#one of them laughed about how they read an article that got a certain detail wrong about something to come
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Concept: ST5 promo slowly revealing things over the next year that basically indicates they lied about a bunch of things.
First this new character announcement, despite saying there would be no new characters (the first lie). Next thing you know thereâs gonna be some cryptic promo about a birthday, and everyone will be confused like WTF?? Then theyâll do an interview and laugh audibly over a question about the birthday debacle and be like âyou guys actually believed we donât rewatch our show??â⊠Then weâll get something that indicates Mike was lying in his monologue, with even just the most subtle side joke about itâŠ
Aka Friends donât lie coming full circle with the creators @ their audience in real time đ
#byler#but friends donât lie?#boyfriends do. ALL the time#duffer brothers#duffer boyfriends*#kind of iconic ngl#it would be a great way to lead up to the narrative confronting a big lie#by having the duffers lie to us about a handful of very specific things#and then finally when the official official s5 promo starts#with posters and trailers and teasers#and byler is yet again paired up#the antis that insisted all of those lies were truths#are going to be shaking!!!!#what makes this so hilarious tho#is that in one of the recent interviews with the duffers#one of them laughed about how they read an article that got a certain detail wrong about something to come#and he basically joked like âweâll have to correct that once the time comesâ#but why wait until s5 comes out to correct that inaccuracyâŠ#he almost blatantly implied they are waiting to correct fans about things until right before s5 premieres đ#since we know there are quite a few misconceptions the general audience has about the show#it does not surprise me they are aware of a lot of things they have to wait to correctâŠ
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đENG Translation: Bojan CvjetiÄanin: âThis is the happiest day of my life!â
Read full article below the cutđ
How a Eurovision bromance led to unexpected family responsibilitiesâflippers included.
Itâs not every day you hear of rock stars becoming grandparents, let alone to a family of seals. But then again, not every rock star is Bojan CvjetiÄanin, the charismatic frontman of Sloveniaâs shagadelic rock and roll band Joker Out, or KÀÀrijĂ€, Finlandâs chaotic musical whirlwind known for neon green boleros and untamed energy. What started as a Eurovision bromance in 2023 has evolved into a story thatâs equal parts heartwarming, absurd, and undeniably wholesome.
For those unacquainted with this unlikely duoâs saga, it all began in Liverpool, where Joker Out and KÀÀrijĂ€ represented Slovenia and Finland at Eurovision 2023. Their off-stage antics quickly made them fan favoritesâand sparked a wave of wild rumors, the most peculiar being that they had adopted a baby seal together. The internet, as it often does, ran with the jokeâuntil an Austrian zoo decided to make it a reality, gifting Bojan and KÀÀrijĂ€ a real seal to be their âadopted child.â
In a previous interview, Bojan teased that he and KÀÀrijĂ€ had plans to reunite âin the colder months,â prompting fans to speculate wildly about what antics the chaotic duo might be up to next. Plans were indeed made for a trip to the slopes, until Bojan and KÀÀrijĂ€ received an urgent call from the Austrian zoo. Their adopted seal was in labour, and about to become a mother. Their plans for a winter ski trip were immediately scrapped.
âJere and I immediately dropped everything and rushed to Vienna. I knew that I was meant to be a grandfather- Iâve got the grey hair to prove it.â Bojan said, laughing and gesturing to his signature white streak.
Once the self-proclaimed rock ânâ roll dads arrived in Austria, they found themselves cooing over a squirming, squealing bundle of whiskers. After some persuasion, the zookeepers even let them into the exclosure to spend some bonding time with their grandpup, leading to several weeks of seal-rearing for the duo.
âWe panic at first, very much,â KÀÀrijĂ€ admits, eyes wide. âWe are cool uncles, yes, but⊠grandseals? Not in plan!â
âAgreed. It was a total seal-priseâ Bojan laughs. âSorry, Iâve got to practice my grandad jokes now, I guess. But we lived up to our responsibilities in the end. Itâs funny, one minute youâre strumming guitars and singing about love, and the next youâre bottle-feeding a seal at 3 a.m. Life comes at you fast.â
Photo: Cosmopolitan Slovenia
Fans have been eating up every detail of the duoâs unexpected journey into grandparenthood. Social media is flooded with affectionate memes, fan art of Bojan and KÀÀrijĂ€ cradling their seal grandbaby, and comments that range from supportive to hilariously confused. As for the rock star granddads themselves, the responsibility seems to suit themâthough perhaps not permanently.
âItâs a full-time job,â Bojan laughs. âTwo months of carrying buckets of fish are plenty for us. Weâve both got careers to think of, if we want to be good providers for our grandpup.â
As for whatâs next, Bojan is keeping his options open. âMaybe weâll start a punk band. KÀÀrijĂ€ and the Seal Cubs. Or a reality show: Keeping Up with the Seal-dashians.â Whatever the future holds, one thingâs certain: Bojan and KÀÀrijĂ€ have proven that no matter how bizarre life gets, theyâll face it togetherâwith guitars, laughter, and now, a whole lot of fish.
#joker out#jokeroutsubs#bojan cvjetiÄanin#bojan cvjeticanin#jere pöyhönen#jere poyhonen#kÀÀrijĂ€
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Brisbane Wedding Videos: Capturing Your Special Day in Style
When it comes to planning your wedding, one of the most important decisions youâll make is choosing how to preserve the memories of your big day. Brisbane wedding videos have become an essential part of modern weddings, offering couples a dynamic and emotional way to relive their special moments. Whether youâre planning an intimate ceremony or a grand celebration, professional wedding videography in Brisbane ensures that every laugh, tear, and dance move is captured forever. In this article, weâll explore why Brisbane wedding videos are a must-have, how to choose the right videographer, and tips for creating a video that truly reflects your love story.
Why Brisbane Wedding Videos Are a Must-Have
1. Relive Your Wedding Day Emotionally
Your wedding day will fly by in a blur of excitement, and itâs easy to miss the little details. Brisbane wedding videos allow you to relive the emotions of your day, from the nervous anticipation before the ceremony to the joyous celebrations on the dance floor. A well-crafted video captures not just the events, but the feelings and atmosphere of the day.
2. Share Your Story with Loved Ones
Not everyone can attend your wedding in person, especially if you have friends and family living overseas. Brisbane wedding videos make it easy to share your special day with those who couldnât be there. A beautifully edited video can transport your loved ones to the heart of your celebration, allowing them to feel like they were part of the magic.
3. A Timeless Keepsake
Photos are wonderful, but wedding videos add a new dimension to your memories. With Brisbane wedding videos, you can hear the vows you exchanged, the speeches that made you laugh and cry, and the music that got everyone on the dance floor. Itâs a timeless keepsake that youâll cherish for decades to come.
How to Choose the Right Brisbane Wedding Videographer
1. Research Their Style
Every videographer has a unique style, from cinematic storytelling to documentary-style coverage. Look at their portfolio to see if their work aligns with your vision. Do you want a romantic, film-like video or a more candid, natural feel? Brisbane wedding videos come in all styles, so take the time to find a videographer whose work resonates with you.
2. Read Reviews and Testimonials
A great way to gauge a videographerâs professionalism and quality is by reading reviews from past clients. Look for testimonials that mention their communication, reliability, and ability to capture the essence of the day. Brisbane wedding videos should be a reflection of your love story, so choose a videographer who has a track record of making couples happy.
3. Discuss Your Vision
Before booking a videographer, have a detailed conversation about your vision for the video. Do you want highlights of the entire day or a longer, more comprehensive film? Are there specific moments or details you want to be included? A good Brisbane wedding videographer will listen to your ideas and offer suggestions to enhance your vision.
4. Consider Your Budget
Wedding videography is an investment, but itâs one you wonât regret. Brisbane wedding videos can range in price depending on the videographerâs experience, the length of the video, and the level of editing. Be upfront about your budget and ask for packages that fit within it. Remember, this is a once-in-a-lifetime keepsake, so itâs worth allocating a portion of your wedding budget to it.
Tips for Creating the Perfect Brisbane Wedding Video
1. Plan Key Moments in Advance
While spontaneity is part of what makes wedding videos special, itâs a good idea to plan certain moments in advance. Discuss with your videographer the key events you want captured, such as the first look, the exchange of vows, and the first dance. This ensures that nothing important is missed.
2. Incorporate Brisbaneâs Stunning Locations
Brisbane is home to some of the most beautiful wedding venues in Australia, from riverside gardens to chic urban spaces. Work with your videographer to incorporate these stunning backdrops into your video. Whether itâs a sunset shot by the Brisbane River or a romantic moment in the cityâs botanical gardens, the location can add a unique touch to your video.
3. Add Personal Touches
Your wedding video should reflect your personality as a couple. Consider including personal touches like interviews with your guests, snippets of your favorite songs, or even a voiceover sharing your love story. These elements make your Brisbane wedding video truly one-of-a-kind.
4. Trust Your Videographer
While itâs important to communicate your vision, itâs equally important to trust your videographerâs expertise. They know how to capture the best angles, lighting, and moments. Let them do their job, and youâll be rewarded with a video that exceeds your expectations.
The Benefits of Professional Brisbane Wedding Videos
1. High-Quality Equipment and Editing
Professional videographers use high-quality cameras, drones, and editing software to create stunning wedding videos. This ensures that your Brisbane wedding video is not only visually beautiful but also polished and professional.
2. Stress-Free Experience
Hiring a professional means you can relax and enjoy your day, knowing that every moment is being captured. Theyâll handle all the technical details, from setting up equipment to editing the final product.
3. A Unique Perspective
A professional videographer brings a creative eye to your wedding, capturing moments you might not even notice. From the tears in your parentsâ eyes to the laughter of your friends, theyâll tell the full story of your day.
Conclusion
Brisbane wedding videos are more than just a recording of your wedding dayâtheyâre a cinematic celebration of your love story. By choosing the right videographer and planning ahead, you can create a video that youâll treasure for a lifetime. Whether youâre saying âI doâ by the Brisbane River or dancing the night away in a chic city venue, your wedding video will be a timeless reminder of the joy, love, and magic of your special day.
If youâre planning a wedding in Brisbane, donât overlook the importance of professional wedding videography. Itâs an investment in your memories, and one that will bring you happiness for years to come. Start researching Brisbane wedding videos today, and find the perfect videographer to capture your unforgettable day.
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đđđđđđđđ đđđđ đ. ⥠đ đđšđ«đ đđ§đšđđđšđźđ§đ

"Hi! I hope u have a lovely day :] I was wondering if I could request an imagine where you're online friends with Gogy and one day you send him a picture wearing his merch and he can't stop thinking about it and finally ends up telling you he has a crush on you?? Thank you in advance :] I really enjoy your writing"
pairing: georgenotfound x reader
warnings: Zoom Video Communications none :)
links: | ao3 | request | masterlist |
â song recommendation: Slowly by Josh Gilligan
(streamer bf gogy brainrot brrr) hello sweet anon! thank you for much for this request :) I love love love all the geo simps and their ideas. also thank you to my dearest LB for helping me with the plot help. happy reading, everyone! ⥠á”á”âżá”
You tapped your fingers on your desk, nails clattering at you waiting to be let into your third Zoom meeting of the day. Usually, you got off with only one lecture, but because of upcoming exams, you were finding yourself in and out of virtual meetings and office hours. Sure, it was better than jogging from building to building, fighting the crowds, and searching for a seat in a packed lecture hall, but it was still wearing you down beyond belief.
You rested your chin in your hand as your window went from white to dark grey, the square with your name getting wedged in beside the professor. Everyoneâs cameras were off, a thankful sigh leaving your lips as your head slumped down to lay against your arm, the danger of falling asleep suddenly becoming more prominent.
You jumped slightly as your professor cleared their throat, sharing their screen and beginning to ramble off facts listed on the slideshow. You played with your keyboard, focused on removing a crumb from beneath your spacebar that was almost unreachable. You usually took notes in the class, but today was just one of those days.
â... And with that in mind, Iâm going to put you all into breakout roomsâŠâ Your professor trailed off, eyebrows furrowed as they peered at their screen and clicked frantically to assign all of you to rooms. You yawned, smacking your cheeks and sitting up. You were determined not to be a shitty partner, at least. The white box popped up, inviting you to join breakout room four. Thatâs always lucky, you thought to yourself as you joined.
Once again, you were cursed to look at the buffering wheel of death as your internet struggled to sustain all your opened tabs. Please, just a little longer, you groaned internally, eyes dashing towards the receiver and exhaling in relief as your computer connected to the breakout room. You turned on your camera, eliciting your partner, George, to do the same.
You flashed him a smile as you struggled to open the article from the previous night. âHi! Howâs it going?â You greeted, not yet looking at him.
âIâm good, actually. How are you?â He engaged, his voice deep and tired.
You finally managed to split your screen enough so that you could see him and the article. âYeah, Iâm good too. Thanks,â you chewed the inside of your cheek, eyes skimming some of the notes youâd etched into the margins. âSo, did you have any idea what,â you paused, squinting at the authorâs name, âRobert A. Schneider means when he discusses how âmen of lettersâ fear the lower class more than anything?â You asked, as your eyes trailed across your screen to finally gauge his reaction, you were taken aback by his appearance.
His soft features and dark eyes made you feel safe. As he smiled softly, running his fingers into his hair, he seemed to be racking his brain for an answer. He opened his mouth to begin, detailing what you had previously thought with better articulation.
The two of you got through the basic questions the professor had scripted for the students, then finding yourself still stuck in the breakout room. On a normal day, your professor would have pulled everyone back into the call after the first few questions.
George swiveled in his chair quietly as he listened to you briefly explain your area of study. His kind smile made your heart flutter slightly. Deep down, you hoped the two of you would be stuck in the room for a while.
Soon your topics blended into what kind of movies you both watched, a debate on where you could buy the cheapest bread on campus, and what kind of party people the two of you were. After an hour, instead of worrying whether or not your professor was dead, you were swapping numbers and planning out how the two of you would turn the Florida Keys into the headquarters of your new cult where the members would all worship a separate bitchy philosopher.
You pulled one of your legs to your chest, resting your cheek against your knee as his laughing died out. âOkay, this might be a weird question, but I need to know why your webcam is so clear. Is it like an OnlyFans thing orâŠâ
He chuckled. âYeah itâs definitely OnlyFans,â he joked, making you laugh. âIâm actually a á”â±âżá”á¶Êłá”á¶ á” Ëąá”Êłá”á”á”á”Êłâ he mumbled.
Your eyebrows perked playfully. âYouâre a what?â
He pursed his lips to fit the grin stretching across his face. âá” á”â±âżá”á¶Êłá”á¶ á” Ëąá”Êłá”á”á”á”Êłâ
You snorted slightly. âSorry darling, youâll have to speak up. What was that?â
He wet his lips, rolling his eyes as he bashfully groaned. âIâm a Minecraft streamer.â
You giggled, him basking in your disbelief. He smiled a bit brighter as he shrugged, leaning back in his chair as you rambled off questions. âThereâs no way! Nerd!â you chaffed, making him smile as if he liked it when you playfully teased him. âAre you super popular?â You asked, catching your breath.
He bit his bottom lip swaying his head slightly as if deciding not to answer. âMmmm. Not really.â
âWell, come on, Georgios! Give me your Twitch user and Iâll be your biggest fan, I promise.â He laughed at your response, digging out his phone to send you a link.
âIâd like to see you try,â he mumbled.
After the class had finally ended, youâd learned that your professor was on the phone with their credit card company. In the following weeks, you and George were in constant contact, even becoming part of each otherâs daily routines.
As you studied for finals, youâd turn on his stream, letting his voice alleviate some of the stress of your exams. He knew you were watching and would even drop hints for you in what he was saying, or heâd blatantly just ask what you were talking about in your essay for a certain class. After the stream would end, heâd call you either on Discord or the phone, just so it felt like the two of you were studying together.
Jokingly, you badgered him to send you some of his merch, threatening to buy it from a bootleg online store if he didnât. He had only brushed it off at the time, but shortly after, you received a hoodie in the mail with his gamer tag printed across it.
It was late at night when youâd received it, the tiredness of your eyes and Georgeâs dulcet tones lulling you towards the idea of a dead sleep. Yet, you were drawn from your pleasant relaxation with the shrilling of your doorbell. You shrugged out of your blanket cocoon, grabbing your phone and trudging down the stairs. As you tore open the bag, your phone buzzed with a text from George asking if youâd seen something that one of his chat members. You chuckled softly and dug your hand into the material, holding it out in front of you.
You snickered to yourself, running your fingers across the red patch in the center. You slipped it over your head, letting the softness of the fabric brush against your skin. You snapped a photo of yourself and stumbled back upstairs before sending it to him.
When you returned, George was focused on something he was crafting. His eyes darted down to one corner of the screen where his phone was probably sitting. His eyes flashed back up with a smug grin on his face as if he knew exactly what you were going to say. Your âThanks sugar daddy xx,â probably didnât help either.
âWhat, chat?â His voice came out slightly uneven as he bit back a smile. You skimmed what people were asking. âItâs not a nude. A friend of mine got something I sent them,â he answered nonchalantly, finishing up what he was doing. The chat began to spam quietly. âNo, itâs not a maid costume. Jesus Christ.â He leaned back in his chair, grabbing his phone and opening your message.
A grin spread across his face, alongside the light dusting of rosy pigment settling in his cheeks. He chuckled to himself, quickly replying before getting back to his game. You scoffed at his response.
George (H325) Anything for my silly little baka
You curled up again, putting away your schoolwork and devoting your attention to watching his stream as you drifted off to sleep.
Once again, you found yourself at the mercy of your internet as you attempted to join the breakout room assigned to you. You almost jumped out of your chair when it finally connected and you found George waiting for you. You smiled slightly as he scrolled through his phone. âWhat are the chances?â You asked, pulling his eyes to you.
He grinned, clicking off whatever he was looking at. âI was just about to raid your inbox.â
You chuckled. âI almost wore your merch to class, just to out you to whoever my partner was,â you joked, making him roll his eyes.
âIâm glad itâs me then,â he responded. You began scrounging around for your article. After a beat of hesitation, George spoke up again. âHey, Iâm glad you like the sweatshirtâŠâ You perked an eyebrow in his direction. âI actually havenât been able to get that picture out of my head. I know itâs stupid,â he stated lightly, chuckling nervously. You could feel your heart beating in your ears. âItâs so lame, but I think I have a crush on you.â
You sat back in your chair, stunned. âI mean, the feelingâs mutual. Even if itâs lame,â you mirrored, winking at him. âI mean, maybe itâs not lame because I know I like you.â
He smiled to himself at your answer before chuckling, âShould we Zoom date or something?â
#georgenotfound headcanons#georgenotfound x y/n#georgenotfound fluff#georgenotfound x reader#mcyt x y/n#mcyt x reader#mcyt fluff#mcyt imagine#college au#gnf x reader#gnf brainrot#gnf my beloved#gnf x y/n
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In Case You Donât Live Forever
~chapter seven rewritten~
Pairing: Peter Parker x Venom!Reader
Synopsis: you are Peters greatest love and Spider-Manâs greatest enemy
Series Masterlist
Peter walked to campus that day with an extra bounce in his step. He couldnât keep himself from leaping over the school gate, not caring who couldâve seen. He was in love. He walked past Flash with confidence, easily brushing off his backhanded comments. He walked up to Ned and felt oddly compelled to click his heels. Ned noticed the ecstatic expression on his best friends face and smirked.
âWhatâs got you so happy? Did a certain wall crawling superhero finally beat Venom in a fight?â He asked. Peter shook his head.
âNot yet. Something even better happened.â Peter said proudly.
âAnd what might that be?â Ned wondered. Peter could barely keep himself from screaming.
âY/n kissed me.â He exclaimed. He got a few strange looks from passing students on their way to class, but Peter didnât care. Nothing could ruin his mood.
âWhat? When? â Ned gasped.
âThis morning. She slept over last night after she had a nightmare. And guess what else?â Peter asked. Ned bounced up and down.
âWhat? Tell me!â Ned demanded. Peter looked around for who could be listening and smirked.
âShe slept in my bed.â He smirked.
âOh.â Ned said looked disappointed in the anticlimactic finish.
âWith me in it.â Peter added and Ned looked amazed. His jaw hung open and he began to bounce up and down again.
âDude thatâs like the greatest thing ever.â Ned cheered. âSheâs so hot! We have to tell everyone.â
âWeâre not telling anyone just yet.â He shook his head. âSheâs only been my girlfriend for a few hours. Sheâs really special to me, Ned. I donât want to treat her like shes some prize I won by telling everyone. Girls are worth more than that.â
âAmen to that. What are you losers talking about anyway?â MJ said as she approached them. She was eating trail mix and looked extremely bored already.
âPeter has a girlfriend.â Ned blurted. Peter shot him an angry look while MJ looked impressed.
âOh really? Who is she, your right hand?â MJ smirked. Ned looked confused while Peters face went red.
âItâs not my right hand. She lives in my building and sheâs an angel. Thatâs all you need to know.â Peter grumbled, still annoyed that Ned spilled his secret. It wasnât that he was ashamed of you, the exact opposite actually. He would shout it from the rooftops that you were together if he could. He just didnât want everyone to know. You had only kissed that morning and Peter still wanted to keep the magical details to himself.
âDoes this angel have a name?â MJ questioned, actually interested in something for once.
âNo.â Peter said at the same time Ned said âY/n L/n.â
âY/n L/n from The L/n Report?â MJ was suddenly invested. It was the first time Peter or Ned heard emotion in her voice.
âYou know her?â Peter asked.
âDuh.â MJ scoffed. âSheâs the only investigative reporter Iâve seen who actually cares about the people she reports on. I read her articles all the time. We have a lot of the same opinions. I used to think she was the coolest girl ever.â
âUsed to think?â Ned asked.
âWell clearly somethingâs wrong with her if sheâs dating Peter.â MJ said flatly. Ned laughed and Peter looked at her angrily.
âThereâs nothing wrong with her. Sheâs amazing.â Peter defended.
âI know she is.â MJ shrugged. âIâve idealized that girl for year. Did you guy see what she did to Carlton Drake?â Peter nodded and smiled proudly at the thought of his girl kicking names and taking ass.
âSheâs like my hero. Sheâs done so much for the homeless back in San Francisco. I was so excited when she said she was moving to New York to work for The Daily Bugle.â MJ gushed. Peter and Ned looked at each other, visibly confused.
âHave you always done that?â Ned asked her.
âDone what?â MJ asked.
âFelt things?â Ned said and MJ rolled her eyes.
âI feel very passionate about a lot of things. Those things just donât happen to include you two or anyone else in this school. However, I am very passionate about your girlfriend.â MJ stated. She suddenly looked a little uncomfortable and unsure of herself, two things MJ never did. She awkwardly turned to Peter.
âDo you think I could meet her? Iâd really love to talk to her about her article on fracking.â MJ asked slowly. She wasnât used to asking people for things. Peters eyes softened at this new side of MJ.
âSheâs picking me up after class today on her motorcycle. You can meet her then.â Peter offered. Then MJ did something very out of character.
She smiled.
âK thanks.â She blurted and then swiftly left. Ned and Peter laughed as she walked away.
âThat was new.â Ned commented.
âYes It was.â Peter agreed.
âSheâs so odd.â Ned added.
âYes, she is.â
âDid you do the hanky panky with Y/n?â Ned asked. Peter snapped his head towards Ned.
âWhat?â Peter flushed red. âNo. And never say âhanky pankyâ again.â
âIt was worth asking. See you in orgo.â Ned said before walking towards his class. Peter shook his head in amusement before heading to his first class of the day.
At 3:30, you pulled up to Peters college on your motorcycle. You took off your helmet, shook your hair out, and scanned the crowd for Peter. You soon saw him, Ned following shortly behind him, and a girl you had never seen before. She wasnât wearing makeup, which you gave her props for, and had her curly hair tied back in a pony tail. She was undeniably pretty and had a very cool vibe to her.
âHi beautiful.â Peter said when he reached you. He wrapped his arms around your waist and hugged you tightly. âItâs torture not being with you all day.â
âI know. But the school year is almost over right? Then we can spend every second together.â You promised. Peter smiled happily. He leaned in slightly, as if asking for your permission, and you did the same. You pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He smiled into the kiss and held you closer. This time, there were no interruptions.
âY/n, Iâd like you to meet MJ. MJ, this is Y/n.â Peter said, gesturing to the girl. MJ smiled shyly at you and held out her hand.
âItâs really cool to meet you, Y/n. Your article on greenhouse gases is hanging on my wall. Iâm uh, Iâm a big fan.â She said timidly.
âYouâre a fan? Thatâs amazing.â You smiled brightly at her. âIâve never met a fan before. Itâs really cool to meet you too, MJ. And if youâre interested in the environment, I have a bunch of scientists numbers I can give you. I had to interview a bunch back in San Francisco to write that article. They gave me some great tips on how to reduce my carbon footprint.â MJâs eyes widened just a little. She looked baffled and gave you a thankful smile. You noticed one of her front teeth was slightly askew and decided you liked her already.
âReally? Thatâd be so cool. Thanks.â She said. You squeezed her arm and nodded.
âI think you and I are going to get along just fine. Can I get your number? Iâd love to hear more about what youâre interested in.â You handed MJ your phone and she took it. She typed her number it and handed it back.
âThis has been really amazing. Thanks for being so cool. I have to run though. Iâm running a protest outside of Oscorp.â She explained. âOne of their employees got seriously electrocuted and theyâre to cover it up.â
âReally?â You gasped. âIs it okay if I tag along? Iâm kinda busy with my Cletus Kasady story but I would love to cover your protest too.â
âYouâd do that for me?â She asked as if she wasnât used to people doing things for her.
âGladly. Can I join? I can give you a ride there.â You offered. She smiled at you and toyed with the strings on her backpack.
âThatâd be great. See you losers later.â MJ gave Peter and Ned a peace sign and climbed onto your bike. You gave Peter a quick peck on the lips and got on the bike as well. Peter watched as MJ wrapped her arms around your waist and smirked at him. You two sped off towards Oscorp, leaving Peter and Ned in your wake.
âDude.â Ned laughed. âMJ just stole your girlfriend.â
âShut up. No she didnât.â Peter said. Did she though? You seemed to hit it off with her pretty quickly. Peter didnât know MJ too well but he knew she was guarded and didnât let people in easily. In fact, she didnât let anyone in. And yet, you and her had become best friends in a matter of minutes.
Heading back from Oscorp a few hours later, you saw a familiar hat bobbing up and down in the street. You were about to call out Neds name when two guys came from around the corner. They looked mean and you could hear Nedâs heartbeat rising. You quickly ran over to him.
âHey.â You panted. Ned looked relived to see you.
âOh hey Y/n. Howâd your date with MJ go?â He teased. You shoved him slightly.
âIt wasnât a date. Sheâs really cool though. I think weâre going to be good friends.â You said as you passed the two guys. You soon heard a whistle.
âDamn baby. Where you going with him? Donât you wanna stay here and have some fun?â one of the guys called. You looked at Ned and picked up your pace.
âI know you heard me beautiful. Stop running before I give you a reason to run.â The man said again, louder this time.
âKeep walking.â You whispered to Ned.
âI said stop running.â The man shouted, this time, his threat was accompanied by the sound of a gun cocking. You and Ned froze in your steps. The two men slowly approached you, all while pointing the gun level with your head.
âThatâs better.â One man said when he reached you. âNow, how about this. You come with me, or I shoot your friend. Does that sound fair?â
âI better call Peter. Heâll know what to do.â Ned panicked.
âNo need.â You growled as your transformed into Venom. You marched up to the guy and grabbed him by the shoulders in a death grip. You spit at a nearby newspaper in the ground. The newspaper quickly disintegrated and left nothing but smoke behind. You smiled devilishly at the man, grateful for a chance to show off your acidic saliva.
âWhat was that?â The man cowered in your grasp. Meanwhile, his friend ran away terrified.
âAcid spit. Still want me to come with you?â Venom purred. The man whimpered and shook his head furiously.
âDidnât think so. Now, if you donât tell us the names of ten historical feminists who would be very disappointed in your sorry ass by the time I count to ten, weâre going to eat you. Does that sound fair?â Venom growled as the man shut his eyes in fear.
âOne.â You began to count.
âUhâŠâ He whimpered.
âTwo.â
âUm.â He raked his minuscule brain for answered but came up empty handed.
âTen.â You said and bit his head off. You quickly ate the rest of his body before turning back into yourself. You wiped your hands and patted your stomach before turning around and making eye contact with Ned, completely forgetting he was there.â
âYouâre Venom?!â He gasped as he pointed at you in horror. You ran up to him and covered his mouth.
âWhat? No.â You lied. âHow do you know about Venom anyway?â
âItâs you. I canât believe itâs you.â Ned exclaimed when you took your hand off his mouth. You were getting more and more confused.
âYouâre Venom. You, Y/n, are Venom.â He repeated as if it all made sense now.
âPlay dumb.â Venom whispered.
âWhat? Iâm not Venom. What makes you say that?â You stammered.
âNot that dumb!â She yelled. Ned looked at you and laughed, still in shock.
âYou and Peter are perfect for each other, you know that? Youâre both dumb as shit.â He laughed. You had to laugh a little as well.
âYouâre Venom and Peter isâŠdo you know about Peter?â Ned suddenly asked.
âWhat about Peter?â You didnât understand what he meant. Neds eyes went wide, and then filled with sadness.
