#mel x amara

[megalony]

Nurse Nightingale

This is a new Evan Buckley imagine that I had a little idea for. I hope you will all like it, please let me know what you think.

Any feedback is always appreciated. And I am thinking about doing a follow up or two for this one.

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Evan Buckley Masterlist

Summary: When Evan's leg gets crushed by the fire truck, no one can calm him down or ease his agony. Except one nurse who has a magic touch, and she happens to be the only person Evan will listen to while in hospital.

Enjoy.

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"We're here! Let's get him out!"

"You're gonna be alright. Just keep those eyes open, okay?"

It was too hard for Bobby to try and force a smile onto his face. The only expression he could muster was a twisted look of anguish that made his lips wobble and pull down at the corners and had him close to tears.

He slid his hand down and tried to grip Evan's hand, but it didn't seem to be the right move when Evan clenched Bobby's hand so tight that he cut off his circulation. His nails punctured into the back of Bobby's hand and the Captain could almost feel the agony rolling from Evan through him in large waves that were all consuming and frightening.

And when Bobby dared to look down a the end of the stretcher, he hated the sight he was met with.

Dramatic chunks of flesh that had been hacked apart and looked like a butcher's dream. A gut-wrenching sight where skin and muscle had been split apart and the bone was visible even to the untrained eye. Bobby could see breaks in the bone and splinters of bone pushing out at odd angles. He could see through the gauze that was moulding into Evan's wound from soaking up all the blood that the strap around his thigh couldn't cut off.

It didn't look good.

Both Eddie and Hen had been doing their best to make him comfortable on the ride down here, but it was hard. They couldn't give him any morphine, not when he was going to need X-rays and scans and an emergency operation. Morphine and anaesthetic didn't always mix well and Evan had a bad track history with medications causing severe reactions.

All they could give him was the gas and air tube to breathe through and although it had done nothing to take the edge off, Evan had been breathing it in since the moment they got him in the ambulance. His teeth had punctured through the plastic tube they were going to have to replace.

"Let's get you inside, you're gonna be just fine." Hen's voice was soothing, but Evan couldn't believe her words.

He didn't feel fine.

He didn't feel as if he was going to be fine or make a swift recovery from this.

He felt like he was going to be put under anaesthetic and wake up with one leg. He could feel each piece of tattered skin desperately trying to cling to his leg. He could feel his leg pulsing and aching from where the blood supply had been cut off mid-way down his thigh. Evan felt like his body was on fire, his leg was disconnected and each breath was becoming harder to take.

When Eddie reached across to try and take the gas and air tube from his grip, a deep growl emmited from Evan's lips and he clenched his hand tight around the tube.

He pulled the strange looking tube back to his lips and inhaled three fast, choked breaths. The tubes were always switched and cleaned out after every use, but Evan had a feeling they would have to bin this one. He had chomped down so hard on the tube that he had left puncture indents in the plastic.

"No! It f-fucking kills-"

"Buck, you can have more pain relief once you're inside, I swear. Please, please we have to move you now." Eddie felt horrible when he had to prize Evan's fingers from the gas and air, he felt like he was taking the only air supply Evan had left like it was going to kill him to part with it.

He hated how desperate Evan was for some sort of relief that they couldn't give him and he hated the cry that choked past Evan's lips the moment Eddie managed to toss the tube to the floor so it was out of reach. But once it was out the way, Eddie swiftly kicked his foot out and clipped off the breaks so they could move him.

Bobby leaned down and took Evan's hand once they all climbed down and were on the move. He held Evan's hand high to his chest as Evan started to thrash around on the gurney.

His chest stuttered up and down and repeatedly pushed back to the point the gurney was shaking and about to unlock and lower down. His free hand curled into a fist and slammed into the metal frame harsh enough to split some of the skin around his knuckles.

He was in agony. He needed it to stop.

"No, pl- no… stop! Help!" A horrible sob broke free from Evan's lips when the gurney wheeled over the threshold into the emergency room. He couldn't get his thoughts in order. The one and only thing that was crystal clear in his mind was that he needed someone to make the pain go away. He needed it to stop. He needed help.

Bobby tightened his hand around Evan's and leaned down so he could talk to him better because he knew Evan was now having a hard time concentrating and taking things in. Who wouldn't in his state?

"We're getting you help Buck, the pain won't last much longer."

"I wa- I want-" Evan broke off into an animalistic howl when the gurney jolted over the threshold of reception and towards the cubicles and the shock sent his leg jerking. Shockwaves rattled up and down his spine and both legs shook as if he had been electrocuted.

He lifted his head and shoulders, doing his best to sit up although he wasn't sure what he was doing, he just wanted to move.

He wanted the pain to stop.

Tears flushed down his face and a broken sob left his lips as all the lights started to blur his vision and he could feel everything turning upside down and making him sway until his head flopped back down on the gurney.

Was he dying? Were his last moments going to be spent in the emergency room, holding onto the one person who had seen him through thick and thin during this job? Was his last moments going to be spent in crippling agony, clinging to Bobby's hand as he wished for everything to stop, for things to have gone differently?

Was Evan going to die at such a young age, with no one to leave behind? He had no family of his own. No partner, no children, no significant others to mourn his loss. He hadn't done enough with his life. He hadn't saved enough people, he hadn't made enough of a difference yet. Evan didn't want to die; his life was still unfinished.

Evan let out another sob while the team paused the gurney in the hallway and Eddie moved to flag someone down. This was a dire emergency, they needed a doctor here now and they needed Evan taken to theatre before he lost his leg.

"Trauma room five!"

That was all the team needed to hear and they made quick work of getting Evan into the room where at least three nurses were hovering around like flies. They seemed desperate to get a look at the wound so they knew exactly what they were going to be treating and which specialist they were going to have to call to sort this out.

Eddie hurried backwards, pulling the gurney along with him while Hen was on the other end pushing it forward and Bobby was beside them. Their Captain had changed tactics from holding Evan's hand to pinning his shoulders down to stop him from either trying to get up or rolling off the gurney. Evan's actions were uncoordinated and erratic, they didn't know what was going through his head or what he was trying to do.

Once the gurney was in place, Eddie's hands moved to his hips and he looked around the team, including Chimney who was stood towards the doors filling the nurses in on their situation.

How were they going to get him onto the bed? They couldn't move him from the gurney without giving him another wave of torture.

"Okay Buck, try and help us out here." Hen seemed to be speaking to herself rather than to Evan because he wasn't listening or paying any attention to her.

He didn't seem to realise that the buckle over his waist that had kept him secure on the gurney had now been unclipped. But he realised the moment Hen and Eddie were stood on either side of him and he felt their hands on his waist that they were about to move him.

"Off! Fuck off!"

A round of 'don't touch me' and 'leave me the fuck alone' spluttered past Evan's bloodied lips, causing everyone in the room to pause. He had been stuttering through the simplest of words since they got him in the ambulance, but now he was riled up he wasn't quieting down. And his expletives had been loud and clear.

He never swore. Evan never swore when the occasion called for it. When his parents mistreated him, when patients blamed him or lashed out at him. When someone started a bar fight with him and swung at him, when someone was rude to him and Christopher when they were out. Evan never swore or lashed out, he let people shout and swear at him without lashing back because he was such a laid back and easy-going person.

For him to be hitting them and swearing at them showed just how much agony he was in and how this torture was hacking away at his mind and making him delirious.

His arms thrashed at his sides and he fought off the hands trying to push him back down on the gurney.

They needed him off the gurney and onto the bed, but Evan wasn't making any of this easy. The more Evan thrashed around, the harder he would make it on his leg and the more pain he was going to give himself. Not to mention moving and disrupting his leg could cause damage to the split blood vessels and torn muscles and the bone that was splintered in multiple places.

The nurses hovering around seemed intent on staying out the way. They could see that it would be easier if Evan's own team transferred him onto the bed, he might not fight quite as much and he might be more comfortable with them than with strangers.

But it was going to be a long night if Evan was going to be fighting this much about being moved a few feet. He was being lined up for a portable X-ray, his leg would be assessed, packed and checked for the kind of surgery he would need. He had to be hooked up to monitors and then they would get him on medication.

Hen and Eddie busied themselves carefully twisting Evan onto his right side so they could place a slip sheet beneath him but once he was rolled onto his back again, his hands were moving. He smacked Eddie in the shoulder with a surprising amount of force before he fisted Bobby's shirt in his hands.

"Make. It. Stop."

"Buck, if you want the pain to stop you have to let us move you." Bobby held his arms while Eddie and Hen pulled the sheet on the count of three.

Evan screamed. His voice crumbled and the sound pierced through the air when he was jostled onto the trauma bed and the gurney was shunned out of the way.

The agony short-circuited his mind and had his thoughts tumbling out of order and sent his blood curdling like sour milk. How long had he been like this? How bad was his leg? Was it going to be amputated, or did they have chance of saving it? How much longer was he going to have to suffer like this?

His senses came back to him in one big hit like the truck had collapsed on him all over again when someone tried to touch his leg. And his left leg- the one that wasn't currently split open- automatically jerked and twitched from the pain that radiated throughout his whole nervous system that had been shot to pieces by now.

He did his best to sit up. He didn't want to be laid down because it was making him feel woozy and sick.

He felt a bit better when someone angled the bed up so he wasn't laid flat on his back. He was barely sitting upright and still felt mostly laid down, but it was better than nothing.

His upper lip curled and he huffed when someone started undoing the buttons on his shirt. What were they doing? Why were they stripping him down? His trouser leg had already been cut off near the bottom of his boxers to expose the full extent of his injuries. He gruffed and groaned when he was leant forward and his shirt was pulled off him completely.

But when cold stickers attached to his chest and wires clipped in place, he started to get uncomfy. The ECG machine beeped to life, showing his erratic heartbeat that was far too fast for his own good. And when a blood pressure cuff was slid onto his arm, Evan reeled his arms to his chest and closed his eyes.

The numbers were too high. He was getting more and more unsettled and he was going to crash if this carried on.

He barely felt the lady tapping the back of his hand and inserting a cannula into his vein.

"Help. Help me." His head angled back until he was imbedding the back of his head into the pillow and his elbows jammed down into the bed, arching his chest and back up off the bed.

"…blood thinners now, and get a dose of morphine ready. Get the leg in place for a quick X-ray, and I want the anaesthesiologist in here now."

A bubbling scream erupted from his lips and his body writhed when his right leg was moved. Their touch was tender and slow but Evan felt like his leg was hanging on by a single thread that was about to snap. He didn't like the foam blocks placed on either side of his leg to get a clear X-ray. He didn't like them moving the wires and straps around his fragmented skin to make the shot clearer.

And he hated the small, portable X-ray that was wheeled over his leg and felt like half of his body was stuck in a tanning machine.

All the surrounding bodies stepped back so pictures could be taken and every time his leg was adjusted, his split knuckles bashed into the bedframe and he screamed. Guttural, horrendous sounds vibrated past his lips and spit foamed around his mouth as his pain was amplified into sound.

Maybe it would be better if they just chopped the leg off. He wouldn't be in agony if they simply knocked him out and took it off. He wouldn't have this pain, this suffering, this agonising wait.

Blood and spit foamed past his lips and Acidic tears stained his already bloodshot cheeks as his chest started to shudder up and down against the bed.

He moved his trembling hands to the ECG wires that felt like they had been superglued to his chest. He ripped them off without a second thought and tried to throw them away. He snagged the cannula from his wrist, not caring that even more blood was leaving his body and was going to drain him dry. He had to make the pain stop or he had to die. Those were the only two viable options Evan could comprehend.

"Mr Buckley calm down. You need to let us help you."

"Buck no don't do that. Stop it!" There was an odd sense of authority in Hen's voice but it fell upon deaf ears.

"Kill me!" His words screamed through the air and had everyone wincing and jerking away from him. They weren't going to do that, but they could understand why he was begging them to end it. The pain was overwhelming and he wanted it to stop. They had to help him. They had to do something now.

But when one of the doctors grabbed Evan's wrist and shoulder and tried to pin him to the bed, all Hell broke loose. A deafening roar left Evan's lips, his body jerked up from the bed and he thrust his bloodied hand into the doctor's jaw.

The doctor stumbled back, knocking into the ECG machine before Eddie grabbed him, saving him from a harsh landing on the floor. Both his hands moved to cradle his jaw that had almost clicked out of place and spots danced before his eyes as he leaned into Eddie until his sights and senses came back to him.

He coughed into his hands, anger and resentment in his eyes before he looked around the room.

"Where the Hell is (Y/n)? She can handle trauma patients like him."

It was clear the team wanted to bite back and respond that Evan would be a model patient under any other circumstance. He wasn't naturally like this, these were exceptional circumstances with horrible agonising pain that he couldn't deal with.

But before the team could respond, the doctor was leaving the room with a hand cradling his bruised jaw.

He stormed through the emergency room, peeking into each room and cubicle he passed and he looked towards the nurse's station before his eyes finally set on the one person he knew could handle the trauma that was Mr Buckley.

"(Y/n)!"

Turning on her heels, (Y/n) looked around for the familiar voice of Logan, one of the doctors she didn't have much dealings with since he tended to stay out of the emergency room if he could help it.

When she locked eyes with him, her jaw went slack and she wasn't sure whether to smile or panic. Someone had punched him. He had blood smeared onto his jaw and mouth which was starting to swell and the veins in his neck were popping out in fury.

"Logan, what happened?" She set down the paperwork in her hand and headed towards him, but confusion was swarming her head.

Why was he asking for her? If he was hurt she wasn't exactly the first nurse he would go to.

"Trauma bay five. He's all yours."

A deep sigh left (Y/n)'s lips and her shoulders slacked. Great. She was being handed a patient that Logan clearly couldn't handle. She always got those cases. The drunks, the frightened patients, the ones who needed a psyche exam, they were all the patients who nobody else wanted to deal with and (Y/n) was left to calm them down.

She would admit she had a way with most of the patients, she seemed to have an aura they could associate with and she was a calming presence, but that didn't mean she always had to be the one to look after the patients.

She pointed her finger at Logan as she went to walk past him. "You're lucky I'm free; you owe me."

It was pure luck that she didn't already have a patient to care for, she was free at this moment and her break could be postponed to help a soul in need. But Logan was going to owe her for this. If she needed a shift swap he was going to have to pay up and agree no matter what day it was.

Her hand moved to her temple and she tried to rub away the migraine as she headed to room five. Not that she really needed the room number, the screams and havoc were leaking out into the hall and it was clear which room had the troubled patient.

Bobby dragged his hand through his hair and twisted to look at the doorway while Hen and Eddie moved over to Evan. Hen busied herself holding Evan's hips down to the bed while Eddie grabbed his wrists, bracing one knee on the side of the bed so he could lean over Evan and pin him down as he struggled.

A round of "No!" and "Fuck off!" was spat at them, but neither of them listened.

"This is for your own good, if you want that leg then stop fighting us."

The remaining doctor and nurses looked at the X-ray images, conferring together in the corner of the room about the damage to the bone. They were all in agreement. They could save the leg if the blood vessels could be repaired and the nerves were in tact, and judging by the way his leg jerked and reacted to stimulant, he had a chance.

"Give me your hand for the IV." Hen turned around with a huff and pinned the right side of her chest and hip down into Evan's abdomen to try and keep him still and in place.

She tried to take his hand when Eddie let go of his wrist, but she couldn't get a good grasp when Evan started throwing his arm out at her. He wasn't opposed to elbowing, hitting and punching his colleagues if they were going to continue pinning him to the bed like this.

They were lucky he hadn't been restrained to the bed already for punching a doctor. Bobby was going to have to have a few conversations and do some pleading to make sure the doctor didn't sue or try and cause problems for Evan after this. But the doctor hadn't seemed vengeful, he seemed to understand that Evan was acting out of trauma and the worst agony of his life.

With a deep breath and a new pair of gloves snapped onto her hands, (Y/n) walked into the room. She took a moment to look at the chart and the name of the person she needed to assess and help before she weaved around who she presumed were his colleagues with how frantically concerned they were for him and how they hadn't left his side yet.

"Alright mister Buckley, if you want that surgery you're going to need some help. Will you let me help you?"

(Y/n)'s voice broke through the air and caused the few people around her to step back as if she were a Goddess walking amongst them. Her hands settled on the bedframe and she pushed up on her toes so she was leaning close to the patient. Not enough to overpower or frighten him, but enough so he could see her face and see that she was a helping hand, not someone here to hurt him and cause him further agony.

He finally stopped writhing and lashing out at those trying to keep him stable on the bed and he cracked his eyes open just enough to see (Y/n) through the halo of light that surrounded her.

The meek mumbling of "Help," was all Evan could spit out and it was all (Y/n) needed to smile and rest a hand on his forearm.

He looked worse than she expected. His leg was split apart with torn muscles and ligaments breaking free and a broken bone that had fractured into smaller broken pieces that were going to be Hell to put back together again. He looked like a fragmented puzzle and if all the pieces weren't there, they might not be able to make something else fit in their place.

"Alright then, let's get you back to normal."

Her voice was so soft, so lulling that Evan let his eyes fall closed and he gave in to the shaking in his system. He was vibrating as he writhed and trembled from side to side, but he was a lot less volatile now that he wasn't fighting and hitting at everyone around him.

