It was nearing 12:30 am. There was no way you were going to go to school after six and a half hours of sleep. So, he had a plan. And that plan involved iHOP.

Once you got into bed, you tried to fall asleep, but you couldn't. Jay noticed this when you jumped at the thunder. So, he grabbed your little hand in his and squeezed. You then moved closer to him and buried your head in his chest. You knew you were safe from the thunder because your big brother was around and he was big and strong and would protect you from anything. So, you soon fell asleep after, ending your very long night.

***

You rubbed your eyes as you walked out of Jay's bedroom the next morning, Officer Chuckles in your hand dangling by your side.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Jay said.

You looked at the clock. 8:30. "Don't I gotta be at school?" you asked, scrunching up your eyebrows which Jay thought was the cutest thing ever.

"Not until after lunchtime," he told you. "You were up really late, so I wanted to let you sleep. And, so we can go out for breakfast."

"Really? Where?" you asked excitedly, almost dropping Officer Chuckles because you were absolutely buzzing with excitement.

"That is a surprise. Now, how about you go get dressed and brush your teeth and brush your hair, and then we can get going, okay?"

"Okay!"

Then, you scampered off and did just what Jay told you to do. You wanted to know what the surprise would be!

Once you were all done, you and Jay left, and on the ride to the place where you were going for breakfast, you kept asking where you'd be going. But, Jay just wouldn't let up. But, then you saw the big blue sign and knew exactly where you were headed.

"iHOP!" you exclaimed. "Smiley pancakes! Smiley pancakes!" You looked at Jay as he turned into the parking lot. "Can I get the smiley face pancakes? Please, Jay Jay?"

Jay smiled at your excitement. "Yes, you can get the smiley face pancakes."

"Yay!" you cheered.

After breakfast and going back to his apartment to get your school stuff that he had packed in your backpack last night, Jay brought you to school.

When he got back to his apartment, he started making phone calls and cashing in favors.

A month and a half later, Jay officially had guardianship of you.

***

Beach fight (age 14)

"It's so hot," you whined as you walked out of your room in the middle of summer and into the kitchen. You looked at Jay who was drinking coffee out of a mug. "I don't get how you can drink hot coffee. It's too hot out for that."

"You--" Jay took a sip of his coffee.--"are such a drama queen."

"But I'm a queen, so I'll take it."

Jay rolled his eyes. "Wonder where you got the quick comebacks from."

"Just a tall, red-headed doctor. Definitely not you."

"You're funny, kid. Real funny." Jay's phone buzzed. He furrowed his eyebrows. Then it buzzed again and he made eye contact with you and tilted his head to the side. "You texted Will about a beach day? And said that I said it was okay?"

"Uh-huh. You aren't the only Halstead sibling who can be sneaky you know."

"Normally, normally I'd be pissed. But, it's scorching out. So I'll give him a call. Go start getting ready and wear your swimsuit under your clothes so we don't have to change there."

"Yes! Thank you, Jay! Love you!" You gave him a quick hug.

"Yeah, yeah. You never love me more than when you get your way."

Then, you went off to your room to get changed.

***

"Will said he'd be right here," Jay muttered as he looked at his phone for the millionth time in ten minutes. Will and Jay had set up a spot to meet, but Will was running late.

Then, Will's familiar car pulled in and he parked. "Sorry I'm late," he started as he stepped out. "Had to pick up some groceries." He held up the six-pack of beer. "Can't have a beach day without alcohol."

Jay rolled his eyes. "Uh, yes, you can. And both of us are driving home." He turned to you. "Y/N, you're gonna have to make sure each of us only drinks two. I should be fine, but I don't know about him here."

"Hey!" Will exclaimed and then smacked Jay upside the head with his free hand.

You rolled your eyes and grabbed your beach chair and your drawstring bag with your towel and your book from Jay's truck. Jay grabbed the cooler, his bag, and his chair. Will grabbed his stuff and then the three of you were off.

***

You had waded in the water and read your book for a bit while Will and Jay chatted about some mutual cases they had come across while drinking their beer and eating snacks. You were snacking on your cheddar popcorn, (which Will had affectionately picked up a bag for you when he went to get beer because he knew it was your favorite) when you realized something: the boys had a drink other than water but you didn't.

You debated which brother would allow you to buy something from the coffee cart up by the entrance to the beach.

Will won.

"Will," you said sweetly and turned around to look at him.

"Uh oh," Jay said. "That's her I want something voice. Don't give in. Be strong."

Will rolled his eyes. "Yes, Y/N?"

"I was thinking--"

"It's worse than I thought!" Jay exclaimed. "She's thinking!"

You scowled at him and turned back to face Will. "I was thinking that since you two have something other than water to drink and I don't, could I maybe get something from the coffee cart? Please?"

"Yeah, sure. Why not?"

"Dude! She's fourteen! She shouldn't be drinking caffeine...especially not at noon!" Jay protested.

"There's this thing called decaf coffee, Jay."

"There's this thing called decaf coffee, Jay," Jay mocked. "Shut up, Will."

Will rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I have to go to the bathroom, so I'll walk up with there with you and just give you money and meet you back there." He looked at Jay. "Are you okay with that? I know you hate when she's out of our sight in super crowded place like this," he asked Jay.

"I do not do that!" Jay argued. You and Will gave him a look. "Fine. Maybe I do. I just see a lot of stuff that I never want her to be involved in. Just, make sure you give Will his change back."

"I will," you said. After all, you were in a swimsuit, not that there were pockets there for you to stash your big brother's change like you normally did and then keep it for yourself.

You and Will made your way up the beach to the entrance where he handed you a ten-dollar bill and you two split up. He went straight to go to the bathrooms and you took a slight right to go to the coffee cart.

Will had said on the walk up not to wait for him and to just go back to Jay. So, you ordered your decaf iced mocha caramel latte, took the four dollars and something cents in change, got your latte, and started to walk back to Jay.

That was, you walked until you heard it.

A catcall.

You pretended you didn't hear it, that it was directed at someone else.

But then, "Babe with the coffee." You stopped walking. "I know you heard me. C'mon, show us that pretty face of yours."

Your eyes widened as you swallowed and your lip started to tremble. You knew you should just make a run for it, but you knew that in running in the sand with your hands full, that you'd just end up face planting and getting a mouth full of sand.

"Aw, c'mon baby. I've got friends, too. You don't like me, maybe you'll like them. We'll like you either way."

You wanted to smack yourself at what came out of your mouth next. You turned around. These guys were probably 23-25 year-olds and there were three of them. They were way taller than you and you knew that they'd easily be able to overpower you. But, you said the first thing that you thought would make them back off.

"I have a boy--". You cleared your throat. "I have a boyfriend."

"I don't see no boy." He turned to one of his friends. "Do you?" The other guy shook his head.

Where the fuck is Will?

"Take my money. Just, leave me alone."

You held the money out to the man, but instead of taking it, he grabbed your wrist instead. Hard.

You dropped your coffee, the plastic cup breaking in the sand and making the cold, sweet liquid form a puddle.

"How cute, boys. She's paying us, normally we'd be paying her!"

From down on the beach, Jay was watching from afar. He saw some guys walking towards you and at first, he assumed that they might've been older siblings of some kids you knew at school or something like that.

Then, he noticed your rigid posture and stood up.

He started walking toward you.

You held your hand out and the guy grabbed your wrist.

Jay started running.

"Just, let me go and we can pretend this never happened," you said, borrowing a line you had seen in movies multiple times...not that it ever worked in those, but maybe it'd work in real life.

"No can--"

"Hey!"

Oh, thank God for Jay.

"You the boyfriend?" he asked rhetorically. "She's gotta be sixteen then. How is she?"

"For your information, I'm the brother. And, it'd be in your best interest to let go," Jay growled.

"Three on one. This should be fun." The guy shrugged.

"Listen, man. I really don't feel like doing this here. So just, let her go."

He tugged you closer to him and you yelped, your front hitting his chest.

You squeezed your eyes shut.

You felt arms wrap around you and pull you away from the random guy's chest and you screamed.

"You son of a bitch!" Jay yelled.

You opened your eyes to see that Will was the one who had run up and pulled you back, your heart still beating out of your chest.

"Jay, he's not--" Will tried, but it was no use.

Jay threw the first punch.

The guy's head flew back and he fell to the ground. The guy tried to throw a punch from there, but Jay easily dodged it. Then, he threw three more hits to his face.

Will turned his head away from the fight at the sound of shitty sirens. "Fucking hell, Jay! Security!"

He didn't stop.

"Jay!" you yelled.

Now, this caused him to stop for a second...right as security pulled up next to him.

Jay looked up.

"He threw the first punch!" the man yelled to security before Jay could even explain the situation in its entirety.

"And you harassed my sister, so I think me punching you was warranted!" Jay argued. He turned to security. "Jay Halstead, CPD detective with the Intelligence unit."

The two beach security guards shared a glance. One sighed. "Okay, to make this easier, we won't call the cops because apparently, he is one. But, both of you are banned from the beach."

"What?" the guy bellowed. "You're not even going to ask him for some identification? Unbelievable!"

"I can easily go grab my badge from my car, officer," Jay suggested.

"That won't be necessary," the security guard said. He turned to you. "Miss, did he hurt you in any way?" You held out your hand to show him your wrist, which was red and you knew you'd have bruising on it tomorrow. Then, he turned his attention back to the guy who had been harassing you and his two friends. "You, come with me. Unless one of your buddies wants to cop to being the one who did the harassing?"

The two other guys held up their hands in a sign of surrender and backed up.

"What?" the guy yelled. "I need medical attention! I probably need stitches!"

"And we can have someone do that for you, but you need to come with us." He pulled out a pair of zip ties and got them on the guy's wrist...not without him giving the security guards some difficulty, though. He turned his attention back to you and your brothers. "I take it back, Detective, you're not banned."

Jay gave him a curt nod of thanks.

"What?" the guy yelled as the security guard started walking, taking the creeper away from you and your brothers.

"Keep it moving, buddy. Keep it moving."

"Let's get outta here," Will suggested.

You and Jay agreed, and then the three of you went to grab your stuff from where it previously was at the beach.

***

You had ridden back home with Will instead of Jay since he needed some time to cool off...and call Voight to make sure that the asshole actually got some jail time or something. Basically, Jay needed Voight to make sure that the beach security was actually doing their job.

The two of you made your way into the apartment (Jay had given Will a key and Will had given Jay a key to his apartment also. You didn't bring your key because you thought you'd be riding home with Jay, but then everything popped off.). Then, Will immediately went into doctor mode.

"Go change into some clothes and then I'm gonna take a look at that wrist," he told you.

You nodded and quickly changed into a pair of comfy shorts and a t-shirt. Then, you made your way to the kitchen table where Will was waiting expectantly. You sat down a sighed.

"You okay?" Will asked as he stopped unzipping his medical bag that he always kept in his car in case of emergencies and gave you his full attention.

"That was terrifying. I just, I never would've thought that would happen."

"And it shouldn't have happened. You're fourteen; you're just a kid. It shouldn't happen to an adult, much less a kid." You nodded. "Can I see your wrist?"

You held it out to him and he gently pressed on it and began to inspect it. "You know," you started, "I thought you'd be patching up Jay. Turns out that ass- that guy's friends didn't want to get involved."

"I wouldn't either," Will agreed. "There's no way I'd want to be one the receiving end of a fistfight with Jay. And, for the record, that guy was an asshole." Then, he started talking about the subject at hand. "Well, good news is that it isn't broken...but we already knew that. Bad news is that there will be some slight bruising, so we need to ice it."

"Okay."

Will got up to get some ice from the freezer when Jay walked in...holding a bag of groceries.

"What's that?" you asked.

"Well, I figured we'd get ice cream after the beach, but since that didn't happen, I decided to pick some up." He set the bag of groceries on the table in front of you and started taking out pints of ice cream. "Superman for Will, Neopolitan for me, and cookies n creme for you."

Your eyes went wide as you saw the ice cream and quickly snatched up your pint. Jay laughed at your excitement.

"Still can't believe that Will's favorite is Superman," you mused.

"He's like a kid in an adult's body," Jay agreed.

"I heard that!" Will yelled and then came back with an ice pack and three spoons. "What can I say, I'm a sugar aficionado. Now, what movie are we watching?"

The three of you made your way over to the couch with your spoons and ice cream, you with your ice pack as well, and started to try and agree on a movie.

Sometimes, you hated that Jay was so vigilant and that Will always had to take a look at something as small as a scrape, but today, those two things definitely came in handy. And, you couldn't be more thankful.

***

Migraine (age 16)

Oh here we go again, you thought as you sat in your American history class and felt the pounding in your head coming on. You had had a slight headache this morning but had a feeling it was going to turn into something more since all of your headaches lately have been turning into migraines almost every other day for the past week. For a few weeks, you'd been having headaches and they started out not too bad, a small dose of Tylenol would fix them. You assumed they were just stress headaches from school. But, then they started making the sides of your head pound and making you sensitive to light or nauseous. And right now, you felt a really bad one coming on.

Forty-five minutes later, you had gotten out of your history class and were on your way to biology. But, you were in the midst of the worst migraine of your life. Your head was pounding, everyone seemed to be talking right in your ear, and the lights were way too bright even when you squinted.

You had to go home. You couldn't stay at school any longer.

So, you went to the office and explained this and then called Jay.

"Hello? Y/N, aren't you supposed to be in class?" he asked when he answered.

"My head hurts really bad, Jay. Please, can you come pick me up?" you asked.

"I can have someone drop off some Tylenol," he suggested.

"No," you whined. "It hurts so bad. The light hurts my head and people talking hurts my head. Please, Jay."

You were practically pleading and even though Jay knew that you had a geometry test today, he agreed.

"Okay, I'll email your math teacher about the test."

"Oh. I forgot about that." You hissed as the late bell rang, causing your head to pound even more for those few seconds.

"That bad, huh?" Jay asked, having heard the bell chime on his end of the phone.

"Uh-huh. But, I can't drive home."

"Okay, and I can't pick you because I'm meeting with a CI. You okay if Adam picks you up and brings you back to the district? Then, me and someone else can go pick up your car from school later?"

"Okay. Why can't I just go home?"

"Because, if you're feeling as crappy as you say you are, then I'd prefer that someone has eyes on you. I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay, bye Jay."

Then, you hung up, told the secretary you'd be leaving so that she could send an email to your teachers, grabbed your stuff from your locker, and came back to the office to wait for Adam.

***

Twenty minutes later, Adam walked into the office.

"Hey, kiddo. I'm gonna sign you out and then we'll get you out of here, okay?" You had balled up your sweatshirt and were using it as a pillow and had your eyes closed. But, you cracked them open and nodded. Adam knew this definitely wasn't you lying to get out of a test because usually, you'd tell him not to call you kiddo, seeing as you were sixteen.

Adm showed his ID to the secretary and then he signed you out. You stood up and your head started pounding even more due to the sudden change in posture.

"Here, I can take your bag," Adam offered and you handed him your backpack.

"Thanks," you said quietly.

Then, you made your way to Adam's Jeep and got in the backseat. Not even two minutes into the trip to the district, you knew you couldn't take the music that was playing from the radio...even though you knew it was lower than he normally played it.

"Adam?" you asked, your head now resting on your balled-up sweatshirt as you tried your best to lay down while still buckled up in the backseat.

"Yeah?"

"Can you turn off the music? It really hurts my head."

"Of course." Then, he quickly turned off the radio and the two of you rode in silence the rest of the way to the district.

Adam would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about you.

***

"Mini Halstead! What's--" Trudy Platt exclaimed when you and Adam walked into the district, but Adam quickly placed a finger to his lips as you whimpered at the loudness of her voice. "Sorry," she whispered. "You hungry?"

You shook your head. "Thanks, though."

The desk sergeant nodded. "Let me know if she needs anything," she directed to Adam.

"Will do, Sarge."

Then, the two of you made your way up the stairs and into Intelligence, not without the buzzer on the gate causing you to hiss at the pain it caused in your temples.

"Mini Halstead!" Kevin exclaimed, but Adam quickly put a finger to his lips as you whimpered at his loud voice.

Jay quickly made his way over to you. "Let's go into the break room, okay?" You nodded. Jay turned to Adam. "I can take her bag."

Jay took your backpack from Adam and then the two of you went into the break room.

"There's some Tylenol and water on the table for you," Jay said, fully expecting you to walk over and get it. But, instead, you just plopped yourself down on the couch. "Or, I can bring it to you."

He gave you the water and the two pills and you took them.

"Have you eaten anything since breakfast?" he asked.

You shook your head. "Hurts to chew."

"Okay." Jay paused for a moment. "I think I have a banana I brought with me in case I got hungry. Is that soft enough for you to chew? I want you to eat something."

"I guess," you mumbled as you laid down on the couch. "Just wanna sleep."

"I know, but I wanna get some calories in you before you do that. Can you just stay awake for like five more minutes?" You nodded. "Okay, I'll be right back."

Jay came back two minutes later with a banana and a blanket.

"Where'd you get the blanket?" you asked.

"I keep it in my truck for late-night stakeouts. Here." He handed you the banana and then set the blanket next to you. "I don't have a pillow, so your sweatshirt will have to do. You all set?"

"Yeah, gonna eat this and take a nap."

"Okay, I'll make sure Voight doesn't yell too much. This door's pretty much soundproof though, so you should be fine. Come get me if you need anything."

"Okay."

Then, you ate the banana, folded up your hoodie and put it under your head, and pulled the blanket over you, quickly falling asleep.

***

You woke up two hours later feeling too warm. Your migraine had subsided into just a headache...but you knew in a couple of hours, the migraine would probably be back after the Tylenol had worn off. And, it was still a decently bad headache, just without the light hurting your eyes as much.

But then, you had an idea.

Sometimes at home when you had headaches, you'd lay your head on the tiled floor of the bathroom because it was cold. Cold surfaces always seemed to help.

So, you looked out into the bullpen to see if anyone was there.

No one.

You picked up your phone to see a text from Jay saying that they had gone on a raid and would be back soon and that if you needed anything, to let Trudy know. He also said that he had let Will know what was going on and that he'd be at the apartment later tonight to check up on you.

You wrapped the blanket around you and then made your way out of the bullpen and into an empty interrogation room.

You sat down in the cold metal chair and held your blanket tighter around your body. Then, you laid your head on the cold metal table and relished the feeling of coolness on your head.

Yeah, this will help.

***

"I didn't do it! I swear!" a drug dealer that Trudy was holding by the arm defended himself while Trudy led him to an interrogation room.

"Not that I don't believe you," she started, "but I've heard that one before."

She walked into the interrogation room and her eyes went wide when she saw you lying with your head on the table, asleep.

"What's a kid doing in here? I don't know her!"

"Shut up," Trudy told him. "Come on."

Then, she pulled him towards the next interrogation room.

"Some officers will be in here soon to have a chat with you. Feel free to make yourself comfortable."

Then, Trudy left the room and closed the door, and made her way into the interrogation room where you were currently sleeping.

She knelt down beside you. "Y/N," she whispered. You didn't stir. She placed a hand on your shoulder. "Kid, wake up."

"Hmmm, no," you said, not even lifting your head up. "Wanna go home. Cold feels good on my head."

Then, Trudy heard the buzzer to Intelligence go off. "I'll be back," she told you.

"Uh-huh," you said, closing your eyes once again.

Trudy walked into Intelligence and immediately set her sights on Jay.

"Halstead," she barked.

Jay quickly turned his head. "What can I do for you, Sarge?"

"You can explain to me why that sister of yours is currently taking a nap in one of my interrogation rooms because she says the cold feels good on her head and then get her out of there," she told him.

"What?" he asked, more confused than ever.

"Y/N's napping at the table in an interrogation room. I need you to get her out of there. I almost put a dealer in there."

"Why's she in there?"

"Like I just told you: she said the cold feels good on her head. But I need you to get her out of there. Now."

"Copy you, Sarge."

"Good choice, Chuckles, good choice."

Then, Jay made his way to the interrogation room that Trudy told him that you were in.

He squatted down next to you. "Y/N," he whispered.

"Feels good. Leave," you mumbled.

"You know I can't let you stay in here. We gotta get you back out into the break room. It's not safe for you in here."

"Don't care."

Jay huffed. "I know you don't, but I do."

You opened your eyes to see that Jay had turned the lights on all the way...compared to how dim you had them before.

Fuck, it had been a few hours since you had taken the Tylenol and it was wearing off.

You closed your eyes again.

"Y/N," Jay warned.

"Light hurts."

Jay sighed. "Okay, I'll dim the lights and I'll be right back."

Jay dimmed the lights and walked out of the interrogation room and into the bullpen once more.

"Why's she not out yet?" Voight asked.

Jay rummaged around in his desk while he answered. "She said the light hurts her eyes, so I'm giving her these to wear." He held up a pair of sunglasses.