âNothing. Donât worry about it.â He shook his head. âAre you gonna tell him about this? Because Iâm going to be very honest with you, Iâm terrible at keeping secrets. I donât know if I can keep this from him.â
âIâm gonna tell him eventually. So please, donât say anything.â You pleaded. âHe has to hear it from me. Iâm sorry that Iâm making you lie to your best friend but this is a very unique situation.â
âItâs a lot more unique than you think.â He muttered. âI wonât tell him.â
âThank you.â You hugged him tightly, thankful that he was safe and keeping your secret. You walked Ned home and began to make your way back to the apartment building. You wanted nothing more than to cuddle with Peter and forget the day. After all, you missed him all day at school. It was bearable when you guys were just friends, but now that he was your boyfriend you never wanted to be apart.
When you were just a few blocks from your apartment, you felt a strong arm wrap around your neck and hold you in place. Suddenly, there was a knife to your throat.
âI saw what you did to my buddy, you little freak. Now, how about you get down on those pretty little knees before I kill you?â The man threatened. You turned your neck as much as you could and recognized your attacker as the mans friend who ran away from earlier. You sighed deeply. You were full and trying to keep your body count to a minimum, but he was just asking for it. You shut your eyes and were about to turn into Venom when you heard a voice from behind you.
âNow thatâs no way to treat a lady.â The voice rang. You recognized it as Peters voice. The guy was quickly pulled away from you as if by some kind of rope. You heard some sort of webbing going on behind you and small cries of struggling from the man.
âAre you alright Miss?â Peter asked.
âIâm fine, Peter.â You said, finally turning around. Instead of seeing your boyfriend, you saw the friendly neighborhood pain in the ass. He had webbed your attacker to the wall and was now looking right at you. You had seen him so many times before, and heâd seen you, but never like this. You felt almost naked, standing before Spider-Man as Y/n instead of Venom.
âOh.â You said, startled. âIâm sorry. I thought you were someone else.â
âYea. This is a pretty popular outfit.â Spider-Man joked, gesturing to his skin tight suit. You bit your tongue. He was funny, but you couldnât let him know that. You were enemies after all. He just didnât realize it was you.
âThanks for saving me.â You blurted. âBut I had the situation handled.â
âYouâre right. You especially looked like you had it handled when he was about to stab and murder you.â Spider-Man said sarcastically. You found him oddly charming, despite your history.
âWhat are you gonna do with him?â You asked, pointing to the man webbed to the wall.
âI heard what he said to you. Iâm going to register him as a sex offender and ruin his life. Unless, you had other plans. You know, since you had the situation handled.â Spiderman remarked. You playfully rolled your eyes. You did have other plans. Plans that involved eating him and digesting him while you cuddled with Peter. But Spider-Mans plan was okay too.
âAlright. Iâll see you around Spider-Man.â You said, giving the superhero one last look. There was something familiar about him. Spider-Man nodded.
âSee you around. And please, be careful. Donât walk alone. I donât want to see you get hurt.â He said and turned back to the man.
You went home, showered, and got into some comfy clothes. You missed your boyfriend dearly and went to his apartment to see him.
After being let in by May, you went into Peters room and flopped on his bed. He was sat at his desk doing homework.
âDid you mean what you said about me sleeping over whenever I wanted?â You asked, voice muffled by his pillow.
âOf course I did.â He swiveled around to look at you and noticed your body language. âWhatâs wrong, love?â
âIâve had a long day and I want to cuddle my boyfriend.â You pouted. Peter smiled at you calling him your boyfriend. He closed his textbook and climbed into bed with you. You rested your head on his chest, right over his heart. The sound of his heartbeat calmed you down and you felt sleepy.
âDid you make any progress on your story?â He asked. You shook your head as he began to run his fingers through your hair. You hummed in content and pressed a small kiss to his neck. He blushed at the affection and held you closer.
âNo.â You groaned. âIâve had the worst writers block all day. I was actually thinking of writing an article on Spider-Man until my writers block went away.â
After your encounter with the masked hero, you wanted to know more about him. You were originally against your bossâs idea to write about him, but now you liked it. Sure, there were plenty of articles on Spider-Man out there, but you knew him intimately.
âSpider-Man?â You felt Peters heart stop momentarily. âWhy?â
âI think I have a pretty good shot at figuring out who he is.â You shrugged. âLike, think about it, he only operates from the hours of 4 to midnight ish right? Except, on weekends, when heâs seen all throughout the day. Whatâs he doing all day on weekdays? He canât be at work because jobs donât end that early. I think heâs in school. Either high school or college. Probably college though, right? I canât imagine a high schooler doing what he does. Unless heâs been doing this since high school. Thatâs also possible.â
âOh wow.â Peter said, dumbfounded. He was usually blown away by your intelligence, but now it was working against him. There were a million college students in New York, though. Surely you wouldnât figure it out.
âAnd think about this, heâs only ever in New York, so he must live here right?â You continued. âBut what about that one time he saved those kids in the Washington Monument? What was New Yorkâs superhero doing in Washington? I looked into it and the kids he saved were on a field trip. What if Spider-Man was on the field trip too? If I look up all the schools that were there, I could create a list of suspects and go from there. Then, I could-â you were cut off with a kiss.
âLetâs not talk about Spider-Man.â Peter said quickly, followed by a smile. âI want to hear about you day. How was Oscorp?â
âWe had a really good time.â You smiled. âI interviewed her after I helped her with the protest and then we grabbed lunch. Oh, and I saw Ned on my way home.â
âYou saw Ned?â Peter asked. Ned hadnât mentioned seeing you.
âYea.â You blew out a breath. âThese two guys attacked us. One ran away and I took care of the other. But then the one that ran away came back and youâll never guess who saved me.â
âWho?â Peter smiled. He knew who.
âSpider-Man. I donât know. I was wrong about him. I used to think he was just some guy in spandex with a God complex but now I think he just genuinely wants to help people. AndâŠâ you trailed off.
âAnd?â Peter raised an eyebrow.
âHeâs got a nice ass.â You admitted. Peter laughed loudly. You smiled into his chest. You loved that damn laugh.
âIâm serious.â You insisted. âI saw it as he walked away and it knocked me out. Spider-Man is dummy thick.â
âPlease never say the words âSpider-Man is dummy thickâ in my house again.â Peter pleaded. He secretly loved it though.
âI was actually thinking of making that the title of my article.â You joked. Peter laughed again. He chucked a pillow at you and you giggled.
âLetâs go to bed.â You yawned. âIn a romantic, but still non sexual way this time.â
âGood night, my Nancy Drew.â Peter said with a kiss to your forehead.
âGoodnight, my whoever Nancy Drew was boning.â You yawed again.
âNed Nickerson.â Peter laughed.
âThen goodnight Ned Nickelodeon.â You said, half asleep.
âClose enough.â Peter smiled.
#peter parker x reader#peter parker x y/n#peter parker x you#peter parker fanfiction#peter parker imagine#peter parker x venom!reader#venom!reader#tom holland x reader#tom holland x you#iron man#tom holland fluff#tom holland fanfiction
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None Of Your Concern (Chris Evans x Reader)
WARNINGS: DUB-CON(NON-CON?), AGE GAP, CHEATING(?)
DNI IF ANY OF THIS OFFENDS YOU
â„ {page breaks done by @whimsicalrogers}
summary:Â costars for a little over a year, Chris has always been protective of you in the cutthroat industry much like a father would be. However, when he learns that your boyfriend is even older than him, he realizes that his feelings might not be so familial after all
~
âOkay, so itâs sort of cool that a small chunk of the Avengers gang is reunited for this movie,â the interviewer said with a chuckle.
You all joined in, in agreement. She rested her blue eyes on you.
âI know that you were a huge fan of the franchise, Y/N. I mean, over the years there have been quite a few tweets from you about the movies, ranging fromâŠâSpider-Manâs on team Iron-Man so therefore I am on team Iron-Manâ to âScott Lang deserves the worldâ,â she said, reading from her phone.
Tom got a huge kick out of that first one, and you rolled your eyes. The interviewerâs eyes flickered between you two, a small smile on her lips.
âI mean, am I wrong? Does Scott Lang not deserve the world?â
She nodded with a grin.
âNo, youâre right, he definitely does! I just feel like being cast in this movie and having been on the set for a little over a year must have been something like a dream come true,â she pressed.
You thought about your answer for a moment, just like your publicist advised.
âYeah, you could say that. Itâs sort of surreal going from having been kind of a casual fan of someone to interacting with them almost every day for a year,â you honestly answered.
You didnât know if you would ever get used to interviews, no matter how private they were. You were grateful you werenât on Jimmy Fallon or something with a live audience watching your every move, but sitting next to Tom, Anthony, Sebastian, Chris, and Tessa in a room was almost just as bad in your eyes.
ââŠand youâve gotten super close with your castmates, Iâd say.â
You heard Tessa clear her throat, and when you caught her eye, she gave you a look, but you didnât understand it.
âYeah, definitely! I love them all and theyâve easily become some of my closest friends now,â you replied, eyes meeting the interviewerâs again.
She threw you a secretive smile.
ââŠbut you and Tom seem to hang out together more than the rest of the cast. As thick as thieves some would say,â she pressed.
Your lips parted, caught off guard, and when you caught Tessaâs eye again, you recognized the sympathetic look she was giving you. A light bulb seemed to go off in your head as you realized what she was trying to warn you against earlier, the very thing youâd unknowingly walked into. Luckily, Tom jumped in before you did.
âWell,â he started, straightening in his seat, shoulder brushing your own. âY/N and I are the youngest members of the main cast. We donât really have much in common with the senior citizens to my left.â
He feigned a whisper during the last part, not so discreetly pointing to his left. It had the desired effect, and you were grateful that he was trying to draw the attention away from you.
âUm,â Tessa loudly began, straightening up in her seat just as Anthony, Chris, and Sebastian all spoke up at once.
âI think what he means to say is we donât allow the children to eat at the adultâs table,â Anthony threw in.
âYeah, its definitely more like we exclude them, and they have no choice but to hang out together,â Sebastian joked.
âSenior citizens,â Chris scoffed, cutting his eyes at Tom.
The interviewer laughed at the turn of events, but unfortunately, she was determined to expose whatever she thought was going on between you and Tom.
âSo you two are rather close then? Being alienated and all,â she chuckled.
Tom laughed, albeit a bit uncomfortably as it became clear that she wasnât going to give up. He nudged you, gesturing for you to take the stand, having already tried to steer her in another direction.
âWellâŠyes, but weâre all rather close, but yeah. I would say that Tom is kind of like my best friend,â you honestly told her.
She awâd at that, tilting her head to the side. You cut your eyes to everyone else in the room, narrowing them as it became clear that they werenât going to help the two of you get out of this. You just knew Anthony was enjoying thisâŠ
âJust friends then? Because you two have a lot of fans, and a lot of them seem to think thereâs more to the friendship, or at least, they hope there is, and honestly? Who can blame them? You two are always spotted hanging out together, going for coffee, running to Target⊠Youâre practically joined at the hip.â
As she came outright and said it, you both wasted no time in refuting it.
âOh, God no,â you cried, shaking your head.
âNo, no, absolutely not,â Tom laughed. âY/N and I are simply good friends. She has much better taste than I do, hence why I have to drag her to Target. Besides, we donât have Target back home, so whenever Iâm in the states, Iâm going shopping there every chance I get.â
âI donât know, I think they answered that just a little too quickly for me,â Tessa suddenly wondered aloud.
You threw her a look of betrayal as Chris added on.
âYeah, thatâŠthat wasnât convincing, at all,â he said in between chuckles.
You gaped at him as Tom ran his hand through his hair.
âNo, Y/N and I are just friends, and nothing more. She-she has a boyfriend, anyway,â he threw out, and you playfully hit his arm.
âTom,â you warned.
You werenât genuinely upset that heâd let that slip, especially since you didnât exactly care if people knew. People knowing you had a boyfriend wasnât the cause of your apprehension. It came from certain details about your boyfriendâŠ
âWait, you have a boyfriend?â
Four people said several variations of this at the same time, and you cringed. Tom at least looked a bit ashamed as the interviewer watch on in amusement.
âI didnât say any names,â he defended, hands up.
You caught Anthonyâs eye and he was looking at you like youâd just hid the worldâs biggest secret. Tessa looked scandalized as well, and you didnât dare look at Chris and Sebastian.
âWaitâŠwait a minute,â the interviewer said, sitting up in her own chair as she looked at you two.
There was a slow smirk forming on her lips.
âSoâŠyou have a boyfriend that nobody else seems to know aboutâŠexcept for TomâŠâ
You both froze, realizing how this looked. A few chuckles reached your ears, and you exhaled.
âOkay, I know how this looksâŠâ
âIt isnât like that, at all,â Tom reiterated. âHeâs a swell chap, no, really. Heâs brilliant-.â
âYouâve met him then?â
âWell, yeah-.â
âWait, wait, wait. So how come youâve met this âboyfriendâ and none of us have?â Anthony wondered.
âYeah, this sounds like a bit of a cover,â the interviewer added.
âNot a very convincing one,â Sebastian whispered.
âOkay, okay! I know that Iâm not super talkative about it, but have we all forgotten that I have a girlfriend?â
That seemed to quiet everyone down.
ââŠbesides, her boyfriend is like forty anyway, so its definitely not me,â he laughed, realizing too late what heâd said.
âTom!â you cried.
Both of his hands were covering his mouth, eyes wide as all hell broke loose. You blinked several times, mouth agape in shock.
âIâm sorry, what?â Tessa yelled over the others.
âForty?â
Sebastian, Chris, and Anthony were all talking over each other, all of their questions directed at you while you just stared at Tom who stared back, pleading. He slid his hands down, teeth bared as shame filled his features, cringing.
âIâm so, so, so sorryâŠâ
His apology was overshadowed by Sebastian.
âForty?â he repeated.
âTomâs exaggerating, okay? Heâs more like thirty,â you quickly said, trying to ease the tension and make light of the situation.
Tomâs eyes were wide as they met yours, and you quickly looked away.
âSo, the boyfriend isnât TomâŠand heâs only thirty then?â the interviewer finally spoke up when the room was finally quiet once again.
You sighed, eyes meeting Tomâs again as he looked to see what you were going to do. You thought about what your publicist would advise. Youâd been a part of stan twitter once. You knew how the internet could be. Theyâd dig until they found out the truth, and discovering his actual age, and identity by extension, would be pretty bad for both of you. Against your better judgement, you decided to be truthful since the cat was out of the bag, hoping itâd be enough to keep peopleâs curiosity at bay.
âNo, heâs definitely 43,â you quietly admitted.
Once again, all hell broke loose.
As soon as the interview was over, you were the first one out of the room, Tom right behind you. You could hear your name being called, and Tom pushed you along.
âGo, go, go,â he urged.
You had just made it to your dressing room when a muscular arm slid between the door and the frame as you attempted to close it.
âAnthony, not now!â
âNo, no, now.â
He pushed the door open, and you denied him entrance, two familiar faces behind him. Neither him, Sebastian, or Chris looked pleased with you, and you just knew that they werenât going to let this goâŠnot without a fight. Tessa passed by, and you sent her a pleading look.
She heaved a sigh, slowing down before reaching out to pull them all back.
âCâmon guys. Leave the poor girl alone,â she said.
âWe just want to talk,â Sebastian said.
It was a lie.
âIâm not discussing this with you,â you told them, eyes meeting Chrisâ. âAny of you.â
You tried to ignore his frown as you closed and locked the door. With a sigh, you dug through your purse for your phone. You texted Alex, your boyfriend, warning him of what might make it into the article. You werenât actually upset about the turn of events, you just hated the aftermath that would ensue.
You blamed the interviewer most of all. You knew that Tom was just trying to clear the air and make it known that there wasnât anything going on between you two. You knew how flustered he could get sometimes when he started rambling, and you also texted him to let him know that everything was fine, and you werenât mad.
Your main concern was the trio down the hall. Tessa felt like an older sister at times, and while you wish that it had been on your terms, you werenât opposed to talking to her about this. You knew the conversation was going to happen eventually. Anthony, Sebastian, and Chris on the other hand were a completely different matter.
You stuck your head out, glancing around before leaving the room.
Your friendship with Seb was way more casual than with the other two. You cracked jokes and hung out with all of them often, but half the time it felt like Chris and Anthony were scolding you and telling you what you could or couldnât do. Sebastian didnât care, and you liked that. Hence why you didnât verbally oppose when he suddenly came out of nowhere, easily falling into stride with you.
He didnât say anything for a while, but you knew it was coming. You bit your lip, glancing at him out of the corner of your eye, noticing that he was doing the same. He abruptly stopped, and so did you.
âForty-three?â
You avoided his piercing gaze, adjusting your bag on your shoulder as he faced you.
âSebâŠpleaseâŠâ
âI mean, Iâm not judging, I promise,â he said, hands raised.
âExcept, you are though,â you sighed, looking at him. âYouâre judging, just a little bit.â
His arms fell at his sides.
âOkay, so Iâm judging just a little bit, but can you blame me? The guyâs older than Anthony,â he scoffed.
You chuckled.
âYeah, he is, but I donât care,â you told him.
âClearly. Iâm just saying, heâs old enough to be your father,â he said.
âWell, itâs a good thing heâs not, because then that would be weird,â you threw at him, rolling your eyes.
He heaved a heavy sigh, and somehow, you got the feeling that heâd drawn the short straw on who was going to come and talk sense into you. You briefly glanced down the hall, brows furrowed. He placed his hands on your shoulders, and you hated how he was looking at you. Like you were a child doing something bad. Your jaw clenched.
âI know youâre an adultâŠâ
You let out a humorless chuckle.
âDo you know who you sound like, right now?â
He rolled his eyes towards the ceiling.
âAt the risk of sounding like ChrisâŠâ
âYou sound like Chris, thatâs who you sound like.â
ââŠthis industry can beâŠruthless,â he continued.
âDonât I know it?â you sarcastically replied.
ââŠand youâre still so fresh and new and there are plenty of people just looking to take advantage of someone like you and your talent and potentialâŠâ
âMy boyfriend isnât one of them, okay? He has plenty of talent on his own,â you informed him.
Sebastian tilted his head to the side, eyes narrowing.
âWhat his name, anyway?â
âI donât think thatâs any of your business,â you slowly sang.
âWellâŠwhat does he do?â
âAgain, none of your business.â
âHow did you meet? How long have you been seeing him? Something, anything! Anything at all?â
You pursed your lips before releasing a soft sigh.
âWeâve been seeing each other for about 7 months now,â you admitted.
His eyes almost bugged out of his head, lips parting.
â7 months?â
You pulled away from him, the day finally getting to you.
âLook, Seb, I have to go. Iâm sorry that I didnât tell you guys, but to be honest, this was the main reason why, soâŠâ
You paused, facing him again.
âPlease, tell Chris and Anthony not to worry, okay? I know theyâre freaking the fuck out and probably sent you on their behalf. Iâll see you guys tomorrow,â you called over your shoulder as you exited the building.
When you got home, there was a slew of text messages awaiting you. Most were from Anthony, and you answered all of them as best as you could. He was just worried, and you definitely understood that, but he was freaking out more than your own mother had when you told her about Alex.
âIt justâŠtook me by surprise,â was the first thing he said when he picked up the phone.
âI know, I know,â you sighed, browsing your fridge for something to eat. âI was always going to tell you guys if it ever got more serious.â
âMore serious?â he scoffed. âSeb said you guys have been dating for 7 months.â
You rolled your eyes.
âWe clearly have different definitions of a serious relationship,â you mumbled.
âItâs just concerning, alright? If my kid was dating someone 20 years older than them, Iâd be rightfully concerned,â he defended. âEspecially considering Iâve never met this man and donât know anything about him.â
âLook at the word you just used: kid. That is something I am not,â you said, slamming your fridge shut. ââŠand thereâs no need to meet him.â
âI disagree.â
âThatâs fine,â you tersely replied.
You heard him exhale on the other end, a tense silence falling between you two. You were being a little harsh, you knew that, especially considering Anthony always treated you like family, but you needed to make him, all of them, understand that you were an adult who could make her own decisions. They had no say in this.
ââŠyou heard from Chris?â he eventually asked.
âNo, actually, and thatâs a little worrisome, Iâm not going to lie,â you honestly added, running your eyes over your wine collection.
âYeah, well, heâs not happy,â Anthony told you.
âIf heâs going to pout about this like my personal dating choices offended him or something, then he can suck my ass.â
A laugh met you from the other end, a genuine laugh, and you cracked a smile.
âHeâll come around. You know how much you mean to him,â he finally said after he calmed down.
You did know. Chris was one of the first people to talk to you on set, trying to make you feel more comfortable. It was your first big movie, your first time starring with household names, with people that had way more experience than you. He got you to laugh on your first day and even dragged you over to meet everyone else. Heâd taken you under his wingâŠ
Your heart clenched as you thought about how he must feel. It was your business, sure, but you couldnât pretend like you didnât feel guilty. You felt even worse once you thought about the fact that youâd told Tom and not him, but Tom didnât judge you. Tom didnât treat you like some kid who didnât know any better half the time.
âIâll text him,â you told Anthony. âSee if I can get him to accept my white flagâŠâ
âYou do that. See you tomorrow, kiddo.â
You texted Chris as soon as you hung up, and as the night wore on, your worry grew. You found yourself periodically checking your phone for any type of response, but you got nothing. Alex called though and talked with you until you fell asleep. He was overseas, filming in his home country at the moment, but he called you every day.
He wasnât bothered at all by what might be in the article, only making sure that you were okay.
âYeahâŠIâm okay,â you quietly replied.
âAre you sure? You donât sound it,â he quietly replied, deep voice gruff.
You frowned before turning to look at your clock.
âIsnât it likeâŠ3 in the morning over there?â
âYou didnât answer my question,â he lightly said, ignoring your own.
You sighed.
âIâm fine, really. Itâs justâŠthere was a reason I didnât want to tell everyone, and some people are proving me rightâŠâ
âTheyâll come around,â he assured.
âYou know Seb isnât the type to care too much, but even he was more judgmental than I expected. Anthony is slowly coming around, but Chris⊠Heâs not answering any of my texts.â
He was quiet for a while before finally responding.
âMaybe thatâs for the best.â
You frowned again, sitting up in bed.
âWhat do you mean?â
âHe is a bitâŠoverprotective of you, isnât he? I know he just gets concerned, but sometimes he acts like heâs your father andâŠheâs not. He shouldnât have any say in what you do,â he elaborated.
You rubbed your eyes.
âI know what youâre saying is true because Iâve thought it myself, but for some reason it sounds harsh coming from your lips,â you groaned.
He chuckled.
âI donât mean for it to, I promise. I just mean that maybe this will force him to lighten up a bit and realize that there are boundaries and lines he shouldnât crossâŠâ
You blinked.
âHuh. You might be onto something,â you admitted. âI know he thinks Iâm such a child sometimes. Maybe this will make him wake up.â
You didnât stay on the phone for much longer, and your heart sank when you hung up only to see no new notifications. Was Chris ignoring you? With a huff, you plugged your phone up and settled into bed.
You sipped on the coffee Tom had gotten you on the way here, leaning against the wall as you watched Chris and Anthony talk to the interviewer. This one preferred to talk to a few of you at a time, and considering the disaster that happened a week ago, you quite liked that.
That pushy girl had indeed included the bit about your love life in the article. Fortunately, it was tastefully done, only mentioning it in passing, but she had included that the rest of the cast, sans Tom, had been none the wiser. You hadnât checked to see what people were saying about it. It wasnât their opinions that mattered to you.
Chris hadnât talked to you since, ignoring every one of your messages. Eventually, you gave up, deciding that heâd talk to you whenever he was ready. At first you were angry once you realized what he was doing, but eventually you became more understanding. He was probably more hurt than anything that you hadnât trusted him enough to tell him.
You perked up when you heard the mention of your name.
âSo, word on the street is that Y/N does indeed have a beau and itâs not Tom HollandâŠâ he started.
Chris and Anthony chuckled, but you could tell it was forced.
âYeah, man, I donât think anyone was more shocked about that one than their fans,â he laughed. ââŠbut we all know theyâre just good friends. It was a nice running joke for a while though.â
Chris didnât say anything, and the interviewer continued.
âSpeaking of shocked, is it true that the rest of you guys were completely in the dark about it? I read that the ball was actually dropped during the interview. I mean, how awkward that mustâve beenâŠâ
Chris exhaled.
âYeahâŠit was definitely something. It made my day though.â
Your jaw ticked as you realized that he was putting on a front.
ââŠand is it true that heâs 43? I mean, Iâll definitely ask Y/N this later on-.â
âThen itâd probably be best if she answered that,â Anthony interrupted, and you mentally thanked him.
âWellâŠthe secretâs out, right?â Chris laughed, and you frowned. âYeah, she says heâs 43.â
Your frown deepened.
âThatâd be like dating one of you guys, Iâd imagine, but at least itâll be easy for him to get on well with you guys. You all are rather close with Y/N, so that must be of some importance to her,â the interviewer replied.
âI donât know about that one considering we found out with the rest of the world,â Chris joked, but you saw right through it. âI suppose itâs a good thing we didnât know though becauseâŠâ
He suddenly trailed off, letting out a low âwhewâ. He shook his head.
âNo. I never would have allowed it.â
Your jaw dropped, staring at him like heâd grown a second head as the words registered within your mind. You didnât even hear the rest of what was said as you backed up. You almost bumped into Tessa, and she steadied you.
âWoah,â she said. âYou okay?â
âNo, actually,â you slowly replied, turning to face her. âIâm not.â
You found that it was true. Your stomach churned and you felt like you were going to vomit any moment. The audacity of him!
âIâŠI have to go,â you told her.
You let your publicist know that you were feeling ill, and you waved bye to Tom on the way out, his brows furrowed in confusion as he hesitantly waved back. You fought tears the entire way to your apartment, shaking your head in disbelief. Never mind the fact that Chris has said that, but the fact that heâd confidently said it in front of other people.
âNever would have allowed it?â you mumbled to yourself.
You were gripping the wheel so hard you were sure it would break. As you furiously got out of your car, you thought to yourself that you didnât even care if he texted you back or not. You werenât in the mood to even look at his face, let alone talk to him.
After you showered and poured yourself a glass of wine, you curled up on your couch, staring at the tvâŠbut not watching it. Chrisâ words kept replaying, and you wondered how he could even fix his mouth to say such a thing. He wasnât your father! There wasnât a damn thing in the world he could forbid you to do.
And before you knew it, you had downed two more glasses and that was exactly what you were texting him. You were certain your thumbs would crack the screen with how furiously you were typing. When you were done, you turned your phone off, slamming it on the table as you returned your gaze to the tv.
It was hours later when you heard a knock on your door. You briefly wondered who it was, but you had suspicions that it was probably Tom. Youâd left in such a hurry, and your phone was off, so he was probably coming to check on you. With a buzz coursing through your veins, you pulled the door open, only for your face to drop when your eyes connected with blue onesâŠnot brown.
He didnât exactly look thrilled to see you either, and you were certain that your face was no different. You pursed your lips, going through a pros and cons checklist of letting him in before scoffing. You swung the door open wider before turning your back on him. You heard him close it, his feet following yours into the kitchen.
You didnât spare him a glance as you poured yourself another glass, taking up residence on the other side of the small island. Eventually, when he didnât say anything, you looked up at him, a frown on your face.
âAre you actually going to say something? Or just stand there and stare at me?â
Chris heaved a sigh, resting one hand on the counter while the other found a home on his hip. He stared you down, jaw ticking beneath his beard.
âYouâre upset with meâŠâ
âI wonder what makes you think that?â you mumbled into your glass.
ââŠbut Iâm upset with you too.â
âYeah, well, at least my anger is valid,â you spat.
ââŠand mine isnât?â he threw back.
You huffed, glancing away from him.
âIf youâre upset that I didnât tell you, then Iâm sorry. I mean that. I donât want you to think I donât trust you or anything, but you have to understand why I didnât say anything. Look at how youâre reacting,â you said, gesturing to him.
His nostrils flared.
âWhat does a man like that have in common with someone like you anyway?â
You jutted out your hip, resting your hand on it as you stared him down.
âSomeone could easily ask you the same thing. What, I can be friends with you, Anthony, and Sebastian despite the age difference, but I canât date someone whoâs the same age as you?â
âItâs a bit different. We are your friends, we look out for you, we are not trying toâŠâ
He swallowed his words, seeming like he couldnât even bear to say it. You smirked at him.
âSo I can choose my friends, but I canât choose who I fuck?â
He glared at you.
âI meanâŠthat is what youâre saying, right?â
âYou can choose someone whoâs acceptableâŠâ
ââŠand who are you to say heâs not acceptable?â you demanded, offended on Alexâs behalf. âYou donât even know him.â
He made himself at home, taking a seat as he stared at you, hands folded on the counter.
âSo tell me about him thenâŠâ
You heaved a long sigh, leaning against the sink as you crossed your arms over your chest.
âHeâsâŠsweet,â you started, pressing your hands to your eyes. âOh my God, heâs so sweet, Chris. Youâd get along great with him. Heâs funny, he loves dogs, and he has the biggest and kindest family youâll ever meet. Heâs filming overseas, right now-.â
âSo heâs an actor,â Chris interrupted, sounding displeased.
âYes. He calls me every nightâŠ,â you trailed off, suddenly uncomfortable.
âYou told Anthony that it wasnât seriousâŠâ
You looked down.
âI really like him, okay? Thatâs why I donât care what you guys think. Iâm not breaking up with him just because you donât approve,â you said, eyes meeting his again. âYouâre not my father, and you canât tell me what to do.â
âNo, Iâm not your father, and Iâm sure as hell glad for that, but someone definitely needs to beâŠâ
âScrew you, Chris,â you murmured.
He glared at you, and you fought back tears, surprised at how much this was hurting your feelings.
âI donât understand why youâre so mad about this! Why are you treating me like I canât make my own decisions?â
âBecause I think youâre making bad ones,â he answered, rising and heading towards the door.
You balled your hands into fists as he made his way out.