She could feel how flushed he was as she pressed the back of her gloved hand against his temple, and he smelt of smoke and dirt and burnt rubber. An odd combination for the emergency room.

"Has he had any morphine?" (Y/n) looked up while she carefully took Evan's left hand in hers and started to clean the blood so she could see where the cannula had been before he clearly ripped it free from his vein.

"Not yet."

"No wonder he's fighting you." Her words were quiet because she wasn't chiding anyone, but it was clear he was fighting because of the untold pain he was in. His leg was torn in half and they expected him not to put up a fight when each little movement felt like they were sawing him apart.

She expertly slid the cannula back into his hand and when the nurse opposite her handed over some tape, (Y/n) taped it in place before she laid his hand back down on his chest.

"I won't disrespect you by asking how bad the pain is. Let's assume it's one hundred and give two doses of morphine, how does that sound?"

(Y/n) was as gentle as she could be when she lifted Evan's eyelids and shone a light across his pupils that were already constricted, but they were still adjusting well to light. She wouldn't be so rude as to ask how much pain he was in because it was clear he was at the top of the pain scale. He needed morphine now and then he would need anaesthetic and they could get him to surgery.

"Please." Was the only word Evan could fathom and before he could stop himself, he reached his shaking hand up and clamped it down around (Y/n)'s arm.

She paused briefly, unsure whether he was going to ask for something else or if he was just seeking reassurance or if indeed he might lash out at her and tell her to leave him alone too. But his grip tightened on her arm and he pulled her closer. He wanted help. She was helping him. She was being kind to him. He needed her assistance.

Once the nurse opposite (Y/n) had given Evan two doses of morphine, (Y/n) began to attach the monitoring stickers back to his chest and she kept an eye on his heartbeat.

"How are his nerves?"

(Y/n) couldn't stop herself from smiling when she heard Evan mutter "They're broken," through gritted teeth. So he still had some sense of humour left within him even in his state.

"Oh, I don't think so. Let us check for nerve response, and then we can get you anaesthatised and up to surgery. Okay?"

He nodded but still kept tight hold over (Y/n)'s arm which meant she had to twist and press her left hip into the bed frame so she could look towards his legs.

Her free hand moved down to his leg where the plastic strap was cutting tightly into his thigh to cut off the blood supply and she carefully pressed her hand down to keep his leg firmly in place.

"Try and hold still, I promise this won't take long." She murmured softly and squeezed his arm despite the little movement she had left in her hand that was going numb from his grip on her forearm.

(Y/n) watched carefully, along with the other people crowding into the room as the doctor began testing for nerve responses. He poked a small pin into various nerve points around Evan's leg, avoiding the tattered and broken skin but checking all around.

Each time the needle prodded his skin, Evan's leg twitched and he groaned. Spit froffed at his mouth and his head and shoulders pressed down into the bed, but he tried to steel himself and hold still. When a particular nerve sent his leg jolting, Evan snapped his eyes closed and let go of the nurse's arm in favour of grabbing her hand. He squeezed so tightly he felt her arm jerk and he was sure he had hurt her, but he couldn't find it within himself to let go.

He needed something to ground him, and right now, (Y/n) was that sense of gravity.

"Nerves are still in tact, and blood vessels look like they can be repaired. We have to move quickly. Get the anaesthesiologist in here now."

He needed to go straight to an operating room so they could start patching him up. If they didn't move quickly the blood vessels might not be repairable, hi leg couldn't survive much longer with no blood supply.

"Let's get you settled, hm?" (Y/n)'s voice was so lulling that Evan hummed and agreed but he had no idea what she was talking about.

He kept his eyes closed but he wouldn't let go of her hand, so it had to be the other nurse who got some medicine injected into his IV to settle his heartbeat. And she also prepared something for his blood pressure to get it lowered ready for surgery to take place.

"We can prep you now." (Y/n) ran her free hand up and down his arm from his wrist to his elbow and she squeezed his hand while the doctor asked his colleagues to leave the room.

Each of them leaned over to either squeeze his shoulder or whisper something in his ear, telling him they would be right here when he came out of surgery and that he would be just fine. Exactly what he needed to hear to keep him calm and settled.

He stayed compliant, but he did surprise all of them left in the room by coiling (Y/n)'s arm to his chest. He took deep wheezing breaths as he bound her arm against his bare, burning chest and clutched at her forearm with his free hand.

The anaesthesiologist checked Evan's chart while his leg was shifted and kept in place and the bed was lowered so he was flat on his back again.

"Okay Mr Buckley, once this is in your system, we'll get this mask on you and I'll need you to start counting for me. Don't worry, when you wake up your leg will be as good as new." The newest doctor seemed calm and attentive with a charming smile that Evan couldn't see as his eyes were tightly closed and he was clinging to (Y/n) like she was his lifeline that he couldn't bear to lose.

The doctor fiddled with the medicine trolley and once a large dose was in Evan's system to work with the anaesthesia, he found the mask and got the tank turned on.

Evan whimpered again, trying his best to wriggle and twist away, but he was far more compliant now and he was starting to become drowsy. He couldn't fight them even if he wanted to.

A quiet "Let me," passed (Y/n)'s lips as she took the mask and gently held it over Evan's mouth and nose while the doctor asked him to start counting.

He didn't count like he had been asked, but he tried to mutter something which was as good as.

The shaking started to subside the more anaesthesia he inhaled until he was loosening his grip on (Y/n)'s hand and arm which would no doubt be bruised come morning. He began to drift into a calm, delirious state with the last thing he heard being that nurse's sweet lulling voice flooding his ears.

"You're gonna be okay."

***

Shivers coursed up and down (Y/n)'s skin when she felt a pair of hands clasping around her shoulders, pulling her onto her back foot with some enthusiasm.

Her head twisted to the left and she stepped away from the room he was just about to head into. Amy. One of the other nurses working on ward B today. She was holding onto (Y/n) with a bright smile and before she even spoke, she twisted (Y/n) away from the patient room she was about to enter and turned her to face the nurse's station instead.

"If this is your way of asking for a break, I can't. I have to change the dressings on Mrs Mitchell." (Y/n) pointed to the room she had been trying to enter and she smiled brightly as Amy finally let go of her shoulders.

If she wanted (Y/n) to take a break with her she was going to be let down. (Y/n) had patients to tend to and so did Amy, they would have to wait until lunch to have their next break.

Her arms folded over her chest and she waited while Amy's smile changed to that cheeky look with a glimmer of hope and pleading in her eyes that made (Y/n) narrow her eyes in curiosity.

"Actually, you have another patient who needs you more. Room eight."

For a moment, (Y/n) just stared at her friend who was no longer smiling and was now fully pleading with her for a patient swap. It wasn't as if they all had to care for the same patient every day, they were changed onto different wards and sent to the emergency room or the CT scans, they drifted everywhere in the hospital. But there weren't many times when anyone asked for a swap.

(Y/n) leaned around Amy and looked at the whiteboard on the far wall until she saw whose name was written down for room eight.

"Why?" Her arms folded over her chest and her head angled to one side as she waited for Amy to explain.

It was Mr Buckley in room eight. He wasn't a bad patient, he wasn't a fighter- only that one time two days ago in the emergency room when he was brought in. He didn't shout or swear anymore and he hadn't been rude or offended anyone. He was simply adjusting to a big set back in his life, a fireman with a severely broken leg wasn't going to be a happy patient.

"He's refusing any help, come on (Y/n) please? You got him under control in the emergency room, he might listen to you."

A quiet "Fine," tumbled past (Y/n)'s lips and her arms dropped from her chest as Amy grinned and hugged her.

"Thank you."

She didn't see why he was such a bad patient. He just needed people to be patient with him and talk to him. He needed people to understand where he was coming from and how life changing this was, he was in extreme pain and they were expecting him to be the model patient and not be upset or gruff or angry or rude.

When she entered the room, she quietly closed the door behind her and took a look at the notes. He was going to be signed up for physio next week, as they were expecting him to be in here for a little while before they could think about sending him home.

He hadn't gotten out of bed yet. They would need to get him up and mobile on his crutches because the sooner he was stable on his crutches, the sooner he could start his recovery. The pins in his legs were holding the bone together and as long as he kept his weight mostly on his good leg, he could walk around on crutches without any problems.

"Hi there," (Y/n) spoke softly when she noticed he had finally opened his eyes to see who was here.

He was sat up in bed, his arms folded over his chest and his head tilted to one side like he was about to topple out of bed. His right leg was held up in a sling to make him more comfortable, but he didn't seem too happy about that either.

At least he wasn't glaring or sneering at (Y/n). When he looked at her, his expression stayed mostly blank, but he didn't look unsettled or unhappy and (Y/n) counted that as a win.

"Alright Mr Buckley, are we getting up today?" (Y/n) rounded the bed and stood at his side with her hands on her hips and that same smile that Evan could see when he thought back to the pain that brought him here.

But her smile wasn't enough to lighten Evan's mood.

"No."

He couldn't find it in himself to turn his head away from her, but he adverted his eyes down to look at his hands. He didn't want to get up. He didn't want to fall on the floor or heave himself around or resort to crawling if he couldn't hold his weight up with a bum leg. Staying put and becoming a hermit seemed the easier option. At least until the team or Maddie came to visit and he was forced to sit up or move around.

But he couldn't stop sneaking a few glances at the nurse stood at his side. She was determined, he would give her that, and she didn't seem unhappy. The few times Evan had seen her since he had been here, she had always smiled in such a way that made his stomach turn to mush.

She was kind, she didn't get angry with him when he had shouted and screamed in the emergency room. She didn't tell him to stop or calm down, she didn't diminish the pain he had been in and she had understood his trauma.

Evan wouldn't give the other nurses the time of day. He wouldn't have them trying to drag him out of bed, he wouldn't listen when they told him to stop pouting or when they asked why he was so upset, as if they couldn't see the problem.

"And why not?"

Leaning forward, (Y/n) folded her arms on the plastic bedframe and arched her lower back out while she smiled across at him.

With how desperate he seemed to be to want to leave, she thought he would have been up moving about without help. (Y/n) thought he would be falling over, grabbing a walker, throwing his crutches and doing everything possible to try and get out of this bed and speed up his recovery. She hadn't expected him to be in a slump like this.

"Look at me." A grimace flooded Evan's face as he motioned to his leg.

He hated to look down at his leg and see that horrible plaster cast that went from the middle of his thigh right down to his foot. Only the very upper portion of his thigh and his toes were visible, the rest of his leg was in a cast. He couldn't itch his leg, he couldn't move his knee which was slightly bent to make it easier to move around in this stupid cast.

But when he looked up at (Y/n), he was surprised to see a grin on her face and see how she was biting down on her lower lip.

"I'm looking, and I see a big strong fireman perfectly capable to stand up if he accepts some help. Will you let me help you up please?"

As soon as her words registered in his ears he found himself looking her up and down. He was taller than her, he probably weighed two of her with all the training he had done this last year- training that he couldn't keep up until his leg was healed. He would overpower her if he was unbalanced and he would end up knocking them both to the floor and he could hurt her.

But the way she was smiling at him was making Evan's grimace disappear no matter how desperate he was to keep it plastered across his face.

He could feel his heartbeat increasing the longer she looked at him and he was relieved he was no longer on an ECG or she might have thought there was something wrong with him.

She was looking at him like the world wasn't ending when she knew it was. She knew what Evan did for a living and she must realise that a fireman with a bum leg wasn't going to be able to do his job. How could he do his job if he couldn't run? If he couldn't hurry in an emergency or carry someone on his shoulders or lift a heavy weight that was crushing someone or blocking an exit.

There was so much Evan wouldn't be able to do if his leg didn't gain back the strength he had before. If these pins didn't hold his bone in place and he lost his leg then he would lose everything.

But here was (Y/n), looking at Evan like he was the strongest, most mesmerising person she had ever seen. She looked at him like she couldn't see the cast on his leg and thought he could just get up and walk like he used to. She had faith in him that Evan didn't feel for himself.

"I think we can get you up."

Evan felt like he was turning to jelly and he watched, dumbfounded as she started to help him like this was their routine that they did every day.

His wide eyes focused on her as she carefully eased his cast from the sling elevating it from the bed. She didn't seem put out or weighed down when she manoeuvred his leg down onto the bed.

And Evan couldn't help but gasp when she took his hands. He couldn't stop himself from squeezing her hands even though he had no idea what she was trying to do. His parted lips began to blush while he let her move his hands to her shoulders so she could reach out for his legs and carefully swing them around over the edge of the bed. Now he was sitting up on the side of the bed and (Y/n) had moved herself in between his legs.

If this were a different situation, if he weren't crippled in hospital like this, he might have done something rash. He might have moved his hands from her shoulders to her waist. He might have pulled her closer or tried his luck with kissing her.

His hands squeezed her shoulders while he felt (Y/n)'s hands move to grip his underarms like she was bracing herself to take some of his weight. And he found himself letting out a short breath that almost sounded like a laugh.

"I'll hurt you, I can't lean on you." He shook his head as he looked her up and down and sank his teeth into his lower lip harsh enough to draw a spot of blood.

He didn't want to lean his weight onto her and push her down. Evan was heavy, he knew that and he knew that the height difference wasn't going to do them any favours. Besides, he didn't want to get up. He wanted to sit and wallow in his misery and dwell on how his life was going to change. He didn't like change, whether it was permanent or temporary, and this definitely felt permanent to him.

He almost jumped when he felt (Y/n) squeezing his arms and the way her head tilted to one side and subsequently leaned closer to him made Evan's breath catch in his throat.

"Neither of us are fragile, once you're up we'll get a crutch under your arm. Trust me, you won't hurt me and I won't let you fall."

He trusted her.

He wasn't quite sure why, he hardly knew her and he had more reason to wait for Eddie or Bobby to visit and see if they would help him up rather than depending on a nurse he could potentially hurt. But for some odd reason, Evan felt comfortable with her and he felt like he could trust her enough to save him from a harsh fall, in any aspect of the word.

Evan let go of her shoulder with his right hand to press his palm into the bed, he needed some support to push himself up. But his left hand stayed tight on her shoulder and he inched closer until he was sat on the very edge of the bed.

The contemplation must have been clear on his face because (Y/n) squeezed his arm and coached him. "Weight on your left foot, once we get you up just bend your right leg until only your toes are touching the floor. And don't be afraid to lean on me, that's what I'm here for."

He didn't quite believe that last part, but Evan found himself nodding along as he tried to push forward.

He wouldn't have been able to do this without her holding onto him. She was stood in front of him like a railing preventing him from falling into deep waters. He was leaning on her without realising it, without wanting to and he wobbled to the left until (Y/n) leaned with him and straightened him up.

She kept tight hold of his arms and levelled him out while he scraped his right leg back and pressed his toes into the floor. It was hard to balance on one leg, this was something Evan hadn't done for a long time, not even in training did he try and stand or balance or move on one leg. But having (Y/n) in front of him like a guard rail was really helping; she was keeping him up.

"Are you okay, does your leg feel alright?"

"Stings like a bitch, but that's normal."

For once in what felt like a lifetime, Evan managed a smile that he knew was the first smile since this gut-wrenching accident happened.

He was standing up. Even if he didn't particularly want to be up and moving about and he wanted to be wallowing in his self-pity, he was up now and he was going to start making progress as of now.

"Okay, try and hold still for a second…" Reaching her arm out, (Y/n) balanced Evan with one hand and stretched out to grab one of the crutches propped up beside the bedside table.

A soft "Here we go," passed her lips as she pressed the crutch up under Evan's right arm, but she tilted her head back to stare up at him when he didn't let go of her. He wouldn't look away from her. He was looking at her with those wide eyes and parted lips as soft breaths mingled with hers. She couldn't find the will to say anything, she simply kept hold of him and kept the crutch in place, waiting patiently for Evan to make the next move.

It took Evan at least a minute to unhook his hand from (Y/n)'s shoulder and hold onto the crutch instead.

And once he was leaning on that one crutch, (Y/n) held onto the second one and propped it beneath his other arm, but he seemed very reluctant to let her go this time.

"I've still got you." (Y/n) spoke before she could think better of it and she squeezed both hands on his biceps to show that even if he let go of her, she wasn't going to let go of him. She would wait until he was properly supported on his own feet.

She wasn't going to let him fall.

Evan really didn't want to let go, but he forced his trembling hand to unlatch from her shoulder and hold onto both crutches. It was a lot harder than he thought to stay balanced on one leg. He found himself wavering forwards towards (Y/n) until she slid her hands down and quickly held onto his torso instead.

A quiet laugh left her lips which sounded like music to Evan's ears and he looked down as she squeezed his waist and looked down.

"I think we might need to do some core exercises, but you'll get there."

"Thank you." Evan was starting to feel better already when (Y/n) looked up at him with that beautiful, beaming smile. "You're a real nurse Nightingale, aren't you?"

"I have my moments." When she tilted her head back, (Y/n) found herself lost in those deep blue eyes that captured her full attention. She couldn't seem to look anywhere else and her stomach tightened when Evan continued to smile at her.

