#not her thinking he'd turn her in pls 😭😭😭 if girl only knew

[clubsmarties]

Her laughter rung in his ear and brought him to give her a head tilt. "Got the jet to go anywhere. Maybe we will make a pit stop at Baton Rouge so you can really have the entire experience. Yeah, online i can get a lot but nothing really beats walking in and having the wafting smells attack your senses." Sometimes he missed hometown a little extra than others. After all he had promised his mother she was going to have a weekend with him to sight see.

"Take Memo with you, please. It'd make me feel better. He's not just a security guard." A long sigh escaped him as he might as well tell her. "He has a record. By now he's paid his dues and has gotten it expunged. He was going to have thirty five to life. If I can't be there with you. Please, take him. If need be I know he will keep you safe. He doesn't have loyalty for an agency, he's not former anything. Just a guy who had been branded a criminal by the very people who'd throw one of their own into the fire just to get ahead. His loyalty lies with me though I've told him countless times he doesn't owe me anything. I didn't care about his record but that is what makes me the odd duck. The agent with a conscious and heart." This also made him think of his best friend, Arturo. Another one who'd he helped without a moment hesitation. "At this point I'll pull out the puppy dog eyes to get you to say yes. I know you can take care of yourself, I don't doubt that but I know I won't sit still if I know you don't have backup in case shit goes wrong. Which by now with a price on my head, it wouldn't take long for them to come after you as my wife."

He smiled and nodded in agreement. "He did promise you adventure. I think he pretty much stuck to his word. Apparently he wasn't easy to settle down." That wasn't something he could blame her for and he wasn't going to try. "You're right. They're all assholes. Got that power trip going for them. Most have been bullies in their lifetime." Most also asked after they punched through for information. Again, that begged the question what the fuck was Wally even doing. To make change sometimes you had to roll in the mud. "I'm going out on a limb here and say the impression for me has changed. Maybe for the better? Or worse with how I look like right now."

Eye contact coming from her was new but he didn't break. She was thinking he assumed just by the way her eyes shimmered. Something he hadn't noticed until recently when it usually happened before she asked a question. The surprise chuckle escaped him as he took a second to think of the answer. Chuckling a little more now he simply said. "My mom would literally kill me if I ever did. Besides the second and third last name are incredibly ugly." Nothing truly went as well as Bordeaux did. "My mom would also see it as a slap in the face if I ever changed my last name. This last name is hers. We're contuning her line." Another little tidbit he had shared. Most people assumed his last name came from his father but that was so far from the case. Like his mother once said, this was her family. Her line. The one she fought for tooth and nail. She'd be dammed if she let some no name fool get the credit when she was the one who pushed them out without medication. That woman when she gets mad gets mad. The thought made him chuckle.

"Why do you do that?" The question was simple in his mind. "You're sorry for what? It almost feels like you never got a chance to be genuinely curious or got silenced as a child which then made it harder for you to understand genuine interest in what you need to say. You'll never have to apologize to me especially when you ask questions. I'm not gonna get mad at you."

The gentle sweep of his hair made his breath hitch momentarily. The tender moment shared made the electricity in the room charge up. He knew it must be from his since there was no way she'd be feeling the same way. He made himself look up to her, momentarily taking in her hazel eyes. Never had a color become so bright as it did in hers. "Eye still stings. I can still see from it just know it looks ugly. I should get an eye patch. Live out my pirate dreams." he chuckled and shook his head. "But no, no ice. Maybe later. Thank you." He looked down and moved to his side. "Ribs are still killing me, though I don't think that can be patched up. The cut to my leg isn't drenched so think I still have a solid few hours before it needs to be rebandged. Knuckles will still bruise which is fine. Annie won't see for another few weeks so it can heal properly. The gash to my side which I saw in the bath made me sigh. They got that side pretty good but unfairly. They used a knife which again coward move. How's the eyebrow cut looking?"

"I wish." Elizabeth laughed thinking about the sleaze ball she learned sleight of hand from. "No, I can't say that I have but from how you talk about it, I think I'm going to have to remedy that. I'm sure if we looked hard enough for it we could find one. You can also order practically anything online too, you could have it delivered to the island." It was just suggestions, anything to keep him from thinking about the pain.

Comms? Memo? A British Intelligence officer? There were so many stipulations building on top of this, that she wanted to say to just forget it, that she’d confine herself to the villa instead. But there was work to be done, good work, so she’d agree to whatever he needed to feel okay about whatever happened, even if it irked her, this was still his case. And this was better than being in that cell so close to McKinney, which she was still repaying him for but she would still mutter in protest. "I'm a lot more capable without an entire entourage. How am I supposed to schmooze up to anyone and try to get information with so many following me around. This isn't my first rodeo."

Chuckling at the comment, she rebutted. "Yeah, but it's better than a boring husband." With a small sucking of her teeth, she nodded as she settled. "Yeah, I've met some in the past." Her left-handed ring finger began to flex as a phantom ache settled in its bone, recalling the broken finger she obtained in Vegas. "Can't blame me for not liking you when meeting you, when your colleagues give such stunning first impressions."

Settling she took a second bite from her sandwich as her hazel eyes never left him. Taking in the reasons why he did what he did, about his family, more than she could ever think about asking. Setting her sandwich aside, she drank from her water, feeling like perhaps this was something she shouldn't be listening to. Something about this felt too deep, something shared between friends who would be around each other for a long time, and a small guilt nagged at her. But she didn't want him to stop and found herself wanting to know more about the man she had come to see in her life more often than not. Something that she would remedy once they were out of there.