You spun away from Tessa, a thin layer of sweat clinging to your skin. Today was the last day of filming, and the crew members were hosting a party. Youâd almost let Chrisâ sour attitude ruin it for you, but Tessa convinced you to come.
Sheâd arrived at your apartment early in the morning, fed up with your sulking. You told her about your argument with Chris, and she listened while you ranted about his behavior. You talked with her about Alex too, eager to tell her everything. Talking to Tom about him was nice and all, but it was different with Tessa.
She comprehended why you had never said anything about your relationship, far more understanding than Chris or even Anthony had been. She made you feel a lot better about the whole situation and assured you that Chris would get over it. He hadnât spoken to you the entire time youâd been here, so you didnât know about that.
It pained you to think that your friendship with him could end just like that over something so insignificant as to who you were dating, something that didnât affect his life in the slightest. You stumbled away from Tessa, realizing that youâd had more to drink than you thought. You touched her arm.
âHey, Iâm gonna head inside. Try to rest my nerves for a bitâŠâ
âOkay,â she said. âHurry back when you feel better.â
âK.â
You trudged your way inside of the huge house, heading straight for the kitchen. You filled a glass with water from the sink, emptying it in no time. You were ready to go for another when movement from your left caught your eye.
You looked over your shoulder, pausing when your gaze connected with that of Chrisâ. He didnât look like he was having fun, and your shoulders sagged.
âCan we talk for a minute?â
You eyed him, almost sadly, before swallowing. You nodded, forgetting the glass of water and opting to follow him instead. You stumbled a few times, alcohol coursing through your system, but thankfully Chris didnât notice.
You followed him into a guest bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed as he turned on the light. He was dressed plainly in jeans and a dark tee, a darker cardigan hugging his arms and shoulders. He rested his hands on his hips in that Captain America way you often teased him about, and you fought a smile.
âIâm sorry,â he eventually breathed.
You blinked at him, the alcohol making it hard to process what he said.
âYouâreâŠsorry?â
Your voice was small and unsure, and his face crumbled as he moved to sit beside you.
âYouâre right. I canât tell you who you can or canât date. I shouldnât have said what I said in that interview,â he admitted.
You let out a soft chuckle.
âNoâŠyou shouldnât have. I was soâŠembarrassed when you said that Chris,â you said, looking at him.
âI know,â he whispered. âI donât want to make you feel that way. I thought I was upset because you hid it from me, butâŠâ
You eyed him, waiting for him to continue. His gaze met yours.
âI donât have any rights to your dating life, butâŠI want to,â he slowly replied.
You frowned at him, and he continued.
âI care about youâŠâ
âI know. I care about you too,â you told him in the quiet room.
âIâm attracted to you, Y/N,â he confessed, making your eyes widen. âI always have been.â
Your lips parted, surprise and confusion filling you.
âI told myself from the beginning that my feelings were innocent, that I was just looking out for you. I convinced myself that my anger at your relationship came from a place of concernâŠbut that isnât true.â
âChrisâŠâ
âSomewhere down the line, in the back of my mind, I had accepted that anything between us would be inappropriate. That youâd be repulsedâŠand then, come to find out, your boyfriend is even older than me.â
He chuckled, finding some warped humor in it all.
âI felt cheated. I felt like that could be meâŠlike that should be meâŠâ
You didnât know what to say. Youâd have to be blind to deny that Chris was handsome. He was one of the most sought-after men in America, but your feelings had been fleetingâŠshallow. You thought Anthony and Sebastian and Tom were handsome too, but in an appreciative sort of way. That was how you saw Chris too.
âIâmâŠwith Alex. You know thatâŠâ
He took your hands, scooting closer.
ââŠbut could that have been me? Tell me the truth,â he pleaded.
âIâŠI donât know-.â
âI think you do. I think you thought like I thought and pushed any desires out of your mind.â
Your mind was fuzzy, too much alcohol in your system to fully process this conversation. You moved to stand, but he held you in place.
âChris, I think I should goâŠâ
You trailed off when his lips met yours, and you jerked back, eyes wide.
âI have a boyfriend, you know thatâŠâ
âYou havenât answered my question,â he told you.
âIâŠI donât know! But it doesnât matter because I am with someone!â
ââŠand that someone could have been me.â
âBut itâs not, so-.â
He kissed you again, wrapping his arms around you. You reached in between your bodies, pressing the palms of your hands against his chest. He moved back, but he brought you with him. He rolled you over until you were beneath him, and you made a noise of protest deep in your throat.
âChris,â you mumbled into his lips, pushing against him again.
He was smooth in reaching under your dress to take hold of your underwear, pulling them down your legs with ease. You opened your mouth to protest again, but all that came out was a gasp when his hand slid between your thighs.
You shook in his arms as he played between your legs, fingers ghosting over you and prodding you until he was able to slide them into your soaking lips. A choked moan climbed out of your throat, and he hummed as his lips trailed down your chin, peppering kisses along your neck.
Your body felt light, limbs numb as you heard him fooling around with his pants, the sound of his zipper deafening in the quiet room. You knew what was about to happen. Your brain was screaming at you, but you couldnât move. You didnât know if it was the alcohol or shock, but you were powerless to stop him.
You reached out to place your hands on his when he parted your legs, and you didnât know if it was to pull his hands awayâŠor not. You caught a glimpse of him as he settled between your legs, stomach sinking as you blinked at the sight of himâŠbareâŠfor you.
âChris,â you mumbled, unsure of what you were going to say.
It didnât matter, anyway. His lips were covering yours as he pressed the head of his cock against your folds, prodding and prolonging the inevitable. You thought about Alex, and that sobered you up a bit, but it was too late.
You threw your head back against the mattress, nails digging into Chrisâ hands as he thrust inside of you. The noise that escaped him was orgasmic, the deep sound causing you to clench around his length. He hissed at that before completely leaning over you, forearms pressed into the mattress beside your head as he started to move.
Shallow breaths left your lips as he pumped into you, the squelching sound of his retreat and entry reaching your ears. Your eyes were unfocused, hands coming up to rest on his sides as you started to moan. He joined you, bending his head to kiss you again and again.
There were odd brief moments at the start of filming where you idly wondered what it would be like to kiss Chris. You never imagined that youâd find out for sure. Then when you and Alex happened, youâd left those girlish and embarrassing fantasies behind. His lips were soft and sweet with the taste of whatever drink heâd had, and he moved them over yours with so much expertise it made your head spin.
âThat feel good?â he breathlessly wondered, jerking his hips into yours.
You gave a shaky nod.
âU-uh-huh,â you gasped, clenching around him.
âGod, youâre so beautiful⊠You know that?â he mumbled, kissing you again.
Your toes flexed, stomach clenching as well.
âI thought about you all last night,â he quietly professed. âI thought about your lips and these fucking thighs and how itâd feel to be in between themâŠâ
âChris,â you whined.
âYouâre so tight,â he hissed in your ear. âTighter than Iâd imagined youâd be.â
One of your hands traveled to his back, bunching up his shirt and sweater.
âChris,â you gasped, breath hitching. âChris, I thinkâŠâ
Your words died on your tongue as you moaned, wrapping your legs around him, pulling him closer. He groaned against your skin, lifting his head to look into your eyes.
âYou gonna come for me?â
You gave a jerky nod, tightening your grip on him. He hissed when you clenched around him again, blue eyes boring into your own.
âYeah? Youâre fucking choking my cock. A greedy little thing,â he murmured, never taking his eyes off of yours. âCome on, baby. Show me what I do to youâŠâ
You shook in his arms as your climax rushed over you, legs trembling and eyes rolling as you clenched around him again and again. He wasnât done, fucking you through it until you were an incoherent mess beneath him.
You never did rejoin Tessa on the dance floor.
~
tags: @harryspetâ @coconutqueen21â @readermiaâ @nickyl316hâ
#Dark Fic#Dark fics#dark!chris evans#chris evans x reader#dark chris evans#dark chris evans x reader
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Der Geliebte

Pairing: Jungkook x artist! Reader
Gender of the Reader: female
Word Count: 6.4kÂ
Rating: 16+
AU: non idol! Jungkook x artist! Reader AU!
Genre: strangers to lovers AU; friends to lovers AU! (idiots to lovers AU!); love at the first sight! AU; soulmate to lovers! AU (kinda?); unbelievable amount of fluff; a little angst (fluffy angst!!,); tiny amount of smut (one paragraph xD)
Warnings: tiny bit of smut/some sexual tension between both of them; Jungkook is a poor shy thing and is fucking nervous around the reader all the time; teeth rotting fluff; both are so in love with each other that theyâre getting stupid to not realize it; both are insecure that theyâre not meant for another... just fluff, fluff, fluff and painfully obvious pining over each other!Â
A/N: Hallelujah, I finally did it! After I made Sibi @borathaeâ wait over three months for her Christmas + Birthday Fanfic I finished it two weeks to late for my sweetest Darlings Birthday! I am so incredibly sorry that I made you wait for such a long time and really, Sweetie, you have all the rights to be still mad at my stupid ass! Nevertheless... I love you so goddamn much and I hope the fic made at least a little bit up for it... Love you!!!! đ đÂ
Summary: You and Jungkook met right at the first day you opened your own atelier in Seoul after you had to leave your old home behind you. You love paint canvas with landscape motives, other people just roll with their eyes when they hear that you choose such usual, almost boring things to paint. Not so Jungkook, he seems to be different than most of visitors. Itâs almost like he can read your feelings through your paintings...
Status: Edited (I am sorry for any still existing errors in here!)Â
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ă© tipsydipsydoă
This following story is my intellectual property and belongs only to my blog tipsydipsydo.tumblr.com!
Iâll not accept any kind of reposting, stealing or using/editing my work!
That includes reposting my content on other social media platforms too, even when you link me as the original author.
Thank you.

* Jungkookâs POV *Â
"In what are you getting yourself into, Jungkook?"
 I quietly ask myself as I get rid of my clothes behind the paravent and throw the dressing gown over his body which you laid out for me. My hands are sweaty, they tremble slightly and my heart beats wildly, as if it wants to jump right out of my chest. Excitement spreads throughout my body, leaving a faint feeling in my stomach and a certain blush rises in my cheeks. I still can't believe what I've gotten myself into . But... you looked at me so pleadingly with your dear and downright innocent eyes that I would have done anything for you with that look of yours. I want to make you happy, see that happy and contented smile on your lips, which always makes a whole horde of wild butterflies break out in my belly. 'Normally I was the shyness and silence in person and with you... with her, I feel for the first timesomething like peace and security. Especially when I consider how shy I usually am around women.', I ask myself and I don't really know the answer to that. But what can I do against my feelings? I don't really know, on the one hand they scare me, on the other hand they feel so exciting and new that I don't want to eliminate them at all.
I don't even know exactly when the whole thing started. In which moment my feelings for you grew, when I felt more than just fascination and admiration for you and your artwork. Six months ago, a small studio had opened in my district, your own studio. On the day of the opening I simply went to it of pure curiosity, I had always had such a weakness for art and photography.
I can still remember exactly how I stood in front of one of your works and was literally speechless and overwhelmed by this picture and all his small details. This painting represents a classic image of the countryside, which was often to be found everywhere. But this work was different. So full of small details and ornaments. It was so much more... As a viewer you can see a beautiful clearing, which is surrounded by trees and protected from too many curious eyes. The ground of this clearing is overgrown with dense and lush green grass, which from the incoming sunlight almost invites you to let yourself fall into the grass. It reminds me instantly of my carefree childhood, when I rolled in it without overthinking my actions too much and those times when I playfully wrestled with my best friends around until our clothes had grass stains all everywhere. I could almost smell the scent of wild, untamed nature. The longer I look at the picture, the greater the longing became. Maybe I could visit this beautiful place one day, together with my partner, my significant other. Playing around with each other, chasing your beloved one until you fall into the grass breathless laughing and cuddling. Maybe we could have a picnic there and feed each other with homemade sweets?Â
I didnât know that such a "simple" landscape painting could touch and awaken so much more in me, in my soul. Suddenly, such a wanderlust came over me that I gasped for air and a heavy lump formed in my throat. My whole body was tingling and my heart was literally screaming to get away from this dreadfully grey and monotonous daily routine of my boring single life, for at least some weeks. I want to go to this place, where I could draw the warm and fresh, natural air could deep into my lungs and pamper myself with homemade delicacies. Just to let the soul dangle and donât stuck with my closely clocked work life. Maybe sleep until 10 o'clock in the morning and then maybe have a nice nap later. Enjoy the warm nights and hear the crickets chirping. This longing was... irrepressible. This particular wanderlust for nature, just to be out of the city, this longing for exactly this abandoned and untouched forest clearing literally overwhelmed me. What was it for an artist who could trigger such feelings and emotions in me?
I had been so absorbed in the artwork that I had not even noticed that a person step next to me. "Do you like the work?", asked a soft melodic voice, which spoke perfect Korean, but was pervaded by a light accent, which I could not quite assign. I flinched a little, but this bright, happy laugh gave me a tingling goosebumps all over my body. What a beautiful laugh... I turned to the person who was the owner of this beautiful voice. I was startled when I realized that the artist and owner of this studio was standing in front of me personally. I recognized her again, as I had seen a small photo of her in the newspaper article that drew my attention to this beautiful studio in the first place. Already in this picture she had radiated something so strong, colorful, cheerful and lively, which caused an excited flutter in my stomach.Â
I admit, I already laid an eye on her just by her appearance. Unfortunately I always had a hard time getting to know people ever since, let alone to talk to women. And now having you, Y/N, personally standing right in front of me, made me feel fluffy and excited in my stomach. Nothing is left of this otherwise so sassy and self-confident man that I used to be. Only a nervous and stodgy twenty-three-year-old idiot, who did not know what to say or wanted to say, now stands in front of this stunningly pretty and intelligent woman.
Her eyes sparkles like jewels, full of joy, struck me with interest and a playful smile lays on her lips. "Did you not understand my question?", she asked kindly, but nobly reserved. Immediately a rosy puff settled on my cheeks and I stuttered nervously: "Y-Yes, excuse me! I... I was just somewhere else with my thoughts and was completely surprised that they were addressing me personally.... Your works are truly unique! They still show such âusualâ motifs and yet they are so special because of these finely elaborated details and this passion with which this work of art was painted. They really are... Unique artworks that you do not forget so quickly. Even for untrained eyes as my owns, I can see that a talented artist has worked on it. I am very impressed by your work, especially this work here!" You could hear the honest admiration from my voice and my heart leapt as she reacted bashful to all of my compliments.
"Thank you, really, thank you so much! I really appreciate to hear such nice words like yours, even if it is rare. I am often criticized for my âlack of creativityâ, caused by my chosen motives. I just love the rough, almost untouched landscapes of my hometown, I try to depict the ânormalâ as something beautiful, unique. I would like to âreally seeâ what we already take for granted again. As a wonderful creation, a work of art. Nature is a wonderful example of this, or the architecture of buildings as well. Architects are also artists, although unfortunately they are not seen as such. I just want to offer the obvious things a more meaningful space again.... People like you have become rare. I have observed how you have recognized the true meaning, this beauty and aesthetics in such a âusual-lookingâ motif. And this pleases me so much that you can read 'between the brushstrokes'. Oh... Excuse me, I always talk way too much when someone shows an interest in art or music, my personal passions. Besides that, I have not introduced myself to you yet, I am Y/N! I was obviously so pleased to see your understanding, empathetic look at this work, if you understand what I mean... Anyway... I can guess that you knew my name already, don't you? What about you? May I know your name?", asked you, beautiful artist, with her really stunning smile.
I swallowed nervously, never before had a young lady mixed my emotions so much in me. Even the picture of her in the newspaper article, which I had read out of boredom in one of my lectures, got me so emotionallyconfused. I didn't want to say it in front of my teasing friends, but I had been really excited when I set off this Friday night. And now the creator of these works of art stood before me and seemed to want to have a longer conversation with me. My heart beats to my throat and I got sweaty hands from this nervousness in my poor body. Honestly, as soon as I wasn't surrounded by my clique of friends, I automatically turned into a nervous, slightly abashed blushing and stuttering guy who behave like an inexperienced teenager.Â
In private life, without my best mates by the side, I am not so confident and daredevil. After all, I always had someone who could cover my back when things get tough, while I am on my own without anyone I know. You could usually only believe and trust, not control. That's probably why I struggled with interpersonal relationships. I always overthink too much and have some struggles with my self-confidence.
And now this attractive young woman looked at me with such interest and joy, just me. I was actually the reason for her interest. A joyful and blissful tingling seized every pore, every fiber of my body. Yes, in fact it was just me! Not my best buddy Seokjin, whom I have known since childhood and always sought the attention of everyone. It was no exaggeration to say that he was perhaps a little narcissistic, but only to cover up his own insecurities. Never would I have thought that someone would manage to get this personification of self-love under control. I admired his wife for standing up to Seokjin and keeping him and his dad Jokes at bay. Believe it or not, she of all people had the pants on in the house and knew how to deal with my best friend.
My gaze glided over the figure of the person in front of me and once again I took a sharp breath. I was so nervous to face her personally, a person I already deeply admired and had quite a respect for. I simply did not want to do anything wrong, even if this charm of hers was almost tangible and paralyzed my entire brain with its function. I can already picture how my mind waved wildly goodbye to myself and went to the summer holiday in the Caribbean.
This carefree smile and these beautiful eyes harmonized wonderfully with your complexion. Your features were awake and alive, seemingly always a slight smile surrounded the corners of your mouth, which provoked almost paradoxical reactions in my body. Your smile awake countless butterflies to flutter around in my stomach, which made me quite nervous and at the same time you radiated such a sense of security and calm, as if there was no reason not to get a word out of shyness. My gaze, which I hope examined you unobtrusively enough, wandered to your hands. You had long fingers, I could really imagine how they elegantly held the handle of the paint brushes and worked on these small details extensively in such a calm behavior. Which satisfied and concentrated calmness you possibly radiated while doing that...
A small, noble clearing of your throat again tore me out of my fantasies and speculations. God, what was I today but inattentive! How rude I must have seemed to you...
"Oh, sorry... I... I have not been able to keep my thoughts together all day..." I lied to seem at least a little more credible. Nervously, I pulled on the knot of my tie to loosen it up a little before I have a circulatory collapse. Before I went here, I thought for a long time about what I should wear for this occasion. Jeans and T-shirt were out of the question, too casual and almost an insult for your atelier. A complete suit, however, seemed too overdressed to me and so I decided for a black dress pants and a dark blue dress shirt.Understanding, Y/N nodded and gave me a cheering smile, which made my body tingle again. This woman drove me half crazy alone with his friendly gestures. How could it be that this polite lady got me confused right away?!
And somehow, it gave me a frenzy to leave my secure, anonymous side as a visitor to her exhibition and irrevocably reveal my true identity to you.
"My name is Jeon Jungkook."I answered in a slightly trembling voice, hardly daring to look into her eyes and rubbing my neck unobtrusively.

* Jungkookâs POV *
If only I had guessed what would change in me, how you changed me. That so much more would develop from a pure interest and a simple formal business contact... that you want to make me one of your artworks.
I take another deep breath before I dare to step out from behind the dark red paravent. It is pleasantly warm in this room, I should not freeze, if I am already so freely clothed. My gaze wanders through the small room with the huge, floor-to-ceiling window, which floods the entire room with light. The walls of the room have been painted in a dark orange and red colors and dark wooden planks lay out on the floor. It looks so comfortable due to the warm, dark tones. The orange-yellow evening sun dipped everything into something so cozy... sensual. Somehow into even a little erotic?
Y/N wants to work a lot with the light of the evening sun in this painting, which could be a little complicated if it is not suitable or if it is cloud-covered. But if you have put something into your head, especially in relation to your art, then you do everything you can do to go through it! Also the changing forces of nature cannot stop you from trying to realize your idea. Sometimes, youâre someone who is quickly frustrated and dissatisfied with yourself as well, especially when something doesn't work as you wants it to. Nevertheless when it comes to your passion, drawing and painting, you donât let your idea go away, if you want something, youâll find a way to make it happen. These are qualities that I know all too well of myself and thus my fascination about you only grows even more. The more time we spent together and I get to know more and more sides of you, the more attracted I became to you.
Your art means a lot to you and youâre quite tough in this respect, can not be overcome by the reproaches and the crushing criticism. Thatâs exactly what I admire so much about you, having the courage to stand up for personal passion. When I get criticized, all too often I think about really giving up on it, so that I don't have to endure all this criticism anymore. And then I look at you. How focused you are in this moment and carefully prepare for your next project. How you adjusts you easel to the right height, let your self-stretched canvas snap into place, spreads brushes of all sizes and shapes on the small side table next to you and prepares youracrylic colours. I swallow again, as I watched this happen. I am about to become one of your next artworks.
A little uncertainly I walk towards Y/N, the thin dressing gown tightly drawn around my body... never before have I felt so naked and vulnerable. This here is something else. I feel something about it... I feel something for you. For this pretty lady, who sprays her cheerfulness around her and could conjure a smile on the lips of even the most grumpy person. This joy almost kills you, completely engrossed this person and gives you the feeling of floating. You will get the feeling of being welcome at Y/N. To be accepted, with all the flaws and weaknesses that one has. She just smiles at you so gently and lovingly and just says, it's okay. It's okay to be the way you are. Imperfect.
"It is precisely this imperfect, this contradictory and also unpredictable thing that makes us human. That makes us an individual and also interesting. If we were really all as we are expected to be, it would be boring and monotonous. The surprise is only a real gift. Each of us is a very individual gift to a very specific addressee, who is the only one who can truly appreciate this gift. Only then did the recipient find the right person as his gift... Well, if the recipient knows about his gift...", Y/N once said with such a certain look at me, when we went out to dinner together in a restaurant in the evening to clarify some details. I wanted to help her find good contacts in Seoul and help her sell her works.
I can still remember it exactly... it was a quite... extraordinary evening. I was of course once again incredibly nervous and excited. At that time, I did not want to fully realize how much I already like you. Secretly, I had observed my opposite. Your positive and friendly disposition had turned my head all around... and in addition, this beautiful body and her elegant fingers, which already haunt me in the most erotic way unintentionally in my dreams.Â
I could not prevent my dream pictures from shooting through my head, which is why my cheeks turned dark red in embarrassment. These fucking fantasies in my head! My eyes stare at the cutlery as if it were incredibly interesting because I didn't dare look up. There were scenes in my mind that made my ears turn red and I wouldâve loved to hide behind the menu card. Your body, which made her look like a Greek goddess.
Naked, body covered in sweat, your body shook in lust, you sit up with a wonderful moan... You are on top of me, I could admire your beautiful, almost divine body as you sat on top of me... and rode me. This breathtakingly beautiful distorted face of yours, as if all this pleasure you feel is carved in marble... lids closed, your lips, swollen from all the kissing, are slightly opened which let  your lustful whimpering escape. This grace and elegance, as you rose from me and then lowered yourself again... as your hands glide erratically over my stomach, searching for support... you suddenly threw your head back and clenched even more tightly around my length. The addicting sounds youâve made... itâs like the most beautiful melody in my ears... squelching noises and even more of yourjuices gushing out of your sweet, so sweet pussy when you came...
An all-too-familiar laugh tore me out of my extremely indecent thoughts, which quite relieved me at first. Until I raised my head and not too far away I recognized no one but my best friend Kim Seokjin, who made very questionable hand signals in my direction. Oh my God, no! I knew that he had recently changed his job and got accepted for a position as a chef in a new restaurant... but not in this Restaurant! He will never let me life after he found out I was on a âDateâ with a woman...
Even though Seokjin was on the other side of the restaurant, I could almost feel his smirk on my own skin. Fuck it, just pretend as if you do not know each other and hit him really hard tomorrow morning in the gym where we meet up for our work out. I quickly turned all my attention back to the person sitting opposite me and tried to ignore Seokjin as best I could.
It was only at the end of the evening, when I had said goodbye to Y/N, that I realized that this meeting had much more of a date than a "business dinner". How familiar we had talked with each other... how much I had thought about licking Y/N the drop from the chocolate sauce of her lava cake from her lips... how it would be... to kiss and touch you...
A noticeable blush has settled on my cheeks as I attended our first meeting together... or even Date in this Restaurant thought back. Four months had passed since then and I suffered from longing for you. You would never see me like I saw you. The reason you wanted to draw me was simply that she needed someone as a model. In addition to landscapes and cities, you want to devote herself gradually to more other motifs. And since I have been the first inquired. Your pleading eyes made me say yes. But I know that for me you have no more than the feelings for a casual friendship. It hurts to see how you flirt around so casually with all those other people. I would never be the gift for you as you are for me. If only the recipient would notice that there is a given heart laying in your hands...
"Ah, Jungkook! Iâm glad that you're ready!", your cheerful and melodic voice cuts through the silence of the room and youâre walking towards me with excited shining eyes. "Come~," you say and lead me to the chaiselongue, which is placed in front of the large window. The soft, orange light of the evening sun falls on the wine-red fabric of the restored chaiselounge in baroque style. The upholstery has frames covered in gold and also the lion feet on which this historic furniture stands are gilded. Everything was decorated with so many Details, it looks so incredibly elegant and luxurious. On the left side there are some cushions in the same color and an elegant design is carved on the backrest, literally inviting to get used.
"Surely you know the movie 'Titanic', right? Do you remember the scene where Jack used charcoal pencils to draw an nude coal picture of Rose as she laid on the sofa? I would like to draw you in a similar position. I hope it's okay for you if I look at you more closely without a dressing gown... i want to get an overview of your body proportions.", you say, looking me straight in the eye. I notice that youâre very concerned about my privacy and does not want to overstep any of my personal boundaries without my consent. I nod slightly at first until I get a clear yes over my lips. She looks at me silently for a few seconds before reassuring me once again that we can always stop at any time if I feel uncomfortable. Especially your patience and mindfulness of my boundaries shows me how important it is for you as well and how I actually relax noticeably. Y/N smiles cheerfully at me and I slowly loosen the belt of the dressing gown and let the last garment slide to the ground. I feel her in-depth look at me... he is not uncomfortable... only... exciting... in a few different ways.
I swallow again and lie down on the chaiselongue as instructed. You correct my arm and leg position, also rearrange all of the cushions correctly. To my own relief, you put a red cloth over my crotch area. Not that I am ashamed of anything, I am more than comfortable with you already... I just have some worries that I will get a visible problem if I constantly feel your look on my bare skin.
 "It should be able to guess something, but not be allowed to see everything right away...", she whispered with a smile, before her fingertips unintentionally glide tenderly through my happy trail. One of your last smiles are... not really to interpret. Then you return to your easel.

* The Readerâs POV *
Carefully you sit down on your old painting stool, already quite worn out on the edges and stained with the most different types and tones of colors. It had originally been dark brown. You smile dreamily when you think back that youâre used to dangle your legs around when you were a little kid because it was way too big for you back then. For eighteen years now you have exactly this stool and this easel. They had been a gift from your grandfather for your fifth birthday. He had awakened the passion of painting and drawing in you and passed his talent on to you. A certain melancholy seized you when I thought back to how you used to paint your first real picture on canvas with your new easel in the old music room in your grandfather's country house.Â
It had been the old, dusty grand piano, which must have been more than a hundred years old at that time. How the country house survived all these wars unscathed, you ask yourself to this day. Perhaps there had already been something magical about it at that time, which should remain untouched. Perhaps the small estate should remain an inconspicuous symbol of hope, the hope that at some point the sun and peace will return when the unbearable suffering and sorrow of this cruel time is over. When the wars were over and all those seeking protection who had fled to this country house were able to return to their own homes again. This house, this estate you can explain your childhood with a single word. Home.
You lift your thought-lost look from your empty, folded hands and look to Jungkook. He takes your breath away every time you see him. He is so special, such a wonderful and yet you firmly believe that he has not been chosen for you, such an ordinary woman as you are. He would belong to someone else with whom he would be happy, although he is the only one who was able to understand and read your works, the language in them. It... it had been such a beautiful moment when, six months ago, he stood in your newly opened studio, so absorbed by the painting of the forest of your childhood. All the other visitors had only looked at it briefly and smiled wearily at the fact that it was again only a landscape painting, but did not grasp what the story behind this work was. Why the artist chosed this very motif, to see, to feel what the creator wanted to communicate through the work.Â
But Jungkook had been different. He had given the work, your personal heart, a chance to unravel the true meaning behind it. He did it slowly, bit by bit with his eyes... grasped with his whole mind and heart and finally let himself be influenced as a whole. You could tell from his body reactions that he felt exactly what you had felt when you painted it last summer. Longing. Infinite Longing. Mixed together with melancholy, a little homesickness and sorrow to a unique emotional color. The day you painted it was the last time you saw the house in your official possession. Your grandfather had left it to you. But unfortunately you lacked money, you had to pay some debts and with the best will you could not earn the money in other ways. So you had to sell it with a heavy heart. Your beloved birth and childhood home and the associated lands, you had to sell your true home away. The picture is the only thing left of it. And Jungkook was the only person who understood what you wanted to express with the painting. Longing. My Homesickness.
When all these sensations came upon him, he involuntarily clenched his hands tightly, his chest lifted and lowered quickly, his Adam's apple hopped repeatedly. His eyes were glassy. He experienced your longing as directly as you did. He... is so special. So infinitely amiable. He... he is the only person whoâs able to read your true feelings in your works. He is able to read between your brush strokes.
So today you will try him... to paint a confession of love with this act. Maybe he could read... what you feel for him. Even if you know that you will probably never see him again. Because you would not be the recipient of his love and affection. He's just too... too... gifted for a simple artist like you. He would never be your gifted person.