She would never have thought such a simple gesture as helping him up would have made him so grateful or that he would be smiling at her like this. She could have gotten lost in those eyes forever and the way they creased and zoomed in on her made her hold her breath in anticipation.

"I'll do those exercises, if you're the one to train me."

[motthe]

OKAY- idk if requesting twice is okay or not- but if you have the time! Can we see more Mel and reader (lumen au or otherwise)? Where reader has what is essentially Amara’s job but more so a bodyguard type? Mel helped them out at one point and now they protect her and help her with whatever she needs! (Like finding a gift for Jayce or Passive aggressively spitting her mother) and she does the same for them with viktor and egotistical higher ups? Basically just them being each others solace, confidant that knows of the others past while helping them get to the future they deserve with Jayce x Mel & Viktor x reader sprinkled in, (first meetings, first signs of affection, etc) for all parties!

(can be ignored if your busy or otherwise dw ;3)

I hope you enjoyed this!!! I took some creative liberties and placed this in S1 arc 1 :)

warnings: gn!reader, mention of scars and sleep problems, non-sexual nakedness (you’ll get it when you read lol)

Mel rose from her desk, the wide reaching window behind her dark. There were always a few days out of the week she would stay late. She never left anything half-finished and if it wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t finished. 

“Fancy a stroll through the Academy?”

You repositioned yourself from leaning against the wall, raising an eyebrow. The woman approaching you was an esteemed council member and a child of Noxus. Above all that, she held a dangerously sharp mind. 

With you, a trained guard from birth and accepted by her bitch of a mother, you two made quite the confidants. 

“Why?” you asked, knowing you were going whether you fancied the idea or not. Where she went, you went. 

“Why not?” Her grin was infectious, but you saw the mischief swimming in her eyes. 

“It’s far past lockup, for one,” you began, grabbing the door for her. Your belt clicked with the movement, the weight of your gun and knives shifting. “We also have no business with the Academy.”

“We may not, but I have a feeling someone does.”

You hummed, your steps shadowing hers for every beat. Every turn down a hall, your eyes were skating for anything amiss. “This wouldn’t have something to do with a certain expelled scientist, would it?”

She hummed, smiling and confident from where you walked adjacent. 

That poor man, you couldn’t help but think. Catch Mel’s eye and you’re stuck under a microscope until she loses interest. 

“Maybe Heimerdinger has stayed late with that assistant of his,” she said, gaze cutting to you. Your eyes narrowed in warning. 

You changed the subject. “What makes you think that Talis fellow would sneak into the Academy the night of his expulsion?”

“His things are to be destroyed tomorrow morning.” 

“If we get all the way to the Academy and you’re wrong—” you complained. 

“A trip to your favorite spa, paid.” She stopped, tilting her head towards you. “And if I’m right?”

You grumbled, rolling your eyes. “I’ll pose for that painting.”

She pursed her lips, flexing her fingers. 

You crossed your arms and bit out, “No.”

“It’s nude or nothing, darling,” she teased. “I need the practice.”

“You need nothing,” you scoffed, continuing in front of her to check the entrance to the council’s building. The usual enforcer’s we’re making their rounds, tipping their hats to you. 

Mel stepped out next to you, shoulder nudging yours. Your sigh trailed into the night air. 

“Fine.”

Her golden freckles crinkled with the grin that pulled at her lips. 

.

“Did you bring a flashlight?” Mel asked quietly. You gave her the flattest expression known to man in response. “May I borrow it, please?”

“No, you may not,” you answered. Even in the dark you sensed her scowl as you passed, taking up the front. “If I need to shoot someone, I need to see.”

“So violent,” she murmured. “Honestly, he doesn’t seem the type.”

“Then he’d make the perfect assassin,” you chuckled, lowering your voice as you opened the door to the staircase. “Besides, we want to go undetected, don’t we?”

“If no trouble is afoot, then I wouldn’t mind a second look at this research,” she revealed, only adding to a long night ahead. 

“What are you expecting to find?” 

She chuckled. “I do love a good surprise.”

You scoffed quietly as you climbed the steps ahead of her. “You would, miss know-it-all.”

Reaching the floor that held Heimerdinger’s office, you glanced through the window on the door before slipping it open. Mel kept her steps light as you both moved through the darkness. As you crept on, you noticed a faint glow reaching around the corner and glanced at Mel, scowling. 

She wore the look of a winner in the blue-tinted of the moonlight shining through the distant window. Slowly, she mouthed the word ‘nude’.

You shook your head, pulling your flashlight out as you motioned her to follow you. The tinkling of keys and the gears of a lock turning left you with one hand on your gun and the other pointing the flashlight forward. You held off on spotlighting the infiltrator when you noticed two figures sneaking around Heimerdinger’s door. 

“So far so good,” came a familiar ethnolect. You clicked the flashlight on to confirm your suspicions. 

Oh, shit. 

Jayce Talis and Viktor, of all people, were caught red handed, hands guarding their eyes as they were overwhelmed by the brilliance. 

“Willing to risk exile for your endeavor,” Mel spoke, taking up the space on your right as she stared the two men down. “That’s quite the conviction.”

“A counselor,” Talis breathed. 

Viktor chose another path, turning towards the door in a dramatized show of confusion. “Wait a minute, this isn’t my bedroom…”

“Guess those aren’t your keys either?” you hummed, moving your hand off your weapon as he looked up at you. 

“Actually, they are permitted to be in my possession,” he corrected as he stood from his crouch.

“Just like you’re permitted to be here, past lockup,” your eyes fled towards Talis before focusing his pinched gaze “with a freshly expelled student.”

“Eh,” he shrugged, “that one, not so much.”

“Please,” Mr. Talis begged, stepping in front of Viktor, eyes locked on Mel. You positioned yourself between them, hand back on your gun as you pointed the flashlight towards the man. He winced, only passing you a slight flare in retaliation. “We can prove that it works.”

“You couldn’t do so earlier today,” Mel pointed out, expression deadened and feigning disinterest. Seen you had two actors in your midst. “How is tonight any different?”

“We figured out how to stabilize it,” Viktor explained. 

“I’m surprised to find the professor's assistant mixed up in this,” she murmured to you. 

“No, he’s my new partner,” Talis argued, placing a hand on Viktor’s shoulder. Your stomach tightened. 

“Even if you managed to prove your theory the council would destroy it.” Mel burst their bubble with brutal honesty. 

“Heimerdinger will recognize the potential,” Viktor stated. 

“He already does,” she told him, “it scares him. It scares them all.”

“What about you?” Talis asked, determined. 

“I recognize that any worthwhile venture involves risk…” 

Your head turned a second before theirs, picking up on the whistling and footsteps. The night guard was heading this way. Harold. He was always the noisiest, sweetest thing. The old man refused to retire so they put him up here at the Academy. 

“There’s your risk,” you muttered. 

“Counselor,” hissed Talis, “this technology, it’s real and no matter what happens here it’s going to change our world. We should be the ones to lead it—Piltover, the land of progress, equality, innovation. I know it sounds impossible, but when have we ever let that stop us. Please, just give us a chance!”

You stepped back beside Mel, meeting her eyes. She let the two men sweat a bit as the footsteps grew closer. 

“One night. Gentleman,” she said slowly, turning to leave. “Impress me or I’d suggest you pack your bags.”

As she walked away, you noticed the awed look in Talis’ eyes and nearly groaned. She always had to draw in the big dreamers. 

You threw Viktor a sly smile, handing him the flashlight seeing as that poor pen light wasn’t going to be much help. “Good luck, Goggles.”

You switched it off as he accepted it, fingers brushing as you left them to hide in the darkness. You caught up with your principal just as she was moving around the corner.

“Harold!” she sang, nearly sending the sweet old man into a heart attack. You held back a laugh as Me” moved him back down the hall and away from the chaotic scientists behind you. 

Left to their own devices, Viktor clicked on your flashlight and got back to opening the five-bolt door. As he crouched back down, Jayce took over holding the light for him. 

“So,” he murmured, back to the silence of an empty school, “you and the bodyguard are a thing?”

Viktor nearly dropped the keys. “Excuse me?”

“Goggles?” 

“It is a long story,” he whispered, pushing the door open as the last lock unlatched, “and we are not the ‘thing.’ Now get in.”

.

“We’re to return before dawn.”

You turned from toweling your hair to stare down Mel in her bubble bath. She hasn’t bothered to wait until you were done in your own bathroom to fetch you. She wasn’t usually so clingy, but you knew under that cool facade she was nervous of what was to come with the scientists. 

“Why do we have to lose precious sleep over this?” you grumbled, grabbing your toothbrush. 

“You?” she laughed, splashing her water over her knees. “You barely sleep as is.”

“Yeah, well,” you spit the mess of toothpaste and spit from your mouth, “blame your mother for that.”

“I blame her for many things.”

The scars over your body burned, but not from sticky, humid air. You both were quiet for a time. 

“I didn’t expect him to be there.” You turned around, pulling yourself up on the marble counter to look at her. “Viktor, I mean.”

“Guess he saw whatever you did in Talis.”

She puckered her lips at you, arms dropping over the rim of the bathtub as she laid her head on them. “Is that jealousy I hear, darling?”

“Shove it,” you scoffed, moving to do one last check of the place before heading to your room. “Also, he was definitely staring at you as you left.”

“Then you have no reason to worry.”

“Goodnight,” you bit out, shutting the bathroom door on her echoing giggles. 

.

When you knock on Mel’s door she’s back in the same clothes she wore hours earlier. It’s an hour to dawn and barely takes three minutes to reach the Academy. You hadn’t slept a wink.

Offering her a coffee, you both finished them before you were out the door. The guards at the gate gave you groggy second glances, but questioned nothing. 

You sensed the alarm in the empty halls, banging thundering through the stairwell as you both took one glance at the other and sped up your pace. 

You held an arm out as you glanced around the dark corner, eyes widening at the new blue-tinted glow that shined from Heimerdinger’s office. 

“You’ve actually done it…” The professor's voice was beyond astonishment. “But just because it can be done, doesn’t mean—will you please stop hovering?!”

“I’m not sure how to do that sir!”

Your mask nearly slipped. It was the first time you’d ever heard Viktor so…gleeful. 

Mel stalked down the hall, eyes bright with purpose. It reminded you of younger days before she slowed her steps, bringing out Counselor Medarda

“This is not what Piltover’s future looks like, my dear boys!”

The click of her heels alerted everyone as she pushed through the guards, the light of the room washing over her form. 

“That’s for the council to decide,” she stated, head turning from side to side as she observed the room. Being right behind her, you allowed awe to slip at the twinkling bits wandering the room and high above were those troublesome scientists. “Perhaps it’s time for the era of magic.”

“Uh, Hextech,” came Jayce Talis, hair sprawling out with the anti-gravity field he was caught up in. “For the era of Hextech.”

Your eyes slid from his to hers, the slender grin on her lips speaking more than praise in his direction. Rolling your eyes, you couldn’t help as they caught on Viktor who looked far too happy to be completely suspended upside down. He kept throwing little objects nearby towards the glistening orb at the center of the room, watching it with interest as it blipped from one side to the other. 

Some round object hovered a bit too close on the opposite side he was facing. You couldn’t help but laugh when it was transported to his side, knocking into his forehead with enough force to make him jump. 

Your voice alerted him, eyes finding yours as you cleared your throat and fixed your metaphorical mask back into place. 

“How long will this last?” asked Mel. 

The young men looked at each other for an answer that neither seemed to have. You eyed the bright orb between them, noticing it was slowly but surely shrinking in size. 

“I suggest you find your way down before you find out,” Heimerdinger called. 

“Right,” Jayce said, waving his arms until he was able to float to the ceiling. He pushed off it, getting about halfway down before gravity seemed to take hold again. He just missed a smaller table in the corner, landing with a painful grunt. 

Heimerdinger tested the space first, his hair seemed to react a bit, but he was able to make his way towards his previously expelled student with ease. You wandered in next, feeling your hair lift from your scalp as the guards were waved away by Mel. She ordered them to fetch the other council members for an emergency meeting in a few hours time. 

“The power source is growing smaller,” you warned Viktor who was still playing around with it near the roof. 

“Yes, without the cranking its energy is used up,” he muttered, more to himself than you as another object flashes through it. It shrunk by at least an inch. “Still such raw power…”

The bits of light hovering around the space were closing in. Your hair returned to its natural state. 

“Uh, Viktor,” Jayce called. 

“How big can the object be?” the man hummed, tossing a book to the orb. You stood below him, eyeing where he’d fall. The dots connected just as the book went through and the blue light went out like a candle flame in the wind. Jayce yelled. 

Your back connected with Heimerdinger’s desk, sending it scraping back in a chorus of something else moving just as gravity claimed Viktor. He knocked the air out of you as he landed on top of you. The ground shook as something else hit the ground nearby. 

You winced as the office lights burst above, taking in a slow, groaning breath. 

“Good heavens,” came Heimerdinger. “Are you three all right?”

Turning your head from the mess of Viktor’s hair in your vision, you saw Jayce lying face down on a tipped over chair with his hand fist glowing. 

“Yeah,” he said into the ground, “just thought I’d catch the crystal before it took out another building.”

“My apologies,” Viktor murmured, expression twisted in discomfort as he pushed himself off your chest. 

“S’fine,” you choked out, still catching your breath. “We’re all victims of physics.”

That broke the tension, or perhaps the adrenaline was still running high amongst the men because they both busted out into hysterics. Well, Jayce did. Viktor just chuckled and focused on getting his entire weight off of you. 

You slowly sat up, rubbing the back of your head where it had clipped the damn desk. 

“Did you hit it?”

You glanced at Viktor, dropping your hand. “I’m good, Goggles. Better than you would’ve been crashing into straight wood.”

“It’s pure oak!” preened Heimerdinger as he scuffled over, tapping the surface. “Very durable.”

“I’ll say,” you grumbled, feeling a headache coming on. 

“You should get that checked. You might have a concussion,” Viktor said, resting his back against the bookshelf behind him. Jayce had finally gotten to his knees, looking a bit bruised as far as his ego went when he glanced at Mel by the door. 

“I’ve seen them take a hammer to the head,” your principal chuckled. “They’ll be fine, I assure you.”

“It’s not bleeding,” Heimerdinger hummed. You balked at him peering around the desk. “How’s your eyesight?”

“Clear,” you said, getting to your feet. “Thank you, professor.”

Viktor remained on the ground. 

“Are you all right?” you asked. “I’m not the softest landing.”

“I’m unharmed,” he answered, nodding behind you. “My cane, however, will need to be replaced.”

You followed his line of sight and frowned at the white stick, cracked in two. 

“I’ll buy you a new one,” Jayce promised as he walked over, offering a hand. 

“I'll see you at the meeting,” Mel announced, eyes piercing the founder of Hextech before moving to his partner’s as he got to his feet. “Both of you.”

You moved the desk back into place, nodding to the professor as he thanked you. 

Hearing your name, you turned as Viktor offered your flashlight. 

“You dropped this,” he murmured, a smile hiding in the corner of his lips. 

“I’m sure it’s broken after that fall,” you said, checking it. The light sputtered before going out. 

“Allow me to fix it, then.”

You blinked at him, smiling at the back and forth before clearing your expression and handing it back. Your fingers brushed. 

“Sure,” you said, following after Mel. “I’ll grab it another time.”

Out in the hall, she smirked at you, unabashed. 

“You couldn’t have had the meeting in the afternoon?” you complained, rubbing your head. 

“I have an appointment at the spa with a friend of mine,” she replied. 

You sighed and kept your mouth shut, leading her out of the building and back home to freshen up again. 

“You know I might need a second opinion when I’m painting you,” she hummed as you both eased into the early light of dawn. “Viktor wouldn’t happen to be a student of the arts as well, would he?”

“You’re lucky I’m the one protecting you and not the one after you,” you growled. 

Back in Heimerdinger’s office, the men were helping clean up the mess they left behind while Heimerdinger lectured them, observing all the while from his chair. 

“Didn’t know you did repair jobs,” muttered Jayce as he shoved a book back into its shelf. 

Below him where Viktor was attempting to put the ‘cranker’ as it were back together, the man rolled his eyes. “I felt I owed it to them seeing as I failed to take care of it.”

“Right, of course.”

Viktor didn’t enjoy the amused silence seeping from his newly acclaimed business partner and slowly tilted his head to glare up at him. “Do you have something else to say?”

“Nope,” answered Jayce, eyebrows bouncing up, “nothing at all, Goggles.”

Viktor sighed. All it took was one day of brain fog and a run-in with you to earn him such a distasteful nickname. At least it taught him to check his goggles were off before leaving the lab from now on.  

“No slacking!” said the professor, swiveling in his chair to shuffle the papers scattered around his desk. “Honestly, I’m not sure how Counselor Medarda’s guard moved this desk. I thought it was bolted to the floor!”

Viktor swallowed as Jayce whistled. 

