#okay — that was cruel and defensive — I’m sorry

[byakuyasdarling]

I literally put in the post “Accounts who post Nae//gami DNI please” and one of them still interacted with me!! Please learn to read!!

Listen — I know you’re not the brightest because you like a nonsensical ship, but I do expect basic levels of reading comprehension and respect for someone’s boundaries!!

[asterias-record-shop]

professor’s favorite girl (r.a.b.)

Everyone knew you were a good student, so it normally didn’t come as a surprise why you got the highest marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts with the infamous Regulus Black as your professor. They truly didn’t expect what seemed like a cruel professor to have taken some sort of… liking to a pretty Hufflepuff. Holy shit, this is 3.3K words- (beware, ‘dark’-er fic!)

The first day you came into class, Regulus noticed that your skirt was tailored. And since then, he has noticed everything about you.

When you started wearing makeup to his class.

When you started doing your hair, and when boys started to realize how attractive you were.

Regulus didn’t think he could comprehend why some boys didn’t notice how attractive you were, it was something he noticed when you continued to take his class when you didn’t have to. As much as he knew your reasoning was true, that you really did love his class and excel in it, he couldn’t help but hope some part of it was because of him.

And he would quickly smash it whenever that possibility of hope came up again. He couldn’t entertain this, he shouldn’t.

Still, as you walked into his class a little later than normal, he couldn’t help but pause his lecture. You looked… different today, but he couldn’t place how.

“I’m sorry, Professor Black,” you said as you sat down in the seat right in front of his desk, a slight smile on your face before he noticed the bruise on your cheek. “Quidditch practice ran late.”

Oh, he was going to kill whoever gave you that bruise.

“Why do you play on a team that never wins?” Regulus’ response was slightly bitter, but it was mainly because you showed up hurt.

You giggled slightly, shaking your head. “Because it’s fun, Professor Black.”

“Did you go to the infirmary?” Regulus lifted the sleeves of his button down as he stepped out from behind his desk.

“No, Professor, I was already late,” you explained, shaking your head. “I’ll be okay.”

“Go to the infirmary,” his words left no room for discussion, his head jerking to the door. “Get checked out. I’ll catch you up later.”

He spoke as though you didn’t come to his class during lunch just to talk about the further actions of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and get ahead in the curriculum that he made specifically for you because you were so ahead. He specifically looked into the subjects you were interested in and built a curriculum around it, before educating himself more and giving it to you.

“I’ll be okay, Professor-”

“Go to the infirmary, Y/N,” he said again, turning his back to you as he grabbed his wand. “We will only be dueling with the spells we learned last class, and you’re ahead. If there’s anything new, I will catch you up.”

You sighed, setting down your stuff as you stood. “Yes, Professor.”

Originally, Regulus had a lesson planned for today, but he wouldn’t be able to focus with the thought of you in the infirmary. You weren’t even hurt bad, just a small and plain injury from a sport you did for fun, but he couldn’t focus.

So instead he sat down behind his desk, glaring at everyone as he tried to think about how you got that bruise. Even though you were a Seeker, normally, you were quick enough to get out of the tight spots you were normally put in — he guessed that this time, you weren’t quick enough.

Oh, his poor girl.

Regulus partnered up random students, his mind still on you as he stared a hole into his desk. Your pretty face didn’t look good with a bruise blooming on your cheek, the only bruises he would ever want on your body were the ones that he made. The thought of him gripping your thighs so tight that he left hand shaped bruises, or bruises made from how hard he would kiss your body or your lips – the only markings that should ever be on your skin should be his.

“Professor Black?”

Your voice made him look up, the sounds of spells being casted quickly being drowned out as you smiled at him.

The bruise was gone from your cheek as you gave him a slight wave. “I-I just wanted to say thank you. For worrying about me, I-I probably would not have gone to the infirmary… thank you, again. Besides, I’m all healed now!”

Your giggle made him smile slightly. “I didn’t think you were going to go,” Regulus spoke, tilting his head. “Normally you’re such a headstrong girl.”

His words make you shrug slightly. “Maybe it’s because I knew I needed to go.”

“Well you were a good girl and listened,” he hummed, tilting his head slightly. “Why don’t you sit and rest? I’m sure practice was exhausting.”

You quickly shook your head. “Oh no, professor, that wouldn’t be fair-”

Regulus laughed, shaking his head. “Oh, my darling girl, you should know not to argue with me,” a smile is left on his face when he saw the slight flush in your cheeks. “Go sit down. Rest.”

You swallowed, nodding. “Yes, Professor.”

He watched you walk away, your robe hiding the expanse of your thighs from behind before you turned around and sat in your chair, smiling.

When class ended, you stayed after as everyone left, sighing softly as you stood up and walked over. “Professor Black, can I ask you a question?”

Regulus nodded, slowly standing up and offering his hand. “Yes, of course. Let’s move into my office.”

Oh, he shouldn’t have said that.

“Yes, Professor,” you smiled so simply, perfectly innocent – was it real? Were you truly innocent?

If you were, Regulus wanted to destroy it – he wanted to corrupt you. He wanted to break you down and build you back up, with your entire structure dependent on him. If the Defense Against Dark Arts position truly was cursed, you were his curse.

He moved behind you to follow you into his office, closing the door and slowly locking it. He wasn’t even sure what came over him when he did so.

“I have a question on one of the books you assigned for our advanced curriculum,” you said, your face slightly scrunched in concentration. “Do you mind if I take off my robe?”

Regulus quickly shook his head, almost too quick. “Of course not.”

You smiled again as you sat down after slipping your robe off onto the chair, Regulus standing against the desk and leaning back with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked absolutely picturesque, his dark curls framing his face and his gray eyes piercing down at you.

“What about them?”

“One of the books,” you said, crossing one leg over the other with a slight sigh, completely ignorant to the slight lift of your skirt to show off more of your plush thighs. “The one about using protection spells from your own emotions. I am truly sorry if this is out of turn, but one of the spells stemmed from the emotion of lust, and I don’t understand how it would… do that.”

Regulus paused. Were you really that stupid? He didn’t even mean to do that, you did that yourself.

“Are you being serious?” Regulus was holding back a smirk, covering his mouth with his large, scarred hand.

Your face relaxed slightly, eyes wide as you tilted your head slightly. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, you stupid girl,” he said with a laugh, your face displaying deep offense with your wide mouth and eyebrows raised. Your face stayed like that until his hand pulled away from his face and he softly stroked your hair down to your cheek, your face relaxing as you stared up at him. Your eyes were so wide and innocent, were they always like that? “Have you ever felt lust before?”

Your eyes trailed up as you thought, your thighs squeezing together. “No-”

“Oh, I don’t like girls who lie,” he said, his hand pulling away from your face and slowly ghosting your form to settle on the exposed skin of your sigh. “I noticed you squeezing your thighs together… be a good girl and tell me what makes you lustful.”

You swallowed, your hands shaking as you inhaled deeply. “I-I can’t…”

His eyebrow raised. “You can’t?”

Your head shook as you swallowed, your hand softly wrapping around his wrist. “N-No… I can’t, it’s wrong,” you whisper, continuing to shake your head before Regulus twists his hand out of your grip and spreads his entire hand onto the expanse of your thigh. “Professor Black-”

“Hush, my darling girl,” he whispered, slowly bending down to be eye level with you as he rubbed your thigh. “Are you going to tell me or do I need to try my hand at casting without my wand?”

You inhaled shakily as his fingertips slowly drift under the hem of your tailored skirt, swallowing. “N-No… I-I will tell you… I-I have thoughts about you, bad thoughts,” you whisper, shaking your head. “V-Very bad thoughts…”

Regulus smiled, both of his hands holding each opposite side of your thighs as his face gets closer to yours. “What kind of thoughts?”

Your cheeks start to heat up, eyes burning as tears prick your eyes. “Pr-Professor Black-”

He laughed when he saw tears pricking your eyes, tilting his head. “Are you going to cry? What a pathetic girl,” he bit his lip, nose brushing to yours. “Why are you crying?”

You swallowed, shaking your head. “B-Because… m-my stomach is twisting really bad…”

He hummed, tilting his head. “Do you want me to check you out, my pathetic girl?”

Your hips started to squirm as you unconsciously nodded, his face ducking down to your ear.

“Get on the desk. I’ll show you what lust feels like.”

He knew the feeling of lust very well. It would churn in his stomach every time you walked into his class, and the heat would rush down to his cock when you opened your mouth to only say a few words.

And just like that, the lust started to pulsate again as you rose onto the desk, your pretty tailored skirt being hiked up on your thighs as you placed your feet on the edges of his desk, spreading your thighs widely for him.

Regulus stepped forward, his fingers starting to slip your buttons undone, revealing your lacy white bra that blended in under the white button down.

Fuck, you were so hot.

His hands settled on your thighs again as he slotted himself between your legs, clenching his fingers on your plush skin to try and prevent the slight tremors of all the lust coursing through his body. Regulus wondered if you felt the lust like he did, but he didn’t have to wonder for long when he saw the wet patch on your lacy panties that seemed to match your bra.

“Oh, my sweet girl correlates,” he groaned, his fingers slowly swiping over the wet spot, a smile developing on his face when your thighs jolted to try and tighten around his waist. “How pretty…”

You were unsure of what was going through your body. Your stomach was twisting much like it did when you would get turned on by what you would think about him doing to you before slipping your fingers into yourself in your prefect dorm and moaning into your pillow like you did last night. This feeling though, this was different.

It was like your core was pulsating, your walls clamping around nothing as he slipped your panties to the side, your entrance fluttering as his finger trailed over your entrance. A whine escapes your lips as he did so, your hips bucking as he smirked down at your cunt, only pulling his hand away to stick his fingers in his mouth.

You gaped as you watched him lather his fingers in his spit, and you certainly didn’t expect him to shove his fingers down your throat soon afterward. Your hips bucked uncontrollably, a loud moan falling from your lips before gagging around his fingers.

“Relax your throat, my darling girl,” he coos to you, leaning down to kiss against your temple. Oh, his lips quivered against your skin as he watched you gag and choke on his fingers, your saliva running down his knuckles before he pulled his fingers away. You let out soft coughs as his fingers slowly circled the sensitive bundle of nerves, whining loudly as he pushed his fingers through the ring, your walls clamping down on his fingers.

At first, he was slow, just like how you would begin to finger yourself. But then, he noticed how relaxed you were, and how it took him very little effort to actually stretch you out.

Still, he watched your reactions, your mouth wide as you moaned loudly, your arms raising to wrap around his neck to support yourself. “Pr-Professor!”

He groaned, smiling as you moaned. “Mmmm, my darling girl… you’re not very tight, is there a reason for that?”

He wasn’t complaining, this just meant he could fuck you faster – but he wanted to hear you say what you were doing.

“N-No,” you whimpered, lying through your teeth before he pushed his fingers farther into you. Unlike you, he knew what he was doing. He was flexing and twisting his fingers, parting them and scissoring into you as your tears started to run down your cheeks, a soft sob escaping your mouth as he pushed his finger deeper. “Professor!”

“What did I say earlier?” His fingers got rougher, a soft almost growl-like noise escaping his mouth. “I don’t like liars, you fucking brat.”

You yelped as his fingers got rougher, sobbing as you shook your head. “W-Wait, it’s too much! Pr-Professor, please! Stop, stop!”

It didn’t hurt, no – it truly was too much. You felt your stomach twisting, an unknown feeling settling at the pit of your tummy as his fingers twisted to press his thumb to your clit, roughly rubbing the sensitive bundle of nerves.

“No, I only listen to good girls. You’re not a good girl, fucking lying to me,” he snapped, his fingers getting rougher as he watched your thighs shake and hips rut desperately. “Tell me the truth or you’re not going to cum. Tell me!”

“I-I touched myself!” You sobbed as his fingers got faster, his index and middle finger pumping in and out of you as his thumb pushed rough circles into your clit. “I touched myself last night, I’m sorry, I’m sorry Professor!”

He groaned as he watched his fingers push and pull out of you, pumping as his lips ghosted yours. He hadn’t even kissed you yet, and he desperately wanted to. “You should be. Cum, fucking cum, my desperate little slut,”

You sobbed, shaking your head as you dug your fingers into the back of his perfectly ironed black button down. “W-Wait, Professor! It’s weird, it feels weird,” you hiccuped against his mouth as he softly kissed your lips, smiling. “Professor!”

“Oh, my perfect girl, are you going to squirt? Come on, I want to see it.”

You choked as you threw your head back, screaming out as your vision blurred, his fingers pushing as deep as he could get them inside of you, pressure never relieving from your clit.

Regulus just watched as you squirted onto his slacks, the liquid getting all over him as he laughed at how your hips rutted and your thighs convulsed uncontrollably. He continues to finger fuck you as you squirt, rubbing at your clit as you squirmed, sobbing as you bounced against his fingers, pleasure overwhelming your body.

“Are you going to cum again? Come on, do it. My perfect fucking slut, cumming back to back,” he grinned, biting at his lip as you felt your stomach twist again, tightening as you came again on his finger. “Oh fuck, my darling girl...”

You sobbed as he pulled his fingers out of you, his skin pruned from how wet you were, and his entire black sleeve soaked in whatever liquid came out of you. Soft sobs continued to escape your lips, hiccuping as he softly puckered his lips to yours.

“You’re such a good girl… you’re such a perfectly good girl for me,” he whispers, licking his fingers as your lips ghost his cheeks, desperately bucking your hips into the air as he took out his cock. “You ready, my perfect girl?”

You hiccuped, nodding as you stared at him while he pumped himself, his cock not exactly thick but making up for it in length – as well as the fact that it was basically picturesque, perfectly groomed with dribbles of precum sliding down the bottom of his shaft.

“I need words, my darling girl,” he whispered, delicately kissing your lips. You chased his mouth, fingers shaking as you held his shoulders. “Tell me you’re ready.”

“I-I’m ready,” you whisper, nodding mindlessly. “I-I’m ready, I’m ready to be a g-good slut for you.”

Your use of slut made him smile. You would be a good slut for him, and this truly was the beginning of his corruption.

So, with a strong snap of his hips, he pushed into you – a loud wail leaving your mouth as you sobbed. He didn’t waste any time, he couldn’t as he kissed you firmly, swallowing all of your noises as he pushed you back so you could tilt your head, turning the kiss wet and sloppy as you tried to swallow his saliva.

His thumb still didn’t pull away from your clit, but the circular motion wasn’t too much as you choked softly, trying to control all of your noises as he fucked into you. The slight curve his cock pushed into areas that you had never felt pressure in before, the feeling making your stomach twist into knots again as you whined.

“G-Gonna… gonna cum,” you whined, your words jumbled as you spoke, a smile developing on his lips as he pulled away.

“Cum then,” you didn’t need his permission this time. He had always been so desperate to feel you that it was a struggle not to cum into you there and then, but he knew that when you came, your plush walls clamping down on him would push him over the edge. “Cum my favorite fucking girl.”

You sobbed again, nodding your head as you leaned up, wrapping your arms and legs around him and cradling onto his body, groaning. “Regulus!”

Oh, he thought your walls clamping down on him would push him over the edge – no, it was you moaning his name.

His strong thrusts uncontrollably got rougher, a loud groan falling from his lips as he fucked into you even harder, another loud groan following the first as he finally came inside of you. Your eyes crossed as you threw your head back, a silent scream escaping your mouth as he continued to fuck the two of you through your highs.

As he came down, he slowed his movements – still not stopping – as he kissed you again. “I think you should stay after class more.”

You nodded, desperate to continue this. You truly were your professor’s favorite girl.

I do not ever give consent to my work being published on other platforms or being translated at any point, even if it is a request. If my work is on any other platform, it’s without my permission. Your media consumption is not my responsibility.

© asterias-record-shop

[endless-ineffabilities]

eclipsed (Aemond Targaryen x f!reader)

You loved him. He didn't feel the same. Until everything changed – but is it too late?

main masterlist ▪︎ word count: 1.7k

a/n: I envisioned modern Aemond as I was writing this. Also, the usual taglist is sadly not included for this spontaneous oneshot. I trust that the angst will find you if it's meant to be!

Aemond Targaryen was once everything to you. 

Your guiding light. Your sun and your stars. You knew you had a heart, you knew it was beating true, because it worshipped him with such a ferocity that would put a devotee to shame. Nothing and no else compared. You would have been content to simply exist in his orbit, to watch as he lived and loved.

He loved you too. You knew that. But as a brother loved a sister, as a friend loved a friend. 

And all kinds of love were meant to appear dim and pale in comparison to what he felt for Alys.

He doted on her. She was everything to him. She was his guiding light, his sun and stars. You could never compare. 

It was an unbearable truth, one you had tried for too long to ignore, but there came a time when you reached your breaking point. One evening, you asked to meet him. You knew you were about to ask for so much more – you were asking for something he could never offer.

You were asking to be seen. 

You could no longer sit idly by, watching the sun shine on the world while the moon was left in the shadows.

When you confessed, his reaction was as callous as it was predictable. Aemond laughed in disbelief, as though your words were at the end of some punchline. “Okay,” he said dismissively, “I love you too.”

“No.” You shook your head, looking away. You had to bite your lip to keep the tears from falling. “I love you, Aemond.”

“Yes, I know,” he smiled, taking a step closer, grimacing when you put your hands up to stop him from reaching out for you.

“I’m in love with you.” You had to take a deep breath before you continued. “I love you. Maybe you knew all along. Maybe you didn’t. But you have to know that.”

There it was, suspended in the atmosphere between the two of you, before the inevitable crash and crumble. 

“I don’t get it, darling.” He exhaled roughly, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You love me?”

“What don’t you get?” Your voice came out sharper than intended, but you couldn’t be anything but honest. 

“I… this is… but you’re like a sister to me!” 

“Oh, fuck off, Aemond.” You waved his words away, trying to dampen just how brutal they stung. Just how much they cut deep. 

“Well, then,” he sneered, his eyes darkening with a defensive anger. “Thanks for that.”

“Is that…” You met his eyes once more, that heart-wrenching shade of blue. “Do you have anything else to say?”

His gaze hardened. “I’m with Alys.”

“I know that.”

“I love Alys.” He spat the words out like they were meant to be a scolding. Didn’t you know this? What exactly were you expecting from him? That he would cry and take you in his arms? I love you too… I love you too… I always have…

“I know that too.” The first bitter tear fell down your cheek. You inhaled sharply, wiping at your face with the back of your sleeve. You began pacing in an attempt to get a hold of your nerves. You did not want to have a complete breakdown in front of him. But then again, the worst has already happened. How much more humiliation could there possibly be?

“I’m sorry, darling.” His voice softened as he reached for you again, and this time, when you resisted, he simply caught your arms gently and pulled you against him. “Truly, I am. You have no idea.”

He held you, however long you needed to be held. He was good like that, he always has been. But it felt like a cruel comfort – mere scraps of affection when you wanted the entire feast. 

“I do love you, you know,” he murmured into your hair, his voice soothing as it broke your heart anew. “Always, I promise.”

And he did. 

But it was never going to be enough.

You were the moon to his sun, forever watching from a distance, knowing you would never truly share the same sky.

Aemond rarely saw you after that night. A week passed, then two, then a month. The silence between you stretched longer than he had expected, but still he thought nothing of it. Perhaps you were simply giving each other space, allowing the awkwardness to settle.

But then, when he tried seeking you out, there were no responses. He found out from a mutual friend that you had moved to another region. There was a promising work opportunity, apparently, one that had been too good to pass up.

You just conveniently failed to mention this to him. 

You drifted from his life without warning, and Aemond was not prepared for how deeply it would hurt. How lost he would feel. He was out of orbit, reeling, mourning the ghost of someone who still lived, but seemingly no longer wanted anything to do with him.

Alys was not blind to it. But there was nothing she could do. She could only watch as Aemond’s light began to dim, gradually fading until it barely reached her. She had no choice but to stand by as he became a hollow version of the man whom she thought loved her so fiercely.

An entire year passed before Aemond saw you again. 

It happened by chance, or perhaps some cruel twist of fate. You were there, with your adorable flushed cheeks and smile as bright as the sun. He did not know what to expect, but there you were, hugging him like the long lost friend he had become.

You looked better than ever, while he was barely getting by. 

“You look like you could use some sun, Aem,” you remarked lightheartedly, noticing how pale he got. “I can’t believe it’s been so long.”

You appeared carefree, but all Aemond could feel was the weight of the past year pressing down on him. 

“You left me,” he spat out before he could help himself. It sounded like an accusation, like a wound that never healed. How could you?

“I did leave, yes,” you say tentatively, confused by the venom in his tone. “But I don’t think I left you.”

“What would you call it then?” His tone was bitter, bordering on desperate. 

“I moved away,” you shrugged. “It happens. Friends move away, they move on.”

“You weren’t supposed to,” he muttered. His hands clenched at his sides when what he truly wanted was to reach for you.  

“I had to,” you replied, your voice quieter. “It was the only way.” 

Aemond frowned, his gaze fixed on your face, searching for something he couldn’t quite name. "The only way for what?"

You spoke again, slower, “It was the only way to get over you.”

He was hanging by a thread, and right then, he became untethered.

“I loved you, Aemond,” you continued. “And I couldn’t just stay there and watch you be in love with someone else. I’m sorry, but I had to leave. It was the only thing I could do to save myself.”

Your words hit him like a blow. He stared at you, the one who had been everything to him once – his anchor, his confidante, the one constant in his life. If only he hadn’t been too goddamn stupid to realise it then.

You reached over and squeezed his hand. He looked down and without thinking, he interlaced his fingers with yours. He felt you hesitate for a moment – a brief second where you considered pulling away – before you gave in.