Your gaze glides tenderly and caressingly over his body. Trying to absorb every little detail of his body, his charisma and his character into you and let it flow into the painting. Every birthmark you want to put on the canvas and hold on. You want to show Jungkook how beautiful he is. How godlike he lies before you on this majestic chaiselongue, how masculine and muscular he is, as if he wanted to embody an Adonis. You want to paint every muscle, even the smallest visible muscle, on the canvas in a realistic manner, you want to capture the strength and security that he conveys to you over and over again and make it visible to him. And yet... his gaze often corresponds to that of an intimidated, insecure fawn, which does not dare to want to get up on his legs on his own. The fear of falling again is too big. Through this painting you want to show Jungkook what he really is, what he represents for you and what you feel for him. He is... so contradictory. He is strong, godlike, powerful... and at the same time, so infinitely uncertain, vulnerable... almost pure.
Silence enters your little studio, only the regular breathing of the other and the muffled noise of the busy world outside the door could be heard. Here... here, it feels like time is standing still for a moment for the two of you. Your shared eternity had begun.
To your happiness that it is summer right now and it stays bright for a long time. Today you take more time than usual to mix colors. You want to mix a shade that perfectly matches his skin tone. You want to get the exact color of his black hair down onto the canvas, and the perfect brown for his beautiful eyes. The evening sun and the leaves of the huge treetops in front of the large window conjure up the most beautiful patterns on his immaculate body. A game of light and shadow. It seems to you that Jungkook's body, every single pore of his body has a tiny diamond, so that he begins to sparkle in the sunlight like an infinitely precious jewel. The evening sun warms him, lays a thin layer of sweat over his body. Every detail you try to bring to the canvas, every feeling, every movement of my heart, everything you feel for him, you want to bring to this canvas. You want to make him a masterpiece. Because for you, he is the most beautiful specimen, the only true crown of the human creation.
Some black strands have come loose from his manbun and have fallen on his forehead. It looks stunning, to see him like that. I had never seen him with a messy or even completely open hair... but even now these strands loosened from the braid make his facial features look so much softer and more relaxed. In it, the adult and strong man united with a young, vulnerable, shy boy. The result is... infinitely beautiful. He possesses both sides, so he makes the seemingly inexhaustible divine human being.
His eyes, drawing his eyes with that expression in them, cost you a lot of nerves. Too often you misunderstood this infinite longing that you find in his dark, brown eyes. Again and again you have to restrain yourself, not just to get up, to go over to him... and to kiss him.
This longing look you misinterpret is as longing as you own... according to your closeness, your touch, your affection... according to your love. Because you love him. You love everything about him, his sheepish laugh, the way of rubbing his neck shyly, the way he speaks and explains his point of views about things, how he smells... just everything... every blemish he blames on himself, you think itâs like an artwork on him. He is so perfectly imperfect that you just fell in love with him.
The sun has already set and only the last pink and purple streaks could be seen in the sky, with which the past day says goodbye to the world. One last time you can hear the velvety stroke of the brush over the canvas before you finally put the brush aside. It is finished. You have given everything that is in your power, used all of your artistic abilities and knowledge to the utmost and you have incorporated everything that you feel and think about into this artwork. And what you see put a smile on your lips, but also makes your pulse rise. What will Jungkook say when he looks at it? He will see it... can he read what you feel for him in it?
With a trembling voice, you call Jungkook and look at him one last time. The last time the sight of this male beauty was granted to you. One last time.
After Jungkook has wrapped himself in the dressing gown again, he slowly comes towards you and your easel. Your heart is throbbing as if it really wants to fearfully flight and jump out of your chest. Your body gets hot and cold at the same time and suddenly your hands get sweaty, the dried color on your skin mixes with the sweat to a uncomfortable mess in your palms, which somehow makes you even more nervous. Then he stands next to you. Looking at the canvas for the first time himself. The last brushstroke is still drying.
Once again there is silence, which makes you incredibly nervous and with every second that passes, you want to follow your instinct to escape. Jungkook's pupils are dilated and blown out, whether with bewilderment or horror, you can not recognize. One of his hands shoots up his mouth, he trembles all over his body. Suddenly you hear a suppressed, throaty sobbing. Surprised and a little appalled, you look at Jungkook, who has shut his eyes tightly and presses the palm of his hand even harder on his mouth, as if he wants to muffle every sound. Tears escape the corners of his eyes. This is a reaction... which you would not have expected...
Gently, mindful of any kind of resistance, you wrap your arms around his neck and hold him. He doesn't say anything, he doesn't sob, he doesn't whimper. He just cries. Tenderly, consolingly you hold him, without wanting to distress him. He literally presses his face into the crook of your neck. Salty tears drench your blouse, but it doesn't bother you. The reason why he had such an emotional outburst, you just don't understand. But still... it's okay. It is valid.
As he slowly calms down and his breathes becomes regularly again, he carefully lifts his head out of the crook of your neck and wipes the last tears out of his eyes dry in slight embarrassment. He slowly releases himself from your embrace until you finally stand silently in front of each other.
"What title youâll give this artwork?", he asks softly, in a rough, throaty voice. You swallow . "It shall be called 'Der Geliebte'. ...it is german and translated it means... âThe belovedâ ", you say barely audibly and lower your head. After this confession, you can no longer look him in the eyes.
Jungkook takes a sharp breath in and you're actually just waiting for a devastating response from him that would be like a death threat. But nothing of this happened. Instead, your chin is suddenly raised by his fingertips and you look into Jungkook's beautiful eyes. He bites his lower lip a little uncertainly,his own gaze falls on your pretty shaped lips.Â
"Do you... do you allow me to kiss you?", he asks quietly... barely audible for you even though youâre standing so close to each other. He doesn't dare to look you into the eyes after such a question, he is too afraid that you deny his request. But you can hardly believe your luck, a high pitched âyes!â flew over your lips and before you can control yourself, you press your own lips right onto his. They are incredibly soft and kiss you back in such a delightfully and endearing insecure and shy manner as no other could ever have done it.
Your heart beats full of joy and bliss and in your belly, the butterflies fly somersaults of all different kinds that your whole body began to tingle. Your mind cannot get a grasp of all this yet, but this... you don't need any more of it at this moment anyway.
The kiss is tender, shy and somewhat uncertain from both sides. Jungkook is very insecure and shy, but before he can escape like a frightened deer again, you put your arms around his neck and let your hands rest in the nape of his scalp. Again and again you detach yourselves from each other only for the fraction of a second to get a breath of air into your lungs in order to find each other lips again... until you stopped for a few seconds.
"I like you... I like you really, really much, Jungkook... I even dare to say that I fell on love with you.", you mutter softly against his lips. His shy, happy smile was too much for you, so you immediately kiss him again. Perhaps because of the sheer joy and maybe of the certainty that he feels the same for you, the next kiss turns into something more passionate than before...

#bts jungkook#bts fanfic#bts pov#bts fluff#kpop fanfics#kpop bts#jeon jungkook#bts friends to lovers#bts smut#bts x artist! reader#bts imagines#bts x reader#jungkook x y/n#shy jungkook#jungkook x reader#bts angst#bts scenarios#kpop smut#jungkook fluff#freinds to lovers au#soulmate au bts#fluff attack#by tipsydipsydo
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on my mom's grave
wordcount: 3.7k
warnings: n/a
______
âHow drunk do you think weâre going to get tonight?â Sophie asked, tipping back the last of a lemon White Claw as the two of them got ready for the night in her room.
âDunno. Iâm not really feeling it tonight.â
She paused, glancing back at him. âDo you not want to go?â
He shook his head and took the can from her, disappointed to realize there was nothing left. âNo, no, itâs fine. Iâm cool. Probably just wonât drink.â
âIs this about the phone call with your dad earlier?â
Rafe sighed, gritting his teeth. âItâs not - Iâm fine, Soph.â
She crossed her arms and eyed him over, trying to get a read on his body language. âYouâre sure.â
âIâm sure.â After Rafe tugged his shirt over his head, ready much faster than Sophie, he paced around the room for a few seconds before speaking up. "Hey, so...Sarah's getting presented at the annual deb ball in spring."
Sophie seemed unbothered, turning her back to him as she wrestled her way into a crop top to get ready for the night. "Those are still a thing? Cool, so you're going home for it?" She paused, glancing over at him in his polo. "Undo another button."
He did so, then rocked back on his heels with his hands in his pockets, trying to figure out what to say next.
She slowly turned back to him, realizing he was still tense across his shoulders. "What?"
Rafe rubbed the back of his neck, a tell-tale sign he was nervous and Sophie wasn't going to like what he was about to say. "Yeah...my dad wanted you to come home for it too."
"What? Ward? Why?"
"He, kinda, uh, wants you to be presented too?"
She just laughed, turning back to the mirror with her brow furrowed in slight concentration as she applied another coat of mascara. "Okay. Sure." But when he didn't elaborate, she turned back to him again, lips pursed. "Cameron. Tell me you told him no."
"...I didn't not not tell him no."
"Rafe."
He cracked under her stare. "I'm sorry, okay! Look, it's easy, all you have to do is throw on a pretty white dress and gloves -"
"A dress that costs thousands of dollars -"
"Hundreds, but - I'll cover you, obviously -"
"No." She turned back to the mirror, shaking her head. "Fuck no. I'm not going."
"Sophie." He nearly begged, stepping closer and running his hand through his hair. "Baby. C'mon."
"Don't call me that. No. I donât fit into that part of your world.â
"Not even for me?" He pleaded, giving her a half-hearted grin. He ignored her last sentence, knowing any argument he had for her point would be dismissed in two seconds. "I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important, you know that."
She turned back to him with crossed arms, fixing him with a glare. "Do I know that?"
"Soph."
"Don't, Rafe." She warned, holding one hand out, but he stepped closer anyways.
"Angel. Please. For me." He forced a smile, tried cracking a joke. "I really don't want to have to call him up and get read the riot act."
She furrowed her brow and Rafe reached out and smoothed out the lines in between her eyebrows before he could stop himself, making her soften just a little. "If I were to say yes. What would I have to do?"
"Just wear the dress, attend a dinner, party the night before and party that night." He paused, thinking. "And stay at my house for the weekend. Be civil to my dad.â At her eyeroll, he fixed her with a more serious gaze. âMeet my grandparents. Hang with my sisters. C'mon, Wheezie adores you."
"You're lying."
"I'm not. She thinks you're cool. Sarah too, but sheâs less likely to admit it." He kissed her forehead, hands going to her waist. "Please?"
"It's that important?"
"I swear. On my mom's grave."
Sophie frowned immediately, reaching up to fix his hair. "That's not necessary."
"You'll do it?"
"...Yes." When he made a small fist pump, she fixed him with a glare. "Only because I love you."
âI'll go down on you every night for the next two weeks -â
She rolled her eyes at his promise, shoving lightly at his chest. "You basically already do that anyways, Rafe -â
"Okay, fine, I'll tie you up, something, anything, god, thank you, Soph. You don't know how big of a favor this is. I mean it." He sighed in relief, the tension draining from his body.
She ignored him, turning back to the mirror to apply lip gloss, carefully smearing the wand across her lips. âWhy does he want me to do this? I donât understand.â
âIs that the sticky stuff? I hate that stuff, it gets all over me when weâre kissing -â He started, then quickly shut his mouth as she flipped him off without looking. âUh, âto integrate you into our society.â Direct quote.â
âOh god.â She groaned, setting the lip gloss aside after applying it, then started searching through her jewelry case. âSo Iâm gonna have to be on my best kook behavior?â
He snorted. âSophie Flint, a kook. Not likely.â
âWatch it.â She pointed a warning finger in his face. âYou donât see anything weird with this? Your dad hates me.â
âHe doesnât hate you.â
âRose does.â
âThatâs not true either.â
Sophie raised her eyebrows, challenging him.
He shrugged, relenting with a sigh. âYouâre not her favorite person, no, but neither am I.â
âYou think this was more her idea? For Sarah to do it too?â
âNah, actually, pretty sure it was my grandparentsâ idea. Probably Granddad. My mom went through all this, soâŠâ
She turned her back to him and gathered her hair, offering the clasp of her gold chain to him. âYour mom was a debutante?â She questioned with interest.
_______
Rafe rarely ever talked about his mom - Sophie had only found out how she died from a newspaper article in the online archives, and hadnât wanted to bring it up since. All she knew was that Mrs. Cameron had passed away in a car accident when Rafe was fourteen.
Both Sophie and Rafeâs schools shared a building, despite them going to private academies, and overlapped for certain advanced placement classes. In freshman year, they were together for AP chemistry, with Sophie sitting proudly at the front of the class while Rafe sat in the back with a group of his friends, often cracking jokes at inappropriate times or throwing wads of paper at each other. Freshman year Sophie was the epitome of stuck-up - she resorted to insults instead of making friends and kept to herself, terrified someone might find out that she was on scholarship and wasnât truly meant to be there.
The day after the car accident, Rafe was unusually quiet. Sophie hadnât heard the news yet, it was barely second period and she wasnât looped into the trail of gossip like the rest of the girls at Greenville. They were partnered for an experiment that day - Rafe had groaned when he heard Sophieâs name after his from the teacher, and Sophie barely suppressed a roll of her eyes. She took charge right away, getting all the supplies and set up their work station without even addressing him. After a few minutes, she slid the small glass of solution to Rafe, raising her eyebrows. âYou can do the work too, you know.â
He was completely spaced out, only glancing up when she said something. âI wasnât paying attention.â
Sophie rolled her eyes, lifting a beaker and extending it to him. âYeah. I know. Just drop in 10 milliliters of the solution, itâs not hard.â
Rafe sighed as he rested his elbows on the edge of the table, rubbing his temples. âLook, can you just do it?â
She finally took note of the dark circles under his eyes, the way his shoulders were slumped, but misinterpreted it all. She smirked, taking on a taunting tone. âWhat, youâre still drunk from last night or something?â
He gritted his jaw, his entire body growing tense, and tugged at the collar of his polo. âFuck off, Flint. Not in the mood today.â
She recoiled immediately, setting the beaker down with a little too much force. âDonât be an asshole.â
âDonât be a fucking bitch.â He spit back, standing abruptly. She winced as the stool squeaked across the floor, drawing everyoneâs attention - as if they hadnât had it already. Kelce stepped over and went to grab Rafeâs arm, possibly pull him away, but Rafe just wrenched his arm out of his grip. âIâm fine.â He growled, storming out of the classroom without looking back.
After a few moments of stunned silence, with Sophie on the verge of shocked tears, their teacher cleared her throat and redirected everyoneâs attention, pointing one of the girls over to join Sophie instead. Molly made her way over, occupying Rafeâs seat in the space across from her. âPoor Rafe,â she murmured.
Sophie frowned, pulling her jacket tighter across her chest like a shield of armor. âPoor Rafe? What?â
Molly nodded, lowering her voice a little. âYeah, you didnât hear? Iâm surprised heâs at school, honestly.â
âI didnât...what happened?â
âOh.â Molly frowned. âUm. You know that winding road, the one that goes downhill toward the ballet studio?â
Sophie didnât, she didnât even have a clue - the ballet studio was on the entire opposite side of the island from where she lived, the height of Figure 8, and she hadnât ever had a reason to even venture that way. âYeah? What does that have to do with Rafe?â
âUm, well, it was pouring last night, and his mom was driving down that road. I heard she lost control of the car and wrecked it. There was, like, a drunk driver that swerved into her lane, but she tried to avoid him and hit a tree.â Molly told her, careful on the details.
âIâm pretty sure the Camerons can replace a car.â Sophie replied, not wanting Molly to confirm where she thought she was going with the story. She dug her nails into the skin of her thigh anyways, feeling anxiety bubble up in her chest.
Molly shook her head, slowly. âMrs. Cameron died, Sophie.â
Her heart dropped and she bit the inside of her cheek, hard. âOh.â
âYeah. Iâm surprised you didnât hear the sirens last night, I saw like eight police cars last night headed toward his house. I heard Sarah was in the car too, I think -â
âIs Sarah okay?â She couldnât concentrate on anything but her ears ringing, her heart pounding in her chest.
âOh, yeah, I think so. But god, how awful, right? The funeral is next weekend, Ward Cameron told my dad this morning. Is your family going?â
âUm...I donât know.â Sophie glanced toward the door, hoping to god he would come back through the door and Molly would confess that it was all a joke, that she hadnât just started something with Rafe on that day of all days.
________
Rafe nodded. âYeah. âCourse she was. I think she really enjoyed it, actually, sheâd always tell Sarah when she was little about how pretty she would look in the dress, how important it was to learn the right etiquette and -â He cut himself off, realizing he was sharing too much, and deftly fastened the clasp before pressing a kiss to the top of her head, letting her step away. âAll that.â
âHuh.â
He smiled to himself, thinking about how his mom would let little Sarah play dress up in her old ballgown with gloves that went up to her armpits, wobbling around in high heels twice the size of her feet. His mom would tell Rafe heâd have to watch out for Sarah with her escort, keep him in line, and that when he was in college heâd be presenting a girl as well. But he was nine and didnât think of girls in that way quite yet, so he always scowled and left the room.
âItâs kind of cool, I think. The tradition of it all.â
âThe ball? Have you been?â She caught his eye in the mirror as she adjusted her top, not wanting to push for too much information before heâd shut down altogether.
âNo...I was gonna present Brooklyn at the one here in Columbus, sophomore yearâs normally when the girl gets presented, but. Yeah. No, I meant, itâs kind of cool that youâll be doing something my mom did.â He rubbed the back of his neck, meeting her gaze for a moment then looked away.
âYeah?â
âShe would have liked you. I know it.â
Sophie perked up a little, cocking her head. âYou really mean it?â
âYeah. She would have liked that you have an attitude with me.â He grinned when she turned back around and took his hand, tugging him over to sit on the bed next to her. âShe was always saying I needed to find someone to match my energy, keep me in check. I wish she could have met you.â
âI did meet her. Once.â
He perked up, cocking his head. âYou did?â
âYeah, I served her when I was working at the restaurant at the country club once, I was only fourteen. I remember she made some comment about me being too young to work and I told her I liked it. Then she asked my name, and I remember she seemed like she knew already when I told her.â Sophie nodded. âShe was really nice, left way too big of a tip and wrote my name on the bill. I always thought that was funny.â
Of course she knew, Rafe thought as he smiled to himself. She knew, because Rafe had come home and complained about a girl getting on his nerves every single week since seventh grade. She knew, when the complaints turned to âwhy wonât just be nice to meâ and his mom had quipped that Sophie probably liked him - he had scoffed and walked away. She knew, because his mom had come home from the country club and told him Sophie Flint was a much nicer girl than Rafe painted her to be, and Rafe had immediately turned bright red and been embarrassed that his mom sought her out.
âI like that.â She leaned into him, taking his hand to play with his rings. âWill your grandparents be there? At the ball?â
âOh, yeah. They sit on the board, Iâm pretty sure, itâs this gigantic charity event. Iâll introduce you, but donât worry, theyâre chill. Nothing like my dad.â He adjusted himself so she was comfortable, then pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
She chewed on the inside of her lip, treading carefully. âI thought your dad grew up on the Cut.â
âHe did. But my mom, no way. Kook through and through. Thatâs, uh, where a lot of my trust is from. After she died, um. She wanted to be sure me and Sarah were set.â He shrugged, ears turning red as he felt his throat getting tight.
Sophie frowned, feeling him closing off, and leaned closer to hug him, arms wrapped tight around his waist. âYou know you can talk to me about this stuff whenever, Rafe? Iâd like to hear more about your mom. She sounds like an amazing woman.â
âShe was.â He nodded, settling his arms around her shoulders and rested his chin on the top of her head, closing his eyes for a moment. âThanks, Soph. This is a really big deal to me, that youâll go. I know itâs not your scene.â
âLove you.â She murmured. âYouâd better buy me a pretty dress.â
He laughed, leaning back just enough to tip up her chin with one finger and kiss her. âYouâll be the best looking one there. I swear.â
âOh, I already knew that.â
âOkay, okay, big head -â
She swatted his arm, laughing as she ducked out from under him. âWatch it, or I wonât go -â
âI was kidding!â He exclaimed, wrestling with her for a moment before grabbing both her hands and pinning them above her head.
Sophie sucked in a breath, caught off guard. âWe are going to be late.â
âWeâre already late.â He pointed out, taking a moment to realize the lack of innocence in the position, then slowly smirked. âWe could be later. Theyâre not gonna miss us.â
âRafe.â
âSophie.â
âNo.â
âYouâre positive?â
She just gave him a look, staring him dead in the eyes and willing herself not to react when he leaned down with a grin and kissed the bridge of her nose.
âPlease?â
âFine. The ball or sex right now. You choose.â She raised her eyebrows, arching her back a little on purpose, pressing her hips up against his.
âThatâs not fair.â He frowned, immediately shifting his hips away and moving so both his knees were on either side of her instead. âThis is blackmail.â
âYour choice.â She reminded him, biting her lip for good measure.
He faltered, sitting back on her thighs and letting go of her wrists. âSoph, itâs - itâs for my mom. I swear. Not for my dad, Rose, anyone else.â
Sophie dropped the teasing act right away, propping herself up on her elbows. âRight, right, sorry. I wonât push it.â
âItâs alright.â He climbed off her, standing, and offered his hands. âFive bucks James makes some joke about us being late because we were having sex.â
âIâm not taking you up on that.â She rolled her eyes, accepting his hand and pulled him into a hug. âLove you long time, Cameron.â
He smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. âLove you too, favorite girl.â
âWhat do the dresses look like?â
âUh...white?â Rafe shrugged, tugging on her hand to get her to follow him downstairs. âI dunno. When we go home for Thanksgiving Iâll book you an appointment to get fitted, I think itâs at some bridal shop on the mainland.â
âSounds expensive.â She muttered, shaking her head.
âItâsâŠyeah. Itâs not cheap.â He admitted, then shrugged as she followed him out the door, starting their walk toward the bars. âIâll take care of it though. All of it. By the way, have you booked your flight home for Thanksgiving yet?â
âUm...no. I was going to look this week, itâs probably too late now though.â
âHm.â
âHm? Why, are you going home?â
Rafe nodded, not looking her in the eye. âTaking the plane.â
âOh. Of course.â
âThe plane...that no one else will be on...and itâs kinda ridiculous for you to waste money and carbon emissions on a separate flightâŠâ He tried convincing her, a small smile playing on his lips as she rolled her eyes.
âYou need to learn how carbon emissions work if youâre going to use that as an argument with me.â
âSo thatâs a no to sex on the plane?â
Sophie stopped in her tracks, confused. âThat wasnât - Rafe, what?â
âYou, me, alone on the plane. Sorry, was I not clear enough?â
âI didnât even say yes -â
âOh, so youâre going to leave me all by myself on our one-year anniversary -â
She raised her eyebrows, challenging him. âWhenâs our anniversary, Rafe?â
He raised his back, stopping on the sidewalk to face her. âOn my terms or yours? Because if weâre going with mine, itâs Halloween -â
âNo, I had to ask you to be my boyfriend, itâs November 18th -â
âThat is such an arbitrary thing, Sophie -â
âHey! Stop stealing my vocabulary.â She interjected, pushing at his chest. âItâs the 18th, because I had to ask you out.â
âOkay. Whatever story makes you happy.â He shrugged, laughing when she shoved at him again. âCome on the plane with me.â
â...Fine. Only because I donât want to miss our class reunion party on Wednesday night, Iâm pretty sure some people still donât believe weâre together.â
Rafe laughed loud at that, looping his arm around her shoulders and started walking again. âPretty sure Topper still thinks itâs all an elaborate lie.â
âDoes he know that we nearly hooked up in his room last winter break?â
âNo.â He grinned. âAre you forgetting that you had to sprint into his bathroom right when I was about to kiss you because of some tequila thing you had?â
She tilted her head slightly. âYouâre remembering wrong. That was sophomore year, before we were dating, I barely drank last year...you almost kissed me?â
âWhat? No, I think...remember, we were arguing over something, then you whispered in my ear to go up to his room and left. I went up a couple minutes later.â He shook his head. âI wasnât going to make a move, Brooklyn and I were together then.â
Sophie scowled at the mention of Brooklyn. âI must have been hammered, I donât remember any of this.â
âYou wanted me.â He smirked, trailing his fingers along her collarbone. âOne might say desperate.â
âNo, no. All I remember is waking up in Topperâs bed feeling like shit, I had some crewneck on from your academy.â She ignored the blush creeping up her neck.
âHow do you think you got there and got the sweatshirt?â He frowned. âI took care of you, Sophie. You really donât remember?â
âI think I blacked out.â She confessed, shaking her head. âYou took care of me?â
âOf course I did. Plus, I thought I was about to get some, I would have done anything for you.â He grinned, laughing when she shoved his shoulder. âReally thought that was the night Iâd finally win you over.â
âYeah, well, you can blame Sarah for her heavy pour that night.â She shook her head, smiling fondly. âI really wish I remembered that.â
âI wish you remembered too. Maybe you would have given me a chance before then instead of setting me up with Julia.â
âI - no! She asked to be set up with you, no, I did not instigate that at all.â She defended herself straightaway, cheeks flushing pink. âShe said if I wasnât going to make a move, then she was going to.â
âSure. Whatever you believe.â He teased, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as they arrived at the bar. âHey, Soph.â
She rolled her eyes, going to get in the winding line outside until he tugged her wrist back, pulling her to his chest. âWhat?â
âThank you. I mean it.â
Sophie softened, smiling as she rose up on her toes to kiss him. âOf course, baby. Iâve got your back.â
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#rafe cameron#rafe cameron fanfic#rafe cameron fanfiction#outer banks#outer banks fanfic#outer banks fanfiction#obx fanfic#rafe x sophie#mine#college rafe#frat rafe
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Something to be Thankful For - Chapter 2
Title â Something to be Thankful For Pairings â Jensen/Reader Word Count â 1,459 Warnings â RATED R FOR LATER CHAPTERS: Violence in the form of a mass bombing/shooting, injuries both explained and detailed, cursing SPNMixedBingo Square filled â Thanksgiving
Jensen Acklesâ life changes when he walks into his favorite coffee shop and meets Y/N, a Florida girl making a new start in Austin, Texas, as a Sheriffâs Deputy with the help of her sister. The two hit it off and quickly become an item that even the tabloids canât tear apart. Jensen is excited to show his girl off at Thanksgiving dinner with his family, but she has to work the parade that morning first. What starts out as a normal event filled with balloons, clowns, and cheery faces soon turns deadly as one of the floats explodes and gunfire fills the air. Soon, Y/N is in a fight for her life as she and the rest of the deputies fight back against whoever it is trying to take over Downtown Austin.
Is Jensen doomed to watch the woman who brought love back into his life perish in a tragic mass attack, or will he have Something to be Thankful For after all?
Chapter 2
I donât want it to be Thanksgiving yet. Wasnât it just Halloween? Y/N read on her mobile phone as she stood in her bathroom, getting ready for work. She smirked at the text message from Jensen and typed out a quick reply.
What are you complaining about? You get to stay in that warm bed and sleep in. Iâm the one who has to go stand out in the cold for like 6 hours. Carefully setting her phone down, Y/N focused on making sure all the strands of her hair were tucked up in the French braid she styled her long locks into and off the collar of her shirt as the uniform code required. She was carefully checking her make-up one last time when her phone chirped a reply.
Iâm lonely in this warm bed. You should have stayed the night, he replied promptly. Her smirk grew into a full-on grin. Gently shaking her head, she replied.
If I did stay the night, then I would end up late to call. Again. That was a glorious morning, and she would have been happy to repeat it. Instead of spending the 45 valuable minutes getting ready to leave, she willingly spent them in the shower with Jensen. She invariably ended up showing up 15 minutes late to the briefing with wobbly legs, still wet hair, and a few beard burns on the inside of her thighs.
Iâd be happy to make a repeat performance of that morning anytime you want, sweetheart. Just get that tight ass back here in my bed, he replied eagerly.
Maybe Iâll stay the night tonight after Thanksgiving dinner with your parents. Howâs that? Y/N responded before setting her phone down to make sure her shirt fitted correctly across her bulletproof vest. Grabbing her phone and walking out of her bathroom, she felt the buzz of his reply.
It's a date, he sent. Y/N felt herself smile widely before sliding the phone into her back pocket. Their first date was the day they met at her sisterâs coffee shop. Their second date was the next night. It went on like that for a few days before they shared their first kiss. It was a few weeks later when a photographer caught them. The next day, a celebrity rag ran the photo of them sharing a kiss in front of a fountain in Austin with the headline âJensen Ackles Post Divorce Fling!â
Feeling wrecked, Y/N waited for the inevitable to come. She was certain he was coming over and telling her that he couldnât be with her because of the publicity. She was genuinely shocked when he shrugged the article off as no big deal.
âSo they ran the story before I could formally ask you to be my gorgeous girlfriend. Nothing they wrote changes how I feel about you,â Jensen said with a shrug that afternoon when he showed up at her place. Y/N looked at him in surprise, making Jensen stare at her. âWhat?â
âI just⊠I expected you to tell me you had to stop seeing me is all,â Y/N said quietly, staring off into the distance, trying to wrap her head around what was happening.
âDo you want to stop seeing me?â Jensen asked, suddenly very nervous. Y/N shook her head sharply, snapping out of her reverie.
âNo!â she exclaimed fiercely, causing Jensen to let out a startled chuckle. Y/N instantly closed her eyes, intentionally took a deep breath, and looked at Jensen. âNo. I donât want to stop seeing you. I was just afraid the unfavorable publicity was causing you or your⊠publicist⊠or⊠whatever stress. I mean, itâs only been a few weeks and suddenly thereâs a big deal about how a TV show superstar shouldnât be dating a cop,â she said quietly, her voice sneering a little when she mentioned her occupation. Jensen took Y/N into his arms with a soft smile and rested his forehead on hers, forcing her to look up into his emerald eyes.
