#spook pumpkin girl

[cute-and-spooky-girls]

She could care less what her siblings are up to or the damage they're causing themselves, especially when she's around.

She knows better than to be feeling this way, but she just can't help it.

How can one goblin be so perfect? She's so strong and independent, she's got our girl's head spinning and her heart pounding in her chest.

It's never a good idea to fall for a coworker, especially when it's your boss.

🖤nugget🖤

[jhoncoffey]

(via "Witch Better Have My Candy || Cute Witchy" Pullover Sweatshirt for Sale by bubbleCOLOUR)

[alchemistc]

Part One

The loft is sadly undecorated. He'd tried, is the thing. Gone to the same novelty store they'd found on a random walk after a date, in late September, where Tommy had spent twenty minutes worrying a foam pumpkin in his hands while Buck tried to decide what sort of decor would fit his utilitarian loft.

They'd spent so long lingering over the sculpted white candles, Buck thrilled because Tommy's straight face broke every time Buck pointed out which ones looked like incredibly expensive dildos, that he'd felt bad enough to buy a whole set of them just to appease the girl at the counter who'd been watching them with a half annoyed, half wistful expression while Buck made a comment about dragons that had had Tommy biting his lip so hard he'd actually gone red in the face trying to hold the laughter in.

But every time he'd picked up a glass tree and thought how much fun it'd be to try to make Tommy go full Tik Tok Paramedic on him, every time he'd found something soft or plush enough that Tommy wouldn't have been able to resist running his fingers over it, plucking it up to toss it between his palms - well.

It wasn't like there'd be anyone in his loft long enough to really appreciate his decorations.

"Why'd you kiss me?" he asks, rounding on Tommy as Tommy takes a tentative step towards the kitchen.

"You were being annoying." At Buck's look, he elaborates. "Force of habit."

The finger comes up without any input from Buck, his voice tipping into that same flirty, bickering rapport he'd always pushed as far as he could. "I knew you did it to shut me up."

Tommy expression shutters. He recognizes Buck's tone. A few months ago that tone would start with a round of banter that usually ended with at least one of them with their pants around their ankles.

He looks spooked. He's staring at the island stool closest to the door like he's replaying the last conversation they had here, and Buck feels all his ire rear back up.

"You promised me clarity, Tommy." It's an accusation, and they both know it, because he looks ready to fucking bolt.

Slowly, he steps in. Half a yard closer to Buck, close enough to curl his hand over the island, and Buck is struck again by how goddamn unfair it is that Tommy looks this goddamn good in a suit.

"I did."

Buck's pretty sure he has some muffins he hasn't frozen yet that wouldn't actually damage Tommy, if he threw them at him.

"Can we...?" He gestures, vague as his half a question, and Buck wants to throttle him. Or kiss him again, which is -

"I need a beer. You?"

Tommy sighs. His grip on the corner of the island makes his knuckles go white. "Evan."

"No beer, got it." He swings the door open and doesn't wait for the reaction to either his snippy little rejoinder or the stacks and stacks of baked goods filling up the shelves of his fridge. He pops the cap with his back still turned, let's the fridge door fall closed. "Not like you drove here, but sure. One of us should be sober, I guess."

The switch back to Evan doesn't do anything for him at all.

Buck leans back against the counter and tries not to think about how he'd had this half formed idea of getting a real tree this year, finding some novelty kiosk that made those hokey ornaments for people to mark the years they'd been a family. He'd thought -

Tommy blinks guiltily when Buck catches him eyeing the way he fills out his slacks, a toe to groin drift of his gaze that makes Buck ache for when he could respond to that by dropping to his knees.

"That's a lot of bread," Tommy notes, eyes focused somewhere over Buck's shoulder.

"Why'd you break up with me, Tommy?"

Tommy freezes. Shifts from foot to foot. Sighs, and takes a few steps to the fridge, swings it open to grab a beer of his own. It's still the stuff Tommy likes. Buck's not picky, really, and it'd been habit to grab the six pack he always kept for Tommy.

The last five times he'd restocked.