The old you wouldn’t have given it a second thought. The old you would have held onto Aemond with everything you had, believing that if you just stayed close enough, he’d realise what was right in front of him.

But you were different now. Everything was different – no sunshine, just grey – because you said that you loved him.

Loved. Not anymore.

The roles were reversed, and maybe he deserved it. The bitter irony wasn’t lost on him as you pulled your hand away, offering him a soft, understanding smile. 

“And Alys?” you asked suddenly, your voice gentle but curious. "How is she?”

He stiffened. A part of him thought that staying with Alys was his path forward, the thing that would make sense of the chaos in his life. But it hadn’t. Not really. 

“We’re not together anymore,” Aemond finally admitted.

You blinked, visibly surprised. “Oh. I’m… I’m so sorry, Aemond. I didn’t know.”

He let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. It wasn’t… meant to be.”

You studied him, your brows furrowing in concern. “Even so, I know it’s hard,” you said softly, your voice full of empathy. “Breakups are… They’re never easy. But there’s someone out there for everyone. I truly believe that. I mean… I found someone, didn’t I?”

His entire body tensed, his breath hitching as his mind tried to process the full weight of your statement. You had found someone. You had moved on. There was the proof, hitting him right in the face. 

He had lost you. For good.

“You… found someone,” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper, as if saying it out loud would somehow make it more real.

“Yes. I did.” There was a tenderness in your voice, but it only twisted the knife deeper. “He’s wonderful, Aemond. He’s kind, supportive. I didn’t think I’d find something like this after – ” you paused, glancing away for a moment before meeting his gaze again, “after everything.”

“Are you in love?” The words came out before he could stop them, his voice tight with something like despair. He hated himself for asking, for needing to know, but the question was out there now, and he couldn’t take it back.

“Aemond.”

“Can you tell me this, at least? Do you… love him?”

There was a long pause, as if you were choosing your words carefully, and when you finally spoke, the answer was clear. “More than anything.”

You had become someone else’s sun. Someone else’s guiding light.

And he was the moon, forced to watch and drift in shadow. 

For the first time in his life, Aemond Targaryen understood what it meant to lose everything.

[mammons-lover]

Lucifer (looking very disappointed): I called a family meeting today because of the acts you all participated in yesterday. You collectively showed me I can’t leave any of you alone, surprisingly even you, Satan.

Mammon: It’s not our fault, those assholes started it!

Leviathan: Yeah, we were actually behaving before they showed up.

Lucifer: Okay, so tell me what happened.

Flashback:

All the brothers are walking home after class until someone bumps into Belphegor so hard he falls.

Demon: Watch where you're going, loser.

Asmodeus: What did he just say?

Mammon: That asshole did not just push Belphie.

Satan: Hey, dickwad, how 'bout apologizing to my brother?!

Demon: How about I shove that apology up your ass?!

Back to now:

Mammon: You see? We didn’t start it!

Satan: Yeah, he pushed Belphie. Why would anyone do that to him? Look how frail he is.

Asmodeus (grabbing Belphie’s face): And look how adorable he is. How can someone be so cruel?

Lucifer: Okay, I understand. But did you have to start an all-out fight that ended up spreading around the school?

Mammon: It’s not our fault that everyone started getting hype!

Leviathan: Kinda is Mammon’s fault though.

Mammon: What?!

Flashback:

Satan and Mammon are fighting a couple of guys. Suddenly, someone runs straight toward Mammon, so Asmo jumps on the demon's back.

Asmodeus (hitting them in the head repeatedly): You won’t jump my brother!

Mammon: Asmo!

Mammon turns around and sees Asmodeus get flipped onto the floor. Mammon rushes to hit the guy but punches the wrong person.

Demon #2: What the fuck, man? Did you just punch me?!

Mammon: Nah, dude, it was that guy. I saw what happened and came to see if you were alright. That guy is insane. (pointing at the guy who flipped Asmo)

Demon #2: Hey man, you wanna fight?!

Demon: You wanna go, bro?!

Present time:

Mammon: Oh, I totally forgot I did that. My fault, but in my defense, I was just trying to help Asmo out.

Lucifer: I appreciate you all looking out for one another, but you are supposed to be responsible, even if that means backing down from a fight.

Belphegor: Come on, Lucifer, you know we aren’t like that.

Lucifer: Yes, I know. Moving on, from what I heard, only Mammon, Satan, and Asmodeus were fighting, so why are you two marked up?

Beelzebub: Well…

Flashback:

Once the other guys started fighting, their friends joined in, leading other demons to jump in. While that was happening, Levi was calming down a pissed-off Beelzebub, and Belphegor was watching everything, smiling.

Leviathan: Come on, Beel, they’re taking care of it. There’s no need to step in.

Beelzebub: You’re right. I-I’m sorry.

Leviathan: There we go, just breathe—

Demon #3: What are you smiling for? Huh?!

Belphegor (acting confused): You’re talking to me?

Demon #3 (taking a step towards Belphegor): Who else would I be talking to?

Belphegor: Definitely not me. Get out of my sight, bottom feeder.

Demon #3 (throwing a punch at Belphegor): You little shit!

Leviathan: Beel, no!

Beelzebub tackles the demon to the floor before he can land a hit on Belphegor and starts punching him. Leviathan tries to pry Beelzebub off the demon but gets elbowed in the face by Beelzebub, then gets shoved by another demon.

Demon #4: You trying to jump my friend?!

Leviathan (holding his bloody nose): What?! No, I was just—

Demon #4 (throws a punch at Leviathan): I don’t wanna hear it! You’re dead!

Leviathan starts fighting the guy, and Belphegor stands on a nearby branch, watching the whole ordeal.

Mammon’s fighting three guys at once, Satan just body-slammed someone, Asmodeus is banging someone's head on the floor, Beelzebub is punching anyone near him, and Leviathan is now fighting two guys. Belphegor can’t be any happier. They are all fighting for his honor. He stands there laughing with pride, but his smile fades when he sees Lucifer.

Present time:

Leviathan: See, Lucifer? We didn’t start anything; everyone else threw punches first.

Beelzebub: Yeah, and didn’t you tell us to always defend ourselves?

Lucifer: I am going to give you all a pass, only because you didn’t start it. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t going to be punished.

All the brothers: What?!

Lucifer: School property was destroyed. Even after I brought you home, they were still fighting at the school. Tomorrow, every student will be assigned a task to help repair the school.

Satan: I guess that makes sense.

Lucifer: Everyone, go wash off. If you need help with bandages, I’ll be in my office.

Later that day:

Lucifer: Honestly, I’m impressed. While making my way to each of them, I saw how coordinated they were at fighting.

Diavolo: Me too. When I watched the footage from the cameras, I couldn’t help but be in awe. My favorite part of it was Belphie.

Lucifer: Belphie?… but he didn’t fight.

Diavolo: I know, but the way he was watching and laughing, he looked like a war leader proud of his soldiers. It was adorable. Even more adorable that they were looking out for the youngest.

Lucifer: I guess it was nice to see them look out for Belphie. He doesn’t have a scratch on him.

The rest of the night, the brothers and Diavolo reminisce about the fight while wrapping each other’s wounds and applying ice packs.

[madwcman]

hi!! what about a best friends to lovers with tasm peter parker AND AND she thinks he likes someone else but he’s been whipped for her since FOREVER😋!! thanks a lot hehehe

a/n: let’s pretend this didn’t take me so long to answer, thank you for requesting!! enjoy ♡

pairing: tasm! peter x reader

“you’re avoiding me.” looking up from your phone, you see your best friend and now crush, peter parker. his arms folded over his chest, with a sour face.

“i don’t know what you mean pete.”

“liar.” and that you were. not only were you out hiding from him now, sitting in the bleachers of the football field. you’ve also been avoiding peter for the past two days after realizing you had a crush on him. which was an issue. not only was peter your best friend, but he also liked another girl. you thought she was better than you. not only was she smart but she was pretty. the perfect girl for peter.

“i’m not a liar, peter.” you sigh, looking back at your phone. avoiding peter’s eyes.

“you’re literally avoiding me right now!”

“i’m talking to you aren’t i?”

you hear peter huff as he sits down next to you. “you’re not even looking at me.”

you shrug him off. you’re not willing to answer him at the moment.

“what’s wrong, sweet girl?” peter questions, softly. he reaches for your hand.

“it’s nothing peter, i promise.” you mummer, as you put your phone away, looking straight out to the football field. still trying to avoid peter’s eyes. but you do hold his hand.

“you’re lying again.” at the moment you wonder if it’s his spidey senses that give you away or if peter truly knows you. you hope it’s the second option.

“can we just drop this?” you finally turn to look at peter. his boyish and charming smile, traded in for a small frown.

“no, my best friend has been avoiding me for the past two days!”

“i have not-“

“can you just tell me what’s wrong?!”

“Peter, i like you okay!” you yell out, taking your hand from peters. you tilt your face down, embarrassed. “i’ve been avoiding you because i know you don’t feel the same.”

it’s silent for a few seconds. but peter’s loud laugh breaks the uncomfortable silence. “are you laughing at me?” you ask, slightly confused, flabbergasted and a little offended.

“no!” he giggles, uncontrollably. you send him a glare. he’s being a little cruel, in your opinion.

your eyebrows furrow, as you push peter away from you. “you’re laughing!”

“i’m sorry, it’s just you’re so oblivious!”

“what?!” your voice raises, you can’t help but be slightly annoyed and defensive. you’re not oblivious.

“sweetheart, i’ve been in love with you since forever!”

oh, you’re shocked. you’ve never expected to hear those words from peter. “forever?”

“forever.” he shakes his head, as if to assure you.

“what about that girl you’ve been hanging out with?” voicing out your confusion, you couldn’t help but think of the beautiful and smart girl peter has been around lately.

“who, sadie?” you didn’t know her name. but you shake your head, assuming.

“sadie’s my lab partner. ”

“oh.”

“oh?” you feel slightly dumbfounded as peter eyebrow quirks up, questioning you. he’s simply curious. you have his full attention.

“i’ve been thinking you’ve liked her this whole time.” you admit, bashful. you can’t help but feel flustered while admitting this to peter.

peter can’t help but laugh again. this is comedy gold. he couldn’t love or cherish anyone as much as he does you. “oh, this is hilarious!”

“it’s not that funny!” you defend yourself, how could you have possibly known she was his lab partner!

“this whole time-“

“shut up.” you try and give your best intimidating glare. as he continues to laugh.

“we could have talked-“

“shut up!” you pushed him away, playfully. you try to conceal your smile, with peter it’s hard. you can’t help but smile around him.

peter scoots back over to you, warping his arms around you. “my poor sweet girl,”he mumbles into your hair. “you’re never allowed to avoid me again.” he states, before kissing the top of your head.

[mediumgayitalian]

Nico really fucking hates capture the flag.

Well, not always. Last week was fun. Last week was the annual Everyone Against The Stolls (to atone for their crimes), and Nico got to chase Connor around at top speeds, cackling, committing his shrieking and begs for mercy to memory. That was nice. That almost made him forgive the fucker for digging a trench under Nico’s unwelcome mat for him to fall into at seven thirty in the godsdamn morning.

But tonight’s game is boring.

He’s been standing, alone, at the base of the flag for the past forty bajillion hours. He’d raised a few dozens skeletons to spar with at first, since animating them to fight himself isn’t technically against the rules, but that got dull fast. (It isn’t much fun sparring with a partner who doesn’t have a brain. He already has to do that enough with Percy when he comes to visit camp.) He’d climbed the various trees around the clearing, or at least he tried until he got reamed by the dryads for climbing on a manner that was too annoying (?), and tried his hands at a few summoning spells. Nothing held his interest long.

And now he’s just standing, doing nothing, and he’s not allowed to leave. He has to stay in this stupid spot on the off chance that someone comes stumbling over to fight him for the flag.

“You’re our best swordsman, she said,” he says mockingly, beaming the nastiest vibes he can manage in Piper’s vague direction. “We need you on our defensive line, she said. Nyeh nyeh nyeh.”

His checks his watch. He groans. He looks critically over the grass, looking for a softer patch, and when he locates it he throws himself dramatically upon it, groaning louder.

“This sucks!” he yells, to no one.

“Will you shut up!” shouts back the dryad he pissed off earlier. “For the love of photosynthesis! Fuck!”

He bites his tongue hard to hold back laughter. (If he can avoid getting his entire cabin overgrown with prickle bushes again, that’d be great.) “Sorry,” he calls, trying with everything he has to sound contrite. Convincing his father to fight the Titan War was easier, actually. Acting is not his calling.

“Hmph!”

At least listening to see if she’ll come out and yell at him again provides something to ease his boredom. Yes, he’s going to regret bothering her, but in his defense, solo guarding is cruel and unusual punishment. He’d rather sit by an outlet with a fork and see if he can poke and let go fast enough to avoid dying. That at least would be interesting.

A rustling of leaves recaptures his attention, and he pauses.

“Holly?”

When no one answers, which is odd because she’s taken every opportunity in the last hour to either insult him or pelt him with stones, he lifts his head.

“You’re not going to scare me, dude. I had my fear glands surgically removed to become a better soldier.”

Not true. Obviously. But a fun bonus of being the camp weirdo is that no one doubts anything he says. He’s working on convincing everyone younger than him that he needs weekly tributes of chocolate delivered to his door every Friday or the dead are going to take over the world. So far, it’s working.

“Look, Holly, I’m sorry about the zombie, okay, I promise it didn’t mean to sneeze part of its brain on you —”

The rustling sounds again, only this time Nico can see that it’s not Holly’s tree, and in fact she is nowhere to be found. Alarmed, he jumps to his feet, shifting so he’s balanced on the balls of his feet, poised to attack. Is Piper’s plan failing? Has someone actually managed to make it all the way over here without getting (gently, probably, although they lost the last game and Piper gets cranky without dessert) maimed?

The rustling sounds for a third time. This time, an armoured someone stumbles out of the underbrush, tripping over their own foot and nearly landing flat on their face.

Nico has his sword at their throat in a millisecond.

“Wo-oah, Morbius. That’s probably my least favourite sword you could stab in me.”

Nico goes bright red. “I have never wanted to stab you more than right this second.”

Will, chest plate skewed to the right, quiver completely empty, and black paint smeared under his eyes, snickers. He puts a finger on the tip of Nico’s sword and pushes it away from his neck.

“The opportunity was right there, babe. I couldn’t not.”

“You really, really could. In fact at all times, you should remember these words of wisdom: shut up.”

“…Damn. Inspiring.”

Nico rolls his eyes, but the effect is somewhat lessened by the smile on his face and the obvious pleasure in his expression. He’s even feeling merciful enough to accept Will’s kiss, although his sword keeps a good amount of distance between them. (Will’s on the blue team, after all. It would be unprofessional to be fraternizing with the enemy.

…Well, too much, anyway.)

“What’re you doing here? You’re supposed to be with the other archers, sitting in trees and causing havoc.”

Will shrugs, grinning lazily. “I quit. This game is senselessly violent and I’m Against It On Principle. I’m a pacifist, you know.”

“Uh huh.” Nico raises an eyebrow. “I assume this doesn’t count you choking Cecil out in a headlock, this morning.”

Will opens his mouth. Nothing comes out. He closes it again.

“Cecil is my mortal enemy,” he grudges after a moment. “He doesn’t count.”

“‘Course not. Not like you cried for two hours when he went to visit his mom last weekend or anything.”

“Will you — stop saying I cried. I barely teared up, okay. Barely.”

Nico can’t quite force down the stupid grin that pulls across his face, matching Will’s, nor can he resist grabbing the leather straps of his boyfriend’s armour and hauling him close.

“You better not be here to distract me,” he mumbles, leaning close and pressing a kiss to the underside of his jaw, the corner of his mouth. Will hums, settling his hands on Nico’s hips.

“Nope. Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“Drama queen.”

“Excuse — I am the least dramatic, I’ll have you know. I’m a pinnacle of solemnity. I am a shining beacon of stoicism. I am — mmfh,” He trails off. “Okay, doing this now, mhm.”

Nico smiles triumphantly into the kiss. Will, he has found, is very easy to shut up, despite his long-running nickname of Motormouth. It’s almost like he has an off button that can be accessed only by Nico sticking his tongue in his mouth. Nico is doing his civic duty, honestly. He should be compensated for his service.

(‘Course, doesn’t hurt that Will smells, like, really good, all the time, and his lips are soft as hell and he is actually quite the kisser, in fact. That is definitely a fun bonus.)

He smooths his hands over Will’s shoulders, travelling up the sides of his neck and settling in his hair. Will keens, slightly, when he wraps a finger around a frizzy golden curl and tugs, slightly, when he scratches his nails along his scalp. The rush of power at the feeling makes Nico dizzy, and his sword clatters to the ground as he busies himself with more interesting — and important — things.

Like pulling more of those sounds from his boyfriend’s throat. Or making his knees buckle, again, like he did the other night — gods, that was good, it made Will flush scarlet and Nico feel like he was fuckin’ floating, to have Will so needy and touchy and totally at his mercy —

“Free line to the flag! Go go go go!”

Nico startles, whirling towards the sudden cacophony of noises. To his horror, what looks like half the camp, helmets shining with plumes of blue, comes pouring into the clearing, weapons raised, voices mixing in one long, victorious shout. He lunges for his sword, but before he can grab it, two strong arms tighten around his torso, pinning his hands to his side.

Immediately, he knows he’s been set up.

“Oh, you — fucker!”

He feels the curve of Will’s grin against his neck. “First shower privileges for a whole month, baby.” He noses along his jaw, pressing an apologetic kiss to his cheek. “Couldn’t resist.”

Nico struggles, aghast, watching the once-red flag shimmer in Lou Ellen's hold to a bright, shining blue. “I am breaking up with you, you traitor, you Iago, you vixen — ”

Will snorts. He ducks down and pecks Nico on the lips, again, and again, and then shifts to his cheeks, the bridge of his nose, his temples, his forehead, and all over his face, making louder and louder mwah sounds until Nico is laughing, punching his shoulder and shoving him away.

“Okay! Okay. Let me go, you villainous toad. We will discuss how much you’ll have to grovel for my forgiveness after Piper finishes yelling at me for getting distracted.”

Will presses one last kiss to his nose, smiling cheekily before stepping away, heading towards his boasting team. “Enjoy that lecture! Love you!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Nico rolls his eyes, resting his aching cheek in his hand. “Love you too, asshole.”

[sydneyindawoodz]

”Back Off”

pair: caitlin Clark x fem!reader

It had been a tough practice, and as you waited for Caitlin outside the gym, you couldn’t help but feel a little out of place. You weren’t as loud or outgoing as her friends, especially Connor McCaffery, who never missed a chance to poke fun at you for being quiet. Today was no different. As he walked past, he gave you a smirk, clearly looking for an opportunity.

"Hey, why so quiet, as usual?" Connor teased, stopping in front of you. "I mean, you’re dating Caitlin Clark. You should probably learn to keep up with her, don’t you think?" His words stung, making your stomach twist in knots, but you didn’t know how to respond. Connor wasn’t being outright cruel, but his constant jabs made you feel small, like you didn’t fit in Caitlin’s world.

Just as you were fumbling for a reply, you heard Caitlin’s voice from behind. “Connor, knock it off.” Caitlin stepped up beside you, her expression firm as she shot him a look that left no room for argument. “She doesn’t have to be loud to be amazing.” She reached for your hand, intertwining her fingers with yours as she turned to you, her face softening instantly. "You don’t need to change who you are. I like you just the way you are—quiet and all," she said, giving you a reassuring squeeze.

Connor, clearly caught off guard by Caitlin’s protective tone, raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I was just joking. No need to get defensive.” He backed off, leaving you and Caitlin alone.

Once he was gone, Caitlin turned to you fully, concern in her eyes. “I’m sorry he does that. I’ll talk to him and make sure he stops.” She lifted your chin gently with her free hand. “Don’t ever let anyone make you feel like you’re not good enough, okay? I’m with you because I love you, just as you are.”

Your heart swelled at her words, and all the tension from earlier melted away. You gave her a small smile, squeezing her hand in return. “Thank you,” you whispered, grateful to have someone like her by your side.

[fandomnerd9602]

My Tears Ricochet

Bambi!Wanda x Reader

Warning ⚠️ ANGST AHEAD ⚠️

Pain, trauma, grief, all things that can manifest itself in an instant if you’re not careful enough to treat it. For your doe mate, it all came back to her in an instant.

It all began when you and Wanda arrived at the Sanctuary to a whole commotion going on. You ran up to Yelena, Natasha’s wolf sestra, her tail swishing happily.

“What’s going on?!” You asked the blonde haired wolf.

“Natasha went on a solo op,” yelena smiled, “she caught Dreykov. Hauled him right into the courtroom”

“Dreykov?” Wanda asked. You noticed she went pale white, she started stumbling a little.

“Bambi?” Yelena asked before jumping and helping you to catch your die from falling.

Wanda was breathing heavily, her heart rate jumped as the world around her was blurring. She knew that name. In her mind, she was back in that horrible place.

The lights became too bright. The noises became too loud. Tears flooded Wanda’s eyes.

“Wanda?! Bambi?! Baby can you hear me?!Get her out of here!” The voices of you and Yelena seemed to intertwine as Wanda tried to focus herself. She couldn’t focus herself. It was all too much.

“Get away! Get away from me!!!” She shouted, throwing her arms around. You felt a slam of her hand and arm to your face and chest, you fell to the ground in total shock.