âI may have only known you a short while, Y/N, but I already know how I feel. I want to see where this goes. I donât give a ratâs ass what any celebrity magazine, publicist, or whatever has to say about it. And I donât have a problem dating a cop. I appreciate your concern about this, but I actually want to make this official, if youâd have me,â he breathed. The radiant smile that graced Y/Nâs face lit up her y/e/c eyes.
âReally?â she asked tentatively. Jensen gently pressed a chaste kiss to her mouth.
âReally,â he confirmed.
âI canât imagine us being anything else than together,â she whispered tenderly to him. His delighted grin widened before he pressed his lips against hers again, deepening the kiss that left them both breathless. When they broke apart, they were panting.
âYou know, IâŠâ Y/N started, her eyes wide as they stared up at Jensen. She never finished her possible declaration, but Jensen nodded slowly in agreement anyway. He knew what she was about to say because he felt the same way.
âYeah, me too,â he replied eagerly. That was precisely four months ago, and they are still going as strong as ever. Now it was Thanksgiving, and Y/N was heading out to work a security detail at the annual parade while Jensen got to sleep comfortably in his warm bed. Jealous, party of one.
Glancing at the clock as she walked out of her bedroom, she noticed that it ticked close to 4:15am. That gave her just enough time to grab her gear, grab a coffee, and head downtown to be at the meet location at 5am. She picked up the key to her safe and unlocked it to pull out her service weapon, two extra magazines, and her agency-issued taser. Sliding them into place, she turned and grabbed her radio and earpiece to do the same with them. Snagging her agency-issued laptop and her jacket, she walked out her front door, then skipped down the steps to the door that led her to the café.
âGot your coffee ready, Y/N!â she heard Holly shout at her as she carefully locked the private door to the stairs. Y/N snagged the paper cup out of her hand without missing a step.
Holly was already in the café with one of her employees, getting it ready for the onslaught of parade watchers who were sure to be heading downtown in just a few hours. She planned to take full advantage of all the people heading out in the cold weather thanks to a freak cold front by graciously offering discounted coffee and tea.
âThanks, girl! Love you, Holly!â Y/N called out as she walked toward the door.
âLove you too! Be safe!â Holly yelled back.
âIâm on parade security, whatâs there to worry about?â Y/N said, laughing. Holly promptly stopped what she was doing, turned at her sister, and glared fiercely. Y/N held her hands up in surrender and nodded understandingly. âYouâre right, Iâm sorry. Anything could happen. Iâll do my best to remain safe, I promise. Iâll call you when Iâm done and heading back.â
âYou had better,â Holly said, pointing a knife in her direction before she went back to cutting whatever she was cutting. Y/N shook her head with a smile as she left the cafĂ© and walked over to the side lot where her patrol vehicle was. Reaching into her pocket, she pushed the button on the key fob that unlocked the doors. At the beep, she opened the front door.
She placed her coffee into the cup holder and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. She dropped into her seat and set her laptop up on the stand before opening it and turning it on. As it booted up, she sent out one last text.
About to head out to the parade. Stay warm for me, okay? And go back to sleep! Why are you even awake?? She tapped out on her phone to Jensen. She looked over and saw that her portable computer was up, so she logged in. Once it was set up, she pulled the car radio up and turned over the engine.
â3888, Travis,â she properly said into the portable radio.
â3888,â she heard back. Her mobile phone buzzed at the same time. She reached over to grab it as she called back.
â3888, Iâm 10-8. Heading downtown for parade briefing but available if necessary,â she responded as she opened her text messages.
Iâm awake to see my favorite girl off to work. Stay safe out there, love. I canât wait to see you later today.
â3888, 10-4,â the distinctive voice said. Y/N let herself swoon to the new nickname Jensen had taken to affectionately calling her: pressing her phone to her chest, letting her head fall back against the headrest, and smiling herself silly. After her moment, she focused on the job at hand. Today was going to be a breeze.
Taglists:
Supernatural:
@akshi8278 @vicmc624 @agirlwithdemonblood @flamencodiva @hobby27 @mimaria420 @compresshischest09 @kkrivers
Jensen/Dean Taglist
@deandreamernp @siospins @sacriceria @sexyvixen7
Something to be Thankful For Taglist:
@wayward-gypsy @stoneyggirl2
#spnmixedbingo#spn fanfic#spn fanfiction#spn fic#spnfandom#supernatural#dean Winchester#dean winchester fanfiction#dean winchester x reader#dean x reader#dean x you#dean winchester au#supernatural au#supernatural fanfic#supernatural fanfiction#supernatural reader insert#supernatural x reader#Dean au#dean winchester x you#winchester au#hurt!reader#Cop!reader#jensenackles#Jensen x reader#jensen fanfic#Jensen x y/n#jaredpadelecki#JensenAcklesFanfiction#JensenAcklesFanfic
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Newbie
Fandom: Criminal Minds Pairing: Aaron Hotchner/Latina OFC Sophie Cortes Word Count: 3,786 Tags: SFW, Pre-relationship, Self-confidence issues, Canon-typical violence Summary: On Sophieâs first day at the BAU, she gets nervous. On Sophieâs second day at the BAU, they get a case. Collection: Sophie Cortes timeline, 0-6 Months at the BAU (See Masterlist for reading order) Link to A03 or read below! On Sophieâs first day at the BAU, sheâs a little bit nervousâchange your outfit three times, run your Keurig with no cup underneath, hair up? hair down? hair up? nervousâso she takes a deep, steadying breath before pushing open the glass double doors that lead to the bullpen.
She took cues about attire from other people she saw the day of her interview, so today she is wearing a simple black and white dress with pumps and gold jewelry, and she feels she fits in, but she gets more than a few curious looks when she enters.
Her instructions are to report to Agent Hotchnerâs office first thing, but she is stopped on her way there by a tall, handsome, impeccably dressed man with a frankly gorgeous smile. Heâs Black, with a shaved head and a great voice, and suddenly she doesnât mind the interference.
âHi, Iâm Derek Morgan. Youâre Sophia Cortes, right? Hotch mentioned you were starting today.â She smiles warmly.
âYes, pleasure to meet you. You can call me Sophie,â she says, reaching out a hand for a shake. âAgent Hotchner told me youâre from Chicago, and so am I. Please say you arenât a White Sox fan.â His smile becomes even brighter, if possible. She might be halfway in love with him already.
âGod, no. If you want to watch good baseball, itâs the Cubs all the way.â She laughs lightly, happy to have a little rapport with a new colleague so soon.
âIâm glad to hear it.â
âIâm glad thereâs a little more color in the office now,â he jokes, and she understands where heâs coming from completely. Itâs bad enough to be the only woman in the room, sometimes, but when sheâs also the only person of color, she feels⊠inadequate, somehow. Like she has to work twice as hard to be seen, even though she literally stands out among her peers.
A blonde woman with a fair complexion and pretty, almost doll-like facial features steps up behind him, and he looks over, introduces her.
âSophie Cortes, this is Jennifer Jareau, our Communications Director.â
âEveryone calls me JJ,â she says with a smile and a handshake.
âNice to meet you. If youâre the Communications Director, youâve got the toughest job in the unit, then.â JJ looks surprised, then nods her head.
âAbsolutely, but donât tell them that. Theyâd never believe you,â she says with a playful shove of Derekâs shoulder. âDonât let being a profiler go to your head like this guy.â
âWho, me? Iâm as down to earth as the next devastatingly handsome guy.â
âYeah, right,â a voice says from her right, and Sophie turns to see a woman approaching them with pale skin and dark hair, bangs, a kind smile. âWe love you and all, but youâre a little cocky.â
âIs it being cocky when Iâm that good, though?â he asks with a wink, and Sophie already feels more at ease just hearing them talk with each other. She can get acclimated to anything when the environment is right. âThis is my partner, Emily Prentiss. Prentiss, this is Sophie Cortes. The new newbie.â She sets down her bag, heads over to shake hands.
âNice to meet you, Sophie. Love the dress.â Sophie thanks her for the compliment. âI appreciate you taking the newbie title from me; fair warning, youâll probably be here for five years before they stop calling you that.â
âAh, Iâve been called worse, Iâll take it.â She glances around their workspace, looks up to Derek. âIs my partner here? Dr. Reid, right?â
âOh, he texted, said his train is running late,â JJ explains. âHeâs really excited to meet you, though, so donât mind if heâs a little⊠overwhelming, when he does get here.â
âYouâll fall in love with the kid, everyone does,â Derek explains, and it makes her heart feel warm. This is definitely a team she wants to be a part of. âBut he can be intense.â
âI appreciate the heads up.â Before she can say any more, Agent Hotchner descends the stairs, heads toward them.
âGood morning. I can see the team has taken the liberty of introducing themselves.â
âHello again, Agent Hotchner.â Sophie shakes his hand, and he smiles softly.
âHotch, please. You can put your things in that desk and Iâll give you a tour, if youâd like.â
âSure, sounds great.â The team shares a brief look, but she doesnât know them well enough to comment, just stows her belongings and follows the unit chief. âThe team was very welcoming. They seem really tight knit,â she comments as they leave the bullpen, and he looks at her, nods.
âWhen you spend as much time together as we do, traveling as we do, itâs inevitable. Was it not that way in Intelligence?â
âYou couldnât get those people to sit down to dinner together, let alone tease one another. Theyâd probably bite each otherâs heads off.â They worked well together, but in private the environment could be pretty toxic. She knows Unit Chief Roberts wouldnât have put up with it if the team didnât get such good results.
âI can see how this environment might seem a little strange, then,â he says, opening the door for her. They take the elevator.
âStrange, but good. It reminds me of when I was a cop, and Iâve missed that kind of camaraderie.â
âWell Iâm glad you felt welcomed. We really are happy to have you.â They approach a closed door which he raps on lightly; the woman who answers has a bright smile and an even brighter outfit, lime green and navy blue, with matching accessories, including green glasses. She makes Sophie feel very⊠plain.
âOh, hi!â the woman says, and her grin gets bigger. âWow, youâre beautiful.â Sophie laughs, a little taken aback, and Hotch sighs lightly like heâs used to the odd behavior. Itâs all very endearing.
âThis is Penelope Garcia, our technical analyst. Garcia, this is Sophia Cortes, our new profiler.â She reaches out a hand.
âItâs nice to meet you. You can call me Sophie, or Cortes, whichever you prefer. And youâre beautiful, too. I love your style.â
âThank you; I can tell weâre going to be fast friends. Youâll have me on speed dial,â she says, walking to her desk and jotting something down on a pink Post-It. âIf you need something researched, narrowed down, blown up, compared, etc, Iâm your girl.â She hands her the noteâher direct lineâand smiles. âIâm sure you have much more to see, but donât be a stranger!â
Something tells Sophie she wonât be.
He shows her all around the officeâcopiers, the breakroom, supply closets, restroomsâand they end up in the briefing room, the last two to walk in.
âYou remember Gideon,â Hotch says, and the man nods a greeting. Still as personable as ever, she thinks. âAnd this is your partner, Dr. Spencer Reid.â Sheâs not surprised by his ageâshe read some articles about him once she had his name, knows they call him âboy geniusâ quite literallyâbut she is a little thrown by his nervous smile, his dark eyes, his untidy flop of brown hair. Derek wasnât kidding when he called him kid; he looks like he belongs at an after school chess club meeting, or something.
Heâs adorable. Like a puppy. She immediately wants to keep him. She smiles wide.
âSophia Cortes, but you can call me Sophie, if you like.â He stands, and they shake hands. âItâs a pleasure to meet you, Iâve heard all about you.â
âItâs nice to meet you, too. I hear youâre from Chicago. Did you know Chicago is home to 2,716,450 residents living in over 100 neighborhoods?â She smiles wider.
âYeah, with 600 parks, 500 playgrounds, 29 beaches, and 26 miles of open lakefront. Itâs beautiful. Have you been?â
âWe worked a case there, once. I didnât get to see any parks or beaches.â He makes a frowning kind of face and she laughs softly, takes the seat Hotch offers her.
âWell youâre young, thereâs time.â
âNow that weâre all caught up on introductions, we can get started,â Hotch states, and Sophieâs first morning meeting begins.
Itâs a little boring, as far as first days go, but she doesnât mind. She has access to her computer, gets it set up the way she wants, finds out from the team where all the best places are nearby for coffee or drinks or lunch. She meets with the section chief for introductions, goes over some policies with Hotchâwho, she was right, is definitely funnier and more thoughtful than he must let on. He probably feels like he has to act a certain way, because heâs the boss, but she likes pulling the human out of him, makes it a personal mission going forward to make him smile.
Heâs too handsome not to smile. On Sophieâs second day at the BAU, they get a case.
âI usually like to let new profilers get acclimated to the team before going into the field,â Hotch tells her as they board the plane, âbut it didnât make sense to keep you in Quantico. Are you sure youâre up for it?â
âOf course. Thatâs why Iâm here, I want to help.â She stows her bag overhead. âIâll observe, give my input when I have it, follow everyoneâs lead.â
âSounds good. You know you can come to any of us if you have questions.â
âI know. Thank you.â
They do a deeper debrief on the planeâthree women have been murdered, all in their mid 30âs, athletic and blonde, last seen dropping their children off at schoolâand Sophie is tasked with going to the most recent crime scene with Hotch and Prentiss.
âWhat can you tell about him so far?â Hotch asks her while the detective on the case speaks with Prentiss about some details of the scene. She glances around the room, takes it all in.
âWell, thereâs blood everywhere. Serious overkill each time. He either knew the victims, or has a deep-seated hatred for a woman they remind him of; my money is on is the latter.â She looks through the kitchen, at the bloody footprints that lead to the back door. âTracked blood all through the house, left the back door open. Heâs disorganized. He may have seen them at the school and planned to follow them home, but he didnât do any pre-surveillance on them. Something about these women triggers him and he acts within the hour.â
âWould you call it a crime of passion, then?â She looks over, curious, then realizes heâs testing her.
âNo. A crime of passion indicates some level of culpability by the victim. Provocation. These women are just in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong face.â He nods, satisfied with her answer.
âSo how do we think heâs finding the victims?â
âHe could have a child under his care who goes to that school, or he could live near the school, work there. He could work the night shift somewhere else and pass the school on his way home. I think itâs too early to narrow that down.â
âAny idea what weapon he used?â
âWe would have to really examine the cast off to be certain, but my guess would be⊠a hammer, or some other small, blunt tool. This wasnât done by a baseball bat or a shovel or something larger. We can also get an estimated height and weight of the unsub if we chart the area void of blood here,â she adds, pointing to a bare spot on the wall with blood droplets above and around it. âIâm guessing weâll send the photos to Garcia for analysis.â
âThatâs right. I agree with your assessment,â he begins, but she senses hesitation.
âBut?â He looks over at her, thoughtful.
âWeâre missing something.â
âWe are, or I am?â she asks for clarification, and he smiles just slightly.
âWe are.â She takes that as a good sign, walks another loop around the room for something they would have overlooked, and she brightens when she thinks sheâs discovered it.
âHer purse is still here, cash, credit cards. Her jewelry was still on her body when she was found. But does it look to you like somethingâs missing from the entryway table?â She points to it, and itâs very ordinary: a calendar, a bowl for change, hooks for keys, a couple of photographsâwith a notable blank space in the middle. âMaybe a photo?â
âWe should ask the husband if he knows what was there. Good work,â he tells her, and he heads off in the direction of the husband; she follows close behind.
Back at the precinct, the team fills each other in on what theyâve learned.
âSo our unsub killed each of these women with a ball-peen hammer, striking 8-10 times. Blood spatter analysis puts him at about 5â11â, 6â0â tall, around 275 pounds. The photo taken from the third victimâs house was of the victim and her 7-year-old son Josh; similar photos were taken from the other two homesâphotos of mother and son.â Prentiss tacks copies of the three missing photos to the board.
âSounds like maybe the woman they remind him of is his mother,â Reid states.
âThatâs what weâre going with. Weâre still not sure how he finds his victims, though,â Prentiss mentions, and Sophie takes a breath, hesitates.
âDo you have something?â Morgan asks and she shrugs, unsure.
âMaybe? One of the theories we threw out there was that he works overnight and drives past the school on his way home from work, when the kids are being dropped off. If he killed them with a ball-peen hammer, maybe we should look for machine shops in the area with overnight shifts? Those are typically used in metalworking, not construction.â She feels like all eyes are on her, and it makes her nervous. âThat could be completely irrelevant, itâs just a thought.â
âItâs a good thought; Iâll have Garcia pull us a list, we can split up and pass around the description, see if our guy is a metal worker. Good call, newbie.â Morgan leaves to take the call, and JJ leans over with a smile.
âDonât second guess yourself. Youâre doing great so far. Theories are important, even if theyâre wrong.â Sophie returns the expression, nods.
âThanks. Iâve just gotta get used to the collaborative environment; havenât been in one of those in a while.â
âYouâd never know it. Youâre fitting right in.â She takes it as a compliment, is happy to be of some use to the investigation and not just getting in the way.
The rest of the day is pretty quiet; they test out a few other possible theories, deliver the profile to the late shift, plan to hit the school early in the morning to look for potential suspects and to pass around the description to see if anyone meets it who works there, or lives nearby.
She goes to the school with Reid and JJ, speaks to teachers, janitorial staff, but none of them know a man like the one theyâre looking for. She meets up with the others, who were speaking to parents, after about an hour of questioning, but they also come up blank.
âWeâve still got your machine shop theory,â Reid says as they drive back to the precinct. âThe others should be done with those soon, so thereâs still a chance we can find this guy today.â JJâs phone rings, and she answers on the car bluetooth.
âJJ, thereâs been another attack,â Prentiss says. â1419 5th Streetâyou guys are closer. Can you head over?â
âWeâre on the way,â JJ answers, turning right, and Reid looks thoughtful.
âAn attack? Sheâs not dead?â
âNo. Not yet, at least. Sheâs being rushed to the hospital; her husband was home, caught the attacker in the middle of it all.â
âDid he get a good look at the unsub?â JJ asks.
âHeâs with a sketch artist now. Hotch wants you to circulate the sketch ASAP; we think we may have a hit at one of the metal shops, if you can send it to me, too.â
âYou got it.â She ends the call, looks at Sophie through the rearview mirror. âDrinks are on you tonight, newbie,â she says playfully, and Sophie canât help but laugh. She had been so intimidated by the thought of joining the BAU, and sheâs glad to see sheâs useful, can actually help make a difference. Itâs a feeling she wonât forget for a while.
Later that night, when they plan to try to catch the unsub before he leaves for work, she deflates, a little.
Hotch, Morgan, Prentiss, and Reid are going to breach the unsubâs house while JJ covers the front door and Sophie covers the back. She had assumed she would get to be part of the team going in, with her tactical background, and immediately thinks the worst, that theyâre happy to have her brain, but that her body is a hindrance. Too short, too weak⊠itâs how sheâs been treated her whole life, and she hates to think that sheâs being dismissed here so soon for the same reasons. She tries not to let it show, but she dwells on it, a little, lets it get her down even though she knows she shouldnât.
She snaps out of it when thereâs movement on the back porch, a hulking, shadowy figure in the darkness.
âIâve got him coming out of the back,â she whispers into her comms, and she draws her gun and points it at the unsub. âStop, FBI!â The guy turns to face herâhe fits the sketch to a tee, a real mountain of a man as the blood spatter analysis suggestedâtakes one good look, and goes running in the other direction.
Alright, so, heâs clearly not impressed. She can work with that.
âHeâs running, Iâm in pursuit.â She holsters her weapon and her boots pound the grass as she books it his way. The good thing about being so much smaller than him is that sheâs much faster, catches up to him fairly easily, and again, she shouts for him to stop, which, of course, he doesnât.
Her first thought is that sheâs got to get this guy on the ground no matter whatâthis isnât a shoplifter or something, heâs wanted for murdering three women and attempting to murder a fourth, so a little force is okay if necessary, and judging by his build, itâs going to be necessary.
Her second thought is, if I canât catch him, I donât deserve to be here. And thatâs the one that makes the decision for her.
She leaps onto his back, grabs fistfuls of his shirt, and shakes him forward, backward, forward again, trying to throw off his balance. When he starts to wobble, she slides down his back, hooking a leg around one of his and driving her knee into the bend of his; he goes down, face first, and she reaches behind her for her cuffs, slaps them on his wrists before he has a chance to turn or stand. âJason Farber, youâre under arrest for three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.â
âAttempted murder?â he asks, turning his face so he can speak more easily. He seems pretty calm for a runner, maybe just resigned to his fate, and she leans over so she can see him better. Heâs breathing fine, uninjured, and just looks pissed. âYou mean that overbearing bitch isnât dead?â
âYep, sorry to be the one to tell you, Jason, but sheâs alive and kicking.â She continues to read him his rights, and is just pulling him to his feet when Morgan and Hotch skid to a stop behind her; if they look surprised⊠who is she kidding? They look surprised as fuck.
âDamn, Cortes. This guyâs like three of you,â Morgan marvels as she walks him back toward the cars so he can be tossed into the back of a black and white. âDid you make him an offer he couldnât refuse?â She scoffs at that, and even the unsub snorts in amusement.
âShe tackled me. Wasnât counting on that.â
âI donât think anybody was,â she admits, getting him into a cop car and shutting the door. She joins the rest of the team, gets a high-five from JJ.
âHey, score one for the ladies. We never get to do any tackling.â
âShe did better than I would have,â Reid admits without shame, and she laughs.
âItâs all in the legs. I lift chains at the gym.â He gives her a look like heâs got no idea what sheâs talking about, which almost makes her laugh again. âYou do pull-ups, but with chains around your legs.â She demonstrates, squatting and gesturing to her legs like sheâs wrapping something around them.
âOkay, youâre the real deal, newbie,â Morgan says when she stands up fully. âRemind me not to run from you unless I want a face full of dirt.â The group breaks apart after that, but Hotch lingers, gives her a meaningful look when she makes eye contact.
âI bet that felt good.â She leans against the side of the SUV, feels a deep conversation coming on.
âIt did. Iâm stronger than I look, and sometimes itâs fun to be underestimated, but other times it gets really annoying.â
âI can imagine,â he says, nodding, and he mimics her posture. âI just want to make sure you know you donât have anything to prove. I hired you for a reason.â
âI know. But I donât like being a one-trick pony, and Iâm definitely not waiting around for one of you guys when an unsub is on the move.â
âAnd I wouldn't expect you to. As for the âone-trick ponyâ thing, thatâs not how I see you at all. Youâre extremely well-rounded, and thatâs why I wanted you.â His eyes are kind, but penetrating, and she dips her head, nods.
âAnd thatâs why I donât want to disappoint you.â
âAfter what youâve shown me the last two days, I donât think thatâs possible, but I want you to know you can come to me when somethingâs bothering you. Thatâs why Iâm here.â
âI know. I wonât forget it,â she assures, and he stands fully, cocks an eyebrow in her direction.
âI heard drinks are on you tonight,â he says with a straight face, and she laughs lightly.
âI guess we better get going before they run up the tab, then.â
They walk in companionable silence back to the SUV.
#aaron hotchner fanfic#aaron hotchner#aaron hotchner x original female character#criminal minds fanfic#latina original female character#hotch x original female character#criminal minds#aaron hotchner x reader#aaron hotchner x female reader#hotch x female reader#hotch x reader
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1300 miles | chapter one | b.b.
Summary | Bucky Barnes is adjusting to civilian life, living in Brooklyn, visiting Sam in Delacroix when he can, and trying to figure out what he wants. When he meets Jo Landry, the tattooed lead singer of a New Orleans-based band, he thinks he might have found the answer. Too bad they live 1300 miles apart.
Time Frame | post-TFATWS
Pairing | Bucky Barnes x fem!oc
Rating | explicit
Warnings | mentions of combat-related injuries, alcohol use, tattoos/body piercings, coarse language, gay male character, bisexual female character, recreational/medicinal drug use (weed), pet names (doll, Sarge), smut (f/m, mutual masturbation, fingering, slight dom!Bucky, praise kink), angst if you squint but not really, and all the romance tropes/fluff because I'm a sucker for it; more warnings to come; 18+ ONLY, minors DNI
A/N | Itâs my birthday, so to celebrate Iâm sharing chapter one of my new WIP. This started its life as a one-shot but then my enneagram 4 brain took over and now itâs looking like itâll be a multi-chapter short. Enjoy!
Also, feedback â comments, likes, etc. â is always appreciated, my loves.
AO3 link | 1300 miles playlist
_____
The sun is just starting to sink in the sky as Sam and Bucky finish the latest repairs on the boat. Sam has spent the last hour pestering Bucky about things heâs missed over the last 80 years â things he needs to do, shows and movies he needs to watch, music to listen to, places to go. Bucky is considering the consequences of putting his vibranium fist through the new Captain Americaâs face.
âYouâre telling me youâve never been to New Orleans?â Sam half-shouts at Bucky in amusement.
âSam, besides the airport, when would I have been to New Orleans?â Bucky sighs.
âWeâre going. Tonight.â He stands up. âBut none of that Bourbon Street bullshit. I know a place,â he says.
_____
The bar is crowded on a Saturday night, but they manage to find a table near the small stage where a band is setting up.
âIâll get drinks,â Sam says, heading to the bar.
âSam said he knows the owners?â Bucky asks Sarah.
âJo and Danny. Yeah,â Sarah says. âDanny served with Sam on his last tour. Real young kid when he served. Took some shrapnel to the chest and face in an RPG explosion and got out early. He and Sam kept in touch.â
Bucky watches Sam talk to a man with a mop of curly, brown hair and an auburn beard behind the bar. From where he sits, Bucky can see a jagged scar peeking out from the top of the manâs beard over his cheek, stopping just below his right eye.
Sam returns with three beers. "Danny says hi," he tells Sarah. "Says he'll come over when he has a free minute."
"Jo around?" Sarah asks.
Sam nods toward the stage. "She's playing tonight. Danny says she's in the office rewriting the set list."
Bucky sips his beer and looks around. When they entered, there was a wave of enthusiasm as people recognized Sam as Captain America, but it seems to have died down and now no one is paying them much attention. Bucky prefers it that way, though heâs happy that people are excited for Sam.
âSpeak of the devil,â Sam says, smiling and nodding toward a woman emerging from a door beside the bar marked âEmployees Only.â Sheâs wearing a loose-fitting white tank tucked into light-wash jeans cuffed just above a pair of black combat boots. Her wavy, dark hair fans out behind her as she rushes towards the stage. She's clutching a piece of paper in one hand, and the smile on her face makes Bucky's heart stutter for a moment.
Sam catches the way Bucky is watching Jo as she jumps onto the stage. He elbows Sarah and nods at the lovestruck look on Bucky's face, and they share a smirk. Bucky doesn't notice the exchange. He's too busy studying Jo. Her arms are covered in tattoos, from shoulders to fingers. When she tucks a strand of hair behind her left ear, Bucky can see the row of piercings adorning the curve of her ear. There's a gold ring between her nostrils. Bucky's seen some of the kids in Brooklyn with that piercing, but he doesn't know what it's called. He's seen plenty of women like her since moving back to New York â with tattoos and piercings and dark hair â but there's something about the combination with her green eyes and soft smile that makes his mouth go dry and his palm sweat.
He takes another sip of his beer to ground himself.
Jo picks up an acoustic-electric guitar from its stand, swings the strap over her shoulder, and plugs the guitar into a small amp at her feet. She raises her right hand in the air and sets a count with her fingers â one, two, three, four. The band starts, and Jo strums the guitar, smiling at the crowd. When she steps up to the microphone and opens her mouth, Bucky is surprised at how sweet her voice sounds. He was expecting it to be rougher, but it's gentle and warm, and he likes the way her mouth looks as it forms the words to the song.
Next to him, Sam taps his foot along to the music. Bucky can't remember the last time he saw a band play live. God, he thinks, it was before the war, before everything. He takes another sip of his beer before Sarah hands him a fresh bottle. He hadn't even noticed that she'd left the table and gone to the bar. He smiles and nods his thanks.
Sarah leans over and whispers to Bucky just loud enough for Sam to hear, as well, "You should ask her out after the show."
Bucky grimaces and shakes his head. As he told Yori once, there's a dance to these things, and he's eighty years out of practice. Plus, his last date didn't exactly go as planned.
But he can't stop staring at Jo's painted black nails and tattooed fingers as they move across the guitar strings. LOVE is written across the top knuckles of her right hand, HATE on the left. A series of lines and dots decorate her lower knuckles. Thereâs a snake curling around her left wrist, its inked head resting on her hand, and several large peonies cover the back of her right hand and up her forearm. Bucky wonders what her tattooed hands would look like wrapped around his cock. He also wonders where else on her body she has tattoos and what that voice would sound like when he's between her thighs. Fuck.
The band transitions into another song, and Jo's eyes land on Bucky. She's used to people staring at her, especially when she's on stage, but she's caught by the way his eyes never leave her, never wander to look at the band's female bassist or to Sarah sitting next to him. She's certain his stare could burn a hole right through her, and she wouldn't even complain. Heâs fucking gorgeous.
She knows who he is, of course. Sheâs seen the recent footage of him with Sam in New York and read the Times article detailing his move from assassin to almost Avenger. Plus, her twin brother, Danny, was a bit of a history nerd as a kid so sheâs definitely seen a Captain America documentary that mentioned the Howling Commandos. And they may or may not have hidden a fugitive Captain America and Falcon following the Accords.
Jo tears her eyes away from the super soldier and focuses on the rest of the audience. She can see Danny behind the bar, flirting with the man he's been trying to sleep with for the past two weeks. She catches his eye and smiles her encouragement between lyrics. Get his number! she tries to say with her eyes. Danny's usually pretty good at reading her mind. She doesn't know if it's a brother thing or a twin thing or just a Danny thing, but when he holds up his phone in surrender and smiles back at her, she knows he got the message.