[jamesrb4th]

Arcane rarepairs: multiverse edition

A good number of characters died over the course of Arcane, but thanks to the establishment of an infinite multiverse, not only can we go absolutely wild with the sort of romance we can provide in place of a tragic fate, it also means that nobody can tell us it’s not canon

Elora x Sky

Both pining for their bosses each of which are too preoccupied with a certain hunky inventor, perhaps their late night conversations venting out their frustrations will lead to something more

Maddie x Madame Margot

One is a ruthless cutthroat master of seduction, the other is a kind and caring woman in way over her head and must learn the value of teamwork if she’s going to make it out alive. Their heads will spin (and others will roll) as they find out exactly which is which

Kino x Loris

We don’t have much to go off of, but the illusion seemed like it was pretty convincing and anyone who Mel looks up to has got to be cool af, which means he deserves a boyfriend who is chill af, more than that, Loris is loyal courageous, and perhaps the most important quality for Kino in a partner, knows when they need to ****ing bail

Grayson x Amara

Heading a personnel security for a successful merchant, Grayson soon learns that the threats are far more dangerous than she was warned, and that the fascinating woman she’s been protecting is more than capable of dealing with them herself. Years of facing the flood of corruption in the enforcers have exhausted her efforts to influence them to adopt her own strong sense of justice, but perhaps it can soften the knife sharp edges of this sorcerous spy

Smeech x Salo

……. I have no idea how this got in here, I must have entered a fugue state or something, but uh, good for them?

[reallifetangent]

ARCANE S2 RELATED CONTENT

At my second full rewatch of Arcane, I noticed something.

Jayce calls out Mel about her manipulating him two times. One in S1, the other in S2.

The S1 one was at the concert. He points out he didn't want to be involved in politics, that she pushed him, she used him for all of that, after he learns that the own council members are in their behind everyone's backs businesses. She uses that it was a way to protect Hextech and get investors. Between Mel using the Protecting Hextech, Amara appearing to make a deal and Jayce's want to be approved/liked, he plays along and accepts continuing this part of the Political Game.

Second season is the one we all know, the more obvious. The Council Chamber. He's angry at Mel for not protecting Viktor. He calls her out for using him and Viktor. Either 1, Hextech was super dangerous and someone pushing them to keep it going was a bad thing. 2, She wanted them to create something for herself, for her pride, for "The Poorest Medarda", the Banished Medarda. 3, Jayce realizing that he just wanted her approval and she used that in her favor, and Viktor as a Side Effect. He's angry at her, and didn't discuss even more because Viktor showed himself and they fight. After that, Jayce sounds like he forgave her, but doesn't erase the fact that she got called out again and after this time Jayce won't fall for it.

Either way, I think I should point out that in S1 he just plays along because it's just him. His decisions are only on his own, and if something bad happens, only him would take the fall. Viktor didn't have to know, and the investors and protection might be good for the two of them. In S2 it did involve Viktor directly. One thing was the political game, other was using both his and Viktor's brains in her own function.

Jayce can take and resist everything that comes at him, but do not dare to touch someone he loves/appreciates. He had hard times voting Heimer out of the council, creating weapons while Viktor was in the cocoon because Caitlyn needed their technology, he broke his promise to Viktor and went above V's own wishes several times, even with his future/alternative universe self approval he had hard time detonating Viktor.

So either he got mad upset at Mel because she involved Viktor in her game, or simply he had a character development between his secret raid with Vi to the Shimmer Factories, surviving a Lethal Rocket of Doom and Destruction, losing his partner/best friend, facing what Hextech did to Zaun (he didn't see it directly but between what Ekko said, the leaf and the marks at the Hexgates, too much to ignore), then the multiverse travel and fall into madness and isolation, realizations, his promise to the Mage, killing Viktor, of course he had to stand on his ground and face the facts that he had been manipulated for the worst, and because of someone taking advantage of him, their world could end as bad as the one he had to live for a few months.

I love Mel, but I don't forgive the manipulation. Luckily after seeing Ambessa in S1E8, Mel backs off because she had to be cautious with her mother and I think she genuinely cared about Jayce when Ambessa showed up, like, she realized she didn't want Jayce as a Casual Affair and use him for Hextech Intentions.

And for the record I strongly dislike (or hate, directly) whoever says that Jayce deserved to be manipulated and it was his fault for falling into it. Justify it however you want, doesn't change the idea of Jayce having actual good intentions and people taking advantage of it. If he were a character that kind of people like, they would've been "Oh, but X had good intentions, Q is just an asshole taking advantage of X. X didn't deserve it, it's not their fault." blablabla. I don't care Mel is gorgeous and an amazing character, I don't care Jayce is one of my favs. Doesn't change the fact that she manipulated him more than once and at least she tried to fix it, but don't say he deserved it.

[spr1g4t1t0]

i think i just made a breakthrough with my ocs

so i have these two ocs, who origianally had nothing in common (inka and skyler, ill have to di a whole essay about those two because its complicated) and i figured out theyre origins. inka was a characyer i had to make for an english project on villians, and skyler was originally an oc x canon girly. these two get their names and designs changed to fit whatever universe im shoving them into, whether its pjo or pokemon!! im planning on writing a book and these two r in it just under dif names (Melantha and Amarantha (WHY ARE THE NAMES SO SIMILAR HUH)) and as i explained it once "its like pjo, but lesbin, british, more angsty, and kind of ran like the hunger games in some aspects" (idk if i plan on ever publishing but like...)

mels godly parent is poseidon, and amaras is aphrodite. heres the thing, theyre personalitlieies and actions in this book are extremely different to theior og designs.

inka is harsh, and cold, she doesnt care what pther people think and is sick of being the golden child, she lashes out and is the oldest of 16 kids. shes cursed, and alone but she doesnt care. she just pushes herself until she starts pushing others

skyler is an absolute harlot, she has a severe aversion to all substances, smoking and alcohol but is the personification of a racoon, she stays up all night, and her house is always trashed. she had an extremely rough childhood, and lives off energy drinks. shes insecure, but other people like her so she has to put herself out there to be able to make a living.

vs

amara has experienced much grief, shes a child of aphrodite so she has many siblings who love her, and support her but none can quite sympathise with her greif and how she feels after loosing one of her best friends. shes the opposite of what youd expect from an aphrodite kid, with choppy hair, and punk clothes that are often torn to shreds, she has scars and shes not afraid to let them be seen.

melantha has experienced loss, she has been bullied, but she can pull through, shes optimistic, she sees light at the end of the tunnel even if shes a loner now (her siblings got killed :p) she tries and succeeds at help amara with her greif. shes complex, and doesn't really understand herself, but thats what she likes about herself., shes her own person and shes unique, her experiences tell her story.

i think very different characters overall as you can tell, but i think their og godly parents would be different if they were demigods aswell!! inka/amara would be a child of hades, and skyler/melantha would be a child of aphrodite that also needs explaining hold on

inka was suposed to have powers coming from a generational curse, she travelled in the shadows and spoke to ghosts. her powers were dark and would hurt, i feel like that speaks for itself

skyler could practically charmspeak, and half the country was attracted to her. she was good at makeup, and had a strong sense of fashion.

i feel like that explains some things, but their character designs have come a long way from the beggining which is why its so drastic!!

[megalony]

They Know Best

This is a new Buddie x reader imagine I had an idea for, I'm really excited about this one.

Please let me know if you like it and would like another part.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @kyky9103 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth @chaoticnosleepinfluencer @gs29 @wh0reforsmutstuff @mel-vaz @natashamea18 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

@zoeybennett @mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @rainechase45 @lolalolsstuff @jupiter1700 @ashdoctor @an-aliens-ghost @lunaroserites @houseoftwistedspirits @callsignwidow @winterreader-nowwriter @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay @harry-satellite @midsummereve1993 @babyqueen17 @buckyyyismahhlife @sammiejane22 @mrsyixingunicorn10 @op-81-lvr-reblogs @talicat713 @niamhmbt @strawberry-canyon @bieberhoodforever @911fangirlie @hollandxxmix @jasmineee05 @creat1venat1onn @devilslittlehelper @darlingcharling-blog @bear8585 @nickie-amore @elliott-calls @person-005 @mbioooo0000 @amara-mars @teenwolfbitches28

Buddie Masterlist

Summary: Evan's parents visit to see the kids, and while he and Eddie are at work (Y/n) and his parents take the kids out. But things get out of hand when the Buckleys try and intervene with Bonnie, who is autistic.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A deep frown set into (Y/n)'s features and she locked her jaw tight as if to ensure that she didn't say any of the thoughts rattling around in her mind right now. Her lips pressed together tightly to stop herself from saying something she shouldn't when she looked up at Evan.

The way he was stood with his arms folded over his chest made him look authoritiative yet his fingers were constantly tapping away at his biceps, showing he was nervous. And he was biting down on his lip while his head was tilted at an angle. Her eyes danced up and down Evan's frame, watching the way he stood there in the bedroom doorway and simply watched her.

And those eyes. Those piercing blue eyes looked uneasy and almost like they were starting to flood with sorrow and it was making (Y/n) feel bad.

She didn't want to be arguing with Evan, but she couldn't help how annoyed this whole situation was making her feel.

"Baby, you know I haven't planned this."

With a deep breath, Evan sighed and dropped his arms from over his chest when (Y/n) looked up at him like she was desperate to glare at him but she couldn't quite find it in herself to continue being mad with him.

He stepped forward so he wasn't in the doorway and he aimed towards both girls who he had been watching for the last few minutes.

He and (Y/n) had been in the middle of a discussion until Bonnie bounded in with the hairbrush in hand that she almost whacked (Y/n) with. That was her way of saying she wanted her hair doing. Bonnie found it very theraputic to have her hair brushed or plaited and done in styles. She would sit for hours and let her parents play with her hair.

And she was their first girl, so Eddie and Evan had both had to learn how to style her hair because she loved her hair being brushed and they wanted to connect with her any way they could.

A small glimmer of a smile started to pull at Evan's lips when he looked down at Bonnie. The four year old was sitting on the end of the bed in between (Y/n)'s thighs. One hand was waving in front of her with her fingers pressing together in her manner of stimming, and her other hand was slowly running up and down (Y/n)'s thigh. Clearly feeling the material of her leggings that she was finding sensory and calming.

There was a bright smile on Bonnie's lips and every few seconds she kept closing her eyes and tilting her head further back until she was leaning into (Y/n)'s chest. Whenever she tilted her head too far, (Y/n) would smile and ease Bonnie forwards again or she couldn't plait her hair properly.

Aiming towards them, Evan slowly crouched down in front of the bed and reached his hand out to glide his finger across Bonnie's cheek to gain her attention. He loved how she grinned down at him and how she stopped shaking her hand so she could grip his hand instead which she confiscated like it was one of her numerous teddies.

When Evan rested his other hand on (Y/n)'s thigh, she looked down at him sharply and raised one brow. "Sucking up won't help you, mister."

A sheepish look flooded Evan's face and he adverted his eyes down for a moment before he sighed and leant forward until his cheek was resting on (Y/n)'s thigh.

He couldn't help but grin when Bonnie giggled and let go of his hand so she could start running her fingers through Evan's curls and tugging on them. The four year old had gone through a stage last year of pulling hair, but not in a cruel way. She liked people playing with her hair so Bonnie tried to return the favour, but she started to yank and pull on each parent's hair when she was trying to interact with them.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes and leaned forward to kiss Bonnie's head since she was nearly done putting her hair into two plaits now. She mumbled "Poor daddy," which caused Evan to look up at her with those puppy dog eyes that she could never resist.

"I'm sorry." Sincerity flooded Evan's voice but it only made (Y/n) feel even more annoyed, because she knew he wasn't lying. She knew he was sorry and that he wasn't happy about this situation either, but it was still irritating to (Y/n).

"I just don't see why you can't be off too. They're your parents, Evan, not mine." The way she said his name caused Evan to wince and he finally lifted his head off her thigh when he noticed she was done with Bonnie's hair.

He straightened up and scooped their daughter up, settling her on his chest so he could kiss her cheek and she could ruffle his hair as much as she liked.

"My pretty baby."

"Pretty."

A broad grin lit up Evan's face and he nodded, briefly looking up at (Y/n) to see her smiling too because Bonnie didn't say that many words. It irritated Evan that they had to write 'nonverbal' on all the forms they filled out when they got Bonnie into nursery and for when they would enroll her into a special school.

Because technically she could speak, she could say her name, she said mama and daddy and papa. She could say Chris and a slurred version of Johnny and she could say drink. Bonnie understood what was being said to her and sometimes, she would sporadically repeat words.

But because she couldn't answer questions- and most of the time she didn't know how to respond- and she couldn't say more than a few words, she was classed as nonverbal. It grated on Evan to have people say that when in his mind she was verbal because she could say a few words, and they were all praying that when she went to school, they would help Bonnie develop speech and sentences.

"Yep, you're so pretty. Go find papa, tell him how pretty you are." With a kiss to her cheek, Evan gently set Bonnie down to her feet and watched her trot out of the room. A slurred rendition of 'pretty' leaving her lips as she went.

When she was gone and safely out of earshot, Evan moved both his hands out and held onto (Y/n)'s hips. He pushed up on his knees so he was knelt between her thighs and he tilted his head back so he was looking up at her. He knew he wasn't totally in bad books when (Y/n) looped an arm around the back of his neck and finally kept eye contact with him.

"Why can't you have the day off?" (Y/n) murmured quietly even though there were no kids in the room anymore to listen in and eavesdrop.

Evan's parents were in town, and they wanted to see the kids tomorrow which happened to be the day that both Eddie and Evan would be working.

(Y/n) didn't get along with the Buckley parents. They weren't very happy about the poly relationship between Evan, (Y/n) and Eddie. It had been hard enough to convince them to be civil when (Y/n) was pregnant and gave birth to Johnny. They were under the impression that the kids couldn't have more than one dad and they barely talked to Eddie whenever they saw him and they were less than kind to (Y/n).

It was the reason whenever they were in town that Evan would be there when they visited the kids, which didn't happen too often.

(Y/n) didn't want to be the only one there when his parents came to town. She didn't want them to be abrupt with her and rude and she didn't like how they interfered and tried to boss the kids around. And they didn't understand Bonnie's autism either.

"If I'd of known I would of swapped the shift, but it's too short notice now baby. Eddie's on call, if I call in he has to stay late to cover my shift so either way no one wins."

If Evan had been given some prior notice, he would have talked to Bobby and either swapped or cancelled his shift tomorrow. He didn't want to leave (Y/n) to deal with his parents on her own, it wasn't fair and he knew how crude his parents could be. But he didn't have a choice.

If he called in sick tomorrow then Eddie would have to stay and cover because Eddie was on the early shift and Evan was on the midday shift. They would make Eddie stay to cover him and that wasn't a good or fair solution.

"No, either way I don't win." (Y/n) moved her hand to rub at her temple as she tried to calm down. "They don't like me, it's so hard to try and be polite and be inclusive when they don't want to be around me. They won't even talk to Eddie when he's home."

"You think I don't know that?"

If Evan stayed home, Eddie would have to pull a double shift which wouldn't be fair but (Y/n) would still have to be there to deal with Evan's parents. If both of them went to their respective shifts, (Y/n) still got left with her in-laws. Either way, she lost the game and had to put up the Buckley parents.

And it was hard, it was harder than she ever thought it would be because they weren't open-minded, they weren't warm and caring or loving, not even towards their own son.

They seemed to think (Y/n) was the problem, that she was playing both men and they made it clear they didn't like the fact that all the kids had double barrell names. Even Chris had asked to have Evan's name too so he would match Johnny and Bonnie. The Buckleys didn't like this because in their views, Eddie and Evan couldn't both be father to the kids.

And they barely spoke to Eddie when he was around because they knew he wouldn't hold his tongue with them. He didn't care if they were rude to him, but he wouldn't have them disrespect (Y/n) or the kids or talk about their family in front of the kids and upset them.

"What about Maddie?"

"Hm?" (Y/n) moved her hand to cup the back of Evan's neck and she started to glide her thumb up and down over his hair as she waited for him to explain.

"I can ask her to spend the day with you too, she's not at work tomorrow." Evan knew his sister wasn't at work this week and he knew their parents would most likely spend their time with her rather than with Evan's family. Something that was both a relief and an insult at the same time.

He could ask Maddie if she would come over with Jee so (Y/n) didn't have to deal with his parents alone. They would be easier to handle if Maddie was here playing referee and steering conversation and telling their parents when to stop and be quiet. They listened to her, they respected Maddie because she was their own and she was the child they were closest to.

(Y/n) nodded and muttered "Please," before she leant forward until they were level and their noses were touching. Her eyes closed when their lips pressed together and she tried to stop herself from tilting too far forward since she was sitting on the very edge of their bed.

She felt Evan's hands squeezing her hips as he pushed up until their chests were pressed together. And she could feel Evan smiling against her lips, especially when he scraped his teeth against her lower lip and caused her to gasp into his mouth.

When their lips parted, Evan kept his eyes closed and basked in the feeling of their lips almost touching, until something caught his attention.

"It's too quiet. Come on." He couldn't hear the boys playing a video game or arguing over a colouring book or asking to go to the park. And he couldn't hear Bonnie giggling or running around crashing into things or stimming. He didn't like it when the house was quiet, that was a bad indicator.

He pushed up to his feet and held his hands out for (Y/n) to take and he pulled her up with him. When (Y/n) looked up at him and realised where his line of sight was trained on, she found herself smiling again, especially when one of his hands let go of hers in favour of reaching out for her stomach.