Tommy takes half a step back to lean against the island, just off center from Buck, so they both have to twist their necks just a little to actually look at each other.

"You terrify me," Tommy murmurs, a few swigs in, when the silence is just starting to make Buck's skin itch. "Evan, I'm not -." He grimaces, frustrated. "I'm not some Super Gay who fights for justice and equality and the ability to make horrible television with Hummel doll sopranists."

"I don't know what that means."

Tommy's smile is wry. He'd had a running list of movies Buck's never seen on a note on his phone - every time Buck missed a reference, he'd added it to the list. They'd gotten through maybe twenty before -

"I led on a good woman for years because I convinced myself I could live my life ignoring a huge piece of myself. I hurled slurs with my buddies just to make sure no one noticed me. I fed into every toxic stereotype I could just to avoid anyone realizing I wasn't one of them. I'm not - I'm not some Gold Star Gay, paragon of the community. I didn't do shit. And even when I made the decision to let myself just be who I always was, I waited until no one in my life was close enough to me to question that I hadn't always been this way. I -." He winces. Shakes his head. "I run instead of fighting. I hide every time someone tries to see me. I'm not - this comfort you're so convinced I have I took at the cost of other people who were braver and stronger than I could ever be. Do you - is that an admirable quality, to you?"

Buck wishes they'd sat, like Tommy seemed to have been hinting at. He wishes he'd spent the ride over preparing himself for this, instead of stopping himself from crawling into Tommy's lap and getting a horrible rider rating for his trouble. He wishes -

"Do you think I don't already know all those things about you?"

It's - actually, it makes him a little furious, to think that Tommy spent six months thinking he'd successfully hid all those things from Buck. And - sure, he hadn't exactly been forthcoming about more than a few of those things, but like -

It wasn't like Buck didn't actively find ways to pry stories from Howie and Hen, even Bobby on occasion. It wasn't like Buck hadn't noticed the clipped way Tommy spoke of his past, his family, always tucking away more than he revealed. It wasn't like Buck wasn't well aware that Tommy Kinard had the capacity to be a total fucking asshole, if he wanted. Just because he'd kept it cool around Buck, made it just flirty enough for plausible deniability -

"You deserve better than that. Than me."

"Then be better than that, Tommy." It's not the best way to get his point across, but... "I've had multiple serious relationships, Tommy. I'm - I've been in love, before, and I've had my heart broken before, and I've had my trust broken before, and I've made people I love feel like shit. You weren't new and exciting, Tommy, we were - we were boring and domestic and it was the best six months of my life. It was what I -."

And this, of course, is where the words start to crest over, too many at once while his mouth tries to keep up and his throat is too tight to -

He swallows. Stares at his toes until his vision swims. Maybe those are tears, or maybe he's just stared long enough to go cross-eyed. His throat feels like he might be able to scrape a few words out

"I go too fast sometimes. I - I get scared I'm falling behind and so I clear a few hurdles too fast to catch back up and it -." Frustration rises through him as he remembers the way Tommy had levered himself up, spun away, broken things off without even a hint of the careful consideration Buck had grown so used to. "And you just - you tell me you want more than anything to be my last but you can't even give me the closure of a clean break! What the hell was that about?"

"Evan, I -."

"No! Okay, no. It's my turn to - it's my turn to be mad. It's my turn to - do you know how lonely I've been? How - how much I'm in my own head about where I went wrong, and what I could have done differently, and why you won't just fucking text me when you clearly want to? Do you know - do you know what it's like to think you've finally found something worth the humiliation of being known and then have it vanish in a single night? Over - you never talked to me about any of the shit you brought up that night, Tommy! You never - if you were so scared of not being enough to keep me interested, or so sure you weren't a good enough man, or so sure I couldn't possibly know what I wanted out of this, you could have saved us a hell of a lot of time and - and hurt by not being exactly the person I thought I could spend the rest of my life with! If that was all a - a smokescreen, some act, then why did you - are you actually so cruel that you convinced me we were falling in love while you had one foot out the door the whole time?"