The first half of their set ends with a crash of drums and a long guitar riff. Jo takes a swig from the mason jar full of water she keeps on stage. Her eyes meet Bucky's again as she swallows, and he licks his bottom lip. Heat curls in the pit of her stomach at the thought of what else that tongue could do.
Willow, the band's bassist, steps over and whispers in Jo's ear, âIf you donât fuck him after the show, Iâm going to."
When Jo looks at her, she can see the amusement dancing in Willow's eyes. She rolls her own eyes and avoids looking directly at Bucky for the rest of the set.
_____
After the last song, Jo thanks the crowd and helps the rest of the band tidy up the stage, unplugging amps and turning off the mics. She's still trying not to look at Bucky, even though she can feel his eyes on her.
"You have to stop staring, man," Sam whispers to Bucky.
"I'm not staring," Bucky grumbles.
Sarah laughs, "You're definitely staring."
âHere," Sam says, "I'll introduce you." And before Bucky can protest, Sam is waving Jo over. "Josephine," Sam says, hugging her.
"Samuel," she returns, smiling. "Congrats on the new gig." She punches his shoulder lightly. "Better you than that John Walker douchebag," she says. Bucky snorts, and she catches his eye and smirks before turning to Sarah. "Hey, Sarah." They exchange pleasantries while Bucky tries to get his tongue to turn back from lead.
Sam points at Bucky, "This isâ"
Bucky stands. "Bucky. Barnes."
Jo smiles and shakes his gloved hand. "Jo. Landry," she says, matching his cadence.
Sam was right. Bucky can't stop staring at her. This close, he can see there's a bit of gold in the green of her eyes and a slight gap between her two front teeth. She smells like sandalwood and citrus and just a little bit like pot.
Jo returns his stare. His five oâclock shadow doesnât hide the dimple in his chin, and she briefly imagines pressing her lips against it. Sheâs trying to name the exact shade of blue of his eyes when Sam clears his throat.
Sheâs not usually so easily flustered by attractive people, but Bucky's blue eyes and chiseled jaw have done a number on her self-control. âLet me grab a drink,â Jo says, turning quickly.
âNo need,â Danny says, appearing in front of her and handing her a glass. He leans in and whispers in her ear, âHeâs cute.â
âPlease fuck off,â Jo hisses in return, widening her eyes at him. Sheâs only half-serious, and Danny knows it. Itâs a twin thing.
When she looks at Bucky again, heâs smirking, and she wonders if enhanced hearing is a super soldier trait. Bucky pulls out the fourth chair at the small table for her to sit, and Jo can't remember the last time someone did that for her.
"The show was great," Sarah says, grabbing Jo's attention.
"Thanks," Jo replies. "Took a while to get back to it afterâŠâ she snaps her fingers but doesnât finish her sentence.
"You were snapped?" Bucky asks.
Jo nods. "Yeah. You?"
"Yeah."
"Cheers," she says sarcastically, raising her glass in a toast. She shakes her head again and pushes her hair behind her ear. "Five years just," she holds her hands open, "gone. Danny was still here, holding all this together by himself."
She tucks one leg under the other, and her knee bumps Buckyâs beneath the table. When she moves to pull her knee away from his, he places a gloved hand on her thigh, holding her leg in place.
Bucky surprises even himself with this move. He hasnât been this forward with a woman since an auburn-haired nurse in Italy during the war. With her, it was all hands and mouths and skin on skin because he was certain he was going to die any day. Now he supposedly has all the time in the world. He just isnât sure what he wants to do with it.
But in this moment, he's comfortable here, in this tiny bar, with a beer in his hand and Jo's knee pressed against his. He's confident that Sam would never introduce him to someone he couldn't trust.
Bucky's flirted with Sarah, sure, but that was mostly to irritate to Sam. And as much as he doesn't want to admit it, the thought of something happening between himself and Sarah and then ending badly and ruining his relationship with Sam makes his stomach hurt. Pursuing Jo seems safer in that regard. She and Sam are friends, but if â when, he thinks â he ruins things, he can just go back to New York instead of losing his only friend.
Jo asks Sarah about AJ and Cass to distract herself from the butterflies forming in her stomach at Buckyâs touch, and Sam starts a story about the boys' latest interests. Bucky is content to listen to the three of them talk, his eyes barely leaving Jo. When she flicks her gaze over to him every now and then, she doesn't seem phased by his staring, and she hasn't pulled her knee away from where it's softly touching his. After a while, Danny emerges from behind the bar and joins their table, introducing himself to Bucky with a firm handshake.
While Danny and Sam trade updates about people they know, Jo leans towards Bucky and asks, âYou want another drink?â
âSure,â Bucky replies.
Jo doesnât say anything else, just nods her head toward the bar, stands, and offers Bucky her hand. He takes it, the leather glove of his right hand warm against her palm. He wishes he could feel her skin without the gloves between them. He doesnât usually wear them around Sam and Sarah and everyone in Delacroix, but he wasnât sure how the metal arm would be perceived at this bar heâs never been to. Sam told him not to worry about it, but Bucky doesnât like to draw unnecessary attention to himself.
Jo leads him through the sea of tables to a barstool, then moves behind the bar and grabs him a fresh bottle of the beer he's been drinking all night. "Unless you want something stronger," she says, pausing before she hands it to him.
"This is good," Bucky replies.
She pops the top and hands him the bottle. He takes a sip as he watches her maneuver around the bartender on duty to fix herself another whiskey sour before taking a seat on the barstool next to him.
"Full disclosure; because it's only fair," she says, taking a sip of her drink. "I know who you are, Sergeant Barnes. Not the whole story, but bits and pieces."
Bucky pauses. He searches her eyes for the fear he's expecting but finds none. "And you're okay with that?" he asks.
Jo quirks the corner of her mouth up in a half-smile and says, âIf Sam trusts you, I trust you."
âIâm not great with meeting new people, and I was telling myself the same thing about you," Bucky admits, almost sheepishly.
âYou know we can never tell Sam about this, right?" Jo says, conspiratorially. "Weâll never hear the end of it.â
âNever,â Bucky agrees, and knocks his beer bottle lightly against her glass in understanding.
They talk for a while, just the two of them alone at the end of the bar. Jo asks him how he likes Louisiana ("Hot, but the people are friendly"); where he's staying ("Sarah's"); when he's heading back to New York ("A week from tomorrow"); what he likes to do for fun ("Still figuring that out"); his favorite place ("Wakanda") and favorite book ("The Hobbit"); and a myriad of other questions â some of which Bucky answers easily and some that make him pause. He makes her give her own answers to each one in turn.
Jo leans close to Bucky so she can hear him over the noise of the room, and he takes the opportunity to study her features more closely. He's practically mapped all of her face when her eyes leave his for a brief second and land on Sam, Sarah, and Danny staring at them from the table across the room.
"Don't look now," she whispers, leaning even closer, "But we seem to have an audience."
Bucky makes a big show of looking over his shoulder at the group.
"I said 'don't look!'" Jo laughs and swats casually at his arm.
Bucky takes the opportunity to pin her hand with his own, holding it tightly and licking his bottom lip before smiling at her. He can see the blush paint her cheeks and creep down her neck and chest.
He likes Jo, likes how easy it feels to be around her. He isn't used to that. He isn't used to feeling comfortable with people. Hell, he thinks, I barely feel comfortable with myself. But there's something about Jo that makes him feel safe and calm. Of course, there's attraction there â plenty of it â but he's sure it's more than that.
For her part, Jo is enamored with Bucky. She likes his hard edges and his snark, but she also likes the small glimpses he's given her of the man beneath all of that. She doesn't usually fall for people so easily, but she's found herself drowning in the sea of blues that make up Bucky's eyes, and she doesn't want to be rescued. How fucking cliche, she tells herself.
"We should probably go back over there," Bucky says, squeezing her hand once before releasing it.
They both stand and make their way back to the table. Bucky pulls Jo's chair out for her again, but this time, he makes sure to pull it a little closer to his chair in the process. This doesn't go unnoticed by Sam who smirks at him. Bucky returns the smirk with a thin-lipped smile of his own before scooting even closer to Jo.
Jo finds it hard to focus on the conversation in front of her with Bucky's warm body so close to her own, and she realizes she misses the pleasant feeling of his gloved hand around hers. She places her own hand on his thigh and hopes he gets the hint.
Buckyâs fascinated by even the slightest movements of Jo's tattooed fingers, and when her hand rests on his denim-clad thigh, he thinks the sight alone might kill him. Before he can second-guess himself, he pulls the glove off his right hand and links his own flesh and bone fingers with hers.
Jo doesn't look at Bucky â she's trying not to draw attention to her hand in his lap â but Bucky watches the corner of her mouth quirk upwards into a smile, and he squeezes her hand in response.
The conversation continues a bit longer before Danny leaves the table to check in with his bartender. Jo excuses herself to get another drink, and Bucky watches her pop behind the bar to fill a glass for herself.
"I need to get home, relieve the babysitter," Sarah says when she finishes her beer.
"We're heading out then," Sam says, then turns to Bucky, "You coming?"
Bucky looks toward Jo and says, "No, I'm gonna stick around. I'll get a cab back or get a hotel room in the city."
Sam smirks. "I don't think you're gonna need a hotel room, man."
Bucky rolls his eyes.
"Just promise me you'll use protection," Sam laughs. "We don't need any little super soldiers running around just yet."
Bucky gives him a sarcastic smile, but realizes Sam's probably right, and he definitely doesn't have any condoms in his wallet. He's not planning on sleeping with Jo tonight â he just met her, and he's not sure he's ready for that yet â but if the army taught him anything, it's to be prepared. As if reading his mind, Sam pulls out his wallet and places a condom in Bucky's palm before pulling him in for a hug and clapping him on the back.
"Have fun, man," Sam says.
Sam and Sarah say their goodbyes to Danny and Jo on their way out, and Bucky joins Jo at the bar, sitting on the barstool next to her where they sat earlier.
"Sticking around, soldier?" she asks. She reaches for his dog tags and tugs them gently. The drinks have been strong, and she's feeling more flirtatious than she would otherwise.
"If you don't mind," Bucky replies.
Jo smiles and reaches for his hand this time. "Not at all."
"Are you gonna finish your interrogation of me?" Bucky asks, amusement apparent in his voice.
Jo laughs in return. âI thought I'd read your palm instead," she says, turning his hand over in her own.
Bucky snorts but doesn't pull his hand away. "Is this a trick you use on all the guys?"
"And girls," Jo says, meeting his eyes. Then she studies his hand carefully, running her index finger across the lines that crisscross his palm.
"Your dominant hand," she continues, "determines your future, while your non-dominant hand is tied to your past."
Bucky snorts again at the truth of it all.
"I'm not making this up!" Jo laughs. "I mean, someone did, but I'm not!" She can see the laughter shining in Bucky's eyes, so she goes on, "Your head line is deep, meaning your thinking is clear and focused, but it's also curved downward which indicates a creative spirit and an appetite for literature and fantasy." She looks up at him, "Explains the love for Tolkien."
"I'm not sure I'm buying this," Bucky says.
"You've literally fought aliens, and you're gonna give me a hard time over palm reading," Jo laughs.
"The aliens were real," Bucky deadpans.
"And in New Orleans, palm reading and psychics and crystal balls and voodoo are real," Jo says, still laughing. "But I promise not to read your palm again or read your aura or get out the tarot cards."
Bucky likes the way her slight accent makes New Orleans sound more like Nawlins. He also likes the sound of her laughter and the way her face lights up when she smiles. She's still holding his hand in her own, so he turns his palm over in hers and brings her tattooed knuckles to his lips.
_____
Meanwhile, the bar closes, and Danny and the bartender clean glasses and close up for the night.
Danny points at Jo as he comes around the bar. "Iâm locking up then heading upstairs," he says.
"Thanks, love," Jo replies.
Danny walks the bartender out and locks the front door, then retraces his steps to the back of the bar. On his way past Jo, he stops and kisses her on the cheek, saying, "Be good. And set the alarm."
He turns to Bucky. "And you, Sergeant Barnes," he says, pointing at him now, "I know you're an Avenger or whatever, but if you hurt her, I'll kill you."
"Bye, Danny," Jo says, rolling her eyes as he disappears through the door marked 'Employees Only.' "Don't worry about him," Jo says, turning back to Bucky.
âOlder brother, right?â Bucky says. He understands; he was an older brother once.
âTwins, actually,â Jo smiles.
Bucky takes a sip of his beer. "Sarah said Danny served with Sam," he says.
"Yeah. Afghanistan. A lifetime ago," Jo says. âHe only had one more mission before he could come home so he switched with someone. An RPG barely missed the helicopter he was in, and he was pretty badly injured in the explosion and the resulting crash. Almost lost an eye. He came home, got out of the Air Force, went to business school. Now we own the bar..." She pauses to take the last sip of her drink. "...and the building. Sam's really helped Danny get past everything."
"He's good at that," Bucky says.
"Another thing we can never tell him," Jo laughs.
"Agreed. So, when do I get to ask about your tattoos?" he questions.
"What do you want to know?" she asks.
Bucky licks his bottom lip. "Anything."
He likes her dagger tattoo the best. Itâs inked on the inside of her right forearm, nestled amongst the peonies, the hilt facing the crook of her elbow and the knifeâs tip pointed toward her wrist. Itâs feminine and dangerous and incredibly sexy. She blushes when he tells her how much he likes it. He doesn't tell her it reminds him of one of his favorite knives, currently tucked at the bottom of his backpack back in Sarah's living room.
"In some ways, they're my armor," she explains. "When I'm on stage, people look at the tattoos, not me, and I kind of like that. It lets me be whoever I want to up there."
Bucky understands the desire to hide better than anyone. But she knows who he is so there's really no point in hiding from her any longer. Plus, he feels like his arm is something she would understand, something she could accept â not just because of her brother's military record but because of her own unique body modifications.
He pulls his left glove off and shrugs out of his leather jacket, revealing the vibranium arm beneath his black t-shirt.
Jo takes in the black metal and gold details. "That," she says, pointing to his arm, "is lovely."
"It's lethal," Bucky warns.
She cocks her head to the side and says, "If you're trying to scare me, it won't work, Sergeant Barnes."
Bucky can't stop the corner of his lip from pulling up in the slightest hint of a smile.
"Okay,â she says, placing her palms flat on the bar top. âYou want another beer?" she asks.
Jo stands and turns to move behind the bar, but Bucky's vibranium hand on her arm stops her. She looks at him curiously, and he slides his arm behind her back and pulls her flush against his chest. She settles between his open thighs, her palms resting gently on top of his legs. He's staring at her so intensely she's convinced he willburn that hole right through her, but she can't bring herself to look away.
He leans in, his lips only a breath away from hers.
"Can I kiss you?" Bucky finally asks, his flesh hand moving up to cup her cheek.
"Please," Jo whispers, desperately.
Bucky closes the distance between them, and his lips meet hers. He's hesitant at first, but when he feels Jo respond, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing even closer, he runs his tongue along the seam of her lips until she opens them for him. She tastes like bourbon and lemon from the whiskey sours she's been drinking, and Bucky loves it. His tongue sweeps along the roof of her mouth, and Jo moans. Bucky is determined to hear that sound again.
He kisses across the corner of her mouth and over her jaw. The hand that was cupping her cheek moves to her hair to angle her head backwards and give him better access to the bare skin of her neck. He laves his tongue over the corded muscles there, then nips at the skin with his teeth. She moans again, and Bucky is on fire.
Jo's right hand weaves into his short hair and tugs until his mouth comes away from her neck. He catches his breath while Jo nuzzles his nose with her own and places a soft kiss against the Cupid's bow of his upper lip. His eyes meet hers, and her pupils are blown wide with lust.
The need to kiss her again is overwhelming. Buckyâs lips find hers, and Jo somehow leans even closer into his body, her hands tracing down his chest to his waist. Bucky lets his own hands move to Joâs ribs, resting just beneath her chest, his thumbs teasing the underside of each breast. Jo gasps when Buckyâs right thumb moves across her taut nipple.
Fuck, he thinks, I need to slow down. While heâs shared kisses with the handful of women heâs met on dating apps, he hasnât done anything this intimate in a lifetime.
Bucky pulls away, panting. He rests his forehead against Jo's and stares into her green eyes.
"I should leave," he says. âIâm getting carried away. IâŠI want to do this right.â
And he does. Desperately. He wants to buy her flowers and take her out and learn what makes her swoon. But he also wants to map every tattoo on her body with his fingers and tongue and then fuck her until she canât walk straight.
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
Jo laughs breathily. âWe donât have to do anything, but itâs almost three o'clock in the morning and your ride already left. You can sleep on my couch if you want to be a gentleman.â
Bucky groans. âI should be a gentleman."
She kisses him again, lightly, then moves away to set the alarm and turn the rest of the lights out. She leads him through the 'Employees Only' door and up a set of stairs to her apartment.
"You're not allergic to cats, are you?" Jo asks, as she unlocks the door.
"No," Bucky says. As far as he knows, he's not allergic to anything thanks to the knock-off serum, but he doesn't say that.
Inside her apartment, Jo kicks off her combat boots at the door, and Bucky does the same, leaving them both in their socked feet. There's a fluffy black cat sitting on the back of the green velvet sofa.
"That's Toulouse," Jo says. "Or Louie. He doesn't answer to either, so it really doesn't matter what I call him."
The cat regards Bucky with indifference before standing up, stretching, and leaving the room.
"Guest bathroomâs just there,â she nods. âLet me get you some blankets and pillows for the couch," Jo continues. "Unless you've changed your mind about being a gentleman." She smirks at him.
Bucky laughs through his nose. âDonât tempt me.â
Jo leaves the room for a moment, which gives Bucky a chance to look around. He's standing in her living room; one wall features a set of French doors that lead to a balcony overlooking the street, and the opposite wall holds bookcases stuffed from floor to ceiling with books, framed photographs, and various knick-knacks. From where he stands, he can see a small room with an upright piano and guitars hanging on the walls. The exterior walls of Jo's apartment are brick, and everything else is set in jewel tones. He likes it. It's dark and cozy, and from what he knows of Jo so far, her living space matches her well.
When she returns, Jo is holding a stack of blankets and pillows. She sets them on the ottoman and moves across the room to close the curtains.
"There are some sweats and a t-shirt there that should fit you" she says, turning to Bucky.
"Thanks," Bucky says, smiling softly.
Now that they're here, in her apartment, Bucky isn't sure what he's supposed to do or say. He can still feel the heat of Jo's lips on his, and he's painfully aware that the condom Sam gave him is still in his pocket.
Jo must sense the hesitation rolling off him because she crosses the room to stand in front of him and takes his hands in hers.
"Get some sleep, Sarge," she says, squeezing his hands in tandem before dropping them.
"Goodnight, Jo," Bucky returns.
_____
Bucky lays on Jo's couch in the dark beneath blankets that smell like laundry detergent. He wishes they smelled like her. He unlocks his phone and looks up the distance between New Orleans and Brooklyn. Just over thirteen hundred miles. He sighs and drops his phone onto the coffee table before closing his eyes and reliving each kiss as he falls asleep.
On the other side of the wall, Jo falls across her bed, deflated. She likes this guy. She wants him â painfully so. But leave it to her to fall for the one guy in her bar who lives half-way across the country.
_____
next chapter
#bucky barnes#james buchanan barnes#james bucky barnes#sergeant barnes#bucky barnes x oc#bucky x oc#bucky barnes x ofc#bucky x ofc#bucky fic#bucky barnes fic#bucky fanfic#bucky barnes fanfiction#bucky barnes romance#bucky barnes smut#bucky barnes imagine#bucky barnes fluff
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A Soulmate for Christmas - 1
No one but you see your soulmate mark. Not unless your soulmate touches it, and even then, it only glows for a moment. Most consider that a blessing, but Marinette would say itâs a blessed curse. Because how was she supposed to find the boy who left a black cat mark on her hand fifteen years ago in the city that wasn't even located in France? So when she finds a model flaunting the mark she put on him all those years back in a magazine, she has hope for a moment. That is until she notices the article discuss his imminent engagement to someone else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, whatâs the emergency?"
Marinetteâs hand emerged from under the covers, pointing in the direction of her desk. "The new Paris Fashion. Page thirty."
Alya whistled upon reaching the said page. "Looking good, M Agreste. Good enough to turn my best friend into a hot mess with a single picture."
"This isnât funny, Al. Look at his chest!"
"Pure lean muscle. Perfectly toned. He's growing up nicely. Though, I fail to see why this is a big enough emergency for you to make me bail on lunch with Nino."
"Look. At. His. Chest." Marinette crawled out from under the comforter and stomped toward Alya, pointing at the particular spot on the picture. "This. Look at this."
"A ladybug tattoo? SoâWait!" Alya looked up at Marinette, her finger pointing to the ladybug mark painted on his chest. "Are you telling me thatâs hisâ"Â
"Right where I put it!" Marinette cried, ducking back under her covers. "See? He exists! I told you. I canât believe you were doubting me all this time!"
"Well, excuse me, but you were five, and he sounded too good to be true. Little boys donât usually go out of their way to help crying girls they donât know find their flirting grandmas at a fashion show in Milan. Little boys donât kiss said little girlâs hand as a farewell while they are at it. And they certainly donât ask for the girl to kiss their soulmate mark into existence as close to their heart as she possibly could. âSo, they wonât forget her,â right?"
"So, he could always keep me close to his heart," Marinette corrected. "But that doesnât matter now. You were right. That boy doesnât exist anymore, and this one isnât as good as I thought he was, so whatever. Iâll get over him and move on. There are plenty of guys out there. One of them is bound to like me more than money, fame, and prestige."
"What do you mean? Shouldnât you be happy your crush is your soulmate?"
With a pitiful groan slipping her lips, Marinette buried her face into her pillow. "Ugh! I canât believe I ever felt guilty for crushing on him. I thought I was a horrible person betraying my soulmate for some handsome, sexy supermodel. Foolish me. He doesnât deserve any of my attention."
"Marinette, seriously. What do you mean?"
"Read the article."
Alya fell silent as soon as she noticed the title. "âParisâ most eligible bachelor reveals⊠a long-time secret relationship with his childhood friend Kagami Tsurugi. Doesnât deny Christmas Eve engagement rumour.â Oh."
"And you know what the worst part is?"
"What can be worse than discovering that your long-time crush is your long-lost soulmate and then finding out heâs been not only dating someone else but very likely will propose⊠tonight?"
"How about being at the same party at the same time. As a waitress."
Alya swore under her breath and put the magazine down. "Mayor Bourgeoisâ Christmas Gala?"
Marinette nodded. "The article said they both confirmed they will be attending. I'll get a front-row seat to my soulmate's proposal to someone else. Lucky me."
"Then donât go," she said, sitting down beside Marinette. "Iâll go in your place."
Marinette couldnât let her do that. Nino was going to propose tonight, so Alya couldnât be anywhere but with him. "Youâre spending your first Christmas with Ninoâs family. Iâm not standing in the way of that."
"I can spend New Year Day with them."
"Youâre going to the French Alps with your family that weekend. Donât try to weasel out of it. Your mom has been planning that trip for months. Noraâs flying in specifically for it."
"Iâm not trying to weasel out. Iâm trying to help you, M."
"And I appreciate it, but Iâm not making you go instead of me."
"What about your father?"
"The doctor said he shouldnât be getting up for at least another week or his leg might not heal properly and heâll end up with a prospect of a surgery which weâre trying to avoid."
"Then, Iâm sure Rose or Juleka wouldnât mind stepping in."
"No." Marinette sat up on her bed. "They have plans, and Iâm not going to ruin them. Iâll just have to grow a pair and face him like the strong, independent woman I am. Or rather go help Maman and avoid him at all cost. Heâs not even going to recognize me anyway. I didnât. Not until I saw that photo."
"Thatâs true. I doubt he remembers much about you. You were babies when you met, so just stay away from him and keep your hands covered. That way even if you accidentally touch he wonât see it. A pair of gloves perhaps?"
"Mayor has uniforms for all the servers, even those coming in with the caterers, so no gloves for me. But as long as I do my job and pretend like Iâm not in the same room with my soulmate who clearly didn't think me worthy enough to search for and instead decided to date this very famous, very influential, extremely rich girl from his own circle, I should be fine."
"Iâm so sorry, M." Alya wrapped her arms around Marinette, bringing her into her chest for a cuddle. "Men are stupid. Some more than the others. Especially the rich and spoiled ones."
Marinette scoffed bitterly. "Donât I know it. I got plenty of examples from being in the same class as Chloe Bourgeois for years."Â
"Isnât Adrien Chloeâs friend?"
"I think so. I was hoping Adrien wasn't like her. Clearly, that isn't the case."
"You'll get over him soon, and we'll find you a nice, handsome, smart man who will cherish and love you for who you are."
"Soulmates are so last century anyway, right?" Marinette swallowed back the knot in her throat. No matter how much she tried to convince herself, this hurt. "Iâm sure he doesnât even remember meeting me. We were five. Who would be holding on to a memory of a random girl in Milan? And even if he did remember me, he probably thinks I live there. I thought my soulmate lived in Milan until he decided to show off his stupid soulmate mark to the whole world. Who does that, anyway? Those are supposed to be one of the most intimate of details of oneâs life. You donât just show it to everyone, and certainly not to the whole world while announcing your engagement to someone else."Â
Her eyes fell to her hand where, invisible to everyone but her, an image of a black cat lay, a mark Adrien Agreste left there more than a decade ago with his first kiss to her skin. Just like a mark of a ladybug appeared on his chest when her lips touched it upon his request. He said he wanted to keep her close to his heart, so it would be easier for him to find her.
What a load of BS.
"Have you ever thought that, perhaps, that couldâve been a message to you?" Alya asked. "He went through the trouble of painting over his soulmate mark for the photoshoot so others could see it. It has to mean something. No one is dumb enough to think that if Adrien Agreste releases topless photos while announcing something as big as a possible engagement, there would be at least one person in France, or even Europe for that matter, who wouldn't see it. He knew his soulmate would see it."
Marinette laughed. Bitterly. "Yeah, a great message. âHere is my soulmate mark, my dear soulmate. In all the years I knew you existed, I didnât bother to find you. But I did make sure that this picture, in which I showcase to the whole world the mark you left me, came along with an article where I discuss how much I love my girlfriend you'll never compare to in status, money or looks. Not that I even care about your feelings, announcing that an engagement is in the near future for me and my darling childhood friend.â Yeah. This is definitely a message, Alya. He says âScrew you, Marinette. Iâm better off with Kagami Tsurugi, and I thought you should know that.â"
Alya wrapped her arms around her tighter. "First of all, only brainless idiots would take status and money over love. Second, youâre the prettiest, smartest, and the most successful woman I've ever known, and third, you're an amazing and wonderful person who's on her way to becoming one of the best designers in Paris, so donât you bring yourself down because of a stupid man who doesn't realize what he lost."
"It's my fault anyway. That's what I get for letting that stupid, cute boy kiss my stupid hand at a stupid fashion show in stupid Milan."
"You were five, M. And he was a dashing gentleman, helping you find your grandmother in a strange city you got lost in. You couldn't have known he's your soulmate. No one could have."
"Right. And he wonât recognize me, so Iâll be fine. He wonât even look a waitressâ way. Nothing to worry about. Iâm very much certain the only person heâll be looking at will be his future bride-to-be, so I have absolutely nothing to be scared of. Not that Iâm scared, because Iâm not. I just donât want to be humiliated. Not that Iâm already humiliated, but at least no one knows about it. That'll be awful if anyone else finds outâ"
Alya grabbed her face and turned to look at her. "Marinette, breathe. Calm down."
She took a few deep breaths and tried to relax. Alya was right. This was fine. Sheâd be fine. Everything would be just peachy.
"As long as he doesnât touch your right hand, no one will know. I still insist I go instead of you. Nino will understandâ"Â
"No. Iâll go. I can do it."
"Yes, you can, and youâll be fine, but if anything happens, you have my number. Iâll be there in five minutes. You got me?"
Marinette nodded, pulling Alya into a hug. She was an amazing friend, and Nino and she were going to be insanely happy together. One day perhaps, Marinette would meet someone too. Someone who, just like her, was betrayed by their soulmate. Or someone who had lost theirs. Someone who would be kind and gentle and, like her, would just want to be happy.Â
Someone who was not Adrien Agreste.Â
Next >
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#miraculous ladybug#adrienette#soulmates#adrinette#fluff#light angst#misunderstanding#happy end#aged up#no magic au#soulmate marks
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(apologies in advance to the people who followed me for Good Omens. Iâm diving headfirst into a new fandom, so Iâm afraid thereâs going to be a lot of Sambucky in the next three weeks at least...)
I wrote a fic inspired by episode 3 of FATWS. Read it here or on AO3.
Trouble Man
âIt is a masterpiece, James. Complete, comprehensive. It captures the African-American experience.â
What kind of passive-aggressive bullshit was that? It was annoying enough that Zemo insisted on calling him âJamesâ in that patronising way of his but now he tried to lecture him or rather tried to make him look stupid, uncultured and ignorant. Bucky wanted to laugh at Zemoâs comment that sounded more like he was quoting a Wikipedia article to appear sophisticated, but then Sam spoke up.
âHe is out of line â but he is right.â
Fuck Zemo. Seriously, Bucky had enough reason to hate Zemo but this was on another level. This was personal. He made Bucky look stupid, uncultured and ignorant in front of Sam. And the thing was, he was mostly ignorant about Marvin Gaye. He had listened to some of the tracks from Trouble Man just because they were on Steveâs list, and had quickly decided that it was not his kind of music. Now he wished he had at least listened to the whole album so he could contribute more than a weak âI like Marvin Gayeâ, which fooled absolutely no one. He had no idea how a simple conversation about music had escalated like this. It had seemed like perfectly normal banter, Sam making fun of him for being old-fashioned, and then Zemo had interfered with that comment and it was downhill from there.