"Huh." Voight paused. "Take her home, Jay. You're done for the day. I don't expect to see you back here until Monday."

"Sarge, all due respect, but it's Wednesday and we're in the middle of a case."

"We'll be fine for one half-finished case without you, Jay. Y/N's family. Take care of her. Just think of it as of tomorrow, you get to have a four-day weekend."

"Can I get one of those four-day weekends?" Adam asked.

"No," Voight answered without skipping a beat. "Go take care of your sister, Halstead."

Jay nodded and then grabbed your backpack from the break room and then returned to his desk for his keys and jacket and then went back to the interrogation room.

"Y/N, we're gonna go home now," he whispered when he walked into the room.

"Yay," you said in a monotone voice and slowly lifted your head up and then rubbed your hands down your face.

"Put these on. They should help with the light."

You took the sunglasses from him and put them on. Then, you two slowly walked out of the room and outside of the district to his truck.

***

"So she's sensitive to light and sound?" Will asked Jay over the phone once Will had gotten off shift and realized his brother had called him concerning your headache.

"Yeah, pretty sure it's a migraine," Jay confirmed.

"She mention anything about nausea?"

"When we were driving home she did."

"Could also be that she started getting motion sick if it only happened in the car. I'll stop over and take a look. She eaten anything?"

"Just breakfast and a banana."

"Jesus, man. It's past five o'clock. She needs more than that!"

"I know, but she said it hurts to chew, so I didn't want to force her."

"Okay, I get it then. I'll pick up some food on my way. I'll get Panera Bread so I can get her some soup. Text me what you want."

"Okay, thanks, man. And Y/N likes--"

"--the cheese broccoli soup. I know, Jay, I know."

"Just checking."

Then, Jay hung up and started to look at the menu and then texted Will what he wanted. Now he just had to wait for Will to come over and hopefully fix you. Because Jay would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about you.

***

"Thanks for coming, man," Jay said as he opened the door. "God, she's making me really worried."

"Whoa, it must be bad if you're admitting you're worried," Will joked and then set the bag of food on the counter.

"Dude, she was napping in an interrogation room because she said the table was cold and it felt good on her head! Damn right I'm worried!"

"Okay, just...get the food out and I'll go check her out. Hopefully, I can figure out what's making her get all these headaches. She mention headaches before now?"

"Yeah, for about the past week, week and a half. But, they've never been this bad. And, if they were, she hasn't told me."

"Okay, thanks. I'll see if she'll tell me more. She's gonna be okay."

Jay nodded and then Will made his way to your bedroom.

He opened the door to see that you were sound asleep with your blinds closed all the way. You had your fan on and had earplugs in, so he assumed that just wanted the fan on for the cool air and not the noise...and the noise was the reason you usually wanted it on.

Gently, Will touched your shoulder.

"Go away, Jay," you mumbled and rolled over to face the wall.

"It's not Jay, it's--" Will sighed when he realized you wouldn't be able to hear him because of the earplugs you had in. So, he settled on shaking your shoulder until you opened your eyes and realized it was him and not Jay.

You took out the earplugs.

"Can you fix it?" you asked. Then, you whimpered. "It hurts so bad."

Your lip started to tremble. You didn't want to cry because you knew it would make your migraine worse, but you couldn't stop the tears; you were so sick of these damn headaches and this migraine.

"When did they start?" Will asked and turned off the fan.

"Three weeks ago," you answered.

"Jay said only a week and a half."

"I didn't tell him. I thought they were from school stress, but they won't go away. Make it stop! Please! I can't- I can't even think straight anymore, Will."

You put your head in your hands and rubbed your temples.

"Have you been eating a lot of different foods? Getting too little sleep? Drinking too much caffeine? Weird periods?"

"No, none of that." You wanted to tell him that it was weird having him ask you about your period, but your head hurt so bad that you refrained.

"Okay, well, I think Jay's got the food ready, so do you think you can manage some cheese broccoli soup from Panera?"

You shrugged. "Maybe a little."

"That's good enough for me. C'mon."

You grabbed a pair of sunglasses from your bedside table next to you and then followed Will out into the hallway and then put the sunglasses on.

"How you doing?" Jay asked as he finished pouring everyone water.

You shrugged. "Still hurts."

"I'm sorry, but the bottle says you can't have anymore Tylenol yet."

You nodded and sat down and slowly started to eat your soup, sunglasses still on.

You started to eat and then realized your soup was kind of cold. You stood up.

"Soup cold?" Jay asked.

You nodded and put it in the microwave.

Then, something clicked in Will's head.

Cold.

Temperature.

"Barometric pressure," Will muttered. Then he looked up, a smile starting to spread across his face. "Barometric pressure," he repeated, this time louder.

"Bara-what-now?" Jay asked.

"It's essentially the air pressure when the weather changes," he explained. "Remember when Y/N was in elementary school and would have really bad allergies in the fall?"

"Yeah," Jay said. "What's this got to do with migraines?"

"Migraines start around adolescence and since she had allergies in the fall before, I'm fairly certain that this is why she's getting them."

"You know why?" you asked as you sat back down, your soup now warm. "Can you make them stop?"

"I think I do. But, we'd have to get you checked out tomorrow."

"Okay. Thank you. Get me an appointment."

A few days later, after lots of naps, soup, and tv when your headache/migraine decided to subside, you were put on corticosteroids for what were called "cluster headaches" in the medical field. You're only supposed to be on them for about two weeks and then you'd have to be reassessed. But, for now, your migraines had subsided and you could finally, finally think clearly.

***

Sorry About your Truck (age 18)

You didn't know what was happening. One second you were driving on the circle of the on-ramp to the highway, and the next, you fishtailed to the right. You spun your wheel to the left, maybe slammed on the brakes (which you knew you weren't supposed to do), and then slid to the right again. It all happened so fast that you didn't even know how it happened.

But, you knew how you got in this position.

"Fuck," you muttered as you put your hand up to the vent in your car the day before you left for school. Even though it was set to defrost, you still should've been able to feel some heat coming out. But you felt nothing. Well, nothing but cold air.

You trudged back inside to see Jay putting on his jacket.

"I think my heat in my car's broken," you said.

Jay looked at you and raised his eyebrows. "You probably just didn't turn it on."

"Yes, I did. And I double-checked. Come see."

So, Jay walked out to your car. And sure enough, your heat was broken.

"I'll drop you off at school and then we'll bring the car to the shop tonight. C'mon," Jay told you.

"I have to work tomorrow until 11," you said. "How am I supposed to go to work?"

Jay sighed. "I'll figure it out."

Because, he knew for a fact he couldn't let you drive without heat...not in these Chicago winters.

***

"Jay, man, you gotta go to sleep," Will told his younger brother.

"Dude, it's getting icy out!" Jay argued over the phone. "I'm staying awake until she gets home!"

Will sighed. "Fine. I know there's no changing your mind."

"Thank you. Now, I'm gonna see if I can find a hockey game happening on the west coast and watch that. I'll text you when she gets home."

"I don't need you to do that, but if it makes you feel better, feel free. God, you need to make your cop instincts chill for once."

***

You screamed. You didn't know what to do. One second you swerved to the left and then you swerved to the right. You tried to correct yourself again and get back on the road, but it wasn't working...not like it worked last time when you tried to go back the opposite way anyway. But, now, oh now you were more terrified than before...if that was even possible.

You felt hot tears sting your eyes as you heard the sounds of metal ripping through metal. Then, you felt yourself tumbling. You didn't know if you were screaming at this point, but you felt your knee jam into the dashboard and the next thing you knew, you were upside down with only your seatbelt keeping you in place and the broken glass from the windows had left a smattering of cuts along your body, with the deepest one being on your forehead.

You kept flailing your arms, trying to do something, anything to get you out. And then you heard the sound of sirens and the snow around you started turning blue.

Great...you had found the button to turn on Jay's sirens. Just great.

"Help!" you yelled.

You hoped that someone would call 911....but according to these sirens, you were 911.

***

"Squad 3, Ambulance 61, Truck 81, Engine 51, Battalion 25. Single vehicle car accident. Person trapped."

"Single vehicle?" Casey asked. "Why do they need all of us?"

"Beats me," Severide said. "But we're about to find out."

***

"A cop car?" Kelly asked as he furrowed his eyebrows on the way to the scene.

"Guess so, Lieutenant," Cruz said. "Looks like an undercover car to me, too."

As they got closer, Kelly noticed something. He knew that truck.

"Casey," he said into his radio, "that look like Jay Halstead's truck to you?"

Casey tilted his head. "You know, it actually does. Dispatch," he started, "this is Truck 81 to Main, can you get in contact with the 21st District and see if Jay Halstead is on duty tonight and then get back to us?"

"Copy that Truck 81."

They all pulled up to the scene and Boden started directing everyone.

"Squad, we need to get that victim out. Truck, help Squad with figuring out how to get the victim out. Chances are we'll have to cut the car and need all hands on deck. Engine, I need you on standby in case there's a gas leak and a fire starts. Sixty-One, do all you can."

They all said their "copy that's" in some form or another and then Casey, Stella, and all of Squad 3 went over to look at the truck.

"Help!" you yelled. "Somebody help me, please!" At this point, the blood from your forehead was dripping all over the roof of the truck. At least, since you were upside down, the blood wasn't going into your eyes. But, tears were rolling down your cheeks. You were terrified and your knee was in so much pain from being crushed up against the dash and your head was starting to burn where you had been cut by the glass.

"Main to Truck 81, Jay Halstead is not on duty tonight according to the 21st."

"It's not Halstead!" Casey yelled. "He's not on duty!"

They all raced up to the truck.

"I'm gonna climb up to the window and see how the victim's doing. I'll tell you what we need from there," Kelly said.

Then, with the help of Cruz and Capp, he got on top of the rolled-over vehicle.

"Help! Please help me!" you yelled.

"We're gonna get you out, don't worry!" Kelly yelled once he was close enough that he knew you'd be able to hear him.

You knew that voice.

Kelly looked down into the truck to see you straining your neck to look out the broken window and up to him.

"Don't move!" he ordered. He had no idea whether or not you had sustained injuries to your spinal cord.

"O- Okay," you whimpered. "I'm scared, Kelly."

"I know, I know. But we're gonna get you out of here. It'll all be okay." He turned his head so that it was back facing Squad, Casey, and Stella. "Casey!" he yelled. "I need you to tell Boden to get in touch with one of the Halsteads! It's Y/N!"

***

"Hello?" Jay asked sleepily into his phone. He had finally taken Will's advice and had tried to go to sleep...with a Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche game playing in the background since that was the NHL game that was happening on the west coast right now.

"Halstead, it's Wallace Boden. Are you aware that your sister was driving your truck?"

At this, Jay sat up straight, sleep be damned. "She was. Why? What happened? Is she okay?"

He stood up and started pacing the room.

"Jay, I'm going to tell you the location and I need you to call Will and you both need to get here ASAP."

"Chief, all due respect, but you need to tell me what's going on."

"Y/N's been in a car accident. It's a roll-over crash. She's currently stuck in the car but conscious."

Everything Jay learned about bad news from your mom and dad passing, to his time in the military, to him being a cop flew out the window in that very moment.

"She's been in a crash? Can they get her out? Tell me they're gonna get her out, Chief! They have to!"

"Jay, my men are doing everything they can. But right now, you need to call your brother and you need to get to this location as fast as possible."

"Okay, yeah, yeah. I can do that."

Then, Jay quickly hung up.

After calling Will four times in a row, he finally picked up.

"Dude, I'm about to be in surgery, what's--"

"Y/N's been in a car accident. We need to go there now."

Will almost dropped his phone.

"What? How? When?"

"I don't know, all I know is that Boden called me and told me to get to the scene ASAP. I'll pick you up on the way."

Then, without waiting for Will's response, Jay hung up the phone and dialed a number he never thought he'd be calling off duty: his new partner, Hailey Upton.

"Hailey, it's Jay. I need a favor."

***

"Capp!" Kelly yelled. "We need to cut through the seat to get it off from the floor because that's currently the ceiling! Squad and 81, we need to cut the back of the truck so we can get her out of here! 51, figure out how to kill these sirens! And, Brett, I need you to come up here and take a look so you can tell me the best way to get her out of here!"

Sylvie Brett started sprinting over to the truck with her jump bag and then Casey and Cruz helped her onto the truck and Kelly gave her his hand to make sure she got all the way up there safely.

"Y/N, I'm Sylvie. Do you remember me?" she asked calmly.

"Uh-huh," you answered, trying your best not to move your head like had Kelly told you.

"I bet your leg hurts really bad, huh?"

"Not, not really," you answered.

Sylvie and Kelly shared a look. They knew what this was: you were going into shock.

"Hand me that flashlight," Sylvie said to Kelly. He handed it to her. "Yeah, she's tensing her leg muscles, which is probably why she can't feel it. She's still having an adrenaline rush since she seems to unconsciously tensing them. We'll still give her pain meds as soon as we can because when the pain wears off, it's gonna hurt.

"For now, I need to get a C-collar on her and when she gets out, I need her on a backboard and I need that leg in a splint. Try your best not to do any sudden movements that can hurt her leg even more than it already is. By the looks of it, I'm assuming she shattered her knee cap."

"Got the bolt cutters, Severide!" Capp yelled.

"Got the saw, too!" Casey yelled. "I think we should start by cutting the end of the truck, sound good?"

"Yeah, that works!" He took off his turnout coat and handed it to Brett. "Get in there, get a C-collar on her, and cover her with this while we cut the end of the truck. Close your eyes and cover your head with your jacket. Yell to me when you're ready."

"Why aren't you going in there?" Sylvie asked as she positioned herself to jump through the window and down into the truck.

"I don't think I could fit through that window."

"You never know," Sylvie said and then slipped down and into the truck.

"They're gonna cut it?" you asked frantically. "But what if they hurt me?"

"Y/N, it's okay. They won't hurt you. They're professionals. They've done this hundreds of times. But, I need you to stay calm for me. I'm gonna put this C-collar around your neck and cover you with this coat so that debris doesn't get in your eyes." She didn't mention the cut on your forehead and at the moment, she hoped you weren't feeling it.

Sylvie got the C-collar around your neck to stabilize it and then she put the turnout coat over you and pulled hers over her head. "Ready!" she yelled to Kelly.

You started hearing the sound of metal being cut. You could feel your heart pounding out of your chest, but at the same time, you couldn't feel anything at all.

***

"There it is!" Jay pointed from the passenger seat of Hailey's car. The hospital had been on their way to the scene, so they grabbed Will on the way. Jay was thankful because he knew that the hospital would be close if you needed to go there.

Will was practically standing up in the backseat so that he could jump out of the car as quickly as possible. He needed to make sure you were okay.

Hailey had barely put the car in park when both Halsteads jumped out.

"Chief!" Jay yelled. "Where is she?"

"She's still in the car. They're trying--"

"They're trying?" Jay yelled angrily, cutting Chief Boden off. "If she's not out yet and it's been this long then they sure as hell aren't trying! I swear to God if--"

"Jay!" Will yelled and stepped in front of him and gave him a shove to push him away from Boden. "You need to calm down!"

"Calm down? Don't tell me to fucking calm down! Our sister's in a roll-over crash and you're telling me to calm down?"

"I understand you're upset," Boden started, "but you two shouldn't even be here right now. And, if you don't want to be pushed back behind the yellow tape, I suggest you calm down."

Jay glared at Boden but kept his mouth shut.

Jay started walking away and then locked eyes with Stella. He picked up his pace. Will tried to pull him back because he had a feeling he knew what he was going to do, but he was too late.

"Stella!" he yelled. "What's happening? You gotta tell me what's going on in there. Please."

Stella sighed. She knew she shouldn't be doing this. But, she knew if it was anyone in her family, hell if it was Kelly or anyone else in Firehouse 51, she'd want to know what was going on, too.

"She's upside down, hanging from her seat. Her knee's jammed up against the dash. She's still conscious, but they have to get her out."

There was a loud creaking sound that caused everyone to turn their attention back to the scene.

They had sawed through the back half of the truck and were now going in.

"Casey, Kelly," Stella said into her radio, "can I get an update on the situation? Jay and Will are here and they just want to know."

"We just gotta get the chair down, Kidd," Casey's voice came from her radio. "She's still conscious. She's scared, but she should get out fine."

Jay looked up at the sky while Will sighed in relief.

You'd be getting out of there just fine.

***

The next few hours were a blur of you getting out of the truck and being taken by ambulance to Chicago Med (Will rode with you because of Jay's fear of needles), and you being in knee surgery.

Jay and Will had to wait outside while you were in surgery. And they were beside themselves.

"God, I shouldn't have let her take my truck," Jay vented as he was pacing the waiting area with his hands on his head.

"You couldn't have known it was gonna snow like this. It wasn't supposed to snow like this," Will comforted.

"How do you do it?" Jay asked.

Will furrowed his eyebrows. "Do what?"

"Stay so calm? Like, when we were at the scene, you were so calm when I was absolutely losing it."

"I don't know, I really don't. Maybe I realized that being pissed wasn't going to help anyone. But, when I heard Stella and Casey tell us what was going on, I knew she was going to be okay. There were no injuries to the abdomen, chest, or head--well, except for that laceration on her forehead--and she was conscious. I just knew."

"So you're telling me, you thought logically with medical knowledge?" Jay asked. He had absolutely no idea such a sophisticated sentence would ever make its way out of his mouth, but hey, there was a time and place for everything.

"That and I knew you'd be pissed, so I knew I'd have to at least be calm enough to calm you down...or hold you back."

"There it is."

***

You woke up an hour later. You blinked, trying to remember what happened, and then it all came rushing back. The fishtailing...the screaming...Kelly talking to you...the sound of metal being cut...

You took a deep breath.

This alerted your brothers that you were awake.

"Hey, how was being under?" Will asked jokingly. You had always asked what it felt like to be under anesthesia and Will said he couldn't really explain it; he said you'd just have to find out some time.

"It was a nice nap," you answered.

Will laughed. "I bet it was. Feeling better?"

"Tired," you yawned.

"Well, it is just past four in the morning, so that makes sense."

You looked at Jay. "I'm sorry about your truck. I was just going down the exit ramp and it happened so fast and--"

"Hey, hey," Jay said quickly and stood up. "It's okay. It's just a truck, it's replaceable; you, kiddo, are not."

Will smiled. "Borrowing a line from Mom's book when we both inevitably got in our first car accidents, I see."

Your finger started to move toward the stitches on your forehead.

"No, no, no," Will said quickly. "Don't touch them!"

You kept running your finger over them. "But they feel funny."

"That's because you haven't gotten them before. They'll feel even funnier if you pop one and me or someone else has to redo them."

Your stomach grumbled.

"Okay, what do you want to eat?" Will asked. He handed you a cup of water, too because he figured that if you were hungry, that you'd be thirsty as well.

You took a few sips and then answered. "Olive Garden."

Jay laughed. "Olive Garden isn't open at four am."

You pursed your lips to the side, thinking about what you wanted. "Pizza."

"I'll go have someone grab you some," Will said.

"Maybe send Adam because he can just call the cafeteria lady darlin' and then just like that,--" Jay snapped his fingers---, "she'll get an extra piece for free," Jay suggested.

"Adam's here?" you asked.

"Everyone's here," Jay answered. "They all wanted to make sure that you were okay...and the 21st also got called to see if I was on duty since it was my truck."

"If it makes you guys feel any better, I don't think I'll be driving for a while."

"That's okay. Voight gave me a few weeks off to look after you while you're recovering and I think Goodwin's letting Will cut down his hours."

"What he means Y/N, is that you'll be stuck with us telling you not to try to walk for a few weeks," Will said.

"Uh," you groaned.

Will and Jay both laughed. "I'm gonna go see if Adam can get you that pizza," Will said. He was almost out the door when he added, "you better not touch your stitches while I'm gone."

The next few weeks was a blur of doing all your schoolwork at home--and a lot of times, from the couch--, Jay and Will scolding you if you so much as tried to bend your leg, lots of movies and tv shows (and Jay and Will always let you pick because you couldn't really do much while you were laid up at home), and convincing Jay to buy you lots of Oreos and cheddar popcorn. And if he didn't...well, you'd just text Will (luckily you had insurance on your phone and could get a new one without paying a lot after the crash) and he'd bring you your Oreos and cheddar popcorn. After the first two weeks, Jay just had to live with the fact that he was outnumbered when it came to you and your favorite snacks.

***

Rough Shift (age 21)

Trigger warning for mentions of suicidal ideation!

You sat at Molly's finishing up your second pomegranate martini...and it was only 6 pm. You waved Stella over to have her make you another one.

"Y/N, I know you drove here. I can't in good conscience give you another drink. Hell, I didn't even want to give you the last one! But, I can get you a pop if you want? Or lemonade?"

"Stella," you whined. "I just want another drink. It's been a really rough day at work. Please, just make me another one."