Tommy's grip on the bottle looks painful.

"It's your turn to talk," Buck snipes, and he takes a little satisfaction in the way Tommy blanches. Just a little. Just enough to ignore how much he wants to rip Tommy's suit jacket at the straining shoulder seams and bite a bruise into that spot below his collarbone that even Tommy's undershirts hid well enough to keep the team at Harbor from putting him on blast for coming to work covered in hickeys.

"Six months with you was more devastating than two decades of hiding who I was, Evan," Tommy says, and it's a horrible opening that makes Buck feel like he's being drawn and quartered but he'd given Tommy the floor, so -

Tommy's eyes are a little too misty to call them anything but welling, and Buck hates it as much as it satisfies the pieces of himself he's spent weeks trying to pick up and glue back together.

"Evan, I lived with Abby for years and I don't think I saw her as much as I saw you. You -." He swipes a hand through his hair, and rustles one of his Superman curls loose to drape tauntingly over his forehead. Buck wants to bite him. He wants it to hurt. "You burrowed in and you just kept digging and I didn't take a second to question it until it was too late."

"Too late for what?"

"For me to take the cowards way out and leave before it hurt."

"Maybe I should have dug further," Buck snaps, and Tommy's gaze flits to his. Holds, for the first time all night. He's breathtaking in the best and worst way possible. He's spent weeks now trying to imagine anyone else ever making him feel the way prolonged eye contact with this man makes him feel.

"You did," Tommy admits, a confession that sounds like it's been gut punched right out of him. "You still -." Another grimace, Tommy pulling back, pulling away, hiding, running, and Buck can't -

"So what is this, Tommy? Is this - are you -?" He shakes his head to clear the cobwebs. Rears up, pushes off the counter, and Tommy's eyes widen like he's just now realized he doesn't have an easy exit. Buck just stands there, though. "If this is it, let this be it. If you don't want - if you're not willing to fight for this with me, tell me now. I know I'm - I know I'm a lot. I know I push for more when I'm scared. I know I'm overwhelming, and I sometimes can't stop talking to save my life, and I know I'm jealous and petty and - I know I'm not perfect."

Tommy sets his bottle on the counter beside him. Worries his lip between his teeth and rolls his jaw.

"You snore. You're a bitch sometimes and every once in a while it's not even charming. You hog all the covers and then you complain that it's too hot. You're vague about every single thing in your past that you think makes you seem like a bad person. You always think food needs more garlic and sometimes you're wrong. Sometimes when I spiral you just give me that stupid indulgent smile of yours and I know you stopped listening two reddit threads ago. When you're grumpy sometimes it takes everything in me not to pick a fight because you're such an asshole. You get cagey every time I pick at a thread you don't want to unravel and I - I hate it. I wanted a life with you and you couldn't stick around long enough to tell me why you were too afraid to go for it. So if - if you think I'm seeing you with rose colored glasses, or whatever. If you think I'm not - if you think being the first guy makes you too special for this to be real then just..." He sucks in a breath. Blows it out through his nose and feels the ache in his chest that's half remnants of his earlier panic attack and half fear that Tommy will actually turn and walk out at the end of this. "If you don't wanna fight for this I'll fill in the hole I dug as best I can and I'll leave you alone, okay?"

The look on Tommy's face is one he's never seen before. They've done this dance, or parts of it, at least. Tommy'd left him outside Micelli's, breathless and confused and aching, before he ever knew what it was like to hold his hand, to press his nose into the join of his neck and shoulder, to curl a hand in his hair or be filled by him - with attention, with affection, with the weight of his body and the stretch of his cock. Even then, this had felt different. Real, in a way the misty edges of his time with Abby, or the way Buck's puzzle pieces had never quite fit with Taylor's had never been. Even then, he'd just wanted so desperately to know and be known by Tommy that he'd taken his second chance and run with it.

"I don't snore," Tommy says, when the silence gets too heavy, and Buck - god, Buck has missed that tone, the snappy little tilt of his head, the blatant lie that passes over Tommy's lips so smoothly it's hard to tell sometimes that he's not being serious.