"You have told your parents about this one too, right? I don't want to be giving them a big surprise when I see them tomorrow."

(Y/n) moved her hand down to cup Evan's wrist and she followed his line of sight to where he was looking at her bump. She and Eddie always left it down to Evan to tell his parents whereas when they told the team or (Y/n) and Eddie's parents they were having a baby, the three of them did it together.

Evan's parents were the only ones who were never as congratulating or pleased or warming when (Y/n) got pregnant. And she certainly didn't want to see his parents tomorrow and find out that he hadn't mentioned this third pregnancy to them yet.

"Didn't need to, Maddie let it slip last month… don't think mum was too happy that Maddie got a scan photo and they didn't."

It had been an inward relief to Evan that Maddie had accidentally told their parents the news. She had presumed Evan would have mentioned it already and with a slip of the tongue over the phone, she ended up telling them that (Y/n) was pregnant again.

And as always, Evan had given Maddie a copy of the scan photos because she was his parental figure and he loved to show her and bubble over and be giddy about his family. He did find it ironic that his parents had been dismayed not to get a sonogram, despite not being very involved grandparents as it was.

"Oh, good." As long as (Y/n) didn't have to tell them or give them a shock, she didn't care who had let it slip.

Their hands stayed entwined as they headed out the bedroom and down the hall, wondering where the rest of their family were and what they were up to.

The pair of them barely got down the hall before they heard Eddie's deep voice ring out through the air. "Go show dad, that's his area of expertise, not mine."

Whatever Eddie was talking about, it was clear in his voice that he wasn't too keen on the topic of conversation.

Evan unlatched his hand from (Y/n)'s just as Johnny bolted from the kitchen and nearly barelled into the pair of them in the hall. The seven year old had such a bright grin on his face that rivalled the sun and his hands were clasped together with his arms outstretched in front of him.

"Dad! Look, look!"

Johnny pushed up on his tiptoes and presented his cupped hands as close as he could to Evan to try and get his attention. And his smile broadened when Evan obliged and crouched down in front of him to see what he was cradling so tenderly.

"Oh wow, where'd you find this little guy?"

When she heard Evan's words (Y/n) couldn't help but lean forward to see what Johnny had found. Her hand rested on his shoulder and she slouched her hip into Evan's side as she looked down to see that Johnny was presenting them with a lime green caterpillar with fuzzy spikes which looked like a Mohican.

"Um, that little guy lives outside, boys." (Y/n) reminded them as she pressed a kiss to the back of Evan's head and did the same to Johnny while she passed and headed into the kitchen.

Both the boys were nature lovers, they were interested in creatures and science and the Earth, the same as Evan. He did their science projects with them and they read science magaines together and always went to the zoo and the museums together. So it was only natural that they had a little 'out house' in the garden where they kept any creatures and little insect pets the boys found.

They had all built a small bee house together last month and although they hadn't gotten any bees yet, they were all still hopeful.

"Come on, let's go put him in his new home." Evan turned Johnny around and scooped him up beneath his arms to take him through the kitchen and out into the back garden.

They couldn't keep any little creatures like that inside where Bonnie was around. It was safer to have them outside because Bonnie had Pica, she would eat things that weren't food and even though she had never eaten any insects before, they couldn't risk it. She had tried eating mud when playing in the garden and she had eaten a handful of sand when they were on the beach. They had to keep a close eye on her.

(Y/n) watched the pair of them head out the back door with a fond smile, but her head whipped to the left to look over at Eddie when she heard his voice.

"Ow- hey, madam don't do that." Eddie tried to tilt his head back but he couldn't lean out the way before Bonnie got her hand fisted in his hair again.

A high pitch giggle left her lips as she pulled on his locks and pressed her lips to the side of his temple like she was trying to give him a kiss.

The sight was endearing and caused a smile to flood (Y/n)'s face as she walked over to Eddie. He had their youngest perched on his right hip, and his head was now bent down against Bonnie's shoulder from the sudden force she had grabbed and pulled on his hair.

He hissed again when she yanked on his roots and he muttered "Help?" and waved his free hand out towards (Y/n) before he tried to grab their daughter's hand to get her to release him.

Out of them all, Eddie seemed to be the one Bonnie loved to pull hair with. She would end up yanking his head from side to side or scratching his scalp or giving him a strain in his neck from how she grabbed at him. It was one of the reasons Evan always switched between long curls and short, shaved hair because when Bonnie started grabbing, he got a haircut. She didn't seem to pull on (Y/n)'s hair quite like she did with Eddie.

"Baby, let papa go or you'll hurt him." (Y/n) held onto Bonnie's wrist and gently pulled her hand back until she finally released his hair with a whine. But she ceased when (Y/n) kissed the back of her hand and Eddie tilted his head as far back as possible so he wouldn't be a target again.

"You're mean, you know that?" It was clear Bonnie didn't agree or understand because a round of giggles left her lips and she began to clap her hands since she couldn't entertain herself with Eddie's hair anymore.

And her cheeky grin only broadened when Eddie kissed her cheek and bounced her on his hip. And she seemed even more delighted when (Y/n) leaned against Eddie's chest and he encased them both to his chest like he was giving them a bear hug.

The four year old was all for cuddles and games and close contact, the more cuddles she got the better. Which was a relief considering some of the kids at Bonnie's nursery didn't like physical touch, even with their own parents and families.

But Bonnie wasn't like that, and she leant more into Eddie's chest as she reached out for (Y/n)'s hair this time with a cheeky giggle that told them she knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted to play.

***

Unease tore through (Y/n) as their little group continued on their walk through the park. She thought she had been doing well at hiding her unamused and rather unsettled expression, until she looked across at Maddie. The sympathetic look (Y/n) received told her that she looked outwardly uncomfortable and it was crystal clear.

She wished Evan or at least Eddie had been off today or that the Buckleys had come down a few days ago. They should have talked to Evan first, found out what everyone was working or asked in advance so they had time to ask for a day off or switch their shifts around.

Just turning up unannounced wasn't the right way to go about it and (Y/n) wished she could crawl into a hole and disappear.

At least when she was around Eddie's parents, they were inclusive and kind. They had been against the relationship at first, being devout Catholics. But once they saw how happy (Y/n) and Evan made Eddie and Chris, they had come around. They were kind to (Y/n), they treated her like she was actually family, like she was one of their daughters and they made the effort.

The Buckleys didn't.

(Y/n) wasn't sure what to do with herself. Whatever she did, whatever she said seemed to make them huff or look at her gone out and even the kids didn't know what to say or how to act.

The only one who wasn't affected was Bonnie, but (Y/n) knew if Margaret or Phillip tried to pick Bonnie up or get too close, she would retreat. It took her a while to form a bond with people, and she hadn't been around these grandparents enough to be comfortable with them and interact with them. Whereas Maddie could pick her up and play and sing with her and Bonnie would be happy as ever.

"Can we go to the play park?" Johnny looked up between his mum and his aunt with an inquizitive look and he timidly pointed ahead to where the fenced off playground was.

"Sure, lead the way." Maddie let go of Jee's hand so she could run ahead with Johnny, seeing as though they were in the middle of the park and not near any roads.

When (Y/n) looked down to her left, she could see Chris was smiling and nodding, they all loved the park, even Bonnie. Chris leaned his cheek against (Y/n)'s arm while he had his right hand holding onto the stroller (Y/n) was pushing where Bonnie was happily sat clapping and stimming.

Chris usually liked to push the stroller, it help him with coordination and it was sometimes easier to lean on the stroller than to walk unaided or with his crutches.

They walked in tandem with Maddie beside Chris and Margaret and Phillip two steps ahead of them, watching Jee and Johnny. For a minute or two, the atmosphere was calm and almost serene around them.

And when Margaret turned to look behind her, she had a somewhat pleasant smile as she looked between Chris and Bonnie. But then her gaze lingered on Bonnie for a moment too long, and her head angled to the side like she was scrutinising her granddaughter, and something inquizitive passed over her face.

"Why don't you let her walk for a bit?" Margaret pointed between the stroller and the grass surrounding them as if it wasn't clear who and what she was talking about. But (Y/n) shook her head and tried to smile all the same.

"She's fine." She didn't bother to lean over and look at her daughter because she knew Bonnie wouldn't get out.

That didn't stop Margaret from tutting and smiling down at Bonnie like she thought (Y/n) was making some kind of mistake. She held her hand out and waved her fingers towards Bonnie and the four year old looked up at her for a second or two before she went back to clapping.

With the way that Bonnie was constantly rocking her head back and forth and sometimes her shoulders too, she was shaking the stroller every now and then. But it was a movement that (Y/n) was used to, her daughter could never stay still. Even when she was having a cuddle or settling down at night with one of her parents, she was either humming, tapping her fingers or twitching her foot.

"Oh but look at little Jee, she's walking and she's the same age." Margaret looked back ahead towards her other granddaughter, the one who clearly got more attention and affection and even her smile brightened when she looked towards her.

Sometimes it didn't bother (Y/n). She could see that Margaret and Phillip didn't know how to interact with Bonnie because she was autistic, she needed different approaches and they weren't grasping that yet. It wasn't such a big deal either because Bonnie didn't need that bond with them, she had (Y/n)'s parents, Eddie's parents and Bobby who was like another grandparent to her. But when (Y/n) saw them favour Jee over the boys too, then it started to annoy her.

Glancing her eyes to the left once again, (Y/n) shared a look with Maddie who simply rolled her eyes. She knew her parents didn't understand and it was starting to get tiresome trying to explain things to them.

A sigh bubbled up in (Y/n)'s chest but she tried to force it down as she folded her arms over the stroller and arched her back out.

"She doesn't like walking when she doesn't know where she is, it scares her. She feels safe in the stroller."

"She can't use that forever."

Something stabbed at (Y/n)'s chest when Margaret shook her head and even looked towards Maddie as if she expected her to agree.

(Y/n) knew that. She knew that this wasn't a long-term solution and she would never want to confine Bonnie to her stroller and give her that assumption that she was only ever safe like this. But for now, this was how they all coped. Bonnie was four, she was a toddler and the world was a scary place when she didn't understand it.

Being in her stroller was a comfort, she was strapped in, she was being controlled by her parents. She didn't have to get lost or panic or get overwhelmed by the world and the sensory objects around her. She got to be pushed around and go out in the fresh air without that sense of panic.

Whenever they tried to get Bonnie to walk, she would get overwhelmed. She seemed to panic, even if she was holding someone's hand.

Sometimes, on rare occasions when she was in a familiar place or she was walking around the block surrounding their home, she would walk. She would have one hand tangled with either her parents or her brothers and she would stim and rock, but she would walk.

She walked round the house and garden just fine, she would go to the station and trot around happily, she went to nursery because now that was familiar to her just like the swimming pool.

But walking out in the community she didn't know or a busy shop was different and (Y/n) wouldn't let Bonnie get upset and go into a meltdown.

"Well for now, I'd rather her feel safe than get distressed. I know what I'm doing." Bonnie was her daughter and she knew how to look after her.

(Y/n) and the boys were in agreement that once Bonnie got a bit older, they would do strategies with her. They would get her to walk a few steps outside somewhere new, and then build up her resiliance and when she went to school that would help too. But for now, she got carried or went in her stroller because it was safe and she was still a little toddler.

Their group continued walking towards the playground, but (Y/n) felt cold shudders running through her blood when she heard Margaret mutter "If you say so," under her breath.

What did they know about raising a child like Bonnie? What parent groups had they gone to like (Y/n) and the boys did? What teachers and doctors and social workers did they ask for advice and how best to calm down Bonnie's anxiety?

They didn't know how hard (Y/n) tried to do what was right for Bonnie or how she agonised over whether or not she was doing what everyone else would deem as right. They were trying to make Bonnie happy and comfortable and do what was best for her and put her first. They would never do this if they thought it wasn't right. They couldn't just pick Bonnie up and demand that she walk like her brothers and Jee. They couldn't expect Bonnie to understand or forget her worries and do something everyone else thought was simple.

They had to take other precautions and approaches, and that was what (Y/n), Evan and Eddie were doing each and every day.

(Y/n) almost jumped when she felt a hand resting on her arm but she simmered down a little when she realised it was Maddie. "Ignore them, they clearly don't know what they're talking about."

With a warming smile, Maddie gave (Y/n)'s arm a squeeze before she stepped forward and opened the playground gate so she could get the stroller through.

Once they were inside the relatively empty playground, everyone seemed to filter off in their own direction.

Chris confiscated Maddie and aimed for the tyre swing that was currently unoccupied. Something that he loved because the spinning motion was calming to him, the same as it probably would be to Bonnie when she was a bit older.

Johnny aimed for the slide and to (Y/n)'s surprise, Margaret was following him. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. On one hand it was good that Margaret was trying to make an effort with the boys, but at the same time it was unnerving when (Y/n) didn't exactly trust them around the kids and when she didn't know what they would say to them.

With both boys happy and Jee directing Phillip towards the baby swings, (Y/n) rested the stroller up beside the fence and crouched down in front of Bonnie.

The four year old had a bright smile on her face and she was clinging to the new toy Evan had found for her. It was a baby chew toy, designed to look like a zebra with plastic feet and different cloth materials so Bonnie could chew and bite it without damaging it or hurting herself. It was for teething babies, but all teething toys were great for Bonnie as they gave her something to focus on and stopped her from trying to chew and eat things she shouldn't.

"Shall we go play?"

Bonnie giggled and kicked her feet out excitedly and once (Y/n) unclipped the buckle, she reached down and scooped her up.

It was getting a bit harder each week to be picking and carrying Bonnie around when her bump was getting in the way. (Y/n) was twenty weeks along now and she was surprised Bonnie didn't seem too bothered or disgruntled at her changing shape. Every now and then Bonnie would tap her stomach or try prodding it if she thought it was in the way, but so far she wasn't bothered. (Y/n) had a feeling that would change once her bump got bigger and she wouldn't be able to carry Bonnie anymore.

She sat Bonnie on her hip and headed towards the swings, keeping her eyes down because she didn't know how to act or what to say to Phillip.

Once Bonnie was settled in the swing, (Y/n) slowly started to push her back and forth. Looking between both girls who were giggling and kicking their legs out.

Phillip looked between both granddaughters with a fondness in his eyes and a bright smile before he leaned a bit closer to (Y/n). "Will she walk, you know, in here?"

He moved his hand to motion to the park and for the first time in a while, (Y/n) looked up at him. He always seemed less intimidating and disappointed than Margaret, but he still wasn't the easiest person to approach and sometimes the way he was so dismissive with Evan made (Y/n) less inclined to want to talk to him. But if he was making the effort today, then so would she.

"Yeah, it's small and has a barrier, she must think seeing the perimeter is safe."

The park was relatively small and there was an old red metal fence all the way around to stop kids from running off or going to far from their parents. Something like this showed Bonnie that she was enclosed, she was safe and she couldn't get lost in here.

She could trot from the slide to the swings or to the roundabout and wait for someone to push her and help her. But she still liked to see her stroller nearby, like a safety net, or if she got too overwhelmed or too tired she would hold her arms out and wait for someone to carry her.

And most of the time, the person she would go to be carried would be Evan. She knew he would always pick her up. Bonnie was his little girl, his 'Bonnie baby' as he used to call her when she had first been born and he loved carrying her around and having her cuddled up in his arms. And if she needed to feel protected and safe, Evan would always oblige and have her engulfed in his arms.

Being at the park seemed to calm everybody down and they stayed there for near on an hour. All the kids could spend the day there, even Bonnie who had a short attention span, but when Chris took her on the roundabout or helped her on the small toddler slide, she had been in fits of giggles.

Everyone was ready to leave now though, especially because the kids knew that they were going to the station. Evan had texted Maddie to say that they were having a slow day and that they were all welcome to drop by the station if they wanted.

The kids loved the station and it would give his parents a chance to see where he worked and try to be civil to him and Eddie in front of the team. They would never want to embarrass themselves.

"Daddy. Papa. Papa." Bonnie began to tap her hand down on Maddie's shoulder who was currently carrying her along the path since they were all on their way out the park towards the street.

"I know, we're going to see daddy and papa and Captain Bobby."

"Papa." The little girl nodded her head, but that was the main word she was focused on at the moment. It would be the one word she kept saying on repeat until they went to see Eddie. (Y/n) sincerely hoped he didn't go out on a call before they got there or Bonnie would have a tantrum if she didn't get to see him for at least a minute.

Looking down to her right, (Y/n) smiled as Johnny entwined their hands and began swaying their hands back and forth between them. He leant his cheek against (Y/n)'s arm as they walked together while Maddie was in front of them with Bonnie in her arms and Chris was to (Y/n)'s right, pushing the empty stroller. Phillip and Margaret seemed to be leading their little group as Jee was pulling on Phillip's hand, telling him she knew the way to the station from here.

A small chuckle left (Y/n)'s lips when she looked at Maddie and Bonnie. When Bonnie started to hum, Maddie did the same and tried to match the tune she was creating. This really made Bonnie smile and she began to gently tap her fingers against Maddie's lips, maybe to feel the sound and vibrations as some kind of stim. Whatever the reason, it was making her happy and Maddie was grinning, clearly unbothered by the touch.