"You know I can't do that. What happened at work? Maybe it'll help to talk about it. We've all had rough shifts before and talking about it or crying it out usually helps."

"I can't really cry it out right in the middle of a bar." You took a shaky breath. "Even though, I really wish I could." Tears started to sting your eyes. You couldn't cry. Not here. "I think I'm gonna go have that cry." You set some money on the bar. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. And hey, if you ever need someone to talk to, Y/N, I'm your girl."

"Thanks, Stella."

Then, you left Molly's. But, you didn't go straight home. You decided to go to the store instead. And all you bought there was a bottle of peach Moscato.

Time to get buzzed enough to forget for the time being.

***

When you got home, you popped some food in the microwave since you hadn't eaten since basically breakfast save for some beef jerky and an apple, and unscrewed the cap to the wine you had just bought. Normally, you wouldn't buy a ton of alcohol for yourself because you'd just take Jay or Hailey's drinks if she brought any over (yes, you still lived with Jay because college is ridiculously expensive and you were trying to get out of school with as little debt as possible...if any), but those two were on a camping trip on Lake Michigan for the weekend. You were supposed to go, but then you had to work. So, Will ended up going instead. He said maybe he'd meet a girl up there and you just laughed.

You took a few sips of your wine and then realized that maybe you should call your brothers. You knew this wasn't healthy and you felt like everything was coming down on you at once: the stories you heard at work, being in the hospital, currently just being physically and emotionally exhausted and hungry.

So, you dialed Jay's number.

"Hey, Y/N, what's up?" he asked. He put the phone on speaker so he could finish adding wood to the campfire he was building for him, Hailey, and Will to roast hot dogs over.

"It's just, it's been a really bad day," you said, your voice cracking.

Will was near him and he looked at Jay worriedly.

"Why's that?" Jay asked.

"I- I had to go the hospital with a girl because she- because she said she was going to kill herself." Tears were currently rolling down your cheeks. You had kept it together all day and now you were crumbling.

Working in a group home you knew things like this were bound to happen, but you didn't know they'd happen in your first two months there. And, to make matters worse, you got the email when you were driving into work, so you really had no idea what was going on. When you got to work, you were told you had to go to Lakeshore Memorial Hospital because a girl was saying she was going to kill herself the night before. And, you didn't have the staff to get her back inside safely, so, as is protocol, the shift lead the shift before yours had to call emergency services to take her to the hospital. You didn't know about any of this until you got to work when you were debriefed and then told you'd have to go to the hospital.

God, you knew this happened but nothing prepared you for sitting in that dark room with her all shift, the monitors beeping, telling you that she was still alive. You had done some homework and you had talked with her, gotten more information about why she did it. You had read her file, but she really seemed to open up to you and told you more. And, what broke your heart the most was that, since she was in a group home, she had no family. So, you did your best to sit with her the entire shift, only leaving to go to the bathroom, get some water, or make a phone call to your shift lead. Because, even if you were doing homework and she was sleeping or just sitting in silence, you knew it helped to have someone there with you. And, you knew if it was you in that position, you'd want someone to be there with you.

"Are you okay?" Jay asked, breaking you out of your thoughts.

"No," you admitted. "I don't want to be alone."

Jay sighed. There was nothing he could really do for you at this point. "Y/N--"

"I'll grab my stuff and I'll be there in an hour and half, Y/N," Will interjected.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to leave. I don't want to be alone, but I don't want you wasting your weekend off--"

"Y/N," Will began, "it's fine. I'll see you soon."

***

Will walked inside carrying a bag of McDonald's.

He walked into the living room to see you sipping wine out of the bottle. You weren't even halfway through it yet. You were just a little buzzed because you had drank the martinis a couple of hours ago. So, now you needed to get more buzzed to forget about your horrible shift. Normally you never did this: drink to forget. But today, well today, you deemed it warranted.

"Y/N, at least pour it in a glass," Will sighed and then sat down next to you and set the bag of food on the coffee table in front of you.

"Why's it matter? I'm the only one who drinks Moscato; you and Jay say it's too sweet."

"Yeah, but I don't want you to drink too much."

"But I just wanna forget what happened, Will," you said as you turned to face him. You started to cry. "She's just a kid. She shouldn't be going through this. Hell, she shouldn't have gone through what happened to her in her past! She didn't deserve it!"

Will wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into a hug while you cried. He knew because of confidentiality reasons that you couldn't tell him any more than you had just told him and what you mentioned on the phone.

"I know, I know," he soothed.

"I know she didn't- she didn't die," you cried. "But, God, it feels like I got my first death."

"And, crying about it is nothing to be ashamed of," Will said. "When I had my first patient death, I went home and did exactly what you did: cried and drank until I couldn't think straight, much less think about what happened at work."

You pulled away. You didn't think Will ever cried over something that happened at work. "You did?"

"Hand to God, I did."

"How do you cope with this stuff all the time?"

"You do the best you can with the knowledge you have. You talk to somebody about how you're feeling and you don't drown yourself in drinking, drugs, or sex." He moved your bottle of wine. "You cope in healthy ways. And, sooner or later, you realize that you can't save everybody. And, that you can't change the past.

"You can't change what happened in this girl's past to make her end up in a group home or have these intrusive thoughts, but you can help change her future by being there for her and listening to her, and helping her get to a better place."

"That's what I want to do."

"Good, then you're in the right place to do that. You just have to focus on your wins and not your losses."

You pulled away and wiped your hands across your face to get rid of the tears. "Thank you for coming home. I, uh, I really needed that."

Will nodded. "You're welcome. I wished someone would've told me that earlier in medical school and I didn't want you to feel like I felt."

"Is that why you decided to come home and not Jay?"

"Part of the reason."

You raised an eyebrow. "And the other part?"

"I figured Jay and Hailey could use a night all to themselves."

"Gross!" You faked gagged and Will laughed.

"I don't know if you'll be able to eat now that I mentioned that, but how about we try and we can watch a funny movie?"

"I like that idea."

And, even though you really wanted to get buzzed to forget about the day you had, you knew it was better for you to talk about it with Will and eat takeout and watch a movie with him. And, you were pretty sure you felt better after that than you would if you drank an entire bottle of wine by yourself.

A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading! Sorry this one took so long, but I'm in school and working, so updates won't be as frequent as they were in the summer. And finally, please remember to like/reblog and comment! I love reading your comments! As always, if you want to be added to my taglist, just tell me and I’ll add you!

taglist: @theambracer88 @virtualreader @kelelas-life @celyndavies @brookerz122493 @musicismyescape27 @anotherfan07 @thexplosivegirl @dreamingwithlens @xoxmariaxox @onechicago18 @iamasimpingh0e @i-like-sparkly-things @herecomesthewriterwitch @liampayne88

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dancingqueen0019 · 3 years ago

Text

Saving Grace Ch. 4

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Themes: Budding Relationship, Fluff, Awkward Love, Slow-Burn ish, Age Gap (roughly 15 years; Aaron 40ish and Reader 25)

Warnings: Mention of murders, natural death of parent (reader’s parent), slight cursing (?), school drama (slight bullying, additional school assistance)

Author’s Note: Chapter 4! This one is a bit shorter today. I am finishing up school for the Summer so I can’t make a longer chapter until later this week. Hope you enjoy it though

Additional Warning: This chapter contains talk of deployment and other military aspects, so if you are affected by that please proceed with caution (nothing gory, it’s just sad conversation)

“You’ve got to be shitting me Y/N! A student’s dad? You’re going out on a date with his dad?!” My best friend Sammy screeched over the phone as I folded laundry on my bed. I cringed a bit at the loud noise since I was still tired from last night. I rolled my eyes at the phone, “Yes, it’s his dad. I will say though, he’s very very good looking and so easy to talk to.”

She laughed a bit over the phone and I blushed, “Knock it off Sammy. I know it’s weird, trust me. I hardly slept last night because I kept going over all the details and implications of the whole situation. What happens if other parents find out? What happens if Dr. Smithfield finds out? Is this even going to go past a dinner date? What wil—”

“Alright, alright. You knock it off now, you’re giving me a headache. Listen, I think you should just go in with no expectations for what will happen after the date and just see where things go. As far as the parents and Dr. Smithfield goes, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. You said it was going to be at his place so it’s not like you guys will be out in public. I do have one condition though.” Sammy said in all seriousness, I dropped the neatly folded hand towel on the pile.

“And what is that?” I asked sarcastically.

“You have to tell me EVERYTHING annnd you have to convince Lucas to take me out on an actual date.” She said mischievously and I could only imagine that if she was over right now she would be elbowing me in the side. Lucas had asked Sammy out on a date nearly four months ago and while she thought it was an actual date, he didn’t. That thing inside his head didn’t compute that you have to make an effort to plan at least the first date. Since then they’ve just talked off and on but I know deep down they both wanted to try it again.

“I will see what I can do but there’s talk of him deploying within the next few weeks. Who knows if it’ll be tomorrow or four weeks from now.” I begrudgingly said and grabbed the folded shorts to put back in the dresser.

She sighed over the phone, “Man, that’s unfortunate. I don’t want to impose on your last few weeks with him so I’ll be okay and wait for him to come back. When you get his shipping address would you send it to me? I can send him some care packages.” I confirmed with her that I would give her the address but I also told her that it wasn’t necessary to avoid him.

We talked the rest of the time while I put my clothes away until she needed to get ready for a get together with her work friends. We both met freshman year of college in one of our education classes and since then, we’ve been inseparable. She got a job at the other elementary school in the same district so we at least live close together and I get to see her at district events.

Lucas would be back any moment, I sent him out to go get donuts before we deep clean the house. He finally got all the boxes in the office put away, but since he will be leaving sooner or later, those boxes are going to not only pile up in the office but also spill out into the living room. He’s been deployed once before, but that was back when I was still in school and he was living back home with mom. His absence didn’t make a huge difference for me in the sense that we weren’t physically living together anyways, but now that we share a space, I can only imagine how difficult it’ll be for me. Additionally, just missing him and worrying about him too will be enough to drive me crazy for the next six to seven months. That’s if his mission goes smoothly and he doesn’t decide to stay longer like some of his buddies have.

I have a few projects in mind though to keep me busy such as painting the living room and my bedroom, as well as redoing the whole half bathroom. I’ll probably go through everything in the house and organize it, even though we did that when I moved in. I’m sure Sammy will come over a lot and keep me company, and I have my mom living an hour away so I can go visit her and the grandparents. During college my mom decided to move in with her parents so that she could care for them because grandma had a heart attack and grandpa’s bad knee was giving him too many issues to keep up with the house and caring for the stables.

My grandparents owned a decent sized ranch and had a couple of horses, cows, and goats to fill the area up. Back when Lucas and I were younger we would have riding lessons out there and I continued to learn Western saddle well through high school. Personally my favorite was roping and barrel racing, whereas Lucas liked bronco bucking as well as barrel racing. The horses left on the farm included our two horses from high school as well as grandpa’s old draft horse that he was adamant on purchasing.

“Hey! I’m back Bug. I ate all your donuts on the way back though.” Lucas shouted from the bottom of the stairs. I sprinted out of the room to the top to see him standing there with the donut box in hand, “You wouldn’t dare.” I retorted with squinting eyes.

Bug was the nickname he had for me when we were kids. It really wasn’t a good one to begin with but it stuck because he had terrorized me with a giant bug when I was six. From that day, I’ve always been Bug to him. “Yeah? Looks like you’ll have to catch me if you want them.” He said with a shit eating grin on his face. As quickly as he said that, he was backing away and running out the back door. I flew down the steps and slid across the hardwood floors because of my socks, but I managed to recover and tear open the back door. I quickly scanned the backyard to find him slipping out the gate and I went after him. He still had the donut box in hand so I couldn’t tackle him so I knew I had to be careful. “You jerk, I just wanted the donuts, I don’t need to work out today!”

He started back around the other side of the house so I cut through the front door and ended up surprising him when he jumped over the black metal fence. He almost dropped the donuts in doing so, but thankfully he recovered. We both laughed and panted a bit from the sudden burst of exercise, “I’m glad you stopped,” I said between breaths, “or else I would have used the garden hose next.” He chuckled at that, “Yeahh, then your donuts would have been ruined Bug, and that’s not the best way to start the day.”

We sat outside on the small concrete slab with the donut box between us. We ate in silence for a moment before he spoke up, “So, Addams isn’t deploying with us this time. He is on medical leave from his surgery, but he said he would keep an eye on you and the house while we are gone.” I looked down in my lap and swallowed the chunk of donut. I hated this moment, he had the same talk with me and mom before he deployed last. It’s the ‘Here’s what’ll happen when I’m gone, if I don’t come back here’s what you need to do’ talk. I pucker my lips and sadly said, “Thank you. I don’t plan on doing anything crazy so I’ll keep my head down for a while. Murphy and I will be just fine while you are away, and I’ll keep an eye on mom. Is there anything else?”

He took a deep breath, “Yeah, I updated my living will.” I paused in chewing the next bite of my glazed donut before resuming, “Now that you are living with me I am leaving the house in your name and Murphy will be under your care if something happens. The Marines will be sure to take care of you and help you with anything, again if something happens.” The silence after he said that was thick and heavy. It was like added weight was pressing down on my shoulders, but all I wanted to do was shake it off and run. I knew this talk would happen, but I hated the way he said things. Tears stung the corners of my eyes but I blinked them away as quickly as they came.

I took a shaky breath in before finally looking at him, he sat with his elbows on top of his legs so he was leaning towards me. The look on his face said it all, he was more worried about me being by myself than his own life. He’s my big brother so of course he was worried about me, but I’m not the one risking my life every single day. “Okay, that works for me. I’ll sign whatever papers you have for me. Thank you for looking out for me.” I put my hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. He stood up and said he would go get them, but by the way he walked slowly into the house meant he was giving me time to process everything. Once the door closed I let the tears I was holding back flow out and down my cheeks. They were big hot tears of sadness and anger that he was leaving.

I let out a couple of sobs before my phone started ringing. I wiped the tears from my eyes so I could see properly to read that it was Aaron calling me. I forced a couple huffs of air out and picked up. “Hello?” I asked and instantly cringed because my voice was shaky.

“Y/N? Is everything alright?” His warm voice was laced with worry and if I had to guess, he was probably frowning and had his eyebrows pulled together.

“Um,” I cleared my voice a bit, “yeah sorry. Lucas was informing me about his pending deployment. Wha-what can I do for you?” He quickly said that he could call back later, he was just checking to see what day would work for me for our dinner date. “No, it's okay. Off the top of my head, I am free except for Wednesday.” We agreed that Tuesday would work best and before he hung up the phone he wished me well and said that if I needed anything that I should call him.

Throughout that I didn’t notice that Lucas had reappeared with the updated will and a pen tucked between his ear and head. “Sounds like you two have a good thing going on. Can I count on him to watch out for you too?” I whipped my head to the side and wiped the stray tear that leaked out.

I smiled softly, “He is a good man. I’m not 100% sure what we have going on but I intend to play things out. From what I can tell though, you can trust that he will be there for me.” Lucas nodded and sat back down.

“As your big brother I don’t need to know the dating details of your life, but I want to make sure that you are cared for. Don’t think for a second that I wouldn’t go AWOL to come home and beat him to a pulp if he hurts you, because I will.” He said in a tough tone as he was puffing his chest out. I rolled my eyes at him and agreed with what he said though. He handed me the pen and I signed my name on the document.

We cleaned up breakfast, turned on the stereo, and got started on our deep clean. During that time we talked about my work, his buddies, Aaron, and I brought up him asking Sammy out on a date. He blushed when I brought her name up and agreed that he would ask her out before he left. The time passed quickly and soon enough we were placing an order for Chinese take out for dinner. As I was feeding Murphy his dinner Lucas called out for me. “Buggg, your boyfriend is texting you.” My heart instantly warmed but I kept a neutral expression on my face.

“Oh stop! He’s not my boyfriend, we aren’t dating.” I returned back to my phone to see what he had sent.

Aaron: Are you doing okay?

I partially smiled at that.

Me: Yes, I’m doing a bit better.

Aaron: Good, I just wanted to check in on you. What plans do you have tonight?

Me: We just ordered Chinese, haven’t planned much past that and a movie. What about you and Jack?

Aaron: He’s having a couple friends over from soccer to spend the night. Hope your evening gets better.

Me: Oh I do not envy you at all haha. Thank you, same to you.

Dinner was delivered and we cracked open a few beers to enjoy while we watched our movie. I was deeply going to miss these moments together until he came back. God and the rest of the universe could only keep him safe now and I sat there silently praying and begging that he would come home quickly and in one piece.

Out of the blue Lucas turns to me, “I swear, if I come back and this Aaron due has you knocked up, I’ll kill him.”

#criminal minds #aaron hotch hotchner #aaron hotch x reader #emily prentiss #derek morgan #spencer reid #penelope garcia #david rossi #fbi #bau #fluff #smut #teacher #jack hotchner

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softcallofdutyimagines · 3 years ago

Text

Over You | An epilogue piece

Makarov x Fem!Roach reader

Over You chapter 1 Proper, here

Mwhaha, come get your bread 😏 tag list: @smokeywhalee @welldonekhushi @samatedeansbroccoli

Here's a Lil mini fic of dad bod Makarov being soft and touch starved that takes place in the same AU, but sometime after, the (currently unwritten) end of Over You. Fem!roach is away in a mission, leaving Makarov all to his lonesome.

How will he cope?

---

A harsh winter storm gives chase as Makarov trudges into the house. Careful not to spill his coffee, he applies nearly all his body weight to shut the heavy door against the hounding winds.

With a bit of a struggle, he succeeds.

The door shuts with a deep thud as Makarov lets out a huff of exhaustion. Ah well, at least he's home. He takes a breath and opens his mouth to call your name.

He would've too, if only you'd been home.

A couple days have passed since your deployment with the others and yet it still just doesn't feel real. He's gotten too use to your company, that he knows. But is he truly to blame?

Nothing tastes so sweet after a life lived in solitude such as the company of a gentle lover.

With a huff, Makarov drops all his extra layers and sulks into the bedroom. He strips down to something suitable to sleep in and then lays back onto the bed. He runs his fingers through his hair and lets out a strained sigh as he stares at the ceiling.

This is the bed he shares with you.

It's new, just like your house together, and has never seen a lone body in it at night. Well, until recently.

He picks himself up and crawls into his spot. It took him a couple days to break out of his usually nightly routine ever since you left. He knows how much the cold bothers you, so he started laying on your side of the bed to warm up your sheets until you came into the room.

What point is there to it now? He knows you won't be coming.

Instead, he stares over at the empty spot, long fingers stroking the sheets.

Just think, he could be holding you right now. Kissing your forehead. Basking in the sweet smell of your freshly washed hair.

Ugh, he dare not think about it too much. His body hurts with ghostly cramps as he imagines your hands on him. Your gentle caress across his chest or along his back. Comforting strokes along his jaw or temple. An absent minded thumb rubbing little circles on his stomach.

Fuck, he almost even misses your ice cold hands warming themselves on his bare skin.

He curls up, shaping his pillow into something more comfortable. Damn, his stomach hurts. He wishes you were here, but he knows such thoughts will only make things worse.

"Will you fucking relax? I miss her too", he says as if commanding his stomach to settle will accomplish much. Maybe he can straighten the cramp out himself. At least, that's what he hopes as he drags his knuckles down his side.

It's so strange to him, having more room to his sides now. A little more surface area to receive love for your delicate hands. A little more padding for cuddling on cold winter nights.

He's changed so much over the past year... All in an effort to maybe one day be worthy of you. He could do without the relationship weight perhaps, but everything else has been... Good. At least, so he thinks.

But he thinks he must be right, considering you've stuck with him since the beginning. Yes, where it all began in that dingy, disgusting gulag cell. To think, your first interaction with one another was a nothing held back fistfight, and now you kiss each other goodnight and sleep soundly in each other's arms.

It hasn't been long, but what he'd do to have you back tonight...

Funny, he's so use to being alone, a parriah among people... And now he can't bear to be alone without you. He's not use to someone caring about him. Supporting him. Loving him.

And to get that one little taste... Then have it all taken away over night. It's a kind of torture that penetrates down to a man's very soul.

He must be far too lost in his thoughts again. Before he knows it, a cold, thin little tear escapes the corner of his eye.

It looks a little at the hump of his nose, the rest coming behind it forces the trail onward. It's only been a few days. You could be away for months. How the fuck is he supposed to get through this?

Makarov wrenches his eyes shut, trying to cover his pathetic little sob with a hiss. What would you say if you were here right now?

... It's not a very fair question. He already knows the answer.

He can almost hear it, "It's ok to cry, Vova"

You love to say things like that, some shit about being emotionally healthy or whatever. It's something he's been working on. No one's ever told him that before you.

Fuck...