For some reason Sam was very passionate about Marvin Gaye and Bucky was intent on finding out why. Also, he needed to find out how music could be âcomplete, comprehensiveâ and âcapture the African-American experience.â In his experience, music was used for dancing and for fun and thatâs all there was to it. He stared at the notebook. There was some really good advice in it, like Thai food or Star Wars. So far, Bucky had not seen the appeal of Marvin Gaye. But apparently Steve had. If Steve had adored the music so much, why had he just simply crossed it out in a neat line and not, for example, put an exclamation mark behind it? Bucky added two exclamation marks.
Right, how to do this? Not for the first time he regretted just getting a simple flip phone instead of one of those fancy smartphones. When the shop assistant had told him that he needed a phone for taking photos and listening to music, Bucky had almost laughed at him. Talking about stupid⊠He could really use Youtube or Google now.
âDo you have a computer with internet?â he asked Sharon.
She looked at him like he was stupid (it was becoming a theme) but showed him to a computer and even gave him earphones. Then he started to listen to Trouble Man and this time did not skip any tracks but listened to the whole songs. He also googled the lyrics but that did not leave him any the wiser. Doctor Raynor would probably tell him to use his goddamn mouth and just ask someone, for heavenâs sake. He would rather get frozen again than ask Zemo. But it also felt extremely wrong that Zemo, who was supposed to be one of the bad guys, seemed to know and understand Sam better than Bucky, who was supposed to be SamâsâŠwhatever. Were they friends? Bucky certainly considered Sam a friend (although he never would say it out oud), probably the only friend he had left. Someone who texted you and asked you how you were and invited you to lunch was a friend, right? Someone who even saved your ass and (repeatedly) broke the law for you was a very good friend. But did Sam consider someone his friend who did not text back, who repeatedly got him into trouble, kept things from him and had even tried to kill him? Bucky stared at the screen. It was a miracle Sam had not tried to kill him yet. It was even more of a miracle that he was still being nice (sometimes). He googled âTrouble Manâ and âAfrican-American experienceâ. To his disappointment, it was not a quote from a Wikipedia article. So Zemo knew what was going on and Bucky did not. He turned up the volume and tried to make sense of the lyrics (âGot me singin' â yeah, yeah â Hooâ).
âFinally doing some catching up on the good stuff?â
Bucky turned around so quickly that the earphones were ripped out of his ears. Sam had put up his hands in defence and was babbling something about attacking or not attacking or whatever.
âJesus.â Bucky consciously unclenched his left fist. âCouldnât you just knock?â
âI did. You didnât answer.â Sam pointed at the screen where the Youtube video of Trouble Man was still running. âI knew it,â he said gleefully. âYou have no idea who Marvin Gaye is.â
âI do!â Bucky protested but then trailed off because he may have heard some of Gayeâs songs but he still did not know who Marvin Gaye was.
âSo.â Sam crossed his arms over his chest. âWhat do you think? Honestly.â
Bucky looked from Sam to the screen to the dangling earphones. I like it was not an appropriate answer. Not an honest one. âI donât get it,â he finally said.
âNo appreciation for good music.â Sam sighed dramatically. âHopeless. Stuck in the 40s forever.â
Bucky could have left it at that. They were on common ground again, bickering but not hurting each other, it felt familiar, safe. âNo,â he said nevertheless. âI â how? How is this music â how does itâŠcapture the African-American experience? Most of the songs donât even have lyrics.â
âYou donât need lyrics for music to be meaningful.â
âHow? Is it because people listen to it in certain situations orâŠ?â
âAlright. Ready for a lesson on 20th century music? You better take notes.â
Bucky opened the notebook and took a pen. Then he noticed Samâs grin. Right, he hadnât meant it literally. But now Bucky had already opened the notebook and he was determined to go through with it. So he wrote down all the names Sam dropped, the musical genres and important songs. It was a lot and, as a lot of things, it confused Bucky but he just rolled with it. So some bands destroyed instruments on stage and certain music apparently had a soul? Great. Speaking of souls, this was probably the right time for some soul-gazing to show Sam that he was actively listening. (Doctor Raynor would be so proud of him.) Sam kept bringing up the soul thing several more times until finally Bucky could not keep quiet any longer.
âWhatâs with this soul music? Is it, likeâŠmusic for funerals?â
Sam stared at him. Bucky stared back.
âOkay, scoot over.â Sam squeezed on the chair next to Bucky so Bucky almost fell over on the other side. Then he reached over Bucky to grab the mouse, opened another tab and chose a Youtube video for Bucky to listen to. âThis is soul music.â
It was highly uncomfortable because the chair was not made for two people and they both werenât exactly small but Bucky was resolved to stay on the chair, at least with one thigh. Sam chose video after video, pointed out characteristic musical features, quoted parts of the lyrics and talked about the history or the significance the songs. It was still a lot and Bucky still did not get everything but he dutifully took notes to look up some things in detail later. When he had filled the sixth page in his notebook, Sam stopped the music lesson.
âSo, 40s music. Any recommendations?â
Bucky turned to face him. They were awfully close. Samâs eyes were somehow very soft, there was the hint of a smile on his lips and he looked very huggable in that thin turtleneck â and he looked genuinely interested in Buckyâs answer. Bucky felt hot shame flooding him. Sam could be aggravating and an outright asshole but he was too kind for this world. Too kind to Bucky.
âNah,â he mumbled. âMusic in the 40s was just for dancing, for fun. NotâŠnot important like your music.â
âOh, you can dance just fine to my music,â Sam said in mock outrage. âCome on.â He elbowed Bucky out of the chair and chose another Youtube video, then stood up, too.
âSoul music?â Bucky guessed when the first chords of an electric guitar could be heard.
âFunk. Close enough.â
Sam started to move to the music. It should be ridiculous, the weird moves he was doing, because that certainly wasnât proper dancing, not the dancing Bucky knew anyway â no rehearsed dancing steps, more like a spontaneous swaying to the music and some of the moves were definitely ridiculous but Sam made them look, well, smooth.
âSee, thatâs dance music, too,â Sam said and came to stand in front of Bucky.
Bucky had no idea why it was even called dancing but he wasnât going to say that because he did not want to offend Sam again.
But of course Sam had to nag him. âSpit it out.â
âWhat?â
âI can see the cyborg gears turning. Whatâs wrong with dancing?â
âNothing. Just not what Iâm used to.â
âYou can choose the next song. For now â get those hips moving.â He nudged Bucky, and how could Bucky say no? After Sam had spent all that time educating him and only mildly making fun of him for his ignorance, he owed it to him.
âThis is ridiculous, I feel ridiculous,â Bucky complained when he tried to copy some of Samâs moves.
âYouâre doing great,â Sam said but he was grinning, clearly enjoying how Bucky was making a fool of himself. âMaybe tone down the staring a bit.â
Well, if it made Sam happy⊠Bucky decided to give it his all and moved wildly to the rhythm, not caring if it could be called âdancingâ or not. Nonetheless, he was a little relieved when the song was over.
âYour turn.â Sam indicated the computer.
Bucky had no idea which song to pick. He tentatively typed âBillie Holidayâ into the search bar.
âSeriously?â Sam came up behind him. âYou know Billie Holiday and say you donât understand how music can capture the African-American experience?â
It was like a punch in the face. A well-deserved punch probably. âI mostly saw her as the singer of love songs, for slow dancing,â he admitted. âNever reallyâŠthought much about it.â
âSo what, youâre going to slow dance with me, Barnes?â It wasnât the usual good-natured banter but sounded more like an accusation.
âLook, Sam, IâŠâ Bucky rubbed his temples. âLetâs head downstairs to that party toâŠâ hopefully not dance. Whatever. Get out of this situation where, he feared, he was breaking rule #2 again.
âNo, letâs do this.â Sam clicked on the first link and a swing tune started to play, Me, Myself and I. âLetâs slow dance if thatâs what you do.â
âReally?â
âAbsolutely.â
It was certainly the most aggressive ask for a dance he had ever received. And he had never been this stiff during a dance before. He used to be a good dancer back in the days but now he felt clumsy when he placed his hand on Samâs back while trying to keep as much distance between them as possible.
They had not even made eight uncoordinated steps when Sam started to speak. âWould it hurt you to use that brain of yours once in a while? Itâs supposed to be working properly again, isnât it? Thatâs what I heard at least.â
Doctor Raynorâs words came back to him, that he was free. To do what? Certainly to do better than hurt the man who had always had his back without Bucky ever having done anything to deserve that kind of loyalty.
âIâm sorry,â he said, unconsciously tightening his grip on Samâs back.
âWhat for?â
Everything. âFor beingâŠkind of⊠thoughtless, I guess.â
Being so close, he could actually feel Sam exhale. âThatâs the understatement of the century.â
âFor being a huge dick,â Bucky offered.
âBetter,â Sam grumbled. âNow, was that so hard?â
Bucky took a step back to gauge Samâs reaction. He was relieved to find no traces of hurt or betrayal in Samâs eyes, just the usual exasperation he put on when looking at Bucky. âYes. Physically painful,â he tentatively tested the water. It was like a dance, back and forth, seeing how far you could get.
Sam rolled his eyes. âI hate you. And please stop staring.â
Bucky shrugged and pulled Sam close again, in fact, so close that he did not have to look into Samâs eyes anymore but was now staring at his left shoulder. Sam was visibly relaxing in Buckyâs arms and wasnât that a miracle, that he was still in Buckyâs arms, still allowed Bucky to hold him?
âThank you,â Bucky mumbled into Samâs shoulder.
âWhat for?â
Everything. Bucky tightened his hold on Sam (and silently thanked the autoplay function that started the next song because he was in no way ready to let go of Sam yet). âIâm a mess and you donât deserve all that shit I throw at you.â
âMm. Youâre welcome.â Sam squeezed his shoulder, like a reassurance that he would continue to put up with all of Buckyâs bullshit. Too damn kind for this world. Good thing he had Bucky on his side who was going to beat up everyone who so much as tried to exploit Samâs kindness. (Yes, he knew he was being hypocritical and should technically start with beating up himself.)
âSharon was wrong,â Bucky said. âIâm not obsessed with the whole stars and stripes stuff. I didnât follow Steve because he had that shield. And Iâm â well, you mightâve noticed Iâm here and not following that â that asshole. Sam, I think you should take the shield but, with or without the shield, Iâll follow you. Just so you know.â
Sam was silent for quite some time, they were just swaying gently to the music, until Bucky heard close to his ear, âThat a threat, Buck?â He could almost sense the smile against his cheek.
âJust a fact. And I hate you too, by the way.â
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The Bones (Reid Series) Part 2
Summary: After doing an even deeper dive on Valerieâs past, Spencer finally meets her, but his invasiveness isnât the worst part ... the worst part is he might actually like her.Â
Playlist: âThe Bonesâ by Maren Morris & Hozier  (BONUS: song includes major foreshadowing) Category: Series, Fluff, Soft Angst, Eventual smut and *NSFW content Pairing: Spencer Reid POV x Fem!OC - Valerie Content Warning: invasion of privacy, allusions to Maeveâs death, arrhythmia Word Count: 3.4k
Part 1Â |
â§ïœ„ïŸ: *â§ïœ„ïŸ:*Â
After firmly deciding not to weave Penelope into my tangled web, I was met with the arduous burden of conducting my own research.Â
Firstly, I would need a computer - yeah ... a computer. Thatâs how far I was willing to go for this pursuit. I once vowed never to fall victim to modern technologyâs clutches, and yet here I was, doing my research on a public libraryâs computer. To my credit, I hadnât gone out and bought one, I was merely using my resources.
With the need for a device out of the way, all that was left was the knowledge of what to look for. But that didnât pose a problem either.
Funny enough, with as many rules and restrictions as there are regarding patient privacy and confidentiality, all it took was matching dates of news stories with hospital records to complete my research. I was fairly certain I was only scratching the surface of information about Valerie as opposed to the sea of things I couldâve uncovered if I asked for Garciaâs help, but there are only so many lines a person can cross in one week.Â
This was my limit.
Call me naive, but I was actually quite surprised with just how expansive the internet is. To an almost relentless degree, I would open an article and it would lead me to ten more about the same topic. It was this never ending rabbit hole that seemed to spiral on forever. I kept digging deeper and deeper until I could no longer dig.Â
Iâd officially hit rock bottom.Â
It took me a grand total of just two hours to unearth all the âdirtâ I could on a young Valerie Bishop.Â
Local 16-year-old Wins Nevadaâs Statewide Art Contest! Published by Henderson Press.Â
Valerie, just a sophomore in high school at the time, was donning what any experimental teen girl wouldâve worn in the early 2000s - bootcut jeans and a sequin blouse over top of a plain camisole. And if I zoomed in close enough, I could spot the evidence of a sparkly blue shadow coating her eyelids. Surprisingly, though, that wasnât the first thing I noticed.Â
It was that smile. That tooth-achingly sweet smile.Â
Though I never got the chance to see Maeve truly smile, thatâs what I imagined it would look like.Â
The photographer mustâve caught her midway through a laugh, at least thatâs what the image of her slightly open-mouthed grin told me. Meanwhile, her two tiny hands were clenching her overbearingly large trophy while her artwork stood behind her as the background.
It didnât take me long to figure out why her painting won. Simply put, there was no need to see anyone elseâs art to know that they couldnât possibly compete with hers.Â
Hers was an abstract rendition of what I believe to be a forest of some sort. The detail is what I was most drawn to. It wouldâve been unbelievable on its own but the fact that she was 16 when she painted it? Thatâs what was unbelievable to me.Â
If thatâs how talented she was at that age, I could only imagine how much more talented she became with time. However, I lost the chance to investigate the current state of her skill before a related article from The Cleveland Gazette about Valerie succeeded this one.Â
From Award-Winning Artist to Hendersonâs Hero
Read my interview with 17-year-old Valerie Bishop to find out more about her struggle with arrhythmia and how she turned her pain into a project!Â
By Kelli Gallagher from the Cleveland Gazette.Â
Gallagher: Thank you so much for letting me interview you, Valerie.Â
Bishop: Of course! Iâm happy to.Â
Gallagher: Youâve become somewhat of a hero in Henderson, Nevada, havenât you?
Bishop: I wouldnât call myself a hero ... but if everyone else wants to - Iâm fine with that. (laughs)
Gallagher: Donât be so modest! I mean, what youâve done is so incredible, and youâre only what? Seventeen?
Bishop: Yes, maâam. I just turned seventeen this past August.Â
Gallagher: Wow, I canât believe how young you are and yet youâve already accomplished so much. I saw that you won a statewide art contest last year. Tell me more about that.Â
Bishop: Thatâs a funny story actually. My Grandma Sheila was the one who entered me in that contest. I didnât even know about it until I won it. Sheâs always surprising me, though. In fact, sheâs the one that surprised me with my first ever art supplies, when I was about eight or so. They were these super expensive oil paints, and I knew she couldnât afford them, so I told her we should return them and get something cheaper, but she said, âNonsense. When the bones are good the rest donât matter. A house donât fall when the bones are good.â That was kind of her saying.Â
A house donât fall when the bones are good.Â
The bones.Â
Gallagher: Iâm interested to know more about your relationship with your grandma. If Iâm remembering correctly, she was also diagnosed with arrhythmia a while back too, right?
Bishop: Yes, she was, but thatâs never slowed her down. And as for our relationship, my grandma and I have always been close, but arrhythmia, in a weird way, has brought us even closer. She has always been my biggest supporter and the fact that weâre both on this journey together makes her my biggest supporter even more so.Â
Gallagher: Absolutely. Now, I also heard that youâve started a fundraising program to possibly start a gallery and studio in Virginia Beach. If you donât mind me asking, why Virginia Beach? Is there any special significance?Â
Bishop: Actually, thatâs where my grandma met my grandpa, and they got married and started a family there, too. So if Grandma Sheila hadnât been there to meet him, she wouldnât have had my mom, and that would mean I wouldnât have been here either. I like to think Virginia Beach is where it all started. In a way, itâs where my bones are. That solid foundation in Virginia gave me everything I have today.
Gallagher: That is just incredible. Iâm so glad to see your fundraising project is thriving, but I canât imagine any of this has been particularly easy for you. You were diagnosed right around the time your senior year was starting right?
Bishop: Yes maâam.Â
Gallagher: So what brought you from Henderson to Cleveland?
Bishop: Well, actually, I didnât want to move, especially not before I graduated, but Cleveland has the best cardiovascular hospital in the country and my health is far more important than graduating in the same state I grew up in. So when my parents were willing to move me and my sister out here, I saw it as a privilege rather than something to be sad about.Â
Gallagher: I am so inspired by you, Valerie.
Bishop: (laughs) Really, why?
Gallagher: Despite everything thatâd been thrown at you, you are still so grateful. I hope you never lose that.Â
Bishop: I promise you I wonât.
Gallagher: So one last thing before I go, what is one hope you have for your future self?
Bishop: I hope, future self, that your âbonesâ are still strong.
Gallagher: Beautiful. Thank you so much again for doing this, Valerie. I sincerely hope you reach your goal and you get to open up that gallery and studio in Virginia Beach.Â
At the bottom of the article, there was a footnote from Kelli Gallagher.Â
Exactly 10 years later, Bishop was able to move to Virginia Beach and open up her gallery and studio.Â
By the end of the article, I felt a genuine sense of pride for Valerie, and I know I had virtually no right to know these things about her, but I could still be proud of her for them right?
I would never fully get my answer to this question before I crossed the final boundary.Â
After exhausting all that I could gather from the internet without Penelopeâs assistance, the only thing left for me to do was actually meet her in person. However, this would prove to be a bigger obstacle that it seemed. I decided to delay the daunting task until the next day. A decision partially influenced by the phrase, âsleep on it.â I prayed Iâd gain clarity on what to do when I woke up the next morning, but even with a nightâs rest, I was still undecided as I drove to Virginia Beach once more.
To sit in my car that was conveniently parked right in front of the gallery was a poor choice. Because with every passing second, the temptation to walk in grew, but the fear of regret dampened those impulses. The more I thought about it, the more I psyched myself out. Between my two choices, to freeze or to fight, I shouldâve taken the third - to flee. But I was here now and I couldnât leave empty-handed for a second time.Â
After a momentâs indecision, adrenaline coursed through my veins to give me the courage to get out of my car. When I felt an outdoor breeze blow over me, I knew there was no going back now. Right when I walked in, the little bell above the door rang, solidifying that I was officially crossing the threshold, and whether I liked it or not, she was going to see me after hearing me walk in.
âIâll be right with you!â A small voice called out from somewhere in the back. She was hidden from my immediate sight, and somehow that made it so much worse. It was now I that was waiting for her, instead of her unknowingly waiting for me.Â
As though I were prey getting ready to escape a predator, I stayed put by the door. It gave me a full view of the entire place anyway.Â
Scoping out my surroundings, I spotted the paintings that were carefully measured and placed on the walls, almost to perfection. I had no time to notice anything more before the person in the back walked out.Â
Immediately when I saw her, I knew.
âYouâre ⊠not Valerie.â I couldnât help sounding so disappointed but luckily, the woman that came out took no offense to my observation.Â
âNo, Iâm not,â She laughed. âBut I can get her for you-â
âNo wait!â I uselessly leapt forward to stop her from saying, âVee! Thereâs someone out here to see you!â But thatâs precisely what she did anyway. Evidently oblivious of my previous protests, she politely smiled back at me. âSheâll be right out.âÂ
For the second time that day, I waited with bated breath, anxiously anticipating the arrival of Valerie. And I was almost too focused on subduing the pounding of my heart to realize that she was actually walking out of the back right now.Â
âHi, sorry about that!â A new voice chirped.Â
Valerie.Â
The moment I laid eyes on her, it became clear to me that the pictures in her files hardly did her justice. Nothing could compare to the real sight of her. I was only able to catch the profile of her face when I saw her in the cafe, but in her entirety, I began to wax nostalgic. Though her face and hair and body had transformed into that of a grown womanâs features, I could still identify the same tooth-achingly sweet smile that a younger Valerie once wore on the front page of the Henderson Press. She was no beast to conquer, she was just a girl, smiling at me in that same gentle way.Â
Her expression just as well showed no indication of recognition, not that she would recognize me, considering my letter was anonymous and unless she pulled the same stunt I did, she wouldnât ever recognize who I was.Â
âIâm Val,â She made her greeting to me while untying her dirtied waist apron, and it was merely the action that caused my gaze to fall to her hips, but when she shed the apron, I was still staring. There was something sort of mesmerizing about the way they swayed as she approached. It wasnât until they stopped swaying completely that I realized they did so because there was no more distance to advance - she was already right there in front of me, patiently watching me stare.Â
âVal?â I blinked hard to revert my gaze while also playing into the part that I had no idea who she was.Â
âMhm. Short for Valerie,â She confirmed happily. âLike the Amy Winehouse song.âÂ
This time, I genuinely didnât know what she was referring to, and my confused countenance prompted her to clarify, âYou donât know that song?âÂ
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she began to playfully sing, âWell, sometimes I go out by myself and I look across the water ...âÂ
While she watched my face and waited for the recitation of the song to jog my memory, I was just as much studying her face. I could tell she was only kidding when she sang, evidenced by the laugh that followed her rendition, but it sounded so unironically good that I had to question what other talents she possessed.Â
âUm, I was actually thinking more like Valerie, the martyred medieval saint, whose name stood for strength and health.â No sooner than the words spilled from my mouth did I recognize the freudian slip - the simultaneous coincidence and confession. The coincidence was that, now, with Maeveâs heart beating in her chest, she lived up to her name - she was newly strong and healthy. But I worried, she would see the correlation I drew between her name and her successful transplant and would realize that I knew more about her than I let on. Did I just give away too much?
âSorry, I didnât catch your name earlier. What was it?â Her casual dismissiveness of my previous statement did nothing to ease my worries. Was she beginning to piece everything together?
âOh, right!â I said dumbly. âS-Spencer. Iâm Spencer.â I was such a blubbering bundle of nerves that I actually reached out to shake her hand - a strangerâs hand.Â
âNice to meet you, Spencer,â She softly laughed, which was hopefully not out of the enjoyment of seeing me squirm. âWhat can I do for you?âÂ
A loaded question, donât you think? What can you do for me, Valerie? Well, for one thing, you couldâve answered my letter, but to say something as bold as that would require me to admit the real reason I was here, and how could I do that without mentioning how I found you in the first place?
âUm ...â Whose birthday is the soonest? âMy friend Emilyâs birthday is coming up and I was wondering if I could possibly buy a painting from you as a birthday present.âÂ
There was the faintest perceptible skepticism in her expression, but that couldâve just been my paranoia talking because in the next breath, she didnât suggest a proclivity to my deceit. âYeah, of course! Do you know what her favorite medium is? Or her favorite artist? Or her favorite style of art?âÂ
For every addition to the question, I wordlessly shook my head no. Was my lie already unraveling? Could she see right through me?
âNo worries. If you want, you can walk around the gallery and tell me if you see anything you think sheâd like.â She made her offer to me sweetly, then disappeared into the back room again. I tried to follow her with my eyes for as long as I could, but from where I was standing, I couldnât see very far into it. I wandered a little further into the center of the gallery to possibly catch a glimpse of what was occupying her time back there, but when I heard the chattering of two voices, Valerie and the other woman, coming from the same general direction, I realized I was completely alone in this part of the studio.
With no one around to bear witness but these portraits, I couldâve easily slipped out and made my escape, and I mightâve even done it had it not been for the unmistakable gravitational pull forcing me to stay here and walk about the room.Â
Making my way throughout the gallery, I would pause every now and then when a painting would stand out to me, which was often, considering each picture was impressive.Â
But there was one painting in particular that piqued my interest. It made me feel something Iâd never felt before.Â
It wasnât special by any means. By rights, I shouldnât have even noticed it, for it wasnât the largest painting, nor the smallest one - it wasnât even the most average painting. But it felt exceptionally ... Valerie. I had no doubt in my mind that she painted this one - in fact, I had a good bet that she painted most of these portraits, if not all of them - but this one. There was just something about it that I couldnât put my finger on.Â
âSo,â A draft was created from where Valerie swiftly and unexpectedly joined me at my side. âWhat do you think?âÂ
âUm, thereâs definitely something,â I struggled to find the word. âappealing about this one.â Almost as soon as the word came out of my mouth, I knew it was only a matter of time before she called out the inadequacy of my answer.Â
âAppealing?â She repeated in mockery. âThatâs the best you got? Come on, youâve been standing here for like ten minutes. There must be something about it you like.âÂ
âIâm not sure.â I honestly admitted with a shrug.
âThereâs no wrong answer.â She assured me, but I found that hard to believe.Â
âSo if I said I see a grizzly bear attacking a UFO, that wouldnât be wrong?â
âNope,â She popped the p. âIf thatâs how you interpret it then thatâs how you interpret it. Just because someone else sees it differently, doesnât mean youâre wrong.â It wouldâve sounded like complete bullshit or nauseatingly cheesy coming out of someone elseâs mouth, but her delivery felt so genuine. It actually moved me.Â
As she said this, she turned her head in my direction to look up at me, causing her shoulder to brush my upper arm, sending a wave of goosebumps all over my body.Â
She was so close.Â
But I was so unbothered by her proximity that I didnât even notice exactly how close she really was. If someone else had invaded my personal space like that, I wouldâve moved in the opposite direction just on instinct, but I didnât even think to do that with Valerie. I was so comfortable with her being there.Â
But was that just because a part of her was once Maeveâs? Was the entire foundation of my likening to Valerie built upon that single attribute?
Was that my bones?
âUm,â I began fidgeting with my hands to self-soothe. âI like it. I donât know why. But I like it. Howâs that for an answer?â
There was a pause before her response that compelled me to look at her, but when I did so, she was already looking at me. âIâll take it,â She nodded. âItâs the biggest compliment to me if my art can make you feel something.â
Was it the art that made me feel something ... or you?
âIâll tell you what,â She walked over to grab something from the front desk. She came back with a small piece of cardstock. âIâm going to an art exhibition next weekend. Why donât you come with me and see if you canât find something for Emily there?â
She handed me the paper, which was actually her business card. âYou donât have to have an answer for me today, but call me when you do.â She seemed to think that was the end of the conversation, but I still had more questions.Â
âYouâre inviting me?â was the first question that came to mind, albeit the dumbest one.
âYeah, you can be my plus one.â
I gulped to dislodge the lump in my throat. âLike-like your date?âÂ
She furrowed her brows with mild confusion. âUm ... sure, if thatâs what you wanna call it,â which was the last thing she said to me before vanishing within the back room again.Â
I peered back down at the card and tapped it gently on the palm on my hand as though to register its presence really being there.Â
For all intents and purposes, this card was meaningless. But to me, it was the formal consenting - nay, invitation - to reach out to her again. She was willingly extending this line of contact to me.Â
No more public library computers. No more files. No more âresearch.â Just her number - a way to reach her without veering off my moral compass.Â
Despite this, I still had no clue whether or not I was going to accept her offer.
All that I did know was that I wanted to see her again.Â
â§ïœ„ïŸ: *â§ïœ„ïŸ:*Â
PART 3 COMING SOON!
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Quick! // Spencer Reid x Reader
Hello again :) it's been a minute. And I'm so sorry about that. I wish I had more time but I recently started my own business with a friend ON TOP of a full time job. So I'm extremely sorry for the giant hiatus between fics. I love you all immensely and message me if you need anything!!
Summary - Reader brings Spencer to an office Christmas party to keep the office creep away from her.
TW - SLIGHT SEXUAL ASSAULT
Word count - 1.9k
The situation I had dragged Spencer into wasn't one he would usually agree to. Hell, I usually wouldn't even ask him to do this.
But things at my office were getting a bit too out of control for my liking.
Seth was a man who worked at my office. He appeared kind, handsome, and charming.
And that was all true, because it was on the surface.
Seth was also cunning, seductive, persuasive, and powerful. I think you see where I'm getting at here.
The first time something happened it was pretty harmless, but made me uncomfortable regardless.
*I sat at my desk, finishing up an article I had started days ago, one I was quite proud of, when I felt a presence behind me. I peered to the right slightly, seeing a suit I had seen on many different occasions.*
*Seth.*
*"Looks great y/n!" He put his hand on my shoulder for a few seconds, looking from over my shoulder. "Great job." His hand slid slowly off as he backed away. It gave me chills.*
He had done many other things in between now and then, but the last straw was a week ago when he grabbed my knee under the table at a meeting. I snatched it from him so quickly I was thoroughly surprised that no one heard my knee slam into the underside of the table.
Now it was the office Christmas party, and I wanted to go, I had many friends made in that office that I had come to love being around. But it was hard to do that with a certain lurking presence around.
So I called Spencer.
At first he was very hesitant, saying 'parties weren't his thing.' And 'I wouldn't know what to wear.' But as soon as I brought up how uncomfortable Seth made me, he was on board.
I set out the sweaters I bought for us on my couch, getting ready to tell Spence that he had to wear this.
It was going to be like putting a cat in a bath.
"Come in! Its unlocked." I yelled, hearing the knock at the door. Spencer promptly slinked in, heading to my side.
"You know, that can be quite dangerous. What if it wasn't me?" I looked up at him with a tiny glare.
"You knock a certain way so shut up." He smiled a bit at this, inevitably looking down at the sweaters I had placed.
"No, y/n, why?" He whined, feeling the fabric between his fingers.
"Spencer please! I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend." His movements froze, I may have skipped asking him that the other day.
"What? I thought, you said, I thought I was just there to keep him away from you?"
