#next day she got sent home and told she wasn’t allowed back

[athetos]

If you’re an employee for a staffing agency and a coworker is being discriminatory/threatening/harassung you, the best thing to do is to NOT ONLY go through HR of your agency, but to go to the security or management of your client and tell them as well. 9 times out of 10 they’ll come to a conclusion much faster than your agency, even within 24 hours, and they’ll most likely ban them from the premises and you’ll hopefully never have to deal with them again.

[pellucid-constellations]

Trial and Error (5)

Pairing: Azriel x Reader

Summary: Based on the request: "Azriel with single mom reader? I feel like being a single mom in ACOTAR would be tricky as hell… reader comes from autumn court and flees to night court because she got pregnant out of marriage? 😯 the shame"

Word count: 2.5k

Warnings: Illness, angst babyyy <3

a/n: I'm going insane and crazy and every iteration of that. I love writing this fic so much I want it tattooed on my forehead. Thanks, love you all <3

Read part one | part two | part three | part four | (bonus part 5) | part 6

Main Masterlist ♡

~~

You were in and out of sleep for the next few days—much to your displeasure. 

After attempting to down all the herbal remedies Azriel’s healer had left and continuing to care for your daughter without missing a beat, Azriel had made it clear that that would not fly. You told him several times to go home and not burden himself with caring for the two of you, but he was entirely too stubborn to listen to you. 

You even watched as his shadows left and returned with messages for him, sure that his High Lord was calling him home. 

But Azriel still stayed. 

He made food, he served the food, and he fed Melanie, coaxing her delirious eyes open to make sure she took medicine at the right times. You weren’t completely incapacitated, but it didn’t matter; Azriel wouldn’t allow you to lift a finger. 

He answered the door to the apothecary several times, sending away customers after collecting payments and restocking shelves, somehow privy to the knowledge of the store. You weren’t entirely confident that he wasn’t overcharging everyone or putting things in random places.

A few times, when sleep fought for the space in your mind, you felt fingers in your hair, along your face, across your shoulders. Each brush would send you deeper into the void you avoided so adamantly, and you were ignoring the fact that you had never felt safe enough to fall asleep in front of other people until now. 

You caught Azriel holding Melanie on a few occasions.

You would crack an eye open after an unexpected bout of sleep and he’d be rocking her in his arms, bouncing her to sleep as she lay her flushed face on his shoulder. 

Azriel had never told you if he had experience with children. Sure, he mentioned his closeness with Nyx and how much he loved his nephew, but that was… different from this. The ease with which he held Melanie, the instinct he seemed to have towards her—it felt different. Looked different. 

You felt an unexplainable sense of safety as you watched them. 

Melanie would pull back from his shoulder and arrange her fingers on the planes of Azriel’s cheeks and he would smile at her. And you felt safe. 

You found more energy on the third day of the fever. 

You got out of bed and took some semblance of a bath, fumbling around in the bathroom without much coordination. Your head was still fuzzy and an ache still permeated deep within your muscles, but the feeling was lessened. 

It wasn’t until after your bath that you realized you hadn’t checked on Melanie the moment you woke up. 

You hadn’t shot out of bed and raced to her room as you had done almost every morning since she was born. 

You hadn’t feared that she was somehow taken from your home, from your arms—that she was in danger of being ripped from your grasp and sent back to Autumn to live out the same cruel fate you were destined for. 

A small voice in the back of your mind offered a gentle whisper, reminding you that it was because of Azriel that you found that brief moment of peace. 

You pushed it back. 

With a shiver, you made your way down the narrow hallway to your daughter’s bedroom. 

Empty. 

You felt your heart rate tick up in a small bout of panic, but you were calmed by a fluttering in your chest just as quickly. The light pressure led you into the kitchen and then flushed into a warm bloom as the scene in front of you unfolded. 

Melanie was bundled up in a blanket and sat atop the kitchen counter as Azriel whisked the contents of a bowl. She was talking her head off about something that happened at school and Azriel was nodding his head with each exasperated huff she let out. Another glance told you that Melanie had eaten an entire plate of food before you’d entered, a feat in itself as your daughter hardly ate to begin with—let alone when she was sick. 

“Mommy!” Melanie cheered, wrapping her arms around your neck as you entered the quaint kitchen. “I thought you were gonna sleep forever. I wanted to wake you up but Mr. Azriel said you had to sleep to get better so he made me lunch.” 

“Lunch, huh?” you smiled, gathering her into your arms and sliding her off the counter. 

“Uh-huh. You slept through breakfast and lunch. Aren’t you hungry, mommy?” 

“Maybe a little bit.” 

“Well, you should have Mr. Azriel’s pancakes.” Melanie yawned. Her blinks became longer. “They’re so good, mommy. He should live with us and make them all the time.” 

From the stove, you heard Azriel breathe out a laugh. You glanced at him through your lashes as you held Melanie in your arms, the broad expanse of his wings barely contained in the kitchen. The shirt he wore strained against his arms as he shifted a pan on the burner and he didn’t look back as the two of you spoke. 

“I think I need a nap,” Melanie proclaimed, rubbing at her heavy eyes. “I thought I was a big girl at school now and didn’t need to take naps. You told me that, mommy.” 

You tore your gaze from Azriel’s back and offered your daughter a soft smile. “Well, you need rest to get better, too. So it’s okay for you to take naps right now.” 

“I don’t like having hot blood. This is so annoying.” 

You jutted your head back at her statement and made to have her explain, but Melanie shimmied from your arms and scampered off to her room before you could make a sound, her blanket dragging behind her. 

That left you alone with Azriel. 

“Hot blood?” you asked, leaning against the counter and attempting to appear casual in your own home. It was still surreal that he was up here—making pancakes in your kitchen—when just a few days ago, you never would have let him get past the stairs. 

Azriel hummed and flicked the burner off, leaning his back on a nearby counter to face you. “I think she heard what Madja said when she was explaining what was wrong with you both. Mel’s been calling it hot blood. I didn’t—I didn’t think it was my place to correct her.” 

You pressed your lips into a line and rubbed your forearm in some attempt of comfort. “Right.” A long pause. Azriel didn’t press you to speak. You did anyway to fill the dead air. “You really didn’t have to stay for as long as you did. I know this place isn’t what you’re used to and it must have been a handful with Mel—” 

“I wanted to stay,” Azriel interrupted. He stepped forward and placed a hand on your forehead, ignoring the tension you felt weighing on your shoulders. “You’re still warm.” 

“I feel a lot better. Almost completely fine. It would be okay… if you had somewhere to go. If you had to leave, I mean.” 

The hand on your forehead slid down to your chin and tilted your face up. Azriel’s gaze flickered between your eyes—back and forth with a furrowed brow as if trying to parse out a deeper meaning behind your words or solve a puzzle you hadn’t presented. His hand was hot against your chin in a way it wasn’t against your forehead. 

“You should eat,” he settled on. He brushed your still-damp hair back from your face before turning on his heel. “Mel was right. I make great pancakes and you haven’t eaten in a while. Lucky for you she didn’t finish all of them. She was close, but there are a few left.” 

You let him fuss, watched him as he rooted around the cupboards to pull out a plate and a glass, and tried to figure this out now that you were more coherent. 

Azriel had stayed—for almost three days he had stayed at your apartment and cared for you and your daughter as if it was expected. Each time you had woken up he had been there, coaxing water and bone-dry broth into your mouth before helping you see Melanie and then helping you to fall back to sleep. He had held your daughter and made her pancakes and he was still here. 

Could this somehow be nefarious? Some ploy to get close to you just to use you as a bargaining chip and send you back home? Had the High Lord demanded that his Spymaster keep a close eye on you and this was the outcome? 

No. 

No, that couldn’t be the reason Azriel was setting a plate down on the counter beside you. That couldn’t be why he caught your eye with a worried gaze and seemed to pinpoint your inner turmoil almost instantly. 

But why? 

His visits over the past few weeks had been welcomed—confusing at first, but a welcomed break from the mundane, anxiety-fueled life you lived. You had grown comfortable with him and Melanie had begun asking for him when she showed you her art projects or had questions about the walks of life. You had come to expect his presence in your store and found yourself looking forward to the chance to see him outside of Melanie’s school. 

But what could he possibly have to gain from making himself a constant in your life? 

You had asked before, a single question with a simple “Why not?” for a response that you had brushed off. Because it wasn’t too much of a big deal for him to stop by or help you lift the apothecary boxes or let Melanie talk his ear off. 

But this was a big deal. 

It was a big deal when he sat beside you until you fell asleep and it was a big deal that he was still standing here now, inches from you, eyes boring into yours. 

“Why are you doing this, Azriel?” 

Your question seemed to suck all of the air from the room. Azriel winced to such an infinitesimal degree you almost missed it. His fingers twitched as they rested on the counter. The plate of food sat forgotten, its intended distraction wasted. 

“I’ve already said.” 

You shook your head. “‘Why not’ was okay when you were stopping by the apothecary a few times a week and flirting with me for fun. It was okay when you were saving me from nosey teachers and opening doors when my hands were full. It was okay when this—” you jabbed your finger between your chest and his “—didn’t involve you in my apartment holding my daughter until she fell asleep. I need more than why not, Azriel. I need to understand if… if…” 

“What?” he whispered so close the air between you warmed. 

When had he gotten so close?

“I need to know if this isn’t safe. If there’s some other reason for all of this.” 

This time, when Azriel winced, he flinched. His body seemed to stun and his face twisted into a frown etched with such an uncomfortable pain it was difficult to look at. 

He spoke as his head shook. “I’ve told you this isn’t… I want you to feel safe with me. I thought I would have proved that was possible after this.” 

“You have,” you were quick to reply. “I wouldn’t have been able to take care of Mel if you hadn’t been here. But, that’s the thing. I don’t even know how you knew to come here. You walked in asking if I was okay—asking where Melanie was. I know your shadows spy, but why, Azriel? Why take such an interest in me? In us?” 

“Is it not enough to just want to know you?” he asked, his words tight and pained. 

“No. For others, maybe. But not… not after everything I’ve been through. Not when everything I have could be ripped away. I need a reason, Azriel. I can’t let this happen without one. I can’t put Melanie in danger.” 

“I don’t understand,” Azriel pleaded. He got closer, wrenching his head down to find your eyes. “Help me to understand. What danger are you in? I can explain, but I can’t protect you without knowing.” 

You let out an exasperated scoff, tugging at your hair and regretting the action as a headache bloomed. You took a step back until your back met the kitchen wall. 

“You can’t protect me, Azriel. You can’t.” 

“I could if you—” 

“It doesn’t make sense that you want to! You work for the High Lord. You spy for him! Do you have any idea what any of that means in the grand scheme of things? What it could mean if someone found out that the Night Court’s Spymaster was suddenly asking around about someone from Autumn?”

Azriel opened his mouth to respond, confusion marring his features, but you were breathing faster, the fever and the panic combining beneath your skin.

“I have stayed hidden for five years—five. I shouldn’t have sent Melanie to school. I shouldn’t have asked for help from anyone. If… if someone finds me—” 

“No one will find you. Hey—hey.” Azriel invaded your space, your back against the wall and his hands against your face. His eyes softened as they caught yours. “No one is going to find you. You need a reason why I want to be here with you? Why I care about you and Mel?” 

Your jaw quivered under his fingers. You nodded in place of speech, unable to find words that wouldn’t make tears fall down your cheeks. 

Azriel stared back at you with so much torture and conflict in his eyes you almost wanted to take back the request. He took several breaths and seemed unsure of his next words. But he held your face in his hands with such surety, strong fingers unshaken. 

The Shadowsinger brought you forward with the guide of his palms until his lips met your forehead. 

And then he pulled back and said, “You are my mate. I want to keep you safe—to protect you and Melanie—because you are my mate. You are what I’ve been waiting for for hundreds of years and if you want nothing to do with me after this, that’s fine. But if you’ll have me, I will do everything in my power to protect you.”

part 6

[starry-hughes]

façade

jack hughes x reader (ex)

summary: jack hughes can’t admit he lost you.

warnings: ANGST ANGST ANGST, jack hughes is a LIAR

navigation

Everything was muffled as Jack Hughes stared at his cup. A clear cup full of bubbly champagne. Guests around him, mostly family, all laughing and talking. Jack didn’t like champagne. You didn’t like champagne. It was never kept in the apartment because of the shared dislike for it. It tasted sour in Jack’s mouth.

He broke from his trance as Quinn slapped a hand on his shoulder. “Stop pouting,” his older brother joked. “Your girlfriend had a work trip, you can survive a wedding without her.”

It stung. It really did. You weren’t his girlfriend. You hadn’t been since April. But he hadn’t gotten the courage to tell anyone that the two of you had broken up. And here Jack was, at a cousin’s wedding, lying to every family member who asked him where you were. “Oh she has a work trip, couldn’t make it unfortunately.” The lie came out easier than ever. He had been lying to everyone so it was easy to continue doing so.

His parents. God he felt guilty for lying to them. It was like he was eight years old again, lying that he did his homework already. Except now, the lie was bigger than undone homework. The lie was that every time he looked at his phone, he was texting you. Every time his parents asked about you, he would just say you were busy with work, or make up some story about how you had called earlier and told him about your day. How he made sure he sent flowers or dinner to you since he was away and you weren’t with him. The lie just got bigger and bigger when his dad sat down and gave him the talk about proposing, making sure he asked for permission before proposing, the offer of the family heirloom ring.

His family loved you. Everyone loved you. He barely held himself together when his uncle joked that the next wedding would be Jack’s and yours. Oh if only they knew.

Jack didn’t know where it all went wrong. Everything had seemed perfectly fine. Everything was fine in Jack’s eyes. Then he watched as your stuff had slowly began disappearing from the apartment. You weren’t around as much. When the team had finally allowed Jack to get his surgery, when it was confirmed that the team wouldn’t make playoffs, he was home more.

It seemed fine. And then he finally asked what was wrong.

Luke was on a roadtrip. Jack was recovering from surgery but he asked what was wrong. “What is happening to us?”

The words hit you like a truck. You weren’t ready to have this conversation. It was going to hurt. But you knew you were in the wrong. You had decided to slowly leave without even talking to Jack. And now he knew. “We both know we aren’t happy.”

Your words broke his heart. He swore he felt his heart stop working. He was happy. “I’m happy,” he stuttered. His arm was in a sling but all he wanted to do was hug you. “I’m not, Jack.”

Tears stung his eyes. You were going to break his heart. “I can fix this. Let me fix this!” His voice was breaking. Everything was unraveling before him. He couldn’t play hockey. He was about to lose the one person in the world he was sure he couldn’t live without. This wasn’t fair. “It can’t be fixed!” you snapped back, “I’m not happy here. I’m not happy with you. Or this relationship anymore.”

There it was. His heart shattering. His eyes hurt and hot tears rolled down his cheeks. “What did I do wrong?” his voice cracked. “We are just in different parts of our lives.” How could he not see this coming? How was it such a shock to him? How had he been so stupid to let himself lose you?

“I can fix it, I promise.”

He was pleading, begging. Anything to make you reconsider. He thought about his summers with you and his family, the way you joked around with his brothers, the way you loved talking to his parents, the way you would run around with his youngest cousins. The boat days when you looked pretty his eyes couldn’t be on anything or anyone else. The family reunions where you sat with his grandparents and listened to their stories.

He thought about the winters with you. The winters where you curled around him in bed because you were cold. The game days where you showed up in his jersey. The way you stood in the stands and cheered him on. The time it snowed when you went home with him on Christmas break and watching you stare at the snowflakes in awe. He thought about the autumns with you. The way you loved walks in the city, watching the leaves change colors. The way the air turned cool and you would steal his jackets. The way you and him would curl up, undressed in bed, windows open and the cool autumn air would blow in and give you the need to be closer to him.

The springs with you. The season he bought you flowers every week. The air warming up and watching your wardrobe change back to spring colors and how pretty you looked. The way you would pick a flower from the grass and put it in his hair. How you stared at how the sun reflected his eyes. How he fell in love with you over and over again with the seasons.

And all of it was slipping away in moments.

It was like he was watching three years circle the drain. The love you had for him had drained out of the sink and his was overflowing. Love, like water, spilled on the ground, over the lip of this metaphorical sink, it was filling, it was always full, always overflowing. And he hadn’t even realized that you had pulled the drain on your sink.

“Please.” It was one word. It came out strained. His mouth was dry. Was he about to throw up? How would he have to tell his family? His friends? How would he have to admit he lost the best damn thing that walked into his life? How would he admit that he let it just walk out?

For a second, you stared at him. Memories flashed through your brain. How Jack looked on your first date. How he looked lying next to you in bed at night, sleeping peacefully. Were you really about to give this all up? Yes.

“I’m sorry.”

When Luke returned from his roadtrip, he noticed the apartment was colder. Jack’s bedroom door shut and your stuff was missing. He assumed he would tell him eventually but it never came. Luke watched Jack bite his tongue days later when Nico asked about you, he watched the lie fall out of Jack’s mouth. Something about you having to relocate for your job but you were still dating. Luke knew it was a lie.

Now, Jack stood in the middle of the reception at his cousin’s wedding. At least he wasn’t still at the ceremony, watching two people in love seal their relationship with rings, watching the event that he was sure that you and him would eventually reach. The reception was lovely. And there he was with his glass of champagne that was getting warmer by the second.

Quinn stood on one side of Jack, Luke on the other. “When you and (Y/N) get married do I get to be the best man or does Lukey get to?” Quinn asked. He didn’t mean it to remind Jack that he was a liar. He genuinely had no idea Jack and you weren’t together. Luke stared at Jack, watching his eyes glaze over with tears for a brief second. Luke was hoping, praying, silently begging that Jack would end his own self-inflicted pain.

Jack forced a smile and a laugh, “You two can fight for that position. (Y/N) doesn’t care either way.”

[waywardxrhea]

loml - a Spencer Reid one shot

pairing: Spencer Reid x former BAU!fem!reader (no use of y/n)

word count: ~15k (this one's a beast whoops)

You left behind the BAU years ago and have been working as the captain of the police force in small town Montana when a string of murder-suicides catch your attention and you start looking into them. The BAU is called in and you become overwhelmed by feelings surrounding your ex-boyfriend Spencer Reid as you attempt to investigate this case and clear the air between the two of you.

content: canon-level violence, blood, swearing, anxiety, idiots in love

now playing: loml by taylor swift

not my gif, dividers by @firefly-graphics, and once again shoutout to my bestie @westernbitch for helping to come up with case details for this one!

A sharp knock broke the silence of your office and you looked up to see one of your reporting officers at the door with a look on her face that told you something terrible happened. “What's going on, Kate?” you asked, placing the file you were holding down onto the desk to give her your full attention. 

She sat down in the chair across from you and taking a shaky breath, she whispered, “There’s been another murder-suicide… It was Natasha and Hayden…” 

“Oh my God I’m so sorry, is there anything I can do for you or your family right now?” you asked, getting up and making your way around the desk to give the younger officer a hug. 

Kate’s sister and her boyfriend had taken off nearly two months ago for their freshman year at UCLA and weren’t due back until Thanksgiving. Maybe the pair didn’t agree on their majors like they originally decided or got spooked by the big life changes and decided that this was the best course of action. He did have a history of prior juvenile battery charges… Nonetheless it just wasn’t sitting right with you… Not after two other murder-suicides within the last four months. So after sending Kate home to be with her parents and remaining sibling, you went to investigate the crime scene. 

When you got back and had some time to do some thinking, you called one of your detectives into the office. “You wanted to see me?” came his voice as he stepped into the office a few minutes later. 

You stopped your fast-paced writing of theories to offer a polite smile as he sat down across from you after closing the office door. “I wanna see if you can connect the same dots that I am, Josh.”

“Okay, shoot,” he says, leaning forward with an eager smile. Josh had joined your squad a few months ago as a rookie detective and he was always ready to look into anything that came across your desk. 

“Six months ago the Fenways went away to mourn his cousin’s death in Florida. Then before anyone even knew they were back home, they both turn up dead in what was ruled a murder-suicide,” you started, tapping your pen along the paper sitting on the desk in front of you. “Then the Greenwoods turned up in the same situation a couple months later after going away on an Alaskan cruise.”

“Maybe that was the breaking point for both men. Everyone knew their marriages were on the rocks for months before that happened,” Josh said in a contemplative voice as he leaned back into his chair. “Losing a relative and driving all the way down to Florida and back could have caused some tension that made him snap. Same with being stuck on a boat for a few weeks. I heard they weren’t allowed to dock and were stranded on board for a week or so because of a conservationist protest. That would make anyone’s temper short.”

“That’s what I thought too,” you agreed. “However, Natasha Quinn and Hayden Welkins just turned up dead in another apparent murder-suicide.”

“No way!” Josh said, his eyes widening in shock at the news. He ran a hand over his chin and asked, “Is Kate okay?”

“She’s at home mourning with her family. She’ll be off for the next few days but I’m taking her off of this investigation,” you replied. 

“Investigation? Why is it a-?” he said, but then paused in the middle of his sentence. “Wait, you think there’s someone behind this, don’t you?”

“That I do,” you affirmed with a nod. “One was a tragedy, two could be a coincidence, but three? I think someone’s behind this. It could be someone manipulating them into killing.” You looked at the pictures of the dead bodies in the file you began creating and sighed. You scrunched your eyebrows together and shook your head as you said, “There’s so far been no signs of physical torture on the victims. They were all found days post-mortem in wooded areas off of trails though, so their bodies were worse for wear so we can’t exactly rule it out. Even then, psychological torture is a viable option.”

“So maybe the trips away weren’t even real… Maybe whoever is doing this created fake letters to send to all of the victims to make everyone in town aware that they would be gone so suspicion wasn’t raised…” Josh said as dots began to connect in his mind. “And as much as I hate to say this, Natasha and Hayden may have been a crime of opportunity. They could have been driving home exhausted when something happened and they were grabbed.”

A proud smile made its way onto your face at his theory and you nodded, telling him, “Exactly what I was thinking. Whoever this unsub is is getting sloppy and we’re going to get to the bottom of it.”

“W-wait, us? You want me on this?”

“As a rookie detective you just deduced what I did as a former FBI agent with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. You’ve got what it takes, Josh. So yes, I’m asking you to help me out with this case,” you said with an encouraging nod. “This is a small town and people talk, so let’s get out there and see what anyone knows.”

“Yes ma’am!” he said, jumping up from his chair and turning toward the door with a spring in his step. 

“And Josh?”

“Yes ma’am?”

“This case is on a need to know basis so it stays between us unless I tell you someone else is allowed to know about it. Got it?”

“Got it!” he said while giving you a two-finger salute and a sideways smile. 

“So be subtle!” you shouted with a laugh as he exited the office and set out to begin his investigation while you conducted yours. 

A few weeks later you were making some headway in the investigation on the murder-suicide case. One crisp November morning when you and Josh were talking with someone over coffee about what they knew of the Greenwoods and their supposed vacation, you heard a scream outside of the diner. With your eyebrows scrunching together, you looked outside only to see a man holding a woman in a chokehold with a gun pointed to her head. 

Rushing out of the diner, you made your way to the area near the fountain where he was at and held up your empty hands to show that you meant no harm. When you got closer you finally recognized the man and woman standing in front of you. They were a married couple that had moved to the town a couple of years ago after vacationing in the area. From the outside they were a happy couple, but you had heard around the rumor mill that she had cheated on him on occasion when she was drunk. 

“Hey,” you began in a soft voice, one you would use if you were approaching a skittish animal so you didn’t spook it off. “Hunter, can you please put the gun down? We can talk okay? Just let Hanna go and we can talk things out.”

“No!” he shouted, pointing the gun in your direction to fend you off. “She deserves this! He told me so!”

“What did she do to deserve this, Hunter?” you asked softly as you creeped closer slowly. All the while, the emaciated woman just stood there catatonically in his hold. There was no hint of light in her eyes and if you didn’t see her breathing you would have guessed she was already dead. “Who told you this?”

“All you women are the same! He told me that all you do is lie! All you do is take advantage of us and then leave when it’s convenient for you!” he shouted, voice strained and eyes with a wild look in them. It was a look you had seen too many times during your time in the BAU, but before you could take further action to try and talk the man down, the first shot already rang out followed in quick succession by the second. 

A whirlwind of emotions filled your body in response to the event and they paralyzed you as you stared at the pair of bodies on the ground in front of you. Shock, disbelief, horror, confusion. A roaring sound filled your ears as your mind flashed to the day you decided to leave the BAU, but your thoughts were torn away from that time when you felt hands on your shoulders gently shaking you back to reality. “Captain. Captain! Are you all right?” came Josh’s voice through the cotton feeling in your ears. 