He blinks his eyes open, only to be met by a blurry, distorted world as he gazes out through his stopped up tears.

There's no reason to hold it in, he supposes. You've always promised he'll feel better if he lets it out, and damn if you aren't usually right.

But first, he fights for just enough vision to find your pillow and pull it towards himself. You probably wouldn't be all that happy to see him flattening your pillow like this, but fuck it. He'll get you a new one if you want.

He'll get you two even, or however many you want. Anything if you'll just come back to him.

The old landline sounds off from it's place on your bedstand. Damn thing... He needs to get tried of it, no one uses these anymore.

He's not going to let the fucking thing interrupt him. If it's important, he'll take the voicemail.

When the ringing stops, a little sooner then expected on top of it, the automated voice notifies him of a message. Damn. Maybe he should've picked up.

Makarov drags himself over to the phone and plays it, snatching up the box of tissues while he's at it. Maybe it's his contact or something... He's working as a double agent now adays, and it can be quite the trick trying to keep up with when he's expecting to hear from who.

And then, the last voice he would've expected patches through. You call his name in a sing song lilt, "Vova..."

Like a flip of a switch, his tears, his sobs, all of it, cease as he listens intently.

"I'm sorry I can't talk right now, but I thought I'd respond to your oh, 15 calls, and let you know everything's fine"

Makarov turns a few shades pink. He'd forgotten all about that little episode. Let's just say... He's glad you didn't pick up.

"We've touched down on site, looks like an easy job. I should be back within a month. Now be good, and I'll see you soon", you blow a kiss through the phone while Makarov makes a tiny catching gesture with his hand, "I love you"

With that, you sign off and wish him a good night.

Makarov doesn't move a muscle, save for the hand that's holding your kiss. He brings the tightly clenched fist directly to his cheek and opens. Fuck... Another month?

That sounds like a lifetime.

He sniffs and rolls over onto his back. God, he must look a mess. Starting with this old undershirt he's been forgetting to wash. Or... No, not forgetting. More like, refusing.

It's the last thing he wore to bed with you in.

After all the twisting and turning, it's a crumpled mess. He pulls at the fabric to let it fall more naturally against his body. With a sigh, he recalls that he should get new ones anyway.

One arm props up his head, and with the other he gently claps an open hand to his belly and gives it a small pat. These don't quite fit like they use to.

He lets out a rush of breath and rubs his head with the arm beneath it. With the other, he hits replay on the answering machine.

It'll be a long month, but... It'll be worth the wait.

And worth it, it is.

When you walked through that door, the following few minutes became a blur as you both rushed to greet each other.

Makarov wouldn't consider himself the expressive type, but the way he held his arms out to you as you ran up to him, a huge grin plastered on his face....

The way he picked you up and spun you around as though you were completely weightless...

The way he dipped you low and peppered your face with a hundred kisses...

You never would’ve guessed.

All work for the day was forgotten, and the two of you spent the afternoon and evening together simply enjoying each other's touch and company. Even with every second of every minute trading kisses and cuddles, the day was far too short.

At long last, you migrated to the bed together, cuddling and chatting until it was starting to get too late.

That was about an hour ago.

Now here you were, holding back giggles and stealing glances at one another as though time was meaningless.

You bite your lip mischievously, “Hold me?”

Makarov smiles at that, his teeth catching the soft moonlight. “Again?”, He asks, as though he could ever tell you no.

You should probably be sleeping after such a long trip away, but… with all the excitement of being reunited, you don't think you ever could.

Without even waiting for a response from you, Makarov flicks his wrist and snaps the sheets open for you to crawl onto his chest. As though you need more encouragement, he pats a spot for you to rest your head.

You grin wide and close the few inches between your bodies. With a sigh of relief you lay your head on his warm chest and a freezing cold hand on his stomach. Just that little gesture... but God, he can't tell you how much he's missed it.

In that moment you feel infinite. Here you are safe. You belong, as though you were specifically designed to fit into one another.

Makarov's heart skips a beat, then picks up pace for a few moments, before settling down to it’s powerful, rhythmic thumping. Even after all this time, you still give him butterflies. He alternates between running his fingers through your hair and massaging your scalp.

You can feel yourself starting to relax as sleep begins to creep up on you. Makarov glides his hand down to your back, rubbing gentle circles up and around your spine as he hums to you.

You can hardly open your eyes, they’re so heavy with sleep, but there’s one more thing you have to do before you go…

“Vova?”

“Hm?”

“I love you”

Makarov stops rubbing your back, and brings his hand up to rub at his eye. It comes back a little wet. He sniffs and gives one more tiny, overjoyed grin.

He loves you so, so much…

As if the time apart would ever have let him forget it.

Makarov wraps his arms around you and gives you a little squeeze as he holds you. You must be asleep by now and he’s grateful for it, you need your rest. Oh, how to put a lifetimes worth of love and gratitude into a single sentence?

He buries his nose in your sweet smelling hair and his voice is choked with emotion, barely a whisper, “…Love you too”

#AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA #SCREAMING AND CRYING AND SHAKING AAAAAAAAAA 😭😭😭😭😭🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💖💖💖#call of duty #modern warfare 2 #vladimir makarov x reader

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uponrightful · 3 years ago

Text

Welcome Company pt.9 "Follow Orders"

Author's Note: Don't act like you didn't see this coming...

“Wolffe should have been back by now.” Sinker commented quietly from his bunk, looking down past the overhang of his bed towards Comet. “The General won’t be happy if he isn’t here for briefing.” His impatience motivated him to jump the distance from his rack, landing with a heavy thud on the floor.

“We stayed late last night.. I’m sure he was making up for lost time Sinker. It’s a long deployment, if I was Wolffe I’d put it off as long as I could too.” Comet chuckled, reaching down to shuffle through his pack, checking to make sure he had everything for the third time. “He’ll be back in time. Punctual bastard.”

It didn’t soothe Sinker’s nerves. He’d felt off the past few weeks, like how an ambush always creeped up the back of his neck in a wave of chills. He couldn’t put a finger on it. And asking about it would most certainly not help. If anything he’d be quickly dismissed by his brothers, immediately being labeled as far too anxious for the mission. But the constant feeling that something was wrong this time wasn’t fading away.

“See? I told you he’d be on time.” Comet’s chin jutted towards the bunker door, where Plo and Wolffe entered. Talking quietly, both of them stiff-postured with strained expressions on their faces. Sinker couldn’t help but notice the words Cato Neimoidia forming on his vod’s tight lips. Wolffe looked genuinely worried… and it was the first time in what felt like years Sinker felt scared to ship out.

“They don’t look happy.” He commented darkly, shooting a heavy glance at Comet who looked across the barracks to confirm his assumption.

“You’re right.”

Neither brother were able to say anything more about the strange conversation between their General and Commander. For Wolffe had called the remining members of the Wolfpack towards the doors, advising them to strap-up and be ready to deploy after the meeting. Unlike most missions where the Commander held a strong-willed position, he sounded almost grim. The planet name almost grating against his tongue as he detailed the strategies put into place for the assault ahead of them. Boost could hardly focus, his body trembling with the better instinct to run… or at least question his Commander for once. It wasn’t an issue of trust. Wolffe was more than capable, and so was the rest of the pack. But something felt wrong. His head ached, and even the ration bar he’d eaten wasn’t sitting well in his stomach.

“Get in. Get out. Come home.” Wolffe closed, turning to the General who’d placed a calming hand on his pauldron.

“It would be neglectful of me to ignore the disturbance amongst you boys.” Not even Plo’s low lull of a voice was able to touch Boot’s growing fright. “Come… all of you.” The Keldor man spread his arms wide, patiently waiting for all of the Wolfpack to gather within the small space provided to them.

The corners of Plo’s eyes crinkled in a weathered smile as he looked upon all their faces, lingering over Boost for a moment before inhaling a measured breath. One they all recognized as a collection of the Force around him. They’d seen the Jedi do it on rare occasion, only in moments where a strength he didn’t normally possess was needed.

“I can sense fear in all of you.” He hummed, “Something of which you have every right to feel.” Boost dropped his gaze to the floor, unable to find courage under the inevitable findings. Plo was like a father. To all of the pack. Including Wolffe, who had found himself tucked right into the middle of the gathered group.

It was like a rush of fuzzy electricity, passing through Boost’s body. Centering itself in his palms and radiating out like a web of synapses firing throughout his body. His mind felt clearer, less confusing. He opened his eyes long enough to take a glance at Wolffe. Seeing a small flinch in his Commander’s clenched fist. He wasn’t sure if the Force was connecting all of them; or it he just imagined it. But Boost swore he could feel Wolffe’s pain. It felt like a burn in his eye, and a dull ache that made his eyes water. It was the only thing that made him think it was real. Plo was trying to calm them… and somehow or another, Boost was feeling the calming effect, but also tapping into the pain of his vod.

“We must go.” Plo stated with a somewhat tired sounding sigh.

***

It was pure hellfire. Explosions, screams and the smell of melting plastoid filling the smoke and fog filled air of Cato Neimoidia. Over his comm’s Wolffe yelled out positions, quickly ducking out of sight when his blaster needed a new charge round. Heavy panting followed every response by the pack. There was nowhere to hide on the face of the planet, and they were dropped right into the center of it.

“Someone get the fucking cannon moving!” Wolffe screamed into his comm, watching as the troopers struggled to get it moving past the rocks and scattered trees. “Move your asses!”

The pack was stuck. Waiting for reinforcements that were already late. General Plo was to bring them, leaving the pack to finish off what had been two barrages of droids. But they’d not expected another three waves. Line after line of clanking metal walked without hesitation towards them. It was unlike anything Wolffe had seen before. Shiny and new, these droids hadn’t been in a single battle before. Everything about this battle felt staged. Almost like a efficiency test on Kamino. Of course, they were struggling to keep what upper-hand they had, but there wasn’t a single thing unexpected about the droids movements.

These droids weren’t normal. For the Empire… It was the only thing they said. Battle droids never said anything so monotonously. And a chill ran down Wolffe’s sweat drenched neck as a loud boom of the cannon behind him finally returned fire. It was their only hope that Plo returned soon. Otherwise there was no way he was getting on a ship at the end of this fight.

Go home.

It was all he could think of as droid after droid fell at the frontlines. He wanted to be with her. Wanted to throw the blasters he gripped tightly in his hands, and just run until he could hide. Hear her soft laugh and the feeling of her hands through his hair. Wolffe had said goodbye, for far longer than anyone would’ve. But kneeling behind a rock feeling the heat of blaster fire warming the stone against his back, he wished he’d kissed he just one more time.

“Reinforcements entering AO.” The loud crackle of the news reverberated through Wolffe’s comm’s. He looked up, watching the sky suddenly become filled with the red glow of jetpacks and troopers strapped to the bucket with heavy artillery firing down on the droids. It was a short relief. One that filled his speakers with joyous laugher, and the occasional break of cocky comments from the incoming troopers. It was a sight for Wolffe’s sore eyes. He only had enough time for a bright smile to cross his face, before leaping over his barrier to charge forward through the path of smoke and destroyed metal that’d been blazed.

“You fuckers won’t stop me from getting home.”

***

A sharp knock at the door startled the girl from her curled up spot on the couch. She’d been watching the news intently, hearing brightly from the news anchor that troops were engaging in the final few hours of the war. It wasn’t something she’d expected. It was great news, but she couldn’t be sure until she heard from one of her boys.

The sharp knock sounded again. This time much less impatient. Whoever it was called out from the porch, stating themselves with an heir of professionalism that had her hair standing on end. Base housing was constantly under the protection of the Coruscant Guard… at least from a safe distance. But when she saw the flash of red and white armor, a shockwave of fear filled her body.

Something’s wrong here.

She opened the door, holding up her identification for the three troopers standing there. One of them she recognized by the unique little star he’d painted on his helmet.

“Hi guys. What’s going on?” She tried to hide the fear filling her, thinking how crazy it was to have such a distrust for the same men who were probably happy that the war was about to end.

“Quiet.” One of them snapped aggressively, snatching the ID from her hand. Out of nowhere trooper with the sun painted on his bucket yanked her from inside the doorway, violently throwing her down to the floor at their feet. She was about to yell at them for being so rude, when two blasters immediately were drawn and pointed at her head. The guns humming with a blue glow that indicated she wasn’t to speak no matter what they did.

“You are to vacate this habitation.” The one holding her ID said flatly, tossing the holopad onto the ground next to her with a clatter. “Base housing is being retained as property of the Galactic Empire.”

She couldn’t process the words quickly enough. “Empire?” Her eyes went wide at the unusually flat troopers. What was the Empire? Where had the Republic gone? “What’s wrong with you guys?” Her question turned into a hysterical sob within seconds, confusion and the terrifying sight of the three troopers leering down at her enhancing just how helpless she was. Whatever was happening here had to have something to do with the war ending. But she couldn’t pull herself together long enough to calm down. The girl quickly realized it was a terrible mistake to start crying.

“Enough!” One of the troopers shouted. A flash of blue light rushed past her head, dispersing onto the floor she laid on. The sunshine trooper firing a warning shot. Precision accuracy had aimed the shot close enough to her head that her hair had been singed down to the skin on one side. She cried out, reaching for her head to cover herself. Unbearable pain radiated from her head. Petrified to make another move she froze. Laying as still as she could to further prevent another bolt from making closer contact. Between her raised arms, she opened her eyes to see all three of the troopers still irately focused on her.

“Please let me go. I’ll leave.” She begged through tears. “Just let me leave.”

Without missing a beat, the commanding trooper pulled himself to full attention and nodded. “Very well.” It was almost droid-like. She flinched at the familiar tone she’d come to love from her boys, hearing it somehow mutated into a emotionless drone of sound. The three shock-troopers turned away and decorously retreated back onto the street where they continued to the next house down.

She watched through her tears as they slammed fists on her neighbors door, announcing themselves sharply. When a man answered the door politely, he was immediately attacked, being thrown to the ground in a heap without hesitation. The lead trooper spoke viciously, threatening him to vacate just as they’d done to her, raising blasters in a menacing stance. Her loud cry caught the attention of the sunshine trooper. He turned sharply, redirecting his blaster towards her.

“Leave! Or die!” He yelled. She could actually see his finger flexing over the trigger, shaking with effort not to pull it.

Panicked, she screamed out. Vaulting off the floor and scrambling onto shaking legs. Running off the porch, she didn’t look back. Too fearful of the troopers to shut the door to her house, or ever think about going back inside to collect anything of value. Leave or Die. An ultimatum she couldn’t argue with. The side of her head that ached with the burn of a blaster charge reminded her how close she’d already came to death. There was nothing she could do but run as far away as she could.

No credits, and no one to go to… Not even a change of clothes. Even the holopad on the porch, sat discarded in her disheveled attempt to flee without another threat from the shock troopers. Her only thought was to get away. Something bad happened, and she couldn’t stay long enough to figure out what it was. There was a chance the war hadn’t ended. Maybe they’d lost.

Any solid idea was lost to her panic as she sprinted down the street, trying to remember where a shuttle off Coruscant was… and if she had enough credit saved on account to get far enough away.

All she knew was that her home wasn’t safe, and neither was Coruscant.

***

Almost three years of service and only three things repeated in Commander Wolffe’s mind.

Directive. Follow orders. Be a good soldier.

Something in his body that kept him floating somewhere between life and death, removing any emotion he might’ve had at one point. He figured it made him a better solider. But really he couldn’t remember anything. Every time he slept, his brain removed the non-essential memories of the day before. Resetting him, and clearing anything that could distract him from the orders he received daily.

He worked, hardly ate and slept less that than that. There wasn’t time for anything else. So the harder he worked, the easier it became to forget about the memories that caused him headaches.

The only time he found the headaches unbearable was when he took off his armor at the end of the day. Settling into one of the bunks surrounded by a new unit of men he’d never met before. Each night, every plate was cleaned. Wolffe had cleaned them so much the paint he didn’t remember putting on it had been almost scrubbed away completely. But that wasn’t the source of the splitting pain in his temples.

Inside one of the pouches on his ammo belt, always sat a ripped piece of fabric. It was small, and grey in color… something he didn’t understand when he’d first went through the belt. To his dismay it didn’t carry a memory and despite his inability to find one, he couldn’t make a use for it. Wolffe couldn’t think much more about it. Pain always radiated through the back of his head if he started wondering about it too much. He’d tried multiple times to get rid of it, and use the pouch on his belt for something else. Maybe something that could actually benefit him. It never happened. He never put anything else in the pouch. And oftentimes Wolffe would find himself pulling it out just to rub his fingers over the soft material. At one point, it’d carried a smell. Something sweet that he couldn’t put a finger on how he recognized it. But that was long ago. Now, it just smelled like his ammo belt.

And he found himself reaching into the belt lying next to his rack, searching out the fabric as he laid back on his bunk. They were shipping out in less than five standard hours, and he hadn’t slept in days. But that wasn’t anything new. It was a stealth mission… like all of the ones previous to take down insurgents. It was to go after a new target. One that had eluded all other attempts before. Somehow slipping away for months at a time without resurfacing. Wolffe’s crew had been assigned to the task.

He went over the details in his mind over and over again, recalling coordinates and all of the blind spots that covered the last reported sighting of this target. This target was smart. And if Wolffe was being honest, a great strategist. Someone greatly aware of his surroundings. But Wolffe knew he was better. If he was going to win, he needed to be smarter.

***

It was six months before she finally felt safe enough to stop running. Long enough to finally put the pieces of what happened after the war together. Palpatine wasn’t as straight and righteous as he’d seemed. Leaving death and a hunger for pure power in his wake. All of the clones had been turned against the Jedi, leaving the question of survival hanging in the air long after she’d settled in on her new planet. It wasn’t the only question she kept returning to.

The girl hadn’t forgotten about Wolffe. It was just too much to bear knowing that he was under their control… or worse. But she wasn’t afforded time for sympathy by anyone. Smuggler ships with high transport fees didn’t ask questions, but they certainly didn’t like it when the smuggled passengers cried all night. Shady men willing to drive her anywhere for the right price were happy enough to deal with short conversation that denied their sexual advances, but they really hated it when she broke down crying after days with no sleep. Emotionally she was drained by the time her boots hit the ground on Takodana.

Takodana was quiet. No more than one hundred people when she’d arrived two and a half years ago. People were very private, but seemed keen on accepting her right away when they realized that she was alone. They’d offered her a home… small and simple, but hand built from the timbers that surrounded the isolated village. It seemed everyone in the village had lived there since they were young. She was the only one who seemed to have such a turbulent year since the war ended. The village worked much more simply than her first months away from Coruscant, bartering goods and services instead of money. Of which she had none at that point. When the village found out she could cook -very well- according to some of the eldest women in the village, it gradually became her personal method of trading.

She was different though.

The girl didn’t smile, or really speak to anyone. Only communicating when she needed to, or felt inclined. She carried a blaster which she concealed in the waistband of her pants, tense when she needed to travel away. Cautious of everyone that found themselves misdirected, and in hopes of finding the trading post just north of them. Sleeping so lightly that the slightest sound would wake her up. The girl was terrified of seeing a trooper standing at her front door. Tired from all of the dreams of Wolffe and the loneliness that she could only escape from during the day.

Almost three years of running and finally hiding away somewhere she felt safe enough from the burn of a blaster. Three years of ignoring the pain she felt when looking at herself in the mirror. The shaved side of her head, a glaring remembrance of how fearful she’d been. Just like her hair hadn’t grown back, neither had her ability to feel safe. She often wished that those shock troopers had just finished the job. Save her the trouble of living a life she didn’t want anymore. Save her the heartache of not knowing where Wolffe was… or if he was even alive.

***

“We move in three.” Wolffe commanded quietly through his helm, crouching down low behind a fallen tree to keep himself hidden. “Push the room hard.”

His unit moved silently, approaching both sides of the durasteel door with such precision that anyone could tell these troopers had done it hundreds of times before. Wolffe led the attack, heading movement as the doors slid open. Blasters aimed in, they funneled into the room scanning every inch of the deserted bunker.

The target had moved.

Wolffe held up a raised fist, his lip raising in a snarl as he assessed the lack of habitation. It was a harsh blow. One that immediately raised questions from his unit.

“Commander, what do we do now?” He couldn’t remember the troopers number…

“Check every exit. Find anything that could tell us where they went. They’ve got to have made a mistake.” He ordered firmly, placing his hands against the dusty control panel of a holomap table sitting in the center of the room. It looked like it hadn’t been touched in years.

Wolffe stood racking his brain for what felt like hours, listening to the constant commotion of his unit. They hardly spoke, but Wolffe could feel another headache coming on. Instinctively he reached into his belt, and pulled out the little scrap of fabric he tried so hard to ignore. He rubbed it between gloved fingers, finding himself lost in thought when his second in command yelled out.

“The doors shut!”