(Y/n) looked down at Chris when he stepped towards her and leaned into her side causing her to be safely sandwiched between her boys. His hands were tapping and clenching around the stroller handle but his eyes were drifting around like he was looking for something to entertain himself with.

"Are they coming back to our house for tea?" The air of caution in Chris's voice showed he wasn't too keen on that idea, and he wasn't the only one. He seemed a bit more at ease when (Y/n) looped her arm around his shoulders and pecked the top of his head.

"I don't think so, not when your dad won't be there." (Y/n) highly doubted they would want to stay when Evan- and Eddie- would both still be at work. And even if they were home, (Y/n) wasn't so sure they would stay that much longer, at least not in the same day.

This was a lot of interaction for them all and the kids weren't as close or keen on Margaret and Phillip as their other grandparents. They wouldn't be so happy and settled if they stayed at their home. (Y/n) had a feeling that all the kids would disappear to their rooms the moment they had eaten if Margaret and Phillip joined them for tea. It was more plausable that they would go home with Maddie.

When (Y/n) lifted her head as they all left the park and headed onto the main street, her heart momentarily jumped up into her throat and clogged her breathing when she looked at Maddie and noticed her arms were now empty. She scanned around to find that Bonnie was now in Margaret's arms, and that didn't make (Y/n) feel much better.

Bonnie loved being carried, but she wasn't so keen on being with people she didn't know well or bond with. And she wasn't humming anymore. The four year old was twirling and stimming her hands and she wasn't looking at Margaret, a sign that she wasn't too settled.

"Can we sit in the truck when we get there?" Johnny kept swaying from left to right as they walked down the path and turned the corner. They were only a few minutes away from the station now.

They hadn't been down to the station in a while, and although they were always on their best behaviour when they were there, they always got to look around. They could go down the pole, look in the truck and the ambulance and sometimes have something to eat. He wanted to sit in the truck again.

"You'll have to ask Bobby when we get there." That wasn't something (Y/n) could agree to, but she couldn't see Bobby denying it, he was all for the kids coming to the station.

A strange sort of smile formed on Margaret's lips as she looked at the little girl in her arms. Bonnie still hadn't looked at her yet, and she was humming away to herself as she looked around and it made Margaret wonder if she knew where she was. After all, the station was just down the road, the red shutters were visible from where they were now. Maybe she knew the way. She could probably walk it from here.

Crouching down, she gently set Bonnie down to her feet and took her hand, promptly stopping her from bending her fingers and stimming. She tried to start walking again, but three steps ahead was where Bonnie stopped.

Her head tilted down so she was staring at the floor and she began to try and pull her hand out of Margaret's hold. A small whine left Bonnie's lips as she turned on the spot and tried to look around. She didn't want to walk, it was written across her face that she wasn't happy.

"Mum, she's gonna get upset." Maddie stepped forward, promptly tugging on Jee's hand since she had switched from walking with her grandad to walking with her mum. If Bonnie was going to panic then Maddie would happily carry her to the station or get her back in her stroller, but she wasn't going to walk.

"She has to learn."

Once again, Margaret tried pulling on Bonnie's hand but it was more like dragging her when the little girl whined and tried not to. Her feet skidded against the pavement and she kicked her feet out as she tried leaning forwards. She didn't want to.

In an instant she dropped down to her knees with a bang and started to rock back and forth, continuing to look at the floor like she was too unhappy to try and look at any of her family. The word 'no' muttered beneath Bonnie's breath until it was barely eligible with how fast she was muttering and it turned into a hum rather than a word she was expressing.

(Y/n) felt both boys cling to her arms as she tried to look around Maddie and see why they had stopped walking and what they were all doing. But she could feel a fire burning within her chest when she saw that Bonnie was kneeling on the floor. She did that when she was upset or about to have a meltdown. She was trying to make herself feel safe and block out the world.

What were they doing?

"Now let's not be a silly girl. Come on, walk with nanny." Margaret scooped her hands beneath Bonnie's arms and tried to set her back on her feet, but the toddler's legs were turning floppy.

She was getting distressed and if this carried on and she wasn't calmed down she would have a meltdown and begin to scream. They didn't need people stopping to ask what they were doing or give them dirty looks and it wasn't fair on Bonnie when her grandparents were the ones causing her distress.

"You're upsetting her, she can go back in her stroller." It was hard to control her tone when (Y/n) could feel her temper rising within her.

They were frightening her daughter and she wouldn't let them drag her like she was a child having a temper tantrum. She was autistic and they were upsetting her and not adjusting to her needs. They couldn't just expect Bonnie to walk and ignore her anxiety and feel the same way they did when she was programmed differently.

(Y/n) tugged on Johnny's hand to get him to stand closer to the wall rather than near the road on their left. She needed him to stand with Jee and Maddie so she could go get Bonnie and carry her or put her in the stroller. She wouldn't have Margaret dragging her around like a puppet.

She shook her head with a growl when Margaret still tried to pull on Bonnie's hand and get her to walk. And she could feel herself beginning to shake when Phillip tried to take her other hand too. They clearly thought dragging her between them would somehow make her feel safe and secure rather than like she was a prisoner being taken away. And they were stopping her from stimming, she was trying to shake and twist and pull her hands out of their grip but they weren't letting her.

"She needs to learn not to be naughty-"

"She's frightened!" The wheel of the stroller screeched as Chris tried to shove it forward to get to his sister.

They were frightening her and dragging her around like a doll. If his dads were here he knew for a fact that Eddie would have picked Bonnie up by now and Evan would have stormed in and shouted at them for what they were doing.

(Y/n) was almost within reach of her daughter, even with her in-laws trying to pull her forward despite the way she was clearly whining and shaking her head and scuffing her feet into the floor. She could see Maddie out the corner of her eye, wanting so badly to argue with her parents but she was trying to usher the rest of the kids to one side to give Bonnie some space.

It was clear to Maddie and (Y/n) that the four year old was about to have a meltdown. When Bonnie had meltdowns, if she was at home she would slam doors and scream and throw herself on the floor. Out in public she wasn't always predictable, she might scream, she might stomp her feet or lay on the floor or start hitting whatever was close to her. Sometimes she had a tendency to scratch her neck if she was really upset.

There was no chance for (Y/n) to reach out for her girl.

With a violent scream, Bonnie bent her knees and started to bounce and waver until her hands were finally free from their constraints. Her hands began to shake and twitch at her sides and before (Y/n) could call her name, Bonnie bolted.

"Bonnie no!"

Reaching her hands out, (Y/n) roughly pushed past both Margaret and Phillip to take off after Bonnie. For being only four and having rather bad coordination, Bonnie was fast and light on her feet. Her head was shaking from side to side as she screamed at the top of her lungs and if (Y/n) had to guess, she would say that Bonnie had her eyes closed. Something she often did when she was upset like this.

(Y/n) couldn't keep up with her. She couldn't reach out for her and grab her quick enough and Bonnie was light on her feet. Whereas (Y/n) was trying to run off the pure adrenaline coursing through her system, but she was barely catching a proper breath.

"Stop! Baby stop!" Tears were starting to blur (Y/n)'s vision and whip against her skin from the wind hitting her face.

If Bonnie didn't look where she was going and she started to veer left, she would end up on the road.

Droplets of sweat glistened on Eddie's skin as "Bloody shutters." mumbled past his lips. He lifted his arm to swipe his forearm against his temple. The station shutters kept getting stuck and wouldn't open on one side, so he had been trying to fix it. But the most he had managed to do was get them to lift up a few more feet.

He started to climb down the small step-ladder he had found in the inventory cupboard, but his head snapped to the right and a frown settled in his features when he heard a round of screams. The high pitch noise started to get closer and it caused the hairs on the back of Eddie's neck to stick up.

He felt it in his blood before his eyes managed to confirm his suspicions. That was Bonnie's scream.

Sure enough, there was his little girl. Bolting down the street with another scream and her little shoes stamping against the pavement creating an awful echo behind her.

The heel of Eddie's boot caught on the step-ladder when he jumped down. He could feel his heart pounding through his body and igniting his skin on fire as his sights set on his daughter. He could just about see (Y/n) a few feet behind her, pointing and practically screaming herself as she just couldn't reach her.

"Bonnie- Bonnie stop!" Eddie's guttural voice must have chilled Bonnie to the bone because she almost jumped from the ground at the sound of his voice. She hadn't been expecting to see him, and she hated when any parent used that tone of voice or she thought they were angry with her.

Eddie's boots hammered against the floor but he held his breath when Bonnie veered to her left. Towards the road.

She stumbled off the curb, clearly having no awareness of where she was going or what she was doing. She just wanted to get away.

Determination set into Eddie's bones as he heard (Y/n) scream; the desperate sound rattling through him and making him want to be sick. He jumped down the curb, his arms stretched out in front of him and he swooped down and hoisted Bonnie up into the air.

Her back became pinned against Eddie's chest and he pivoted on his heels, aiming for the pavement again just as a car horn blared out. With Bonnie pinned to his chest, Eddie pressed his lips to her temple and briefly waved his hand towards the car because at least the driver her slowed down to check that everything was okay in case he had to stop.

The moment Eddie stepped back onto the pavement he felt like his legs had turned to jelly. His knees started to tremble and his arms were shaking as he bound Bonnie to his chest.

She stopped writhing and kicking the moment she realised who had grabbed her and that it wasn't a stranger or the grandparents she had tried to run away from. And when Eddie carefully turned her around in his arms so they were face to face, Bonnie bound her arms around his neck.

He felt her shaking hands knot in his hair which caused his head to angle back a bit, but right now he didn't care. She could tug on his hair and scream into his neck like this and he wouldn't argue or say one thing. She was safe in his arms, that was all he cared about.

Both (Y/n)'s hands cupped her face and she doubled forward, creasing over until her stomach ached and the sickness rising within her started to fade. She didn't bother to stop herself when she felt like screaming; she let the sound vibrate through her fingers as tears continued to trickle down her face.

She could hear Maddie shouting behind them, clearly trying to hurry along with the rest of the kids. She could hear Johnny crying and Chris calling out for all of them now that he could see Eddie was here too. And she tried to block out the sound of Phillip and Margaret's voices.

"Okay, ooh baby. Papa's got you." Eddie pressed a dozen kisses to Bonnie's temple as he moved over to (Y/n).

It was hard trying to move one arm when both arms felt like stone and were deadlocked around his daughter, but he reached out and curled his hand around (Y/n)'s arm as he stood at her side. His eyes raked up and down her frame, trying to see whether she was about to be sick, whether she was somehow hurt or if this was just adrenaline and terror taking over her system.

"What the Hell happened? W-why was she running?" Eddie had never seen Bonnie bolt that fast before. They all knew if something frightened her she might run or scuttle, but she had never pelted down the street like that or wandered onto the road. But she had no road sense, she was only four.

And Eddie couldn't fathom why she hadn't been in her stroller when he could see Chris up ahead, running as he pushed the empty stroller Bonnie should have been safely strapped into.

"I- I shouldn't keep her in the stroller apparently, so Margaret tried to make her walk. She had a meltdown, she… she bolted, because they know best."

(Y/n) pressed one hand to her temple as she tried to straighten up, but her lips creased and she couldn't stop herself from crying and gasping for breath. Her stomach was churning like a cement mixer and she could feel the baby kicking and wriggling to the point it was starting to hurt and she felt like she was going to collapse.

She had almost been too late. If Eddie hadn't been outside when he was, if he had been inside or a second too late at seeing Bonnie, she might not have made it across the road. She could have been hit by a car or crossed the road and gotten even further away from (Y/n).

If they just let Maddie or (Y/n) pick Bonnie up or put her back in the stroller then everything would have been alright. They had pushed Bonnie into this meltdown, they had caused this and almost got her hurt.

When she looked up through her watering lashes, she could see the fury written across Eddie's face.

He had never looked so furious.

His lips were curled into a snarl and were pressed together so tightly his nostrils were flaring as he tried to catch his breath back. A dark shade of rouge was quickly slithering up his neck and clouding his face and his shoulders were quaking with each heaving breath he took.

His hand was trembling as he tightened his hold around (Y/n)'s arm and carefully tugged her to the side so she was stood near the station door. And his head angled to one side as he looked over at the boys.

Johnny was clinging to Maddie's hand, still sniffling and gasping as he tried not to cry. Eddie wasn't sure if his boy knew what had happened or if he was crying from all the panic, Johnny got scared easily. But Chris was seething, he was bashing his palms down against the stroller and he was rocking back and forth to try and calm himself down.

While Maddie was stood with Jee on her hip and a concerned expression that was mixed with grief and torment. Why couldn't her parents listen to them?

Letting go of (Y/n), Eddie moved his hand to point towards the doors and he clicked his fingers. "Everyone inside."

No one dared argue with him. Maddie led the way, guiding Johnny inside while Chris steamed in and shoved the stroller into the corner so it wasn't blocking the entrance in case the trucks had to go.

(Y/n) tried to head inside but she could feel herself going lightheaded once she was through the doors. The adrenaline was wearing off and it was making her feel sick. Every part of her was shaking. She pressed her hand against her stomach and turned away just in case the kids were looking, she didn't want them to look if she was going to be sick. She leant forward and closed her eyes, breathing through her nose to try and ward off the bile rising in her throat.

Loud footsteps echoed through the station as Evan picked up the pace when he saw his family flocking through the open shutters.

A broad grin spread across his face, right until he looked around his loved ones and realised that not a single one of them was smiling back. Chris looked furious, stood with his hands balled into fists and his lips formed into a pout. Johnny was tucked into Maddie's side with a tear stained face and quaking shoulders, giving away that he had been crying.

His sister had that kind of expression Evan used to see when their parents didn't celebrate his birthday or when they forgot about his football games or didn't turn up at school when he hurt himself. She looked disappointed and enraged and tormented all at once, and it made Evan want to cry.

But it was his partners he found himself focusing on. (Y/n) had her back to everyone and she was doubled forward like she was in some kind of pain or like she didn't feel well.

And there was something in Eddie's eyes that set Evan off-kilter. Those maroon eyes were almost black. His jaw was locked and clicking from side to side and he was actually shaking as he cupped the back of Bonnie's head and tried to calm her down. And when Evan looked at their daughter, he realised she was whimpering. She was tugging on Eddie's hair, her legs were thrashing into his abdomen and she was hitting her other hand down on his shoulder.

"Hey… what's wrong?" Evan wasn't quite sure who to approach first, his partners, their kids or his sister.

The only people he didn't want to go near was his parents who were stood off to one side, clinging to each other like they had witnessed a massacre. They wouldn't meet Evan's eyes, they wouldn't look anywhere but at the fire truck like it was some kind of omen or beacon of hope for them.

He watched with wide eyes that were quickly being consumed by panic as Eddie advanced over to him with a face like thunder, but Evan wasn't expecting the words that came out of his mouth.

"Get your parents away from the kids. Now."

What on Earth did that mean? What had they done that was so bad that Eddie didn't want them around the kids? Had they hurt one of them, lashed out at one of the kids, shouted at them? Had they acted inappropriately?

Evan stood with an open mouth and blank expression, unsure what he was supposed to say in response to that. So he just stood and watched as Maddie set Jee down and gently ushered the kids to go and find Chimney because he would be able to find some sweets for them. They didn't need to be around to witness this.

The only child that needed to be with them right now was Bonnie because she was still trembling and whimpering in Eddie's arms.

When Eddie turned his back on Evan to look in (Y/n)'s direction, Evan reached out and held onto his bicep. "Babe I don't understand."

Chills roamed through Evan's body when Eddie spun back around so fast that Evan got whiplash. He quickly reached out when Eddie handed their daughter over to him and motioned to her once she was then trembling and clutching at Evan so tightly he could barely breathe.

"She almost got run over, thanks to your folks."

All the blood drained down to Evan's toes and his skin turned a milky shade of white as he looked down at his daughter in panic. He juggled her higher on his chest and gently cupped her cheek, tilting her head back so he could observe her and scour for any injuries or signs of blood or scrapes and bruises.

He hushed her when a rendition of "Daddy," babbled past her lips and he obliged and leaned forward when Bonnie cupped his face and pulled him closer so she could start kissing his cheek. Something that she was clearly doing to try and calm herself down as she was still rocking her upper body back and forth against Evan's chest, desperate to regulate her system and calm down.

"What did you do?" Evan's tone was harsh but his expression was cruel as he stepped in front of his parents, staring them down until someone decided to fill him in.

Why had his daughter almost been caught up in an accident? How was that his parents fault? What had they done today?

"Baby sit down." Eddie grabbed a plastic chair from the corner and dragged it over to (Y/n). He could see that she didn't want to, she tried shaking her head but he held onto her elbow and waist and guided her to the chair. She looked like she was going to be sick, she needed to sit down before she fainted or threw up.

He wouldn't have her collapsing or making herself any worse, not on account of Evan's parents who had caused this whole mishap today. Once she was sat down, Eddie stood beside her and moved his hands to her shoulders and he leaned down to press his lips to the top of her head. One hand slid up to cup her neck and he started counting as he felt her pulse but he was relieved to feel that her heartbeat was starting to simmer back down. The last thing they needed was a trip to the hospital.