“I need to call Emily…” you whispered in reply, the back of your hand going to wipe away some of the blood that had spattered onto your face and was starting to slowly drip down. It hurt your pride to call in your former team and you have always dreaded the day you needed to, but you knew that you were in over your head trying to solve this on your own anymore…

“Okay, will everyone gather around? We’ve got a case,” Emily Prentiss announced to her team as she strode into the bullpen of the offices of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. 

“What’ve we got this time?” Tara Lewis asked as she looked up from the paperwork she was finishing up at her desk. 

“It appears to be a string of manipulated murder-suicides up in Montana. I have it on good authority that the latest victim was implying that someone convinced him that his wife deserved to die and then he took his own life shortly after hers,” Emily informed the team as they gathered in the area. “The other acts were not witnessed but I’m sure if we did a deep dive into their personal lives we would find evidence that the other male victims believed the same of their partners. This is the fourth murder-suicide in the town in five months and the unsub seems to be getting more brazen with his acts so we’re wheels up in thirty.”

“Fourth in five months? Why did the locals wait so long to contact someone?” Luke Alvez asked, the corners of his mouth turning down into a frown at the thought of someone letting this go on for so long. 

“Because the captain is a former one of ours,” she replied, shooting Luke a look that said to not reprimand the actions of the officer. “She was working the case herself and was beginning to make headway when the unsub set the latest two out to commit the act in the middle of downtown. Happened right in front of her. This case is escalating and it’ll take more than one set of trained eyes on it to catch this guy.”

“A former one of our own? Who is she talking about?” JJ asked quietly to no one in particular.

“Oh I know exactly who she’s talking about…” Penelope Garcia said quietly with a glance in the direction of Spencer Reid who seemed none the wiser about who their unit chief was talking about. 

JJ followed Garcia’s glance and quietly gasped as she asked, “You don’t mean-?”

“Yes I do mean!” Penelope said conspiratorially as she leaned in closer to the blonde. “When she left, Spencer never contacted her because he was so broken up over Maeve’s death that by the time he was finally in a headspace to process the breakup and her leaving the team it was far too late to try and make amends so he just never did! He doesn’t know where she went and she cut off all contact with the team except for me and it’s been a secret that I have hated keeping for so long because I know we all loved her so very much!” Penelope took a deep breath and let it out as she slouched back in her chair as if keeping that in all these years was a heavy weight that had finally been taken off of her shoulders. “You can’t tell him though!”

“Why not? He deserves to know that he’s going to be walking into his ex-girlfriend's police station!” JJ whispered back. 

“If you had a nasty breakup with someone would you want to know you were heading to meet with them and have to stew in that anxiety and uncertainty for hours on the plane ride there?” Penelope asked, a stern look in her eye as she once more straightened up in her chair. “That big brain of his would work overtime trying to figure out what to say so that you would make zero headway on the case!”

“Fine…” JJ relented. A small smirk graced her lips as she added, “I’ll keep you in the loop with how awkward he gets.”

“You better!” Penelope said. An air of seriousness washed over her for a moment as she added, “I know this case may dredge up a lot of old memories for Spencer so can you just keep an eye on him?”

“Of course,” JJ replied. Penelope smiled in return before heading off to her office with a file of information to look into on the victims. 

Time went by paradoxically during the wait for the BAU to show up at your station. It went slowly because you dreaded the looks on everyone’s faces upon seeing you after nearly four years with no contact. As you showered the blood off of yourself in the staff locker room, your mind once more flashed back to the day you decided to leave the BAU. 

It had been months of feeling distant from Spencer as he got closer and closer with the geneticist you pushed him to go to in order to get to the bottom of the headaches that had been plaguing him on and off for some time. Maeve Donovan. May she rest in peace, but she was the reason your relationship with Spencer fell apart… As their talks got deeper and he opened up to her more, you felt like you were sloughed away from Spencer’s life, brushed off so he could take calls with her and discuss what for the most part never even sounded like his could-be battle with schizophrenia like his mother… 

You remembered the day he had wrapped a book to give her when they decided to first meet. You couldn’t even remember the name of the book, but the returning feeling of heartbreak made a quiet sob escape your mouth as you scrubbed the shampoo into your hair harshly. The dam finally broke as you remembered the day that you and the whole team took time off of the clock to help Spencer out with getting to the bottom of who was stalking Maeve and making her fear for her life. Tears flowed freely from your eyes and dripped down into the soapy water swirling into the drain as you pictured Spencer sobbing over Maeve’s body as she too was killed in a murder-suicide. Hearing him whisper the words that you hadn’t heard in weeks of “I love you,” to her as he cried was what sealed the deal because in your heart you knew Spencer didn’t love you anymore. 

It took a few more days to make the final decision but in a whirlwind of anxiety you had made many phone calls back home to your parents and they encouraged you to take some time away from the BAU to come home to Montana and figure things out. So you put your notice with Hotch in and quietly broke things off to a catatonic Spencer who was so bereft following Maeve’s death that he didn’t even react to the breakup. 

Once back home you spent a few months piecing yourself together before moving for a job offer you felt like you couldn’t refuse and since then had been promoted to Captain after a year. It wasn’t ever what you planned for your career, but life has a funny way of guiding you in the direction you’re meant to go. 

Turning to face the shower stream once again, you scrubbed your face with your face wash one more time to ensure you got all of the blood off before turning off the shower and beginning to dry yourself. You wiped away the steam from the mirror in front of you and looked at your reflection, squeezing your eyes shut as you pictured the blood on your face again. When you looked back up at yourself again, it was obvious that you had been crying so you made quick work of getting dried off and into a fresh set of clothes that Josh brought from your house before heading to your office to try and freshen up with the meager set of makeup you had in there. 

You were surprised to see your entire makeup collection on the desk and as you sat down to begin working the makeup on, Josh popped his head into your office, saying, “Hey Cap! Lindsey went with me to get your stuff and we grabbed all of that for you. Said something about seeing your ex-”

“I told you not to tell her that!” came the voice of another one of your officers as she made her appearance in the doorframe. She shot you an apologetic look and said, “I’m sorry I knew I shouldn’t have said anything, it’s just that-”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” you said before forcing a cheery smile on your face at the pair in front of you. “Thank you two for getting the clothes and makeup from my place, I appreciate it.” You resumed your makeup with slightly shaking hands as you asked, “Now can you go make sure the work area is in the order I requested? Whiteboards and markers ready, corkboard cleared of the meme wars, desks available, coffee brewing with plenty of sugar because I know we were almost out earlier this morning.”

“Yes ma’am,” they chorused before taking off to get the space ready for the team’s arrival which would be… in less than an hour. 

The hour flew by as you went over the case file once again and you jumped as you heard a knock on your door that pulled you out of your concentration. Looking up, you couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto your face as you said with quiet enthusiasm, “Emily! It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well. As you know I got promoted to Unit Chief after Hotch left. I see you’ve been getting some promotions too,” she said warmly as you stood up and offered your arms out for a hug which she accepted. “Garcia?” she asked simply and you knew she was asking how you had kept up with things in your absence, so you nodded. When you pulled away, she glanced at the notes on your desk and asked, “Are you ready for the brief with the team?”

The question made your heart jump in its cage. “Who all is left from my days on the team? What new faces can I expect?” you asked, trying to tiptoe around the elephant in the room. 

“Spencer’s here if that’s what you’re getting at,” she replied softly as she reached down and gave your arm a reassuring squeeze. 

“Damn profilers,” you said jokingly before taking a deep breath and gathering up your files to take to the main area of the station to meet with the team. 

Your heart hammered in your chest so hard you could practically feel it jumping up in your throat as you approached the meeting area. You busied yourself with your papers as you and Emily made your way over, sweat beginning to dampen your hands the closer you got. You practically stopped breathing when your eyes looked up and met Spencer’s. He looked as handsome as ever, maybe even more, and all at once you felt everything rushing back, waves of emotions threatening to engulf you as you struggled to breathe under his gaze. 

Spencer looked like a deer in headlights when he spotted you and you couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking at that moment. The look on his face suggested that no one told him that the case was being manned by you and while it made you happy that Penelope kept her word, you weren’t sure if the look of shock he was sporting was a good or bad thing… 

You were ripped away from your anxious thoughts and Spencer’s eyes as a cheer in a distinctive accent broke through the chatter of the office. Your name was called enthusiastically and you turned in the direction of the sound to see David Rossi sporting a wide grin as he held his arms out to embrace you. “How’ve you been kiddo?” David asked as he embraced you quickly before holding you at arms length to survey your features that had no doubt matured since he last saw you. 

“The last 24 hours or the last four years?” you asked with a quiet laugh. “I’ve been making it though. Can’t complain.”

“That’s good to hear,” he said before turning you toward the rest of the team and telling you, “That’s Tara Lewis and Luke Alvez, they’ve joined the team since your departure. I’m sure you’ll love them!”

You offered the two of them a smile before suddenly you were being pulled into a hug by JJ and when she pulled away you couldn’t help but wonder how the hell you were supposed to greet Spencer. You were always a hugger, everyone knew it, and you actually shocked the office when Spencer let you hug him just a few days after you joined the BAU. But that time felt like a distant memory and your eyes turned to the ground instead of looking back at the man who used to bring you so much comfort but at the same time, more than ever you wanted so desperately to be in his arms…

Thankfully you didn’t have to make a decision on the matter because Emily’s voice cut through the quiet roaring in your ears as she said, “Yes, yes we all missed her, but we can get back to the reunion later. Right now we’ve got an unsub to track down.” She called your name before asking, “What do we know?”

You cleared your throat and went into work mode, telling the team, “So far we have eight victims.” You began placing pictures of the scenes on the table as you listed off their names, “First was Nora and Henry Fenway who we as a town thought went off to Florida after Henry got the news that his cousin passed away. Big Catholic family who wanted to perform a lot of traditional stuff for the funeral. They were found over a month later by some tourists hiking through the trails on the outskirts of town.

“Next was Theresa and Harry Greenwood who were set to embark on an Alaskan cruise and got stuck in the water due to some conservationist protest. The protest story checks out, but when we called the cruise line a week or so ago, there was never a record of the couple on board, so we think that the cruise package they were boasting about winning was a ruse to make sure that the rest of us knew they were expected to be away for a while. They were found dead near a river off of a popular hiking trail.

“Third was the sister of one of my officers. Natasha Quinn and her boyfriend Hayden Welkins were thought to be off at UCLA for college but were found dead in an abandoned cabin that has been a known squatting location. Kate told us that there wasn’t too much contact from her sister during the time, but they all put it off to her being busy with school.”

You took a deep breath and tried to push the memory of the latest shooting out of your mind, but you could tell that your voice was distant as you detailed the latest pairing. “And just this morning it was Hanna and Hunter Newberry. He came out into the middle of downtown with Hanna in a chokehold and shot both her and himself but not before saying that ‘he’ told him that she deserved it.”

“Do we know anything about who ‘he’ might be?” JJ asked. 

“No idea,” you replied. “Josh and I have been doing some digging to see who started the rumors about the protest with the cruise, but it became a dead end when the first person who heard it said they just heard someone on the phone talking about it but they didn’t remember when it was or where they were.”

“You said that Kate’s sister didn’t have frequent contact. Does that mean she still texted occasionally?” Luke asked. 

“Kate and her family were getting occasional check-ins from Natasha, yes,” you confirmed. “Kate told me that the texts were pretty short for the most part though and that they didn’t really seem like her usual style of texting. She put it off to being busy between classes and trying to get into sororities though.” 

“I’ll have Penelope look into that,” Emily commented, taking down another note on the notepad she had in her hand. 

Your heart skipped a beat once more as Spencer’s voice cut through the air as he said, “All of the men’s names start with an H. I wonder if it could be the first initial of the unsub and he’s expressing himself through these killings. Maybe this is some twisted fantasy of his and he’s acting it out.”

“So you’re saying he might have an endgame?” David asked thoughtfully. 

“Yes, and I don’t think he’s going to stop until he gets her,” Spencer confirmed as he pondered over the photographs you left on the table before stepping away. 

“Then let’s get to work,” Emily said. She called your name to get your attention and informed you, “Tara and I will interview you about what you saw this morning. Spencer get started on the geographical profile. David head to the medical examiner’s office to see if there’s anything you can find on the bodies. Luke go see if you can get CCTV footage from the businesses around the crime scene. JJ start working with Josh to interview the other witness from this morning to see if she knows where the couple came from. I’ll patch Penelope in so she can get started on a list of men whose names start with an H that live in the area.”

“So can you walk me through exactly what happened this morning?” Tara asked you as you sat across from her and Emily in an interrogation room half an hour later. There was a part of you that for some reason felt like you were in trouble, but you understood the reason behind it. It was the easiest way to record the conversation and keep distractions from factoring into your memories of your encounter. 

“Josh and I were speaking with a cousin of the Greenways to see if they could give us some insight into how their marriage was when I heard a scream outside of the diner,” you replied quietly, eyes focused on the metal table between the three of you as you tried to remember everything. “When I got out, there was a bystander. She was the one that screamed and Josh took her away to make sure she didn’t get hurt.” You began picking at the sleeve of your sweatshirt as you continued, “I didn’t recognize the couple at first, they both looked worse for wear. Hunter is usually clean shaven but he had a wild beard that clearly hadn’t been taken care of and Hanna looked like her hair hadn’t been brushed in days… He had this wild look in his eyes and she just…she looked practically dead already.”

“How do you mean?” Tara asked curiously. 

“Well…there was no light in her eyes. Her cheeks were sunken in and she wasn’t even fighting. She just stood there,” you replied. “Even when Hunter was shouting and waving the gun there was no reaction whatsoever.”

“And what was Hunter shouting?” Emily asked. 

You paused for a moment and thought before replying, “He said, ‘She deserves this! He told me so!’ and then when I asked what he meant and who told him that he said something like, all women are the same and that he was told all we do is lie and take advantage of men and then leave when it’s convenient for us. And then…” you let out a sharp breath and closed your eyes as you remembered what happened next, “then he shot her and then himself.” You dabbed a tear away from the corner of your eye before adding, “I was so close to him when it happened… I… I just froze. Their blood was all over me and I just…” you didn’t even know how to finish your sentence as you let out a shaky breath, trying to hold your tears back and keep your hands occupied by messing with the hem of your sweatshirt. 

“It’s been a long time since you’ve been so close to something like that,” Emily offered quietly. 

“Exactly…” you whispered. “It reminded me why I left the BAU. When my anxiety and depression got so bad and I just couldn’t take it anymore… The job, life, everything was just too much. It broke me.”

“And that’s completely understandable,” Tara said empathetically, giving you a warm smile. There were a few moments of silence that were filled with her taking notes before she offered, “If you need a minute alone we can cover for you until you’re ready to go back out there.”

“Thank you,” you replied with a nod, leaning your head down onto your arms and feeling the cool metal of the table on your cheek to try and ground yourself before you slipped off into another breakdown. 

Meanwhile outside of the interrogation room, Spencer stood there with his heart breaking. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t even hear JJ approach until she asked, “What are you doing? I thought you were supposed to work on the geographical profile.”

Spencer startled a bit before sighing and telling her, “I don’t know… I guess I just needed to know where her headspace was on everything.” He ran a hand through his messy hair and mumbled, “I really messed up with her, didn’t I? She said that this reminded her of when she left and that life was making her anxious before she even decided to go… That was because of me.”

JJ sighed and gave him a quick pat on the back as she replied, “Yeah, there’s no denying that you messed up big time…” She felt Spencer tense before she finished with, “But maybe you can at least ask for forgiveness. Take her to dinner and try to make amends.” Spencer nodded and threw you another glance before turning away and going to work on the geographical profile. 

When you emerged from the interrogation room, the team was either out on their assigned tasks or grabbing lunch, so you decided to get some quiet time with your files in your office while you tried to get some food down. You were pushing salad greens around in your tupperware when your phone began to ring and you picked it up with a, “Hello?”

“My sweet, sweet friend, oh how I missed your voice!” came Penelope’s cheerful voice through the speaker as her way of greeting you. 

“I’m sorry I don’t call Penny, I just… I was afraid of-” You cut yourself off and scoffed before finishing with, “Forget it, it’s dumb. You probably called about the case and I’m getting off track. What can I help you with?”

“No, no, tell me!” Penelope protested. “It is lunchtime there and no one is calling for anything so this has officially turned into a ‘tell Penelope all of your woes’ time!” 

You laughed quietly before asking, “And there’s no getting out of it?” 

“Unless there is literally another death while we’re on the phone then no,” she replied chipperly. 

Letting out a deep sigh, you decided that this wasn’t a battle you were going to win, so you told her, “I never called because I was afraid I would just open up old wounds. The thought of if we were on the phone and Spencer came in…it terrified me.” And suddenly, without even thinking about what you were saying, you blurted out, “And now here we are with him in the breakroom of my precinct drinking coffee that I made sure we had enough sugar for because I have never been able to fall out of love with Spencer Reid!” You covered your mouth to attempt to prevent the words from coming out but it was entirely too late for that. The truth was out there and Penelope had heard every word of it. 

“Oh honey…” she said in a quiet voice. 

You knew she didn’t mean it in a condescending way, but the building tightness in your chest after she said it was making it hard to breathe. You filled your lungs as much as they would allow before whispering, “I-I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, no, no! Don’t feel bad about your feelings!” she protested from her side of the line. 

“I-it’s just…” You took a slightly deeper breath before you began rambling again, telling her, “I’ve tried over and over and over again to find someone out here but it just never works. There was even this one guy back in April that was so sweet! Penelope, he picked me wildflowers while out on his guided hiking tours and arranged them into the most beautiful bouquets! He ordered me edible arrangements and had them sent to my office! He bought me coffee every morning in the diner when I was there picking up breakfast before coming into work! Hell, on our one and only date we had a candlelit picnic and he bought my favorite wine! That shit’s expensive! But I just couldn’t commit to him knowing that someone else still has my heart…and I don’t think there’s a way to get it back.” 

By the end of your rant, your tears were falling once more and you dabbed them away with a tissue or two as Penelope sighed and said, “I wish I could give you a hug right now… I had no idea you were still feeling that way.”

You scoffed quietly before asking, “Why would you? I should hate Spencer for what happened. He fell in love with someone else while still dating me and didn’t even flinch when I broke up with him because he was so torn up about her death. But…” You shook your head and finished quietly, “He’s the love of my life and it hurts so damn bad knowing that I’m not his.”

Before Penelope could offer anything else, there was a knock at your door and you looked up to see it cracking open to reveal Spencer’s handsome face with that awkward-as-ever smile crossing his lips. “Spencer, hey,” you whispered, your breath being knocked out of your lungs at his sudden appearance as you hoped that he didn’t hear anything you just said. 

“I think that’s my queue to go…” Penelope said quietly and in quick succession you heard the tell-tale sound of the call ending. 

“Hey, can I talk to you?” Spencer asked timidly as he opened the door a bit more to fully reveal himself. 

“O-of course,” you replied, hoping that it wasn’t too obvious that you had been crying. “Everything going okay out there? You holding up okay after…everything?” 

“I’m doing fine, yes,” He said with a quick nod. “I got the geographical profile down, but it’s in a weird pattern that I’m still trying to make sense of. All of the locations are in a strange arc sort of line without a centralized location that indicates a familiar area that the unsub is comfortable in. The first three sites were more so out in hiking areas in the woods so I thought it could be an avid hiker, but the latest one was so out in the open that it makes me wonder why the unsub chose that location. He isn’t escalating because there was still time for him to psychologically torment the victims before sending them out to commit the act so I’m trying to determine if maybe this was an outlier or if it’s a part of his endgame to have used that specific spot for that couple…” 

Your heart fluttered in your chest upon hearing him rant on about the profile he had created and you hoped he didn’t notice that your eyes were practically heart-shaped as you listened to his soothing voice ramble on about the case. He cleared his throat and shifted his weight from foot to foot before adding, “But uh…that’s not what I came to talk to you about.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and said quietly, “I was actually coming in here to ask if I could take you to dinner tonight. There’s a lot I feel like needs to be cleared up between us after…everything that happened. I know it may be wrong to ask for your forgiveness after so long but-”

“Yes,” you replied instantly, unable to fight the smile working its way onto your lips at the offer. 

“Y-yes?” he asked with an undeniable sparkle in his eyes as he too gave into his emotions and let his smile light up the room. 

You nodded and were about to say something more when Emily popped her head into the office after giving a short knock on the door, informing you both, “Garcia got us a list of possible suspects, let’s get to work.”

“Yes ma’am,” you and Spencer replied in unison, and you had to fight back the giddy giggle that threatened to bubble out of your mouth at the statement in stereo. 

That evening you took a quick trip to your house to freshen up before meeting Spencer. Even though you knew it wasn’t a date situation, you still took the time to make your hair look nice and put on a dose of perfume that you remembered Spencer liking. When you pulled into the parking lot of the cafe you and Spencer agreed to meet at and stepped out into the chilly November air, you pulled your coat close as you started toward the door. 

Before you could reach out to grab the handle though, another hand reached out and pulled it for you. Expecting to see Spencer holding the door open for you, your heart gave a stutter in your chest as suddenly the reality of the situation hit you. You would likely be discussing what happened back in Virginia, and that would mean talking about Maeve and the reason your relationship ended and that scared you. Sure, you had attempted to process everything yourself, but facing it head on would be an entirely different experience in which you would have to hear what made him fall out of love with you…

Your anxiety spiked for a completely different reason though when you looked up because when you did, your eyes met the very man you turned down because you still weren’t over Spencer. “Hartley, hey. Thanks,” you said quietly as you slipped through the door and into the warm building. 

“Looking for some company?” he asked as he walked in behind you and began attempting to help you take off your coat. 

Before you could respond, the hostess greeted you by name and asked how many were in your party. “There’ll be two, Rose,” you told her with a smile and she began reaching down to grab a couple of menus from behind the counter. While you were telling her this, you pulled away a comfortable distance from Hartley and began taking off your coat and gloves on your own. “I’m meeting someone actually,” you told him simply, tucking the gloves into a pocket and hanging the coat on the rack by the door.  

“Oh, okay,” he said slowly. “Are they late? I can get you an appetizer and drink while you wait,” he offered and you noticed his eyes moving around the restaurant in search of your intended partner. 

As he said this, the small bell above the door chimed and your eyes gravitated that way to see who was entering. Raising a hand in a wave, you greeted Spencer with a smile as he joined you at the hostess counter. He quickly took off his coat and racked it before running a hand through his messy hair and saying, “Sorry I’m a few minutes late, I was wrapping up something with Prentiss at the station!”

“It’s no problem, Spence. Rose was just about to take me to the table,” you assured him as you nodded your head toward the kind woman. 

“Great,” he said as the pair of you began following Rose to the table in the back corner she knew you preferred to dine at. 

“I guess I’ll see you around,” you said quietly to Hartley who was escorted to his usual spot at the bar by another hostess. 

“Who was that?” Spencer asked curiously after the two of you placed your drink orders. 

“Something that I assume will be addressed when we talk,” you admitted, feeling heat begin to crawl up your neck. Spencer nodded stiffly and remained silent in response to the comment, the tension only breaking when Rose came back with the drinks and said she would give Spencer a few minutes with the menu. 

“So what’s good to eat here?” Spencer asked timidly after a few more moments of silence as his eyes quickly scanned the menu. 

You let out a quiet sigh of relief at the fact that he wasn’t diving into the serious talk you needed to have and relaxed a little in your seat as you began raving over the menu items that you preferred and which ones you thought should be avoided. “And we have to get dessert, the pie here is to die for!” you gushed as you pointed out the dessert menu on the back. 

“Let me guess, the coconut cream is your go to?” Spencer asked, a small smile lining his lips. 

“Always,” you affirmed, a smile breaking out on your lips. “Remember that time when I-?” you tried to start, but couldn't even get through half of the sentence before dissolving into a fit of giggles. 

“When you were bringing a pie to the office and you tripped as you were putting it on the counter and tried to play it off as a pie eating contest with Morgan?” Spencer asked with a laugh and a sparkle in his eye at the memory. 

“Yes!” you said, more laughter spilling out of you as you remembered Derek’s reaction. “I still can’t believe he actually went along with it!” 

So that was how the two of you spent the next little while - reminiscing on the better times you two had at the BAU before your abrupt departure. That was, until Spencer’s eyes drifted slightly left over your shoulder as he asked once more, “Who did you say that guy was from earlier? He’s been glaring daggers this way the whole time we’ve been here…”

You sighed and nodded. It was time to face the music. So you took a deep breath and told him, “That’s Hartley. He flirted with me for months before I finally agreed to a date with him, but… Things just didn’t work out between us. Ever since then, he’s tried to get with me again, but I always turn him down.”