"I have audio proof," Buck says, and then doesn't immediately admit that he'd played it on a loop two nights into the breakup when he'd wrapped his entire body around the spare pillows on his bed and still hadn't been able to sleep alone in his bed.

"It bugs me that you spent days following scraps of information about a dead outlaw you convinced yourself cursed you, but you didn't even know what a Kinsey scale was."

This is - progress. This is... not Tommy bolting.

"I'm a two. If that's - is that, like, gay enough for you, or...?"

"You go too fast for me, Buckley," he says, and Buck knows that's a fucking reference to something he doesn't have context for just as well as he knows he's willing to spend the next decade waiting for the reference to pop up on Tommy's list. It's a terrifying, exhilarating thought and it's probably exactly what Tommy means.

"I can slow down," Buck says, and he tries to mean it. Nothing about how he feels about Tommy is slow.

"I don't want you to," Tommy admits, and then lets the silence stretch. They're two and a half feet away from each other and the distance feels like the farthest he's ever been from Tommy and the closest he may ever be again. "Living together, making a life together..." He swallows. "Marriage." That stops him short just long enough to recall how he'd blazed right past the I love you and straight into how he could keep Tommy. "You scare the shit out of me every goddamn minute of every goddamn day and I've never missed being terrified as much as I have since I walked out that door."

"I'm in love with you," Buck tells him, and Tommy blinks back tears. Takes a shaky breath and nods.

"That's what scares me. It's never - it's never been enough, before."

He'd sort of expected this to end with either the echo of his KitchenAid or a frantic rush up the stairs, but when Tommy meets him halfway all he does is sink his nose into the curls behind Buck's ear and breathe.

His arms drag Buck closer, his feet shuffle beneath them, his chin hooks over Buck's shoulder and he breathes, and breathes, and breathes.

---

"Your morning breath is rancid," Tommy tells him, palm centered on Buck's nose when he leans in for a kiss, pads of his fingers curled just slightly so that his hand is nearly encasing Buck's entire face. He wants to be annoyed but it's mind numbingly hot and Buck has missed it. Missed the snark, and the comfortable way Tommy will shoot him down when his head is in the clouds, and exactly how fucking large Tommy is.

"I'm so tired of avocado toast," Buck bats back, and Tommy is distracted enough by his need to make a face at that for Buck to swoop in and press a kiss to his cheek. He makes sure to make it a little wet just to watch Tommy's face crinkle in mock disgust.

He's in one of Buck's hoodies, is wearing the pair of his own sweats Buck had buried in the back of his closet in a fit of pique three days post breakup. He still looks properly debauched and Buck wants to drag him right back to bed.

Except -

"You don't have to go," Buck repeats, for the fifth time since he brought it up somewhere between peeling Tommy out of his suit pants and rolling out of bed to warm a hand towel under the sink so that Tommy could clean the cum off his abs. "But I need to shower and leave in like - twenty-seven minutes."

Tommy catches him by the waist and drags him in. "I won't be able to stay. You baked and I took as much holiday overtime as I could, but if you seriously want me there -."

"I seriously want you everywhere."

Tommy raises a brow.

"I mean that in a horny way and a codependent way."

Tommy snorts. "Good to know we're approaching this in a healthy manner."

"You told me not to slow down," Buck reminds him, and he gets a smack to his ass for his trouble.

"When Maddie pulls me aside, do you think she'll just slip me a poisoned glass of wine, or is she gonna get up on a step stool and make me stand there while she strangles me to death?"

"She won't do that." Buck leans in again, rolls a loose curl between two fingers. "She'll just stab you in the middle of the kitchen and warn my parents not to step in the blood."

"That's comforting."

Tommy takes a utilitarian shower in the downstairs bathroom and doesn't let Buck join him, and then rifles through Buck's closet until he finds all three of his button downs Buck had tucked away.

He has to borrow a pair of Buck's slacks and Buck absolutely does not mind that his ass is definitely gonna stretch them out.