Wolffe quickly snapped the think strip back into his belt, and looked up to see the trooper frantically ordering the control panel to open the door. Only nothing was happening.

“Get it open, Lieutenant.” Wolffe threatened lowly. “Otherwise you’ll be lucky to return to Kamino.” It wasn’t a false threat. Wolffe was well-known for being a hard Commander, one that frequently had changes in unit personnel due to unproductive members. But this time Wolffe wasn’t certain that it had been the fault of his trooper.

“It’s not responding sir.”

As on cue with Wolffe’s senses, the sounds of air ducts began rattling all around the troopers. A thick billow of white smoke began funneling through the vents on the floor, filling the room in a matter of seconds. It was a trap. And he’d walked right into it.

“Secondary oxygen.” Wolffe commanded overtop the sounds of his men coughing violently. Even Wolffe felt himself falling victim to the heavy fog even after his O2 mask was secured against his face. “Get this fucking door open!” He shoved the coughing trooper back towards the control panel, watching the man desperately struggle to move his hands over the buttons. “Get this smoke out of here!” Wolffe looked around, trying to figure out a way to stop the continuous dispersant.

Only the room was bare. Wolffe growled in frustration, pulling his blaster from its holster and scanning the room for his remaining unit. All of them were still coughing, but their heat signatures were still plainly visible. Out of habit he counted them. All were accounted for. That didn’t mean they were safe yet.

“I got it!” The trooper yelled out. The doors slid open, blinding all of them with the white smoke pouring out to reflect the sunlight outside. All of his men raced towards the door, coughing and sputtering as they ripped their helmets off to breathe the fresh air outside their personal trap.

Wolffe was the last to exit, counting his men one by one as they funneled out the doors. He paused, counting again to see that one man was still inside somewhere. Duty overtaking him, he didn’t call for backup as he walked back though the doorway into the room. Wolffe was quiet, glaring at his HUD for a heat signature of his missing man. When he reached the back wall, he scanned again feeling the throb of his headache mixed with the unknown gas overwhelm his judgement. When the doors behind him rattled shut, Wolffe cursed under his breath, speaking into his comm link.

“Open the doors. Missing an officer.”

No answer came.

Wolffe quickly changed frequencies, stopping on one that had been designated for emergencies. He again spoke into the mic, and heard nothing but dead space. The room was blocking his signal now.

“You only have two men, Commander. The Wolfpack had three.” A snarling voice called behind Wolffe’s back, startling him into spinning around to face his attacker.

He hadn’t turned around fully when a stun round jolted his body stiff. He hadn’t gotten the whole force of the blast thanks to his armor, but it was enough to render him unable to move from his heap on the floor. Wolffe looked up to see a clone armored in plastoid, painted bright blue. A heavily built man with a blonde buzz-cut taking the place of the bucket he’d removed and tucked under his arm. The man looked familiar, but Wolffe couldn’t remember where from.

“Hard to break habits, huh, Wolffe?” The blonde chuckled lowly, kneeling down to pull Wolffe’s bucket off his head. Wolffe grimaced when the man clipped his helmet to his belt. He’d been outsmarted. “It’s your lucky day,Commander.” Wolffe tried to reach for his blaster, only to have it snatched out of his weak grasp. The blonde just shook his head, and tucked the pistol into his waistband.

“You never would leave a man behind…” The blonde glanced back at the doors, hearing the pitiful sounds of the man outside trying to break through the door. Wolffe finally realized that this clone had been inside the whole time, controlling the doors by his own volition. To get him alone.

“What do you want?” Wolffe groaned, gathering what will he had to get up. The stun was pressed against his ribs, right between the plastoid. It was calculated from the beginning, and Wolffe finally understood that he wasn’t getting out of this easily.

With a sickly satisfied smile he replied; “Effective today, you that you are no longer in service to the Empire.”

The clone stood up, and placed his bucket back over his head. With a curt nod he lifted the stunner, and hesitated for a moment. Outside Wolffe could hear his men trying to break through the reinforced durasteel, all to no avail. Whatever happened to him, would be marked as a death by his superiors. Only now Wolffe could deal with the prospect of dying soon.

“You’ll forgive me for all of this once I get the real you back.” The blonde said quietly, slowly pulling the trigger.

Everything went black.

READ PART 10

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quietmyfearswith · 4 years ago

Text

bratty little ; preferences

warnings — GASLIGHTING, DDLG, swearing, mentions of punishment, spanking, choking, vibrator, threats of abandoning someone, swear words, allusions to smut

characters — dark!andy barber, dark!steve rogers, dark!ransom drysdale, dark!bucky barnes, dark!lance tucker, dark!clark kent, dark!syverson, dark!august walker

a/n — THIS IS A DARK FIC WITH DARK THEMES WITH DDLG DYNAMICS,, do not interact if youre not 18+,, i know the visual for bucky’s preference is for like when you go potty but imagine it on a dining chair okay?? ok.. lmk what you think!

masterlist

“Dada!” Y/N shrieked out loud from where she was seated on the living room floor while she played with her toys, the sounds coming from the television were quieter in comparison to the wail she let out. When her screaming failed to get a reaction from the lawyer — Andy knew that he gave her everything she needed so there was no possible thing that she could possibly need at the moment — whose eyes were only focused on either his laptop screen or on the paperworks for the case he was assigned to. She then held her stuffie in her hand then threw it at the busy man; upon seeing the stuffed animal land on his workspace he turned to her with a deep frown on his face, “Petal, don’t throw your stuffies at me; unless you want me to throw them away in the garbage?” She was about to speak but when he raised an eyebrow at her, “Are you that ungrateful for everything that dada gives you?” With that, she then brought her attention back to the show.

“That’s what I thought,” Andy mumbled as his eyes focused once again on scanning the computer. But his focus was short-lived as another stuffie hit his forehead — and that was the final straw. Pushing himself off from the table he walked over to where his usually obedient girl was and kneeled down to level with her, “I said to behave, petal — and I asked nicely right?” Seeing the veins become even more prominent on his neck turned her on and it was even made apparent when she shyly looked down on the floor as she told him, “I just wanted you to pay attention to me, dada.” Her statement had him amused as smirked at her while filthy thoughts ran around his head, “Well you not only got my attention,” She flashed a hopeful grin at him before it was replaced with a horrified look when he added, “You have a punishment waiting for you.”

“Daddy! I told you to come play with me,” She whined as she stomped her foot and crossed her arms. Fastening the screw on his bike, August could only huff in annoyance as he heard his little one whine, “And I told you to wait a while, little one. Didn’t daddy teach you to be patient?” This just angered Y/N even more — she was excited that he was home following a month-long mission wherein he was sent somewhere in Europe and wanted nothing more than to make up for lost time. While the Hammer did want to spend time with her, he just wanted to fix something in his bike since he has been putting that off for a while now. “If you don’t want to play with me, I’m gonna go play with myself!” She huffed out as she strutted out of the garage and into the inside of their home. Confused with her statement, he didn’t know if she meant that in a little way or in a big girl way; either way it had him fed up with her attitude. Dropping the tools on the floor as it made a loud noise, he then washed his hands with the sink before making his way inside to search for her.

“Where are you, little one?” He called out; and almost instantly she replied to him, “In the playroom!” Leave it to her to still be extremely needy for his presence despite being a rascal. Entering the bedroom that was transformed as her playroom, he kneeled behind her as his lips grazed the shell of her ear while one hand trailed over the front of her neck, “Did little one not learn her lesson?” Feeling his breath tickle her skin made her halt her movements as she was playing with the tea set he had gifted her when he returned from Paris after a two-month deployment. “I just wanted daddy to spend time with me,” She nervously gulped down, “Missed you too much.” He knew she had good intentions, but that didn’t excuse her behaviour; and he made it clear by tightening his grip on her neck by pushing his fingers down on the sides of her neck as he whispered, “I missed you too but you don’t see me getting all whiny now do you?” The iron grip he had on her neck allowed minimal movement as she shook her head no as she got even more ansty at that thought of what might follow. “Here I was ready to reward you — I've been watching the camera footage of you and noticed how you obeyed all of daddy’s rules.”

“Tătic, I wanna go out in the park!” Y/N whined as Bucky was hauling her over his left shoulder, into their shared living quarters. Using his metal hand, he swatted her bum softly as he scolded her, “Don’t you think you’ve had enough playtime today? It’s about time you spent some time with your daddy, sweetie.” When placing her back on her feet, she turned around to head for the door; the super soldier’s strength allowed him to prevent her sprinting figure from leaving him. “I’m gonna give you one last time to behave and stop wanting to go to the park, sweetheart,” He sternly scolded her, but she only persisted harder as her smaller hands hit against his chest as she wailed out, “Wanna go to the park! Wanna go out and play, tătic!” Continuously repeating those two sentences, Bucky has had enough of her whining state as he carried her once more and placed her on the dining chair she dreaded the most.

“Wanna be a fucking brat?” He muttered under his breath as he strapped the belt just right under her breasts before joining the lock on her thighs — effectively restricting her movement and there was no way for her to break free from it since there was a padlock to both belts, “Then I’ll treat you like a fucking brat.” Y/N was now full on sobbing as she sat on the chair and looked at the Avenger with a pout, “Just wanna play more with Peter and Wanda and Steve!” She managed to get out in between hiccups; Bucky levelled his face with her with a mocking pout of his own, “Is that what you want, sweetheart?” She nodded her head desperately as trashed around the restraints, wanting to rip it off of her. “But little sweeties like you don’t get to decide for themselves. That’s why you have your tătic, remember?” Deep down inside her, she knew he was right; so she remained silent as tears continued to race down her cheeks. Bucky used his flesh hand to wipe her face off as he kissed her forehead lovingly, “And I think it’s about time you ate some snacks hm? How about some of those cookies we baked?”

“Doll? You called for me?” Steve peered his head from the door of her playroom; he was currently going over the file Sam sent over to him when his little doll shrieked out loud for him, and he rushed over to the next door as he thought that something bad had happened to her. Low and behold there she was smiling widely as she was sitting on the floor while playing with her train and car set, “Hi, sir.” Puzzled with her behaviour he knelt down to level with her as he pressed the back of his palms to her forehead and neck — checking her temperature as he asked, “Are you alright, doll? Are you sick? Why did you call me?” Sheepishly grinning at him, she shrugged her shoulders, “Nothing, sir. Just wanted to see how you were.” Thinking that she was concerned with his well-being, he cooed as he kissed her forehead, “‘M doing good, doll. Just need to work for a bit before we spend some time together okay?”

“Yes, sir,” She saluted, making Steve laugh as he exited the room and headed back to his office. A few minutes into reading the file, he once again heard her yell out for him, “Sir! Come over here!” He went back to her playroom, “What’s wrong, doll?” He didn’t see anything wrong or out of place since the last time he was in here — she was still sitting on the floor as she was playing with her toys. Peering up at him as she batted her lashes, “Missed you, sir.” The former Avenger had to sigh out loud before answering her, “You know I have to work right? I need to finish my work before being with you?” This upset her as she threw the toys she was playing with on the floor as she crossed her arms, “I don’t want you to work! I wanna be with my sir!” It was adorable to see her in such a needy state for him; but that didn’t excuse her for disrupting his work and for flinging her toys on the floor. Walking over to where she was, he carried her with him to his office, “Okay doll, you get to sit on sir’s lap as he works — does that sound good?” Nodding her head up and down against his broad chest, she squealed excitedly and hugged his torso; her cheerful reaction however, was short-lived as she quickly whined out in complaint when he said, “Though I will have to punish you for disturbing me and for throwing your toys, doll. You get no cummies for a week and some spanks later, okay?”

“Can we go now, Captain?” Y/N asked as she batted eyelashes sweetly at her boyfriend as she had her arm hooked tenderly around his muscular one. Leaning over to whisper in her ear, his beard tickled her skin a bit as he answered, “You know we can’t just go yet, baby girl.” It had only been a half hour after he had been given a medal for his service during his time in the army and now they were currently eating their meal as Sy chatted with one of his former superiors. Since she didn’t know anyone else, she let her eyes wander around the venue as she currently wasn’t conversing with anyone. Wanting to relieve her dry throat, she drank a bit of the water and noticed how Sy’s superior excused himself to go to the bathroom; wanting to take advantage, she then traced the newly added medal on his uniform, “So shiny, Captain.” Her small, fascinated voice caught his attention and he kissed her forehead, “Like it, baby girl?” In an instant, her mood changed as she bluntly confessed, “Not really; just wanna go home now. That’s what I like! Wanna play with my shiny toys,” She whined, referring to the iPad he ordered her to leave at home since she wasn’t allowed to use it for this event.

“If you continue to act like this then I might just ban you from using your shiny toy for a month,” Sy exhaled angrily as he gripped her thigh through her dress tightly, leaving his handprint on her skin. Shocked with his sudden display of aggressiveness — especially since they were in public — she nodded but still managed to whimper, “Don’t wanna be here anymore, Cap’n. Wanna go home now.” Seeing how restless she was being, he decided to play around with it as smirked at her after setting the vibrator that was nested in her pussy to at the highest setting, “Well if you stay still for the rest of the hour, we’re gonna go home and I’m gonna reward you for your great behaviour.” Looking down on her phone, she gasped out loud when she read the time as 9:01 pm and whimpered as she realized the long hour ahead of her.

“Time for bed, little angel!” Lance declared after dressing his baby up in her onesie. Despite having just taken a bath, she sprinted off from the bathroom and onto her playroom; the gymnast was surprised when his girl left him alone while he had his back turned away from her as he was keeping the lotion and brush he had used on her. “What the? Angel, where are you?” Walking out of their shared bedroom, he opened the door to her playroom and yet she wasn’t there. Hearing the soft chatter coming from the television, he then went to the living room where he spotted her best girl watching her favorite cartoon. “Didn’t I tell you it was time to go to bed, angel?”

“Don’t wanna go to bed, papa,” Y/N calmly said as she snuggled into the couch even more. Taking a seat beside her, he placed her in his lap; she was instantly squirming away from his lap for she knew that he was gonna put a stop to her watching. “Wanna watch, papa! Don't’ wanna sleep!” Lance swiftly smacked her bum, hoping to calm her down, but it just made her wiggle away even more from the gold medallist. “Not going to sleep, papa,” She sassed as she pouted while her eyes were glued to the screen. Feeling his patience wear thin due to how she was being , he grabbed her by the cheeks, making her look down on his fierce, angered features, “This isn’t my angel whom I’m talking to. I think this is someone else’s little brat,” He observed as his thumb ran across her lips, “Might have to ask around for who owns this little brat so they can go back to their respectful caregiver.” Terrified at the thought of being away from him, Y/N launched herself to curl on Lance’s lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck, “I’m your good angel, papa! I promise! I’m gonna go for bedtime now,” She was spitting out the words in a rush. Smirking, he turned the television off as he carried his angel to their shared bedroom; kissing her forehead, he rubbed her back to calm down her sobbing figure, “There’s my angel! I knew she would never leave me alone.”

“Princess, what’s wrong?” Ransom had been waiting for her to come out of the bathroom since they were headed to Harlan’s for dinner with his family. Hearing no coherent response from her, he went inside and saw how she was sitting in her vanity, wearing the dress he told her to wear, “You look ready to me, princess. Let’s go.” She turned to face him and instead of giddily standing up and latching her arm with his, she just sat there and told him, “I’m not going with king.” Smirking since the spoiled Drysdale thought that she was bluffing, he sarcastically asked, “And why is that?” With a pointed look and firm tone she answered, “‘Cause I don’t want to! Wanna be a princess in here!” Upon realizing how her little persona was clouding her mind, Ransom wanted to ease her worries. Kneeling in front of her, he grabbed both her hands, kissed the back of both palms as he looked her straight in the eyes and promised her, “You still can be my little princess when we’re having the dinner; you don’t have to be a big girl when we’re over there.”

“But won’t they think I’m weird?” His statement just caused her to stress even more despite being in her comfort space. “Don’t wanna go at all, king. Just staying here, and in this pretty dress.” This just irked Ransom even more as he thought he was giving her solutions to her dilemmas, but clearly it just didn’t solve anything at all. She continued to whine about how his family would think even poorly of her when he decided he just had enough; he grabbed both her arms and guided her to her feet, dragging her to his car. Catching his drift, she panicked a bit, “I don’t have any shoes on, king!” Opening the passenger door, he shoved her to sit down, buckling her seatbelt as he spoke, “Well too bad, princess. Maybe if you weren’t too whiny you would have shoes on your cute feet.” As he began to drive to his grandfather’s mansion, she was letting out huffs of annoyance and threatened her, “If you keep pouting and whining you won’t get any new clothes for a month,” And that shut her up real quick as she remained silent for the rest of the drive.

“Okay honey, here you go,” Clark sing-songed as he presented you with a plate of pancakes with strawberries around it to mimic hair whereas the chocolate placed on the flapjack was formed into a smiley face, “Bon appétit, honey.” It was her favorite breakfast, and yet it didn’t lighten up her mood or even get her to smile; with a pout, she crossed her arms after pushing the plate away from her. “Use your words, honey,” He reminded in a stern yet gentle tone. Despite his warning, she wasn’t threatened or scared as she continued to wordlessly pout and push the plate even further away from her unti; the plate hit the hero’s forearm that was on the counter. Exhaling angrily, he warned her one last time, “Unless you want a punishment I suggest you tell me what’s wrong.”

“Mad at bubba,” She finally spoke out quickly as she finally looked at him with a fierce look on her face; but it didn’t faze Clark for he thought that it was a really adorable look and it reminded him of an angry baby bear. “Why are you mad at me, honey?” She debated internally whether or not she should tell him about it before ultimately deciding to continue being bratty and leave him unanswered. The Kryptonian scoffed as he watched her saunter over to the couch and turn on the television; with purposeful strides, he walked on over to where she was, he sat beside her as he yanked her arm to get her to look at him while he stared at her with dark eyes and spoke huskily, “Cut that attitude out honey or I will have to spank you until you forget about why you were being such a fucking brat.” It wasn’t just his threat that had her trembling in fear but it was also the way he held onto her rigidly, letting her know that he wasn’t in the mood to play games with her. After nervously nodding her head, Clark calmed down a bit as he cleared his throat, “Good, now tell me why are you acting this way, honey.”

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waywardimpalawriter · 4 years ago

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Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone (Frankie “Catfish” Morales x F!Reader)

Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone

Pairing: Frankie “Catfish” Morales x F!Reader

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: angst, hurt, comfort,

Word count: 1,795 (It wasn’t suppose to be this long, seems I can never write anything shorter than a 1,000 words.)

Summary: Lone phone booth, broken hearts and empty words, promises he tries to keep. Wanting to make his way back with the sunshine.

Notes: Let me start by saying I’m sorry but I’m not really. You may need tissues. Written for the very lovely @autumnleaves1991-blog for Writer Wednesday. I figured since last weeks was fluffy I’d break out a little angst for this week. Set before and right after the events in Triple Frontier. Inspired by the amazing Bill Withers song “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone.”

“You’re promised no more trips, you’d stay home help raise Luciana, be here,” last words whispered more to yourself than to the man standing opposite. Knowing what you signed up for being the girlfriend of a military man. It’s different now though he’s out, no more deployments to places all God knew about. Going weeks, mostly months without seeing him. Warm body held tightly in your arms when he came home, soothing the nightmares that followed.

Dropping his head, chin resting on his chest not wanting to look into those hurt eyes. For anyone else he’d say no but these fella’s are family, you know this having taken them all in like brothers. Frankie understood your anger more directed at the fact he’s leaving you alone when he’s promised that would never happen again. “I’m sorry mi amor,” raising his head to stare at you. Crystalline tears catch light from the near by lamp glinting mockingly. Knowing sorry isn’t enough empty words and promises laying bare between the both of you.

“How…” arms wrapping around you plush middle. Fending off the worry and holding yourself together even for a few moments. “How long?”

Taking a step towards you, “Three days max. Pope says it’s just a quick recon and intel job. You won’t even miss me.” Corny joke tasting bitter on his tongue that licks across dry lips. Unsure if you’d accept him right now but wanting to hold you so badly. “It’ll be quick and easy sweetheart, then I’ll be back with my girls.”

“Three days?” Seeing him nod you swallow harshly staying still for a moment longer. Till you couldn’t stop yourself from running into his arms, wrapping them so tightly around his body the air is knocked from his lungs. Vise grips of flesh and bone holding on securely, wishing the trip would already be over. “You come back to me you hear Fransisco Morales or so help me I’ll search all over this God forsaken planet till I find you myself.” Words muttered and clogged with tears streaming down cold cheeks. “You have a daughter to raise…”

“And a woman to love,” peeling himself back from your embrace. His own arms resting on your thick waist, large hands splayed out over your back taking in your warmth and love. “I promise mi amor I’ll be back in no time.”