“Why’s that?” Spencer asked, his posture straightening the slightest bit at your words which you tried not to overanalyze as you instinctively studied his body language.

“I… It felt disingenuous to be with someone when my heart was still back in Virginia with you…” you admitted quietly as you pushed around some of the food on your plate to distract yourself and to avoid looking into Spencer’s eyes. When he didn’t say anything in response, your heart rate kicked up and you felt your palms start to sweat as you began rambling. “And I know that may sound crazy because it’s been so long but I just never got any sort of closure with you after everything that happened so I never really closed that part of my life away and so those feelings just…never left… I know you fell out of love with me, but it just isn’t that easy on my part…”

You wiped away a stray tear that escaped during your ranting and were about to open your mouth to apologize when Spencer whispered your name in a broken voice as he reached across the table to request your hand to hold. When you tentatively gave it to him, Spencer’s large hand wrapped around yours as he said in a quiet voice, “I know that saying this now doesn’t make up for all these years of silence, but I really am so sorry for what happened.” He cleared his throat and told you, “When you found Maeve for me and I started speaking with her about my headaches I finally felt seen. I thought I loved her because she was able to help me get through something that had been plaguing me for years. I was so excited to finally understand what was happening with me that I didn’t even realize that I had started to put you on the backburner. By the time I did, Maeve was dead and you had left and I didn’t know what to do so I just never reached out…” 

“Oh… I-I’m sorry I-” you started to say after a few moments. 

“No!” he exclaimed a little louder than he probably intended because you could see a tint of red creep onto his cheeks and he slouched into himself to try and make himself smaller. He squeezed your hand before saying in a quieter voice, “Please don’t blame yourself for anything that happened. Looking back I know that you were trying to be there for me, but I got hyper focused on what Maeve was doing for me that I started to prioritize you less and that wasn’t fair to you.” 

You cleared your tightening throat and told him, “Everyone makes mistakes, Spence.”

“But not everyone’s mistakes make them lose the love of their life like mine did,” he told you, a serious tone in his voice as he held your eye contact unwaveringly. “I messed up and I know I don’t deserve it but I would like to try and make amends so I can eventually earn your forgiveness.”

“I think you’re already on your way there, Doctor,” you told him, a shy smile on your lips as your eyes darted toward your intertwined hands. 

“So explain to me again what the ME’s findings tell us?” you asked as you flipped through a file the next evening. 

“The brains of all the victims had densities and lesions in certain portions that have to deal with the capacity to have rational thoughts and feel emotions properly. We think that this happened because they were exposed to emotional and psychological torture for an extended period of time which is how the unsub manipulated them into performing a murder-suicide,” Spencer informed you quickly. 

David ran a hand over his chin before asking, “So then what did the unsub have on all of these people that made them so easy to manipulate into snapping?” 

“Well we know that he said that all women are the same and just use men, so-” you started to say but were interrupted by JJ coming up with her phone on speaker and Penelope’s enthusiastic voice coming through the speakers. 

“All of the women in these couples were wanting an out from their relationship in one way or another!” Penelope informed the group. “There were some cases of cheating or wanting a divorce or breakup or just getting out of an abusive partnership. Poor Natasha was being abused by Hayden and just wanted out…”

There were a few moments of silence before Spencer suggested, “If all of these women were trying to leave their relationships in some way then maybe that was the unsub’s stressor.”

“Maybe he was cheated on or recently divorced then,” Luke offered. 

“Right,” Emily agreed. “Garcia, can you start looking into recently divorced men in the area and cross match that with your list of men whose names start with H?” Emily asked. 

“I am on it!” the blonde replied as you all heard her fingers typing away on her keyboard. After a few moments she said, “There are a handful of recent divorcees in the area. A Harold Fenton, Herschel Brunswick, and Hester Lincoln.”

“Right, so then we start with those men and see if they have anything to do with these cases,” Emily informed the group. “It’s getting late and I doubt anyone is going to be awake at this hour for questioning, so we start in the morning and I’ll assign teams for the interrogations then. Be smart people, it isn’t going to be enough to just get an alibi for the time of the killings. We need to know where he was roughly when the couples were abducted and if he’s got other properties or a room in his house where he could have done the torturing.”

Before there could be any more discussion on the matter, Josh came into the precinct with a shocked looking woman on his arm. JJ and Tara rushed over to retrieve the woman from him and you asked quietly, “What happened?”

“She said she was out for an evening walk when she came across two recently shot bodies. Jessica Stevenson and Hendrix Jordan. Both shot in the head presumably with a pistol that was found beside his body,” Josh replied grimly. “While EMS was looking over her to make sure she wasn’t hurt, I asked around and turns out a neighbor had heard them fighting pretty loudly before she stormed out. He followed pretty soon after, but the neighbor said they didn’t see him with a gun.”

“Did you take any pictures of the scene?” you asked, your mind beginning to run a million miles an hour to try and work a way in front of this lunatic.

“Yeah,” Josh said as he pulled out his phone and pulled up the picture. 

The team gathered around the phone and each studied the photo before David asked, “Is anyone else seeing what I’m seeing?” 

“Yeah, the placement of that gun isn’t consistent with someone who just shot himself,” Luke said, his eyebrows coming together in confusion as he studied the picture. “And I’m sure once we get the ME report, it’ll show that the gun wasn’t flush with his head either.”

“So you’re suggesting that this one was a double murder?” JJ asked. 

“We don’t know for sure, so let’s not get lost in the weeds, people,” Emily told her team. “The unsub is escalating. He didn’t even take time to torture this couple. This may mean that he was triggered recently and felt the need to kill. We need to get to him before he gets to another couple.”

By the next afternoon the unsub had already struck again.

You and Spencer had just gotten back from speaking with Herschel Brunswick at the cafe when you were informed of the killings. Kaitlyn Grant and Harley Dixon, a young couple who the whole town loved, but knew he was drifting away because he was so committed to his job just outside of town and would spend long hours there. 

“Damnit!” you shouted in frustration, your fists clenching as you could feel your blood begin to boil when it started to feel like rage was consuming your entire being. 

You brought your hands to your face in an attempt to cover up the anger but they were coaxed down and held gently by Spencer’s as he mumbled in his soothing voice, “Hey, we’re gonna figure this out.”

Ignoring Spencer’s words, you whispered, “This is my fault…” With the rage taking over once more, you snapped, “This town trusts me and the sheriff to keep them safe, but in the last five months twelve people have died! Twelve!” Your tears began to fall and you practically collapsed into Spencer’s arms as you whispered, “I can’t do anything right…”

Instinctively, Spencer caught you and started running a hand up and down your back to try and comfort you. Forgetting he was in front of the whole team and your officers, Spencer kissed the top of your head before trying to calm you down. When your breathing had finally slowed and your tears subsided enough for you to feel comfortable showing your face again, you untangled yourself from Spencer’s arms and gave him a quiet ‘thank you’ before turning to face the team and your officers who had all migrated toward the other side of the room in order to give you and Spencer space. 

You were about to try and make a speech toward the team to attempt to motivate not just them but yourself too when Tara came up and placed a hand on your forearm, giving you a warm smile. “I think you need a break,” she told you gently. “This case is getting to you and I think you need to clear your mind for a little while.”

“But-” you tried to protest, but were stopped by Spencer. 

“Significant stress has been shown to measurably affect neuronal properties and cognitive functioning of the hippocampus. It’s also been found to impair memory function and the ability to recall information of which could be crucial in a case like this. Did you know that in some theories about the effects of stress on the body, the individual actually loses the ability to function in the presence of excessive stress which leads to exhaustion and potentially death?”

“Okay, not what she needed to hear at this moment, but I agree with Reid that it may be best for you to go home and take a breather for a while. Details in this case are really important and I know that you want to nail this one,” Tara told you and began walking you to your office to grab your things and help you to your vehicle while assuring you that the team had it under control.

Back in the precinct, Emily cleared her throat and announced, “Okay everyone! We know from forensics that the gun was in fact not up against Jordan’s head when he was killed and that it was actually from a distance away so we can confirm that he was killed and did not commit suicide. I bet we’ll get the same result from today’s victims. This unsub is working overtime to get our attention so we need to give it to him.”

Spencer nodded and added, “Brunswick wasn’t our guy because we were with him all morning. What did we find out about the other men Garcia identified as recently divorced?”

“Fenton is clean too, we just got back a few minutes before you two,” Luke informed him.

Tara nodded in agreement. “Lincoln too. He isn’t our guy.”

“So what are we missing?” David asked. 

“I don’t think we’re missing something. Maybe we’re just thinking too narrowly,” Spencer offered as he turned to look at the new report Josh had filed on the new crime scene. 

“Well then let’s widen our thinking. We can’t let this guy kill anyone else,” Emily said finally before assigning groups to tasks. 

After finding out that of course there weren’t any trail cameras in the area of the latest scene, Spencer was once more going over files in search of something he must have somehow missed. “Why don’t you go over the geographical profile again now that we have more victims?” Emily suggested. 

So he did, taking stray pins from the cork board and placing them in the places of the latest two crimes. What was revealed in front of his eyes was the shape of a heart. “Son of a bitch…” he whispered, looking over to Emily with wide eyes. “He’s plotted out where he wants all of these people to die in order to make a heart on a map, so it could stand to be assumed that-”

“His real target lives in the middle of that heart,” Emily finished with a grim look on her face. 

“That’s a large area to cover that doesn’t seem like it’s heavily populated, we’ll need a few teams to fan out and search the area,” Spencer said, grabbing a pair of keys from the rented SUVs they had been using to get around town. 

“Right.” Emily looked around and started giving orders to those who were back at the station, “Luke, go with Spencer in the first SUV. Josh you’re with JJ and David in the second. Tara and I will go with Lindsey in a patrol car. We have a lot of ground to cover so let’s get moving!” 

Spencer calculated the coordinates to the exact center of the heart and began driving that way with Luke in the passenger seat. On the way there, Luke broke the silence of the vehicle by asking with a smirk, “So what was going on with you and the captain earlier?”

“Old habits die hard I guess. We used to date back when she worked at the BAU,” Spencer told him. “There were a lot of cases where she needed some mental help afterward and that’s how we ended up together. She found my facts and statistics comforting because at least there was some form of guarantee to her safety.”

“That’s cute, I didn’t know-” Luke began to say but stopped short when at the same time he and Spencer noticed the vehicle in the driveway of the house they were approaching. “Reid-” Before Luke could finish his sentence though, Spencer had thrown the SUV in park and was getting out with his gun pulled from his holster. “Reid, think rationally here! Just because her house is the one you think may be in the middle doesn’t mean-”

With his gun drawn in one hand and his phone in the other, Spencer dialed Penelope as he and Luke made their way up the winding driveway, keeping to the tree line and in the shadows of the fading sunlight. “How may I be of assistance Doctor? I-” Penelope started chipperly.

“Did she ever talk to you about her relationships since leaving?” Spencer asked quickly. 

“She? Who do you-?” she tried, but was quickly interrupted by Spencer blurting out your name to hurry her along. “Oh! Just one she told me about the other day! She said that back in April this guy tried to get with her but they just went on one date.”

“Hartley…” Spencer muttered under his breath. “Garcia, try to find anything on a man named Hartley in the area, that’s the last man she dated. Call Emily with whatever you find and send her to my location.”

“Got it!” she said before ending the call. 

“Reid, what's going on?” Luke asked urgently. 

“The first couple was abducted back in late April, after she rejected a man named Hartley. He was at the restaurant we went to the night before last and was glaring daggers at me the whole time. I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that those two couples were killed so close together after that night…” Spencer told Luke quietly as they approached the house. 

Spencer just about reached for the doorknob of the house before Luke snatched his arm away and sharply whispered, “Don’t! You’re smarter than that! What’s gotten into you man?”

“It took me two days to figure out that she was the target of the unsub when it should have taken me two minutes after dinner that night! If she gets killed then that’s on my shoulders since she rejected him because of me!” Spencer whisper-shouted at him. 

“Then we need to do this right and take him down quickly and quietly. We can’t just go in guns blazing,” Luke said before releasing the grip he had on Spencer’s arm. He listened for a moment and motioned toward the back of the house, telling Spencer, “I hear two voices coming from that direction of the house. Let’s start there.”

When they got to the back of the house, your voice and a male’s voice could be heard from inside having a conversation about dinner and flowers. Luke’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he whispered to Spencer, “It doesn’t sound like she’s in danger…”

Spencer peered around the corner and risked a glance into a window, noticing how your eyes flicked in his direction before taking the conversation into the next room, making sure the man who was with you followed. So Spencer motioned for Luke to follow behind him and he noticed that this room was near a backdoor that the pair of them could use to get into the house if needed. 

That time came when, straining his ears to hear, Spencer heard you say, “Do you like literature? I think my favorite line is from Macbeth. Act one, scene five, lines 64-65.”

And with that, Spencer kicked in the door to the house and pointed his gun toward Hartley as he announced, “FBI, don’t move!” 

Luke came in shortly after Spencer, also with his gun raised as Hartley grabbed you around the waist and held the gun loosely near your head as he let out an almost maniacal laugh. When he took in the two men across the room from him, he shook his head and said, “How fitting that it’s you who came to her rescue? You two really had a connection the other night at the cafe and it made me realize that it was you this whole time! You’re the asshole who made her turn me down! You’re the reason my heart got shattered into a million pieces! It isn’t fair that someone can break a heart so easily! So she doesn’t deserve to live and neither do I because I destroyed all those families lives by killing their sons and daughters, mothers and fathers!”

“You don’t have to do this!” Luke warned the man sternly as he trained his gun on the man’s head. 

Spencer noticed Hartley’s loose grip on your waist and said your name to get your attention. Hartley warned him to shut up, but Spencer ignored him and instead locked his eyes with your terrified ones. A small reminiscent smile made its way onto his lips as he asked softly, “Remember what you told me your favorite movie was when we went on our first date?” You thought for a moment and then nodded almost frantically as Spencer said, “I want you to do the opposite of that for me, okay? Now!” 

And just as he planned, you dropped to your knees, allowing Spencer to get a clean shot on Hartley that took him down in an instant. The second that he went down, Spencer holstered his gun and ran to your side, sitting himself on the ground and against the wall as he pulled you into his chest to comfort you. While he did this, Luke kicked the gun away from Hartley’s hand and checked his pulse before quietly nodding to Spencer. 

“He’s gone, he can’t hurt anyone anymore,” Spencer whispered into your hair before kissing your head and letting you burrow into his embrace as you cried. “Breathe with me sweetheart, I’ve got you,” Spencer mumbled as he tried to calm you down, running a soothing hand up and down your back at the same pace as he wanted you to breathe. 

Minutes passed as Spencer attempted to calm you down and he was mildly successful, enough to get you out of the dining area and onto the back of the ambulance that arrived with the rest of the team. As Spencer hesitantly left your side in order to go locate any anxiety medications you may have in your medicine cabinet, Luke followed him and asked, “Dude, how did you know she was in danger?”

As Spencer pulled out a bottle and read the label, he told Luke, “Act one, scene five, lines 64-65 of Macbeth says ‘Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't.’ That was her way of saying that what looked like an innocent conversation between partners was actually a dangerous situation.” A huff of a laugh left his lips before he added, “She studied Shakespeare for fun in college and would analyze his work with me when we were together. Don’t try and get into a debate with that woman about Shakespeare, you’ll lose every time.”

“Wow… You two must have been a force when you were both at the BAU,” Luke mumbled, seemingly in awe of how easily the pair of you were able to communicate without giving anything away. 

“Hotch thought that we could somehow read each other’s minds sometimes,” Spencer confirmed with a quiet laugh as he pulled the right bottle from the shelf. 

“So what was the movie?” Luke asked curiously as he followed Spencer through the house once more, weaving through the BAU team members and your officers who were investigating the scene. 

“Up,” he replied. “I told her to do the opposite so she went down.” Luke chuckled in response before being whisked away by Emily to recount his version of what happened while Spencer went back to the ambulance to give you your anxiolytic to help you calm down. 

The next morning came after a sleepless night pacing a motel room that the sheriff had booked for you so your house could be processed and cleaned up after the events of Hartley’s takedown. When you drove up to the station there was a decent sized crowd near the door, presumably to get a sneak peek as to what happened at your house the night before. A light knock on your window made you jump and clutch at your heart as you looked over your left shoulder to see Spencer there with a small smile on his face. 

“Want some company to head inside?” he asked as he offered you a hand to help you out of the vehicle. 

“Stay close?” you asked quietly, afraid that perhaps the people in that crowd had already figured out that you were in fact the target of Hartley’s killing spree and were there because they wanted you gone… 

“Of course,” Spencer replied as he hooked your arm in his and the two of you made your way through the crowd and to the front door, ignoring all of the questions being thrown your way. 

When you got inside, you almost breathed a sigh of relief before you were approached by Tara and Emily who told you once more that they would need you in the interrogation room, but this time for an actual questioning. At the request your body stiffened as you realized that you would have to relive the situation again and without missing a beat, Spencer said, “As long as I can be in there with her.”

“Spence, you know that-” Emily started but was interrupted by Tara. 

“Let him,” she told Emily with a shake of her head. “As long as Reid doesn’t say anything to her it won’t matter if he’s in there or not, but if she needs his presence for comfort we at least should allow that.”

“Thank you,” you whispered, your muscles relaxing the slightest bit as you and Spencer began following the pair to the interrogation room. 

Once inside the cold space, you pulled your cardigan close and made sure that Spencer’s hand was held in yours before you nodded to signal that you were okay to begin. “So can you tell me what happened yesterday from your point of view?” Emily asked. 

“I left the station to clear my head after being informed that another couple had been found dead. I grabbed a few groceries and headed to my home where inside I found Hartley Rivers standing in the kitchen of my previously locked house,” you told her quietly, your voice wobbly as you spoke. 

“Did he do or say anything when you got there?” Tara asked. 

“He was…oddly calm at first. Asked what I got from the store and said that I should make the two of us a meal. Said that it was the least I could do for him after all the work he’d been doing lately,” you replied. 

“Did he elaborate on that statement?” Emily asked. 

“Not at first,” you said, “but I got him talking and he confessed to staging all of the murder-suicides in the last few months. He…he said…he said…” you trailed off as your breathing began to pick up and your leg began to bounce anxiously. 

“Take your time,” Tara said. 

“He said it was my fault…” you whispered. “He said that if I just didn’t reject him then all of those people would be alive…” The grip Spencer had on your hand tightened the slightest bit and it brought your turbulent thoughts to that feeling alone and you used it to ground yourself back to reality before clearing your throat and adding, “He told me that I was the loss of his life and that I didn’t deserve to live for what I did and neither did he. But he thought that if he got my attention in a way that wasn’t romantic gestures it would get the point across better…”

“So you're saying that he confessed to orchestrating the killings?” Emily asked. 

You nodded. “Yes. He didn’t tell me where, but…”

“Then what happened?” Tara asked gently when you didn't elaborate more. 

“I…I saw Spencer sneaking around outside so I brought the conversation to a room near an outside door and informed him that I was in danger by referencing a line from Macbeth,” you said, which earned a small smile from Emily. “When Luke and Spencer got in, Hartley grabbed me and held me at gunpoint. From there things get fuzzy because I was so scared. All I remember is Spencer asking me something so I took a knee and heard a gunshot and Hartley let go of me. I thought I got shot until I felt Spencer pull me into his lap and then my anxiety got the better of me…”

“Thank you, you did well,” Tara informed you, standing up and coming around the table to give you a squeeze on the shoulder. 

“We’ll get all of that into the right hands and then we’ll have to be on our way soon,” Emily said hesitantly as she made her way to the door. 

“I’d like to stay behind for another day or two. I’ll use vacation days,” Spencer told her immediately. “I can book myself a flight back to Virginia and do my paperwork on the way.” Emily opened her mouth for a moment and then closed it, simply nodding in response before making her way out of the room with Tara behind her. 

“You didn’t have to do that, Spence…” you whispered. 

“No, but I wanted to. I need to make sure you’re okay at least through the hardest part of this,” he informed you as he helped you stand up on your unsteady legs to leave the room. 

“Thank you,” you told him graciously, turning into him and throwing your arms around his frame in a tight embrace. 

“Of course,” he told you, the smile evident in his voice. 

After a few moments, you took a deep breath and said, “I need to make an announcement, would you mind staying with me for it?”

“I don’t mind,” he replied, following you out into the main office area where the BAU team and your officers were milling around filing away papers. 

You cleared your throat and said just loud enough to be heard over the noise, “I have an announcement I’d like to make.” When all eyes were on you, you took a deep breath and said, “I would like to thank everyone for their work on this case, both my locals and the BAU team. You all worked long and hard hours to close this case and I am very appreciative of that. Unfortunately before we could solve it, twelve people died in this town at the hands of Hartley Rivers under my watch. So with that being said I’m announcing that I will be stepping down from my position as Captain of the police division here. I made a promise to serve and protect the people of this town and after the events of this case I feel like I failed at that because I couldn’t solve it sooner and because I was the reason Hartley felt the need to do what he did. It’s been an honor to serve this town while I did, but it wouldn’t be right to continue on from here. Thank you.”

There was a stunned silence that filled the room and you quickly ducked your head and started toward your office after making eye contact with the sheriff who gave you a nod and a sad smile in response. When you got there, you grabbed a box and began slowly placing your belongings inside when you heard footsteps enter the room. “So you’re really going?” Josh asked quietly, his sadness evident in his voice. 

You nodded, which earned a sigh from Lindsey and her saying, “Man this sucks…”

“I know but… I feel like I failed this town. And once word gets out about what happened, I would be driven out of the position and the town anyway and I’d rather end it on my terms.”

The two agreed and began helping you pack up your belongings while reminiscing on some of the better days in this office. Once you seemed to run out of things to talk about, Josh asked with a smirk evident in his voice, “So…you and agent Reid huh?”

“Doctor Reid,” you informed him sternly with a quiet laugh escaping your lips. “He didn’t earn three PhDs for nothing.”

“So you’re into the smart ones,” Lindsey said teasingly as she landed an elbow into your ribs lightly. 

“I suppose so,” you said as you looked up and saw Spencer himself in the doorway. The four of you made quick work of packing up your office and before you knew it, you were being escorted out to your vehicle with Spencer’s protective arm around you as you made your way through the crowd of people who still thankfully didn’t know the truth behind everything yet. 

When you and Spencer got to your house, he helped you unload the boxes of your office items and then sat beside you on the couch after you put on a quiet instrumental record to keep there from being a deafening silence in the room. You couldn’t help your mind from wandering back to the events of not only yesterday, but of the last five months. As you did, a roaring filled your ears that was interrupted by Spencer’s voice as he asked, “Hey, what’s on your mind?”

“Too much,” you replied quietly. 

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Not really, but…” You sighed and in defeat relented, saying, “I guess it’s best if I do.”

“It is. And I’m right here with you,” he told you as he tentatively scooched closer on the couch and put his arm around you. Your muscles relaxed as he did this and the flood gates opened once more as you burrowed into Spencer’s side.

“I just feel like such a screw up… Twelve people with lives and families and dreams for the future are all dead because of me…” you whispered, trying to muffle the sob that escaped at the end of your statement. 

Spencer ran his hand up and down your arm for a moment before quietly asking, “If it were anyone else in your position what would you tell them?”

“What?” you asked after a few seconds, pulling away for a moment to look up at Spencer with furrowed eyebrows. 

“As the victim advocate specialist that you are, what would you say to someone else in your position?” Spencer asked and you began to see his point. “Say it was Lindsey in the center of this instead of you? You wouldn’t tell her that those people died because of her would you?”

“No…” you whispered, sagging back into his embrace with a sigh. You were quiet for a moment before replying thoughtfully, “I would tell them that they can’t control other people’s actions and feelings. That they couldn’t have known that something so simple as rejecting someone could cause such disaster. That they shouldn’t have to live in fear of this happening again so they’ll go out and live their life and not seclude themselves. That even though in the heat of the moment if the families of the victims find out the reason behind the crime that it still isn’t their fault no matter what nasty things are said to them. I would remind them that they’re a victim in this too and they deserve treatment and counseling services just like the other victims’ families…”

Spencer leaned down and kissed the crown of your head before mumbling, “Exactly. So what is making you feel like you don’t deserve to hear those things too?”

“Because I was supposed to protect all of those people and I couldn’t do my job. They shouldn’t have died in the first place. Pair that with the fact that Hartley was doing this because of me and…it makes me feel like I don’t deserve to be handled gently after everything that happened,” you told him sadly. 

“I think that just proves that you should be given more grace than anyone in this situation,” Spencer says. 