"Tell me what happened." It was hard for Evan not to raise his voice when everything inside of him was setting on fire and he could feel himself getting riled up. But with Bonnie still trying to kiss his cheek and cuddle into him, he had to control his temper or he would frighten her.

"We were only trying to get Bonnie to walk with us, like Jee and the boys. She's perfectly capable of walking, she ran off-"

"She ran into the fucking road." Margaret's shoulders slumped when Eddie cut her off with a viper's tone and a snapping jaw.

"You wouldn't listen to me," (Y/n) hated how broken her voice sounded and she tried her best not to shout or let the tears force her into a sob, but they were riling her up so much. "I explained, I told you she has the stroller, that she was scared. You told her to stop being naughty and tried to drag her down the street, no wonder she ran."

The look on Evan's face was one that couldn't be deciphered and one that Maddie had never seen before. She tried to observe her brother, to figure out what was running through his head and what he was going to do, but she didn't expect tears to start trickling down his face.

His lips attached to the top of Bonnie's head as he bounced her up and down in his arms and turned his back to his parents so he could go over to Eddie. He didn't feel like setting Bonnie down and he wouldn't go over and argue with his parents with her still in his arms, that wouldn't be fair.

He eased Bonnie down once he was next to (Y/n) and their girl instantly scuttled in between (Y/n)'s thighs and cuddled up into her like she was hiding away in a cocoon.

It gave Evan a sense of glee to watch his parents lock hands and see how his mother leaned into his father like she thought she needed protection. Like she thought Evan would really lash out at her or raise his voice at her in front of his family, in his place of work. But she didn't like the look on his face, or the heartbreak welling up in his eyes.

"Why?"

"Evan… we, we just want to teach her, to get her integrated into the world…" Phillip stopped short when Evan shook his head and held his hand out because he wouldn't stand and be lectured by people who barely knew his children.

"You don't know what's best for my daughter!"

The gritty, furious tone to Evan's voice was enough to have everyone shrinking back in fear and those words sent his parents reeling. Evan never got upset or aggressive with them, he had never bothered to defend himself or plead with his parents to love him or show him some respect and attention that he deserved but never received. He wouldn't bother to get them to love him, but he would go to the ends of the Earth to defend each of his kids.

Especially when Bonnie didn't have a voice to defend herself.

"You dragged my girl down the street, you frightened her to the point she ran off and I'm guessing by the state of (Y/n) that she's the only one who ran after Bonnie. You have no right to come down here and pretend you know anything about raising an autistic child."

"We wanted to help-"

"Then listen to us! If you wanna help, you- fuck, you learn, okay? Bonnie doesn't see the world like you, she can't communicate your way. She sees the world as scary, it's unknown and frightening and walking is scary. Being carried or strapped in her chair is safe, she knows she's protected if she's in my arms or she's being pushed and steered and shown where she's going."

If they wanted to help then they needed to listen, they needed to understand and read about autism and try to see things from Bonnie's point of view. They had to listen when (Y/n) or Eddie or Evan told them something and not question them and their methods in raising their girl.

"You don't drag her, you don't force her to do something she doesn't understand or she's frightened of and you certainly don't call her naughty for being upset."

Evan locked his hands into fists and took a step back to prevent himself from lashing out in front of them and Bonnie.

He took a second to glance to the right, but it only made his heart ache to see (Y/n) cuddling Bonnie yet trying her best not to throw up or curl into a ball. And seeing Eddie wrapping around her and glaring holes into the Buckley parents made Evan feel even worse. His parents had upset everyone, and they still had the nerve to pretend that they hadn't done anything wrong.

"Leave."

"Evan, we don't want to argue."

Their pleading expressions did nothing to make Evan feel relieved or sorry for them and he certainly didn't feel like they had earned any forgiveness. Not wanting to argue wasn't commendable considering they had caused this row and they were the ones who were in the wrong. They would be arguing if they thought they were in the right here.

They had done enough. Evan didn't want them around his kids anymore, he didn't want Bonnie becoming any more distressed than she already was and the boys were both clearly upset and worried. This visit had been a disaster and it wouldn't be happening again.

"Good, so get out. I don't want you going anywhere near Bonnie and the boys certainly don't need to be around you either. You don't respect either of my partners or my kids so leave. I'm done with whatever this is."

When he turned around so his back was facing his parents, Evan headed over and reached out for Bonnie again. He picked her up, glad that she was a lot calmer now, although she was still looking at him with those frightened eyes and her usual beautiful smile was nowhere to be seen.

He cuddled her into his chest and attached his lips to the side of her head while he watched Eddie help (Y/n) up.

She looked drained. Tears were splashed across her face, her arms were wrapped around her middle and she was still breathing deeply like she hadn't been able to catch her breath back yet. The way she leaned back into Eddie showed she was losing what little energy she had left and Evan had never been more glad that his shift was coming to an end so he would be able to take his family home.

"Let's go get the boys." Eddie whispered the words against (Y/n)'s temple, keeping his arms looped around her waist as they followed after Evan.

(Y/n) had the urge to look over her shoulder, to see whether Margaret and Phillip looked as down-trodden and guilty as she expected them to feel. And she wanted to look over at Maddie and make sure she knew they weren't arguing with her. But she resisted the urge. Looking at her in-laws wasn't going to make a difference and seeing them look so surprised and sorrowful wasn't going to help.

They all knew that Maddie was going to stay and chat with her parents, to try and get them to see this from Evan's point of view and let them understand what they had done was wrong. She would be trying to smooth things over and she would get her parents to leave.

But Maddie wouldn't be able to change Evan's mind on this. She wouldn't get him to draw a truce with their parents and she would have a hard time convincing the three of them to give the Buckleys another chance to be around Bonnie and the boys.

They hadn't listened to (Y/n) and they had belittled her. Eddie would throw fists before he let them near Bonnie after how they had treated her. And Evan wouldn't forgive them for this.

[megalony]

All To Ourselves

This is my first Buck x Reader x Tommy fic based on an anon request. I hope you will all like it, please let me know what you think.

I'm very sorry to the anon that requested this that it took me so long to write this for you but I suddenly felt inspired to finish it.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @kyky9103 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth @chaoticnosleepinfluencer @gs29 @wh0reforsmutstuff @mel-vaz @natashamea18 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

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Buddie Masterlist

Summary: While Buck and Tommy are at work, (Y/n) takes the kids to the park. But when the neighbour strikes up a conversation and makes (Y/n) insecure, the boys try and make her feel better.

Enjoy.

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"Are we ready?" Turning on her heels, (Y/n) looked across at the twins and smiled as she pointed towards their shoes. If they were going out, they needed to put their shoes on.

Her eyes landed on her two year old who slowly padded across to her with a teddy tucked under her arm and her hands stretched out towards (Y/n). Obliging, (Y/n) leaned down and scooped Minnie up into her arms and sat her on her hip. She cradled the back of Minnie's head and kissed her temple as the toddler sniffled and cuddled up into the embrace.

"Where's daddy?"

Minnie nudged her head against (Y/n)'s neck and quietly started chewing on the ear of the teddy she was cuddling until (Y/n) pressed her pacifier to her lips instead.

"Daddy and papa are at work today." Evan had been on the night shift last night and would be home sometime this evening, and Tommy had left this morning for his day shift. Hopefully they would be home around the same time.

(Y/n) knew Minnie had been disheartened when she woke up from a nap and realised Tommy had vanished.

The two year old head gone to sleep lying on Tommy's chest in the living room and had woken up in her bed upstairs. She wasn't feeling very well, she had a cough that kept her up during the night but when she fell asleep on him, Tommy didn't have the heart to wake her to tell her he had to go to work. Not when Minnie hadn't gotten much sleep during the night and he knew a nap would make her feel better.

With Minnie on her hip, (Y/n) looked over at the twins who finished putting their shoes on and moved to wait by the door.

"Shall we go to the park?"

Daisy and Delilah nodded eagerly, moving to stand by the push chair (Y/n) had gotten ready at the door.

"Come on, you'll feel better when we go out." (Y/n) murmured softly and knelt down so she could strap Minnie into the push chair.

Wriggling around, Minnie brought her teddy up to her face and nuzzled her nose against it, biting down on her pacifier as she closed her eyes. If she went for another nap (Y/n) knew it would do her some good, but she had a feeling when she got to the park she would liven up a little.

Both twins held onto the pram, standing on either side of (Y/n) as they made their way out the house and started their walk towards the park.

It didn't take long for the four of them to reach the park and by the time they got there, (Y/n) leaned over the pram and realised Minnie had woken up. All the different, familiar sounds had caught her attention and curiosity got the better of her, preventing a nap from taking place.

Just as (Y/n) bent down in front of the pram and reached out for Minnie, the two year old started to wriggle around and she waved one hand up to point into the air.

"Daddy."

Twisting to look over her shoulder, (Y/n) glanced up to see what Minnie was pointing at. A smile graced her lips when she realised the toddler was pointing to a passing helicopter flying overhead.

"It might be, baby, I don't know." She pressed a kiss to Minnie's temple and got her out the pram so they could go and play.

Any helicopter that the girls spotted, they automatically thought that it would be Tommy flying them. Likewise, if they spotted a fire truck they thought Evan would be inside. They didn't take note of the numbers plastered on the side of the truck, they just waved and grinned madly.

"Can we go on the swings?" Daisy swayed back and forth from her heels to her toes and pointed to what she wanted to go on.

"Come on then."

(Y/n) scooped Minnie up in her arms and set her down in the toddler swing, while the girls hurried onto the big swings right next to them. She rotated between pushing the twins for a little while until they were both happy swinging their legs and rocking themselves so she could go to push Minnie.

The toddler didn't seem too keen to play today, her head lolled back and forth but she wasn't giggling or waving her arms or kicking her legs out. She barely interacted, showing how out of sorts she had to feel right now.

"What about all of you on the big swing, hm?"

A smile pulled at (Y/n)'s lips when Daisy shuffled off the swing and reached out to take her hand. While Delilah held Minnie's hand once the toddler was back on her feet. They all headed towards the big net swing which seemed to make Minnie smile and perk up a little.

Delilah got into the swing first. She gripped the roped edge and wiggled up into the mesh swing on her stomach before she spun around and sat up. A wide grin on her face as she held her hands out so (Y/n) could pick Minnie up and sit her down in the middle. And once Daisy scuttled up and got onto the swing, the three of them shuffled close together.

The twins looped an arm each around Minnie, cuddling her in between them and with their bright smiles, (Y/n) just had to snap a picture of them all.

"Alright, here we go. Hold on tight." Pulling the swing back, (Y/n) began to sway the three of them back and forth in a slow, continuous motion.

It was nice to have the park relatively to themselves with only one other parent and child across the park on the big slide, and a woman and her young daughter aiming towards the park now. It meant the girls wouldn't have to wait long to go and play on whatever they chose and they didn't have to bump into other kids or interact if they didn't want to.

Each of the girls were rather shy and reserved, they weren't as boysterous as Evan or as easy going as Tommy.

(Y/n) continued to push the swing as the twins shimmied so they were lying down on their backs, staring up at the clouds like they were trying to spot Tommy in his helicopter. Whereas Minnie stayed sitting up in between them, holding onto each twin as she swayed with the rocking motion of the swing.

After a little while, the twins finally sat up and (Y/n) pulled the swing to a steady stop.

"Can we go on the climbing frame?" Daisy pointed to the small frame with a climbing wall and a little bridge platform and a bright yellow curving slide.

"Sure. What do you want to go on baby?" Reaching out, (Y/n) scooped up Minnie and gently set her to the floor, holding her hand as the little girl looked around.

Minnie shrugged before she suddenly realised there was a mini roundabout and her feet kicked out as she tried to drag (Y/n) towards it.

(Y/n) looked over at the twins, satisfied they were happy on the climbing frame which was only a few feet away before she let her youngest drag her to the roundabout. She clambered onto the metal floor and perched down on the rainbow seat, patting her hands happily while (Y/n) began to spin it in slow circles.

She stayed pushing the roundabout for a little while, until a familiar face caught her attention. (Y/n) glanced over to the right to see a young girl, probably around seven, trotting their way and pointing happily to the roundabout.

"Can I get on?"

"Of course you can." She pulled on the metal rail until the roundabout came to a stop to let the little girl clamber on. Once she was stood to the side, happily clinging to the rail, (Y/n) began to slowly turn it again.

Her eyes kept looking back at the girl every time those blonde locks whipped in the air and she passed in front of (Y/n) in slow spinning circles. Where did she recognise that girl from? Where had (Y/n) seen her before?

The recognition clicked in (Y/n)'s mind when she saw who she presumed was the little girl's mother who came and stood a foot or so away from (Y/n)'s side. Not too close to impose or be seen as friendly, but close enough to show that she was cautious and clearly the caregiver of the little girl.

It was their neighbour.

They hadn't long moved into the neighbourhood, and neither (Y/n), Evan nor Tommy had made much of a point of introducing themselves or talking to the neighbours. They preferred to keep to themselves and talk and make polite conversation if anyone came up to them. It was easier, considering how narrow-minded most people became when they learned that the three of them were in a poly relationship.

But (Y/n) recognised this neighbour, she was the lady who lived right next door to them. (Y/n) had said hello to her once or twice when they were both out in their gardens or when they were passing by either coming or going from their homes. But they weren't friends or well acquainted.

"You're the new neighbour, aren't you?" Lisa's statement caught (Y/n) a little off guard. No hello, no polite introduction, just straight to the point as if she had no time to beat around the bush.

(Y/n) hid a loose tendril of hair behind her ear and forced a kind smile as she nodded.

"Yeah, how are you?"

"Good. So, this is your little one." She pointed towards Minnie who was smiling and giggling to herself as (Y/n) pushed the roundabout that little bit faster for both girls.

"Yeah, and the twins over there." (Y/n) pointed towards both her girls who were tumbling down the slide together before they scuttled round to climb up once again.

There was something about the way that Lisa hummed and looked at her that made (Y/n)'s chest tighten and she coiled her arms to her chest, finally stopping to have a break from pushing the girls. The roundabout was moving at a steady pace now, and it wasn't rusty or creaking or getting stuck so it just needed a little push every now and then to keep it going round until they both decided they'd had enough.

Lisa looked at (Y/n) like she was searching for something, like she was scrutinising her and it made her feel uncomfortable, but she didn't say anything.

"I've only got Anya." She pointed towards her daughter on the roundabout before her head was angling to look around like she was waiting for someone or expecting someone to come over.

She didn't seem like the kind of person (Y/n) would make friends with or someone she would voluntarily speak to very often. It was often easier for (Y/n) to keep to herself, and the girls kept her busy anyway. If she could, she had a feeling she would be avoiding this particular neighbour unless strictly necessary.

Lisa seemed like a rather snotty woman, not the kind of person (Y/n), Tommy or Evan would get along with very well. Evan couldn't stand people like Lisa, those who seemed fake and overly obsessed with image. People who stuck their noses up in the air reminded him of his parents. And Tommy didn't have a lot of patience left for people like that.

"So, what does your partner do?" She took a step closer towards (Y/n), with her hands clasped together in front of her and her pointed chin angled down so she could look over at her.

Stepping forward, (Y/n) gave the roundabout another light push before her hand moved and rubbed up and down her arm out of anxious habit. She tried to keep a friendly smile on her face as she looked towards the other woman.

"Evan's a fireman, and Tommy's a pilot, they're both first responders."

It was always nerve-wracking to talk to new people and gage whether they would be friends or stuck up bystanders. It was more frequent to have people laugh or exit the conversation than to have them try and understand and actually hear them out on their relationship.

Once people learned (Y/n) had two partners, they usually thought badly of her, as if it was all her concoction, all some big scheme she had come up with. They thought she was toying with Evan and Tommy or with them for some kind of scheme or benefit. Not many people could wrap their head around the fact that she loved them both equally and couldn't be with one without the other.

Only Evan's team had been completely understanding the first time they heard the news. It took Tommy's colleagues a little while to get used to, but most of them now acted as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Hm, I thought I saw two men next door. What about you, what do you do?" Her words were very abrupt, but she took (Y/n) by surprise.

Either she knew people in poly relationships and was completely fine with it, or this wasn't something she thought needed to be discussed and it didn't outwardly bother her. Either way, this was new territory for (Y/n), but it was relieving not to have to explain herself or gain a lecture or have people belittle her and tell her their opinions on a relationship they knew nothing about.

The way Lisa looked (Y/n) up and down caused her to shrink in on herself. It felt like she was being examined. (Y/n) felt like she was back in the hospital getting examined by the midwife. Each time she had been for check ups or scans or even during labour, it had all felt very impersonal, despite how kind most of the midwives and nurses had been.

And now with the way Lisa was observing her clothes, her stance and every little mark about her, (Y/n) felt like she was on display. She felt like she should be doing something, smiling or moving, just something to make Lisa feel satisfied and stop staring at her like that.

"Oh… I'm not in work at the moment. Since we had Minnie, I- I'm a housewife."

The tender smile on (Y/n)'s face quickly faded into a panicked frown when Lisa huffed and rose a brow in the same mannerism as a school teacher.

Was that a bad thing? Was it wrong that (Y/n) was focusing on being a mum at the moment?