Wanda’s vision cleared just enough to see what she did to you. “D-detka? Baby I-I didn’t mean to…”

She bolted. Running down the hallway of the place she had started to see as home.

The only thing that echoed in her ear was you calling after her. “Wanda! Baby it’s okay! I’m fine! Wanda!!!”

Wanda practically locked herself in the supply closet. Curled up in the fetal position, Wanda tried again to steady her thoughts but the memories, the pain, the torture, it all came flooding back.

“Wanda?” Natasha’s calming voice called out to her.

“G-go away” she cried into her long sleeve shirt.

“We’re not going anywhere, my doe” you answered back. You sat there on the ground outside of the closet.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered against the wood of the door.

“Baby you have nothing to be ashamed of,” you reassured her.

It took a few days but Wanda found herself and you sitting in the waiting room of one Doctor Stephen Strange - the only doctor your doe trusted at this point. But even with that, she found herself shivering just being there.

You tried to reach across to take her hand and calm her but she retracted her hand from yours. It wasn’t that she didn’t yearn for your touch. In her mind, she had hurt you too much already. The red bruise on your face was still evident. Just seeing it caused Wanda’s heart to shatter again.

In truth, the bruise didn’t bother you. Sting a little at first but you knew it was a defense mechanism and your doe could never hurt you intentionally. So you put on a brave face and tried to make sure she still felt loved. But she kept her distance from you still.

“Wanda?” Doctor Strange wandered into the waiting room, his honey badger tail waving side to side.

Wanda got up and you followed suit.

“Sorry (Y/N) this is just Wanda.” He offers you a sad smile. Wanda turns to you a little worried.

“I’m not going anywhere, my doe” you reassure her.

My doe. That phrase once gave her such comfort. Now it almost seemed like a cruel joke after the way she hit you. Wanda felt she could never forgive herself.

She gave you a solemn nod and walked off with Strange, leaving you alone in the waiting room.

Doctor Strange guided Wanda into his little office. She took to sitting on a couch while he took his favorite red chair.

“Wanda, first things first, this is a safe space,” he began softly, “ you can tell me anything and I won’t tell anyone outside of here. So what brings you to my office today?”

“A couple days back, I-I freaked out on my detka.” She tried to explain.

“A panic attack. Okay”

“I-I hit my detka. I-it was an accident! I-I didn’t mean to hurt my…”

Strange raised a hand up, “I know. It was an involuntary reaction to a traumatic memory.”

“Yes.” Wanda took a deep breath and laid her head against the couch’s arm.

“What do you feel triggered it?”

“Dreykov.” The answer came out as a mere whisper as the memories came flooding back again.

The story of her past. It kept her up in the early hours of the morning. The only thing that brought her a soothing balm was the feeling of your arms around her and now even that held a bad memory. All because of her actions.

Her story. The one she laid out for Doctor Strange was as followed:

Wanda Maximoff was born to her momma and poppa along with her twin brother Pietro. At a young age, she and her brother were called freaks for the antlers they had. She did everything she could to hide them, file them down, wear hats, and yet the humiliation continued.

Eventually, at only twelve years old, her home and parents were destroyed in an accident, leaving only Wanda and her brother to survive together. They were on the streets until age sixteen.

That’s when the facility, actually known as the Red Room, found them. The doctors and staff promised room, food and board. It was all a trap.

Countless hours of torture and near death experiences haunted them. Eventually Wanda and Pietro were separated.

Wanda felt truly alone. And then she met another deer hybrid by the name of Vision. He seemed to be from the British forests. He was nice, kind and caring.

Wanda found his kindness and compassion really endearing. She found herself falling in love with him.

Eventually she fell pregnant by him. But then the facility separated them too. And then came the needle pricks, the doctor’s probing, the loud noises, the heavy medication that kept her docile and unable to focus.

And then they came into the world. Her boys. Two of them. She whispered their names in their ears. Billy and Tommy. She was in love the moment she saw them. They were her hopes, her future, all wrapped into two small bodies.

The boys were with her for less than three months when the facility and its director Dreykov came and snatched them away from her. She begged and pleaded but they refused. She hadn’t seen her boys since.

And then came the task force. Natasha, her eventual wolf pal, led her team on the raid of the facility Wanda was trapped in. Natasha was stern yet motherly in all the right ways. A scientist was about to kill Wanda when Natasha burst into the room and slashed the guy to ribbons with her wolf claws.

“Hey there Bambi,” her eventual friend said, “wanna get out of here?” Wanda couldn’t get out of that facility faster.

Wanda then went on to explain how she met you and get butterflies instantly. She didn’t know what it was at the time but she knew she wanted to never leave your side again.

“And now I feel like I messed it up! All because of Dreykov.”

Strange looks to her, “Wanda you are NOT the villain here. You are a survivor. And a brave one at that”

“How do I move on? How do I learn to live again?”

Stephen chuckles, “seems like you’re doing a fine job already with (Y/N).”

“But I feel that I messed that up too!” Wanda buries her face in her hands.

“What would you hope to say to your boys?” Strange asks her gently. “Some day”

“They won’t hurt you ever again. Your momma and poppa will keep you safe. (y/N) is a good mate they will protect you” Wanda hugs her legs to her chest.

“Use that. Make it your mantra.” Stephen gently replies. He takes off his glasses and puts down his notepad, “you are stronger than you know. Smarter than you realize. And braver than most people.”

Tears begin to make their way down Wanda’s porcelain face. “Thank you Doctor Strange.”

“Only speaking the truth.” He gives her a sad smile. “Just take it slowly. You got yourself a wonderful support system with you. (Y/N), Natasha, and the rest of the staff at the sanctuary.”

Wanda gave it some thought. She had Natasha. And at the end of the day, she still had you. A small smile made its way across her face, “I do”

Wanda left that appointment feeling tired and yet a little confident too. You were right there in the waiting room, waiting on your doe.

She came right up to you and hugged you tight. “I love you so much” she whispered in your ear. You rubbed her back reassuringly, making sure that she felt every bit of love that she deserved.

“I love you, my doe” you kiss her shoulder affectionately, “I’m not going anywhere”

It was a long road ahead. But Wanda was confident she could face it. She had you. She had Natasha. And eventually she’d have Pietro and her boys back in her arms.

Tags @lifespectator @olsenmyolsen @julieromanoff @revanshand @russianredassassin @supercorpdanbeau @scarletquake-n7

[pretzel-box]

you killed me with the last part of sunkissed 😭😭 i NEED a happy ending for it ill go insane!!!!!!!!

Sequel to Sunkissed Collection. Final Part.

Tags: Fluff, Established Relationship [Marriage], more fluff, comfort, reunion, more fluff again.

Words: 1,2k

Authors Note: It was a close call between not posting another part anymore or satisfying the mass of readers.

“It feels like… we’re not meant to be together,” Sebastian screamed suddenly into the hallway, his voice cracking under the heavy emotions he tried to conceal. All the words that didn't come out previously, were now spilling out of his mouth into the silence of the facility. “Not anymore.”

His breath hitched, his chest tightening at his own twisted words and his guilty mind ran wild with thoughts that screamed at him. His fluorescent eyes, usually so guarded, shimmered with the threat of unshed tears as he stared at you, a torrent of emotions storming behind them. For a moment, he was silent, lost in the tumult of his feelings. He doesn't know anymore at this point. He wished he could just run to you at full speed, tackle you from behind and start where you two left off. And at the same time, he knew it was unrealistic. You deserved your happiness, without his new life…

“And yet,” you continued his sentence, standing at the end of the hallway, the hand hovering above the door handle as if you had waited all along. Your voice was like a gentle balm in the heavy air, a strong contrast to him. While he was on the edge, you tried to be his lifeline, trying to save him from himself. “We aren't meant to part ways either.”

Sebastian's gaze met yours, and he felt his heart stir at the sight of your smile—the perfect, warm smile he cherished so deeply. The one that, in his darkest moments, always brought him hope. It was a sign that everything was okay. And if it wasn’t, then somehow, someday, it would be. Seeing it again after all those years, not in his broken memories, but right in front of his very eyes, made something in him flip. He thought you had already left.

“Oh, Sebastian,” you murmured, your voice carrying a tenderness that seemed to melt away the fear holding him back.

He flinched as you took a few gentle steps forward, your hand reaching out to him with such care, such deliberate grace, that he couldn’t help but feel a rush of warmth, his cheeks flushing with a mixture of surprise and longing. “Even if it seems impossible.” Your fingers hovered near his skin, tracing soft circles over his cheekbones, gliding into the dark waves of his raven locks. The touch was so familiar, so filled with unspoken love, that he felt his defenses crumble. “I would do anything.”

You were still here. You hadn’t left.

“Anything to give us one last chance, even when I know it's already over.”

Slowly, hesitantly, Sebastian raised his own trembling hand, placing it softly over yours. He was scared, terrified that this was just another cruel trick of his mind. But the moment his cold fingers touched yours, a spark ignited in his heart, warm and real, spreading through him like wildfire.

He felt a rush of emotion—a mixture of relief, hope, and an overwhelming love he’d buried deep within himself for so long. You were here. Truly here. And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, he allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, you could find your way back to each other.

“I’ve missed you… so much.”

Sebastian’s breath hitched as the dam of his deep emotions finally broke. Tears began to fall freely, tracing the contours of his cheeks, and his body trembled with the force of his sobs. He could no longer hold back the pain, the guilt, the relief that flooded him all at once, that suffocated him from the very inside. It felt like a tidal wave crashing over him, threatening to pull him under.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out, his voice raw with emotion. “I’m so sorry for everything… For what I’ve become, for the things I’ve done to survive… I—” His words were cut off by a sob that tore through his chest, his shoulders shaking as he buried his face in his hands, ashamed to meet your all loving eyes.

You moved closer, wrapping your arms around him with a loving care, pulling him into a tight embrace. “Sebastian,” you whispered softly, your voice filled with a quiet, unwavering love. “Look at me.” When he didn’t, refusing to disgust you further with his apperance, you gently lifted his chin with your hand, guiding his tear-filled gaze to meet yours. “I love you. No matter what you look like, no matter what you’ve done… I love you.”

He blinked, his three eyes wide and shimmering with fresh tears, his breath catching in his throat once more. “But… how can you?” he whispered, his voice breaking with the weight of his guilt and self-loathing. “After everything… how can you still love me?”

You smiled softly, a tender warmth in your mesmerizing eyes as you held his gaze. “Do you remember our wedding vows?” you asked, your thumb brushing away the tears on his cheek. “At the beach, with the waves crashing behind us? You promised me to be my home. And I made the same promise to you, Sebastian Solace.”

He nodded, barely able to speak, the memory flooding back—the salty breeze, the sound of the ocean, the way your eyes sparkled with happiness as you exchanged your vows. He remembered how you both laughed when the wind caught the veil, how you both spoke with such conviction, such hope for the future.

“Those vows… they weren’t just words,” you continued, your voice soft but firm. “They were a promise. A promise that I still keep, no matter what. I don’t care what you look like now or what you’ve done to survive. I care about you, the man I married, the man I still love with all my heart.”

A strangled cry escaped Sebastian’s lips, a mix of relief and heartbreak, and he collapsed against you, his arms wrapping around you tightly as if afraid you might vanish if he let go. “What belongs together will be together, Sebastian. No matter what comes before, between or after.” His face buried in the crook of your neck, his tears soaking your skin. “I… I don’t deserve you,” he whispered, his voice muffled, full of anguish.

You stroked his dark hair gently, pressing a soft kiss to his temple like you did countless times before in the past. “Maybe,” you replied, your tone teasing yet full of love, “but you’re stuck with me anyway.”

He chuckled softly through his tears, a small, broken laugh, and for the first time in so long, he felt a flicker of hope. You were here, holding him, loving him despite everything. You hadn’t turned away, hadn’t abandoned him.

“You’ve always been stubborn,” he whispered, his voice trembling but softer now, filled with a kind of peace he hadn’t felt in years.

“And you love me for it,” you replied, a smile in your voice as you held him close, feeling the tension slowly leaving his body.

“I do,” he murmured, his grip on you tightening. “I love you so much.”

And as you stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, it felt as if the world around you faded away. It was just the two of you, together again, bound by the love and promises you made on that beach so many years ago. And for the first time in a long time, Sebastian dared to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance for happiness, since he was home once more.

[pkg4mumtown]

Medicine at Midnight

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x GN!Reader

Rating: Explicit (18+ only)

Summary: A night out with Hotch and his team leads to either the best or worst mistake you could have made.

Content Warnings: smut 18+, alcohol, GN!reader (no Y/N), friends with benefits, strong language, first person POV

A/N: My entry for @imagining-in-the-margins Criminal Minds Friends with Benefits Challenge. It also happens to be the first CM fic I’ll be posting but certainly not the last! I’m currently working on a multi-chapter Hotch x Male!Reader fic, so stay tuned. I’ve also added the playlist I used for Hotch inspiration at the end of the post.

Also available on AO3

I barely managed to enter my apartment and drop my gear to the floor when the shrill ringtone of my cellphone broke the otherwise pleasant silence.

Fuck. Me.

I plead to whoever is listening that it’s not my section chief calling about a case. I ripped the cellphone from my pocket, too frustrated to even look at the caller ID as I snapped out my last name.

“Rough night?” came the deep, soothing voice on the other end.

Oh.

“Hey, Aaron,” I sighed and relaxed. “Sorry, I thought it was another case.”

“It’s okay. Are you busy?” He asked and I could hear the slightest hint of hope in his voice.

“Depends on what you’re going to ask me and...what I’ll get in return,” I stressed. “I just got home.”

“I can promise free drinks,” he chuckled, the vibrations buzzing through to my end of the phone. “The team is going out and Dave just went out of town.”

Hotch doesn't need to say more than that for me to understand what he’s asking. He wants a social buffer and for free drinks I’ll do just about anything for him.

~

His team had helped the DC Field Office with a case that I oversaw about six months back. The case had quickly spiraled out of control with multiple unsubs, and I begged my chief to let us call the BAU in for help. While they didn’t swoop in and solve the case in a matter of days, they certainly got it back to a manageable position. What would have taken months of work was quickly cut down to two weeks.

Since it was still relatively local, Hotch’s team would go home every night and come back bright and early. One of the first nights with them on the case, I waved them goodnight; standing like I would be leaving shortly after them. As they disappeared out of sight, I sat back down and stayed firmly planted at my desk. I was still flipping through files over the umpteenth coffee of the day when soft footsteps stopped in front of my desk.

“You’re still here?”

Hotchner.

“Yea, I’m just...” I gestured vaguely to the files. “I don’t really know what I’m looking for anymore. Just hoping I can find something.” I gave him a tight smile as he hovered by my desk. His bag was nowhere in sight, so it was clear he had no plans to leave either.

The grim smile on his face confirmed that he was doing exactly the same.

“I’m sure he's waiting for you at home,” he nodded to the picture on my desk as I went back to looking at the files in front of me.

“That’s my cousin,” I stated without having to look. “No one’s waiting for me, I promise you that. Plus, you don’t seem like you’re leaving either, so...”

“Got me there,” Hotch smirked, shifting his weight nervously as I paid half-attention to him. “I won’t snitch if you won’t? My son is with his aunt, so my apartment is a little depressing.”

At that confession, I looked back up at him as his expression turned crestfallen.

“Deal. You can pull up a chair, if you want.” I suggested, seeing that the floor was pretty much empty now and it seemed cruel to make him sit by himself wherever we were able to stuff his team on the cluttered floor.

This went on for the next two weeks that the BAU worked with us and each night the ice broke a little more. That extra hour or two after the team left progressed from talking about the case to talking about ourselves. It was surprisingly easy considering his personality on a case, but once his defenses came down, he was more relaxed and even threw in a smile that I began to notice was quite rare.

I began noticing his nearly imperceptible antics when he was stressed. His tight expression would feign focus but his white-knuckled grip on whatever was in his hand told a different story. I caught myself pressing a finger to his tight fist throughout the day, making him aware of what he was doing before removing my fingers as soon as his fist loosened. At some point, he stopped straining his hand muscles, but I’d feel his finger pressing firmly against one of mine whenever he was near me. It was usually brief, just enough to feel the ridges on each other’s fingers before his touch was gone.

After the case was over, I never expected to hear from him. Hotch’s number stayed saved in my phone from the case, but never once did I expect to see it flash across my screen while driving home one night. Drinks became a nearly weekly occurrence between the two of us—provided neither of us were on a case—and while nothing more ever happened, I couldn't tell what his endgame was. We chatted about the weeks we both had, family, sorrows—all of it—all the while our hands pressed against each other just to feel another person.

I chalked it up to anxiety for him and loneliness for myself.

~

Despite our nights out together, we never went out with his team, and I hadn't seen them since the case all those months ago. So, it was a little unnerving to accept his invitation. How would he explain us being on friendly terms now despite not knowing each other prior to the case? Would they even care? Does it even matter?

“Uh, sure. Where at? I just need to change,” I answered him.

“I’ll pick you up in twenty?” he asked, and I shouldn’t have been surprised at his need to drive by now.

Control freak.

“Okay.”

“See you soon.”

I changed into something more comfortable, but not too comfortable. I didn’t want to look like I wanted to stay home curled on my couch.

Even if that sounded heavenly right now. Hotch could come, too.

When Aaron sent a text to tell me he was here, I was out the door in a few seconds. The inside of his SUV lit up as I opened the door, revealing him dressed in a dark, long-sleeved sweater and jeans.

“Hey,” he greeted me as I climbed in.

“Thanks for picking me up.”

Once I was seated and buckled, I rested my arm on the center console next to his. His sleeves were pushed up to his forearms, his hair tickling my skin as he took off. At the first red light we hit, he adjusted the radio and brought his hand back down to land directly on mine.

He didn’t move it, and I didn’t want him to.

The air was thick with booze and sweat as we entered the bar. It was different from the one Hotch and I usually frequented, preferring something quieter and lower key than this one. It’s crowded, not surprising for a Friday night, but it sure did make it more difficult to locate his team. This time, I'm the one initiating contact, pressing two fingers into his palm as we approached where the team was tucked into a back corner booth. I removed my fingers before they noticed our approach.

“Hotch!” They all greeted him at varying levels of excitement with empty glasses already littering the table.

How long had they been here already?

Morgan had begun moving the team deeper in the booth to make room for us when I recognized a member of their team who I had only seen via a computer screen.

“Hey, nice to see you again,” I greeted everyone, having to raise my voice as the music battled with the overlapping conversations around us. “You must be Garcia,” I reached over and shook her hand as we slid in.

Her excitement was contagious, and I couldn’t help myself from grinning as she spoke and reintroduced the team by first name. There were looks and eyebrows exchanged between the others as they likely wondered exactly what I’d feared, but none of them expressed their questions verbally.

“Drink?” I heard Hotch ask as a waiter came by and I nodded to him, knowing it’ll help my nerves.

I didn’t even need to tell him what drink to order at this point.

“Thanks,” I smiled and felt him shift closer to me until our legs were practically glued together.

It must have been my lucky day because the team kept the conversation topics relatively light as the night wore on. There were plenty of shots going around—Hotch only agreeing to have one with them in solidarity—coupled with food, a few spill mishaps, and raucous laughter. Hotch laughed and smiled with them but not nearly as loudly. He did surprisingly well anxiety-wise, so I wasn’t entirely sure why he wanted me here in the first place. I was having fun, though, and he’d insisted on paying for me, so I didn’t think too hard on it.

My hands were both above the table fidgeting with the condensation on my glass as we loudly discussed the current topic. Hotch tapped his fingers on his glass rhythmically with one hand while the other dropped below and landed on my leg. I jumped at the contact and hoped everyone was too inebriated to notice.

No dice.

Spencer's glassy eyes snapped to my movement briefly, JJ made eye contact across the table with Penelope, Emily stared me dead in the eyes, and Derek stared at Hotch. If I wasn't also in the same line of work, it might not have been so noticeable considering they hadn’t stopped the conversation.

Hotch played it off, slouching back against the booth and laughing at whatever Emily was recanting, looking a little more at ease with the touch.

Now, I notice the difference.

As nonchalantly as possible, he relaxed his arm, slipped his hand between my knees, and tucked his palm under my leg to cup where my hamstring met the bend in my leg. I could feel his warmth through my pants and the way his thumb obsessively traced the inner seam near my knee.

I almost thought they would ignore the way he was leaning noticeably closer, and I was sorely disappointed when Penelope spoke up after Emily finished.

Penelope's eyes were perceptive, and she leaned forward playfully while Derek leaned into her with his arm draped over her shoulder, “So, you two,” she began. Her eyes were twinkling with far too much mischief and now I believed every word from Hotch about how much trouble her and the man next to her got in to together, “You’re...?”

I grinned, laughing off her intrigue and kept my voice as steady as possible, “We’re friends.”

Derek in this state was even more blunt, teasing Hotch further with a smirk playing on his lips, “With benefits?”

Penelope gasped that he followed up with that line while the others hid giggles behind their drinks.

Hotch’s brow furrowed and he lifted his drink off the table as a flush rose up his neck to his cheeks. He took a sip while looking in my direction and I held his gaze. There’s a look I didn’t quite recognize there. “Without sex?” he finally said once he swallowed and set his glass down, “Then, what’s the benefit?”

The entire table erupted into laughter. Derek and Penelope were practically laughing on top of each other, Emily was laughing behind the hand clasped over her mouth with huge, surprised eyes, and Spencer was laughing into JJ's shoulder.

I was just as surprised as them and hadn’t broken eye contact with Aaron yet. His hand had reassuringly squeezed my leg as he smirked to let me know he was joking. With a challenging glint in my eyes, I finally responded as the laughter died down a bit. “My delightful company, asshole,” I shoved him with my shoulder. “And someone to talk to and...did I mention my winning personality?”