With about seventy seconds to spare, Tommy presses Buck to his front door and kisses him just long enough to screw up Buck's meticulous timing - by the time he pulls back and gives Buck enough room to glance at the time on his stove, Buck knows they're gonna hit just enough red lights to make them late.

"I love you too, by the way," Tommy murmurs, and just this once, Buck decides not to be a brat about being five minutes late.

[hippiegoth97]

Love Bites: Eddie Munson x Reader

Collage by Me :)

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Description: You and Eddie are cuddling in bed, when you get the sudden urge to bite him. He's surprised, at first. But it turns out, he likes it...

Content Warning 18+ Only, Minors DNI: Smut, female reader, biting, grinding, unprotected sex, jealousy, light crying

Word Count: 2.1k

Divider by @strangergraphics

Love Bites

You're laying in bed, cuddling with your beautiful boyfriend Eddie. He's got his arms around you, and your head rests on his bare chest. You hear his heart beating steadily, counting the beats in your head. You stroke his chest lightly, making him sigh. He's dressed only in pajama bottoms, while you're in a tank top and shorts. You both have the day off from work, and want to stay in bed as long as possible. You've got the TV turned on to reruns of cartoons, you both love them even if others find it childish. They're comforting to you both, as you've been through a lot until you met each other.

Eddie kisses the top of your head and plays with your hair. This moment is pure bliss for you, just being here with the man you love. And he loves you just as much. There are times where you find yourself feeling jealous, though. Eddie plays a lot of shows with his band, and all the girls that come to watch always drool over him. He never entertains their interest, but the thought of any woman going after what's yours makes your blood boil. You can't help it, you care about Eddie so much. He's your endgame, nobody else compares. This primal feeling of possessiveness overtakes you, you want to claim Eddie as yours. You lift your head slightly, and bite down into Eddie's chest.

"Ouch! What the fuck!?" He pushes you off of him for a moment, taken aback by what you just did. Your cheeks go bright red and you're embarrassed for acting so stupid. He cocks an eyebrow at you, concerned about where that came from. "What was that for, Y/N?" He questions.

"I-" You try to find the words, but it takes a bit longer than you'd like. "I just...couldn't help thinking about all those girls that lust over you at your shows. I know it's stupid, but you're mine. I don't like when people look at you that way, only I should be doing that." You look down at your hands, you're sure he'll think you're being ridiculous. He lifts your chin with his finger, making you meet his gaze again. He smiles kindly at you.

"Sweetheart, it's not stupid. But there's no reason to be jealous. I don't even think about those girls. If anything, I lead them in the direction of my bandmates, they can use all the help they can get." He laughs lightly. You giggle too. "I promise you have nothing to worry about." He grabs your hand to hold in his, he squeezes it lovingly. "On another note," he smirks. "I gotta say it's pretty hot that you're so concerned. It shows me that you really care. And that bite spooked me at first, but it also got me a little hard, love." Your eyes widen, of course he'd find you biting him to be sexy. Eddie thinks everything you do is sexy. "Come here, darling." He motions for you to straddle him as he sits up against the headboard. You do as he asks, positioning your core over his hardening cock. You feel yourself beginning to get wet just from feeling him between your thin layers of clothing. You moan quietly, and Eddie takes that as a sign to begin assaulting your neck.

"Eddie." You whimper. Your hands go into his hair, tugging roughly. He groans in response, and begins biting your neck. You start grinding your hips against him, your pussy getting wetter with each motion. Small moans and grunts fill the room, and Eddie leaves a treasure trove of hickies all over you. His mouth detaches from your neck so he can inspect his handiwork, nodding his head when he's satisfied.

"Fuckin' beautiful." He almost whispers, looking into your eyes again. His own blaze with lust, wide and wild. He grabs your face, pulling you in for a hungry kiss. You return the kiss with equal desperation, and he bites your bottom lip. You gasp, allowing his tongue to enter your mouth. You don't even bother fighting Eddie's tongue with your own, he always wins that battle. You just let him take you over, his hands drop to your hips as you continue kissing. He grips you roughly, digging his ringed fingers into your sides. You're bound to have bruises, but you couldn't care less. In fact, you look forward to seeing them in the mirror later, remembering how Eddie gave them to you.