“I just don’t feel like I’m deserving to be cared for after everything…” 

“Well I guess I’m just going to have to prove your anxiety wrong,” Spencer said and you could hear the smile in his voice as he pulled you impossibly closer in what seemed like an attempt to bring all of your broken pieces back together. 

Later that day after finally getting through all of your emotions about your now totally uprooted life and watching your comfort movie with Spencer, you started to feel a bit lighter. So as you made dinner for the two of you, you sang quietly to the music coming from your record player as Spencer helped where he could with the meal. While you were standing at the stovetop stirring the food, he came up behind you and gently wrapped his arms around your waist and swayed to the music playing. “I missed this…” he admitted quietly, his voice and body relaxed. 

“Me too,” you replied, a small smile on your face and tears prickling the backs of your eyes. 

You were afraid to ask Spencer what happened next after he left back to Virginia and you went…where? You still hadn’t decided what you wanted to do for work after you just resigned and where would that land you in the country? You weren’t sure how well- “Hey,” he said, squeezing you slightly to bring you back to reality. “You’re getting lost again.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” you replied, going back to stirring the nearly complete stir fry. “I just have a lot on my mind still is all…”

“Like what?” he asked, stopping his swaying to focus on your conversation. 

“What do I do for work now? There’s no way I’ll get a job in any of the surrounding counties and I’m afraid of even getting into that position again because that is so much responsibility I don’t feel ready to handle again after what happened here…”

“Have you thought about coming back to the FBI?” Spencer asked. “I know that the BAU was a cause for a lot of stress on you, so maybe you could see if there are any victim advocate positions available in other departments? Or maybe go back to your SVU department?”

“I have enough in the bank to take a month or so off from work to sort things out mentally but… I think once I figure myself out again, being an advocate again would be rewarding and now that I have a unique perspective on things…” Maybe it was time to move back to Virginia…

“I think you would do great,” Spencer replied, releasing you from his arms before reaching for the plates you had been warming to place the food on. You still had a faraway look in your eyes, even you could tell, so you weren’t surprised when he asked, “What else is on your mind?”

You didn’t reply as you plated the food and made your way to the table, trying to figure out the best way to discuss the topic at hand. You couldn’t figure out a graceful way to ask, so you let out a heavy sigh as you gestured between yourself and Spencer and asked quietly, “Spence… What is this? What is going on between us right now? The hugs, the kisses, the comforting touches. Is it just because of the case? Is it because you feel bad for me?” Guilt at the last bit began to crawl its way up your spine and you felt your throat closing up slightly as you said, barely above a whisper, “I’m sorry I’m just scared right now…”

“Hey, it’s okay,” he assured you, reaching over and grabbing your hand gently and rubbing comforting circles onto it with his thumb. Clearing his throat, Spencer admitted, “At first it was habitual. It felt like an instinct to comfort you because that’s what I did all those years, but…but then I realized that I didn’t just want to provide you with physical comfort. I wanted to protect you. I wanted to hold you until all of your fears and doubts went away. I just…I want you back.” At those last words, your eyes darted up to meet Spencer’s hopeful ones. A smile fell onto his face as he finished, “Please. I want you back in my life and if that can’t be as your boyfriend right now I understand that, but I just want to be in your life somehow. It took me a while to realize that I never stopped loving you and it took me seeing you to realize that if I want you back I need to fight for it and prove to you that taking me back won’t be a mistake.”

“Taking you back would never be a mistake,” you mumbled, a smile making its way onto your face as you scooted closer to Spencer on the dining table’s bench. 

“I’m glad to hear that,” Spencer whispered as his hand ghosted its way up your arm, landing on your cheek to hold you for a moment before asking, “May I kiss you?”

“Of course,” you replied with a slight nod before your lips were enveloped into the most tender kiss Spencer had ever given you. A feeling of warmth ran up your spine as you relaxed into the kiss, your hands wandering up to hook around the back of Spencer’s neck to pull him closer. 

All too soon, the kiss was over and Spencer pulled away to rest his forehead on yours before telling you, “I love you. And I never want to lose you again.”

“You won’t,” you promised before leaning back in for another kiss, the stir fry going forgotten on the table as you lost yourself in Spencer’s love and affection. 

thank you for getting this far, I appreciate you for reading! Don't forget to like and comment! <3

[bigassmoonchild]

night team here

can we request ghost with a daughter that is the mini verison of him like soap thinks shes gonna be sweet and nice and she bullies him worse than her father does

bonus points

price already knew ghosts daughter was a complete savage but soap annoyed him that morning and price decided the consequences of his actions was being brutally roasted

(daughter is gonna be leaning teens just bc i said so. also, thank you so much for the request!! love the night team 🫶🫶)

soap wasn’t supposed to know. this wasn’t something anyone was supposed to know, but simon was decently okay with price knowing. price knew to keep secrets, hell, price had his own.

but simon accidentally let it slip.

‘i’ve gotta get home, early morning,’ he’d told the 141 when they wanted to go out for drinks after a successful mission. they gave him odd looks (one of them was a knowing one, but he’d ignore price being offered to come watch a recital).

soap didn’t let it go, no he didn’t. ‘got the missus waiting back there?’ and simon was exhausted, it was a long mission and all he wanted was to sleep in his own house.

‘kids got a recital,’ he’d muttered and had walked away. what he didn’t expect was to find a huge amount of messages from soap the next morning. most consisted of the same things.

kid??

who’d have a child with you??

what’s the mother look like?

what’s the kids name?

son or daughter?

maybe i wanted to come watch too

i’m technically their uncle

and simon had to leave, collected you from your grandmother and took you to the recital. you were beautiful, the pride and joy of his life. someone he’d never thought he’d ever had, someone he never knew he could love more than anything.

it took months for simon to wear down enough ti even allow any of them to see a picture of you, let alone know your name.

‘beauty, that one is. you sure she came from you?’ simon shoved soap off the chair for that comment. soap continued to rave about being an ‘uncle’ and as much as simon didn’t want it, he had to tell you.

you looked at him weird when he admitted he’d spoken about you to the 141. you knew, generally, what he did but you didn’t get details.

‘ok and?’ you’d asked. ‘what’re they gonna do? it’s not like they’re gonna do something behind your back, not like price has said anything,’ and he worried. maybe he coddled you a little, but you were his girl.

and you’d agreed to meeting them, but told simon you didn’t want to know when. ‘i’ll be thinking about it too much,’ you told him.

simon finally dropped a few names for you, late one night when he’d finally relaxed with some whiskey (he didn’t mention the watered down taste).

‘what kinda name is soap? he drop it or something?’

it took some time before simon had grown any sort of comfortable letting anyone but price be around you. it wasn’t common that you stayed by price when simon was out on a mission, but the occasion happened when it was possibly a fatal one.

it was early morning when you’d sent a text to simon, he hadn’t meant to go to the compound at all that day but had made a lunch. it was a picture of the lunch, still sitting in the fridge with the caption ‘you forget something?’

and he’d groaned, mentioning to price in passing that he forgot his lunch at home. soap and gaz had been there, and a little smile came from soap.

‘just have the lass bring it ‘round, i’m sure she’s dying to meet her uncles,’ price gave a little grimace. ‘what? she’s probably a sweetheart, i cant imagine a girl like her would turn out like ghost,’

you’d relented to bring it around, especially after price messaged you about soap not being able to shut up about meeting you.

he’s pressing me for information. -john

if you bring the food, i’ll give your dad an extra day of leave. -john

please, i’m about to make him run. -john

you always laughed a little when he signed off after each text. it was his own little thing, and you secretly enjoyed having a fatherly figure text you more than three words.

when you got to the compound, you found price waiting outside for you and you waggled the bag of food at him. he let you in, guiding you through the halls to where simon and the others were.

‘try not to forget it, next time,’ you told simon. he gave you a small grunt, one that sounded like his ‘thank you’.

soap walked up to you, giving you a cheeky grin and swinging his arm around your shoulder. ‘how’s it been, lass?’ he asked you and you shook his arm off.

‘you know it’s not the 80’s anymore, right?’ he blinked at you. snorting softly with an eye roll, you sat down in the nearest chair. ‘mullets back in style, you know. might fit you better,’ you commented.

soap was left with his mouth open, gesturing faintly to you then to simon. ‘she can’t be like you,’ he nearly hissed.

‘don’t act so surprised, she said damn near the same thing to me,’ price lamented, thinking back on his first time meeting you.

‘you from the 1800’s? christ, i haven’t seen anyone willingly have that beard,’ you’d told him oh so long ago.

you looked around, leaning towards him. ‘who else am i supposed to be like? i’m pretty sure he’s my father,’ you hissed back.

all soap could do was blink. a little ghost? no, he couldn’t believe it. he saw simon give you a little fist bump, almost saw a few dollars being passed between you two.

simon pulled his mask off to eat and you looked at him closely. ‘you get a haircut?’ you asked, squinting your eyes suspiciously.

‘nope,’ he responded. ‘got ‘em all cut,’ and you snorted a short laugh. soap couldn’t do much but watch the interaction, realization slowly settling in.

‘that’s why you tell those shitty jokes?’ he announced. ‘you’re actually a father telling dad jokes,’

you gave a little smile and he could see the admiration in your eyes. god, you were just like your father but the confidence came off of you so easily.

‘yknow he came to my parents job show and tell once,’ you told everyone and simon stared at you. almost daring you to finish. ‘he didn’t take the mask off and had to leave, he scared too many of the kids,’

you spoke so fondly of him.

‘but he’s a prick, so he just left,’ simon lightly kicked your leg and you made a big show of it. you might be his kid, but you had your own personality in there.

and simon would be dead before anyone took that from you.

[ladykailitha]

The Au Pair Boy Part 3

I'm living for the love for this story!! Thank you everyone!

I'm sorry to say that any requests to be added to the tag list will be ignored. It's all full up! But! You can follow me and put on notifications. That seems to work for most people!

In this we have a lot of growing pains and the girls try everything they can think of to keep Eddie home.

Part 1 Part 2

~

The next couple of days were spent ironing out of the kinks and setting expectations. Like when Steve scolded Janice for pulling on Joan’s braids and she yelled back that she wasn’t the boss of her.

Both girls went running to their dad.

Eddie looked down at his two little sun spots. “I don’t know why you’re coming to me about this, if Steve saw Jannie pulling Joanie’s hair, then he had every right to call it out. Just like Chrissy, just your uncles. He is in charge while I’m gone, so you better get used to his authority. Both of you girls go sit on your time out chairs for five minutes.”

Both girls gasped in shock, but after an intense showdown, they did as they were told.

“Thanks for that,” Steve said with a huff. “There’s always a little bit of give and take for first couple of weeks, and you laying down the law will really help that.”

Eddie smiled up at him. “It’s just been a tough year for them both. They’re old enough to remember Ethan, but young enough that it’s all the good and none of the bad. So they don’t understand why he left. I’ve been talking to a couple of therapists that think once they’re a little older, they want to start seeing both girls.”

“Nothing quite as traumatic as abandonment issues from an early age,” Steve said with a nod.

Eddie huffed out a laugh. “Sounds like you’re talking from experience.”

Steve sat down on the sofa with a sigh. “Unfortunately, yes. Only my parents did just enough to make sure I wasn’t taken away from them. Making sure their trips would only last long enough that it would be considered child abandonment and endangerment. Sending me gifts for my birthday and Christmas, but not being there.” He ran his fingers through his hair.

“Then as I got into high school, sending me money for groceries and gas. As well as a hefty allowance to make sure that I wouldn’t talk. ‘Let’ me throw lavish parties and then ground me when they found out. Only they would pack up and leave, knowing I’d ignore the grounding because they were gone. Just a bunch of stupid shit like that.”

Eddie’s expression softened. “In the Hall of Fame of shitty parents, that’s really up there, man.”

Steve let out a huff of bitter laughter. “I got the last laugh though. The second I turned eighteen and finished school, I told them I was running away with my best friend and joining the circus. Then I told them I was bisexual and never looked back.”

“So how was the circus?” Eddie asked with a grin.

“Not as fun as you’d expect,” Steve conceded. “Robin and I didn’t have anything like skills to be a performer, and wasn’t experienced in running the booths and rides, so we were part of the put up and take down crew.”

“So how did the nanny thing come about?” Eddie asked, crossing his legs and leaning his elbow on the arm of the chair.

“I used to babysit these kids when I was younger,” Steve said, putting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together, “and when the one’s dad died and left a hefty life insurance to his mom. She suddenly was overwhelmed and hired me to nanny for her.”

Eddie thought back to the resumé the agency had sent over. “Mrs. Henderson, right?”

“That’s the one,” Steve leaned back on the sofa. “Dustin was a good kid. Too smart and arrogant for his own good.”

“Then of course, Mrs. Henderson recommended me to her friends,” Steve said. “One of them said they would only hire me through an agency. My ex-girlfriend happened to work at a nanny agency while she was going to school and offered to put in a good word for me.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows. “That was nice of an ex. I don’t know if I have any exes that would do the same for me.”

Steve just shrugged. “We didn’t exactly part on the best of terms either, but I used to babysit her younger siblings and knew how good I was. Nancy Wheeler is nothing but logical. She knew I would be good at it.”

“I spoke to a Nancy earlier,” Eddie said thoughtfully. “She really went to bat for you.”

“That’s Nance for ya,” Steve huffed. “Tenacious to a fault. This is her last semester at college and then she’s going to go to Emerson to get her journalism degree. She wanted to get her generals out of the way so she wasn’t paying out the ass for them.”

Eddie smiled. “Looks like I really lucked out then.”

“I guess you did,” Steve said softly. “I did too. Having you here these last couple of days have really helped out. They are still going to have the worst meltdowns during that first week you’re gone, but knowing you’ve already set the boundary they’ll only butt against it instead crossing it.”

Eddie smirked. “They’ve chased off nannies before. It’s why I have a very specific list of do’s and don’t’s with anyone I hire.”

“Oh I don’t doubt it,” Steve chuckled. “Normally, I’d put them to bed, but because it’s your last night with them, I’d suggest you do it.”

“Of course,” Eddie said softly. “Thank you for taking good care of them, Steve. I’m really grateful to be leaving them in such capable hands. I don’t want to go on this tour, not really. But I need a break. I love my girls, but with Ethan leaving it feels like he took away my right to chose how to live my life.”

Steve got up and moved to the desk and sat down on it half way. “But at least you have the money and the wherewithal to make sure they are taken care of. Every parent needs a break once in awhile. You’ll go out there make your fans happy and then when you come back, you’ll appreciate them all the more for leaving.”

Eddie looked up at him, then his eyes fluttered shut. He pursed his lips together and leaned his head back. He opened his eyes to look at him again. “You don’t think I’m being a bad parent?”

“It does you no good to burn yourself out,” Steve soothed. “It would do them more harm if you burned out and couldn’t take care of them anymore.”

“I love them so much,” Eddie said, his lower lip quivering. “But not having any help except Chrissy occasionally made it hard.” Tears trickled down his cheeks.

Steve pulled out a tissue and handed it to him. Eddie let out a watery chuckle. “You didn’t have anyone close that could help you?”

Eddie wiped his eyes and shook his head. “My former bandmates kinda scattered all over the globe. Gareth in Wales where his family is from, Jeff in New York, and Brian in LA. My uncle, Wayne broke his leg just after Ethan left and he’s just barely moving around without a cane. I couldn’t make him watch two rambunctious four year olds.”

He let out a shuddering breath and then another. “A lot of the nannies we had kept trying to be their mother. One was even caught trying to teach Joanie to call her Mama.”

“That’s rough,” Steve murmured. “But I’m here to help you. I’m not going to try and replace you as their dad. Or even Ethan, really. I’m just an extra person you can rely on.”

“You don’t mind setting up the household staff do you?” Eddie asked, his voice still rough from the crying. He blew his nose and then threw the tissue away in a nearby garbage. “It’s just that I want people that will work well with you and not try to fight you on every little thing.”

Steve shook his head. “No I get it. Plus getting help for a place as big as this one, I’d need the help otherwise I’d wear myself out before you got home.”

Eddie chuckled. “Do you like the house? Some of the other nannies thought it was creepy.”

“Mr. Muns–” Steve began but Eddie cut him off.

“Call me Eddie,” he said softly. “Mr. Munson makes me feel old and I’m not ready for that yet.”

“All right, Eddie,” Steve murmured back, “I think it’s spooky in a fun way. It’s not creepy. It’s beautifully decorated. I’ve seen creepy. Like tiger and elephant heads mounted on the walls with fully stuffed birds and in one horrifying case a Tasmanian wolf.”

“Aren’t those extinct?” Eddie asked with a grimace.

“Oh yeah,” Steve said, moving to sit on on the desk all the way, to put some distance between them. Before he did something stupid like kiss his boss. “I made sure to report his taxidermy to the Feds on the way out.”

“Brutal.”

“Dude was creep and his wife wasn’t much better,” Steve said with a shrug. “I felt sorry for their kids. They didn’t deserve having parents like those.”

“What made you leave?” Eddie asked, honestly curious on how Steve could have gone through so many clients considering he didn’t seem very old.

Steve kicked his feet a little, careful not to kick Eddie. “They aged out of needing one. They were already pre-teens when I got hired. They basically only needed someone to pick them up from school and make them dinner before their parents came home.”

“How long were you with them?” Eddie asked, more to keep Steve there then any real curiosity he had. Yeah, he had been curious about what made him leave, but this was blatant flirting at this point.

Steve laughed. “What’s this, more interview?” he teased. “No, in all seriousness, it was about a year. Most of my clients only need me temporarily anyway. I’m pretty sure that for at least three of them, their friends or family got to them about me being a guy, because they hired a female nanny soon after.”

“That’s bullshit,” Eddie huffed. “I’m sorry that they kept doing that to you. If anyone says anything to you, send them my direction. I’ll set them straight.”

“Thanks,” Steve murmured. He checked his watch. “It’s about time for me to make dinner.”

Eddie nodded and watched him leave. Once Steve had closed the door to his office behind him, Eddie put his head in his hands. It was so hard to keep his hands to himself when Steve was that close.

He just hoped that the three months he was going to be gone would be enough to put out the fire in his gut for his new nanny for fuck’s sake. He needed to get laid, Jesus fucking Christ!

The rest of the night passed with relative ease. Steve made meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes with corn on the side.

Night time went well, too. Both girls drifting off to sleep quickly.

Morning, though? That was what was fraught with difficulties and tantrums.

Joan refused to get dressed, flopping on the floor and sobbing uncontrollably. Janice dumped her cereal on the floor, kicking and screaming like a toddler. Joan threw herself at the door while Janice tried to hide Eddie’s shoes.

Eddie stared Janice right in the eye as he pulled out another pair of shoes out of his carry-on. And then another out of his suitcase. He put the shoes back in the suitcase, but pulled on the shoes from his carry-on. All while Janice stood there with her jaw on the floor.

Steve pulled Joan away from the door so Eddie could open it and both girls started crying. Eddie hugged and kissed each girl goodbye.

Steve picked up both girls and held them up to the window so they could wave goodbye as Eddie drove off.

He set them down and they both flopped on the floor like ragdolls. He let them lay there for awhile, even taking advantage of Joan not moving to get her dressed. He put his hands on his hips it was going to be a long week. A very long week.

~

Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

Tag List: CLOSED

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10- @kultiras @morallyundefined @ollieolive @themoonagainstmers @tartarusknight

[shockercoco]

Modern Loneliness

Major John Egan x reader

Warnings - little bit of angst, but mostly fluff

Word count - 2159

a/n - this was literally supposed to be posted over a month ago for the ending of MOTA, but I kept writing for Austin lol. Might as well get it out the drafts now. I also basically had to rewrite the whole thing bc wtf was I thinking a month ago. I hope you enjoy :)

The war is finally over, allowing all the soldiers to go home, including the two best friends Buck and Bucky. The only thing holding Bucky back from being completely content about leaving is the fact that he doesn’t have that special someone to go back to.

Buck has Marge, and of course he’s happy for him, but Bucky just wishes had found a girl before he got sent off, someone who would know how he was before the war. Buck would always tell him not to worry and that he would find someone soon, but each time it doesn’t give him any reassurance.

You have been best friends with Marge since college, so when she told you her fiance was coming home you had nothing but joy for her. You had been a huge supporter of their relationship since the beginning, and while Buck was away you were always at her house comforting her for when she cried or just needed a friend. During his absence, Buck would write to you to check in on Marge because you and him both knew Marge would never tell him how she was really doing.

Currently, you are walking out of her front door to go back home when you see a taxi pull up in the driveway. You didn’t think anything of it until you saw Buck exiting the vehicle with his bags in hand. You shout for Marge to come outside, and it doesn’t take long for her to sprint into Buck’s arms after seeing him in the driveway. With a smile, you watched as he held onto her tightly and so lovingly, knowing this is exactly what Marge needed after a bad week. 

Deep down, though, you were wishing you had someone coming home to you, someone whose arms you could run into and kiss you like his life depended on it. When it came to the dating scene you never had much luck, so after a while you just accepted the defeat and gave up, deciding it was better to put your energy towards your career. 

During your girl talks, Marge would always tell you that you would find someone soon, and how perfect of a person you were, but year after year of not finding a relationship was making it hard to believe her. 

A couple days after Buck’s return, Marge invited you over because she was hosting a barbeque for Buck and some of his friends. You tried your best to get out of it, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She also mentioned that Bucky – Buck’s friend from the military who you’ve only heard while reading letters – would be there and that it would be an opportunity for you.

You didn’t find it unusual that she was trying to set you up with someone because this is what she always does, but you just weren’t in the mood to have small talk with a guy who probably wouldn’t find you attractive.

When Buck had invited Bucky – because when are they not together – he turned down the offer, and just like Marge, Buck wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

So, now here you were in Marge’s backyard surrounded by men and their partners. The only people you knew were the hosts, so you sat on the steps of the back porch with Marge beside you. Marge also didn’t know many of the guests given the fact everyone was Buck’s friend from the military, so she kept you company as she watched Buck man the grill with a few other guys beside him.

Bucky was among them, standing right next to his best friend and sipping on a beer as he talked. Every now and again, he would run a hand through his hair to push some of his loose curls, and you couldn’t deny the fact that he was attractive as you found yourself admiring him from a distance.

“Are you going to say something to him?” Marge asked you as she swished around the lemonade in her glass. She had been watching you this whole time as you practically drooled in the direction of the grill.

“Of course not,” you say as you turn your attention back to her, not before glancing around to see if anyone else had caught you staring. 

Thankfully some of the women had formed a little group and were laughing and gossiping amongst themselves, so there was little chance anyone had noticed you.

“And why not?” asked Marge with furrowed brows. “He’s a nice guy, I promise.”

“I’m sure he is, but it’s not like I know what to say. Plus look at him, he’s way out of my league,” you reply as you take a sip of lemonade from your own glass. 

“No he’s not, he’s just like any other guy,” she scoffs followed by a laugh.

“And just like with any other guy, I have nothing to talk about. What do we even have in common? He also just got back from a war camp in Europe, what if I say something that triggers him? 

“You’re overthinking. Just start off with a simple hello, and then go from there. He’s a huge flirt so knowing him he’ll do most of the talking,” she smiles. 

She was always so optimistic about these kinds of things, but you would be too if you were getting married to a guy who basically worships you.

You quickly finish the last of your lemonade before standing up. “I’m going to get a refill,” you mumble as you walk up the steps and into the house. You needed an excuse to get away from the conversation, and to get out of the heat. The sundress you were wearing was cute and gave you airflow, but it also exposed your arms and legs to harsh sun.

You head into the kitchen and open the fridge to take out the pitcher of lemonade Marge had made earlier in the day. After refilling your glass, you thought it was best to linger in the kitchen for a bit longer and decided to grab a plate of fruit out of the fridge to keep you busy.

Just as you jump up on the kitchen counter to get comfortable, you hear the back door opening. Next thing you know, you see Bucky walking into the kitchen, letting out a sigh that seems to be of exhaustion. He flashes you a smile when he notices you, before proceeding to grab another beer out of the fridge.

“You’re Marge’s friend right?” he asks as he shuts the door and turns to face you. 

“Yep,” is all you say before sticking a grape in your mouth.

“I’m John, but everyone calls me Bucky,” he says. He makes direct eye contact as sticks a hand out for you to shake, which you do, before popping the cap off his beer.

“So I’ve heard. I’ve seen your picture in Marge’s letters,” you respond as you focus your attention on the plate in your hands and begin moving some fruit around.

“Oh, yeah? Did I atleast look good in those pictures? Buck never lets me read his letters,” He smirks as he leans against the counter opposite from you.