Hotch laughed, closing his eyes and leaned heavily back into me. He moved his hand from my leg to wrap his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side.

“Dick,” I murmured playfully through a fake frown.

Aaron just slid over a leftover shot as consolation.

The rest of the night passed in a blur, but the sudden mention of sex has me sweating underneath my clothes. Hotch’s heavy arm and sweater did nothing to help that. It wasn’t like I was unaware of his attractiveness; I was simply unsure of his intentions considering we had never spoke about our relationship. There were plenty of times I had to talk myself out of kissing him despite how easy it would have been, but the look in his eyes when he said that had me digging up all those thoughts again.

It wasn’t a terrible idea. We were both single, busy, and hung out enough as it was. I liked to think were both mature enough to handle something like that. I took another long swig of my drink with a deep frown that I didn’t realize was there.

“You okay?” he dropped his head to murmur close to my ear.

He snapped me out of my thoughts, and I gave him a reassuring grin, “Yea.”

The bar crowd grew thinner and thinner as time passed. Reid looked like he could fall asleep any second and JJ was the only barrier holding him up. The team soon rose, promising to take cabs home to reassure their boss that they were all responsible adults.

Derek gave Aaron one last sly smirk before following Penelope and the others. Hotch just shook his head at him with an amused sigh.

“Thank you for coming with me tonight,” Aaron murmured once they were gone, his voice low now that the bar was much quieter than it was hours ago.

“Of course. It was fun,” I leaned my head on his shoulder.

Despite the absence of the others, he didn’t retract his arm, and my heart started pounding a little faster at the thought. His touch felt more intimate after all that and it made my thoughts race.

How much was I reading into this? How wrong was I? And did I want to do something about it?

“Ready to go? It’s almost midnight,” He asked.

I nodded, finishing my drink.

The drive back to my place was quiet and I fiddled with his hand the entire drive. Between that and my constant looking over at him, he definitely knew something was wrong.

“What’s on your mind?” He raised an eyebrow and gave me a quick glance but refocused his eyes back on the road immediately.

“Hmm?”

“You’re being weird. Is it what I said back there? Because I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” he gave me his full attention once he pulled up in front of my building.

“No, no, you’re fine,” I squeezed his fingers. “Just a lot on my mind,” I sighed. I looked out at my apartment building next to us and pursed my lips.

Fuck it.

“You—uh—wanna come up?”

There was absolutely no other reason for me to ask that. He had to know why I was asking without me saying it outright.

Right?

My nerves were on fire and my mind raced with all the possibilities he could come back with. Silent, Hotch took a beat to think and reached for the keys in the ignition, “Sure.”

Oh.

I was hyper aware of Aaron’s presence as he followed me upstairs to my apartment door. My hands were practically shaking with anticipation as I fiddled with the keys. Once I was inside, I left the door open for him and heard him lock it behind me. The click cemented my determination on the matter.

“Make yourself at home,” I nodded toward the couch and started flipping lights on. “Want something to drink?”

“I still have to drive,” he declined, his eyes following me to the kitchen.

“You can always stay here,” I reached up into my cabinets for two glasses and poured a drink for myself and a scotch for Hotch.

“Is that so?” His voice rumbled behind me, much closer than he had been a few seconds ago.

When the hell did he sneak up on me?

I turned to face him, finding him far closer than I imagined. I passed him his drink, which he took a tall sip of, and I hurried to catch up.

That sip must have given him the courage he needed because he set the glass back on my counter and took another step forward. His hand found my waist with a light touch. It wasn’t hesitant by any means, but light enough to ask permission to continue. Unlike the nervous movements in his hands earlier, his hands were confident and intentional now.

“Is this okay?”

“—eah,” I struggled to say as my voice got caught in my throat.

Hotch took the glass from my hand and set it behind me, crowding what little space I had left. We were tense with anticipation as we both leaned in, giving each other enough time to back out. His nose brushed mine, then his lips, before he was fully pressed against me. His tongue flicked out making me gasp and open mine wider. My hands slid under his sweater, feeling his warm skin beneath my fingers. We stayed like that; exploring, consuming, devouring until there was a pause between us. The was air heavy with desire and our breathing.

As I caught my breath, I reached back and grabbed my glass, taking the opportunity to throw back the last of the liquid. Aaron did the same, keeping his eyes fixated on the way my lips wrapped around the glass. I left my glass on the counter and took his hand, tugging him toward my bedroom. I heard his glass clatter on the counter as he left it behind in a rush to follow me.

I threw him a look over my shoulder and tugged my top off, throwing it off to the side. Aaron didn’t need to be encouraged anymore further and ripped his hand out of mine to follow suit. Clothes and shoes were haphazardly discarded until there was nothing left between us. I barely had time to sift through my drawer for the essentials before he was grabbing me around the waist and tugging me onto the mattress. His mouth reconnected with mine, his fingers digging into the mattress as his hips ground down against mine.

“Fuck me, please,” I panted as soon as our mouths separated.

“Gladly.”

He blindly reached for the condom I tossed near him. Once he located it, his oversized fingers fumbled with the packaging. The task was eventually accomplished with minimal difficulty and only a couple giggles as he accidentally pinched himself. The laughter eased the butterflies in my stomach, and I hoped this wouldn’t fuck up whatever we had going for us prior to tonight.

Aaron quickly snatched the bottle of lube and coated his fingers generously. As his fingers pressed against my entrance, I whined in anticipation and wriggled my hips to get him moving. I watched his eyes flutter shut as he put more pressure, jaw dropping in concentration as he focused. As soon as his fingers breached, he couldn’t help himself.

I felt the wet heat of his mouth descend on me, his tongue swirling and lips sucking on my overly sensitive skin. I was torn between tilting my head back to enjoy the feeling and wanting to watch his mouth work. I finally decided to look down, my breath catching as I saw his eyes already trained on me through his lashes. His cheeks hollowed ever so slightly as he sucked making me reach to grab his hair for any sort of purchase. The noises that came from him were sinful and I eventually had to pull his head away once I felt myself ready.

“Need you, please,” I pulled him up to me, feeling him pull his fingers out gently.

We were both understandably impatient with the mix of alcohol and lust. He reached for a pillow with his clean hand and stuffed it under my hips for a better angle. With one last pass of lube over the condom, I felt the blunt press of him against me.

“I’ve got you,” his breath stuttered as he guided himself inside slowly.

My fingers dug into his shoulders as he bottomed out before moving down his back and urging him to go. I let out a moan of relief as his hips started moving, rocking into me slowly at first. Without warning, his mouth sealed over mine and swallowed the gasp I let out as he sharply thrusted, hitting exactly where I need him to.

“More,” I mumbled against his lips.

Aaron was efficient, even now, and repeated himself until I was a whining mess underneath him. He sat up, making enough space to slip his hand between us. I clenched involuntarily as his calloused fingers stroked me, bringing me that much closer to release.

“You feel so good,” he panted. “Squeeze me again.”

I do as he asked, squeezing around him each time he pulls out. The groans pulled from his chest only added fuel to the fire and I didn’t know how I ever survived without hearing them. My hands couldn’t stay still, moving from gripping his arms to running across his collarbone and chest.

“I’m gonna come, I—” I had cut myself off by bringing Hotch’s mouth back down to mine.  My muscles tightened as my release washed over me, fingers digging into whatever I can reach while I clenched around the cock still driving inside me.

Aaron removed his hand from between us, doubling down on his efforts to finish himself. His head tucked into my neck, giving me an even better opportunity to hear Aaron’s moans as he reached his orgasm. His hips stuttered as his release pulsed throughout his body, making him tremble in my arms. When he couldn’t handle the overstimulation anymore, he let himself slip out of me.

He let out a deep hum as we caught our breath, pressing one last kiss to my neck before pushing himself up to his feet. He cleaned himself with a grimace with me not far behind, eager to get the slick substance off my skin. I headed straight back to bed, flopping on the slightly sweaty sheets.

I’m too tired to fix that, I decided.

“I meant it, you can stay,” I mumbled in the dark as I heard his movement pause somewhere between the bed and the bathroom. “Don’t need you getting behind the wheel right now.”

“Mm, thanks,” his sleepy voice returned.

The bed dipped beside me and soon the length of his body was pressed against my back.

~

A sharp jolt pulled me out of my deep slumber. Through the haze I finally I heard the piercing ringtone of a phone. It’s not mine, I realized as I listen to it a second longer. The bed shifted next to me and frantic footsteps thudded across my floor as Aaron looked for his phone.

If he ended up with a case, it was going to massively suck for his hungover team.

“Hey, Jess,” he answered in a far less panicked tone than his feet originally suggested. “Uh, yea. Yea, one is good. Okay, see you then.”

He came back into the room with a more relaxed posture than when he left. He sat on the edge of the bed on the side I was still curled up on, watching him move with sleepy eyes.

“Just Jessica letting me know she’s dropping off Jack at my place at one,” he relayed.

A quick glance at the clock let me know it was only 10:00 AM, which wasn’t bad considering the night we had.

Aaron's hand found my ankle through the sheets, letting his hand glide up to my calf and back down. His face was contemplative though not as outwardly noticeable as the way I chewed the inside of my cheek.

He spoke first.

“That was,” he started, letting a smirk spread over his features, “fun.”

“It was. I…wouldn’t mind if it happened again.”

“Me either,” he punctuated with a squeeze of my calf.

There was a comfortable silence for a minute until he spoke up again, “I’m just—I'm not really looking to—.” He stopped and started again, “Since Haley died I—I’m just not...”

He didn’t have to explain to me the fact that his ex-wife slash high school sweetheart being murdered had done a number on his psyche. I didn’t blame him.

“I get it, Aaron. I’m not either. I’m way too busy and—I just don’t want to,” I replied. It wasn’t a total truth, but it also wasn’t a total lie. I was too busy but that didn’t mean I didn’t want to.

For Aaron, though? I would take what he gave me.

He relaxed a little, his eyes a little sad and I wondered if he could see right through me.

I hope he didn’t.

“I should go,” he murmured, leaning forward and pressing a chaste kiss to my cheek while the other side was pressed into my pillow.

When he pulled away, I turned my head to really look at him head on, not expecting him to come back down and kiss me again. This time on my lips, slowly and sensually; a far cry from the desperation last night.  When my eyes opened, he was already up and looking for his clothes.

“I’ll see you next weekend?” I rubbed my hands over my face, sitting up as he gets dressed.

He flashed me a look as if to say “obviously” and threw my discarded top at my face.

“Be careful,” I called after him.

“You, too,” he paused, patting his jeans to make sure all of his belongings were in order. When he was satisfied, he gave me a gentle smile and headed in the direction of my front door.

“Lock the door behind me!” he yelled back before opening the front door and shutting it behind him.

I rolled my eyes and flopped back over onto the bed on my side. I still smelled his scent on my sheets and wondered how I could have thought that this would be a good idea.

~

Ever get the feeling nothing else will do?

I could hear you singing

I can’t explain, I need

Medicine at midnight

But it ain’t no cure

Medicine at midnight howling

But it ain’t no cure

I may be sick but you know I’m yours

-Medicine at Midnight, Foo Fighters

[prettyflyforawhitelie]

I wanted to request something for Husk, if that's alright! Their rooms are next to each other, and Husk just so happens to hear her cry. Reader is not being loud, she just couldn't hold back a particularly strong sob and he heard her. He keeps listening and now that he is paying close attention, he can hear soft sobbing. He goes to check in on her and she apologizes for waking him up, but is too shy to admit she was crying right away. I would love to see some fluff/comfort! Thank you <3

This is adorable! I love love love writing fluff. Thanks for the request! This turned out a bit angstier than I planned, but I think it balances out nicely with the fluff. If you want one that's just purely fluff, please message me and I will be happy to rewrite/write another! I hope you enjoy!

Pairing: Husk x Reader

Warnings: Violence, Weapons, Drink Spiking, Alcohol

Word Count: 1809

“This Night has Opened my Eyes” - Husk x Reader

Today had been a long day. And that’s the understatement of the year. This was the day that you and the other residents of the hotel had been planning on for months… the war against the angels. You had prepped weapons, defense, and plans all of yesterday, but nothing could have stopped the inevitable bloodshed that accompanied war. Angels were cruel, fierce beings that didn't care about the lives of sinners so long as they increased their “kill count.” They hunt sinners for sport, and nothing, not even the princess of Hell, was going to stand in their way. 

This was evident when Adam and the angels mercilessly broke through the forcefield that Alastor had cast around the hotel. Fuck. That was you and your friends’ only shot at winning this battle. As you scan your environment to assess how many angels are coming at you, you also assess the casualties among your newly found “battalion”. So many of Rosie’s cannibals were surrounding you, dead. The sight was awful. Families, all with hopes and dreams, lay crushed beneath your feet. You look around for any signs of life from your friends, seeing Angel wielding 6 machine guns and… was that Sir Pentious and Cherri kissing? Never mind that, you had one person and one person only on your mind… your boyfriend Husk. Last night, you were expressing how worried you are about the possibility that one (or both) of you may not make it out of this war alive. He assured you that he could hold his own, particularly worried about you. You trusted your fighting abilities, but if something happened to Husk and you weren’t there to help him, you don't think you would ever be able to forgive yourself.

You find yourself facing your worst nightmare after fighting off two particularly feisty exterminators. You turn a corner of the horribly wrecked hotel to continue your search for Husk, only to be met with your boyfriend’s injured body laying on the ground, struggling to crawl to shelter. 

“HUSK!” you shout, running to him and helping him up. 

When your hands moved to his back to guide him to shelter, you noticed that something was missing. His - his wings. They were brutally ripped off of his back, leaving only grotesque stubs where they used to be. 

“Oh- Oh my Satan, we need to get you the fuck out of here. Why didn't you call for me? For anyone?!”

“I- I didn't want anyone-” he struggles to finish his sentence, fading in and out of consciousness. “I didn't want anyone to get hurt”

You managed to essentially drag him just out of sight of the exterminators, behind a particularly dull-looking building. You used any loose pieces of clothing that you could spare to put together a makeshift-bandage, only half-stopping the blood that was seeping from his back. 

“I’m sorry… you’ll be okay. Please be okay. I’ll make you okay.” you say as he winces from the pain. 

And for the first time in your life, you prayed.

To whom, it was unknown. I doubt the prayers of the damned are granted, but you needed more than anything for this to just be a bad dream. 

************************************************************************

As you wake up, your body is drenched in a cold sweat and tears are streaming down your face. You realize that this was all some fucked up dream, but the fact that it could become a reality very soon terrified you. You simply couldn’t stop the tears from running down your face, small sobs escaping from your lips. 

You reach your side table for your phone, only to see that it’s 3:42 AM. Damn, you really hoped you weren’t being too loud right now. Stifling tears, you notice several missed texts from Angel:

_____________________________________________________________

[12:00 AM]

💬Angel: I saw what he put in there, i dont think its deadly… might give you a wild trip tho. but i gave the guy a good beat down on ur behalf lmaooo ;) Left u in ur room to sleep it off, didnt want any idiots to seeya like that

[12:34 AM]

💬Angel: bitch whyd you lock ur door :(

[1:00 AM]

💬Angel: Y/N are you up yet?????

💬Angel: shitshitshitshit

💬Angel: Pls text me when you get up!!!!

____________________________________________________________

Reading these texts suddenly flooded you with memories of the night before (or, really, a couple hours ago.)

You and Angel Dust had decided that, fuck it, if the extermination was coming in a few days, you might as well party like there’s no tomorrow. Heading to the nearest club, you guzzled beelzejuice like it was the last thing in Hell and maybeee fucked around and flirted with a couple guys. As one of the guys you were talking to brought you a drink while Angel was on the dance floor, you downed it and started dancing with him. It wasn’t until your vision started fading that you realized that this asshole spiked your drink. Luckily, Angel was able to spot the signs from across the way and immediately scooped you up and brought you back to the hotel, screaming at the guy as you left. According to his text, I guess Angel went back to the club and fucked the guy up a bit, which made you feel a bit better. Sometimes experiences like these remind you that, yeah, you’re still in Hell. 

Remembering this only made you cry more. The tears flowed for a multitude of reasons: you were so angry that someone had the balls to spike your drink - to spike ANYONE’S drink! You were also so mad at yourself for allowing some rando to buy you a drink without you looking. You were also so grateful that Angel had such a watchful eye and cared for you so much. You guessed that the hallucinogen the man spiked you with was the cause of your terrifyingly hyper-realistic dream. 

You then remember what time it is, realizing that you had let a particularly loud sob escape your mouth. Shit. You really hoped that nobody woke up because of your crying. That would be embarrassing… to say the least. This thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. Damnit. 

“Who is it?” you ask.

“It’s me,” Husk replies. 

Husk had heard your quiet sobs from the next room over and was listening by your door. As he heard that the cries weren’t dissipating, he decided to check on you. You quickly tried to hide any evidence that you were crying, wiping your tears on your sleeve and trying to eliminate any signs of redness on your face.

“What’s up?” you ask.

“Can I come in?” Husk replies.

“Uh, yeah, sure.” you say, waiting for him to enter.

“Hello?” you ask.

“It’s locked.” he replies.

You remember Angel’s text with a small laugh and get up to open your door, taking one more precaution to wipe your face before doing so. You open the door to see Husk’s tired yet worried face.

“You ok?” you ask him.

“I think I should be asking you that.” he says while entering your room, leaving you standing at the doorway. 

“Uh, I mean, yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“I heard you crying from my room.” he says, looking at you worriedly.

“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I mean, it’s, like, 4AM.” you reply, trying to seem nonchalant and like he was the one interrupting your sleep.

“Okay, I may be tired, but I’m not dumb.” he says, matter-of-factly. 

“I wasn’t crying! I was probably just snoring or something.” You take his hand into yours. “But, I appreciate you checking up on me. Okaygoodnightseeyouinthemorningbyeeeeee!” you say while trying to lead him to the door.

“Sure.” he says, clearly calling your bluff. “You do know you can always talk to me, right? That’s what I’m here for, hon.” he says, genuinely looking into your eyes while holding both of your hands. His pure care for you overpowers any urge to hide your emotions from him, and you exhale.

“Fine. I was crying.” you confess.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I guess.” you lead him back to sit on your bed. 

“I- I went out with Angel last night. I think, if i can remember, some guy spiked my drink with what I assume is a hallucinogen.” You could see Husk becoming visibly angry. “Anyways, Angel got me out of there before anything bad could happen. I guess I came back up here and passed out, but I had a horrible dream.”

“You better have a description of the guy so I can beat his ass to a bloody pulp-”

“No. It’s not that.”

“What is it then?”

“The nightmare… it was-”

“That’s what this is all about? It couldn’t have been that bad-” he asks.

“No, you don't get it. It was extermination day… the angels were ruthless. I looked around and I… I couldn't find you anywhere. I fought angels and searched relentlessly for you, only to find you left for dead with your-” you shift in your seat, the mere thought of the nightmare making you upset. “-With your wings torn off. I tried saving you, but I just knew… I just knew you wouldn't make it.” 

As you stare into the distance, clearly bothered, Husk realizes just how much this scared you. When he first heard that all of this commotion was about a nightmare, he was surprised. You weren’t exactly one to get too emotional at the slightest of things, so this was new for you. But Husk realized why this was different. This nightmare was a very, very real possibility and a decently rational fear. There really was no telling what would happen come extermination day.

“How about this,” he says, placing one of his hands on your shoulder.

“Tonight, we forget about all of this. Extermination, angels, all of it. I’ll sleep in here and we can cuddle, you can talk to me or just fall asleep. We can sleep in as late as you want and just be here, in this room, right now. Just in this moment, you and I. How does that sound?” He asks.

This tenderness from Husk, though he is your boyfriend, was refreshing. He truly knew how to calm you down when you needed it most. 

Nodding your head, you both get under the warm covers of your bed. You rest your head on Husk’s chest, savoring the slow movements of his breaths. As he moves his hand to stroke your hair, you slowly start to fall into a deep and peaceful slumber. As you both basked in each other’s warmth, Husk’s soothing purring made its way into your ears, the music of your dreams. No amount of money in Hell could get you to gamble away the pure jackpot you held in your arms on this night.

[thewulf]

Unexpectedly Part 2 || Aaron Hotchner

Request: The reader is a member of BAU, but nobody knows her dark past. She's running from her abusive ex. Once he hurt her so bad (fractured skull, several severe injuries) he left her to die in their apartment. Nowadays she keeps that past hidden, as good as she can... See rest here

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Y/N

Word Count: 7.1k

TW: Abuse. Both physical and mental. General Criminal Minds TW – talk of blood/gore/death/stabbing etc. AGE GAP between reader and Hotchner, reader is implied to be younger 25-35.

*Two Months Later*

‘I’m in Virginia. Just like you. How peculiar?’

Hands slightly shaking you gently placed your phone down on the conference room table. It never was going to stop. The slight form of torture this cruel man imposed on you. Knowing that just when you seemed to forget about him, he’d come crawling right back into your field of view. Remind you that he was always going to win. He’d been messing with your head sending these vague texts from new numbers after you blocked the old. It wasn’t enough that you’d changed your number three fucking times now, he always seemed to find a way.

You’d contemplated asking Garcia for some help. She would make you disappear in an instant. But, then you’d have to deal with the repercussions of telling the office gossip the juiciest tea that they’d had in a while. They’d all know, and you weren’t sure you could deal with that just yet. You were finally feeling steady and confident in your abilities again. Feeling like you were doing great at work again. You couldn’t mess this up.