It’s on the tip of your tongue to ask him to stay. Plead your case, demand he make good on those promises spoken with the last deployment. Yet, you know this is different and that’s what scares you the most truly. You’d loose so much with this one trip. They won’t have backing by the government in case… pushing those thoughts away you press yourself deeper into Frankie’s body. Stealing his calm, trying to soak it into your veins and sooth your nerves. Knowing the only way to truly do that is by having him stay and you’d never be selfish to ask.

“You know there’s no sunshine when you’re gone,” pressing your lips to the little patch of missing hair in his scruffy beard. “Come back to me Frankie I can’t do this without you.”

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone

It's not warm when she's away

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone

And she's always gone too long

Anytime she's goes away

A week and two days he’s been gone. Nerves shot to hell you asked Will’s girlfriend Abby to watch Luciana for a couple of hours. Knowing the other woman needed a distraction from the worry just as much. You scooping up the keys, placing a quick kiss to your daughter’s forehead, a nod to Abby and you’re out the door. Heading to that little spot you and Frankie like to camp. Drawing a smidgeon of peace from the place that’s much loved between you.

Trying to keep those pesky, traitorous thoughts from invading your mind. Imagines long forgotten with the Delta force days behind you, resurface every night Frankie’s gone. Picturing the worst every time your eyes close. Fists clinching at your sides long sorrow filled scream winds itself from deep within your chest. Thankful no living humans are around to hear the agony scare any woodland creatures far away. Screaming till your throat is raw and parched. Dropping to your knees not caring about the dirt and buries that’ll show up later. In the back of your mind the little voice chastising you for having so little faith in Frankie.

It couldn’t be helped thought, you missed your sunshine. Wanted his presence more than your next breath. To see that ratting Standard Heating oil cap cover his curls, left dimple making an appearance when he smiles at you. Wrapping your arms around his body drinking in the scent of piney woods, touched with motor oil and a spice that’s all Frankie. Afraid of what state he’ll be in that is if he returns. Face pressed into shaky hands hiding from the world as tears coat the palms in salty moisture while rocking your body. Trying to push those thoughts out of your mind to form happier, sun filled ones. Not realizing the rain started to fall from heavy laden clouds, promising a soaker of a storm. Till ramblings of thunder make you gasp and look up. Fitting stormy grey skies meet your sorrowful eyes. Raindrops hitting your upturned face, dropping into your eyes making them blink closed. Heart aching for the man you love and wishing for Aladdin’s magic lamp to grant you just one precious wish that’s all you needed.

Shivering from your soaked clothes, gusty winds howling through the pines returning your grief. Slowly you manage to drag yourself up and back to Frankie’s truck. Sitting watching the rain slash against the aged windshield. Creating different rivers and puddles of water, sunlight catching a perfect drop when the clouds part and shine into the cab and over your face. Warming the cool skin as a sob leaves your throat praying this burst of light is a good omen.

Wonder this time where she's gone

Wonder if she's gone to stay

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone

And this house just ain't no home

Anytime she goes away

You stare at the cell phone laying on the seat beside you. Hoping it’ll ring with a number you don’t recognize. Pleading for some kind of answer anything to stop the worry. When no answer me dance lights the piece of tech you slam an open palm against the steer wheel unable to keep the tears from sliding down your face. Unaware of how long you’ve sat there eyes closed rain pouring down around you.

Bill Withers smooth tenor making you jump and clutch at your chest. Eyes flying open to stare out into the utter darkness surrounding you not recognizing the ringtone for half a second. Fear and dread incasing your wildly thumping heart as you reach out for the cell phone. Not recognizing the number, you shakily press and slide your finger. Putting the phone to your ear breath lodged in your throat. Dry and deep from screaming, “Frankie?”

Shattering at the sound of your sweet scratching voice, Frankie sags against the phone booth. Warm glass meeting sweat soaked button up covered back trying to hold in the sob. “It’s me mi corazón,” finally answering short whimper on the end of the endearment. Making him bite the inside of his cheek to stop any other sounds from escaping. Dragging in the humid night air to fill his lungs and steady his heart. The heat is oppressive hanging heavy around the small glass and metal enclosure as his large hand grips the weathered plastic receiver.

“What happened mi sol?” Fear gripping tightly around your heart at hearing the sorrow in his voice. Aching to hold him and chase away the darkness you know will follow.

Pressing a hand to the glass cursing the fact this call wouldn’t be long enough to explain himself. “When I get home I’ll tell you everything sweetheart. I’m on an old pay hone right now so there’s not much time. I just…” swallowing harshly, eyes closing over those sadden brown eyes. “I needed to hear your voice.”

“I’m here baby,” wiping at the tears of relief and sitting up straighter in the bench truck seat. It didn’t matter what happened just knowing he’s alive and coming home to you it all that’s important. They could sort out the rest in time. “When are you coming home Frankie? Luciana misses her daddy.”

Watery chuckle leaves his lips, head resting on the dirty glass behind him, “I’ve missed her to hermosa,” taking another breath to steady himself. “I love you so fucking much.”

Heart clinching tightly at his words the desperation in the tone destroying you. Responding without thought, “I love you to Frankie,” gulping in a breath whimpers bitten off to keep from him knowing how torn up you are. Clap of thunder followed the streaks of lighting illuminating the night sky making you jump and gasp.

“Where are you sweetheart?” Having heard the thunder a little too loudly for you to be at home.

For the first time in your relationship you think of lying to him so he didn’t worry. But you remember the promise made and wouldn’t break it. “Our place,” comes the short answer hearing silence on the other end and you think he’s run out of time.

Finally finding his voice pushing through the pain in his heart. “I’m sorry mi corazón we… I never should’ve…”

“Shh Frankie it’s okay I came here to be closer to you. Wishing for you to call and you did,” soft chuckle leaving your mouth accompanying a small sob. “My sunshine broke through to let me know you were okay and coming home before you called.”

Pulling his cap off to rest on top the worn metal of the cradle and run a shaky hand through his curls. “I think you have that backwards, you’re my sunshine sweetheart and I can’t wait till I see you shine for me.” Electronic voice reminding him of the seconds he has left, precious and too few for his liking. “I’ve got to go mi corazón. I’ll be home soon I promise, I love you.”

“I love…” words cut off making Frankie curse and slam the receiver back into the cradle wanting to kick the old piece of junk. But knowing it wouldn’t get him anywhere but a busted foot most likely. He settles for slapping a palm against the glass before snatching up his cap and leaving the claustrophobic inducing box without a backwards glance. Setting his sights on the airport a short power walk away, towards home and into the arms of his girls.

#Writer Wednesday #Frankie Morales x F!Reader #Frankie Catfish Morales x F!Reader #Frankie Morales x F!You

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mordoriscalling · 4 years ago

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48 Weeks (1/4)

Throughout the 48 weeks that Geralt and Jaskier spend apart, their relationship develops.

Aka, part 3 of the Singer and the Sailor AU no one asked for but I wrote anyway. The events of this story happen after Stay or Sail Away but before Homecoming. Warnigns: some sexual content ahead!

Weeks 1-12

Week 1

The memory of everyone he left behind is still fresh in his mind. He clearly recalls how he embraced Ciri and Yen for the last time. The hugs were short but his daughter and ex-wife know that he needs to grow distanced before deployment. It hurts less this way.

Jaskier was there to say goodbye too, but it was different with him. He has no idea how all of this works, and they only had mere three weeks to enjoy each other’s company. They tried to make best of it but Geralt still wanted to detach himself in the last week. Jaskier reacted with panic and kept asking if he’d done something wrong.

The only wrong Jaskier’s ever done was to appear in Geralt’s life just like that, waltzing past his walls and defences with laughable ease. Jaskier is loud and bright, almost unbearably so, and everything is suddenly too dark and quiet when he isn’t there.

Geralt didn’t use to mind dark and quiet. He rather enjoyed them, in fact. Now, as he waits for Jaskier’s first video call, he’s vaguely annoyed that he allowed Jaskier to influence him like this in such a short period of time. The change is small but significant and he shouldn’t have let it happen, not so fast.

But then Jaskier’s face appears on the screen, his face lit up by a brilliant smile, and any negative thoughts suddenly fly out of Geralt’s mind.

“Hi, handsome,” Jaskier purrs.

“Hello,” Geralt replies.

“I must say,” Jaskier goes on in low voice, “the sight of you in the uniform does certain... things to me.”

Geralt looks down at his clothes with a bemused frown. He’s wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt with shoulder pads showing his rank, a black tie and black trousers. It’s nothing special. He has no idea what Jaskier sees but what he does know is that Jaskier’s gaze on him is distracting, so Geralt decides to change the subject. Clearing his throat, he asks, “How are you?”

Jaskier beams as if he asked the best possible question.

Week 2

“How the first two weeks on the ship have been?”

“Busy,” Geralt answers truthfully.

“And?” Jaskier prompts, after a moment of silence.

Geralt sighs, irritated. “And there’s a lot of work to do and some chaos, like always at the beginning.”

Jaskier chuckles. “This will have to suffice for now, but know this, White Wolf: I will get all your stories out of you.”

Geralt rolls his eyes and asks, “How are you?”

There’s that smile again.

Week 3

“How are you?”

Jaskier’s grin is blinding as he answers, “Honestly, Geralt, you’re just so sweet.”

Geralt grunts. Jaskier has to be mentally challenged in some way, to think that the basic human decency which Geralt displays is some kind of special gesture. (Or have had unpleasant experiences with past relationships but that doesn't seem right. Who would treat Jaskier like that?)

He only asks Jaskier about how he’s doing the first moment he can. It’s not much but Jaskier appears to think it is. Geralt’s not going to correct him, not when it makes Jaskier smile like that.

Week 4

“I wrote you a song.”

Geralt doesn’t know what to say to that.

“I’ll send you the recording, just tell me what you think.”

He only nods. As he listens to the song after they hang up, he can’t find any words to describe it. The beautiful lyrics tell a story of lovers camping in a forest, and Jaskier’s voice conveys so many emotions that Geralt’s chest aches.

Before the knows it, he listens to the song every evening, then it keeps replaying in his mind at all times. Jaskier’s voice is there with him, luring him towards thoughts that he shouldn’t entertain, and it all affects him in a way he struggles to express.

Week 5

“Thank you, siren.”

It’s the only words he’s found. Somehow, they seem to be enough for Jaskier.

Week 6

Jaskier is leaving on tour tomorrow, his first international one. He has a lot to say, but not necessarily on that topic.

“It turns out my agent and your ex-wife are friends from uni. I hate it, Geralt. I don’t want them to get along. I have a feeling I’m gonna have little say in my own life from now on.”

Geralt acknowledges Jaskier’s despair with a grunt that is barely noticed because Jaskier chatters on, “The only thing I’d hate more would be you knowing Triss too.”

Geralt frowns. There’s only one Triss he knows. “Triss Merigold?”

There’s a stunned pause and then, “What the fuck, Geralt –”

Week 7

Jaskier is in Europe now and Geralt is somewhere on the Atlantic but he can’t say anything else. Jaskier seems tired but Geralt finds out that it doesn’t make him any less talkative.

“I’m still not over the fact that you were right there the whole time –”

“Jaskier –”

“ – just two introductions away!” A huff. “Hey Jaskier,” he pitches his voice high, imitating how a woman would sound rather well, “do you know my friend Yennefer? Oh, and here’s her ex-husband, who’s gonna ruin you for other men, women, and everyone in between and outside of that spectrum.”

Geralt snorts.

“I could’ve had you for so much longer,” Jaskier laments, “But actually, I wouldn’t have, because it seems I’d have had no idea about your existence at all if not for Lambert? Those two introductions were possible for five goddamn years that Triss has been my agent but apparently, that’s not enough time for it to happen –”

“Jaskier,” Geralt sighs. He needs some sleep and rest. He misses home, already.

“Yes, dear?” Jaskier asks.

Geralt does want to tell him to shut up but Jaskier’s eyes are too distracting, so what comes out of his mouth is, “Sing something.”

Jaskier obliges with the brightest of smiles.

Week 8

“We can’t –”

“I know,” Jaskier replies, “but that’s the thrill of it, don’t you think, darling?”

Geralt clenches his jaw, breathing heavily. The temptation is so strong he almost trembles, like a bloody teenager. Memories don’t work in his favour now – he still remembers Jaskier’s scent, how his skin, mouth and cum tastes. It sets his nerves on fire, and it takes every ounce of his self-control not to start palming himself through his trousers as Jaskier keeps talking in that damned husky voice.

“You know... your moans are the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.”

He bites down at his lip, hard.

“Moan for me, Geralt.”

Geralt does.

Week 9

It’s been more than two months and gloomy silence hangs between them as they stare at each other through the screen.

“Tell me something funny,” Jaskier says.

Geralt searches for any memory of the kind in his mind. When he finally finds it, he launches into the story, “There was that time when me, Eskel and Lambert went out and got so drunk that we blacked out. Next thing we know, we’re in some stranger’s flat, and Lambert’s wearing actual handcuffs, his hand tied to the guy’s ankle.”

“What?!”

“Yeah. We couldn’t find the keys to uncuff them anywhere and we couldn’t pick the lock either. Me and Eskel had to get clippers to set them free. We still have no idea how we got there.”

Jaskier starts chortling.

“That’s how Lambert met his boyfriend Aiden. They’ve been together for seven years now.”

Jaskier keeps cackling. When Geralt realises that listening to that – probably the most inelegant sound he’s ever heard in his life – warms him to his very core because it’s Jaskier’s laugh, there’s only one thought on his mind.

Fuck.

Week 10

“Another song?”

“Yes,” Jaskier admits, looking almost embarrassed, “I hope you like it.”

“Hmm.”

He knows he will. When he listens to the recording, he quickly finds out he wasn’t wrong. The song is more lively and dramatic than the first one, expressing the wonder of watching your lover move, and it feels like a promise. It makes Geralt look beyond the sea.

Week 11

“Thank you for the song, siren.”

Jaskier sighs in a love-sick way. “I wish I could kiss you right now. Have got the slightest idea what I’d do to you?”

Geralt smirks. “Why don’t you tell me?”

Jaskier moans and goes on to describe his fantasy in vivid detail.

Week 12

Geralt toys with the gold wolf signet as he waits for Jaskier’s call and tries not to drown in grim thoughts.

Being away from his family starts getting hard. The worst period of deployment begins – he hasn’t been away from home long enough to forget but just enough to miss his loved ones terribly and not be able to get over it. The very second his thoughts wander away from work at hand, he remembers Ciri’s laugh, Yen’s smile, his brother’s embraces and father’s gruffness.

Then there’s Jaskier, with his bloody bright smiles, charm, quick wit and endearing... everything. He makes it so much harder.

They should’ve just parted ways, Geralt muses. They shouldn’t have exchanged their “engagement rings” for safekeeping to give them back to each other after Geralt returns like it’s some ridiculous romance novel.

Jaskier’s ridiculous like that, though, and Geralt’s still hasn’t learnt to say no to him.

When Jaskier greets him cheerfully and asks him about how he’s doing, a smile tugs at Geralt’s lips as he answers, “Better now.”

Part 2

***

A/N: you can also read this on AO3.

The first song that Jaskier writes is in Icelandic IRL (and it’s so goddamn beautiful) but even the English lyrics are just so stunning, I can 100% imagine Jaskier singing that: This night is ours, spring in the forrest air Let’s pitch our tent among the berries over there. Lead me, my dearest, to the grove of yesterday Where the brook kindly whispers and the birches sway. Light locks in motion, lingering emotion A rose scented breeze from the Fae Dew drops glitter, the dale is quiet and fair Dreams coming true for lovers sleeping there Heather blushing in the evening sun’s last ray The cool quiet night comes after a perfect day Light locks in motion, lingering emotion A rose scented breeze from the Fae

#myfic #geraskier #geralt x jaskier #the witcher fanfiction #the Sailor and the Singer AU #mildly nsft

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creampuffqueen · 5 years ago

Text

Deep in the Heart of Texas - One

a/n: So, because I have zero self control, I went and wrote the first chapter of the ToG southern AU I was talking about. I did this instead of doing online school, so I’d appreciate some feedback! I’ll probably continue this, but you know, support is nice. I think it’s also important to note that Aelin would absolutely rock a southern accent. So would Aedion. It would be so hot. Just... imagine it.

Summary: Aelin Galathynius is ready for the best summer of her life. She’s home from college for the summer, and so are all of her friends. Even her cousin is on a break from the military. Everything is set up to be perfect. Until... her mother decides to let the son of an old family friend stay with them while he grieves the loss of a loved one. And Aelin is not going to let a party pooper ruin her summer.

Rowan Whitethorn has just suffered the biggest loss of his life: the death of his long-time girlfriend, Lyria. His family is sick of him moping around his tiny New York apartment, so they ship him down south for the summer. The last thing Rowan wants is to spend his vacation in Nowhereville, Texas, but he has little choice. Not to mention, the only people his age seem to hate him. How on earth is he going to survive 3 months of this?

Aelin Ashryver Galathynius is living the high life. She’s sitting in a chair outside in her backyard, beer in one hand, barbeque in the other. Her dog, Fleetfoot, is perched at her feet, just waiting for some scraps.

“So, little cuz,” Aedion says, sitting beside her. He reaches over to grab one of the ribs from her plate, but Aelin quickly slaps him away. “How was your junior year at A&M?”

“Pretty good.” Aelin concedes. She finishes off the rib she was eating and passes the bone to Fleetfoot, who immediately jumps to gnaw on it.

“How about you two?” Aedion addresses Aelin’s best friends and roommates, Lysandra and Elide.

“At least you two only have one more year.” Lysandra groans. “Next year I have to focus on getting into vet school.”

“You’ll make it, Lys.” Aelin assures her. “You’re the smartest person I know.”

“I still have to get into medical school.” Yrene sighs from her own seat. “And Nehemia, you’ve got to get into law school.” Their other friend nods and rolls her eyes.

“And this is why I’m just getting a business degree.” Aelin chuckles. “Four years and I’m out.”

It’s so good to see her friends again. They’ve known each other since high school, but only Lys and Elide stayed back home in Texas for school. Nehemia got accepted into Harvard, which they all saw coming. Yrene managed to get herself all the way up to Washington State. As for Ansel and Nesryn, they moved out too, scholarships taking them far, far away.

Aelin missed her friends. It’s so good to have them back. And Aedion, too. By some miracle or another, he’s managed to have a break over the summer. His next deployment isn’t until September.

When Aelin pulls herself from her thoughts, her plate of ribs is noticeably smaller. And her cousin has the tell-tale stain of barbeque sauce on his chin.

“You prick.” Aelin sighs.

“You weren’t eating them!” Aedion laughs. “I’m not letting good barbeque go to waste.”

Aelin, being the mature adult she is, just sticks her tongue out at her cousin until he laughs so hard he chokes. She stands up and takes her plate, smacking him on the back as she does. Aedion just glares.

“I need more food. Any of y’all coming with?” Nehemia and Yrene take their plates and follow Aelin up to the long table where the food is being served.

Aelin’s parents are sitting in camp chairs nearby, laughing. Evalin has a margarita in hand, while Rhoe’s got a beer. When they approach, suddenly all three girls find themselves pulled into a conversation.

“Are y’all having fun?” Evalin asks, smiling.

“Definitely.” Nehemia laughs, ever the polite one. “Thank you so much for inviting us, Mrs. Galathynius.”

“Oh, of course.” Evalin gushes. “I couldn’t just throw a welcome home party for my daughter without inviting all her friends, now could I?”

Aelin attempts to shrug off her mother, but it’s no use. Evalin Galathynius has perfected her Southern charm, and of course Nehemia and Yrene are defenseless against it.

So her friends and mother chat, about life, college, relationships. Evalin even gets Yrene to confess she’s been keeping a long-distance boyfriend, and Aelin is pissed that her friend didn’t tell her first.

But she gets more food; barbeque, mostly, but she heaps some beans and a roll on as well.

“Save some room for banana pudding!” Her mother warns.

“Mom, I will always have room for banana pudding.” Aelin grins. Finally realizing that they don’t have any food on their plate, Nehemia and Yrene pull themselves away and pile their plates high.

By the time they get back to their group of chairs, Aedion has managed to down two whole beers. Ansel and Lysandra are arguing, (or flirting, Aelin can never tell), and Elide is scratching Fleetfoot’s ears as the dog chews on another rib bone.

“Mom’s bringing out the desserts soon.” Aelin alerts her friends. Lys perks up at her words, glancing back towards the house, where all the food is.

“Please tell me she made banana pudding.” Elide groans. “I haven’t eaten it in like, years. Your mom always made the best.”

“Okay, but your mom makes really good butter cake.” Aelin laughs. “I mean, it’s got enough fat to give you diabetes with one slice, but that’s a problem for another day.”

“Mom didn’t make any for the party, though.” Elide pouts.