You almost choke on the piece of fruit you had just placed in your mouth from his statement. You feel your face and ears turning warm so you turn your head and look out the kitchen window to avoid his gaze.

You stop yourself from smiling and cover it by clearing your throat. “Well  you were in a uniform and in black and white, so I couldn’t really tell.” 

“Understandable, black and white photos can be misleading,” he jokes, taking a swig from his bear. There’s a short silence that follows that isn’t completely awkward, but not exactly comfortable to you either. You hope he doesn’t notice.

The silence is interrupted by the back door opening and Marge sticking her head inside. She grins as her eyes flicker between you and Bucky before stopping on you to say, “Are you coming back out or what?”

“In a second, I’m just going to cool off in here for a bit,” you tell her. She gives you a nod before closing the door.

“Not a fan of big gatherings, I take it,” Bucky says once Marge is gone.

“What makes you say that?” you steal a glance at him before looking back out the window.

You smile as you watch Marge join Buck at the grill, making him turn his head to give her a quick kiss.

“I can tell you’re avoiding going back outside, and I don’t blame you. I’m doing the same thing myself,” he answers.

“What are you avoiding?” you finally turn your head to face him.

“Nothing specific really, I’m just not in the mood for conversating and answering people’s questions right now. That doesn’t include you though,” he looks over at you with a small smile. ” I used to love being around people and having fun, but now all I want to do is leave.” 

You watch as Bucky stares at the wall, going distant. His mood seems to have shifted from the one he had when he first stepped foot in the kitchen. “Everything okay?”

Your voice interrupts his thoughts and brings him back to the present. “Yeah, I’m fine…I’m just…I can tell I’m a different person ever since I got back, and I’m not sure I like this version of me.” He sets his beer on the counter and folds his arms, no longer in the mood to drink it. 

“I don’t think anyone expects you to be the same.”

“Well yeah, it’s just the fact that everyone I meet from now on will only know this version of me. They won’t know how different I was before the war, and they won’t understand what I’ve been through. Like Buck has Marge to talk to, and she understands because of the letters he would send her. I don’t have that,” Bucky says before adding, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to dump this all on you.”

You just give him a smile. Even though you will never understand completely what Bucky went through, you do have some grasp on what he’s feeling. To you it’s obvious that he puts on a mask when he’s around people, and won’t let his feelings show unless he’s alone – harboring his emotions.

“I know how close you are with Buck, have you ever told him about how you felt? It always helps to talk to someone.” you tell him.

He shakes his head, “No, I don’t want to bother him. He has his own problems.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” you tell him, but he just shakes his head again. “Well...I know we’ve just met, but you could talk to me. I mean, you just opened up to me in a kitchen within ten minutes of meeting me. I’m obviously a great listener Only if you want to, though,” you end with a hopeful smile.

Bucky finally looks away from the wall to look you in the eye with his eyebrows raised. “Really?” he asks and you nod. “That would be nice.”

And that’s where the bond between the two of you started, and it only continued to grow stronger. You would meet up with him for drinks, lunch, or just for a walk through the park. Bucky would tell you everything, from him joining the military and meeting Buck to what he has experienced throughout the past few years. You could tell that he would get emotional when he brought up certain topics, but he never cried around you, even though you always encouraged him to let his feelings out.

One day when he invited you to dinner, you brought it up to Marge. She quickly got excited and said it was a date, but you just brushed it off and told her it was just another casual meeting. Nonetheless, you still decided to put effort into your appearance – more than you normally do – and once the dinner was over, you realized she was right.

Bucky ended up confessing to you how his feelings for you have grown over the past few weeks. At first you were shocked, but when you realized he was being serious, you admitted that you felt the same way. 

You didn’t care that Bucky thought he was a ruined person with a lot of baggage, everyone has their hardships, after all. Bucky loved how you enjoyed being with him after everything he had told you, and how you accepted him for who he is now.

When you eventually told Marge that you and Bucky were official, she wasn’t surprised at all and brought up how she always said you would find someone. When Bucky had told his best friend, Buck was happy for him and gave Bucky his fair share of I told you so’s.

[cfierce116]

No Sleep Part Two

A/N: Thank you to everyone for the support for Part One. Hope you all enjoy the next installment. Also, if anybody wants to be tagged for updates please let me know.

*Pairings: Jey Uso/OC (black fem)

*Warnings: 18+

*Word Count: Approximately 4600 words.

“I shoulda went home.” 

Imani smacked her lips as she rolled onto her other side trying to find a comfortable position in the queen sized bed in Sefa and Krystle's guest room. It was several hours after dinner and she was trying to force herself to get a few hours of sleep before she had to drag herself to work. Once the group returned to the couple's house, the liquor continued to flow (or water in Imani's case because she refused to have a hangover at work) as they played cards and listened to music. Like at dinner, the conversation flowed easily and despite her earlier protests Imani was happy she decided against ending her night early especially since she got to spend extra time with Josh. As the night continued in Imani found herself relaxing more around Josh. He was easy to talk to and actually seemed interested in whatever she had to say. Watching him and Sefa crack jokes on one another reminded her of watching her own three older brothers doing the same whenever they reunited during the holidays.

However, the later it got the more drowsy Imani got. She was not lying when she told Krystle that her days of partying into the wee hours of the morning were long gone and even her staying up until a quarter to 3 AM was pushing her limits. Imani quickly lost the battle against Krystle, Sefa, and Josh to order an Uber to go back to her apartment which is how she eventually wound up in the guest room. On one hand she was grateful to have friends that cared about her wellbeing that also had a guest room for her to crash in.

But on the other hand, she wanted to strangle both Krystle and Sefa for keeping her awake with the loud giggling happening in the room next to her as Sefa did God knows what to her best friend's body.

Don’t get her wrong she was happy for her best friend finding the love of her life. The two of them were perfect for one another. However, Imani could’ve been happy for them without hearing them get frisky with each other since she herself was in the middle of a year long dry spell. 

It wasn’t as if her dry spell was intentional. After her latest heartbreak with another man who decided to show his true colors after wasting Imani’s time for two years, Imani made the choice to take a break from dating and focus on her career and working on herself. Learning how to enjoy being single and figuring out who she was without letting her personality be dictated by whoever she was dating at the time. After a year of self reflection, Imani finally decided she was ready to dip her toe back into the dating pool to see what was out there. 

But all she found was trash. Nothing but trash. 

After a few dates Imani still hadn’t made a connection with anybody. There was either no spark between her and the men that sat across from her, the date reminiscent of going to grab a quick bite to eat with one of her older brothers. Or she detected a red flag that sent her running far away as quickly as she could, determined to not allow herself fall into the familiar trap of her thinking she could ignore the flags and fix the man instead. While some people (namely her mom Joyce who was desperate for a grandchild from her only daughter) thought Imani might have been setting her expectations and requirements too high, she believed she was simply weeding out the men who weren’t right for her because she would be damned if she would waste her time on a man that wasn’t worth it. And if she had to remain single until she met her perfect match then so be it.

Yet there were still nights like tonight, where she was being subjected to hearing her best friend’s moans over her head when the loneliness felt extremely suffocating. 

Deciding she couldn’t handle listening to the frolicking going on next door, Imani quietly slipped out of the bed and started searching for her belongings. If she left now, she could make it back to her place within thirty minutes. She folded the dress she wore earlier into a neat pile and grabbed her heels off the floor opting to carry them instead of wearing them so Krystle wouldn’t discover her trying to leave. Regardless of being an adult and knowing she could make whatever decision she wanted, Imani really didn’t want to deal with another repeat of Krystle trying to convince her to stay the night.  

Imani stepped out of the guest room and sneakily walked towards the stairs, easing down each step before reaching the main floor. She reached inside her purse and pulled out her phone to request another Uber ride.

“Sneakin out?” 

Imani quietly yelped at the voice behind her and quickly twirled around.  Her eyes landed on Josh who stood in the kitchen drinking a bottle of water. She stopped her gaze from traveling over his body, his chest bare and showing off his intricate tribal tattoos and his lower half covered in a pair of gray basketball shorts. Imani placed her hand over her chest as she tried to catch her breath – whether it was from Josh startling her or the image before her she didn’t know. 

“I am not sneaking out.” 

Josh smirked. “So why you tiptoein around here with your stuff?” 

“I didn’t wanna disturb anybody that’s all.” Imani and Josh held their stare before erupting in laughter. “Fine. You caught me. I am sneaking out. But I shoulda just took my ass home in the first place. It’s so hard for me to sleep anywhere besides my bed and having to listen to those two act like horny teenagers I can’t get a wink of sleep.” 

“What was it that you told me at dinner? Be nice - they’re annoying but they’re sweet,” Josh joked with a laugh. 

Imani rolled her eyes. “Fuck that I like my sleep. I don’t see how you stay here when you come visit.” 

“It usually don’t bother me because I can sleep through anything. But since I’m sleepin’ in the guest room down here I can barely hear em.” 

Imani furrowed her brow. “There’s not a guest room down here.” 

“You standing in it.” 

Imani glanced behind her to see a bedsheet and a pillow on the couch behind her. “You’re sleeping in the living room?” 

Josh shrugged as he finished the last drop of water. “I ain’t picky. Just gimme a flat surface and I can fall asleep anywhere,” he said as he walked to the corner where the trash can and recycling bin sat dropping the empty bottle into the bin. 

Imani watched as Josh walked to the couch and plopped down, stretching his legs out in front of him. She dropped the items in her hand on a chair and walked in front of him, placing a hand on her hip.

“Wait you usually sleep in the room upstairs? Why didn’t y’all just say that? I coulda slept down here.” 

“I’m not lettin’ you sleep on a couch Imani. It’s fine I told you I’m not picky.” 

Imani pushed away the guilt she felt for taking the guest room from Josh as she gently dropped down on the couch next to him. She flashed him a small smile. “Thanks for the drinks tonight. Although I should’ve stopped at one shot.” 

“It’s yo birthday. A few shots ain’t gonna hurt,” Josh said with a wink. He glanced over Imani’s body that was now dressed in a pair of gray leggings Krystle loaned her to sleep in with an oversized white t-shirt. Her hair was tossed into a messy high ponytail exposing her slender neck that was adorned with a simple thin gold necklace. ”So did you enjoy yo’self tonight?” he asked after a few seconds of silence. 

“You know I actually did. It felt nice to let loose and relax for a few hours,” Imani answered with a smile. “Sorry you had to spend one of your few off days tagging along to a birthday dinner so I wouldn’t feel like a third wheel loser.” 

Josh smacked his lips. “Ay, you not a loser.”

“I’m just saying I’m sure you could’ve found something better to do with your time. Call up one of your many girlfriends to link up with.” 

Josh softly laughed and ran his hand over his hair, pushing it off his forehead temporarily before it fell back in place, errant strands framing his face. “Look I ain’t gonna sit up here and pretend I couldn’t have called up some other woman to hang with tonight.” 

“Of course you could’ve.” 

“But I didn’t because I wanted to spend time with you. And I had fun,” Josh said with a smirk. “None of them other chicks are you Imani.” 

Imani chuckled softly. “Wow Krys was right. You are a charmer.” 

A heavy silence filled the room after Imani’s statement and she mentally kicked herself. She barely knew Josh and here she was being her typical sarcastic self that she usually reserved for her conversations with Krystle. Turning to mumble a quick apology to Josh before getting ready to head home, Imani movements halted as her eyes locked with his. Intensity burned in his gaze as he stared at her making her stomach flutter with nervousness as her skin’s temperature increased, sweat gathering on her palms and between her legs.

At least she thought that was sweat. 

“I sho-“

“You really don’t get it do you?” 

Imani’s face crinkled with confusion. “I don’t know what you mea-“

Imani’s words instantly died on her lips as Josh quickly thread his fingers through her ponytail and pulled her face closer to his, smashing his lips against hers. The movement caught her off guard as her body stumbled backwards from the impact. A few seconds later her brain registered what was happening and she naturally relaxed in Josh’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as she returned the kiss. His plush lips moved in unison with hers as his tongue slipped between the seam of her lips. Imani released a soft moan the moment their tongues touched making Josh’s grip on her ponytail tighten as he groaned lowly. 

The sound of his groan snapped Imani back to reality and she pulled away quickly, remembering what she was doing and who she was doing it with. She quickly stood up to distance herself from Josh, not trusting herself to be close to him. 

“Josh-“

“Damn that was better than I imagined,” Josh interjected.

Imani’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?” 

Josh stood as well, adjusting his basketball shorts. Imani quickly diverted her gaze from him choosing to stare at her pale pink painted toenails instead. 

“You tellin me you really don’t know?” Josh asked. Imani shook her head as she continued to avoid his eyes. He stepped towards her and placed his index finger underneath her chin, lifting her head. The fire in his stare made her pulse quicken as she felt stuck in place, her eyes watching as he slowly licked his lips.

“Imani I like you.”  

Confusion washed over Imani’s face. “What?”

“I like you,” Josh repeated. 

“You do?” 

“Yeah For a minute now actually.  Like why do you think every time I see you around I always go out of my way to speak to you? Or the amount of times I comment on your posts and slide into your DMs on Instagram?”

“I just thought you were being friendly. I didn’t think nothing of it.” Imani shrugged. 

Josh chuckled. “Shit I spent the past two weeks pleading with Krys to let me come to dinner tonight. Even had to get Uce to plead my case and shit with her too.” 

“Wait, Krys knows?” Imani asked, her light brown eyes widening more. 

“Hell yeah Krys knows. Sefa knows. Jon knows. Joe knows. Trinity knows. I guess everybody knows but you.” 

Silence fell over the two as Imani tried to figure out how everybody else knew about how Josh felt about her but her.  Memories of the brief conversations they shared whenever they crossed paths or managed to end up sitting next to each other when Krystle and Sefa had a gathering at their house flooded her brain. Josh was always nice to her, always greeting her when he saw her and asking her how things were going. But he never made a move to indicate he was interested in her. 

And sure he slid into her DMs on a couple occasions with an emoji response to one of her stories or some corny joke that made her chuckle. But she never thought much of that either because she was positive a man that was as fine as him slid into plenty of DMs. She simply thought it was Josh being Josh. 

Clearly it was much more than that.

Imani crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at the man in front of her. “So if everyone knew why didn’t you tell me?” 

Josh nervously chuckled as he released the hold he had on Imani’s chin. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Shit I ain’t think I had a chance.” 

“Why not?” 

Josh stepped away from her as he started pacing. “You seem like the type of woman that wants a man that’s the CEO of some big time corporation or some shit like that. Has multiple degrees. Drives a luxury SUV that’s big enough to drive the kids y’all will eventually have to school and after school activities. Knows which forks to use when he takes you to a fancy restaurant.  A man that would know all the right things to say instead of getting nervous every time y’all speak.” Josh stuffed his hands inside the pockets of his shorts and shrugged as he continued to pace. “So basically the opposite of me.”

Imani’s expression softened as her brain registered Josh’s words. On screen Jey Uso was an overly confident, charismatic, energetic superstar. But Josh was showing her a side of him that she hadn’t seen before. Sure he still had that same swagger and charm as his television persona. But in this moment of vulnerability he was giving her a glimpse of his timid and uncertain side, features that reminded her of how she behaved around him. Before her brain could protest Imani reached out and grabbed his forearm which stopped his movements.

“Josh-“

Josh shook his head and held up his hand, an uneasy smile spreading across his face. “You know what just forget I said anything Mani. I’m sorry for gettin weird and kissin you.” He turned to walk away.

“I like you too!” Imani blurted, her hand immediately covering her mouth.

Josh’s head whipped around towards Imani, curiously eyeing her. “Huh?” 

Imani chuckled nervously as she silently berated herself for the word vomit ungraciously spilling out of her mouth. She bounced her weight from one leg to the other and exhaled. 

“I like you. Hell I’ve liked you for a while too,” Imani admitted. 

A relieved grin spread across Josh’s lips as he also crossed his arms, mimicking her earlier stance. “So why you ain’t say something?” 

“We might actually have more in common than you think because I also didn’t think I had a chance. Never thought I was your type.” 

“My type?” Josh asked. “Whatchu mean by that?” 

“Let’s be for real. You’re a WWE superstar. You can choose any woman you want in any city you visit. If I were to put money on it I would guarantee you would go for the Instagram baddie with the fat ass wearing the best designer clothes the world has to offer instead of a plain jane with a small ass who shops at Old Navy.” 

Josh shook his head. “Ay stop that shit. There’s nothin plain jane about you. You’re beautiful and you look fine as hell in anything you wear.” 

Imani pursed her lips together to stop the goofy smile from appearing on her face. “I’m just saying I know I’m not the kind of woman that makes men go wild with desire. And I’m not like Krys - bubbly and full of personality who can easily talk to anybody she meets. I’m mild mannered and reserved. I just prefer to keep a low profile and most of the time that means men overlook me.” 

“I don’t overlook you,” Josh countered. “Hell every time you walk into a room I can’t keep my eyes off of you.” 

“Really?” Surprise dripped from Imani’s voice. 

“Yeah really. You have this vibe that just oozes confidence you know. You have this understated beauty where you don’t need flashy clothes to stand out you just do so naturally. Yeah you keep a low profile but I like that the most about you. You don’t have to be loud to get noticed you just happy stayin in the background and chillin. I think you only share your energy with people that you think are worthy enough to experience it. And I wanna be one of those people.” 

Josh stepped closer to Imani, the heat from his body engulfing her own and making her lightheaded. Like earlier his gaze remained steady on her but this time she didn’t look away.  She felt her breath hitch in her throat as his brown orbs stared deep into her eyes, her soul feeling exposed. 

“I wish you could see yo’self the way that I see you.” 

Before Imani could respond Josh’s lips descended upon hers in another searing kiss. She pushed every thought out of her mind that screamed at her to pull away as her hands ran through his hair, her nails lightly scratching his scalp. Her mouth swallowed his deep groan as his muscular arms wrapped around her waist pulling her body flush against his. Imani whimpered softly as she felt his hardened dick pressing into her thigh, his large hands roughly grabbing her ass. 

Josh quickly moved his mouth to the base of Imani’s neck his lips sucking on the space that connected her neck to her collarbone making her hiss softly.

“Talkin’ about you ain’t got no ass. What’s all this back here huh?” He asked with a grunt, squeezing harder to accentuate his question.

“Mmmm Josh,” Imani gasped as she tilted her head back to give him more room to mark. Her eyes fluttered closed, pleasure coursing through her body.

“Keep sayin my name like that I ain’t gonna be able to stop,” Josh warned. 

“Who says I want you to?”

Josh pulled away from Imani holding her at arms length. “Imani look at me,” he commanded. The moment her eyes cracked open and locked with his he sucked in a sharp breath. Desire and lust sparkled in her eyes as her chest heaved up and down with every breath she took. “You sure? Cuz I ain’t tryna make you do anything you ain’t ready for.”

Imani tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth as she silently pondered Josh’s question. She couldn’t comprehend how she ended up in this position with the man she had been crushing on but here she was. Typical Imani would choose this moment to completely halt the brakes and run away. Or pull out a pen and paper to jot down the pros and cons for having sex with Josh. But for the first time in a long time she didn’t give a fuck about the consequences. She just wanted to shut her brain off and finally allow herself to do what felt right. 

Imani wordlessly stepped closer to Josh and wrapped her arm around his neck. She started to press soft kisses to his throat, the coolness of his chain a sharp contrast  against his burning skin. Her lips moved up and across his jawline his beard prickling her chin. She smirked against his neck as he sucked in a ragged breath while his dick continued to come alive in his shorts. His hand squeezed Imani’s ass again before slapping it causing her to whimper softly. Imani reached for the waistband of his shorts and started to push them down his legs.  

Josh placed his larger free hand over Imani’s. Her eyes snapped up to his, confused. Josh shook his head.

“Nah. Tonight is all bout you birthday girl.”

Before Imani could protest, Josh grabbed the hem of the t-shirt she wore and haphazardly yanked it over her head revealing her black lace bra. He groaned loudly at the sight of her breasts threatening to spill out of the fabric. He grabbed her covered breasts and squeezed them roughly forcing her to groan before he quickly moved to unsnap the clasp in the back. Once her breasts were freed Josh pushed Imani down on the couch and climbed on top of her and buried his head in between her cleavage.  He peppered kisses on her skin, his tongue creating a trail of saliva from the middle of her chest towards her breast. The second his mouth engulfed her nipple, Imani moaned loudly, her arms wrapping around his neck to hold him in place.

“Fuuuccckkk Josh,” Imani whimpered. Her heartbeat rumbled in her ears as he continued to suck and lightly bite her nipples before moving to her other breast to repeat the actions. She should’ve felt embarrassed by how easily undone she was becoming simply from him sucking her breasts but her drought made her body extremely sensitive to his touch.  “Oh fuck don’t stop.” 

Despite her plea, Josh raised his head a devious glint in his eye. His fingers hooked inside the waistband of her leggings and he started to pull them down. 

“Trust me I could suck on yo big ass titties for hours. But there’s something else I wanna do to you. You ok with that bae?”

Anticipation bubbled in Imani’s stomach as her body moved on autopilot. She lifted her hips so he could remove the intrusive garment completely from her body. She bit her bottom lip shyly as Josh’s eyes roamed over her completely naked body.

“I knew yo ass ain’t have on no panties when I saw you walk down those steps,” Josh mumbled shaking his head with a chuckle. He glanced up at Imani, hunger sparkling in his brown eyes. “Tell me what you want Mani.” 

Deciding now was not the time to be bashful, Imani silently thanked Krystle for the many times she dragged her to an early morning yoga class before they started work. Imani wordlessly raised her legs and reached between them, grabbing her ankles and contorting her body to reveal her dripping pussy to Josh. 

“Eat my pussy bae.”

Josh’s eyes widened at the sight of Imani’s fully exposed pussy in front of him. The sight of her juices dripping between her folds made his chocolate brown eyes darken with passion as he carefully lowered himself to his knees in front of her.  His hands softly caressed her thighs before he hooked his arms under them pulling her closer to the edge of the couch. Imani watched with bated breath as he wrapped her legs around his neck, wedging his face in between her limbs. He kissed her thighs softly, slowly moving towards her core. He smirked against her skin as she impatiently thrusted her hips towards him silently begging for him to stop teasing her. Josh looked up at Imani, admiring her half lidded eyes glazed over with lust, her full lips partially open to suck in oxygen.

“Relax baby. I got you,” Josh said with a wink.

Imani’s drawn out moan filled the room as Josh’s long tongue snaked out of his mouth and licked the juices between her lips before dragging upward and landing on her clit.

“Oh fuck!” Imani cried out. Her hips thrust upward at the feeling of Josh’s tongue on her pussy as she clenched her eyes closed. His strong arms forced her hips back down as he completely buried his face between her legs, his mouth enclosing around her clit and sucking on it. Sweat gathered on Imani’s chest as Josh began to devour her pussy. It was everything she had dreamed it to be. His mouth was sinful but heavenly at the same time. His movements were erratic but methodical.  It was as if somebody had gave him a road map to her pussy that he studied to create the perfect course of action to make her lose her fuckin mind. 

“Damn this pussy sweeter than I thought it would be,” Josh mumbled after he released Imani’s clit from his mouth. He pulled her labia into his mouth and sucked on it making Imani’s moans increase in volume. He released her lip with a loud and appalling plopping noise before directing his attention to her other lip repeating the actions, softly nibbling on the flesh. 

 Imani’s breathing grew shallow as Josh’s tongue swirled around in her juices that continuously descended in a rainfall motion before he slipped it inside her quivering hole. The calloused fingertip of his index finger found her clit and started to rub it in a circular motion, the pressure from the pad of his finger just right. 

“Ah fuck fuck fuck,” Imani chanted as Josh removed his tongue from inside her. He quickly replaced it with the index and middle finger of his free hand, the two digits moving in a scissoring motion. Her walls gripped his fingers tightly and he started to thrust them back and forth.  

“Yeah go ahead and fuck Daddy fingers just like that,” Josh encouraged with a smirk. He felt his dick throbbing in his shorts as he watched her body beginning to stiffen with tension, his keen sense telling him Imani was close to shattering. “Can’t wait to get up in this fuckin pussy Mani. Fuck the shit out yo sexy ass. How that sound bae?”  

Imani nodded her head mindlessly before Josh dived back between her legs his tongue attacking her pussy with sucks and licks. Her upper torso rose from the couch as she felt a tingling sensation in her legs. Her ass cheeks clenched together as her hips started to raise uncontrollably.  “Ah shit Josh I-I-”

“You about to cum baby? Don’t hold back. Go ahead and cum right on Daddy face.” 