Truth be told you hadn’t a clue what came next after this. JJ was still planning to be off for another few months. Perks of having a decent government job, as they say. But what came after that? Were you really just planning on running away time and time again only to be chased by this guy? That wasn’t a life you wanted to live. It wasn’t a life you were willing to live if you were honest with yourself.

An opaque sheen glazed over your eyes as you looked outside ignoring the text that loomed over you so harshly. It’d been five days since he bothered you. You’d almost forgotten. Almost.

A featherlight touch brushed over your shoulder breaking you out of the trance you were deeply in. Jumping your eyes widened when you spotted Aaron looking down at you.

Things were… complicated with him. You liked him. He liked you. But it couldn’t happen. No matter how much either of you wanted it to. They just couldn’t. Not while he was your boss. He had made that adamantly clear in the two months you’d been working for him. The two of you seemingly having the conversation almost every week now.

“Sorry.” His usual stoic face didn’t break as he sat down next to you, “I was calling for you. Everything okay?”

You hummed while nodding your head, “Yup. Just thinking.” Absentmindedly you grabbed your phone holding it in your hand on the opposite side from him. He noticed. He noticed all the small things about you and what you did. The things you probably didn’t even know that you were doing. How sometimes you got spacey when your phone went off. How you were clearly hiding something from him. But he wouldn’t push. It wasn’t his place as your boss. Not until it affected your work did, he have a right. No matter how much he desired too.

“Are you sure?” He raised an eyebrow, challenging you. He knew how much you hated that. Hated being questioned like a toddler. Being the only not profiler on the team had you on the defensive all too often now.

“I’m good Hotch.” You nodded briefly before getting up. Being around him was downright suffocating. It was hard to be alone with him when you wanted so much more. It was selfish to run. Childish even but you couldn’t stand it. Not when the two of you danced around the subject so awkwardly.

“Wait… Y/N. Before you go.” He coughed spinning around in the chair.

You paused. He hardly used your first name at work. He knew exactly what to do to get you to stop. Pause for him, “Yes, Hotch?”

He stood, towering over you as he stopped in front of you. Hotch just made you feel small. Not that it was a bad thing per say. Just intimidating. And right now, Aaron Hotchner was terribly fucking intimidating without even trying to be. Whatever he asked you were sure you’d answer, all too honestly.

He decided to confront you. He hadn’t a clue what came over him as he started stating facts. The profiler coming out, “You’ve hidden your phone away the last four times I’ve run into you lost in your thoughts.” He paused collecting his thoughts, “You get all spacey and people have a hard time getting your attention. Is everything alright?”

Your heart rate picked up. How’d he notice? He was the best of the best but damn. You thought you did so much better, “You sound like Spencer.” You remarked, clearly deflecting.

“Y/N.”

You sighed, “Please don’t tell the rest of them?” You knew there wasn’t a chance you could come up with an excuse good enough to please Hotch. It was the truth that had to be told.

He nodded offering your seat back to you. Slowly walking back to the chair, you sat there staring back out the window before starting the long story of how you fell in love, fell into a trap, got engaged to a monster, and somehow got away before he fully killed you. Or so you thought.

He never interrupted you. Sitting there patiently as you divulged your biggest secret to your boss. The man you had a disgustingly big crush on. He only continued when you paused for a while. He knew it was the end of your story and it had taken a toll on you telling him all of that. He needed to come at you gently now. It explained so much about you.

“Y/N… that’s a lot.” He sighed knowing his words weren’t great. He was a good boss but never good with words. He showed his love for his teams through his actions. He always seemed to fumble his words, “I’m so sorry.”

You nodded, “It’s fine. It’s not the worst part.”

His head snapped right back to you, “What’s the worst?”

“He found me again. He’s been texting me. A new phone number every few days. Usually something threatening.” You opened you phone showing him the latest text message.

He snatched it from your grasp reading over it carefully. Well, this officially sucked for you. Maybe you should’ve told him sooner judging by the expression on his face, “You know I have to go to Garcia. She’s going to have to trace this…”

You interrupted him, “No! Please Aaron no. They can’t know. You promised.”

“This is serious!” He snapped, never taking safety lightly.

You took an involuntary scoot backward in the chair. Fight or flight mode beginning to kick in hearing his stern voice that he rarely used with the team.

Seeing your distressed face, he shook his head internally cursing himself for the outburst. You’d literally just spilled your deepest fears to him, and he was already seemingly betraying that trust already. Putting his hands up he took a small step forward, testing your boundaries, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice it’s just that this is very serious Y/N. We both know what he’s capable of. This isn’t something you hide. Not when you work here.”

You nodded looking away in guilt, “I’m sorry. I thought I could handle it.”

“You don’t have to handle it alone Y/N. You’ve got some of the smartest people in the field right here. All the resources you need at the tip of your fingers. You know the team would never judge you for something you can’t control. Please tell me you know that much.” Aaron’s face softened seeing you so upset.

“Yeah, it’s just… I don’t know.” You sighed while you rested your head in the palm of your hands refusing to look at him. This felt awkward and uncomfortable. Your absolute nightmare.

He waited a moment, realizing you weren’t talking anymore, “Go on. Say what you want to.”

“It’s embarrassing. How could I not have caught that he was lying the whole time? It’s shameful.”

He shook his head scooting closer to you, “And I got played by a serial killer who literally murdered my ex-wife and almost took me too. It’s not embarrassing. It happens. The best of the best get beaten. Believe it. You’re a victim and you’re being retraumatized right now. Please. I need you to understand that. I’ve grown to…” He took a second to find the right words, “care for you. I can’t see you beaten down and scared around every corner. Alright?”

You shook your head. You heard him. You weren’t sure if you believed him, but you sure did hear him, “Sure.”

He waited another moment before continuing, “That being said. I don’t have to go to Penelope if you have somebody stay with you. A friend? Just in case.”

You frowned. Not having anybody was really coming to bite you in the ass. It’s not like Hotch was going to drop this, you knew that was a given, “I don’t have anybody around here. I haven’t really had time to make many friends. Busy job and all.” You admitted still trying to find a footing outside of work. Although the hours made it damn near impossible.

He thought for approximately one second before springing into action, “Let me call Jess. She could probably watch Jack tonight…”

You shook your head back and forth, violently, “No!”

“Why not?” He looked genuinely confused.

“That’s weird Hotch. You’re just my boss.” You might’ve thrown a little more attitude in there than you really needed to, but you wanted him to know how unhappy you were with that. How much you yearned to at least be considered friends. But he shut it down the second you crossed the line.

“It’s not weird.” He would’ve scoffed if he knew it wouldn’t have upset you. He was getting good at making you upset. That was about the most opposite thing of what he wanted, “I’ll sleep on your couch. Just to make sure you’re safe.”

You sighed knowing the two of you would just be going back and forth but you needed him to hear how crazy he sounds, “Aaron. I’m not letting you abandon your son for the night to sleep on my couch. I’ve been fine for the last two and half months. I’ll be fine tonight.” You smiled hoping it’d appease him.

He shook his head, “Yeah, that’s just not going to happen. Not now that I know about it.”

“Hotch…”

“No, that’s final. Jess is good with watching him for the night anyway.” He held up his phone showing you the text as proof.

“You’re being insane.” You leaned back in your chair annoyed with his stubbornness.

“And you’re being irrational.” He countered annoyed with your inability to see how serious this really was, “Y/N. He probably knows exactly where you live. If he found you that quickly he’s probably been watching you.”

You shook your head, “I’ve been paying attention Hotch.” Eyes closed you didn’t want to admit you were almost afraid to open them. You knew you were pissing him off. It wasn’t often that anyone, besides Rossi, argued back to the boss. It was his way or the highway, as they say.

“I’m not saying you haven’t Y/N. But these people… people like that will never stop. That text is very threatening. Please. Please just let stay over. To make sure you’re okay.” He was saying the words he couldn’t say but he needed to. Your unwillingness just to see how scary this really was drove him to his breaking point.

Huffing you gave him a small nod, “Fine. But going forward…”

He cut you off, “We’ll figure out going forward tomorrow. Don’t worry about it tonight.”

“But Hotch…”

Cutting you off again you groaned in annoyance, loudly, “Just, try to relax. I’ll think of something. I know you don’t want me to tell the team and I’m going to try and respect that. But you have to know if it’s between your safety or them knowing… keeping you safe is all that matters.”

Your leg bounced up and down and your stomach feeling uneasy you looked up to him, “Yeah, sure.” Simply too tired to argue with the ever-confusing man you shut your laptop before getting up to go pack up. It was already half past eight, the team was long gone.

The sun was beginning its descent for the night, casting an orange hue on your boss. It dawned on you as you admired, he man you’ve been crushing on way too hard, being teased and all about it, that he was staying in your apartment that night. Under any other scenario it was entirely desirable but now? Not so much. Not under these circumstances.

“Where are you going?” He asked, slightly surprised you’d been so bold as to walk away in the middle of the conversation.

“Packing up then going home.” You paused in the doorway sneaking a quick peek back at the man you was watching you intently.

He frowned after hearing your words, “Give me three minutes then I can drive.”

“Oh, I can drive myself home. I’ll text you the address.” You gave him a half-hearted smile. Truth be told you were far too excited to have him spend the night. Even if it was in another room. He insisted on it. But then again, he’d already set a clear line in the sand with you. You could only be his employee when you worked for him. Nothing more. Nothing less.

He smiled trying to ease your obvious nerves, “You’re being weird about it.”

“I’m being weird? Hotch, it’s fucking weird.” You spun back around preparing to walk away before he caught your attention again.

“It’s only weird if you make it weird.” His smile turned into a smirk. He knew how you felt for him. You were pretty sure you knew how he felt for you. This back and forth was driving you mad. Like he wanted to play the game but knew it couldn’t be won.

You wanted to smack the usually so intelligent man, it felt like he was just playing you like a fiddle now, “Yeah, sure.” This time you walked away making sure to pack up quickly. Your speedy exit was stopped suddenly as he got into the elevator with you. Somehow with his go-bag and all.

“What’s wrong?” He asked setting his bag down turning his body completely to you. He knew what he was doing to you. He knew it was mean. He couldn’t deny it. But he loved flirting with you, getting you a little wound up. He’d be lying if he didn’t say he adored you just as much as you liked him, if not more. But he couldn’t risk it. For his career. For your blooming one.

You leaned your shoulders and head back on the metal wall, “You’re kidding?” You sighed while lazily flipping your head in his general direction.

“I’m not.”

Rolling your eyes, you knew he’d make you say it out loud. It was easier to spit it out than skirt around the subject, “This is torture. Working so close to you all the time. You flirting like that then turning me down the next fucking second.”

“You know why nothing can happen.”

“I’m very well aware. We’ve had this conversation before Hotch. A million times.” The two of you had delicately danced around the conversation, never full on admitting any feelings. Hotch had to squash that before it came to fruition.

He visibly frowned knowing he was upsetting you, “You can call me Aaron.”

“But I can’t! None of your other employees do. So why should I? What makes me special Hotch?” You challenged him. He couldn’t have both at once. He couldn’t just be your boss then talk to you like this. It was driving you mad.

He sighed knowing you were right, “Rossi doesn’t.”

“Rossi’s different and you know that.” You were frustrated. As much as you loved the job you couldn’t keep going down the path of yes one moment and no the next. Hotch just couldn’t comprehend just how crazy he was driving you. Either that or you were hiding it insanely well.

He cleared his throat knowing he really only had this chance to not fuck it up between the two of you. He’d been trying to come up with different ways always to be struck down in his own mind. He’d continue thinking though, for both of your sakes.

“Y/N. I like you. More than a boss should like their employee.” He paused letting out the breath he was holding in, “I can’t risk anything right now though. I can’t risk it and you can’t risk it. Not with this guy out to hurt you, with Strauss up my ass about the team…” He trailed off knowing this was just turning into an excuse now.

The elevator chirped as Hotch paused, signaling you were at the bottom. You walked out quickly hoping he wouldn’t follow. When he met your stride, you continued on, “It’s fine Hotch. I get it. Please just stop playing with me when the team isn’t around. It’s diving me crazy. If it can’t happen, it can’t happen, and I can accept that. I just need you to back off.” It hurt you to push him away. Even if he was staying at your place your quietness and unwillingness to even open up to him let him know you were shutting him away.

Turning away from him before you could see his reaction you walked to your car briskly hoping he’d just take his. It’d be far too awkward to share a vehicle now. Not after you just said that to him.

But you were sorely mistaken. You heard him following along. Not so close as to freak you out but close enough to where you knew he was there, “Keys.”

“I can drive myself.” You retorted irritated with him. He wasn’t listening and it was making you irrationally angry. Acting as if what you just said didn’t faze him.

“No, you really can’t. You’re upset and you really shouldn’t drive when you’re angry.”

Biting your cheek, you knew he was right. You placed your car keys into his outstretched hand. Refusing to look at him you walked to the passenger’s side contemplating sitting in the backseat knowing it’d cause more problems than it was worth. Sliding into the passenger’s side front seat you crossed your hands over your chest in disdain. Could he not say a single fucking thing? This was how you knew you were in deep. You cared way too much about this little pickle you’d gotten yourself into.

This time the ride was awkwardly silent as you looked out the window. Putting your address into the GPS without saying a word. Keeping your eyes locked on the world outside you let your thoughts take control.

The silence was broken when he finally said something. Almost as if he could hear your thoughts screaming at him, “I’m sorry, Y/N.” He sighed bringing your eyes over to his. You couldn’t help but to look at him. You wanted him to say something but had no idea how to respond to this.

He continued before you could say anything, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m sorry, I’m selfish with you. I know I can’t pursue you like I want to. Trust me, I want to.” He whispered the last part out. Almost afraid to admit it out loud. As soon as he does it becomes real.

He sighed again. Frustrated the words weren’t coming easy for him. Your soft eyes broke him down even further. He knew his next words would put a final nail in the coffin, for now at least, “If you weren’t on my team, we’d be having a very different conversation Y/N. Please believe that. I’m so sorry that I’ve been selfish… done and said things I shouldn’t have. I won’t do that anymore.”

You looked away biting your cheek as hard as you needed to stop the tears from flooding out of your eyes. Why was this so difficult? Why did you have to have feelings for the one fucking man you could never have?

He frowned knowing he had hurt you yet again. It was his own fault he had to keep hurting you and it stung knowing the tears in your eyes were a result of his actions. He kept bring you right back to him and he knew it. He wanted to stop. He needed to stop knowing just how fucked up what he was doing was. Especially now that he actively realized it after you so bluntly pointed out.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I really am. I’ll figure something out.” He whispered out not knowing if you really heard him. He knew saying those last words were dangerous, likely to draw you right back into him.

It dawned on him that he simply couldn’t push you away anymore. It was beginning to hurt him. It had been hurting him already, he just hadn’t realized. That’s why he was always so flirtatious and open with you, he wanted it. His stupid head just didn’t let him know it yet. Not until he knew he was the reason for your tears. For your unsureness with him. He did this to you. He had to fix it.

He needed to be around you. He had to figure this out. He knew the only option was to find you another placement, but he’d come up short. There was plenty out there but nothing good enough for your abilities. So, he had to pass, for your sake. Time was running up. JJ was due back in the next few months too.

He had no other option than to go to Strauss. He hated it knowing he’d be obligated to her, but she’d find you a good place to land. Somewhere close at his request. That was absolutely necessary. Especially now since he knew your position, the imposition.

You heard him though. Loud and clear. Giving you whiplash yet again. You weren’t sure how clearer you could be to the man yet here he was saying all the right things. The words were slowly becoming meaningless to you. He got a little nervous not hearing you reply to him. At the next red light, he looked over seeing you looking out the window with all your attention, clearly ignoring him. He’d done it now. His own indecisiveness driving you right away. He knew if he didn’t do something soon, you’d move on from him.

“Y/N.” He touched your shoulder gently.

Turning to look at him you attempted to give him an expressionless face. A frown crossed over your features instead, “Yeah?” Your usual confident voice came out as weak, squeakier than normal. You hated that he affected you so easily. So deeply.

“Did you hear me?”

You sighed, “I did.”

He had to look forward after a car honked at him. Sitting a second too long as the green light, “Please say something, I’m sorry. I really am.”

“Okay.” You let out. You knew it would frustrate him, but you didn’t have any thoughts just yet. Your brain wanted to shut down instead of talking it out. You were tired of the same conversation with him. Only to be disappointed.

“Okay?” This time he let out a small, short sigh. Not in frustration at you but at himself. For being so blasé with you. Thinking he had it figured out with you but now knowing he had it so terribly wrong.

“I’m not sure what you want me to say Hotch.” You couldn’t use his first name. Not if you wanted to stop feeling this way. It’s like the two of you were so close, so damn close to figuring it out. But yet it felt nearly impossible. You were at a loss for words. Truly, had no idea what to say to the man that always seemed to be on your mind.

“I don’t want you to say anything you wouldn’t want to say Y/N. I want to know what you’re thinking.”

If he really wanted to know? Fine, “You’re so fucking confusing Hotch.” You blurted out placing your hands over your face while looking down at your feet. The car felt so small now, suffocatingly small as he pulled into your apartment complex, eyes now fully focused on you.

Nodding his head he loosened his tie, “I’m selfish and I’m sorry. I will figure this out. I promise you that.”

“Figure what out though? What is this? What are we? I can wait but I can’t wait forever.” Your eyes began welling up again. You hated that your response to any emotion seemed to be tears. Never in your life would you have imagined yourself in this situation. Crying over a

“Hey,” Gently, he placed a hand along your back hoping it’d bring you some peace, anything he could offer, “I like you beyond words Y/N. I’m sorry I’ve been too stupid to realize it. I’m so sorry I’ve hurt you. You don’t know how bad I want to just say fuck it and kiss you right now but that’s not fair to you. Me saying that isn’t fair to you.”

You could hear your heart rate pick up as blood rushed throughout your entire body. He was actually torturing you now. For too long you’d had little daydreams fantasizing about the older man. What it’d be like at home, away from work, just the two of you and Jack. You’d met the little firecracker of a kid a few times over the last few months, he quickly took to you Aaron noticed. Just another reason why he liked you so much. You are a natural energy, drawing everybody in. It worked so easily on him he wasn’t surprised Jack liked you so much.

Giving your shoulder a gentle squeeze, he continued, “I like you. I want to pursue you. I can’t until I know you have a job elsewhere.”

“A job elsewhere?” You too knew it was one of the only options, the only option. It just felt so foreign coming from his mouth. Not wanting to admit how fond you’ve grown of the team in your short tenure you dreaded having to prove yourself again to the next batch of colleagues.

He nodded, “Somewhere close. Where I’m not your boss.” His eyes searched for your as you dropped your hands. You hated to admit it but here you were, right back in his grasp, literally. The man had a strangle hold on you.

Head turning to his you leaned into his touch, “Are you sure?”

A small smile graced his face, “I should be asking you that Y/N. I don’t know what you see in me.”

Rolling your eyes, you knew the difficult part of the conversation was over. The awkward and uncomfortable air started to lift, “Shut up. You’re the whole package, Aaron.”

“I’m over fifteen years older than you.” Now it seemed Aaron was letting his insecurities out

You shrugged still so grateful he was still holding onto you, as if you’d vanish out of thin air if he let his hand go from your shoulder, “And?”

“Guys your age…”

“Guys my age suck. Remember? I’m running from one. Not so successfully.”

His smile faded quickly as he remembered exactly why he was here, “Let’s get you inside, yeah?” On high alert he hopped out of the car quickly walking to your side. Before you could be too disappointed with the loss of touch on your shoulder, he quickly wrapped you into his side. Slowing his pace down to keep up with you he kept checking his positions. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, at least not to you.

“Yeah, sure.” You replied knowing it’d drive him mad. Short answers like that pissed him off usually. But now you were using the same words you used earlier to dismiss him.

“Okay well now you’re just being difficult.” He smiled knowing you we’re playing with him. Another reason he had fallen so quickly for you. You weren’t afraid to throw it right back at him.

You bit your lip trying to stop the automatic smile that came to your face. You were being difficult, and you knew it. Catching a glimpse of you with his peripherals Hotch smiled too knowing he’d smoothed it over, at least for now.

Your phone vibrated as he locked the door behind himself. Your heart sunk as you read over

“Y/N?” You vaguely heard before handing the phone to him. He was watching you.

‘A new boyfriend, really?’

“I’m calling Garcia and that’s final. We’re done talking about it.” He didn’t yell but he definitely spoke with that Hotchner authority that scared the living hell out of nearly everybody.

The two of you had argued it out into the night and well into the morning before falling asleep on the couch, together. You’d fallen asleep first nuzzling your way right into his side. Not having the heart to move you, even after arguing back and forth for the previous four hours.

“It’s for your safety, Y/N. Please just understand that. It’s not just some silly little text anymore. This is serious.”

Letting out a sigh you nodded, “Fine.” You weren’t going to win this one. The man was seriously stubborn, even more so than you.

“Thank you.” He popped his phone out calling Garcia almost immediately. He excused himself to the other room. Finishing the oatmeal you’d made you quickly changed. He’d given the team the weekend off knowing that you’d all been on the road for the last few and needed a break.

Before too long he came back into the kitchen where you were cleaning up, “She’s looking into it, discreetly.”

You nodded, “Okay, can we got get some coffee or something? I don’t imagine you’ll let me spend this weekend alone?”

He shook his head, “No. Sorry, I know it wasn’t in your plans. My parents already picked up Jack. He’ll be there until they drop him off at school on Monday.”