Before Aelin can respond, three kids crash into their circle, laughing wildly. It’s Evangeline, Lysandra’s little sister, along with Hollin and Terrin, the younger brothers of Dorian and Chaol. Who, for the record, Aelin didn’t know were invited.

“Sorry!” Evie chirps. She stands up again and runs off, the younger boys chasing after her. Fleetfoot, done with her bone, jumps up and dashes after them with a bark.

Lys just rolls her eyes. “Kids.”

Beside her, Nesryn nods in agreement. “Kids.” Aelin spots Nesryn’s older sister, Delara, with the rest of her very large family. Delara has a baby on her hip, while the other three helions run circles around their mother’s feet. Nesryn’s younger cousins soon join in, creating a whirlwind of small children. Aelin has to look away; they’re making her dizzy.

This time Nehemia joins in, a huff of laughter on her lips. “Kids.” She points to her two little brothers, antagonizing Rhoe Galathynius by the house, likely begging for dessert to come out sooner.

“Well, as nice as this is, I don’t have any siblings, so I cannot relate. Sorry to burst your bubble.” Aelin’s comment gets a laugh from all around their circle, and soon everyone is back to eating food.

“Look! The pudding’s out!” Aedion shouts, and all the college-aged kids drop everything and sprint to the house, shoving each other out of the way. Nobody is getting between Aelin and her banana pudding.

“Hey! Slow your roll!” Evalin scolds. “There’s enough pudding for everyone. As long as you only take a small scoop. Aedion, I’m talking to you.” She fixes her nephew with a stare, and Aedion winces.

“Yes ma’am.” They all chorus. Satisfied with their manners, Evalin serves them all dessert.

She’s in the middle of scooping out Aelin’s portion when Rhoe appears, holding her phone. “Honey, someone’s calling.”

“I know how to use a phone, Rhoe.” Evalin sighs. She scoops Aelin a little bit more pudding and then takes her phone, letting her husband go on dessert-serving duty.

Aelin links arms with Elide, the two of them grinning madly before plopping down right there, next to the dessert, digging in with their spoons.

The rest of their friends are soon to follow, and Aelin doesn’t miss how Lysandra chooses to sit a little bit closer to Aedion than is probably socially acceptable.

She chooses to ignore it, however, and instead focuses on interrogating Yrene.

“How long have you had a secret boyfriend for?” She demands.

“When I came home for Christmas.” Yrene laughs. “We went to the Havilliards’ party and I met him there.

The Havilliards, some of the most prominent people in their little cluster of small towns, have a reputation to battle even the Galathyniuses. And the Ytgers, for that matter. Their parties attract attention from all over, which was how Aelin’s friend group met each other.

Aelin and Elide had grown up practically as sisters, though Elide lived one school district over, in the neighboring town of Perranth. Orynth was the largest city in their area of South Texas, holding a whopping 10,000 people.

That was whopping to Aelin, at least. Elide’s town, Perranth, had around 8,000, with Rifthold nearby being 9,000. All the other towns that their friends lived in had even less than that, the smallest being Caraverre, Lysandra’s town, with barely 1,000 people.

The Havilliards, being the socialites of tiny Rifthold, have parties all the damn time. They even let their eldest son, Dorian, host wild gatherings of drunken teenagers.

Aelin and Elide, barely seventeen, had managed to sneak into one of these elusive parties. They’d met Lys, Nesryn, Ansel, Nehemia, and Yrene, although the last girl was only there because her friends dragged her there and then abandoned her. Some friends, they were.

“Okay, that doesn’t give us any clue as to who he is.” Lys points out, pointing her spoon at Yrene. “Everyone and their cousin goes to the Havilliards’ parties.”

“Chaol Westfall.” Yrene giggles. Aelin nearly spits out her banana pudding.

“Him?!” She yelps. Yrene’s laughter turns hysterical.

“Yes! Chaol Westfall is my boyfriend.”

“He’s here, though.” Ansel adds. “Why aren’t you over there with him?”

“Because I missed y’all.” Yrene says. “I haven’t seen y’all since summer last year. None of you came home for Christmas.”

“Too busy.” Aelin, Elide, and Lysandra say in unison. Yrene rolls her eyes.

Other people come for dessert, and Aelin scoots away as one of Nesryn’s nieces tries to peek over her shoulder. Delara scolds her and drags her away, and the whole group bursts into laughter.

Aelin looks up, seeing her father still serving. That’s strange, where is Evalin?

She sees her mother, standing on the porch of the house, hand over her mouth. Something’s wrong. Evalin’s porcelain face is ashen, the color drained from her cheeks. Aelin thinks she can see tears.

Before anyone can ask what she’s looking at, Aelin’s jumping up and rushing to her mother, bounding up the steps two at a time. She nearly crashes into her uncle’s rocking chair, but stops at the last second. Evalin hardly looks up.

“Of course. Of course he can stay here. For as long as he needs. Yes, please, send him my love. I’m so sorry.” Aelin catches Evalin’s eye, who holds up a finger, gesturing for her to wait.

When she finally hangs up, she just lets out a long sigh, putting the phone on the porch railing.

“Do you remember the Whitethorns, Aelin?”

The question catches her off guard, but Aelin nods, anyway. “I do. Sellene and Enda, mostly. And… there was another one, right?”

Evalin just hangs her head. “Yes. Rowan, that’s the other one. Poor boy, his girlfriend just died in a car accident.”

Now it’s Aelin’s turn to put her hands to her mouth. “Oh Lord.” She hardly remembers the Whitethorns, just that she met them a few times when she was young. She remembers that Enda and Sellene were nice and would play with her, while Rowan hung back, always saying mean things to her. She remembers Aedion beating him up one time, too.

Still, just because he was rude to five-year-old Aelin doesn’t mean he deserved this tragedy.

“If you call Mrs. Whitethorn again, please tell her I’m so sorry for their loss.” Poor Rowan.

“Well, here’s the thing, Aelin.” At Evalin’s tone of voice, Aelin knows she’s about to say something she won’t like. “Mrs. Whitethorn is very worried for him. They’re so busy up there, you know, they don’t always have time to check in on him. So… she asked if we would let Rowan stay down here for a bit.”

“Mama!” Aelin sighs. “I feel bad for the guy, but that doesn’t mean he has to come and live with us! All of my friends are down here! I don’t want him ruining my summer vacation.”

“Don’t you start sassin’ me, young lady.” Evalin snaps, her accent coming out in full force. “How can you be so heartless? Rowan is grieving.”

Aelin feels like a kid again, getting sent to her room for giving her mother attitude. So she relents before she gets embarrassed in front of the entire town of Orynth. And then some.

But she’s in a pissy mood, now. Of course she feels bad for him, but not that bad. Not bad enough to let him stay in her house over the summer. For all she knows, Aedion could be deployed all next summer. Lysandra might not be able to come home, being to busy getting ready for vet school. This could very well be their last summer together.

And Aelin Galathynius will not let Rowan Whitethorn ruin her summer.

~~~~

Rowan Whitethorn steps out of the Uber, taking in the sight of the small town. He’s flown into Houston, Texas from Doranelle, New York, and it’s cost him a stupid amount of money to get a car to take him all the way down here. They don’t even have taxis in this god-forsaken state.

Though, to be fair, it’s partially his own fault. His flight had gotten moved up, and he’d forgotten to text Evalin Galathynius the new time after she insisted she’d pick him up from the airport.

As the Uber pulls away, Rowan takes a long minute to glance around. He’d seen the sign as they’d driven in, had nearly felt his eyes bulge out of his head when he saw ‘Population: 10,000’.

He fingers the strap of his backpack, taking in the scenery. He’s in what must be a public park, but why anyone is outside is beyond him. It is so fucking hot outside.

However, the park is full. A pair of mothers with strollers, chatting as they walk along the park trail. Kids play on a playground in the distance. And a couple, seated at one of the picnic tables, have their hands clasped.

Rowan looks away at that.

There wasn’t any place he could go, or that his parents could ship him off to, where he could just forget about Lyria. She’d been the love of his life. When he had a bit more money saved up he was going to ask her to marry him. He wanted to start a family with her.

And it seems like she haunts him, because no matter where he looks there is something that reminds him of her.

Rowan sighs deeply, starting to walk. He needs to be away from this place, with so many… people. And he needs to get inside somewhere, away from the oppressive heat. How anybody manages to live in this weather is beyond him, being born and raised in New York.

He observes the town as he walks, taking in the architecture, the style. It looks fairly modern, save for the houses. The houses all look like miniature versions of that house from Gone with the Wind. The movie, of course. He didn’t bother to pick up the book.

This tiny town seems as if it’s been permanently frozen in time… in the Civil War era.

Rowan goes back to walking, searching for a store or something where he can step inside for a minute, pull out his phone, and turn on Google Maps. However, as he approaches the little chain of shops, he’s stopped by a slightly older woman.

“Are you visiting someone, dear?” She asks, smiling broadly.

“Uh, yeah.” He replies awkwardly. Why is she talking to him? Back in New York, it’s pretty much every man for himself. You find your own way or you don’t. Nobody ever offers help.

“Where are you headed?” She’s still smiling, and that puts Rowan on edge.

“Um, I’m looking for… Evalin Galathynius? Do you know her?”

The woman’s face lights up. “Oh, yes, I know her. You’re gonna want to walk down that street right there, then take a left at the blue house, keep going until you reach the small park, then-”

Rowan doesn’t know what to say. Her instructions drone on, and he just can’t pay attention that long. He’ll just take out his phone when the lady leaves.

“You got all that, sweetie?” Rowan jolts back to the present.

“Yeah, thanks.” She smiles, and keeps walking. Rowan lets out a sigh, and pulls out his phone, plugging in the address to Google Maps.

Fifteen minutes of walking. Rowan looks up, at the sun beating down on him. This is going to suck, isn’t it?

~~~~

Rowan holds a scowl as he finally makes it to the Galathynius house. Carrying both a backpack and dragging along a suitcase in the sweltering Texas heat is not doing good things for him.

He’d also gotten lost multiple times, even with the help of Google Maps, meaning he’d nearly doubled his walking time. All he wants to do now is to go inside somewhere they have some goddamn air conditioning.

Rowan drags his suitcase up the porch steps, nearly panting. He’d sweated through his shirt, which had only added to the awful heat.

There isn’t a doorbell; or not one he can see, anyway, so he knocks on the front door, hard.

He hears a muffled “I’ll get it!” before the door swings open to reveal a young woman, golden hair tied up in a messy bun.

Her expression turns suddenly sour as she takes him in, her turquoise eyes glaring. “Are you Rowan?”

“Yeah.” He says. “Sorry I didn’t let you know, but my flight got pushed up.”

“That’s what I thought. You weren't supposed to get here until this evening.” She sighs and opens the door. “Come inside.”

Rowan does so gladly, smiling as the cool air kissed his sticky skin. “Is your mom home? You look too young to be Mrs. Galathynius.”

“My name is Aelin.” She says. She doesn’t offer her hand to shake, just keeps walking further inside. “Do you want me to show you your room?”

“Sure.” Rowan follows Aelin through the house, marvelling at how… large it is. And, he’d noticed as he’d approached, it was on a massive piece of land, as well.

Aelin walks quickly through the house, pointing out a few things like the kitchen, dining room, living room. They come upon a large staircase, and she bounds up them. Rowan sighs and goes to dragging his suitcase upstairs.

Aelin even has the audacity to look annoyed at him for being so slow. Rowan resists the urge to snap at her. He’s exhausted, and just wants to lay down somewhere and sleep.

Aelin leads him down a long hallway, and points to one of the doors. “That’s your room. And the bathroom’s right there.” She gestures to another door across the hall. “All the other rooms are occupied right now, so no snooping.”

Rowan doesn’t answer, just nods. Stepping inside the room, he can’t help but notice how big it is. Just like this entire house, it’s giant. He’s got a four-poster bed, plush carpet on the floor, a dresser, and a closet. It’s more luxurious than anything he’s ever had.

He doesn’t bother to unload his stuff. Sleep is pulling at him, making his eyes heavy. So he quickly pulls off his sweaty shirt and collapses on the bed, sinking into the mattress.

He’s gone quickly, but right before he falls asleep, one last thought materializes in his head.

Lyria would have loved it here.

#throne of glass #tog #sarah j maas #rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #aedion ashryver #lysandra ennar #elide lochan #yrene towers #nehemia ytger #ansel of briarcliff #nesryn faliq #galathynius family #chaol westfall #dorian havilliard #tog southern au

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jos-corner-of-the-world · 5 years ago

Text

Homecoming - 1

"Everyone is going to be out of the office today greeting soldiers home. You can write that letter today." Hyungwon told her as he came into her office.

"Yes sir." Cora responded immediately.

"Don't rush yourself. Just take your time and write naturally. You're an amazing conversationalist and sometimes it's easier with writing."

Cora nodded her head, waiting for Hyungwon to tell her he's disappointed she's not going today.

"I'm not disappointed." He said, reading her face clearly.

"What?" She asked, looking up at him.

"I can see it all over your face. You're waiting for me to yell at you or be disappointed you're not coming. I understand why you can't. There will always be more, so take all the time you need."

Cora exhaled a deep breath when her boss left.

He said he wasn't mad, he said he wasn't disappointed...but Cora wasn't sure if that was a lie or not.

Not wanting to think about it any further, she got out her stationary and set out writing her letter. She didn't have more than a name, but that was enough for her.

-----

"Private Lee, you got mail!" Jooheon heard his Sargent yell toward his tent.

"Sir, I've not gotten mail the whole time I've been here. It's not for me." Jooheon said as he came out of the tent.

"Unless there another Lee Jooheon stationed in your tent, this is definitely for you."

Jooheon's heart rate picked up as he quickly made his way over to his Sargent's outstretched hand.

He took the thin envelope and inspected it carefully.

"Thanks Shownu." Jooheon said quietly.

Shownu went rigid, his body wanting to correct the man, tell him he should always be addressed as Sargent, but he stopped himself. He knew this was big for Jooheon.

"You're welcome."

Jooheon didn't go back to his tent. He went to the little clearing between his tent and the mess hall and sat on his favorite rock.

With shaky hands, he opened the letter.

April 23rd

Lee Jooheon,

Jooheon. Private Lee...what is the proper way to greet a soldier? I'm still unsure. Please correct any error that I make in addressing you, I'd hate to offend you upon first impression.

Jooheon didn't know who had written him this letter, but he could only smile through watery eyes.

My name is Cora and I work for a non profit organization called Homecoming. We help soldiers transition back into civilian life after deployments as well as while on deployments. You had stated upon enlistment that you have no familial ties or anyone to help care for you while you are away. That's where I come in.

I'm here to be your tie to the outside world, should you want that. This is by no means something you're obligated to do, but I'm here should you need anything.

I can be a friend, a confidant, a sender of items. Whatever you need.

I mean, I don't have the money or means to send you a new car, but I think you get it.

Should you not want or need anything, please disregard this letter. I don't want to be a burden on your already hectic life.

I don't really know how to talk about myself, but I've been told basic information is a good way to start.

As I mentioned, my name is Cora. I'm 25 and I am working on my undergrad degree in writing. It takes a while because I'm doing it part time online, but I enjoy it a lot.

I have a brother named Changkyun. He's younger than me and obnoxious most days, but he's my rock. He's been there for me through… Everything I've ever gone through.

My best friend is Naomi. She's beautiful and elegant. She's a therapist and the smartest person I've ever met in my life. We could not be more polar opposite if we tried.

Honestly, that's really it. I don't keep many people close, but the ones I have make up for it tenfold. They're amazing people and I'm lucky to have them in my life.

Please let me know if there's anything you want or need and I'll be sure to get it to you as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Cora

P.S. Oh! I have a cat named Toast. I thought that'd be worth mentioning.

Jooheon couldn't stop smiling, even if he wanted to.

He read the letter and then reread so many times he'd lost count.

He walked back to his tent, letter folded neatly in his pocket.

"You've been gone a long time." His bunkmate commented.

"Yeah, sorry. I…I got a letter."

"Wait! Seriously? From who?" Kihyun asked.

"Her name is Cora. She works for a place called Homecoming. Said she'd be my tie to the outside world."

"Are you going to write her back?" Kihyun asked.

"Absolutely. I can only live through you and Minhyuk so much. It'll be nice to have someone else to talk to."

"That's awesome. I'm happy for you."

Jooheon smiled at his friend before going to his bed and getting out his paper.

"Not wasting any time are you?" Kihyun laughed.

"Not even a second"

------

Cora was sitting in her office a couple weeks later, worrying she'd offended Jooheon. He'd yet to write back, so she assumed she'd be getting nothing from him.

"Cora, what's up?" Naomi asked her.

Naomi was in having lunch with her.

"Just worried. What if he doesn't write back?" Cora asked.

"You told me you gave him the option not to." Naomi pointed out.

"I did, but I guess I expected something back. I'm an idiot"

"No you're not. If he doesn't write back, that's okay too ya know. Doesn't mean you did anything wrong."

"I know...I mean I think I know."

"Listen, just focus on the right now and don't worry about anything else."

"I know I know...if it doesn't matter in a year, it doesn't matter now. The therapist is coming out in you." Cora laughed.

"I can't help it." Naomi shrugged.

"I better get back, I have a client coming in right after lunch. Call me so we can get dinner tonight." Naomi said, gathering up her stuff.

"I wouldn't forget. It's Friday night."

Every Friday for the last six years has been spent at dinner with Naomi. In the last six years they'd only missed a hand full of dinners, and they were extreme cases.

-----

Cora was finalizing a list of items needed for the newly returned when her coworker Jason stepped into her office.

She tensed up immediately.

"Got big plans tonight?" He asked casually.

"Dinner." Cora answered.

"You're never free. Maybe I can take you out to dinner tomorrow?" He asked.

"No thank you." She responded, remembering Naomi's words. She needed to tell Jason no on his advances and not skirt around them.

"What? Why not?" He asked, clearly offended.

"I don't want to." She said honestly. Her voice was quiet and she could feel herself shaking slightly.

"Well that's rude. What'd I ever do to you?"

The further in to her office he walked, the more tense she become. Every muscle in her body was telling her to run.

"Please leave my office." Cora finally said.

"What the fuck? Why are you kicking me out? I just want to take you out."

"And I'm assuming she said no. And ya know, that's definitive and needs no explanation. No means no...no matter what the situation."

Cora looked up to see her brother standing in the doorway.

"Jesus, fine." Jason said, holding his hands up in surrender before leaving her office.

"Fuck that guy." Her brother said as he walked over to his desk.

"What are you doing here?" Cora asked him.

"Came to pick you up. I dropped your car off at the shop earlier to get your brakes changed, remember? The guys already took it home for ya."

"Right, right. I forgot"

"You alright?" Changkyun asked

"I'm fine. Let's take off."

-----

The ride home was quiet, Cora thinking about the exchange in her office a bit ago.

She didn't know how else to tell Jason no and he was starting to freak her out.

"We're here. Have fun with Naomi at Friday Night Dinner." Her brother said, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Always." Cora said, smiling at her brother.

"Oh! Cora" he said, leaning out his open window.

"Hyungwon told me to give you this but that douchebag made me forget."

Changkyun handed her an envelope before waving and driving away.

It was a letter from Jooheon.

Cora stared at for a long moment, wondering if she were imagining things.

She ran into her house before carefully opening the letter.

May 2nd

Cora,

Thank you for your letter. It's much appreciated and very surprising. You can call me whatever you like, but Jooheon is definitely just fine. I get enough people screaming Private Lee at me while here.

It makes me happy to know that places like Homecoming exist. There are many men and women who go through much worse than me, so having help is going to do great things for them. And for me too.

I'd hate to ask for anything, we did just meet. Kind of bummed that new car is off the table though ^_^.

In all seriousness though I could honestly use a good toothbrush. Mine from home didn't last as long as I thought they would and the issued ones here are horrible. If not, please disregard.

Going through school slowly isn't a bad thing. You don't get burned out as fast and you can really get a grasp of what you're learning. I think that's awesome.

I'm not good with talking about myself either, but here we go.

I'm Lee Jooheon. I graduated top of my highschool class, but didn't attend college. I’m also 25. I have no siblings or family, but I have a couple good friends I met over here.

Kihyun is nice, but pretty motherly to be honest. Makes sure I've eaten and get decent sleep. He’s my bunkmate and self proclaimed best friend.

Minhyuk is...something else entirely. He’s hyper and sings too loudly. He’s definitely the mood maker of us. Makes our time go by faster, which is never a bad thing.

The other two people in our pseudo group aren’t really friends, but they’re not not my friends either...does that make sense?

The first one is Shownu. He’s my Sargent. He’s awkward and tough, but one of the best guys you’ll ever meet in your life. If Kihyun is my mom, Shownu is definitely my dad.