“Fuck Josh!” Imani cried out as her orgasm rammed into her at lighting speed. Her toes curled forward as juices drizzled from her pussy into Josh’s awaiting mouth. Imani’s body flailed around on the couch as she tried to pull away from Josh as he continued to suck on her clit extending her orgasm. But he was too powerful and her resistance was in vain as he kept her right where he wanted her, forcing her to endure the pleasure that was racking her body.  She continued to mewl his name as her orgasm started to subside, her body unfurling and heart rate slowly decreasing. 

“Open your eyes baby.” 

Imani slowly cracked open her light brown eyes locking onto Josh’s glistening orbs. His lips coated in Imani’s essence spread into a sexy smile and if she wasn’t so worn out she would’ve had another orgasm just staring at him. 

“You so sexy when you scream my name.” 

Imani rolled her eyes playfully as she flipped Josh off with a giggle. He unwrapped her legs from his neck and placed her feet on the floor. With as much strength as she could muster, Imani sat up and gently grabbed Josh by his chain and pulled him to her. She captured his lips in a kiss.  Josh groaned as he thrust his tongue inside Imani’s mouth allowing her to taste herself before he wrapped his hand around her ponytail and tugged. 

“Now if you two are finally done down there can yall keep it down? Some of us gotta be up early tomorrow you know!” Krystle yelled from upstairs. 

Imani and Josh jerked away from one another, their eyes widened in shock. They shared another look before they broke out into laughter as their cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Josh grabbed the t-shirt Imani wore earlier and handed it to her. Once she pulled it over her head, he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they started walking towards the stairs.

Josh placed a kiss on her temple.  “Don’t worry about they ass bae. Consider it payback for them keeping you up earlier,” he said causing Imani to laugh as they made their way to the guest room. 

&

Tag List: @krysxtotheo @lisayourworries @amandairene88 @whatdoeseverybodywant @vebner37 @sayyestoheav3nn

[thedeviltohisangel]

All The Things I Did (3): Don't Leave Me Alone

chronology: chapter 1 chapter 2 interlude 1 chapter 3 interlude 2

a/n: well well well. here i am again. not as sad as interlude 2 i promise. i put them in chronologic order up top for all the new fans of this fic. focusing on gale and cass this chapter. i've appreciated all the screams in my ask box (i will explain anything about spook x bucky i've got going on in my head whenever you want, shoot me a dm) and will work on more interludes this weekend. keep the prompts coming! good a good mix of current & post war bucky x spook. love you guys and enjoy this longer one in celly of the finale.

Of all the places for them to bump into each other, no one should have been surprised it was in the base library. It was small and quiet and didn’t have the nicest lighting. But it had plenty of books on plenty of topics and very few people ever frequented it. Normally, it was her place to unwind and seek solace. Breathe in the scent of the worn bindings and get lost for a few hours. Cass wasn’t sure if John even knew it existed so it only made sense that this is where Gale would find her first.

Gale Cleven had been in communication with John Egan since their first day of basic training. Had watch him fly and crash on occasion. Watched him flirt and dance and take girls home. Only a few times had watched him give a piece of his heart and never once had he watched it go anywhere. When he had sent him the unicorn to pass along as an apology to a bar owner in Greenland, John had written one line at the end that made him more confused than the figurine had. A little note at the bottom: P.S. I think I’ve found my girl. 

Gale hadn’t known then, wouldn’t know for awhile, that Bucky had only seen her across the airfield when he had written that. Hadn’t even spoken a word to her. Had taken one look at the way every man on that base stopped and parted for her. One look at the way she navigated herself around the airfield while never looking up from the paper in front of her. John Egan had been gone like a freight train.

“Excuse me, Lieutenant Cooper?” She was in an armchair in the back of the library, curled up as much as her uniform would allow, thumbing through a book on Prussian history with two others opened and balancing precariously on either side of her and a stack of yet-to-be-read books piled on the floor. “I don’t mean to intrude. I just thought I’d introduce myself. Gale Cleven, friends call me Buck.” 

“My friends call me Cass.” She shook his hand as firmly as she could, her right arm in a sling. “You know, John has a whole thing planned for us to meet. He’ll be heartbroken.” Him and Cass had spent the night on a blanket in the flowers, just like she had wanted upon her return. He told her all about his best friend Buck and that introducing her to him was almost like her meeting his sisters or mother. Joked that she needed Buck’s approval before he could take her on another date.

“We can work on our story. Let him still have his moment.” Cass smiled and motioned for Gale to take the chair next to her. She placed a notecard between the pages to keep her place before giving him her full attention. 

“I’m sorry your first impression of me was when I got off that plane yesterday. I promise I’m not always that dramatic.” Gale laughed. The swelling in her eye had gone down slightly and there was color back to her cheeks. Maybe a couple of new bruises on her neck but he assumed his friend was more likely the culprit of those than the secret police.

“I barely noticed over the commotion of Bucky.”

“I wasn’t expecting that,” she noted shyly. All of a sudden her fingernails were much easier to look at than Buck’s gaze.

“I’ve known Bucky, John, a long time. You’ve enraptured him, Lieutenant.” Gale hadn’t expected such a reaction either. Bucky had always been somewhat impulsive, sure, but always with a personal gain in mind. Win the bet. Win the girl. Win the game. But yesterday had been near primal. A base instinct to protect. To put himself in between her and those who would do her harm. It had come as natural as breathing.

“Your word choice is inspiring, Major Cleven.” Her eyes twinkled. She knew.

“Has he serenaded you yet? Then you’ll really be inspired.” 

“I don’t know if that is what I would call it. I haven’t worked my way to that level of affection yet.” He thought back to the desperation in John’s voice when he called Cass’ name yesterday. Thought back to the venom that replaced it when someone got in the way of him reaching her. 

“I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.” She ducked away from his gaze again.

“Don’t tell him I’m telling you this, but I’m pretty enraptured by him, too.” Gale reached over and squeezed her hand, locking the secret between them, and stood up to let her get back to her reading and to find the book he had come here looking for in the first place. “Cass? I’ve got a favor to ask. It’s kind of a big one.”

“Something wrong, Buck?” 

“No. Just something that’s been on my mind since he left.” He mulled over the words for a moment. “He’s got a big heart. Does a good job at hiding it. I’ve been doing my best to protect it since the day I met him but if something happens to me up there…”

“You don’t even need to ask, Gale.” She would be his armor. Protect John Egan the way her soul had told her she should from the second she laid eyes on him. Had recognized the purity within him and felt the need to protect it. Cassandra Ann Cooper had been gone for John Egan the moment he stepped foot in England.

Gale nodded in appreciation. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight.” He walked to a shelf out of her sightline and Cass sighed deeply. She had faced down some scary people. But that interaction had her stomach in more knots than any of them. She had met, and talked to, and hadn’t made a fool of herself in front of, Major Gale Cleven. Cass smiled. John was going to be so happy when he found out.

----

The man in question was having a bit of a devious streak. Decided he was going to be early to pick up Cass instead of simply on time. Decided, after five minutes of waiting, that it had been too long since he last kissed her. Mary rolled her eyes when he came strolling in, thinking better of it when she opened her mouth to ask what he was up to. 

“Mary, I swear if Major Egan is early, tell him I’m not ready.” He smiled as he heard Cass answer his knock.

“Too late, Spook. Let me in so I can see whatever potions you're brewing to look so goddamn beautiful.”

“Are you calling me a witch?” Her voice was closer this time. John pressed his palm to the door where he imagined hers was.

“I miss your face,” he provided simply.

“I have curlers in my hair.” Her mother had never let her father see her with her curlers in. Even after thirty or so years of marriage. Told Cass it took away the allure of femininity. 

“Good. I’ve been imagining what you might look like in my bed in the morning-” He almost fell through the door when she opened it, her fist around his tie and all confidence choking off in his throat. 

“No remarks like that in the hallway where anyone can hear you.” Cass sat back down at her vanity for the finishing touches of mascara and powder. 

“Afraid they won’t find you so spooky anymore?” There weren’t too many artifacts of her life for him to look at. Photos of what she presumed were her parents and her siblings. A pile of letters with a return address in South Carolina. A jewelry box on top of her dresser.

“I don’t mind the nickname. I never had one growing up.” John stopped to admire her in the mirror as she pulled the curlers from her hair. He swallowed. It did look like he imagined she would be waking up next to him. How she would be after spending the night letting him worship her.

“Hey, wait on that for a second.” Cass put the tube of lipstick down and looked at him with a question across her brow. “Don’t want to mess it up when I kiss you.” She smiled and crooked her finger to beckon him forward, standing on her vanity chair as he got closer.

“So handsome,” she sighed as she took the opportunity of her newfound height to really take him in. She knows he would disagree but Cass found something ethereally beautiful about John Egan. The slope of his nose and the angles of his cheeks. The soft hair on his upper lip that she had found such joy in kissing. 

“I’m glad you think so.” He started with just a quick peck, enjoying the look of annoyance on her face. 

“That’s not worth holding up my lipstick application for.” John took that as a challenge. He felt guilty for only a second as he tangled his fingers into the curls at the back of her head and held her steady. John was trying to be mindful of the healing cut on her lip but she was pushing herself closer and closer and he had no choice but to give her more and more. It wasn’t slow. It was a spark spinning itself into a fire. An ember catching fire on all the things around it. He was a man starved for her oasis. She was a girl all too eager to tantalize him in the desert. 

John slid his arms to wrap tightly around her waist, lifting her against his body and turning so her back was against the wall. Instinctually, she wrapped her legs around his waist and gasped into his mouth at the sensation. “Fuck, Cass.” 

“John, we have to slow down.” She was enjoying his lips that had moved to her throat all much. Was so flushed with desire for him that beads of sweat were collecting in her collarbone. Cass unwrapped her legs from around his waist and John smiled with pride when her knees buckled ever so slightly. 

“You’re right. Do this the right way. The slow way.” He straightened his tie and bent down when Cass reached up to fix his hair.

“Doesn’t have to be slow forever. Sir.” She knew exactly what she was doing when she said it. Relished in the way it made his eyes darken with lust again immediately. “We’re going to be late to dinner. And I already made a literally bloody first impression with Gale.” 

“Come to think of it,” he noted as she expertly coated the red pigment around her lips, “it might’ve been more fun to try and kiss it off of you, Lieutenant.” 

“There’s always later.” 

He watched her hips sway to the Jeep, held her hand while he drove and smiled so wide it hurt when she slid across the bench and kissed his cheek. It all felt so normal. Felt like he was back home taking a girl to a movie and milkshakes on a Friday night. Felt like being with her was exactly where he was meant to be.

“Before you ask, no, we are not going back to the pub tonight.”

“Oh?” she asked as they drove right past. “Our memories from the other night incapable of being topped?”

“Just thought we would meet him somewhere nicer. This little bistro up the way a little bit.” 

“John Egan, are you nervous?” 

“Maybe.” She laughed but snuggled into his side. 

“It’s very sweet that you love Gale so much.”

“Don’t tell him. I’ve got a reputation to uphold.” Cass thought back to her conversation with Gale in the library. About the mushy heart right behind the very ribcage her cheek was resting against. 

“You know, I’ve been told I’m good at keeping secrets.”

----

Gale watched from the window by the table as John’s Jeep pulled into view, smiling to himself as Cass held his friend’s and kissed him. Stayed close to whisper reassuring words and knock his nose against hers to seal the promise.

“Bucky you lucky son of a bitch,” he muttered. They held hands as they walked in and when she let go to shake Gale’s hand, firmer this time as the sling hadn’t gone with her dress, John had kept his hand on the small of her back. Looking back on it, Gale doesn’t think there was a moment the whole night they weren’t touching. 

“Cass, this is the best man I’ve ever met, Major Gale Cleven. But I call him Buck.”

“Gave everyone else no choice but to call me Buck, too.” John pulled her chair out for her and pushed it in, sitting straight as a rod in his own until her arm locked around his comfortably. He visibly relaxed and kissed her forehead when she offered it.

The conversation flowed smoothly, John none the wiser the two of them had already met. Buck had her giggled over stories of a younger Bucky, taking her back to their days when they were first learning to fly. She asked about Marge and John noticed the way her chin dropped into her hand and she watched Gale with adoration as he spoke about the woman he had loved since he was a child. And would love until the day they died. 

“She sounds absolutely lovely, Gale.” Cass reached across the table and squeezed his hand when his gaze turned melancholy for a moment. 

“If you’re crazy enough to see it through with this one,” his chin jutted towards John, “I’m sure you and Marge will be thick as thieves.”

“Hey! I’m not that bad of a guy,” he spoke around bites of his dinner.

“John, you’ve got a little…” Cass motioned to the corner of her mouth to signal a bit of sauce was lingering on his. Without even really thinking about it, she used the corner of her own cloth napkin to dab away the offense. 

“Better?”

“Perfect.” Gale could lose his stomach with the sweetness. “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me to the powder room.” John stood as she left, watching her with a dazed smile on his face until Buck coughed.

“She’s something, Bucky. A real class act. Whip smart. Has you wrapped around her finger many times over.” John hummed around his sip of whiskey. 

“I’ll keep wrapping myself around it as long as she’ll have me.”

“Yeah? I should tell you she’s too good for you.” 

“You’d be right. I don’t deserve someone like her.” He swirled his glass pensively. “You know I love you and I love Marge and I love the little world you two build whenever you're together. I’ve always wanted that but kept getting in my own way. Chasing the immediate instead of being patient. Cass and I, it’s going fast because of this fucked world we live in. And I’m not getting in my own way because I’ve found a girl who won’t let me.”

“Watching you two, I think it’s real, John.”

“I think it is too,” he swallowed the lump in his throat. “We’ve got to make it through this thing, Buck. I came here with nothing to lose but now I’ve got something I couldn’t stand to.” There was something desperate in his eyes. The same look Gale had seen yesterday when he was fighting the officer to reach Cass. 

“Feels nice to have someone to live for, doesn’t it?” he teased.

“Nice, scary, like I’m being mauled by Meatball.” They both laughed in spite of the truth. “You think she’s smitten with me?” Gale rolled his eyes.

“I do.” Bucky nodded.

“Good.” Cause he thinks he might love her. 

“Sorry for the prolonged departure.” She came back with a  smile, John standing and kissing her gently. “Major, I just reapplied that.”

“Couldn’t help myself.” Didn’t want to. 

He watched her and Gale banter back and forth the rest of the night with a smile on his face. Cass was the first girl he was introducing to his best friend, wished it was under better circumstances. Wished he had met her somewhere the threat of not making it to tomorrow didn’t exist. That he could court her properly and take her to the drive in and canoeing on the lake by his parents house and listen to a ballgame on the radio in the summer. Wished he had the courage to tell her and Buck that he was scared of losing them both. That he had been up there once and would back up a hundred times more if it meant they could live in a safer world. 

And one day, after all three of them had done their part to end this war, John will mention this dinner at Buck’s wedding. And Buck will mention it when John asks him to be their child’s Godfather. But they didn’t know what they would have to go through to get there. That John’s fear of losing them both will come true. And that he would almost lose himself in the process of getting them back.

[bugaboo25]

I Will Forever Love You Chapter 2

Okay, I'm gonna do it! There's more info on the masterpost about how this is gonna look, but I am gonna post the rest of this! Just bear with me if there's a lot of time between updates!

Masterpost Prev Next

Anways, onto chapter 2:

Danny groaned as he flung himself onto the table. Which, ew, the Nasty Burger employees obviously hadn’t taken the time to wipe down the table in days, as was told by the way his hoodie was sticking to a dark stain that sat next to him. He could feel Tucker shifting next to him, obviously wanting to ask, but Danny wanted to wallow in his own self pity for just a few more moments, thank you very much. Alas, he was promptly pulled away from his thoughts as Tucker nudged his side with his elbow. Danny turned his head, allowing his eyes to scan over Tucker quickly and efficiently. He was taller now, taller than Danny’s own 5’9”, and his beret had been discarded for a beanie that allowed his new dreadlocks to cascade down over his neck. His eyes told of his desire to speak, so the 16-year-old pulled himself into a seated position.

            “So,” Tucker began, his eyes shifting to ensure there were no ears on them. “What did CW want?” Ah, so that was the reason that Tucker drew Danny from his pits of despair. He was going to tell his friends; he just wanted a minute to wrap his head around the news before letting them know. Danny’s eyes drifted over to Sam, and the goth’s raised brow and clenched jaw told of her concern, even though she was trying to seem appropriately interested and not overbearing like she had in the past. He allowed himself a second to appreciate her half-shaved head once again, thinking back to the way Pamela had screeched just two days ago when he dropped Sam off at home after a devilishly fun evening at the mall.

            Danny groaned once again, double checking the restaurant for prying ears before hunching forward and speaking in a hushed tone. “I’m apparently gonna be crowned Ghost King once I turn eighteen.” Danny had to stifle a grin at the loud gurgling noises that came from his friends, the memory of him making a similar noise when he first met Jazz playing in his mind’s eye.

            “Danny what-“

            “When did you-“

            “Guys, guys, quiet down, people are staring!” Danny bit out, though his words held no venom. He knew they hadn’t meant to speak so loudly, and he also knew they wouldn’t be on the lookout for any attention they might gain. They had no League training, and Danny never wanted them to. He couldn’t keep them out of his life as Phantom, but he would never stoop so low as to introduce them to the world of al Ghul’s. He couldn’t, not when the only one in that damn place that ever cared about him was… Instead of lingering on that thought, Danny allowed himself to take on an easy smile as he continued forward. “It’s not a big deal. CW said I’ll have to go the Realms like, once every week or two after the coronation is over with.” Sam and Tucker noticeably loosened as the knowledge that their third wasn’t going to be disappearing into the Infinite Realms forever.

            The trio’s order number was called from the front of the room, and Sam slid out of the booth to go and grab it. When she got back, she handed out their food, and Danny stared down at his vegetarian sandwich. He had decided to make the switch a few months ago, his dreams plaguing him with ghost animals coming back for their vengeance. He had tried to ignore them, but the second that Vlad had sent a ghost cow his way, his desire to eat meat had disappeared. Sam had cheered when he told them of his decision. Tucker had just huffed in annoyance and refused to eat lunch with them for two days.

            “Dude,” Tucker whispered as he leaned into Danny’s side. “Breathe.” And suddenly Danny was inhaling an ungodly amount of oxygen as he realized he had been staring at his food, unbreathing, for the past five minutes. He would never admit it to anyone, but he often forgot, his body no longer required him to breathe more than once every hour. In fact, he still remembered the time Jazz had woken him up in the middle of the night due to his lack of breathing and the fact that his heart had only pumped once in 15 minutes. She had been crying when his eyes flew open, and they had had an hour-long discussion about how important it was to at least act like he was inhaling oxygen when around others. Still, he had to kick the thought about how the lack of breathing would make him even more hard to notice sneaking up on someone to dispose of them out of his mind multiple times.

            Honestly, with how often he failed at the task, it was a surprise Jack and Maddie hadn’t noticed. Though, it shouldn’t be, considering they hardly ever paid attention to the presence of their children. Danny ate his sandwich and enjoyed the comfortable silence that sat between the three friends, his hair cascading into his line of vision. Danny wanted to cut it, but the fact of the matter was, the more effort he put into being a greasy, grimy gremlin, the less likely the League was to find him out. He checked his phone, and, seeing that it was nearing 6:30, the time Jazz was set to get home for her trip back to Amity, said his goodbyes for the night to Sam and Tuck. His eyes slid over the window, and for one heart stopping second, he thought it was Damian with the way the lights reflected green in his eyes. But then his eyes caught sight of the scar on his left temple, and the illusion was broken. He huffed to himself, then willed his shoulders to relax. God, how he missed his brother.

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            Jazz pulled up to the Fenton household with a sigh on her lips. She hated being in the same house as her parents, but she hated leaving Danny alone even more. He had practically pushed her out the door the day she moved to Gotham for college, but she knew he hadn’t wanted her to put her life on hold for him. Still, she wished that she had the money to be able to take guardianship of her brother until he turned 18. If their parents ever found out about him… well, it wouldn’t be a pretty sight, that was sure. She may have thought they would understand after she first found out, but it had been so long, and their hatred for Phantom had only grown in the last two years…

            Jazz clapped her hands together. No point in worrying about what could happen, Danny had set so many backup plans in place that she had had to spend an entire 48 hours memorizing them. She just needed to focus on her main goal: get Danny to talk about his life before the Fenton’s. He had kept everything to himself for the past seven years, but this time, his Gotcha Day would be spent healing from past trauma – she hoped. Frankly, she would be lucky if Danny said two words about his past, he hadn’t said since the day she had convinced her parents to adopt.

            Jazz pulled down the sun visor and slid open the mirror, schooling her expression into one of pure will. “You can do this, Jasmine Fenton. You’ve spent the last two months in Gotham University studying psychology, and some 16-year-old boy will not-“

“Whatcha doin’?” Jazz’s pep talk was interrupted as she let out a totally normal, definitely cool and collected, screech. Danny started cackling, his torso sticking out of the floor of Jazz’s car.

“Danny! You can’t just pop into existence right in front of people who are having a private moment!” Jazz was chastising him, but Danny couldn’t help the giggles that continued to escape his mouth. Jazz huffed, threw open her car door, grabbed her bags, and started marching toward the front door. Danny was trailing behind her, but she didn’t care. She had forgotten just how unnerving it was when Danny appeared out of thin air, having empty space and then without warning he was just there. It reminded her of when he had first been adopted, of how he would suddenly appear and then disappear without so much as breathing loud enough to be heard. It was different now, though, as he no longer needed to put effort into softening the sounds escaping her body. Not for the first time, Jazz let herself wonder what type of homelife Danny had had before appearing in Amity.

She had only been able to come up with one plausible theory, and that was that Danny’s parents had been incredibly abusive. He must have had to learn to be as quiet as a mouse to remain out of his parents’ fighting, protecting himself from the vile side of humanity before he should have known how horrible people could be. That kind of history would be exactly the type to make someone refuse to speak about their childhood, so Jazz had allowed Danny to remain silent when it came to her questions. He didn’t have to give any answers he wasn’t prepared to, not until the traumatic memories started to cause real damage to his psyche. She was drawn out of her musings by Danny jabbing her side with his pointer finger, and when she turned a disapproving stare at him, he began rubbing the back of his neck.

“What’s up?” At the question, Danny’s hand dropped down so he could cross his arms over the ghost symbol on his hoodie. Honestly, Jazz wasn’t sure his coping mechanisms of ‘joke about my own death while simultaneously ignoring the fact that I died’ were completely healthy, but the clothing articles seemed to help keep him out of a depressive state, so she wouldn’t say anything.

“I was just saying that Mom and Dad were all hyped up this morning about something, so be prepared for anything.” Danny’s eyes took on that shine they usually did when he was talking about their parents, but she had never been able to place it. It was a mix between fondness and disdain, and what that meant for the adults in their life, she’d rather not know.

“Don’t worry little brother, I’m always prepared when it comes to Mom and Dad.” Jazz started opening the door, and then promptly froze in place as she saw the two adults running around the house like their lives depended on it.

“Don’t forget to grab the Peeler, dear! We need to make sure we take as much as we possibly can!” Mom was yelling at Dad as he descended the stairs to the lab, and a booming “Okay!” reverberated off the metal walls of the stairwell.

“Mom?” Jazz stepped forward hesitantly, not quite prepared for the sight of bags full of clothes and machinery alike. “What’s going on?”

“Jazz! It’s so lovely to see you! But why are you here? Didn’t we tell you we’re going to Gotham?” Mom looked at Jazz with a quizzical look, and finding anything remotely resembling care in the purple-tinted blue eyes was almost impossible. Jazz had to once again start the mantra of “they love us, it’s just… hard to see” in her own mind.

“No, you didn’t tell me you’re going to Gotham. Tomorrow is Danny’s Gotcha Day! I’ve been planning on coming back for months!” Jazz was tempted to let herself lose her temper, but she knew that it wouldn’t lead to anything productive. Instead, she settled for looking for any recognition of the one day that they got to celebrate Danny, since he claimed to not know when his birthday was.

“Danny’s Gotcha Day? That can’t be, that’s not until October 13th, right? It can’t be October already.” Mom was speaking as if she was stating a fact, but there was a slight frown on her lips as she checked the date on her phone. Jazz let her eyes shift over to Danny’s form, but he looked almost bored of the conversation. “Oh dear!” Mom was talking again, and Jazz decided that if Danny was okay, then she would be, too. “I’m sorry sweetie, we must have lost track of time down in the lab. You know how it is.” Mom’s voice was almost caring. “We were gonna tell you tonight, as a surprise! We’re going to Gotham for a week, Dad and I have a convention coming up that we just absolutely can’t miss. We’re leaving tomorrow, so go pack your bags!”