“Plans change I suppose. I’m sorry you aren’t spending time with him. I know these weekends are precious.” A small pang of guilt ran through you. He was giving up his time with his boy for you. Willingly. You felt awful poor Jack. You’d taken his dad away for the weekend.

“Like you said, plans change.” He didn’t want to admit the little bit of excitement that came with the thought of spending a weekend with you even at the disappointment at his little guy.

“So, coffee?” You changed the subject back not wanting to dwell on the young boy.

He nodded, “Coffee sounds good. I’ll drive.” He went to grab your keys off the rack beating you to them.

“Don’t you need your car? And clothes?” You asked when you realized he was quite literally stranded here. It’s not like you had anything to give him to wear other than a few oversized sweatshirts and sweatpants.

“We’ll stop by my place on the way back.”

“Are we close?”

He nodded, “Relatively.”

Placing your order online the ride to the shop was uneventful. Both of you were scanning the surrounding cars for any sign of the man. It’s like he was in stealth mode.

His phone rang as he pulled in. It wasn’t like he could ignore it. He was SSA Aaron Hotchner after all. Walking inside you let him take the call from the car knowing it’d take you less than a minute to walk in and grab the order.

It should have been that quick. That was until you were cornered feeling a metallic blade press up against your hip bone. How in the fuck had he slipped past Hotch? How in the hell was he here? You smelled him instantly in that dreaded cologne.

“Y/N.” That voice you’d prayed you’d never have to hear again spoke out to you.

Trembling you knew you had to keep him distracted, “Get the fuck away from me.”

“Nice to see you, alive and well.” He chuckled knowing that’d bring you right back to the night he left you to die.

He was ignoring you. Nothing you could say or do would impact the situation at all. Looking around you cursed when the last customer left, and the barista sat on her phone. You could try and reach for your phone, but the man wasn’t stupid. He’d know exactly what you were up too. All you could do was stall now in hopes he would hurry up the call he was on.

“Can’t say the same.”

He gripped down on your arm. Oh, how you wanted to cry out in pain but you knew that’s exactly what he was looking for so you simply gave him the most blank expression you could muster. You had to psychologically beat the motherfucker. He had the physical advantage on you.

Lucky for you Hotch did wrap his call up quickly. You heard his gun click into place before you saw him out of the corner of your eye, “I’d suggest you let her go, now.”

“New boyfriends got a gun huh?”

This was your chance. If you had one, “I thought you did your research? You slipping up?” That’s all it took for him to throw you backwards into the table behind you. This got the attention of the barista whose eyes went wide seeing the confrontation and weapons out so openly. Your head knocked against the side of the table opening a new cut along the back of your skull. Sending you unconscious for a moment before your brain reset.

Aaron wanted to shoot, oh did he. But he knew his surroundings. Middle of the morning in suburbia wasn’t exactly the best place to unload a clip. So, he opted for the next best thing and tackled the inferior police officer before him knocking him down quickly sending the blade out of his grasp.

It was over before it started. You jumped to your feet not realizing your head was bleeding yet again from the man. Your head felt fuzzy as you spotted Aaron overtop your ex-fiancé handcuffing him easily enough. Aaron’s gun tucked back into his belt loop. You were so thankful that Aaron was okay.

Sirens rung out in the distance as you found a seat, head feeling heavy all over again.

“Are you okay?” Aaron asked placing his hands on your head forcing your head to look at him gently.

“I’m fine. Did you get him?” You asked

“I’m so sorry Y/N. I didn’t even see him. It was Garcia. She was who I was on the phone with. Calling to warn. Fifteen seconds. Christ, are you okay?” He rambled ripping the jacket he had on placing it on the open wound.

“I’m fine Aaron. Just a little lightheaded. It’s okay. I’m okay.” You looked up at his panic-stricken face. He was obviously blaming himself for the entire predicament.

He pulled you up seeing the ambulance pull in. He wasn’t taking any chances as he found the EMT quickly, “Head wound. Loss of a lot of blood. She said she’s lightheaded.” The EMT nodded as he sat you down in the back of the rig.

“Let’s have a look. How bad does it hurt? Out of ten?”

“Like a three.” You smiled to the man as he checked you over. Pushing Aaron’s hand away as he was ready. Head wounds always looked a whole lot more traumatic than they actually were… at least that’s what you’d always been told.

“It’s okay if it hurts.” Aaron crouched down so he was level with you. Eyes scanning over your face for any discomfort.

“I’m a little offended you don’t believe me. This is only a three compared to what he’s put me through. Trust me.”

Aaron shuddered realizing just how horrifically you’d been abused by the man, “Alright, if you say so.” He knew you probably weren’t up to talking about it so he knew he likely needed to drop it.

“I say so.”

The EMT had managed to stop the bleeding enough to get a good look, “You’ll just need a butterfly bandage. No stitches. You did lose a lot of blood though. Are you able to stand?”

You smiled knowing it was almost over. Sure, he wasn’t dead, but he also wasn’t likely going to be free at the end of this all. You felt at peace knowing you could fully focus on yourself going forward and not be afraid around every turn, waiting for him to show back up.

You did manage to stand albeit a little woozy. Aaron wanted you to go to the hospital, but you knew you were fine. Maybe just needed that coffee and a nap now.

After giving statements and assuring Garcia you were both fine Aaron drove you back to your place. Assuring you that he’d be fine in your oversized clothing. He didn’t want to stop home. He just wanted you to be comfortable. He felt sick knowing what had went down could have been stopped. But he failed you.

He helped you all the way back up to your bedroom. You might’ve leaned on him a little harder than you really needed too but it was your chance and you sure as hell weren’t going to miss your opportunity. If he was going to be selfish then so were you.

“Aaron?” You asked before he walked away.

He turned looking down at you softly. So sweetly, “Yeah?”

“Can you stay? At least until I fall asleep. Then I’ll be fine.”

Smiling, he knew how much that took for you to ask, how uncomfortable it made you, “Of course. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Yeah?” You asked smiling as he slid in next to you.

“Yeah.” He waited for you to scootch up to him before he pulled you into him completely. You wanted to hate how good it felt but you couldn’t. It felt so right. So comfortable, “Sleep well.”

“Thank you, Aaron, for everything.” You yawned into his chest as you drifted off letting yourself get swallowed in his warmth.

He kept true to his word. When you opened your eyes after a few hours he was sitting there watching you.

“Hi.”

“How are you feeling?” He turned his body towards you, scooting down so his face was level with yours.

“Good. Really good.” You smiled over at him.

He returned your smile, feeling a little bit better at your state, “Good. I’ve been thinking. I have an idea.”

Eyes flicking over to the man you’d become so quickly infatuated with you gave him a curious look, “Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“So, in a few months when JJ is ready to come back. What if a communications position in ViCAP were to open up? Could even be a promotion if you know the right people.” A small smirk danced over his lips as he studied your expression softly. He knew how harsh his gaze came off if he wasn’t too careful. He didn’t want to scare you off now that you were free for the first time in years.

Eyebrows raising in shock you studied his face. He was all business though, no jokes, “Really? The Violent Criminal Apprehension Program? Isn’t that like super exclusive?”

He shrugged pulling you closer. Taking that as an invitation you softly laid your head on his chest. Almost afraid that’d he’d change his mind on you. Want nothing to do with you. Your fears were null and void as Aaron brushed the stray strand of hair out of your face, “It might be. I’m partial to you staying with the team but that would make this terribly unprofessional.” He snaked his arm around your waist bringing your body as close to his as it could be.

A stupid little blush graced your cheeks feeling the desire of being wanted from such an incredible guy, “Aaron Hotchner. Did you pull some strings for me?”

A hesitant nod confirmed your suspicions, “Maybe a little. We couldn’t lose you at the BAU. You just wouldn’t be my employee anymore.”

“Sure.” You giggled laying your head back down, “Hypothetically I would say hell yes if that were offered to me. Hypothetically though.”

He nodded, that big beautiful Hotchner smile came out, just for you, “Hypothetically, noted.”

The two of you sat in comfortable silence. Aaron absentmindedly began to brush through your hair. You hadn’t a clue how touchy the man really was, but you certainly weren’t complaining. You hummed feeling lulled by the steady motion of his hand, “Keep that up and I’m going to fall right back asleep.”

You felt the gentle chuckle that came from his chest, “That’s alright. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

You smiled feeling all the love emitting from the man you liked far too much, far too quickly, “Wait, he’s in jail. I don’t really need to be staying here anymore.” You opened your eyes fearfully. A little pissed at yourself for bringing that up.

An immediate frown formed as he processed what you said, “I’ll stay as long as you need me. As long as you want me.”

“Thank you Aaron.” Watching him he nodded as he watched you. The two of you simply studying the other. One profiler and one wannabe profiler studying the situation.

“I’d do it again for you.”

You were at a loss for words. This was the Aaron you adored. The one who wasn’t afraid to tell the truth. To get uncomfortable with you as you learned the other. It was the beginning of something wonderful and he was diving headfirst into it. But he was making sure you were ready before pulling you in with him. He didn’t want you to drown.

“I like you so much Aaron.” You admitted, “Far too much. These last few months have been some of my favorite yet. And you were only my boss. My friend.” You let out the breath that you’d been holding in. His softness, the closeness, his smell all overwhelmed you into admitting it.

A soft hand pulled your face to look back at his, “I like you far more than I should as well. We’ve got to keep this quiet for a few months. Then I’m taking you on the best date you’ve ever been on.”

You smiled brightly relieved that he was feeling the exact same way, “Yeah?”

“If you want, that is.”

“Yes! Yes, that’s great!” You grinned laying your head right backdown on his chest.

He nodded smiling just as widely as you, “It’s a date then.”

“It’s a date.”

Taglist: @senjoritanana @ssaddyhotchner @realdirectionx @mojo366 @2234world @tonys-bitch @gspenc @life-of-music3 @topguncultleader @whyislenaluthorsohot @givemeth @alex-1967s-blog @montyfandomlove @roastyyytoastyyy @rousethemouse @idkkkwhy @wonderinglostsoul @comfortzonequeen @dankfarrick29 @fictionalwhorehouse @somekindacrackhead

[flicklikesstuff]

okay but what if we get silvie seeing that ominous creepy side of Rick when he talks about the coliseum?

what if we see real time just how dangerous a person who had to fight for their life every day can be? What if he’s protecting his friends from someone trying to hurt them and he slips back into that fight mode. And Molly and Silvie have to stop him from causing severe bodily harm to someone.

I think that when in the coliseum, based on how he talked about it, he still had to kill people, those who wouldn’t become friends. I feel like when it comes down to it he can be downright terrifying if he wants to be, he just never is because he genuinely just wants to be friends with people. Either because it’s a defense mechanism of self preservation or knowing that the more friends he has the more likely he’ll be able to keep them safe.

or we just see Rick put someone in a chokehold really easily and it freaks the others out just a little. I just think it be neat, he has such wildly different personalities for different situations, he’s so great

Oh-

Ohohohohoho~

Anon, you mind reader. How did you know that Rick’s backstory has been rotating a bunch in my head too? Now you’ve just sent me on a full-on ramble I want to let out about this guy.

I hope you know what you’ve just pushed me to do :3

(Btw, Prison of Plastic spoilers ⚠️)

I’ve always interpreted Rick’s pushiness about making friends comes from a raw feeling of wanting to survive. After all, his powers and proficiency rely on the friends he does have and it drops down whenever his friend count drops as well.

And the arena’s a terribly cruel place where the weakest ones eventually die at some point. And I think Rick’s fully aware of that. He knows his survival is determined by his ability to fight, and how can he do that without friends? I think that’s why he’s so pushy and insistent to make friends with people he just met immediately. It must feel so daunting to literally have 0 proficiency in a very new place nonetheless. So vulnerable too…

But aside from his epithet powers, I’m sure Rick can improvise as well if his proficiency is indeed low at the moment. I won’t be surprised if he’s efficient in targeting fatal areas or even use sorcery to take down threats out of defence.

(Rick doesn’t strike me as a malicious guy. I feel like he kills in the arena only when necessary to live.)

I agree with you, Anon. He could absolutely fold someone if he needs to, but I doubt that would be his first choice. Rick did escape the colosseum for a chance at a better start, so I think he’d be a lot more reserved in committing bloodshed and rather try to be more friendly to everyone he meets to build up his strength again. If he could, I feel like he’d much rather keep from making enemies. (Unless….. time calls. He’s shown to be open to the option in the POP!book)

That doesn’t mean his traumatic experiences from the colosseum don’t seep out to be observed by others though. No one else knows about his past other than Molly but uhhhhh…. questionable stuff happens y’know?

(Remember how Rick first sees Lorelai and his instinctive reaction is to yell “WITCH-!” and shoot at her? What if that’s just his reflex from years of fighting and killing other witches and wizards?)

(He already freaks the others out a lot in many diff ways, lol)

Btw Anon, sorry for not drawing Rick unhinged with someone in a chokehold like you requested, I didn’t have the motivation or time for a full action scene drawing. 😅 But if you really want me to, just send me another ask and I’ll find some time for it :))

[covesdadappreciation]

Hey hey! I loved your Prom one, and now I'm hungry for more! (Sorry not sorry =P). An idea that's been knocking around in my head is, its implied Tam-Tam gets bullied in the later Steps. SO, I would like to see MC getting into a fight after someone makes Tamarack cry, and the Qiu joins in to help because, love rival or no love rival, they ain't lettin' that shit slide.

School Fight

Tamarack x Male Reader (FTM Safe!) Author's note: I’m starting to think you really like the "jealous Qiu, and in love with Tamarack" dynamic… just a feeling. 🎀 CW: A physical fight and mentions of bullying. - I will also warn you that I may have not re-edited this. 1972 words

Ever since MC had met Tamarack, he’s doted on her. If she was a princess, he was her knight, through and through. He was at Tamarack’s defense when Oma and her argued, he was at her side when she felt isolated, he was always paying attention to her face to see if she approved or disapproved certain plans. She is his everything, and even in high school it hasn’t changed much. It certainly isn’t as obvious anymore, nor is he following her around like a lost puppy as much either. With getting older and no longer feeling out-of-place after being the new neighbor, he’s become more independent. Confident, some might say. 

MC began to climb the high school popularity ranks the older he got, along with Qiu (but Qiu wasn’t all that excited about being popular at this point). Though that never let MC feel bigger than Tamarack. Instead he always made sure to make it obvious that they were friends, that he’ll make time for her any day, that she’s just as important as any one of his friends. In a room full of people, he’ll always choose her. 

So when MC decided that he wanted to walk with Tamarack after her after school orchestra practice for the first time, he had a gut-squeezing feeling when he saw her with a small frown and tiny tears at the edges of her eyes. He quickly rushed up to her, but she squeezed her eyes when she noticed MC and smiled, the tears becoming much less notable now.

“Are you okay?” He asked, studying her face worriedly, holding himself from running his hands over the tear trails on her face. She nodded persistently, “Yeah, Orchestra was just stressful today. Rehearsal stuff, it happens.” She waved her hand dismissively. 

MC sighed understandingly, “Well if it’d help, we can go to the Diner and get milkshakes?” Tamarack perked up at the offer, and while her sadness didn’t seem to fully pass, it still made her smile.

As the week continues, MC notices that Tamarack’s been more stressed at the mention of orchestra. She’s anxious in the hallways, as if looking for someone, or trying to be aware of what people are talking about. Of course Tamarack was a little more anxious and awkward, they’re in highschool! It’s kind of a package deal. But it was way out of character for her, this was fear, and that little voice in MC’s head knew that something was wrong. All he needed to know was what the cause was. 

—

MC walked into the auditorium, sitting in the front row as he kept his eyes on Tamarack the whole time as she settled into her seat and pulled out her instrument. Though, nobody really seemed to notice him with the bright lights on them, and if they did, he wasn’t their main focus. They were working on playing music for one of the school musicals, but not even halfway into practice, MC already noticed plenty of red flags.

Two freshmen who sat behind Tammy were being dickheads. Notably one was blonde and the other was brunette. It started out small, but even then it took everything in MC to not get up and tell them to cut it out. Maybe accidentally spill some water on them. Who knows. The two boys went back and forth throughout their instrumental pauses or 10 minute breaks, throwing side-eyes at Tammy while whispering some surely cruel comments about her considering that in response to every whisper, Tamarack seemed to curl more and more into herself. 

MC had kept his eye on them, wishing that Tamarack could notice him and give him a signal on what to do. Scenarios and plans ran through his head, many of them revolving around the idea of revenge. On the other hand, he can hear his ma’s and Tamarack’s voice to calm down, to not get in trouble. The rest of the half hour passes and Tamarack makes her way over to MC, inhaling deeply before crashing her body onto him, pressing her weight against him so that he could hold her closely. 

“Tammy…?”

“Yeah?”

“Is there a reason you haven’t told me about those two dickheads?” MC crossed his arms. Of course he wasn’t angry at her, but the fact that those two had the nerve to be mean to the nicest and adorable girl in the whole world. The audacity. 

Tamarack huffs no longer leaning on him, “No! They’re just dumb, and it’s…” she falters, rolling her eyes and no longer making eye contact with MC, “It’s nothing to worry about.” MC glances around and finds the two boys headed out, but not leaving without throwing a judgemental look towards Tamarack. It only made MC’s stomach turn and twist. 

Just say the word, Tam. Put me in the ring, coach.

“If they keep this up, I swear I’ll start a fight”

“Please don’t” Tamarack laughs softly, but they both knew that MC wasn’t strictly joking. MC only makes a small unsatisfied sound, his eyes stuck and glaring at the two boys until they were out of sight. “Earth to MC?” Tamarack waves her hand in front of his face, “Are we still gonna walk to my place?”

MC sighs before taking Tamarack’s cello case, puffing his chest for a quick second before the weight shifted comfortably in his arms,

“MC, you know you don’t have to carry it for me every time-”

“You’ll have to pry this from my cold dead hands if you expect me to let you carry this yourself”

“My hero” Tamarack sighs with a smug look, readjusting MC’s hair so that his hair is back to normal before their walk. 

“My princess” MC grins back.

— 

The week had felt long, as if the school building itself was actively stopping the clock and hoping no one would question it. MC and Tamarack were walking down the halls in their transition period, arm in arm. Chatting away about their next class and hooked together to not lose each other to the crowd was always their excuse.

“Imagine if the crowds sucked her away and I’d never find her again!” MC huffed to Qiu long ago. 

So MC made it clear that he would never let that happen. Nor was he going to let the world see the dust of blush on his cheeks wherever they did cross arms.  

Unfortunately, the two boys from the orchestra had caught onto Tamarack’s presence on their walk down the halls. MC could see the cogs turning in their heads, which was surprising considering that MC thought there was nothing in there anyways. Defeating all logic regardless, there was a non-verbal plan being set in their minds, which made MC tense. 

He felt worse when he stole a quick look over at Tamarack, seeing her understandably more anxious than him, tears welling up in her eyes once more. This time she finally let them fall. 

The two boys pointed and whispered, judging something– and when MC looked at what they were pointing at, it was a part of a bit of high school embarrassment. Tamarack’s backpack was almost wide-open, not enough for everything to fall out. Of course, they were close enough so that you could hear the glimpses of terrible things they decided to say about her. About her intelligence and comments about her appearance. People are starting to look. 

“Guys, can you both just fucking rela-” MC was interrupted by the brunette who passed him, shoulder hitting shoulder, which caught MC off guard. 

Tamarack was quiet now, and a panicked and helpless look was all she could give as the brunette had gone up to her, let her walk away just a bit so that he could reach into her bag, pulling out whatever he could grab. It was her lunch bag. In a quick attempt of playing monkey in the middle, the brunette with the lunch bag tosses it over to the blonde boy, who’s conveniently closer to MC.

As the two boys laugh, the blonde holding the lunch bag makes eye contact with MC, almost as if expecting him to laugh too at this obnoxious act. 

There’s a moment where MC just nods, the situation finally clicking and snapping in his head. 

Almost as if it’s instinct, MC forces his body to slam the kid against the locker which takes everyone off guard. Those who knew MC from elementary especially. He wasn’t lost or trying to fit in anymore like he did back then. He wasn’t hiding behind Tamarack and hoping that everyone stays friends. It almost made MC seem bigger now. 

The blonde was almost too shocked by the reaction, but he recovered and decided that he’d fight back. They both shoved each other around, throwing a punch in there occasionally, the growing crowd of kids gave a lot of space. Phones were out, and people were cheering and commenting. In one moment MC was pinned and being pushed around by his clothes, in another moment MC had the blonde onto the floor, shoving him harshly back down on the ground.

Veronica had pulled Tamarack away while Qiu and Ren struggled against the mob of children to see what was happening. All they had heard was that MC was in a fight. All Qiu fully registered was a blonde boy on the ground, MC trying to pin the boy’s hands away, and a brunette boy about to enter to help his friend, most likely to make the situation worse or make this a 2v1 situation. Qiu quickly ran up to the brunette and redirected him, only shoving him back warningly. 

That’s all Qiu needed to see, and they knew that it probably had something to do with Tamarack. Who else would MC fight like this for?

“Are you gonna keep going?!” MC shouts at the boy, trying to be heard over the multiple kids shouting. The blonde boy kept up with the struggle before finally giving in and knowing that MC wasn’t going to let go of his wrists until they both stopped hurting one another. 

The blonde boy nods persistently, allowing MC to finally get off of him (not without "accidentally nudging this guy on the side a bit" with his foot) and take a couple steps back in case the boy was planning on starting another fight.

Not that there was time for it considering teachers finally reached the situation. The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving only Tamarack, Qiu, MC, and the two boys in that hall with the teachers.. 