Lastly, there’s Wonho. He’s an enigma, that man. He’s tall and buff as hell and looks like he could kill you with the snap of his fingers (and ya know what...he just might be able to) but he’s the softest person I’ve ever met. He gets homesick and cries when watching ASPCA commercials on TV.

Speaking of TV, that might be what I miss the most while stationed here. TV and music.

So... since neither of us are good at talking about ourselves, I’ll ask some questions throughout our letters. You don’t have to answer of course, but it’s a good way to keep conversation going.

What’s your favorite color (cliche...but important!)

Mine would be cyan.

Hope to hear back from you soon.

Sincerely,

Jooheon

P.S. I love cats! What color is Toast? (That is such an awesome name for a cat by the way)

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#jooheon #lee jooheon #monsta x #mx #au #Homecoming #1 #series #fic #scenario #imagine #changkyun #kihyun #hyungwon #wonho #minhyuk #shownu #jos corner of the world

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takadasaiko · 4 years ago

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The Longest One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Hours (a Veronica Mars one shot)

Part of my Spanning Years. Continents. series.

FFN II AO3

Summary: While out on deployment Logan's squad is attacked and Veronica gets a call: he's missing. So starts the clock on the longest week of her life.

The Longest One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Hours

The call came in on the landline at the office and Veronica barely registered the concerned tone as Mac let her know that there was a Commander Eduardo Ruiz who had asked specifically for her. They were close enough to San Diego that it wasn't abnormal to have clients from the base. She just had to make sure that she toed the confidentiality line with her Naval Aviator boyfriend at home. Depending on the situation the lines could cut too close, but sometimes it worked in their favour. There'd been a time or two that Mars Investigation had gained a client because of Logan. Once by direct referral and a second one that had heard about them through the grapevine, as it were. Deployment left their Skype sessions short and sacred, so it was easy to believe that it had simply slipped his mind to tell her that he was sending someone her way.

Except he hadn't.

This wasn't wasn't a call for her services.

Veronica felt her world shift dangerously as Commander Eduardo Ruiz informed her that Lieutenant Logan Echolls' F/A-18 Hornet had been struck by enemy fire while over an undisclosed location. Both he and his Weapons System Officer Dave Riley had successfully ejected. The rescue team had found the remains of the Hornet, but there were signs of a possible struggle on the ground and neither Lieutenant Echolls nor Riley had been found as of yet. She was listed as his next-of-kin and they would let her know as soon as they had an update.

Commander Ruiz's voice was terrifyingly calm and stiff as he spoke, the words rehearsed, possibly even scripted. If he knew Logan or had any attachment to him at all, Veronica had no idea, and he couldn't answer any questions that she rattled off at him. There had certainly been a few. For each one he gave the same answer: the United States Navy was doing everything in their power to recover their two missing officers. He might as well have been saying that he was looking for a needle dropped into some Iraqi desert.

Veronica supposed that Commander Ruiz indicated that he was going to end the call before he actually did, but she found herself sitting at her desk with the phone still pressed to her ear and gaze fixed on nothing in particular in front of her, terror ripping through every vein.

Logan was missing.

He'd been shot down by enemy fire and he was missing in some foreign land that Veronica had no contacts in and no reach to. She could feel that realization - that helplessness - press down so firmly against her that someone might as well have punched her in the gut. She couldn't breathe, and while her mind was going a million miles a second, nothing of any use was making it through.

"Veronica?" Mac asked tentatively and the blonde woman blinked, finally registering that the line was dead in her ear and one of her two best friends was standing at the door to her office, her tone hesitant and her expression worried. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's -" She stopped mid-sentence. She could lie to Mac, tell her everything was fine, but unless they found him in the next five seconds before she visibly cracked it'd be really hard to explain. The thing was she wasn't sure she had it in her to actually tell her the truth either. It was anything but okay, but even though she had heard it, even though the terrible understanding was spinning around in her mind like a record skipping, saying it out loud made it real. Forcing her mind to sort the words from the chaos, formulate sounds that would bubble up to her tongue and escape through her lips made it real. So Veronica found herself stammering with her mouth open, nothing escaping her but a couple of dry, half-attempts at words that she couldn't even decide on, and suddenly her vision blurred.

Somewhere in the distance, almost like down a tunnel, Veronica heard Mac call her name. "Is he….?"

"I don't know," she gasped, feeling strange and hot tears slide down her cheeks without having anything remotely close to permission to be there. "They don't know."

"They don't…. I'm sorry. I'm confused," Mac managed and Veronica heard her circle the desk more than saw it. She blinked hard and it helped a little. "How do they not know?"

"He's missing. He and Riley are missing," she managed, hating how raw and terrified she sounded. "There was a fight and a crash and…."

Veronica looked up and she must have looked like hell from the way that Mac's confusion crumbled into worry. "It's okay. It's going to be okay. Logan's crazy stubborn. They'll find him."

If she believed it in that moment or not was anybody's best guess, but Veronica's usual BS meter was cracked and broken on the floor beneath the weight of the unknown.

"I need answers," Veronica breathed, even as the dial tone sang out from the phone still clutched in her hand laid out on her desk. She couldn't seem to find the will to move to return it to the cradle.

"I don't think we can get those," Mac answered, her voice equally as quiet. "You're the first person they'll call, right?"

Veronica's tear-filled gaze snapped over to her friend and she couldn't bring herself to feel guilty as Mac flinched back at it. "I need answers."

"Okay," Mac whispered, nodding as she spoke. "Okay. Then tell me everything you know and I'll find you everything I can."

--------

Veronica swore that when - not if, when- Logan got home, she'd never let something pesky like national security get in the way of her drilling him for information again. As it stood now, he had told her as much as he said he could. They were in the Middle East - sure, small area. Only a few hot spots. Super easy to find a downed jet in all of that desert. What was the Navy thinking? - and halfway through deployment. Maybe she should start with his squadron. They had been together before Logan had tumbled back into her life - before she'd tumbled back into his? - but he usually talked about them by their call signs.

There was Coma from East Texas with his painfully slow drawl that Logan and the rest of the guys gave him so much shit over, Kasper that made snow look tan, Siesta that could fall asleep anywhere, and ALF - annoying little fuck - that just wouldn't shut up. There were more, but she only knew Riley by his given name, and even that was turning up with nothing except a couple that Mac thought were probably his parents out in the Midwest. Not that they'd have any more information than Veronica had been given. Hence being updated as Logan's next-of-kin.

Mac was a saint for the effort she was putting into the search, given what little Veronica could provide. They were well into the zone, treating it like any other case when Keith had come back into the office. He must have called out to one or both of them at least a couple of times because Veronica didn't look up - jumped might be a more accurate description, but she'd never admit to it - until he knocked on her desk as if he were knocking on a door. "Something come in while I was out?"

It was a blessing in disguise, that focus, and she rattled it off with only a twinge of pain on the outskirts of the words until she realized her father was dead silent. She didn't acknowledge it until he circled her desk and he stooped down to wrap his arms around her. His was a normal reaction, she knew. It was terrible news. Riley's family was probably in tears and utterly unable to do anything other than wait by the phone for any update that the Navy could possibly give them, and while she'd finally managed to put the phone back on the hook at some point so that a call could come through, there she was trying to track down the non-existent trails that would never actually lead to Logan. Still, it was better than sitting idly by. That would drive her insane.

What was it Logan had said back in college? I'm not built to stand on the sidelines. Well, neither was she. She had to do something. Thankfully Keith didn't try to talk her down from the frenzy.

It was late before Veronica finally relented to the truth that they weren't finding anything new on their end that night. Her father tried to convince her to come back to his place so that she wouldn't have to be alone while waiting for the news. She had Pony home, she reminded him, and while she and Logan had paid their pet deposit that they'd never get back, her dad hadn't. No need to bring an oversized puppy that still thought pieces of furniture were his chew toys to his place. Instead, Mac had managed to convince her to let her sleep on the couch. At least Veronica hoped she slept, because she sure didn't. No, that first night she'd gone into the dresser, pulled out one of his favourite t-shirts, and slipped it on to lay with her cheek pressed into his pillow. He'd already been gone for three months. It wasn't like there was any real trace of him there, but if she tried hard enough she could imagine it. And if she turned her back to his side of the bed she could almost pretend that he was laid curled up on his side, breathing softly and steadily. Alive and safe and home.

The next night, after a day of equally useless information that was really none at all, Wallace had pushed his way into the situation and had taken up Mac's exhausted place on her couch.

It was the earliest hours of the morning when Veronica's cell phone started singing next to her bed, dragging her out of the restless sleep filled with worst-case-scenarios playing out in her mind's eye. She didn't even look at the caller ID as she slammed her thumb against the accept button. "Hello?"

Commander Ruiz was on the line again in that same rehearsed tone, but somehow, even with no real reflection in his voice to speak of, the words felt lighter. They'd been found. Both Logan and Riley. They had been transferred to a Naval hospital there in the Middle East. Next steps would depend on the extent of their injuries, but if all went well they would be transferred back stateside rather than moving to a medical ship or a hospital on a European base. While Veronica would have preferred the news to have been closer to Logan's in San Diego right this second, she would take alive and on foreign soil versus the unspeakable alternative without hesitation.

She had assumed it would be Ruiz with another update when the number lit her phone up the next day and Veronica had to stop and check herself at the familiar voice filtered over the bad connection. "Logan?" she breathed, pretty sure she wasn't dreaming.

"Hey." He sounded tired, his voice a little hoarse.

She gripped the phone tighter in her hand. "Are you okay?" They still hadn't given her any details other than that he'd been found and was alive. If he was hurt or how badly, she had no idea.

"More or less. Listen, I can't talk long, but I just…. needed to hear your voice."

Veronica swallowed hard, willing her voice to work. To tell him she needed to hear his too and that she needed him home right then. He didn't give her a chance as he cleared his throat.

"And to ask you not to be pissed."

Okay, that wasn't what she'd expected. "Why would I -?"

"I'm coming home," he said firmly, which only made his statement a moment earlier more confusing. "They were talking about sending me today."

"That's good news, right?"

She heard a sound from the other end of the line. "Yeah. One sec," he called back to someone on his end of the line before speaking directly onto the phone. "Veronica…."

"Still here."

"They wanna send me home, but Riles is gonna take a few more days. We had to eject. He… snapped his leg on the landing. He always hated those jumps."

"Bet he really does now," Veronica breathed, her mind calling up the image of the man that literally had Logan's back in the air. She liked Riley. He was sharp, with a wit that could match Logan's and a quirky and sometimes twisted sense of humour that was apparently born from a need to stand out among ten siblings. From what she could see, he'd also become one of the most loyal people to enter Logan's life after she had left for Stanford. They were close. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I hope so. He's in surgery now and they said it's going to be a long one. I don't wanna be gone when he wakes up, you know?"

"I know." She hated the words as they slipped out, but she knew how selfish it would have been to say anything else. Right then, she wanted to be selfish. She wanted to tell him to get his ass home so that she could hold onto him like she'd never let go.

"Veronica?"

"Yeah?"

"I gotta go."

"Call me when you can?"

"Yeah. Love you."

And then the line was dead, leaving Veronica sitting alone on the couch in their apartment. She squeezed her eyes shut, the last forty-eight hours' roller coaster of emotions washing over her as she tried to steady herself. "Love you too," she whispered into the empty living room.

--------

She spoke to him at least for a couple of minutes a day until he came home, but even hearing his voice on the other end of the line wasn't enough to keep the darker parts of her mind from playing tricks on her. She remembered how it had twisted her around during his first deployment after they had gotten back together, but at least then the dangers had all been theoretical. Sure, he was fighting a war and sure enemy aircraft or ships or what-have-you could take a shot at him and send him spiraling towards the unrelenting ground below. She knew that, and on some days it felt more real than others, but even after hearing his voice and that he'd made it out of this close call mostly intact Veronica needed to see him with her own eyes.

The first time he had come back from deployment it had been on the ship he'd left out on, but this time he and Riley were sent home on a transport plane that was due in late in the afternoon. Veronica had spent the entire day jittery and had driven down to San Diego with hours to spare. Wallace, Mac, and her dad had all offered to help with anything she needed from puppy duty to going with her so that she wouldn't have to wait alone. She'd declined the latter, instead opting to become well acquainted with the accelerator in Logan's BMW. Thankfully the PCH wasn't being heavily patrolled or she would have had to pay a mint for the ticket dealt out.

It felt like forever before Logan arrived safely and securely on the ground. He was on his feet when she saw him, left arm in a sling and bruises darkened under his eye and down along his jawline on the right side of his face. He looked exhausted, but still better than Riley who was stuck in a wheelchair with a cast nearly all the way up his leg. That was gonna suck. Probably already did, if he was due for pain meds anytime soon.

Logan spotted her and Veronica felt a rush of relief at that smile. She took off towards him, having to force herself to stop rather than latch her arms around his neck to hold on tight. He'd finally given her a list of his injuries - the worst being a torn muscle in his shoulder and a concussion - and she didn't want to risk hurting him.

He didn't seem to have the same hold up. Logan covered the last few steps and wrapped his uninjured arm around her, pulling her in more than up and leaned in for a kiss. Veronica's arms slid around his middle, fingers digging into the fabric of his uniform as she pulled him deeper into it. They stayed there in that moment, neither willing to let go of the other even as she heard Riley shout a joke about waiting till they had a room from off to the side. Logan loosed his grip on her and Veronica was pretty sure he shot Riley the bird, only confirmed by the other man's chuckle.

Veronica finally - reluctantly - broke the kiss. "You okay?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yeah. Let's talk when we get home."

She nodded and turned towards Riley. "How ya doin', Riley?"

"I gave as good as I got," the Weapons System Officer promised with a shit-eating grin.

"Oh yes. The ground never saw him coming," Logan answered, a smirk tugging at his lips and one eyebrow quirked up at his friend. "You sure we can't give you a ride?"

"Nah. My folks flew in. Apparently going MIA warrants a flight in from the homeland."

Veronica snorted. "Aren't you from Nebraska?"

He gave a casual shrug and a noncommittal mehbefore he started wheeling himself towards a small group of people that Veronica could only assume were his family if the collection of redheads were anything to go by. He offered a quick wave as he rolled forward. "See you in a couple days."

"Yeah," Logan huffed the response, his voice low enough that Riley probably hadn't even heard it.

Veronica turned back to him, watching the smile leave his eyes first, exhaustion taking its place, and then his thin lips evened out into a straight line. She touched his arm. "Let's go home."

Thankfully it didn't take much to get back to the car and off the base. Logan asked her to keep the top down on the BMW, even if he wasn't the one driving. She glanced over every handful of minutes as they started up the PCH, watching as he slowly relaxed into the seat. His eyes drifted closed, the lines in his face softened a little, and it was everything she could do not to reach out to him. Finally, she lost her battle and her hand slid over of its own volition to his knee. He startled in his place, but only for a moment, and settled back in as he moved his right arm across his body so that it could rest on her hand. Apparently she wasn't the only one craving touch at that moment.

The sun was setting by the time they got home and Veronica and Logan took the stairs up to their apartment slowly. She frowned as she fit the keys into the lock and turned only to find it already unlocked. She pushed the door open and loosed a relieved breath at the sight of her father refilling Pony's food bowl, the leash laid out on the counter. Keith looked as startled as she felt, straightening with a grimace, and turned fully towards them. "Hey. I didn't know what time you two would be here." His gaze drifted past Veronica. "Logan. Good to see you home."

"Good to be home," he answered, his voice quiet and more than a little tired.

"I won't keep you. I brought some Thai over. It's in the fridge if you get hungry."

"You didn't need to do that, Dad," Veronica tried and her father gave a small smile.

"I wanted to. Mac and I'll hold down the fort for the next few days. Take your time. And if you need anything -"

"Pretty sure I know your number," she promised, the corners of her lips tugging up and she wrapped a hug around her dad's neck before letting him slip out their front door, the cane he still leaned on after the car wreck sounding softly as he eased his way down the stairs. Three flights weren't easy for him to climb to drop off food and feed a puppy. He'd wanted to check on them. Not just her, but both of them, and there was something comforting in that knowledge.

Logan loosed a long breath, drawing her attention around as he moved slowly into the apartment. He dropped to a knee to greet Pony with a scratch behind the ears and a few soft words before straightening again. "Thai sounds amazing right about now."

"Don't have that on your ship, do ya?"

"Definitely not."

Or in the desert when you're missing for nearly thirty-six hours.Yeah, that probably wasn't the best way to lead into reminding him that he'd told her they'd talk when they got home. She wanted to. More than anything she wanted to hear every inch of what had happened, but while Logan was a fan of talking about nearly anything, when it came to his own personal traumas he tended to toss out a flippant remark and keep his feelings to himself. He knew her. He knew she was dying to ask, but she knew him too, and he probably hadn't given himself time to even start processing until they were back on US soil. Hence the reason he looked so damn tired.

They ate in silence, Veronica not trusting herself to hold back the questions. She wasn't sure how long had passed as she shoveled mouthful after mouthful of food, glancing over to see that Logan had stopped altogether. His brows were drawn tightly, his lips pulled down at the corners, and his grip on the chopsticks was firm. "I'm sorry," he breathed after a long moment.

"What for?"

"Scaring you. I'm guessing I probably scared you." He finally turned to look at her, those soft brown eyes making it hard to breathe.

"Understatement," she answered softly, "but it wasn't your fault."

"We, uh… We were so focused on the aerial fight that we missed what was happening on the ground. He was on Doc and ALF's tail, Riles and I took the guy out, but there was fire from below. They didn't have to eject, we did." Logan swallowed hard, clearly having trouble trying to get through the story he knew she wanted and Veronica did her best to keep her expression even. She reached out, her hand against his, and he set his chopsticks down to thread his fingers through her own and continue. "We got lucky. I mean, Riles might call bullshit. He's the one with a broken leg, but there weren't too many on the ground where we landed. We got out alive, laid low, and they found us."

There weren't too many on the ground. Right. Okay. Maybe she didn't want to know how he'd busted his shoulder and gotten a concussion. The little he'd told her was a lot to digest, and he'd been doing it by himself for the last week. Well, him and Riley.

"I didn't know about Doc and ALF. I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Those were fun calls."

Right. He was their squad leader. While someone above his head probably made the calls while he was MIA, Logan would have followed up with the families. For all of the responsibilities he skirted as a teenager, he took on even more while serving in the Navy. She'd never gotten the full story on exactly where the change had happened, and maybe it was because real change never happens at a single point in a person's life. She knew that somewhere in his sophomore year at Hearst he had bottomed out and he'd landed in ROTC. He'd met Riley there and Riley had been the one to steer him towards aviation. Logan had said once or twice that Riley had saved his life, and Veronica had always wondered if that wasn't just up in the clouds.

"Part of the job," Logan murmured and squeezed her hand. "Funerals'll be the hardest. That's in a couple of days."

Ah. So that's what Riley has meant. Veronica hadn't thought that they'd demand him back at work quite that quickly. Not while he was on medical leave. At least she'd hoped that they wouldn't. The idea of only having a day or two with him after all of this tied her stomach up in knots.

She pursed her lips together. "I'm selfish," she admitted softly, catching his confused gaze at the seemingly abrupt statement. "I hate that they're gone. I know they meant a lot to you, but…." She closed her eyes, struggling to find the words. She felt like such an asshole voicing them. These were people that he cared about, people that other people cared about. They weren't just names or call signs. They were good guys. Logan respected them, and even prefacing that she felt selfish for saying this didn't make it any better.

"Hey." She opened her eyes to find him looking directly at her. "You're good. You just listened to me. It's your turn."

She reached her free hand up to the side of his face, her fingers curling around bruised skin carefully. "These have been the longest hundred and sixty-eight hours of my life. I thought I'd lost you. Before, every time something split us apart, we could come back from it. Nine years and we came back from it, but…"

The words she'd meant to say got stuck in her throat, a sob choking them down, and Logan leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm here," he promised. "When our plane got hit, when we ejected…. all I could think about was you. About how I couldn't die not having seen you again. Veronica." He waited until she looked at him. "I love you. No matter what happens, it's you. You're the one I'm coming home to, and I'm always going to come home."

She felt the dam break and the tears started to blur her vision. There were so few people she could show anything akin to weakness to, but she saw the same glassy look in Logan's eyes and she leaned forward, her lips pressed against his. She could taste the salt from the tears - hers or his, she couldn't be sure - as he scooted himself off the bar stool. His movements were slow and a little awkward with one arm still firmly secured in the sling, but she followed him back to the bedroom.

One hundred and sixty-eight hours. Seven days. One week.

But tonight she laid curled up against him, her cheek pressed against his chest as his fingers worked their way through her hair. They would face the next challenges when the sun came up. Right then, in that moment, she felt herself finally drifting towards sleep with the steady beat of his heart a reminder that their epic story wasn't over. He was home, he was safe, and he would always come back to her.

#Veronica Mars #Logan Echolls #VMfanfiction #VeronicaMarsFanfic

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