You break the kiss, taking your turn and attacking Eddie's neck this time. "Mine." You lightly growl before you lick a stripe from his collarbone to his jaw. Eddie moans, gripping your hips harder, bucking up into you out of instinct. "Who do you belong to, baby?" You whisper in his ear.

"You, sweetheart." He moans in reply, finding your question unbelievably hot. 

“That’s right, Eds.” You begin sloppily kissing his neck, occasionally biting down to get more delicious noises out of him. You keep grinding against him, working both of you up as you continue to mark him. After a while, you decide Eddie's got enough hickies now, and you bring your face in front of his again. You lean forward, kissing him softly. His hands move off of your hips, groping your breasts through your shirt. You gasp at the contact, breaking away from his lips. Eddie helps you lift your shirt over your head, tossing it somewhere across the room. As soon as your tits are bare to him, his mouth takes your right nipple into it. He begins swirling over the sensitive bud with his tongue, and eventually bites down on it.

"Fuck." You whine, fueling his fire. His right hand grabs your other tit, massaging it roughly. You throw your head back, still making friction between you with your hips. You're soaking now, your arousal seeping through your thin shorts. It leaves a small mark on his pajamas. If you keep up like this, you won't last long. Eddie senses that you're coming very close to losing it on him already, and he can't help but love the idea of making you cum when he's barely touched you.

"You gettin’ close already, Y/N? You wanna cum like this?" He asks, stopping his work on your chest. You're still moving on him, and you take a moment to look in his eyes.

"Yes, please. I'm so close, Eddie. Make me cum." You're so fucked for him, waves of pleasure crashing over you, building up into a tropical storm. Every move feels simultaneously like too much and not enough. He smirks at you, and returns to your chest. He makes sure to occasionally buck up into you, bringing you closer to the edge. You're starting to see stars, desperately moving yourself on his lap. Eddie starts biting all over your chest, your tits, your shoulders. And each time he makes contact with his teeth, the waves crash harder and harder. You can't stop moaning his name, and cursing loudly. Sweat coats your skin, making you slippery against him. Eddie grips you tightly to keep you from falling, helping your hips work against his. Whenever he catches your eye, you see that he's fervently waiting for you to cum, watching your every move. Every moan, gasp, and curse drives him wild. He wants to fuck you so badly, but he wants to make you come undone even more.

"You can do it, love. Let it all go for me." He says softly. You feel the hurricane finally wash over you, causing you to scream. Eddie holds you against his chest as your orgasm rocks through you. Your legs shake, hips jolting out of your control. Your shorts are soaked through now, leaving a larger spot on Eddie's pajamas. He continues to hold you, stroking your damp hair as your breathing slowly returns to normal. Your legs still twitch like you've had an electric shock, your cunt pulsating with it. "You were such a good girl for me, Y/N." He kisses your head again. "Do you want more, darling? Or have you had enough?" He asks. You sit up again, meeting his eyes. His own widen slightly when he sees the burning desire in yours.

"I want you, Eddie. Please, fuck me, I need you."

"Anything for you, princess. Take your shorts off for me." You stand up off the bed to rid yourself of your shorts. Eddie smiles wide when he notices you have nothing underneath them. He kicks off his own pants, also wearing nothing under them. You both take a moment to look each other over, drinking in how gorgeous the other one looks. Eddie breaks his stare, motioning for you again. "C’mere and ride me, sweetheart." You climb back onto the bed, placing your knees on either side of Eddie's hips. You take his length in your hand, pumping it slowly. He groans, placing his hands on your waist. You tease yourself by dragging the head of his dick between your folds, both of you moan simultaneously. But Eddie is too wired from all the grinding to put up with not being in you any longer. "Fuck. Stop teasing me, Y/N." He begs through gritted teeth. You happily oblige his request, sinking yourself down onto him.