—

Fortunately, Tamarack and Qiu didn’t get in much trouble besides whatever their parents and grandparents found to be appropriate. MC on the other hand had a 4 day suspension, and the other two boys had gotten slightly longer and worse punishments than them. MC’s mom wasn’t the happiest at the whole situation, but she also figured deep down something like this would’ve happened. Tamarack’s Opa found the whole thing a lot more amusing than Omi, of course, but they were still somewhat glad the bullying issue was done with too. 

And it wasn’t like Tamarack and MC were banned from seeing each other ever again. Tamarack and Qiu would visit MC after school to bring him homework, and study together. 

At the end of the day, no one bothered to bully or make comments about Tamarack anymore, lest they deal with MC when he comes back. At least MC promised he’d never do it again. Probably.

[starberryfarms]

𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟, 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 954

!!minors dni!!

𝐚/𝐧: 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 !♡૮ • ﻌ - ა

oh god, laios’s hands were going to be the death of you.

many of your nights when everyone was fast asleep and you were safe from unsuspecting eyes and general nosiness. were spent fantasizing about those hands and what they could do to you. this new found obsession creeped into your mind often plaguing even your daydreams, especially during your more menial tasks. in your defense how could you not? laios spent a lot of his time working with his hands, and he had A LOT to show for it. 

his hands were hardened from years spent yielding weapons and from trial and error working through the rough terrain of the dungeon. tiny scars and scratches painted his hands, which were tan from the constant exposure from the sun. pulsing veins, prominent and protruding especially during fits of passion when speaking of the latest monster meal or from fighting. 

after fights with lurking monsters or the occasional spat from other parties, you’d spend the better part of your nights patching him up. it had become a routine that both you and laios grew fond of. most of your attention when doing so was spent on his hands, the feeling of his rough fingers grazing your skin as you maneuvered him around to check for any other injuries. a shiver racking through your body from his touch, if he ever noticed he never mentioned it. 

 marcille often asked why’d you go through the effort of patching him up when she could just do a spell, though it’s always answered with a shrug and a smile.

lately though, it seems like laios might be catching on to your not so subtle affliction. though you managed to convince yourself that you were just being paranoid. 

he’d always find a way to touch you. whether it be a small touch somewhere on your body when you’d walk by him, or a hug that lasts a little bit longer than normal. his hand would always slowly slide down the expanse of your back, tickling an intricate pattern into your skin. those rough warm hands finding its home at the dip in your lower back, his eyes burning into your own before pulling away. neither of you ever said anything about it, nor tried to stop this thing that’d blossomed between you.  

nightfall had come and everyone was gathered around the fire eating the delicious meal laios and senshi prepared for the party. the night was spent with jovial laughter and ideas on how to save falin from the cruel fate that’d fallen on her. when the feast came to an end and everyone started preparing for bed, you made your way towards the seat placed in front of laios. while cooking he managed to knick his fingers a few time, and though he could have bandaged them himself, he wanted an excuse to be near you and to touch you. when you entered, your face met laios’s chest as you run into him, lost in thought about his large fingers.

“whoa there, you okay?” he asks as he grabs your shoulders to stabilize you. 

For a moment your mind is jumbled, you blink a few times before your eyes come back into focus. they’re planted on his bare chest, exposed in its glistening glory, before trailing up to meet his eyes. you're met with a wide knowing smile, which brings a searing heat of embarrassment to your ears. 

“i-i’m fine laios, sorry about that.” your eyes flit away from his intense gaze. 

those same hands that were a frequent star in your dreams, came up to grip your chin. not too hard, but firm enough to cause that heat to travel to the pits of your belly. His thumb comes up to tease your lower lip, pulling it down slightly before letting it bounce back into place. 

he slides his hand down to hold the back of your neck to tilt your head back as his thumb strokes your cheek. the other hand sliding down your waist before ending its journey where it usually does on the small of your back, before pulling your body flush against his own. you're at a loss for words at everything unfolding so quickly in front of you. 

“Laios what about your fing-”, you start to say but he cuts you off. “is this okay?” he mutters. you watch as his eyes trail down towards his lips.

you nod and his lips come crashing down on your own, causing you to take a sharp intake from the shock. your hand comes up to rest against his hand that caressed your cheek, your smaller fingers gripping onto his larger ones like a lifeline. laios’s head tilts slightly as he deepens the kiss, his nose knocking against your own. his lips are tender and he hums intoxicated by the sweetness of your lips.

the loud thumping of your heart penetrates your ears and you pray laios can’t hear it. when he pulls back, his lips are swollen and red. his head comes down to rest against your own, your breath mingling as you take in what had just taken place. 

you squeal in shock when he picks you up and places you on the edge of a rock before finding his place between your legs. his fingers intertwined with your own, while he leans down to peck your lips once more. greedy lips make their way down to your neck and trails wet kisses to your clavicle, you jump in shock from the sensation. as his warm wet muscle licks a playful stripe on your neck before pulling back with a grin. 

 seems like his hands aren’t your only problem now, but you don’t mind.

© starberryfarms 2024 [ plagiarism is a violation of moral rights ! ] 

[mcrdvcks]

Sweet Dreams - Chapter 3

Chapter Summary: Alexandria continues to try and find her place in a world not meant for her.

Word Count: 7.9k+

Pairing: Logan (X-Men) x Original Female Character (platonic relationship)

Notes: thank y'all for the love on Oblivious, Baby, Oblivious! as i said on that post, don't be afraid to send in a request or ask.

anyways, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Series Masterlist - Chapter 2 → Chapter 4

AO3 Link For Chapter

Charles gave Alexandria the week off to catch up on sleep and to make sure she was healthy. Hank had also made a smaller version of the headband, making it into a small metal piece that sticks onto the middle of her forehead.

When asked about how much sleep she usually got with HYDRA when she was let out of the med bay, she was afraid to answer. She wasn’t quite sure how much sleep normal people got, mutants or not.

So, she had told the truth, around every 2 and a half weeks.

Logan had heard her words, and though he didn't say anything, his face tightened in that familiar way that indicated frustration. He couldn't imagine getting by on that little sleep, even with all the crap he’d been through. For a moment, he almost felt sorry for her.

Almost.

"Two and a half weeks, huh?" Logan finally muttered, crossing his arms as he looked at Alexandria. He didn’t sound surprised, just tired. Tired of all the messed-up things people had to endure in this world, himself included.

Alexandria nodded, her expression guarded. She wasn’t sure if she should have lied, since lying came naturally to her, thanks to HYDRA.

“Yeah, sometimes longer,” she said quietly. “If they were feeling generous.”

“Generous,” Logan repeated, the word dripping with sarcasm. He shook his head, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her. “That’s one way to put it.”

Hank had walked in just in time to hear the last part of their conversation. He was holding a tablet, likely containing her medical records, or maybe some new tech he was working on. "Logan, Alexandria," Hank greeted them with a nod before turning to Alexandria. "I was just going over your vitals. The new headpiece seems to be working well, but we’ll need to keep monitoring you. If you feel anything unusual, let me know immediately."

Alexandria looked down at the small metal piece now attached to her forehead, a far cry from the cumbersome headband she had worn before. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but it still felt foreign. Like a reminder of the control she had lost, and might never fully regain.

"Okay," she said, her voice steady but distant. "I’ll let you know."

Logan grunted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "She tell you how much sleep she was gettin' with HYDRA?" he asked Hank, though it was clear he was still talking to Alexandria in a way.

Hank glanced up, eyebrows furrowing in concern. “Not much, I presume?”

"Try every two and a half weeks," Logan replied flatly. He didn’t raise his voice, didn’t make it sound like a big deal, but the impact was there all the same.

Hank’s expression darkened. “That’s...well, that’s beyond cruel. It’s inhumane.”

Alexandria shrugged, as if it wasn’t worth discussing further. "It was what it was," she said simply. There was no point in dwelling on it. That was her past, and she had no interest in letting it dictate her future—whatever that might look like.

Logan, on the other hand, didn’t seem quite as ready to drop it. "You don’t gotta act like it’s no big deal," he grumbled. "Ain’t no one here who’s gonna judge you for what you went through."

Alexandria shot him a sharp look, her eyes narrowing. "I’m not acting like it’s nothing," she said, her tone defensive. "But there’s no point in crying over it either. It’s done. Over."

Hank exchanged a glance with Logan, who just shrugged. It wasn’t like he was going to push her to open up. He sure as hell wouldn’t appreciate it if someone tried to do that to him.

"Fair enough," Logan finally said. He could respect her need to keep things close to the chest. Hell, he lived his entire life that way. "Just don’t go thinkin’ you gotta handle everything alone. You’re part of this team now, whether you like it or not."

Alexandria raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that supposed to be comforting?"

Logan smirked, but there was no real humor in it. "Take it however you want, kid. I’m just saying, you don’t have to go through this by yourself."

Hank cleared his throat, stepping in before the conversation could get any more tense. “Logan’s right. We’re here to support you, Alexandria. But if you need space, we’ll respect that too.”

“Yeah, well, space is something I’m used to,” she replied, her voice cold but not unkind. She wasn’t trying to push them away; she just didn’t know how to let them in.

“Gettin’ used to other people is part of the deal,” Logan pointed out, though he didn’t press the issue further. “Just...take it slow. No one’s expectin’ miracles here.”

Alexandria didn’t respond immediately, her eyes drifting to the window where sunlight filtered in, casting long shadows across the room. The idea of taking it slow was foreign to her. Everything with HYDRA had been fast, brutal, and unrelenting. But now, she wasn’t sure what to do with all this...time. Time to think, time to feel. Time to figure out who she was outside of the person HYDRA had molded her into.

“I’ll try,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. It was the most she could offer, and she hoped it would be enough to satisfy them.

Hank smiled gently, recognizing the effort it took for her to even say that much. “That’s all we ask, Alexandria. One step at a time.”

But now, she was determined to catch up on the work Charles said she didn’t have to do. Alexandria wanted to do it, to prove to herself that she was capable. That HYDRA hadn’t taken away her pride.

She also knew that she needed to get more sleep. After the first three days of being out of the medbay, Hank came by and told her to sleep. He mentioned that it would be a hard habit to break, but to try and sleep every 3 nights and slowly wean herself down to every night.

When she asked how he knew, he said he had his ways.

Which meant two things, either there was some sort of sleep tracker on the headpiece, or they were keeping an eye on her. Possibly both.

On Saturday, Kitty and Jean offered to take Alexandria out on a ‘girls day’, which made Scott pout like some of the dogs she had seen in HYDRA when they didn’t get to chew on human skeletons.

Kitty was bouncing on her heels, her enthusiasm barely contained. “So, Alexandria, what do you think? We could hit up the mall, maybe get some lunch, and just hang out. It’ll be fun.”

“What Kitty means is that she wants to go to a store that sells body wash and body sprays since they’re having a major sale.” Jean added, her arms crossed with a small smirk as she looked over at Kitty.

“…Okay, maybe. But it’ll be fun! Have you ever been to one of those stores, Alexandria?” Kitty asked.

“No. Wanda and Natasha took me to the mall, but we only got clothes.” She replied.

Jean straightened up against the wall, “well then perfect, you need some body wash that isn’t just the one supplied to us.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’ll love smelling all the different kinds of scents. Maybe we can even get candles.” Kitty said.

“That’ll be a fortune we don’t have Kitty.” Jean sighed.

Alexandria stood up from her bed and went to her desk and opened her drawer. “Not if we have Tony Stark’s credit card.” She waved around the platinum card.

Kitty’s eyes widened as she saw the platinum card gleaming in Alexandria’s hand. “No way! Is that really Tony Stark’s card?” she asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and excitement.

Alexandria nodded, her expression as deadpan as ever. “Yeah.” She wasn’t quite sure if she wanted to put a damper on their spirits by saying she stole it. But Natasha did give it to her, so maybe it wasn’t stolen, more like borrowed.

Kitty practically squealed, her excitement bubbling over. “This is going to be the best girls' day ever! We can get whatever we want!”

Jean shook her head with a smirk, though there was a hint of amusement in her eyes. “You know Tony’s not going to care about the bill, but try not to go too crazy, Kitty.”

Kitty grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “No promises!”

Alexandria tucked the card back into her pocket, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction. It wasn’t about the shopping or the credit card; it was about having control, even if just a little. She was used to being controlled, being told what to do, how to think, how to feel. But now, in this small way, she could do something for herself. And maybe, just maybe, she could learn to enjoy it.

“Let’s get going, then,” Alexandria said, her voice calm but with a hint of anticipation.

“Wait, you can’t just bring Tony’s card without showing it off,” Kitty teased, nudging Alexandria playfully. “You’ve got to make a big deal out of it!”

“Why would I do that?” Alexandria asked, genuinely puzzled. “It’s just a card.”

Jean chuckled, shaking her head. “Because it’s Tony Stark’s card. And you’re with us, which means we’ve got to make this outing memorable. C’mon, live a little.”

Alexandria frowned, her mind processing the idea of “living a little.” It wasn’t something she was used to, but she didn’t want to disappoint them. They had been kind to her, something she wasn’t sure how to handle, but she recognized it.

“I’ll try,” she said after a moment, her voice softer than usual.

“That’s the spirit!” Kitty said, grabbing Alexandria by the arm and leading her out of the room. “Let’s hit the mall!”

As they made their way out of the mansion, Alexandria felt a mix of emotions swirling inside her. She had been on missions, faced down enemies, endured years of training and conditioning, but this felt different. It was unfamiliar territory, and part of her was wary, unsure of what to expect.

The drive to the mall was filled with chatter, mostly Kitty excitedly planning out their shopping spree and Jean chiming in with occasional comments. Alexandria listened, trying to get a sense of what this experience was supposed to be like. She was used to analyzing situations, figuring out the best course of action, but this was… different.

When they finally arrived at the mall, Kitty practically bounded out of the car, her excitement contagious. “Alright, first stop: the store with all the body washes and sprays! We’re going to smell so good by the time we’re done!”

Jean smiled, walking alongside Alexandria as they followed Kitty inside. “Don’t worry, Alexandria. If this gets overwhelming, we can take a break anytime. Just let us know.”

Alexandria nodded, appreciating the gesture. “I’ll be fine.”

They entered the store, and Alexandria was immediately hit with a wave of different scents. It was almost overpowering, but Kitty was in her element, grabbing bottles off the shelves and excitedly showing them to Jean and Alexandria.

“Smell this one!” Kitty said, holding up a bottle of vanilla-scented body wash. “It’s amazing!”

Alexandria took the bottle and sniffed it tentatively. It was sweet, almost too sweet, but there was something oddly comforting about it. She handed it back to Kitty with a nod. “It’s nice.”

“Nice? It’s perfect! I’m definitely getting this one,” Kitty said, tossing it into her basket. “What about you, Alexandria? Any scents catching your eye?”

Alexandria hesitated, unsure of how to answer. She wasn’t used to indulging in things like this. Her life had been about survival, not luxury. But she knew they were trying to include her, and she didn’t want to seem ungrateful.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted, her voice quiet.

Jean stepped in, offering a gentle smile. “It’s okay. Take your time. There’s no rush.”

Kitty, sensing Alexandria’s uncertainty, softened her tone. “How about we try a few different ones? We can help you find something you like.”

Alexandria nodded, grateful for their patience. She let them guide her through the different options, trying out various scents and slowly getting used to the idea of choosing something just for herself.

She never knew there were so many different kinds of scents. And most of them had extravagant names like ‘Bright Moon’ and ‘Into the Stars’.

After a while of smelling the different scents, she came upon one that she didn’t think she’d like. It was sweet smelling, the back of the bottle said it had notes of fresh strawberries, golden shortcake and whipped cream.

She picked up the bottle with a hesitant look. "This one’s really sweet," she said, her tone neutral.

Kitty practically bounced over to her side. "Oh, that one’s amazing! It’s called ‘Strawberry Delight.’ It’s like dessert in a bottle!"

Alexandria sniffed it again, still unsure. “Dessert?”

Jean joined them, her smile genuine but with a hint of amusement. “It’s a little on the sweet side, but it’s supposed to be fun. It’s all about what makes you feel good.”

Alexandria raised an eyebrow. “Feel good?”

Kitty nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! Sometimes, the little things can make a big difference. You might end up liking it more than you think.”

Alexandria gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. She could tell Kitty was genuinely excited about this, and despite her usual reserve, she didn’t want to ruin the mood.

“Alright,” Alexandria said, trying to match Kitty’s enthusiasm. “I’ll give it a shot.”

Kitty squealed and grabbed a bottle of the Strawberry Delight’, adding it to her basket. “Perfect! You’re going to love it!”

As they continued through the store, Alexandria found herself starting to enjoy the experience. It was a new sensation, having a say in something as trivial as body wash. It was a stark contrast to her previous life, where choices were made for her, not by her.

Jean, noticing Alexandria’s gradual shift, kept the conversation light. “So, what do you think of this ‘girls day’ idea so far?”

“It’s different,” Alexandria admitted, her voice more relaxed. “Not bad, though.”

“That’s the idea!” Kitty chimed in, her excitement undiminished. “We’re just here to have a good time and take a break from all the serious stuff.”

“I think I’m getting used to it,” Alexandria said, surprising herself with her own words. “Not that I’ll be joining every shopping spree, but... this is nice.”

Kitty’s grin widened. “See? I told you it would be fun!”

They made their way to the checkout, with Kitty and Jean chatting about their favorite finds. Alexandria, still holding onto her bottle of Strawberry Delight’, felt a strange sense of satisfaction. It wasn’t just about buying things; it was about participating in something that felt normal, even if only for a few hours.

After paying, they headed out of the store. Kitty was already planning their next stop. “So, next up is the candle shop. They’ve got a sale on all their candles, and we’ve got to check it out!”

Jean laughed lightly. “You’re really on a shopping spree today, Kitty.”

“You know it!” Kitty said, practically bouncing on her heels. “We’re going to make the most of it.”

Alexandria followed along, feeling a mix of anticipation and relief. She wasn’t used to this level of normalcy, but it felt good. For once, she didn’t have to worry about missions or expectations. She was simply... there.

As they walked to the candle shop, Alexandria couldn’t help but glance at Kitty and Jean, noting how their enthusiasm seemed to lighten the atmosphere around her. It was a far cry from the harsh environment she had come from, and though she was still adjusting, she was starting to see the appeal.

Kitty pushed open the door to the candle shop, and a new array of scents greeted them. “Welcome to the candle wonderland!”

Jean raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. “You and your candles. I swear you could live in this store.”

Kitty laughed, already picking up candles and showing them off to Alexandria. “You’d be surprised. There’s something about a good candle that just... makes everything better.”

Alexandria took in the shop’s offerings, her eyes scanning the rows of candles with different scents and designs. It was almost overwhelming, but in a good way. She picked up a candle labeled ‘Serene Forest’ and gave it a sniff. The scent was earthy and calming, a stark contrast to the sweetness of the body wash.

“Do you like that one?” Kitty asked, noticing Alexandria’s interest.

“It’s... calming,” Alexandria said, her voice thoughtful. “I think I might get this one.”

Jean nodded in approval. “Good choice. It’s nice to have something relaxing to light up.”

They continued exploring the shop, Kitty picking out candles with names like ‘Ocean Breeze’ and ‘Lavender Dreams’. Alexandria took her time, carefully selecting the scents that appealed to her. Each choice was an experiment in normalcy, a small step toward finding a place for herself outside the constraints of her past.

By the time they left the store, Alexandria felt a sense of contentment she hadn’t expected. It wasn’t just about the items she had purchased or the day out with Kitty and Jean. It was about the simple act of being part of something, of enjoying a moment that was her own.

As they made their way back to the car, Kitty’s chatter continued, filled with plans for their next outing. Alexandria listened, her expression more relaxed than it had been in a long time.

Jean glanced over at Alexandria, her smile warm. “You did great today. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Thanks,” Alexandria said, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I did.”

Kitty gave her a playful nudge. “See? Told you it would be fun. We’ll have to do this again sometime.”

“I’d like that,” Alexandria replied, feeling a sense of warmth she hadn’t felt before.

As they drove back to the mansion, Alexandria looked out the window, feeling a mixture of relief and anticipation for what lay ahead. For once, she didn’t have to be on guard. She could just be.

They ended up getting much more than body wash, body sprays, and candles. Jean had brought them to Sephora to get some expensive shampoos and conditioners, to which Kitty was very amused and happy that she was embracing Tony’s credit card.

Jean parked the car in the garage and opened the trunk, around 15 large paper bags completely filling it. Kitty jumped out of the car with the same enthusiasm she’d had all day, while Alexandria and Jean followed at a more measured pace.

“Wow, we really went all out today,” Jean said, looking at the overflowing bags. “I think we might need a separate car just for the shopping.”

Kitty laughed. “That was amazing! And thanks to Tony’s credit card, we didn’t have to worry about the bill.” She turned to Alexandria with a wide grin. “You did great today. I’m glad you had fun.”

Alexandria nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. “It was...different. But I liked it.”

Jean reached into the trunk and started pulling out the bags. “Let’s get this stuff inside. I’ll help you carry some.”

Kitty grabbed a few bags, her excitement still palpable. “I’m going to organize everything in my room. We’ll have to compare our finds.”

Alexandria picked up a couple of bags, her thoughts already shifting. She was used to analyzing situations, but this was a new kind of experience—one she wasn’t entirely sure how to process. Still, she was trying to let herself enjoy it.

As they made their way into the mansion, Logan happened to be coming down the stairs. He spotted them with the armfuls of bags and raised an eyebrow.

“Did you ladies rob a department store or something?” Logan asked, his tone as gruff as ever.