"And you are! You are! But it would really keep him away from me if he knew I had a boyfriend. Men respect other men they don't know, more than they trust women at all." I gave him puppy dog eyes, holding up the sweaters that read 'I've been naughty' and 'I've been nice.' On them. He looked down at me with what looked like nerves but I was definitely perceiving as pity and finally gave in.
"Fine, because I don't want that asshole touching you anymore."
"Soooooo, you'll wear the sweater?" I gave him a cheesy smile, slowly placing the 'Naughty' one in his arms. He rolled his eyes with the tiniest smile.
"Yes, I'm going to change then we can leave." He walked to my bathroom, coming out less than a minute later with a matching sweater to mine, which I changed into in the living room. And off we went.
-
We had been parked in the parking lot for about 12 minutes while I was half panicking, but I covered that up by saying I needed to 'touch up my makeup.' Within the first minute Spencer realized that I was lying and tried to calm me down.
He succeeded after 13 minutes.
We entered through the glass doors om the first floor, heading to the elevator.
"I do not have good experiences with elevators." Spencer complained.
"Well I don't have good experiences with walking up 9 flights of stairs. So I'm taking the elevator." He reluctantly entered the 'deathbox' as I heard him refer to it under his breath.
Once to 8th floor, I grabbed his hand, waiting for it to reach the 9th as Spence furrowed his eyebrows.
"We are selling this whether you like it or not." I giggled, squeezing his hand and watching the doors opening. Christmas light and laughter spilled in.
"Y/n! Is this Spencer?" My friend Maizey subtly gestured to our hands.
"Yes! Took a little convincing to get him here." I laughed.
"I love the sweaters! So *cute*." We are cute aren't we?
Stop that.
"Yeah, it took a lot of convincing to get him in it." I leaned into him, his arm naturally snaking around my waist.
That's weird.
After a short amount of small talk Maizey was off to mingle with others around the room.
And that's when I saw him.
"Are you gonna point out this douche bag to me?" Spencer asked protectively, which was a new and sour approach on his personality. My head gestured across the room where seth was wearing a Christmas suit and drinking what appeared to be a glass of champagne.
"The one in the obnoxious suit." I watched as Spence narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to profile him. His eyes raked over his figure, soaking up every detail.
"What an egotistical man." I could have sworn I felt his arm pull me closer.
But I think I'm just anxious.
"Come on, we look weird standing her, let's get some punch." I pulled his arm from my hip, interlocking our fingers and dragging him towards a long table. The man immediately spotted some coffee at the other end.
"I promise I'll be right back, I'm going to get some coffee." He squeezed my hand and let go, making his way there. I grabbed myself a red solo cup and the laddle that lazily hung in the large bowl of punch, raising it to the cup before it was pried from my hands.
"I'll get that for you." The voice made me flinch away slightly. I still held the laddle full of liquid in the air, feeling myself getting annoyed. I slowly grabbed the cup back from his hands.
"I think I can handle pouring my own drink. Thanks." I poured it and brought it to my lips to conceal the inevitably pissy look the was plastered onto it.
"An independent woman, I like that." And with that he turned on his heel and strutted away. I then heard quick footsteps from behind, sounding like some familiar beat up converse.
"Was he talking to you? I'm so sorry I wasn't here! The coffee line was taking a lot longer than I calculated."
"Its okay, I think I handled it really well, just, stay by my side." I rubbed my hand down his shoulder for comfort. He nodded with a sympathetic smile and brought his head down to mine, kissing the top of my head. And in those seconds that he did, I silently hoped that this blush would go away before he saw my face again.
But he didn't comment on it.
I was now introducing him to my friends and loosening up, we drank a little bit of alchohol and got buzzed, which I never thought Spencer would do with me.
I plopped onto one of the couches around the fore place, snuggling into Spencer's chest and biting into a chocolate I recently picked up.
"Its nice to see you loosened up you tight-ass." I giggled, offering him the other half, which was half a random choice and half an experiment to see if he cared about sharing germs with me. He won't take it.
But he did, grabbing it with his teeth and slipping it right into his mouth. I sat, a little flabbergasted.
"What?" He chuckled, chewing the rest of the sweet.
"I thought you didn't like sharing germs?"
"Well it's you, and you're my girlfriend, so why should I care?" It looked like he immediately regretted the comment as the words flee from his slightly buzzed mouth. But before he could make any *further* comment, he was interrupted by our manager.
"The Christmas bells are hung and 3 places to be weary of where you stand too long!" She squealed.
Oh no.
"What are the Christmas bells?" Spencer asked, swerving away from the previous conversation.
"Its an alternative for a mistletoe." I groaned, looking around cautiously for any nearby. "You kiss and the you ring the bell to let people know. It's weird." He nodded in understanding, lifting himself off the couch.
"Want to get another drink madame?" He asked properly, holding his hand out for me to take.
"Why yes of course sir." I laughed, taking his hand as he effortlessly pulled me from the couch to my feet. We headed towards the doorway that led to the half of the room that held the drink table. Just as I took a long stride, my keys fell from my pocket. I looked at the ground for them, not seeing them in the immediate area. Though I felt eyes on me, and they weren't Spencer's. Spencer peered around the doorway.
"Oh! Here they are." He crouched to the ground when I heard footsteps approaching me. I looked to see Seth making a B Line right to me, and I looked up to see two little bells hung above me.
No.
No no.
I leaned down, slightly to Spencer's level.
"Quick. Kiss me." I whispered, grabbing his cheeks and bringing him from his crouched position. I pulled his lips to mine and pushed my hands around his neck and through his hair. I heard him sigh into the kiss, his hands resting on my hips. Just before we pulled apart, I heard the bells ring and saw Spencer's hand reaching at them. He turned to the side, seeing Seth froze dead in his tracks, arms crossed over his chest. I heard small claps come from the others around us.
The seething man turned on his heel and strode away from us quickly, *finally* getting the hint.
I hope.
"Thank you, so much." I giggled, bringing my arms back to my sides slowly. Spencer] stood still, his hands moving slowly to... wherever their destination was.
It seems he couldn't decide.
But he just looked into my eyes, silently.
"You okay?" I laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling it to his own side.
"That was just, very, unexpected." He sighed, looking down at his hands.
"Well I certainly wasn't going to let Seth kiss me."
"Did you want to kiss me?" He blurts, his mouth seemingly making the decisions over his head.
Ah, the dreaded question.
Oh well, might as well get it out.
"Did you wanna kiss me?"
Pussy.
"I asked you first." He pried, quite childishly I may add.
"Fine. Yes." I replied grumpily, averting my eyes from his.
"Good." His hand found mine, intertwining them. "Maybe I can be a real excuse to keep that creep away for the next holiday party?" A smile crept onto his features.
"Definitely."
#mgg#criminal minds#spencer reid#dr spencer reid#spencer reid x y/n#spencer reid fanfiction#mgg fic#mgg fanfiction#mgg x reader#spencer reid imagine
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tarlos valentine 2021 day 1 prompt: âbabe please sharing is caringâ + blanket hogging
words: 5111
summary:
âAre you seriously reading a WikiHow article about how to stop hogging the covers?â
"Yes"
read on ao3
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âThis is the best thing Iâve ever eaten,â TK declares as he takes yet another forkful of the chocolate cake that Carlos has baked for his birthday.
He cannot remember when someone would have baked an actual cake for his birthday. They celebrate everyoneâs birthday at the firehouse, but usually those are bought from the supermarket and they taste and look exactly like they cost less than five dollars.
His dad has threatened to bake something every year, but after the year when he served the dairy, butter and sugar free cake, TK had banned him from birthday related baking.
âSeriously,â he continues, gesturing towards the almost empty plate with his fork, âthis cake made me fall more in love with you and I didnât know that was possible.â
Carlos shakes his head, clearly in amusement, as he bites down his smile. He looks delighted and pleased. Â âIâm glad you like it.â
âLike is an understatement,â he remarks and reaches over the narrow kitchen island to press a quick kiss on his lips.
The cake tastes amazing, rich and sweet, and the texture is fluffy, but firm. It looked gorgeous too, as if it were straight rout of the high-end confectioneries of Manhattan. He had asked where he had bought it before Carlos admitted, rather timidly, that he had baked it from the scratch.
TK hadnât been expecting anything other than the supermarket cake, and honestly, he thought his birthday would be just grouped together with the firehouse annual Christmas party. Being born in December usually meant that it got joined with Christmas celebrations and it didnât get to be a separate thing. TK is fine with it. It bothered him more when he was a child, but now he doesnât mind that much.
Hoping that one day would be about him feels like a dumb, childish and selfish wish. Â
Carlos had been uncharacteristically quiet about the upcoming birthday or any plans related to it, and TK had been almost convinced that he had forgotten the whole thing. It would have been fine if it were the case, but obviously, he hadnât forgotten. Instead, he had gone all out.
TK knows he should have suspected something when Marjan had asked all slyly if he had any plans for his birthday when they all had been gathered around the firehouse dining table to eat the pathetic looking supermarket cake.
He had said no, and everyone had smiled like they knew something he didnât, but he had brushed it off.
TK reaches scoop a forkful of the cake from Carlosâ plate, because his is almost empty, and he grins at him brightly. âBabe please, sharing is caring,â he chuckles.
Carlos rolls his eyes, but the fondness is too visible to make him seem even a tiny bit annoyed.
âYouâre lucky I love you,â he mumbles. There is no heat behind his words, and he pushes the plate closer to TK.
Itâs obviously meant to be a joke and his voice is light, but still TK is aware that it is the closest thing to the truth anyway. He feels lucky, incredibly so.
Carlos is a kind, caring and loving person in general and it is evident in the way he does his job and the way he treats people around him, and TK is fully aware that he would be lucky to get just a fraction of the love Carlos has to give, but the fact that he has decided that TK is worth of all of it makes it a whole another thing.
Lucky doesnât even begin to cover it.
Privilege, maybe.
He has started to notice lately that the English language doesnât have nearly enough words to describe what he is feeling for him. But that doesnât stop him from trying.
âI know,â TK eventually replies, several beats too late it to be counted as banter anymore and the fondness in Carlosâ eyes just grows.
He does steal another forkful of his piece of cake and lets his gaze wonder around the small cabin.
Instead of forgetting his birthday, Carlos had rented a cabin for three days. It is a couple hours away from Austin, located near camping-area, and while the cabin is small, it is still objectively really nice and fancy for a log cabin.
He looks at the dark brown wooden walls and the shiny marble kitchen island. He tries his best not to think how much money he has spent on his surprise.
Carlos had also coordinated it so that they both have the three days off around his birthday, and he had listed his whole crewâs, and his dadâs help, to do it, several months in advance. TK guesses there are certain perks that his boyfriend gets along with his family like a house on fire.
Carlos yawns. He blinks a couple of times, before focusing his gaze back to him. He smiles and it is warm and genuine one, but TK can see the redness of his eyes and the dark circles below them. He looks exhausted, even though he is trying to hide it.
âYou should go to sleep,â TK points out, softly, as he places the fork on his own plate.
âIâm fine,â he insists.
In his opinion, it is a small wonder Carlos hasnât collapsed already. He had pulled an fourteen-hour shift with some over time on top of it. After that he had still driven them up to the cottage and cooked him a huge dinner. Itâs a bit unclear to him where he found the time to bake the cake, but the point is, he knows that he is tired.
He would know it without having all the details. They have been together for year and a half, and TK likes to think that he can read him. Understand all the little cues from his facial expressions and behavior. At the moment, everything he picks on screams that he is fatigued.
âYou look like you could pass out from exhaustion,â he remarks.
âItâs your birthday,â Carlos argues, a little flatly, but he is poorly attempting to repress yet another yawn.
âIâm aware,â he says, amusedly, as walks around the kitchen island and reaches to take his hand into his own. He presses a soft kiss on his knuckles. âAll of this is really nice, and I love it, but it also pains me to see you so tired.â
He blinks slowly, but his smile is lopsided, but still full of adoration. âI wanted to do something special for you.â
TK remembers faintly that he had told him on his last birthday that his birthday rarely was a priority, always getting entangled to the preparations of the holiday season, and he had certainly not meant anything with it. But Carlos, being a strong contender for the title of most considerate person in the world, had hung on his words and decided to indulge him on his silly wish of having a proper birthday.
TK had snorted when they had picked up the keys of the cabin and the receptionist had frowned when she clarified that there would be no Christmas decorations, per request, but Carlos had just grinned at him.
âAnd it is,â he reassures, squeezing his hand slightly.
It makes his stomach flip as he thinks how much effort he has put into the whole thing, just so that he would feel loved and cared for.
âMaybe,â Carlos admits softly, âbut going to sleep before eight wasnât really part of the plan.â
Carlos lets go of his hand, but places both of his hands on his waist and pulls him closer. TK has no objections against that, and he loves the feeling of their bodies being pressed together. He loves the closeness of it, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world to be so up in each otherâs personal space.
âYeah, just one of the many perks of dating a first responder,â he deadpans, resting his other hand on his bicep.
Carlos huffs amusedly. âBecause there are so many of them.â
âOur never matching schedules,â he offers. He lets his other hand run along his spine and settles it to hold the small of his back.
âMonthly hospital visits.â
TK glares at him. âThey arenât monthly.â
âBi-monthly,â Carlos corrects himself with a shit-eating grin and it makes his nose scrunch, and it is one of the most adorable things TK has ever witnessed.
âConstant fear and worry,â he adds.
He knows he should be almost used to it. Since early childhood, he has had to learn to live with the fact that one day his dad might not make it to home, and now almost everyone he loves and considers family risks their lives on daily basis to help others.
He should be used to it, but the truth is that he isnât. The fear and worry still sometimes knock him off his feet and take over every part of his body, but he can cope with it. Most of the time. Although, he loathes the fact that his standards for a good day have been lowered to the simple rule of if they both make it home in one piece, itâs a good day.
Carlos nods and presses a soft kiss on his forehead. He doesnât immediately pull away. âThe way you smell like smoke,â he murmurs against his skin.
TK lets out a surprised laugh and the ghost of his kiss still lingers right above his eyebrows when he pulls away. âI could always shower again.â
He has gotten into the habit of showering at the firehouse when the shift ends, because Carlos does have a point about the smell hazards. Most of the time he reeks after the shift and he had rinsed his skin today too, and the shift hadnât been terrible. Only one fire at the 24-hour diner when their deep fryer had caught on fire, but that was hours ago.
âYouâve smelled like it since the day we met,â he points out, âIâm not sure a shower is going to help.â
âHey,â TK protests, but he doesnât bother to hide his grin.
âI wouldnât change any of it for anything,â he says under his breath, âapart from fearing for your life.â
Over the couple of years, he has known Carlos, he has noticed that certain things happen when he gets thoroughly exhausted. His accent becomes thicker and he becomes sappier than usually and he starts to lack a certain filter. Itâs mostly just amusing and endearing, and he loves that side of Carlos just as much as any other, but he also wants to take care of him.
It makes a certain kind of knot of uneasiness to form in his stomach knowing that he is burning the candle from both ends for him.
âI know, me neither,â TK reassures, softly, but pushes him a little backwards, âbut seriously, you should go to bed. And you donât even have to go alone.â
He is also a little weary after the shift. His muscles are achy, and he wouldnât mind sleeping around the clock. And as always, seeing Carlos yawn, makes him sleepy, too.
âYour pickup lines are terrible,â he retorts, but takes a couple steps backwards towards the bedroom.
TK snorts. âThey worked well enough on you.â
He still keeps walking backwards, his left shoulder only slightly bumping against the doorframe as he enters the bedroom. âThey didnât. I didnât need pick-up lines, it was that damn smile.â
He ought to add getting complimented by him to the list of things he should be already gotten used to, because Carlos does it a lot. Itâs a casual comment here and there, and it definitely isnât always about his looks, but still no matter how many times he hears them, they always make his stomach twist in a best way possible.
Even now, the bubbling feeling of happiness settles into his chest and his lips are curling into a smile, and he knows itâs giving away everything he is currently feeling. The happiness and adoration mixing into together and spilling out as a soft and bright smile.
âThatâs the one,â Carlos whispers, contently and almost in awe, and few seconds later his fist is full of the soft fabric of TKâs grey sweatshirt and he is pulling him close again.
âYeah,â TK finds himself saying, but he cannot tear his gaze away from his lips and judging by the glint in his brown eyes, he has noticed it too, despite the sleep deprivation.
Sometimes, most of the time really, it is like electricity humming underneath his skin when Carlos looks at him. It feels like it now, too, and while they established very early into their acquittance that they are into each other. It was painfully obvious from the way they glanced each other while dancing and from the way they ended up hooking up within an hour.
Still, TK cannot help but marvel the that the feeling of sparks and electricity is still there, but it is still different. All the rush and fumbling are gone because there is more certainness now, of that the other is not going to disappear and that any of the lingering touches would be the last ones.
Now, every moment is like a small declaration of love.
He tugs the hem of Carlosâ shirt and gently yanks it upwards and helps him to undress it and Carlos helps him to get rid of his sweatshirt and tosses it somewhere on the floor. Suddenly, his lips are on his again, and the kiss is soft, but it still makes TKâs heart beat faster and toes curl up with want.
He runs his hands along his arms and squeezes his left forearm slightly. âMmh, not when youâre that tired,â TK mumbles against his lips.
He knows where it is heading unless he breaks it off, and while he wants to, it still defeats the whole purpose of his grand plan of Carlos getting enough sleep.
Carlos immediately takes a step back, like he always does when he lets him know he is not up for something, and his smile is mischievous, but still a little flustered. âIâd not fall asleep on you,â he adds, as he takes off his sweatpants, but this time he folds them neatly and picks up their shirts from the floor.
âYou have,â TK points out, kindly, as he gets rid of his own pants, âand you probably would now, too.â
Since their schedules donât always match, they tend to take up any opportunity that arises, but a couple of times, after double digit shifts, Carlos has fallen asleep before they have even properly started, and itâs no big deal. TK knows he has fallen asleep on him too.
He mostly finds it endearing, but it also means to him that Carlos trusts him enough and is comfortable enough to fall asleep without a second thought to it.
Carlos just hums amusedly as a response and gets into the way too huge bed.
The bedroom is tiny, and the bed takes a ridiculously big part of it, but he is surprised to find it to be incredibly soft and comfortable. Still, as TK sits on the bed, he pushes his pillow closer to his because he is not sleeping twenty inches away from him.
He settles down, lying right next to him and Carlos immediately drapes one arm over him, resting it on his chest and nuzzling his shoulder. TKâs hand fumbles a little until it finds Carlosâs other hand and curls his fingers around his.
âIâm--,â Carlos starts, quietly, but TK cuts him immediately off.
âDonât you dare apologize again,â he says, softly. âThis is all I ever wanted and itâs perfect.â
He runs his fingers along his forearm. He hopes that he knows that he doesnât mean the cabin or any of it, but just that he gets to spend his birthday with him.
Twenty-year-old TK would have laughed if someone would have told him that his best birthday would be in rural Texas, but there he is, more content than ever.
âHow did you know what I was going to say?â
He glances at him. âI can hear you think.â
Carlos exhales softly and TK can feel his breath against his bicep. âI just wanted to do something nice for you. You deserve all of it and more.â
It has been a long process to learn that he deserves nice things and to be loved, because of everything and despite of everything. He has Carlos to remind him about it occasionally, but still he cannot help but wonder what he has done to end up with more love than he could have imagined a couple of years ago.
He turns his head to press a gentle kiss on his temple. âWhy this place?â
TK has wondered about it since the moment they arrived. He has never heard about the place before and albeit, his knowledge of anything about Texas outside of Austin is a little wobbly, but the whole place seems to be quiet and has a little hole-in-the-wall feeling to it, like you would have to know about its existence to find it.
âItâs a dumb story,â he murmurs against his shoulders.
âI wanna hear all of your dumb stories.â
Carlos shifts a little. âWe came here with my family when I was maybe thirteen,â he starts, slowly and absentmindedly tracing some sort of pattern against his ribs. âI loved this place, and we had great time, but it still filled me with dread âcause the place was full of happy couples and families, and I was pretty convinced at that age that I couldnât ever have any of that on my own.â
His heart breaks a little as he listens to him. He meant his words that he wants to hear all of his stories, dumb or not, but now he regrets a little of ever asking because he knows that his coming out process hasnât always been the smoothest and deep south hasnât been the most forgiving place for him to live and grow up.
âBut,â Carlos continues, âI had this dream that one day Iâd bring here someone Iâd love.â
TK breath almost hitches in his throat. Itâs almost too much, but in the best way possible. To know that he has had that idea in his head for years and that he decided that he would be worthy of being a part of that. It makes his heart soar.
âI did try to warn you it was dumb,â he mumbles, taking his silence in the wrong way.
âItâs not dumb,â he rushes to say, âitâs actually really sweet.â
Itâs not the most eloquent response, but itâs too difficult to pinpoint anything he is currently feeling or to put them into comprehensible words that would reflect any of the love he has for him.
âYeah, well, youâre the only one Iâve brought here, so there is that too,â he adds, his gaze focused on his jawline, but he looks up to his eyes too, with the softest of smiles.
He is convinced his heart is going to burst. âThank you for sharing it with me,â he whispers, right below his ear, âand for including me in it.â
They lay there for a moment, in silence, only listening the steady breathing of each otherâs, but eventually TK sits up to reach the corner of the duvet and tries to settle it so that it covers both of their bodies.
âAre you going to hog all the blankets again?â
Carlos has closed his eyes already, but his voice is light and teasing.
âI donât hog âem.â
He sputters out a laugh, and itâs warm, happy and genuine, and TK loves to hear that particular laugh.
âOh, so Iâve been sleeping without one willingly for a year and half,â Carlos asks, quizzically, but it looks like another fit of laughter could erupt from him at any given moment.
âWhat?â
âYou always steal the blankets, even if there are two,â Carlos explains, sounding almost fond as he looks at him.
âI donât?â
TK hates how it sounds like a question to his own ears, too. He is aware that he moves a lot in his sleep, and his ex-boyfriends have given him so much shit about it, which is also why he tried to avoid staying the night when he started seeing Carlos.
Nothing is more charming than elbowing significant other in their sleep or kicking their shins. Still, Carlos has never said anything about the way he sleeps.
He knows that their bed is a goddamn mess every time they wake up, the blankets are usually disregarded somewhere, and they are not in the same positions as they fell asleep to, but he had no idea that he was the main cause of it.
âMhm, you do,â Carlos hums, his eyes closing again.
TK shoots perplexed glance at him. âWhy havenât you woken me up?â
He is a little more than appalled that apparently he has been doing it since the beginning of their relationship, but he is only hearing about it now.
Carlos opens one of his eyes, squeezing the other one shut. âYeah, wonder why I havenât woken up my boyfriend, who on regular basis pulls twenty-four-hour shifts,â he mumbles, but there is nothing but kindness in his voice.
âYou could have,â he argues, flatly.
âIâve tried to steal them back sometimes,â Carlos admits, his gaze landing back to him, and his eyes are gleaming. âBut thereâs no point. You just steal âem back. Iâve extra blankets, too, but there is no limit to how many blankets you hog in a night.â
Not for the first time around Carlos, TK finds himself to be a little loss for words. This time it is because of completely different reasons, he is a little too stunned and confused to talk.
âThe way you clutch to them and collect them is almost adorable,â he adds with a low chuckle. Â
âSo, every time you have said you sleep better when Iâm there with you has been a blatant lie?â
He almost wants to laugh. Itâs a bit more than ridiculous that he is only learning about his own nocturnal habits now, and Carlos has told him multiple times that he sleeps more soundly and deeply, that he feels safe, when he is around, and he has always found that a little more than endearing, but now it feels impossible to wrap his head around that it would be anywhere near the truth.
âNope.â
âYou really expect me to believe that the best sleep of your life happens without blankets?â
Carlos blinks, but the look he gives him is soft and laced equally with love and fondness. Still, he gently pokes him in between his ribs. âAm I in the habit of lying to you?â
âNo.â
âThen thereâs your answer,â he replies, easily and effortlessly, as if he has accepted the fate of sleeping without any blankets, ever.
TK grunts and picks up his phone from the nightstand and starts typing.
âAre you seriously reading a WikiHow article about how to stop hogging the covers?â Carlos questions, as he peaks the article he started suddenly to browse through.
âYes.â
He cannot put his finger to what actually bothers him about this small revelation so much. The unnamed feeling in his chest grows and it starts to resemble something similar to guilt, even though some logical part of his brain is telling him that there is no reason to feel that way.
He can admit that it makes him uneasy to know that Carlos has stayed silent about it for so long, especially when it must have affected the way he sleeps, too.
Carlos chuckles, softly. âItâs not that big of a deal, Ty,â he whispers, pressing a kiss on his shoulder.
âApparently we could sleep separately,â he reads aloud as he scrolls through the surprisingly long article.
âOut of question,â Carlos replies, without missing a beat.
He huffs in some sort of agreement. Itâs not the solution he would be eager to try any time soon, but he wants to find something tangible to make the uneasiness in his heart to go away.
âSomehow trap the covers underneath the mattress, smaller bed, bigger blankets--,â he continues to slowly read as he makes through the list, until Carlos gently yanks the phone away from his hand and places it face down on his chest.
âWe donât need to do any of that,â he reminds, âI sleep perfectly fine. You cling like an octopus and youâre like a walking radiator, I donât need a blanket. And above all, I like sleeping with you.â
Itâs a tiny confession, but he sounds sure of it and there is genuine fondness in the way he says it, and he cannot help but believe that he means it.
TK loves the way they sleep. There is so much closeness in it. Their bed is pretty wide, but every time he wakes up, they are close and touching each other, in one way or another. A hand resting on a thigh, fingers against hip, face pressed against shoulder blade, entangled legs and arms.
He is pretty convinced there are no moments when they are not touching when sleeping. He sort of likes that. That they drift towards other, even when they are completely unaware of it. They move in their sleep. Carlos always falls asleep on his side but ends up lying on his back. He moves around a lot more, but the fact that they always wake up pressed together, means that they move together.
When the other moves, the other follows. Invisible string connecting them in their dreams. Like magnets pulling each other in.
âIâm sorry I didnât tell you earlier,â Carlos continues to fill in the silence, âI knew youâd get stuck in that beautiful mind of yours about it, but I didnât know itâd bother you this much.â
There is a question hidden, and he knows he is giving him the space not to answer, but he wants to.
TK groans, quietly and softly. He places the phone back on the nightstand and rubs his own face. âItâs just thatâyou simply decided to put up with it,â he tries to clarify, still trying to make sense of the emotions that keep bumping against each other inside of him, âinstead of telling me to do something about it.â
He knows that he cannot control what he does in his sleep, but he would still like to try and make it better.
âI get that, but sayinâ that Iâm putting up with it makes it sound too negative,â he says, exhaustion leaking back into his voice just slightly, âand Iâd have told you if truly bothered me, but it doesnât.â
âYeah.â
He strokes his side, in slow moments, with his thumb. It sends small shivers along his spine. TK glances back at him, but his eyes are closed again. âI love you and Iâll gladly sleep without a blanket for rest of my life, itâs a small price to pay.â
Silence follows, and TK can feel how he tenses up slightly next to him. Itâs a small change, but he knows him well enough to spot the difference.
âThatâs pretty much wedding vow material already,â TK jokes, planting another kiss on his forehead because he wants him to know it is okay, and that he is not freaking out about any mentions of their shared future, and that he can say stuff like that to him.
That he wants to hear it.
Some of the tension immediately leaves his body when he pulls away from the kiss.
âI know,â he slurs, sleepily. âI should write it down.â
âHeight of romance.â
He laughs, even though he manages to make it sound tired too, but it is still a beautiful sound. âDamn right it is.â
âIâm gonna buy a bigger duvet when we get home,â TK declares.
âYou donât have to.â
âNo, but I want to.â
It might not help anything, and Carlos does seem pretty content with their current arrangements, but he still needs to do something. To try, at least, even if it is something as small as blanket hogging.
Carlos opens his eyes again, clearly fighting off the sleep. âPromise something.â
He is a little surprised by his words, but he cranes his neck on the pillow so that he can get a better look at his face. âAnything.â
âDonât start to overthink it, the way you sleep isnât something you should actively think about. Youâll only lose sleep,â he tells him.
TK knows he has a point. Itâs definitely an easy rabbit hole to fall in, and to become too self-conscious about every moment and not being able to relax and just be. Maybe he should take Carlosâ word for it.
âIâll promise Iâll try my best to get over the fact that Iâve forced you to freeze your ass every night for over a year.â
Carlosâ eyes are shut, but the grin that forms on his lips is bright and brilliant. âWe live in Texas, itâs hot and humid most of the time, my ass is fine.â
âIt is.â
He laughs again, mostly against his fluffy pillow. âHow did we end up having this conversation?â
âAbout us, the blankets, the future or the future of our blankets?â TK asks, deadpan, just to mess with his sleep deprived brain.
âAny of it?â
âI donât know, you started it,â he tells him, amusement shining in his soft voice
âIâm too tired,â he half-slurs, but the smile still lingers on his lips.
âThatâs what Iâve been trying to tell you,â TK points out, kindly, and moves his other hand to run through Carlosâ hair, massaging his scalp soothingly.
âYouâre right,â he breathes out, and TK can hear the smirk in his voice, âjust this once.â
He laughs quietly, trying not to stir him any more than necessary, and he thinks he might have already fallen asleep, and he almost startles when he hears his voice again.
âTy?â
âYeah?â
âI donât need any blankets, just need you.â
He would have expected his voice to be light, teasing and joking, but it sounds surprisingly sincere and like it half-accidently escapes away from his exhausted mind, but it sounds still so goddamn sincere that it makes TKâs heart flutter.
âSmooth,â he remarks, quietly, unsure what to do with all the happiness that keeps bubbling inside of him, but the only reply he gets is the quiet and steady breathing.
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