"Jesus, fuck." The feeling of him filling you up takes your breath away. You throw your head back, taking a moment to adjust to his size. Eddie's hands caress your waist, patiently awaiting your next move. You lift yourself up, and sink back down again. You gasp when his dick hits your g spot perfectly. You begin to bounce up and down on him, hitting your spot every single time. The sound of slapping skin drowns out the TV. Eddie's nails dig into your sides, feeling your velvet walls clench on his cock.

"You're so fuckin’ tight, Y/N. And so wet for me." His mouth latches onto your neck again, overwhelming you with sensation. "And you're all mine." He bites down hard on your skin, making you cry out.

"All yours, Eddie. Only yours." You try your best to keep up your pace, with Eddie assisting you by thrusting upwards. Your breath hitches every time he does. Your arms are wrapped around him, scratching deep red marks down his back. He groans, releasing your neck from his teeth. "God, I fucking love you Eddie." You feel the waves washing over you again, engulfing your body over and over. You're getting close to losing control, and you can tell Eddie isn't far behind you. Your cunt starts to flutter around his dick.

"I love you too, Y/N. Keep going, I can tell you're close. I'm right there with you, babe." One of his hands reaches between your legs to rub your clit in rapid circles. You moan loudly, his touch setting you on fire. You're both sticky with sweat, whimpering and panting like wild animals. You'll never get tired of being with Eddie, especially like this. He stops rubbing your clit, and grabs your hips again. He starts hammering up into you, driving you over the edge.

"Oh, God. Eddie, I'm gonna-" You're cut off as your orgasm crashes into you, knocking the breath from your lungs. The stars swirl in your vision again, and juices leak out of your pussy and onto Eddie's lap. You're holding onto him tightly as your legs shake uncontrollably. He keeps thrusting, chasing his own high as your walls clamp onto him hungrily.

"Shit. Fuck." He manages to choke out, his own release rolling over him. He cums inside you, thick ropes of white coating your insides. Eddie holds you into his chest again as your highs subside, the sounds of your panting in sync. He strokes your back with his hand, calming you down. Tears are rolling down your cheeks, dripping onto Eddie's chest. He moves you back slightly to look at you, worried he's hurt you. "Darling, are you alright?" Your heart swells at the concern in his eyes.

"I'm fine, my love. You just fucked me too good, I guess." You giggle as you wipe the tears away. He's not sure he believes you, but he accepts your answer for now. He just nods, kissing you lovingly. You move yourself off of his cock, laying in your usual cuddling position again. Eddie pulls the covers back over you, holding you closer than before. You feel so warm and safe and loved when you're with him. If you could never leave this bed again you wouldn't complain, as long as Eddie is always here with you. You slowly drift off into a light sleep, holding onto your man. He follows close behind you, content to have you as his woman.

The end.

[lcriedlastnight]

can i request a little fic where you (reader) is doing a haunted house with oscar and some of the others and out of fear, you’re clinging to his beautiful gorgeous delicious muscular arms the whole time. he probably finds it hilarious and teases you about it after

his arms makes me tweak out, anon. i'll never be serious about it.

tw: fem!reader, haunted house (i've never been to one so idk how it works), lmk if you want me to add anything.

w/c: 934

it was all lando's idea. "let's do a haunted house! it'll be great fun!" he said. he only suggested it because he knew how much of a scaredy cat you were, you could not even sit through a horror film without jumping out of your skin a million times. yeah, lando knew all of this yet he suggested it. you knew it had something to do with your little crush on the other mclaren driver.

a group of you were standing outside the haunted house that was placed in the middle of this pumpkin patch. it actually looked very cute and the girl in you adored all the autumnal decor placed around the area opposite the house. everyone was eager to get inside and get spooked but you were praying that the house just burned down or collapsed so you would not have to chicken out of this. you can see lando smirking at you from the corner of your eye and it pisses you off.