Kitty grinned, clearly unfazed by his demeanor. “Nope, just had a really successful shopping day. We’re totally stocked up now.”

Logan’s gaze shifted to Alexandria. “You didn’t get too carried away, did you?”

Alexandria shrugged slightly, still holding a couple of bags. “Just bought a few things. Nothing extravagant.”

Logan grunted, not exactly convinced but clearly not interested in delving further. “Well, as long as you don’t turn the mansion into a store.”

Kitty laughed, nudging Alexandria playfully. “Don’t mind him. He’s just being grumpy. We had a blast.”

“Yeah, it was... enjoyable,” Alexandria admitted, a bit more relaxed than usual.

Logan’s expression softened slightly, but only just. “Good. Just keep it in check.”

With that, Logan turned and headed back up the stairs, muttering something about needing a drink. Kitty watched him go with an amused look before focusing back on the bags.

Jean and Kitty began sorting through the bags, finding places for everything they had bought. Alexandria watched them, feeling a strange mix of contentment and apprehension. It was a world so different from her past, and while it was nice, it was also unfamiliar.

“I think we should get everything organized,” Kitty said as she rifled through a particularly large bag. “And then maybe have a snack. I’m starving.”

Alexandria raised an eyebrow. “Is that something you usually do after shopping?”

Kitty laughed. “Not usually. But today is special, right? We can treat ourselves.”

Jean, who had been unbagging a set of bath products, looked over at Alexandria. “So, Alexandria, do you have any plans for tonight? Or are you just going to relax and enjoy your new stuff?”

“I hadn’t thought about it,” Alexandria said, her tone thoughtful. “I suppose I could use some downtime.”

Kitty grabbed a box of chocolates from one of the bags. “Perfect! Let’s all just hang out. We can watch a movie, eat snacks, and just chill. It’s a nice change of pace.”

“Sounds good,” Alexandria agreed. It was a simple suggestion, but it felt right. For once, she could relax without the constant pressure of her past life.

As they continued unpacking and chatting about their day, the atmosphere in the mansion felt lighter than usual. It was a small reprieve from the usual intensity, and Alexandria found herself appreciating the moment more than she would have admitted.

Later that evening, as they settled down with snacks and a movie, Alexandria couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude. She had come from a place where her every move was controlled, and now, in this space with Kitty and Jean, she was starting to find something like normalcy. It wasn’t perfect, and she still had a lot to work through, but it was a start.

Kitty was sprawled out on the couch with a big bag of popcorn, Jean was flipping through movie options, and Alexandria found herself settling into a place she hadn’t thought she’d ever experience—simple relaxation with friends.

As the movie began and the room filled with the sound of laughter and conversation, Alexandria leaned back and allowed herself to simply be. It was a small victory, but it felt significant. She wasn’t sure what the future held, but for now, she was content.

---

The next day, Alexandria found herself holed up in her room, with a candle lit. Jean taught her how to light the candle without needing a lighter. All she needed to do was use a little bit of her telekinesis to light it.

She tried it, and surprisingly it worked. She had never used her powers for something so… domestic and non-threatening.

One thing she didn’t know she liked doing was reading. Alexandria may not be able to read in English, but she can read in Russian.

She bought a book called ‘Wuthering Heights’ and had been reading it since the afternoon. Her headphones were on, a song called ‘successful’ by Ariana Grande flowing through her ears, who was also someone Jean put her onto.

Her room also smelt quite good, not just because of the candle burning, but because she ended up using that strawberry body wash she got, along with the fancy shampoo and conditioner.

“Ostav' menya v pokoye. Ostav' menya v pokoye,” rydala Ketrin. “Yesli ya postupil nepravil'no, ya umirayu za eto. Dostatochno! Ty tozhe menya ostavil; no ya ne budu tebya uprekat'! YA proshchayu tebya. Prosti menya!” Alexandria murmured as she read along to the book.

Logan came to her door, it was nearing 11 o’clock at night, and he wanted to make sure she got some sleep before she went back to classes tomorrow.

He knocked and waited a few moments, getting no response. He knocked again and waited a few seconds before opening the door, seeing Alexandria on her bed, her feet in the air reading a book with headphones over her ears mumbling words he couldn’t understand.

“Trudno proshchat', smotret' v eti glaza i chuvstvovat' eti potrachennyye vpustuyu ruki,” otvetil on. “Potseluy menya yeshche raz i ne pozvolyay mne videt' tvoi glaza! YA proshchayu to, chto ty sdelal so mnoy. YA lyublyu svoyego ubiytsu, no tvoyego! Kak ya mogu?” She continued murmuring to herself as she read the book.

Logan leaned against the doorframe, his eyes narrowing as he watched Alexandria. She was engrossed in her book, completely unaware of his presence, her lips moving silently as she read the Russian text aloud. The scent of strawberries filled the room, mingling with the earthy aroma of the candle burning on her desk. It was a sharp contrast to the usual scent of metal and sweat that Logan was used to.

He hesitated, unsure whether to interrupt her or just leave her to her reading. He wasn’t one for intruding on anyone’s space, especially not when they were focused like she was. But it was late, and he knew from experience that pushing herself too hard—physically or mentally—wasn’t going to do her any favors.

He didn’t know why he felt the need to check on her, but something about her situation resonated with him. Maybe it was the way she had collapsed in the rain a few weeks ago, driven to the brink by her inability to sleep. Or maybe it was something else, something deeper that he didn’t want to examine too closely.

He knocked lightly on the door again, this time louder to ensure she could hear him over the music. Alexandria didn’t react immediately; she was too absorbed in the world of Wuthering Heights. Logan recognized the look in her eyes—he’d seen it in the mirror plenty of times before. It was the look of someone lost in their own head, trying to escape from something they couldn’t quite put into words.

“Kid,” Logan called out, his voice gruff but not unkind. “It’s late.”

Alexandria’s head snapped up, her eyes focusing on Logan as if she’d just realized he was standing there. She quickly pulled off her headphones, the music abruptly cutting off. “I didn’t hear you.”

“No kidding,” Logan muttered, stepping into the room. He glanced at the book in her hands, recognizing the language. “What’re you reading?”

“Wuthering Heights,” she replied, her tone neutral as she placed a bookmark between the pages and closed the book. “In Russian.”

Logan nodded, not surprised. “You should get some sleep. It’s almost midnight.”

Alexandria frowned, glancing at the clock on her nightstand. “I’m not tired.”

Logan crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze steady. “Doesn’t matter. You need sleep.”

She sighed, clearly not in the mood for an argument but not wanting to give in either. “I’ll sleep later.”

Logan’s expression didn’t change, but his voice softened just a fraction. “It’s not up for debate, kid. You need rest. You’ve been running yourself ragged since you got here.”

Alexandria’s eyes flickered with irritation, but there was also a trace of something else—uncertainty, maybe even a bit of fear. She didn’t like being told what to do, that much was clear. But there was something about Logan that made her reluctant to push back too hard. Maybe it was because he reminded her of herself, in a way. Or maybe it was because she could sense that, underneath his rough exterior, he actually gave a damn.

“I’ll go to sleep soon,” she finally said, though it was more of a concession than a promise.

Logan didn’t push further. He knew when to back off. “Alright. Just make sure you do.” He turned to leave but paused at the door, glancing back at her. “And if you need anything… you know where to find me.”

Alexandria watched him for a moment, her expression unreadable. “Thanks.”

Logan gave a curt nod and left her room, closing the door behind him. As he walked down the hall, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Alexandria than she let on. He wasn’t one to pry—hell, he had his own share of secrets—but he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of demons she was wrestling with. And more importantly, whether she could fight them off on her own.

Back in her room, Alexandria stared at the closed door for a long moment before setting her book aside. She had planned to keep reading, to lose herself in the words and the story, but now the room felt different—quieter, more oppressive. Logan’s presence had been a reminder of the real world, of the things she couldn’t escape no matter how hard she tried.

With a sigh, she blew out the candle on her desk, plunging the room into darkness except for the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the curtains. She lay back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, her mind racing. Alexandria grabbed the metal piece Hank made her to keep out other people’s dreams and stuck it on her forehead, her mind quieting.

She closed her eyes, willing herself to relax, to let go of the tension that seemed to cling to her like a second skin. The scent of strawberries lingered in the air, a faint reminder of the small comforts she had allowed herself today. It wasn’t much, but it was something. And for now, it was enough.

---

Professor Xavier told her to meet him after classes by the Danger Room. She had never gone in it yet, only heard a few things from her classmates about it.

She met him at the door of the room as he turned his wheelchair to face her. “Ah, hello, Alexandria. I was hoping today you might be up to showing us your skills.”

Alexandria nodded, her face set in its usual neutral expression. “Sure. What do you want me to do?”

Professor Xavier gestured for her to enter. “We’re going to run a few scenarios to get a sense of your abilities in action. We’ve seen your control over telekinesis and heard about your skills with dream manipulation, but we’d like to see how you handle a more dynamic environment.”

As they entered the Danger Room, Alexandria took in the sleek, high-tech surroundings. The room was designed to simulate various environments and scenarios for training purposes. Today, it was set up like a dense forest, with trees and underbrush extending as far as the eye could see.

Professor Xavier positioned himself at a control panel. “You’ll start by demonstrating your telekinesis. Move objects, lift them, show us what you can do. After that, we’ll incorporate some elements that require your dream manipulation skills.”

Alexandria took a deep breath and stepped further into the simulated forest. She raised her hand, focusing on a large rock nearby. With a subtle movement of her fingers, the rock began to levitate, hovering in the air before gently lowering back to the ground.

Professor Xavier watched closely, nodding in approval. “Good. Now, let’s try something more challenging. I’m going to create a few obstacles for you to navigate through. Let’s see how you handle them.”

With that, the simulation shifted. Trees began to move and rearrange themselves, creating a maze-like structure. Alexandria’s expression remained unchanged as she moved through the obstacles, her telekinesis clearing a path by pushing aside branches and lifting fallen logs.

“Impressive,” Professor Xavier said. “Now, let’s incorporate a scenario where you need to use your dream manipulation.”

Alexandria raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. She was used to being told what to do, and this was just another challenge to tackle.

The environment shifted again, this time into a more chaotic scene. The trees became distorted, and shadows seemed to come alive. Professor Xavier explained, “This scenario is meant to test your ability to handle stress and manipulation. Imagine this as a chaotic dream environment. Try to bring some order to it.”

Alexandria closed her eyes briefly, concentrating. She reached out with her mind, projecting calm and order into the chaotic environment. The shadows began to recede, and the distorted trees straightened, transforming into a more stable and peaceful setting.

“Excellent,” Professor Xavier said, a note of genuine admiration in his voice. “Your control over your powers is impressive. You’ve managed to bring a sense of calm even in a chaotic situation.”

Alexandria opened her eyes and gave a curt nod. “Thanks. Is that all?”

“For now,” Professor Xavier replied. “But… if you would like I could give you a different scenario. To test your fighting skills.”

She raised her eyebrows, partially amused, partially excited. She hadn’t gotten a chance to fight since she’d been here. It had been almost 2 months of no punching bags, no guns, knives, nothing. Perhaps Charles caught onto that.

"Sure." Alexandria's response was clipped, her eyes narrowing slightly in anticipation. It had been too long since she had been given the chance to fight—too long since she had felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she faced an opponent. The idea of finally being able to release some of that pent-up energy was almost thrilling.

Professor Xavier nodded, his expression unreadable, though there was a hint of concern in his eyes. "Very well. I’ll modify the simulation to include some combat elements. Remember, this is a controlled environment. The objective is to assess your combat reflexes and decision-making under pressure."

Alexandria didn’t need the reminder. Controlled environment or not, she was ready to show what she could do. The forest setting around her began to shift once again, the trees and underbrush morphing into a more open space with a few scattered boulders and uneven terrain. It was a landscape designed to test agility and awareness.

From the edge of the clearing, several figures materialized—simulated opponents, armed and ready for battle. They were clearly not human, more like humanoid constructs, their movements mechanical yet fluid. They approached her, weapons raised, their expressions blank and devoid of any humanity.

Alexandria rolled her shoulders, loosening up as she prepared herself. She didn’t need to think twice. As the first construct lunged at her, she moved with a speed and precision that spoke of years of training. Her telekinesis flared to life, and with a flick of her wrist, she sent the first attacker flying into a boulder with a force that shattered its synthetic body on impact.

Another came at her from the side, swinging a blade that glinted in the artificial light. Alexandria ducked, narrowly avoiding the strike, and with a swift motion, she grabbed the blade telekinetically, wrenching it from the construct’s grasp and driving it into its chest. The construct crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

The remaining attackers hesitated for a split second, as if recalculating their strategy. It was all the time Alexandria needed. She focused her mind, sending out a telekinetic pulse that knocked them all off balance. Two of them staggered but recovered quickly, advancing on her once again. The third, however, wasn’t so lucky—it was thrown back against the trees, its body collapsing into a heap of twisted metal.

Alexandria didn’t give them a chance to regroup. She launched herself at the nearest opponent, her movements fluid and precise. Her fist connected with its face, and she followed up with a telekinetic blast that sent it crashing to the ground. The last remaining construct tried to retreat, but Alexandria was on it in an instant. With a final, powerful telekinetic push, she crushed it into the ground, its limbs splayed out at unnatural angles.

The clearing was silent once more, save for the sound of Alexandria’s heavy breathing. She stood in the center of the carnage, her eyes blazing with the intensity of the fight. Her chest heaved as she caught her breath, her mind slowly coming down from the high of combat.

"Well done, Alexandria," Professor Xavier's voice broke through the silence, his tone measured. "You handled that with remarkable skill. Your reflexes and decision-making are impressive, especially given the complexity of the scenario."

Alexandria straightened up, wiping the sweat from her brow. "It was easy enough," she said, though there was a slight edge to her voice, as if she had been hoping for more of a challenge.

"I expected no less from you," Professor Xavier replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her. "But this was just a preliminary assessment. There’s more we need to explore when it comes to your abilities—especially your dream manipulation."

She nodded, though she wasn’t particularly thrilled at the idea of using her dream powers. Combat was one thing—something she understood, something tangible. But dreams? They were a whole different territory, one she wasn’t entirely comfortable with.

As if reading her thoughts, Professor Xavier continued, "I understand that your dream manipulation might not be something you’ve had much opportunity to explore in a combat context. But it’s an important part of your skill set, one that could be invaluable in certain situations."

Alexandria didn’t respond immediately, her mind turning over the possibilities. She knew her dream manipulation was powerful, but she had always used it for more subtle, less direct purposes—mostly to keep people away from her own thoughts. The idea of using it in combat was new, and not entirely welcome.

"Alright," she said finally, her voice steady. "What do you want me to do?"

Professor Xavier’s gaze softened slightly, as if he understood the internal conflict she was grappling with. "We’ll start with something simple. I’ll create a scenario where your opponents are influenced by a dream-like state—something that distorts their perception of reality. Your task will be to manipulate that state to your advantage."

The environment around her shifted once more, the clearing darkening as if the sun had suddenly set. The air grew thick and heavy, a mist rising from the ground to obscure the edges of the clearing. Alexandria could feel the change in the atmosphere, the way it pressed down on her senses, making everything feel surreal and dream-like.

From the mist, new figures emerged—these ones more fluid and less defined than the previous constructs. They moved in a disjointed, almost ghostly manner, their forms flickering as if they were caught between different states of being. Alexandria recognized the nature of the scenario immediately—these were manifestations of dreams, or perhaps nightmares, their reality unstable and shifting.

She closed her eyes for a moment, reaching out with her mind. It was a delicate balance, manipulating a dream state. Too much force, and the whole construct could collapse, leaving nothing to work with. Too little, and the dream could spiral out of control, becoming more of a threat than the opponents themselves.

She began to weave her influence into the fabric of the dream, threading her thoughts through the mist and the figures within it. Slowly, she started to shape the dream to her will, making the figures more solid, more real. They became easier to predict, their movements more coordinated and deliberate.

The figures moved toward her, but this time, she didn’t rely on telekinesis alone. She reached deeper into the dream, warping their perception of the environment. The ground shifted beneath their feet, the mist thickening around them, causing them to stumble and falter. One of the figures reached out as if to grab her, but its hand passed through empty air, its form dissipating like smoke.

Alexandria pushed further, intensifying the dream’s effects. The figures began to move slower, their forms becoming more disjointed and fragmented. She could see the confusion in their movements, the way they struggled to maintain their shape and purpose. It was as if they were caught in a loop, unable to break free from the dream’s hold.

She didn’t stop there. She pushed the dream to its breaking point, unraveling the last threads of coherence that held the figures together. One by one, they disintegrated into nothingness, their forms dissolving into the mist that surrounded them.

When the last figure had vanished, Alexandria opened her eyes, breathing heavily from the effort. The mist began to clear, the environment shifting back to the neutral state of the Danger Room. Professor Xavier watched her carefully, his expression thoughtful.

"That was… impressive," he said slowly. "You managed to dismantle the dream construct entirely. It’s not something many can do with such precision and control."

Alexandria gave a small shrug, though there was a hint of pride in her eyes. "It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be."

"Perhaps not," Professor Xavier conceded, "but it’s still a significant achievement. You have a natural talent for manipulating dreams, and with more training, you could become even more adept at using it in a variety of situations."

She nodded, though her mind was still processing what she had just done. The power she had over dreams was something she had always taken for granted—something she used out of necessity rather than choice. But now, seeing it in a different light, she realized that it could be more than just a defense mechanism. It could be a weapon, a tool to be wielded with precision and purpose.

"Is there anything else?" she asked, her voice steady despite the tumult of thoughts in her head.

Professor Xavier shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "Not today. You’ve done more than enough. Take some time to rest and reflect on what you’ve learned. We’ll continue your training tomorrow."

Alexandria nodded once more, feeling a sense of satisfaction despite herself. She had proven what she was capable of, not just to Professor Xavier, but to herself. And as she left the Danger Room, her mind was already racing with possibilities—ways to refine her abilities, to push herself even further.

---

Later that evening, Alexandria found herself back in her room, the events of the day replaying in her mind. She had gone through the motions of dinner, but her thoughts had been elsewhere, focused on what she had done in the Danger Room. It was strange, feeling proud of herself—strange, but not entirely unwelcome.

She sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes drifting to the small window that looked out over the grounds of the school. The sun had long since set, the sky a deep, inky black dotted with stars. There was a sense of calm that settled over the mansion at night, a quiet that she found comforting.

But even in the silence, her mind wouldn’t rest. She kept thinking about her training, about what she could do better—how she could push herself further. There was always more to learn, more to improve upon. And for the first time in a long time, she felt a sense of purpose—a drive to be better, not just for herself, but for those around her.

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t hear the knock on her door until it was almost too late. Startled, she looked up just as the door opened, revealing Logan standing in the doorway, his usual gruff expression in place.

"Got a minute?" he asked, his voice low and rough.

Alexandria blinked, surprised by his presence. She hadn’t expected to see him again so soon—if at all. But she nodded, gesturing for him to come in.

Logan stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. He didn’t sit, instead choosing to lean against the wall near the window, his arms crossed over his chest. He studied her for a moment, his gaze intense.

"Heard you had a good session in the Danger Room today," he said finally, his tone neutral.

Alexandria shrugged, trying to play it off as no big deal. "It was fine. Nothing I couldn’t handle."

"That so?" Logan’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he didn’t quite believe her. "From what I hear, you took down those constructs like they were nothing. Even managed to mess with a dream scenario without breaking a sweat."

She glanced at him, trying to gauge his reaction. It was hard to tell with Logan—he was so closed off, so guarded. But there was something in his tone, something that told her he was impressed, even if he wouldn’t admit it outright.

"Yeah," she said, her voice quieter now. "It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be."

Logan grunted, his expression unreadable. "You’re good, kid. Real good. But don’t let it go to your head. There’s always gonna be someone stronger, faster, better. And you gotta be ready for that."

Alexandria nodded, understanding the truth in his words. She knew she wasn’t invincible—far from it. But hearing it from Logan, someone who had seen more than his fair share of battles, made it hit home in a way she hadn’t expected.

"I know," she said, her voice firm. "I’m not looking to be the best. I just want to be ready for whatever comes next."

Logan studied her for a moment longer, then nodded, as if satisfied with her response. "Good. Keep that mindset, and you’ll do just fine."

There was a pause, a silence that stretched out between them. Alexandria wasn’t sure what to say—wasn’t sure why Logan was here in the first place. But she found that she didn’t mind his presence, even if it was unexpected.

"You ever think about what comes next?" she asked suddenly, the question slipping out before she could stop herself.

Logan looked at her, his expression thoughtful. "Every damn day," he said quietly. "But it ain’t about what’s next. It’s about surviving what’s in front of you. One day at a time, one fight at a time."

She nodded slowly, taking in his words. It made sense, in a way—living in the moment, focusing on the now. But it was hard for her, always thinking ahead, always planning for the future. She wasn’t sure she knew how to just live in the moment.

But maybe, with time, she could learn.

"Thanks, Logan," she said after a moment, her voice sincere. "For everything."

He gave a small nod, his expression softening just a fraction. "Anytime, kid. Anytime."

And with that, he turned and left the room, leaving Alexandria alone with her thoughts once more. But this time, the silence wasn’t as heavy—it was filled with the possibility of what could be, of what she could become.

She had a long way to go, but for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was on the right path. And that was enough.

For now.

i translated a part of 'wuthering heights' into russian and then changed my mind and made all the russian into english, except for that one section since my book is back home and i'm halfway across the country at college. but, you get the gist.