“Okay, thanks.” Danny shot off up the stairs, and Jazz followed after him. She needed to make sure he actually was okay; their mom had just admitted to forgetting about his stand-in birthday. Jazz knocked lightly on his bedroom door before slowly pushing it open.

“Are you okay?” Jazz sat down on Danny’s bed, shoving the bunched-up comforter out of her way while nudging a pair of jeans sprawled on the floor. She looked towards her brother and took in his appearance. His messy hair was hanging in his face, and his 5’9” stature was hunched over as he shoveled clothes into a duffle bag. He was throwing items like his chargers, toothbrush, and laptop into his backpack, and she hoped that he would try to do the online assignments that were sure to be filling his email by now.

            “Yeah?” Danny sent her a puzzled look, and not for the first time did she realize that Danny obviously didn’t know what it meant to be a priority to your parents. Jazz’s brow furrowed, but she saw the way Danny was pulling into himself, so she settled for subtlety.

            Jazz stood from the bed and gave Danny a long hug. “I’ll be in my room if you want to talk.” Then she was closing the door to Danny’s room and slipping into her own, the one she had lived in for 18 years, and the feelings of loneliness that hadn’t plagued her in two months crept back under her skin.

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            Danny continued to shuffle items into their respectful bags, no longer caring if they were messy. Well, that’s not to say he didn’t care, it just didn’t bother him as much as it did when he first decided to take on the persona of a slobby teen. All details would be taken into account when it came to the League. Once he finished zipping up the duffel, he turned to his backpack. He crossed his legs, and for the first time in months, he allowed himself to remember. He thought of green eyes, of heartbroken screams and explosions, and he thought of a presence by his side, watching every blind spot he would ever have. Danny clenched his fists, as he remembered the day just over a year ago. He had just confirmed that his powers were fully under his control, and as soon as he had been alone, he had zipped away. He had gone invisible and intangible long before he reached Nanda Parbat, not daring to risk being seen. He had flown around the entirety of the League’s base, searching for Damian. Alas, even his quarters had been cleared. Danny left, knowing his brother was no longer there, either dead or escaped. He was determined to find out which.

            Danny’s eyes opened, and he stuck his hand into the floorboard beneath his bed. He pulled out the wakizashi, eyes tracing every detail. He didn’t need to take the time to memorize it, as it was as familiar to him as it had ever been. For a brief moment, he considered taking it with him; but there was no way he would find Damian in Gotham of all places. Jazz would have noticed his lookalike by now. Besides, Danny didn’t believe in chance.

            He slid the wakizashi into his bag anyway.

[hannahbarberra162]

Can't Fix Fix A Broken Heart Chapter 14

18+ MDNI

All chapters

It's my first time writing cunnilingus, trying to get better.

on Ao3

tw: edging, orgasm denial, punishments. Check the tags.

After your tumultuous night with Thatch, you awoke alone in the bed. You figured he had to leave early to start breakfast for the crew, giving you some time to yourself. You quickly found your clean clothes and got dressed. You still had to eat breakfast with him, but you would worry about that later. You left the cabin as discreetly as possible, trying to make your way to the main deck without seeing anyone.

Last night left you feeling confused and upset. On one hand you did feel more rested. When you were on your home island, you’d always had to share a bed with at least one younger brother, so you associated sleeping next to another person with comfort. You always had liked sleeping next to someone else, since your early childhood. You did sleep for longer than usual, and felt like you actually got some quality sleep.

On the other hand, the forced nudity bothered you. You didn’t like being ordered around, it almost reminded you of being with the Marines. You thought about bringing it up to him, but dismissed the thought. He obviously had enjoyed it, based on his reaction. Maybe you could bring it up to Marco? But Marco was the harshest of the three of them…Ace might be your last hope, but you weren’t sure he’d take your side against his fellow commanders. You’d just try to be as good as possible. The rules were pretty simple - no sleeping without them, no eating alone, taking breaks during the day, no masturbating. That was it, right? Not so difficult to adhere to.

You started working on the various problems different crew members brought to you, and soon it was breakfast time. You went to the private dining room, where Thatch met you. There was only one setting again, so you just endured your awkward feelings and sat on his lap without being asked. He was in a terrific mood, especially once you sat down. He didn’t mention the previous night, and neither did you. Unlike dinner, there was work waiting for everyone, so the meal was brief compared to the lengthy dinner of yesterday. He did still rub your thigh or arm while you chewed, but nothing too bad. The breakfast wrapped up quickly, Thatch gave you a kiss on the head, and sent you on your way. You could do this, you thought, no rules broken - no punishments.

The rest of the morning went by in a flash. You were fixing some of the navigational machinery on the Moby itself, and it was difficult work. You had to maneuver yourself into very small spaces and not get squished by other moving parts. It was difficult for you to determine what was actually broken - even with your fruit - due to the complex nature of the ship. Once you found it, the fix itself wasn’t too difficult, but it took a lot of time to get to exactly where you needed to go. By the time you got in, fixed the issue, and got out, it was time for lunch.

You ate with a happy Thatch once more, though this time he wiped you down with a towel because you were dirty with oil and grease. You protested and said you could do it yourself, but he didn’t allow you to take the towel and clicked his tongue at you. So you sat on his lap and let him wipe you down, feeling more like a pet than a person. Cleaning you up seemed to make him even happier than he was before, which was perplexing to you. Lunch itself was uneventful, and you were stuffed full of his delicious food once again.

Once lunch was over, you had to go to the infirmary for an appointment. Marco had told you that one of the nurses was certified in therapeutic massages, including scar massages. Marco was an excellent doctor, but you were happy it was a nurse taking over this task. The nurse, named Heidi, was waiting for you when you got there. Though you were nervous, she was polite and professional. She didn’t make any remarks when she looked at your back, just noted the places where you would need the most work. Marco did pop in for a while, but simply went over the plans Heidi had made. He told you the nerve endings in your back were deeply damaged, and the way the skin had healed was preventing circulation and lymphatic drainage. Heidi shooed him away and began the massage.

It did not feel good. In fact, it felt quite painful. You tried to keep still for her, but you winced several times. Heidi was apologetic, but said that since this was the first time you’d had a scar massage, it would be rather unpleasant. Still, you laid on the table and allowed her to continue. You were hopeful - as was she - that continued sessions would lessen your pain overall. When she was done, you thanked her, and nearly ran from the room. 

After the massage, you went to find Izou. You had a burst of inspiration that morning for a project and wanted to sketch it and drape some fabric on him. He was busy for the moment, but told you to go to his room and begin the sketching. He would join you shortly once he had completed his work for the moment. You eagerly went to his room, which now doubled as a makeshift workroom for the two of you. You sat down at his chabudai and began sketching the forms you had seen in your mind. Izou was an excellent muse and model, all long elegant lines and sweeping curves. The longer you drew, the more tired you got. You didn’t realize that a massage could take that much out of you. 

You decided to lay your head on the low table. After all, you weren’t hiding away, you were in Izou’s room. You told him where you were - it wasn’t a secret. And you just wanted to rest your eyes, not really sleep. Just a little moment of relaxation, weren’t you allowed that? So you laid your head down on your arms, just for a few minutes, ready to pick your head up as soon as Izou came into the room. 

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

You were not awakened to Izou coming into the room. You were awakened by the sound of talons scraping across the wooden floor. You yanked your head up to see a furious Marco, with an irritated Izou standing with his arms crossed behind him. Marco was partially transformed, which frightened you further.

“Come with me, Y/N.” He reached down and took hold of your arm. You were scared, and jolted backwards trying to get away. He held your arm but crouched down so his face was at the same height as yours.

“Y/N, I am deeply displeased with your behavior. However, like we talked about, I will never hurt you or cause you pain. You may be unhappy with your punishment, but you will not be injured. Come along yoi.”

You hung your head and got up. You looked at Izou pleadingly. Izou was unmoved and said “Y/N, I have been informed of the rules. They are simple. It is to your own detriment if you cannot follow them. I’m sorry if you feel betrayed, but I stand with my brothers. You don’t know what’s best for you, and they are trying to aid you.”

You swallowed harshly but didn’t say anything. Wordlessly, Marco led you out of Izou’s room and to his own. He sat you at the edge of his bed, and walked over to his dresser. He grabbed a necklace with a wooden pendant of a phoenix, and put it around your neck. He broke the silence.

“Do you know why you’re being punished?”

“I took a nap without you.” You couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Correct. You hid away in Izou’s room to sleep, which is directly against what we asked of you. You did not take a break this morning yoi. Thatch already informed me of the events of last night. Why are you so set on self destruction?”

“I’m n-not trying -”

“Enough. It seems we have been too lenient with you thus far. You see that I put a necklace on you. You may not remove it. What it means is that you cannot come until I remove the necklace. Neither of my brothers will remove it. Since I was the one who found your transgression, you fall under my dominion. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” You were still looking down at your lap.

“Good. Now lay back yoi.” You felt very unsure of what was happening. This punishment didn’t seem terrible so far, not even as bad as the one from last night. All you were doing was wearing a necklace. You were nervous, waiting for the other shoe to drop. You laid back in the middle of Marco’s bed and looked up at the ceiling. In a single moment, your pants were ripped off of you. You shrieked in surprise and tried to get up but a large talon pinned you to the bed.

“Relax, this will be something you enjoy. For now.” Marco’s talon released you, and you stayed flat on your back, worried about the razor sharp claw so near your body. You felt your underwear being similarly shredded from your body. Marco  moved on top of you  and caged you in with his arms. He slowly lowered himself to kiss you on the lips. You kissed him back in the hopes of lessening his anger towards you, but it didn’t seem to help. He kissed lightly down your body until he was inches away from your pussy. He moved down the bed, grabbed your legs, and set your ankles on his shoulders. You were completely open to him, which made you squirm.

“Absolutely beautiful. Let’s see how you taste.”

With that, he placed his face right against your cunt. He didn’t start kissing or licking, he began by smelling you. After a deep inhale, he put his large hands down on the inside of your thighs, making sure you couldn’t close your legs. He started kissing the uppermost parts of your inner thighs. You were ticklish there, and tried to wiggle away, but you were unable to move. Marco bit you sharply, and said “stop moving yoi.”

He resumed his kissing and finally made his way to your pussy. You knew you were wet already just from his teasing. He smirked at you as he rubbed a finger down your slit. “This is just the beginning, little dove. Plenty more to come.” He started slowly teasing you with his tongue, licking and lapping everywhere except where you wanted it most. He was avoiding your clit, and there was nothing you could do to get him to move his tongue there. He teased you for what felt like an eternity, with you panting and whining the longer he went. When he finally grazed your clit with the barest of touches, you moaned loudly. He started stroking your clit with his tongue, sucking on it, and occasionally gently biting it. Every movement he made sent you higher. You were close to orgasm, you could feel the tension in you rising. Just as you were about to come, he suddenly stopped and moved his head away.

You let out a huff. Marco smile wickedly. 

“This is just the beginning yoi. If you think you’re being punished now, let’s see how a few more rounds makes you feel.”

Marco spent the next hour teasing you, licking you, and slurping at your pussy. You were in agony. As soon as you felt you were at the precipice of an orgasm, he would stop. Once you’d calmed down, he would start again, holding you in place to make sure you felt every stroke of his tongue. He licked every inch of you, and varied his technique so that by the end of the hour you were a writhing, twitchy mess. 

“Please M-marco, please. P-please let me c-come!” you were crying and shaking, begging him to let you come.

“But if I let you come now, what lesson do you learn yoi? No, I think you need to continue your discipline.” Marco raised himself up, and kissed you deeply on the mouth.

“See how you taste? Delicious.” He let you sit up and handed you a pair of pants, since yours were destroyed. You didn’t want anything close to your pussy right now, but you couldn’t stay naked.

“Remember, do not take off the necklace. Thatch and Ace will know what it means.” You nodded and Marco allowed you to shuffle out of the room.

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

You were trying to act normally and not think about your throbbing cunt. You knew your punishment would be exponentially worse if you took off the necklace - or worse - came. You tried walking around to soothe the ache. You were walking in the hallway when you saw Ace. He took one passing look at you, and immediately pushed you gently against the wall. He touched the necklace at your neck, his eyes narrowed and he grinned a sinful smile. 

“Uh oh. Big trouble, huh? Marco punishing you?”

“Um, yeah, I was napping in Izou’s room.”

Ace tsked at you. “What a bad girl. No wonder you’re getting punished. Well, let’s see what we can do.”

“Marco says you can’t take the necklace off.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” Ace said with a dark smile. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

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

A few moments later, you found yourself in Ace’s room, face down ass up. Your pants had been shoved down to your knees. Ace had wasted no time in eating you out from behind. It was loud - he was smacking, licking, and groaning and your sloppy cunt was squelching from his tongue. He was eating you out like it was his last meal, holding your quivering legs and spreading your pussy lips with his fingers. He brought you to the brink over and over like Marco had, never letting you come like you so desperately wanted to. You were crying into the blanket, both from your incredible frustration and from feeling so helpless to stop the onslaught of strokes coming from Ace’s mouth. 

You had just screamed in anger from being denied yet another orgasm, when the door opened. Ace looked up, and you heard a familiar voice say “hola mami…”

[missmarveledsblog]

I'll show you different ( Joel Miller x reader) part 6

summary : peach finds out her father had a visitor . tommy plays cupid as they two begin to get closer she even lets joel know he makes her safe , the new dynamic of living with other and a new job things are looking up til she sees her ex is leaving reminders that he's still around but now she not scared now she is down right pissed .

warnings : this series mentions domestic abuse , harassing themes. there is some fluffy moments too

previous part

By time joel dropped the girls off not sparing his ex wife a glance as he talked to her new husband a little, the man wasn’t the brightest bunny in the cage but joel got along with him and sort of felt sorry for the poor fucker . one last hug and kiss to the girls heads they went on their way and joel headed  home  knowing peach would be there . usually the though of her waiting at home for him would of made him excited and rushing home but giving the circumstances it didn’t allow it although he would be lying if he didn’t say that her being there either way made him happy . knowing the woman he cared so much for was up in his house afraid of some monster who couldn’t get  the word no through his skull , john almost relief when she agreed to stay in the millers too that man went through so much to lose more they both did . maybe he could do just that … maybe he could make it not so bad for two people that shouldn’t be treated such away and yet still their nightmare is not even close to over. 

She sat on sofa , her eyes barely even looking at the screen it was looking to the house .. to her house almost waiting to see him there , waiting for him to boldly show the monster he truly was but she knew he was smart . knew he was going to wait for the right moment.  In the fucked up shit storm of it all he made her father seem like an angel yes what her father had done was depraved and fucked up but he was a drunk and god knows what else  where as her ex husband he was sober as a judge when he done what he done and enjoyed it . that smile she could remember it so clear as day as if he was standing in front of her there and then . he enjoy his torture , the way he broke her down to almost nothing that even now she was still trying to build herself back up .  piece by piece  like she was building a house brick by brick. It was funny she almost crumbled almost gave up and the miller brothers true to the construction work held her up and kept her standing . something like this friendship was a rarity it was something she wasn’t used to people going out their own way to be there for her .  the headlights snapped her from her thoughts almost like she was a deer stuck in them . 

“ it’s just joel peach” tommy patted her hand as she relaxed  back into the sofa . 

“ actually it’s the sherif” she finally said she wanted to say he listened to the pattern of the engines knowing who it was so if she heard one that wasn’t familiar she would be ready. To tommy shock it was the sherif standing hat in hand on their porch . 

“ peach darling can i talk to you” he called in as tommy moved to the side .  

“ what is it now axe murderer on the loose and i’m his next target” she huffed making tommy chuckled . 

“ actually my brother in law  called your daddy got a visitor , he don’t get them so he sent over the picture” he smiled sadly showing her father a face she not seen since she was running for her life sitting with the man that made her fear her life . 

“ you got to be kidding me they’re teaming up on me” she scoffed throwing the picture down. 

“ actually know your daddy told em to fuck off well to that effect  but he ain’t helping him” the sherif explained. “ but i thought you should know either way”.

“Any good news for me like your gonna get him ?” she asked softly . 

“ actually i got the restraining order held up here so if he does come close to you i can charge him” he smiled. “ or maybe hurt him in the process , you ok here  need me send a deputy to watch over you” he asked softly. 

“ she’s fine here we got her” joel's voice call their attention to him.

“ well you got my cell darling ok even if it a cat outside your scared call me” he added nodding to the men as joel shook his hand as he left . “ who’s hungry” he smiled holding up the bag of take away one of her favourite , one he remembered her telling him was one of the things she missed being home. Small things she told him seem to lock in his mind , her favorite beer or soda in his fridge but it wasn’t one way even tommy remark she always had the shit joel drank in her  ice box or refrigerator . 

“ ok so i’m going to eat mine in my room , watch that new series on HBO so i’ll leave ya to it” tommy winked grabbing his food and heading up the stairs fastest hes ever did before.

“ wanna watch a movie?” she asked softly unsure of really what to say giving it wasn’t her house and well she frankly she enjoyed being in his company.

“ well of course not this shit jesus that boys obsessed with zombie shit” joel chuckled as she looked to the screen she didn’t even realize what she was pretending to be watching .  “ come on we watch something decent fer a change “ he smiled patted the sofa as she shyly sat back to the spot on the feel the fabric over her legs and joel calling tommy some colorful words . 

Finally the two sat watching or pretending to watch some movie he picked , her eyes slipping to look at joel every so often unbeknownst to  her the man was doing the very exact thing . Some where in the middle of the movie he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder  . looking down he couldn’t help feel the air in his throat stuck  she looked completely and utterly beautiful even when she was sleeping .  the softest snore that came from her pillowy plush lips , her lashes on her cheeks , the little rise and fall of her chest and the peaceful look on her face . He didn’t wanna move , hell even breathe if it meant disrupting the slumber she was in .  yet he did once he heard the footstep on the stair he easily move so he could stand up and lift her up  only see tommy passing them by . 

“ she out cold want me bring her , don’t fuck up your back old man “ he teased . 

“ funny jokes for days , move  she needs her rest” joel huffed and gruff as he headed for the stairs and not once she stirred awake only to nuzzle in his chest she was like a damn kitten looking for affection .  he didn’t go to the girls room for some reason he brain wasn’t thinking in that moment  as he walked straight to his only to realize once he placed her on his bed . guilt in his stomach as he couldn’t stop the thought she belonged there how she fit so perfectly in his space.  He  was just about to turn leave her there til he felt the soft skin of her palm and a slight tug. 

“ stay please” she almost whispered as he nodded pulling away heading into his  bathroom changing into a pair of sweats and a white t-shirt . even in her tired state she couldn’t help but stare at the man before her  , she felt safe , she felt safe with joel it was buzzing around her head til the words slipped out of her mouth not even realizing it  did . 

“ huh?” he asked ,  he heard her and selfishly he wanted to hear it again . 

“ i feel safe.. With you” she smiled tired moving over giving him some space to get in . 

Wordless he got in the bed not caring how selfish it was all he wanted was to feel her close , feel here near . wrapping his arm around her frame and holding her close to his chest and ghost of a kiss on her head when he mumbled out a “ goodnight darling”  . 

She woke that morning probably first time in a long time refreshed  and actually feeling like she had a full night sleep which the irony of it all to be in danger for her to sleep so good.  She sat up looking at the man snoring away beside her and suddenly she wasn’t thinking of it all , in that moment she was enjoying her little fantasy mind of being so close to a man she could only dream of . she quickly and quietly made her way of the room not to disturb him as she crept down the stair looking into the fridge to see the exact thing she was looking for  making her way around the kitchen in search of more when she heard a clearing of a throat behind her.

“ imagine my surprise to see if you wanted coffee i couldn’t find you anywhere …well except in my brothers bed” tommy smirked . 

“ nothing happened .. don’t scare me like that i’m making breakfast so show me where everything is” she  glared at the man looking at terrifying as a puppy in his eyes. Helping her get the things needed as she set on her task watching the pan ignoring the almost bruising gaze he had on her dying to know how it happened and what happened. But she barely looked his way trying to will her cheeks not to light up in the redness til she smelt the familiar smell  hit her nose and the hand on her hip a sleepy joel reached up grabbing a couple of cups . a sleepy smile on his face that had her cheeks flushed and her eyes looking down at the pan with smile on her face . the almost domestic side of it all as tommy watched smiling maybe it wouldn’t take long after all . 

It was almost a week being in the millers soft touches and flirty back and forth it was  unlike her and yet it came so naturally when she was around joel miller . even though it was to keep an eye on her she didn't mind working in the office on site she got to see her grandfather even more and she got to see joel all the time too . she almost forgot the monster following her til one morning she walked out to her car seeing tommy and joel standing worried when she looked seeing her car scratched up  and whore sprayed painted into the side of it . it was were she could see it , it was letting her know he was watching in the shadows waiting for his perfect time to strike . Letting her know he wasn’t going to give up . she looked at the car , the first thing that was truly hers after first escaping , now in a state  and desecrated with slander on the metal . it was just a possession she thought but it felt more to her even if it was just a possession it was hers and he ruined it . it wasn’t fear that coursed her veins it was anger she was sick of this man ruining her , her life and now the things she loved . it was anger that she was sick of being afraid , sick of being a punching bag of life and it’s shitty humans in it . she was sick of it all and this time she wasn’t going to let them win this time , she was done being the victim and she was going to make sure he knew that .  she wasn't going to cower no more if anything she would stand up and end it all herself .

part 7

taglist: @harriedandharassed @missladym1981

[chaoticpuff17]

Amygdala

Chapter 9

“He what?” Tae-il cried, deep lines etched between his brows as he listened to Margot recount what had happened at the hospital and the following lunch “date”. “He paid the hospital bill?”

“In full.” 

“Aiyah.” He groaned, sinking down to sit in one of the restaurant chairs. “We’ll never be able to pay him back.” 

“I think that may be the point.” she admitted, tiredly sinking into a chair of her own. 

“Does he say what he wants?” 

Margot groaned, burying her face into her arms. “I think he thinks we’re dating.” 

“Why would he think that?” 

“Because he’s delusional! Possibly insane!” She cried, raising her head to look at him tired, pleading eyes. “I think I need to move.” 

Tae-il shook his head, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I don’t like this, Margot. I don’t like this at all. Maybe…” he hesitated, looking at her as though the words he was contemplating hurt him to even think. “Maybe you should go away for a while.”

“What?”

She’d been thinking about moving herself, but she hadn’t expected for Tae-il to be the one to suggest she go. 

“You start summer break next week. Maybe you could go stay with my brother. He’s a doctor out in the countryside.” 

Margot paused, thinking the offer over. 

It wouldn’t be the worst thing ever to get out of the city, to get away from Yoongi. There was still a heavy chance that he was going to know where she was. Namjoon had told her about the tail that just because she couldn’t see the tail, it didn’t mean that Yoongi didn’t still have people following her. 

The thought sent a chill down her spine. 

“Maybe it would be for the best.” she agreed, with a heavy sigh. “Do you think Uncle Tae-ho would be willing to let me stay with him for a bit?” 

“You’re the only niece he’s got. He’ll take you.” Tae-il assured her. “Besides, he’d probably like the help. You can handle scheduling appointments for him, help keep him on track.” 

“Thank you.” She stood up, kissing the old man on the cheek before heading home to  her apartment. She had packing to do. 

Margot spent the next two days blessedly free of Yoongi. No new gifts arrived on her doorstep. He didn’t appear out of the blue, and as far as she knew he hadn’t figured out that she was leaving the city yet. 

No good thing lasts forever though. 

Margot was leaving school having finished their last day of the school year, chatting with her colleagues when she caught sight of Yoongi leaning leisurely against a car without paying any mind to the stares of the other teachers as he waited for her.

Margot considered her options. With the dark glasses covering his eyes she couldn’t tell if he’d spotted her yet. In her estimation, she had a seventy-thirty shot of being able to sneak away without him noticing. They weren’t great odds, but she would take any chance she could get. 

“Mari-ah!” he called, spotting her among the scattered teachers, and Margot cursed under her breath. 

Yoongi pushed off the car, sauntering over to where she stood frozen. 

Before she could collect herself, he’d already thrown an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side and pressing a kiss to the side of her head, stunning both her and the two other teachers she had been walking with. 

“Ready to go, jagiya?” he asked, paying the two women gawking at them no mind but grinning internally at the look  of utter astonishment on Margot’s face. 

He found her shock adorable while Margot found the familiarity, the intimacy of the actions to be more concerning and uncomfortable than anything else. 

“Go where?” she asked, attempting to duck out from under his arm, but Yoongi wasn’t allowing it, keeping her tucked tightly into his side as he walked her back to the car. 