The more he talked, the more he opened up, the more she began to feel horrible about this all. Out of all the people in the world for her to befriend, or befriend her in all honesty, and it had to be a good man. A good person who had no business associating with her. She had already known that Wally was a good person but this just further confirmed that she needed to hang back from whatever friendly situation they had going on. There was no doubt that if he ever learned who she really was, he'd do the right thing, turn her in. She could feel the walls closing in.

He was also right, she knew all too well the red tape that came, the rules, regulations and policies in place that kept anyone from trying to make an actual change in the world from doing so. "Yeah," she said sighed and clearing her throat. "I do, know. Why not just join under another name? Change your last name." It was an easy fix for someone who never attached herself to a name, and answered to a handful of them when the situation required it. A name meant nothing to her anymore, just something on a piece of paper, something that interchanged that she needed to remember to answer. She had to remember that not everyone had an aversion to being tied to one name. "You know actually, you don't have to answer that. Sorry."

Taking a moment to look around the room to remind her where she was, what she was here for, she looked back at him. Realizing that she hadn't thought about the eye, she reached out to sweep his hair out of the way. Her hazel eyes looked over it for swelling and any visual loss. "How's the eye? Need me to bring you some ice?" Then her eyes began to wander, down his form, the side was the easiest to spot but she never stopped to think about all the injuries he might have sustained. Also focusing on something like patching him up was a safer topic. "Anything else that needs tending to?"

[writeroutoftime]

hi! could you write carmy berzatto x fem!reader where she’s in her early 20s (not too crazy age gap) and reader is sud’s friend and he just has a crush on her ???? like i just want lovesick carmen so badly 😭

pls and thank u

a/n: sure thing, one lovesick carmy coming right up! (honestly, I was never sure how old carmy was supposed to be. but in my mind he was always somewhere around like 26-28??) also, sorry I hope you don't mind this ended up being in bullet point format, it was just easiest for me to write it that way - though I hope you enjoy!!

oOoOo

“Yo, who’s the new girl?” Richie called out as he watched you walk in behind Syd, pulling everyone's attention towards you.

"This is y/n." Sydney introduced. "She's been my friend for years, and she's offered to help us the restaurant. For free, might I add. So be nice." she finished, staring directly at Richie who simply raised his hands in surrender as a response.

You quietly giggled at the interaction, catching Carmen's attention as he stood in the back, waiting to come forward and introduce himself. He felt frozen in place, watching your smile, the way your eyes scanned the under-construction building with wonder, and the way you were ready to jump in and help.

It had been quite a while since Carmen felt his heart skip the way it did when he looked at you, and he clammed up, ready to turn back and introduce himself later. After he had hours to agonize over what he would say to you.

Unfortunately, fate - or Sydney- had other plans as his business partner steered you into Carmen's path. "And this is the man responsible for all of this chaos." Sydney teased.

"It's nice to meet you, Chef." you smiled gently, reaching out your hand in greeting.

"Oh, no, uh, I mean Carmen." he stuttered out, mentally slapping himself. "What I meant was you don't have to call me Chef, you can just call me Carmen, or Carmy. Really whatever you prefer." he rambled, trying to ignore the way you hand fit so perfectly in his.

"Got it, Chef Carmen Carmy." you giggled, enjoying the slight blush that dusted his cheeks.

And in that moment, Carmy knew he was a goner.

Though you weren't at The Bear every day, Carmy would constantly look towards the door when you weren't there, hoping that each jingle of the bell meant that it was you gracing him with your presence.

The days that you were there, though? Carmy found himself an absolute mess in your presence. Stuttering and stumbling all his words and laughing louder than necessary at any joke you cracked.

But Carmy could also be a little smoother when it came to interacting with you. He quickly learned your coffee (or tea) order and always tried to have it waiting for you when it stopped to get himself one.

But, of course, Carmy tries to get to know you most through food.

"Would you mind trying this dish? Thinking about putting it on the menu." Carmy would ask anytime he made something new for the Bear, you being only the second person to try it (behind Syd).

Carmy would also learn your favorite foods and offer to make it if you had been at The Bear too long and Carmen knew you hadn't eaten.

"Oh, you didn't need to do that, Carmy."

"Really it's no problem, it's the least I can do in exchange for all your help." he'd say, bashfully running a hand through his hair.

Richie, noticing the exchange would call out, "Hey, Cousin, can I get some of that too?" only to get Carmy's middle finger as a response.

Of course, none of this was one-sided and you regularly flirted back with Carmen while helping out. It was just he took it as you being too nice, not believing he had a shot with you - much to your disappointment and everyone else at The Bear.

"Cousin, you gonna ask her out or what?" Richie would finally ask one evening when it was just the two of them left at the restaurant.

"What are you talking about?" Carmen would ask, eyes furrowed, heart beating just a bit faster.

Richie's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "W-what am I talking about? You've been pining over y/n for months, and she's been throwing you all sorts of signals back.

"S-she has?" Carmy asked, voice quiet, though slowly growing excited.

"Yes!" Richie would shout, before walking away, mumbling a "you're hopeless" under his breath.

The next time Carmy saw you, he had made up his mind he was going to ask you out. Even if it just meant the two of you spending some time at the restaurant without everyone else.

He walked up to you talking to Sydney and asked if he could talk to you in the kitchen, alone.

"So, um, I probably should have asked you this weeks ago, but uh, do you maybe want to, I don't know, go out with me?" he rushed out, biting his lip, trying not to run away in fear.

There was a moment of silence before you beamed up at Carmy, nodding your head excitedly. "It's about time, Chef Carmen Carmy." you teased, kissing his cheek before heading back out to Syd, leaving Carmen a smiling, blushing mess.