When they had the twins, (Y/n) had gone back to work just before they turned one, just like any other parent and that had been hard. Juggling work and two toddlers had been a big struggle, and she had been back working less than two years before she got pregnant again with Minnie.

Work had been the last thing on (Y/n)'s mind when she had three young children to care for. And it had just been something that she kept putting off because it was better for all of them if she was home. The girls were her main priority as Minnie wasn't even in nursery yet.

"So you just stay home all day, don't go to work?" The tone of her voice made (Y/n) grimace and hold a deep breath to stop herself from saying something she shouldn't.

"I look after my girls."

Maybe if Lisa thought it was so easy, she could come over and do (Y/n)'s job as a mother and see how long she lasted. She could see how hard it was juggling twins and a toddler who was often sick and picking up every cold and sickness going due to her weak immune system. Lisa could deal with the carnage in (Y/n)'s home and see if she could handle doing a nine to five job in the middle of all of that.

"Hm." The huff Lisa let out made (Y/n) shiver, especially when she looked her up and down with raised brows. "And they don't mind, your men? Working all day while you don't?"

"No, they don't. Why would it be a problem?" (Y/n) winced when her nails started to dig into her arms and she realised she was creating scratches up and down her skin out of anxious habit.

"Well, it might be quite annoying that you don't have to work but they do, to support you all. Maybe they just don't know how to tell you."

Those words hung in the air like stale food and (Y/n) found her teeth sinking into her lower lip to stop herself from reacting or even crying. She didn't bother to make a remark or set Lisa straight because it wasn't going to do any good, clearly she had made up her mind about (Y/n) from the moment she looked at her.

Her hands reached out for the roundabout which she pulled to a stop and she reached out for Minnie who thankfully looked tired now and was no longer clapping or giggling.

"Let's get going." She murmured into Minnie's hair as she set her toddler on her hip and walked away to get the twins.

They were leaving. (Y/n) wouldn't stand around and let Lisa comment on every aspect of her life like this, and she didn't want to talk anymore. She wanted to go home. She wanted to get the girls back home in their own environment and try to calm down.

But as she aimed for the twins, she could feel her heart pulsing in her chest and sending adrenaline all throughout her system.

She wasn't a burden to the boys, was she? Did they feel irritated that (Y/n) hadn't gone back to work yet? Neither of them had mentioned about (Y/n) going back to work, they never brought it up like it was a silent agreement that they would discuss it when they all thought it was time.

Were Evan and Tommy disgruntled at being the ones going to work while (Y/n) stayed home with the girls?

***

Tilting her head to the left, (Y/n) leaned her cheek on top of Minnie's head, silently relieved that the little girl had finally seemed to settle. She wasn't coughing or grumbling or fidgeting in discomfort anymore, she was almost ready to go to sleep.

Usually she would have been in bed by now but she just wouldn't settle, and considering how she didn't sleep last night (Y/n) thought it best to keep her up and try to calm her down first.

Plus, Minnie was keeping her busy. Since coming home from the park, all (Y/n) managed to do was worry. She tidied up, settled the twins with come colouring, gave Minnie some medicine and tried to cuddle her and calm her down. She'd made tea and cleaned the kitchen until bleach and raspberry spray were all she could smell.

None of it stopped that little voice in the back of her head from nagging her and anxiety kept dwelling in her stomach, a constant reminder that she might be annoying her men without meaning to or realising it.

Her left arm jittered until Minnie was almost trembling against her waist, but she couldn't seem to settle her system. Nothing worked, especially not when Evan came home and (Y/n) didn't know how to try and smile and pretend like nothing was playing on her mind. She didn't want to pose the same question Lisa had in case she got the answer she feared.

Which was why it was such a relief when Evan let the twins drag him into the living room so they could show him their drawings. Although (Y/n) was pretty sure that Evan was in the shower now while the twins were watching a movie in their room before they went to bed.

Approaching footsteps caught (Y/n) off guard and before she had chance to turn around, she felt Minnie wriggling and perking up when she opened her bleary eyes to look over (Y/n)'s shoulder.

"Daddy!"

"Hi," A grin spread across Tommy's lips when he walked into the kitchen and saw the light sparkle in Minnie's eyes. He felt bad leaving this morning when she had been sound asleep in his arms, and he didn't want to think what her reaction would have been when she woke and realised she was in her own bed, not his arms any longer.

His nose crinkled as he grinned and his eyes creased as he made a beeline for two out of his four girls. When they were within reach, he moved his hands down to hold onto (Y/n)'s hips while he glued his chest up against her back. And he leaned down to kiss her cheek as she paused her administrations of what seemed to be a blitz of the kitchen.

The quiet rendition of "Missed you," that Tommy growled into her neck made (Y/n) shiver and she had to try hard to stop her knees from buckling and giving way beneath her.

"Good day?"

She felt him humming into her neck where he started to graze his teeth, intent on leaving a mark which caused tingling sensations to run beneath (Y/n)'s skin. And the way his hands tightened on her hips and she could feel each deep breath he took made her mind start to short-circuit.

But it wasn't quite enough to completely rid her mind of the panic she had been feeling all afternoon since seeing the neighbour. It shouldn't have gotten to her this much, what Lisa said, but the longer (Y/n) had to think about it, the less certain she felt.

The little whine that Minnie let out and the pat to Tommy's shoulder snagged his attention and caused him to lift his head away from (Y/n)'s neck. He leaned to peer over her other shoulder at their little girl who was demanding his attention in the form of a pout.

"How's my baby?" He uttered softly while he weaved around to take Minnie into his own arms.

He leaned back to settle her on his chest and his hand began to run up and down her back while he kissed her and waited for her to tell him all about her day or about how she still felt sick and needed cuddles.

"Saw you," She sounded croaky, but at least she looked tired enough to sleep tonight. And she waved her arm up near the ceiling in a circular motion to signify the helicopter blades.

"Oh, did you spot me flying today baby?" Tommy didn't want to disagree and point out that it probably wasn't him that the girls had seen at some point today.

It was cute that each of the girls automatically assumed every helicopter was flown by Tommy. He loved that they pointed it out and assumed he was the only pilot in LA. And he loved how the twins told all their friends at school that one of their dads flew a helicopter and the other was a brave fireman. They were all sweet.

With a kiss to her temple, Tommy snuggled her tighter into his chest before he turned to look towards (Y/n). His smile furrowed and his nose crinkled as he watched her put the plates and bowls away. She was constantly reaching out for something or moving around, and she hadn't turned to face him yet either. That wasn't normal.

When it looked like (Y/n) was about to head out the kitchen and walk away, Tommy took a step to the right so he was standing in front of her. His chin angled down and he rose one brow as he locked eyes with her, finally.

"Everything okay?"

(Y/n) brushed her hands up and down her waist, taking a deep breath to try and steady her system before she nodded and managed a smile. "Course."

She could tell Tommy wasn't quite sure he believed her, but he didn't object. Especially not when (Y/n) cupped his cheek and pushed up on her toes to capture him in a kiss. She let her cheek rest on his shoulder when they parted and her hand reached out to brush along the back of Minnie's head.

"I think someone needs to go to bed."

A smile flooded (Y/n)'s face when she heard Tommy murmur "Me or the baby?" into her hair.

She stayed tucked into his side with his arm deadlocked around her middle as they both walked out the kitchen and aimed for the stairs. They both knew that Minnie had to be tired because she wasn't arguing to stay awake, she was just melting into Tommy's arms like she had done this morning.

Tommy's eyes lingered on (Y/n) for a few seconds when they reached the top of the stairs and she weaved out of his arms without a word and aimed for their bedroom.

It caused a frown to etch into Tommy's features and his shoulders deflated as he walked into the nursery to settle Minnie down.

He was glad it didn't take long, only a few minutes of pacing the room and humming a nursery rhyme to get Minnie to start dozing off in his arms. He found a pacifier from the side table and pressed it to her lips before he kissed her temple and gently tucked her into the cot.

"I'll be back soon, baby." He knew she wasn't listening, but he told her anyway. One of them would come back through in a while to make sure she was actually settled to sleep and that they didn't have to spend another night nursing her through croaky coughs and pained cries.

He smiled as Minnie wriggled to get comfy, but she was almost fully asleep with her arms stretched above her head and about three teddies dotted around the cot with her. She couldn't sleep without her bundle of teddies.

With the door left open ajar, Tommy headed down the hall. He could hear a Disney movie playing in the twin's room and he would go and see them once it finished and they were ready for bed. Right now he wanted to check what was wrong with (Y/n) because he knew something was bothering her.

She was tidying again. There was a small pile of clothes on top of the chest of drawers and she was methodically folding and putting them away in that agitated manner that showed she was anxious about something. When she was nervous she couldn't sit still, and it usually took the boys a while to get her to tell them what the problem was.

A sigh tumbled past Tommy's lips as he trudged into the room and aimed for (Y/n). His arms reached out and looped around her waist once again, a little bit tighter this time now that she didn't have their toddler in her arms.

He attached his lips to the back of her head and squeezed her in his embrace, encasing (Y/n) in his arms. He felt the way she tensed briefly before she seemed to melt into him and pause what she was doing.

"Alright baby, spill."

"What?"

Tommy waited for a moment but as he suspected, (Y/n) didn't bother trying to look up at him. A sure sign that something was on her mind if she wouldn't even try looking him in the eye to tell him she was fine. They both knew she wasn't.

"Something's worrying you, I'd like to know what it is." When he didn't gain a response he sighed into her hair and leaned down to peck her cheek.

But both of them looked to the left when the door creaked and they both watched Evan walk in. He had one hand tangled in his curls that were damp and stuck up at all angles from the long shower he'd taken. It was normal for them to see him take long showers and come out looking like a strawberry from how much he scrubbed his skin. He never felt like he could get the dirt and grime from his skin or rid the smell of smoke from his hair.

He squinted at the pair of them with a slanted grin and a deep chuckle left Evan's lips when he tossed his towel on the bed and Tommy whistled at him.

"What're we talking about?" Evan found a pair of boxers and wrangled them over his hips while he snook a few glances across at his partners.

"Have you noticed how nervous someone is? She won't tell me why."

(Y/n) bowed her head and closed her eyes but she could still feel them both staring at her. She reached her hands down to squeeze Tommy's forearm and she shrank back into his chest while he turned them both to the right so they were facing Evan who hummed.

"C'mon babe, tell us what's wrong."

(Y/n) could feel the anxiety welling up in her stomach again and it made her shuffle from foot to foot and cling onto Tommy's arms that were cocooned around her middle. She feared that if his arms loosened from her then she would feel like she was falling with no landing in sight.

She didn't want to tell them, she was either being stupid for worrying about this or her fears were right. Either way this didn't seem like a conversation that would go in her favour. (Y/n) would rather sit and ignore this, but she wasn't doing a very good job when she was anxious enough for them both to notice something was on her mind.

The tender kiss Tommy pressed to her cheek drew her out of her thoughts and she tilted her head to look up at him before she glanced across at Evan. Both of them were staring at her with calming smiles and tender expressions with nothing but patience and understanding that she feared would fade at any moment.

"Does it bother you that… that I'm home with the girls?"

"What'd you mean?" Evan frowned as he grabbed the sweatpants he'd left out on the bed before he went for a shower. He kicked his legs into them and snapped them around his hips, tying them in place before he turned.

His hands planted on his pointed hips and his shoulders and elbows stuck out as he tilted his head to one side. His eyes narrowed and he took a deep breath, not understanding what (Y/n) was trying to get at here. Why would it bother them? Why on Earth would they be bothered that (Y/n) was home with the girls? Wasn't this what she wanted?

The confusion on Evan's face made a frown set into his features and he glanced over at Tommy who looked just as uncertain with knitted brows and pursed lips.

"Well, I'm not working yet. Do you think I should go back to work? Are you annoyed I'm not back at work?"

There. She'd done it. She'd asked the big question that had been bugging her all afternoon.

She wasn't quite sure what she would say if they said yes, but if they were annoyed then she would go back to work immediately. If they didn't want her to be home with the girls and they wanted to get Minnie into Daycare and start sorting their shifts again so they were each home with the girls then (Y/n) would do that.

She didn't want either of them to be irritated with her or think of her as being a burden. It would kill (Y/n) if she knew that was how they both felt, she would never want to be a burden to them.

"Why would that bother us?"

"Baby why're you asking this all of a sudden?" Tommy squeezed her hips and perched his chin on her shoulder but (Y/n) looked down at her feet instead.

"Doesn't matter."

(Y/n) wriggled and shimmied until she could slide out of Tommy's protective embrace which made her feel cold and desolate and a light trembling set in her system. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides and she kept her eyes locked on the patterned carpet as she tried to leave the room.

She didn't get far before Evan's arm branched out in front of her, cutting off her path. His hand clamped down on her hip and his other hand braced her shoulder as he reeled her towards him rather than the door. She couldn't just walk away, something was upsetting her and they needed to talk, not ignore it.

"Yes, yes it does. Something's upset you, tell us what's wrong."

Evan pressed a wet kiss to her temple, then to her cheek and he angled his head until he could kiss her lips and show her it was okay. She could always talk and open up to them.

"I met Lisa today, the lady from next door… it's nothing, forget it." (Y/n) shook her head and waved her hand as if to try and dismiss the subject, but it didn't work.

While Evan kept her pinned in his arms, Tommy moved to stand in front of her. His hands cupped her face, tilting her head back until she couldn't look away from either of them. The pair of them towered over her like suits of armour and the feeling of Tommy's thumbs gliding along her cheekbones, combined with Evan's grip on her waist, made her turn to jelly in their hold.

"What did she say?" There was something almost dangerous to Tommy's gruff voice that dropped down an octave.

What had the neighbour said to her to upset her and make her this panicked? Why had the neighbour bothered to speak to (Y/n)? The three of them tried their best to keep to themselves, they didn't need nosey neighbours getting involved and causing conflict.

Tommy continued to glide his thumbs over her cheekbones, making sure (Y/n) didn't try and move her head or look away from them. They wanted to help, and they couldn't do that until they knew what the problem was.

"She mentioned you… you both might find it irritating, that you work but I don't. Or that you might think you have to support me. I don't want either of you to think I'm a burden."

(Y/n) let her eyes close so she wouldn't have to face either of them or see what kind of expressions they had aimed towards her. And she did her best to hide the whimper that bubbled up in her chest when Tommy's hands left her face.

But a gasp broke free from her lips when a different pair of hands were suddenly clutching the back of her thighs. Her hands reached out to clamp down on Evan's shoulders and her eyes snapped open when he hoisted her up with a low "Come here."

He stepped forward until (Y/n) felt the bed against the back of her legs and her body tensed up, bracing for the impact when he laid her down on the bed with a soft thump. Her breath caught in her lungs and she stared up at Evan, who was looking down at her with a strange kind of melting smile and deep pooling eyes.

She felt his hips pressing down into hers as he laid in between her thighs and when the bed dipped, she tried to crane her head to the right so see Tommy. He had perched down next her shoulder, one hand pressing into the mattress to prop himself up while the other began to trail across her cheek and down her neck.

"I guarantee you that we would never think that, sweetheart." Tommy leant forward to peck her temple before he moved to kiss Evan's cheek too.

Neither of them would ever think that (Y/n) was a burden or that she was doing something wrong by being home with their girls. She was their mum and if she wanted to stay home with them, it didn't bother Tommy or Evan. Each of them were happy as they were and their lifestyle was working for them, why would they be unhappy or want to change that?

(Y/n) being home with the kids meant that Tommy and Evan could pick up and drop whatever shifts they liked. It was easier to swap shifts, to make sure they had the same days off together to have days home or go out with their family and to get birthdays off.

They didn't have to worry about childcare or being late for work or finishing shifts a bit later than normal if calls and events got out of hand.

"She just worried me, and the way she looked at me…"

"Ignore her, I guarantee she's jealous."

"If she tries saying anything else, I'll talk to her."

Both (Y/n) and Evan looked up at Tommy with sceptical expressions and narrowed eyes. They knew what that meant. He would go round there with a fake smile and a few choice words that would intimidate even the chief of police.

Tommy wouldn't have anyone upsetting any of his family, especially not someone who didn't know them at all and thought they had any right to comment on their home lives. He could be passive and ruthless at the same time and he would do anything for his family.

Tilting his head back down, Evan attached his lips to (Y/n)'s jaw and nudged his nose against her cheek while his hands slid up to squeeze her hips as she laid pinned beneath him. He could feel Tommy's arm sliding around his bare back and his lips attaching to Evan's shoulder which made him smile into (Y/n)'s skin.

Once he felt (Y/n) begin to relax and loosen up, he lifted his head so he was hovering over her once again.

"If you're happy being home with the girls and looking after them, then we're happy too. Being a mum is a full time job too." He waited patiently for (Y/n) to nod or smile and give some sign that she knew he was being sincere.

He and Tommy didn't want (Y/n) to go back to work if she didn't feel ready or if she didn't want to. She was taking care of their daughters, she was focusing on being a mum and that was hard with three kids under the age of six. If she was happy with the way things were right now, then there wasn't a problem because they were both happy too. And the girls were thriving, their family was happy and settled and that was the main, most important aspect here.

"We like having you all to ourselves."