“Today was your last day.”

“Yes…” she admitted hesitantly. It was her last day, but she didn’t know how he knew that. She certainly hadn’t told him. “What does that have to do with where we’re going?” 

“Why shouldn’t I treat my girl on her last day?” 

“Because I’m not your girl?” 

“Of course you are.” he scoffed, a smile on his face, as he opened the door for her. 

While she was determined to correct his delusions, Yoongi was just as determined to make them a reality. In his mind, they were inevitable. They always had been. Now that fate had brought them back together he wasn’t going to let anything tear them apart. 

“Yoongi, you can’t just show up at my place of work!” she huffed as he guided her into the car, shutting the door behind her once she was in. 

Margot tried the door only to find it child locked against her just like the last time he’d kidnapped her for some sort of outing. 

“Really?” She asked exasperated as he slipped into the driver’s side. “Again?”

“I’m not taking chances with you.” He shrugged, reaching over for her hand.

Margot watched in stunned disbelief as he lifted it to his lips, placing a kiss to her knuckles before setting their still entwined hands on the middle console as he set off for his destination. 

He’d done something similar at the end of their lunch date. He’d kissed her forehead just as he had earlier. It was a gesture somehow more intimate and therefore that much worse than an actual kiss. It was a soft gesture, sweet and gentle, meant for lovers who were sweet and gentle, but in his head, that’s what they were. Margot’s apprehension at the situation had only worsened upon the realization that that was what Yoongi considered them.

In his mind there was no reason that they shouldn’t pick up exactly where they left off. To him, this was their second chance. He was taking them back to before she left, before the fight that had ensued because of her going home. He was proceeding as though he’d asked her out then, as though the feelings that had existed unspoken by both of them were exactly as they were six years ago. 

It didn’t matter to him that they were both different people now. It simply didn’t matter. Much to her irritation, he found her protests to the contrary cute. The differences did matter to her though. 

The person he was now scared her. His reaction to her trying to leave their lunch date scared her more than she would have liked to admit. The Yoongi she’d known had had a temper. She could admit that, but it had been carefully hidden under layers of patience and seeming apathy. He’d certainly never been violent or physical with anyone, least of all her. But he’d restrained her physically twice now, and she had to keep reminding herself that this was not the Yoongi she knew despite his insistence that he was still her Yoongi. 

She was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of Yoongi’s phone ringing. 

Yoongi released her hand, grabbing his phone with an irritated huff. 

“What?” he barked into the phone, clearly displeased by the disruption. “What?” he repeated more sharply, eyes narrowed into a glare that she was sure would have had the person on the other end of the call shaking in their boots if they could see it. They might have been anyway simply because of the tone he was using. 

“Don’t do a thing.” He hissed. “I don’t want you fuckers doing a thing till I get there, you here me?” he ordered, hanging up the call abruptly. 

“I’m sorry, jagiya.” He turned to her to apologize. “We’ll have to celebrate later, but I still want you to enjoy the pampering.” 

“What pampering?” she asked in confusion as he pulled up to the curb.

“I wanted you to relax.” He nodded towards the nail salon they’d pulled up in front of. “Everything’s taken care of. Go enjoy yourself.” 

“Yoongi, I’m not going to…”

He leaned a little closer, pushing a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail out of the way. “I’ll see you later, yeah?” 

Her door opened, and she whipped her head around to see a man in a suit waiting for her. 

“You take care of her, Yeong.” Yoongi ordered as the strange man, apparently Yeong, held out a hand to help her out of the car. 

“Nothing will happen to Ms. Brooks on my watch, sir.” he promised, waiting for Margot to exit the vehicle.

Where had he even come from?

“I’ll see you later, jagi.” he promised, leaning across the center console to place a kiss to her cheek before prompting her to exit the car.

Yeong took her hand, helping her out despite her state of absolute confusion as they watched Yoongi drive away, clearly yelling at someone on the phone as he did. 

She stood there for a moment trying to process what had just happened and coming to no good conclusion, turned to Yeong.

“I can take the bus home. You don’t have to stay here.” 

“I can’t do that, ma’am.” He apologized, inclining his head respectfully. “If you’ll follow me, Mr. Min has arranged an appointment for you.” 

He placed a hand behind her, not quite touching her but clearly meant to guide her. 

She didn’t move. 

“Are you going to get in trouble if I don’t go to that nail appointment?” 

“This way, ma’am.” 

She knew a non-answer when she heard one, and with a sigh, she allowed him to herd her into the nail salon. 

Margot stood back and watched the rather intimidating man take care of everything. He checked her in and explained everything to the lady working the front desk and all she had to do was sit back and pick a nail color.

“Right this way, Min-buin.” One of the nail artists came up with a customer service smile shining brightly on her face, and Margot reeled back at the title. 

“I’m sorry?” 

“We’re ready for you, Min-buin.” 

“I think there’s been some sort of mistake.” she said standing up. “I’m by no means Min-buin.” 

The woman simply continued to smile, giving her some bland apology for the misunderstanding and ushering her back so that someone could get started on her toes. 

Throughout the entire appointment no matter how many times she corrected them, the staff continued to refer to her as Min-buin. 

Each time she heard the title, a bit of bile rose in her throat. She knew that Yoongi was delusional. She hadn’t thought he was quite that delusional, and as much as she wanted to scream at the women for calling her that, she couldn’t. It wasn’t their fault. They had been informed that was who she was by the person who had made the appointment and were trying to remain respectful to who they assumed was the wife of a very powerful man. 

By the time both her toes and her nails were done, painted a pretty dark red, she felt as though she was going to throw up, her nerves a complete mess.

Yeong was waiting for her at the front of the salon with what appeared to be a boba tea in hand.

He nodded as she approached, handing her the tea. “Lychee green tea with lychee flavored pearls.” he informed her. 

It was her favorite and that made the nausea swirling in her gut worse.

“Shall we go, ma’am?” he asked, assessing her with a critical eye.

Margot was sure she looked about ready to fall over by this point.

“I can take the bus home.” 

“Mr. Min has requested that I drive you wherever you need to go.” Yeong informed her, ushering her towards the door. 

“I really can take the bus.” she insisted, though her voice was small and wholly unconvincing. 

“I can’t allow you to do that, ma’am.” 

Yeong ushered her out despite her weak protests and helped her into the back of the waiting car.

“Are you sure you’re alright, ma’am?” Yeong asked, glancing back at her through the rearview mirror as he drove her home. 

“Are you the one who's been following me?” she asked, meeting his eye in the mirror.

Yeong was silent for a moment, contemplating his answer. “I’m one of the guards assigned for your protection.” Each word was carefully chosen and spoken in a measured tone that was meant to reassure her or at the very least not to spook her further. “Mr. Min is very concerned with your safety.”

“One of the guards? So there’s more than one.” she laughed, the sound having a slightly hysterical edge to it. 

“Mr. Min is very concerned with your safety, ma’am.” he repeated.

“Oh, I’m sure he is.” 

“Are you certain you’re alright?” 

“I’m not planning to jump out of the car if that’s what you’re asking.” 

Margot wasn’t sure she could even if she’d wanted to. She hadn’t tried, but she had the sneaking suspicion that these doors were child locked as well. 

They sat in silence the rest of the way back to her home. Yeong didn’t offer up any type of conversation, and she found herself grateful for that. She didn’t know if she could handle any more surprises today. 

Within the span of two weeks, Yoongi had completely flipped her life on its head. He’d turned her into a nervous, paranoid wreck. The anxiety had completely wrecked her body. Her stomach was constantly in knots, her skin was a mess, and she’d been experiencing headaches with increasing frequency. She was also fairly sure that her hair was falling out due to stress, but the hair loss had been enough to become alarming as of yet. She was a mess, and she was incredibly grateful to be leaving for the countryside the next day. 

Tae-il’s brother Tae-ho had agreed to let her come stay with him in the countryside for a while. She’d only ever met the man once or twice, but he’d always seemed amiable and welcoming. She would have been grateful even if she knew him to be horrible. She needed the time away. She needed space to breathe, to think. 

“We’re here, ma’am.” Yeong announced, pulling up in front of the restaurant. 

“Thank you, Yeong.” She gave him a weary smile, reaching to open her door only to find it locked against her, just as she’d expected. 

Yeong was quick to release her, helping her out of the care in a respectful, gentlemanly way. 

Margot stopped by the kitchen to say hello to Tae-il before heading to her apartment on the third floor, exhausted from the day.

She supposed that the manicure and pedicure had been meant to be relaxing. It should have been a sweet gesture, but the entire excursion had been more disconcerting than anything else and had left her feeling even more drained than before. She didn’t have time to be exhausted though. She had packing to do.

Part 10

[imnotasuperhero]

Look into my eyes (search your soul)

Wanda maximoff x Reader

Summary: Your love for Wanda could make you go the distance and more, just to see her happy. 

A/N: PART 3 IS HERE! WOOP WOOP!!

This one was... special? Idk. I felt like it was time to deep into the story since next part was planned to be the last one, but knowing me, this series will extend lmao. Truth be told, I have no ways to explain this, just wanted to play a little with the hearts out there readibg this (an mine too). There’s a little part suggesting fun times, tho it’s nothing hard, so I’ll bold it so you can skip it if you want.Anyways, enjoy!

Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX

“Wanda!”

The redhead stopped her task at hand and held onto the crumpled shirt tightly.

“What happened?” She asked with fear.

“We’re going home!!” Wanda grunted as her whole body relaxed at your words. She could barely hide the smile wanting to appear at the toothy grin you gave her.

“For fuck’s sake, Y/N,” she faked annoyance while closing the zip of her duffel bag before walking towards her sleeping babies. “But wait,” she looked around the room, confused. “We need their-”

“I’ve got everything planned,” she heard your voice behind her and froze in place when she felt your arms locking around her waist as you placed a kiss on her head.

But before she could start to wander into the forming thought, you moved away. “I’ll go get them.”

You fasted your pace, leaving a mumbling Wanda behind.

‘Just tell her already. I can’t be more idiotic’ you reprimanded yourself for such action. Natasha’s words started to replay in your mind over and over.

Once you reached your car, you allowed yourself to lean against the door and breathe. ‘She’s not mine.’ You repeated once again. No matter how bad you wanted for her to be, she had her family and you weren’t part of it.

Gathering the courage to fake your feelings, you tightened your grip on the babies’ car seats and walked to the new family waiting for their ride home.

The ride to Wanda’s home was… calm. At least outside your mind.

“You make it seem so easy,” Wanda woed, seeing you take the babies off the car.

“I had a bit of experience,” you shrugged at her words, trying not to focus on the burning on your back.

“Let me help,” Wanda extended one arm, intending to grab one of the twins’ seats.

“Nope,” you swiftly moved Tommy away from her reach. “You can’t force yourself, Wanda.” You walked past her, carefully placing the babies on the floor before you looked for the door keys Wanda gave you in case of emergencies. 

You didn’t know why you kept torturing yourself.  You could easily busy yourself with your own life… God knows your job wasn't easy peasy most of the time and the projects required time. And taking care of two newborns… wasn't really smart.

You weren't even related to them.

But these past days only served for you to fall in love with those little humans. 

Every moment you tended to them, you couldn’t help your heart growing ten times. The way they looked at you when you softly spoke to them filled your inside with something warm and cozy.

Every second you held them against your chest while you lulled them to sleep was… their warm breaths against your skin was something you never wished to experience, but now you didn’t want it any other way. And now…

Now you understood what people meant when they said babies could melt the coldest heart.

But before you could dwell too deep into the stormy feelings inside you, Natasha’s words played loud enough.

“She has her husband. She doesn’t need you.”

Standing up from your working table, you marched towards the bathroom at the time you sent a text to the redhead. 

‘I’m in. Pick me up in an hour.’

Looking at your reflection in the mirror, you nodded approvingly before walking outside. Maybe tonight would be a night to remember. Or not.

Stepping into the club, you giggled at Natasha’s hand holding yours to guide you through the bodies flooding the dancefloor.

“There she is!” Bucky walked happily towards you, picking you up in the air. “About time you showed up.”

Giggling, you fidget in his arms until you felt the floor under your feet. “Working the big leagues is not easy job,” you shrugged before hugging each of your friends.

“Oh yeah. I’ve heard Mr. Peters can be a pain in the ass.” Steve commented sipping his beer.

Accepting the offered drink, you thanked the redhead before taking a sip. “He’s one of the worst clients I’ve had so far.” You grunted, leaning against the wall a few meters away from the sweaty bodies. “He even requested for an on-scale plant floor.”

“Wait. An actual scale model? With small furniture and details and-”

“Yep,” you cut the brunette, sipping from your drink once again.

“Enough of adult life,” Natasha rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed by the busy life of her friends. “I say we enjoy tonight and forget about our duties.” Nat started to dance dangerously close to you.

“Imma need more alcohol for this,” you spoke loudly in her ear. “Lead the way, I’ll meet you there,” you breathed deeply at the sensation taking over you.

And true to your words, you swallowed a shot before you walked to the group with a brand new drink in hand that was taken away by a tall blonde.

Giggling, you turned to Natasha as the redhead swayed her hips against yours and before you could react, your hands found her hips, following her movements. You deserved to have fun.

After a few, the flowing drinks and the sweaty bodies around you intoxicated the air you breathed and what started with a playful dance with Natasha became something that only heated you up the more you moved against her.

Turning around, Natasha stood up accepting the drink Maria offered. “You know,” the redhead leaned against you, practically shouting in your ear over the loud music. “I didn’t tell you, but you look good tonight.” 

“Why don’t you do something about it?” You surprised yourself saying, holding your breath as those green eyes widened at your words.

Before you could fix your slip, the straight line on Natasha’s lips turned into a smirk.

“Your place or mine?”

Looking at those glistening eyes under you, you scolded yourself for thinking they weren’t the right shade of green you craved for. And before you could get lost in your mind, you leaned down to kiss an expecting Natasha, smirking when your thigh hit her in the right spot, making her moan deeply in your mouth.

“You’re beautiful,” you vowed before you started to travel down, rediscovering her body once again, like a sailor that finally reached his port after a long time away.

And even though you knew she wasn’t her, you made love to the redhead in your bed. You made sure she was well taken care of, for a woman like her deserved only the best.

And your hips stopped dancing against hers only when you knew Natasha had come down from her high, looking deeply into her eyes.

“You never cease to impress me,” the redhead winked at you, laughing alongside you.

“What can I say? It’s all about the confidence,” you leaned down to kiss her one last time before you plopped beside her, placing your head on your propped arm, admiring her features. “I mean it,”

Frowning, Natasha turned her body to have a better look at you. “What?”

“You’re beautiful,” you shrugged, taking the lock that fell on her face, placing it softly behind her ear.

“Don’t let Wanda hear you,” she smirked at your grunt.

“Why,” you hid your face in your pillow, regretting your words.

“Lyubov,” your body shrugged at the finger drawing patterns on your naked body, and you allowed yourself to enjoy it. “What you both have it’s not healthy.”

Turning your face to the side, you just sighed.

“There’s nothing between us, Nat.” You closed your eyes at the soothing feeling on your lower back, going all the way up and down again.

“It’s not what your heart thinks,” she pointed.

Sighing, you sat up, not caring Natasha could see your naked chest.

“It’s not easy. You should know about it.”

“No.” The redhead stopped you, imitating your stance. “What Maria and I have it’s different.”

“Is it?” You scrunched your nose, thinking of the looks both women gave each other during the night.

“Okay, maybe we can work it out. But you, my friend…” Natasha stood up and walked towards the bathroom, letting you admire her naked body, which you happily enjoyed. “You really need to make up your mind,” the redhead spoke from behind the door.

You knew she was right. Your heart wasn’t made of iron, and the cracks were already starting to show. Maybe it was time for you to let her go. Maybe it was best if you helped her as a babysitter from time to time and nothing else. After all, she had her family waiting for her after a long day while you had... nothing.

The collision of a t-shirt against your head brought you back to place, frowning at Natasha, who now sported one of your baggy shirts, getting into bed.

Silently following her unspoken indication, you put on clean panties and hurriedly threw the shirt over your head, joining her in the warmth your bed provided.

“Ease your mind?” Natasha opened her arms, signaling you to snuggle against her. “There’ll be time for that tomorrow.” She kissed your head before tightening her hold.

Letting your body give up to the warmth involving you, you placed your arm over Natasha’s stomach, hugging her. “Thank you.”

But before she could answer, her phone started ringing.

Answering the call, she looked at you with one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows up. “It’s for you.”

Timidly taking the phone, you spoke to the other end of the line.

“Y/N,” your body froze at the voice.

“What’s wrong?” You sat up in bed, looking at an equally worried Natasha.

“Please, come home?” The pain in her voice was enough to get you on your feet, rushing to reach your pants.

“I’ll be there in 10.”

Returning the phone to its owner, you rummaged through your closet, finally deciding for sweatpants. 

“You can sleep here,” you kissed Natasha’s forehead.

Sighing, the redhead watched you leave. Always the knight in shining armor.

As always, comments and reblogs are welcomed :)

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[simslegacy5083]

Today's (11/4/2024) Episode: A Household Name

Losing his last living parent was devastating, but at least Luigi was sure that Valentina and his dads would surely be proud of his latest accomplishment.

The sales figures for his new game had started rolling in, and it was clear that it’s launch day popularity wasn’t just a flash in the pan. It looked like Watcher Tales had a chance to become a lasting part of the gaming landscape, maybe even the start of a franchise.

The good news kept coming when Luigi heard from his contact at Unorthobox. They’d loved his footage of their hardware in use at the launch party and they told him they planned to use his star power to help advertise and promote the Ubox version of the game.

Not, they were quick to assure him, it needed much help. Watcher Tales was already one of the most popular titles for the Unorthobox 2 console.

Their manager Patricia at Rainy Day corporate was equally excited about the game’s success when they next visited.

“Sales on PC are phenomenal and buzz in the community so far is mostly positive, even if players are starting to report some bugs.” She told them “There is also, of course, a lot of comparisons being made to Sims Forever. They like what you added the other game lacks Luigi, but they’re also quick to point out what Watcher Tales is missing compared to their old favorite.”

“Well, I couldn’t exactly cram 80 DLCs worth of content into my basegame” Luigi lamented “though I think we did a good job offering at initial release many key gameplay features that Sims Forever locks behind expansion packs. As for the bugs, the whole team is working on a hotfix to address the most commonly reported issues.”

“I’ve got a couple programmers just finishing up another project that can help with the patch” Patricia replied, “I want you to start focusing on those content gaps.” she smiled “You ready to send your humans on new adventures?”

Luigi grinned from ear to ear. They’d had a feeling Rainy Day would be interested in DLC, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon “Absolutely!”

Luigi had already been a household name, but with his game being played and talked about all over his fame skyrocketed to a whole other level.

“You, sir, are a global sensation” Peachy’s favorite late-night talk show host told Luigi the evening he appeared on the program to promote Watcher Tales “The people can’t get enough of these hoo-mans of yours and I want to see what all the fuss is about. Let’s head over to the pit, where my staff has promised me they have your game booted up and a little challenge prepared for the two of us. You ready?”

“Bring it on!” Luigi said with a laugh, his inner child jumping up and down for joy as he followed behind the other sim to get started.

To celebrate their success the couple sent Skye for a sleepover with Grandpa Candor and headed out for a date night.

Taking Orange’s advice, this time Luigi threw on a “celebrity disguise” to help him keep a low profile so he could enjoy the time with his lady love without distraction.  He’d been skeptical about the idea, but the simple concealment did the trick, allowing him and Noemi to enjoy dinner and a drink at the bar without constantly being interrupted by fans seeking his attention.

“This is great!” Noemi hollered over the DJ’s beats on the dancefloor after their meal. “Thanks for going incognito; I have you all to myself for once.”

“You…” Luigi replied, pulling her towards him and kissing her hard “have me today, tomorrow, and always. Thank you for putting up with the insanity. I know the attention I crave isn’t always your fave. Now, are you ready to take your personal Superstar home and try out that new toy we bought?”

“Only if you’re a very obedient Superstar” she replied with a smile, leading him away from the busy club towards a little private fun back home.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[figgypopidol]

Bucky Applebees Goes to a Party

Bucky didn’t think he’d get this far, he was sure someone would have turned him around but here he was standing on Fabian Seacasters front lawn as his sister rode a demon motorcycle dressed as a shrimp into a pool of tartar sauce that she somehow lit on fire. He listened as people chanted her name and called her a legend. He watched as teens all around him split off to drink, dance, talk, or … well other activities Bucky wasn't sure he was even allowed to think about. 

The night whirled by him but he was always searching for Kristen, finding her in different crowds of people usually with one of her friends by her side. He watched her from afar, watched as she laughed and joked, as she drank from a solo cup, as she talked to Buddy Dawn of all people, and just couldn’t help but question it all. His sister had been the chosen of Helio and she had left all that, left him and his brothers for this? For these people, she called friends? He didn’t understand it but he also couldn’t stop watching, so he stayed and watched. 

Eventually, the party started to slow down and people started to go home but not Bucky. Instead, he sat out on the lawn and watched the dawn come not knowing what to do but knowing that he would be in trouble when he got home and that he had found none of the answers he was looking for. 

“Bucky?” Suddenly Kristen was standing next to him, a solo cup in her hand and a crooked cowboy hat on her head. 

“Um, uh hi … I’m not meant to be here.” He stumbled out. 

“No you’re not, you are out waaaay past curfew.” Kristen smiled as she sat next to him. 

“I know, I’m going straight to hell.” Bucky said sadly after few quiet moments. 

“No, you’re not. It takes a lot more than breaking curfew once to go to hell.” Kristen told him taking a large swig of her drink and grimacing. 

“How would you know?” Bucky almost spat at her but his curiosity came out instead.

“I’ve been to heaven and I’ve been to hell. I’ve met Helio and Sol, I’ve created a god, killed a god, and saved a god. I know some things.” She gave him a hard look before looking back at the horizon. 

“I … I didn’t … when did?” Bucky could barely comprehend what she was saying. 

He’d heard rumors about Kristen of course both at church and now in the halls at Auegfort but all of that had to be nonsense, none of it sounded like his older sister. Kristen didn’t kill dragons and date werewolves, she made friendship bracelets and healed bruises. She wasn’t some big hero, she was a sinner, an apostate. She was just a teenage girl, just his older sister. There was no way the rumors at Auegfort could be true about her, he would know … wouldn’t he? 

“I’ve been busy these last two years.” She winked at him. 

“Right. Busy.” Bucky’s voice hardened again as he thought of her absence. 

“I’m sorry Bucky, I’m sorry I left you and Bricker and Cork. Thats not what big sisters are meant to do, I … miss you all so much every day but I had to leave.” Kristens voice wobbled as she spoke. 

“Why?” 

“Because I lost my faith in Helio and I knew I wouldn’t be welcome anymore. Our parents are not accepting people and they would not accept me, my beliefs, or my life.” Kristen explained. 

“How could you lose your faith? You were chosen!” Bucky is almost pleading with her. 

“When I died I asked why there was so much suffering but Helio didn’t answer me instead he sent me back here. After that I … I’ve been searching for meaning, why things happen and I think I’m awfully close to knowing that we … well that we will never know why there is suffering but that's not a bad thing. Doubt is okay, the unknown isn’t always terrifying and it's perfectly fine to just not know.” Kristen is staring at the horizon now and a tear is on her cheek but all Bucky feels is disappointment, confusion, and anger. 

Bucky shakes his head, “Faith is what matters.” 

“Faith in what?” Kristen asked him, her voice harder her eyes looking at him now. 

“Faith in Helio.” 

“Only faith in Helio matters?” 

“What else is there?” Bucky asks quietly as if the very question itself would hurt him. 

“Everything. There is a whole world out there Bucky, there are planes of existence that would blow your mind, and faith in Helio is … if it's something you truly believe in, something you study and know with all the good and the bad then that is your faith but I … well I believe in something else.” She told him. 

“I don’t understand how two years at High School can change someone so much.” Bucky said after a few moments of silence. 

“One day it’ll be the first weekend after your first week of Junior year at Auegfort and we’ll see how much you’ve changed.” She smiled widely at him. 

“I love you Bucky, and I love Bricker and Cork. You can always come to me if you need help, or someone to talk to or a place to stay. I’m still your big sister, nothing can ever change that.” She gave him a side hug before getting up, dusting off her wranglers and walking into Seacaster Manor. 

Bucky stayed where he was for a few more minutes before finding his bike in the bushes he’d hid it in on the way here hours before and rode home. The lights were still off and Bucky let out a grateful prayer as he managed to slip in through the back door and up to his bedroom his parents none the wiser that he’d been to his first high school party and talked to his big sister.