"y'alright?" came an australian accent, ringing through your ears. would it be weird to say you felt calmer already? because you did. you spin around to face the boy that everyone was waiting on.

for a autumn night in the middle of october it was surprising mild out and it was seemingly hot enough for oscar to forgo a jacket of any sorts. just a tight fitting, black t-shirt that had his biceps on display. it was like he knew how feral one glance at them made you because he placed them directly in your eye line as he crossed them over his broad chest. god you could just take a bite of him right now. the sight of the boy distracted you from why you were even nervous in the first place.

"yeah! how are you? why were you late?" you question with the usual concern you had when it came to oscar. anyone with a pair of eyes and a set of ears could tell how down bad you were for the australian. except maybe, oscar himself. that was fine with you, you did not want him to know about it. oscar hums and shrugs his shoulders.

"traffic." he smiles at you so you know he is lying but you could care less when he smiles at you like that.

"what? you scared or something?" lando would call this projecting if he was listening in, which let's be honest, he was probably listening in from somewhere. the brit somehow finding out about every conversation you have ever had with your crush. oscar just laughs at you but before he can actually respond to you lando is calling everyone over so you can all go inside together. everyone knows they will slip off into their own groups eventually but they entertain him anyway just to keep him happy.

"how would you feel about going 'round with me?" oscar asks, voice kind and gentle just like it always is with you. you are so thankful he asks that first so you do not have to beg him to go around the house together. it would make it seem like you were scared or something! you just nod at him with a smile. you both hang back and end up being the last ones in your group to head in, much to lando chagrin, wanting to keep everyone together.

you do not even get past the first scare before you are wrapping your arms around the big, muscular one that belongs to the boy beside you. it was resting at his side before you pulled it to your chest with a scream as a girl dressed as a zombie peaks out from a corner and slowly limps over to you both. you shuffle both you and oscar along quickly. the boy has to try hard to keep his laughter hidden because he know you will think that he was making fun of you, even though he found it so fucking cute.

your grip was deathly around his arm as he just let you cling to him like a child who was scared to get lost in the shops.

you stay like that until you are both in the clear and finally out the back end of the house. you can see the rolling field of pumpkins as you try to regulate your breathing and pretend like you were not even scared at all. oscar finally lets a laugh out as he peers down at you, his eyes are kind so you know he is not being mean when he is laughing at you.

"were you a little scared?" he teases, an eyebrow cocking up in questioning as you turn red and try to clear your throat to rid yourself of the embarrassment coursing through your body.

"me?" you scoff like it was something unimaginable. "nah, i think you might have been seeing things piastri."

oscar cannot help himself and it does not even seem like he tries to hold himself back this time as he openly giggles at you. it makes you smile.

"tell that to the nail marks on my arm, honey." even though his tone is teasing his words are kind and make you heat up again. you hope oscar just chalks it up to being caught out and not the pet name he just called you for the first time. you are speechless but oscar just laughs as he guides you back to rest of the group. promises of not telling a soul falling from his lips in hushed words that gets you hot all over again.

[sabrinajenre96]

Little Scrubs and Sweet Spooks

Pairing: Conrad Hawkins x Resident!Reader

Word Count: ~3,000

Setting: Chastain Park Memorial, Hawkins home, Halloween night

---

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the scent of baby powder and pumpkin spice as Y/N Hawkins adjusted her newborn son's soft, pumpkin-themed beanie. Five days past his one-month mark, baby Eli Hawkins blinked up at her with sleepy honey brown eyes that looked just like Conrad’s.

"Alright, Eli," she whispered, adjusting his snug orange onesie with “Cutest Pumpkin in the Patch” stitched in bold letters across the front. "You're all set to melt hearts at Chastain today."

From the hallway came the thunder of twin footsteps.

"Mom! I can’t find my stethoscope!" Ava Hawkins, the more spirited of the five-year-old twins, came barreling in, her little white coat flapping. She had a toy surgical mask pulled under her chin and a miniature ID badge that read "Dr. A. Hawkins — Future Cardiothoracic Surgeon."

"You left it in the kitchen next to the apple slices, remember?" Y/N said with a knowing smile. "Try not to misplace your tools, Doctor."

Behind her came Lily, more serene, already perfectly dressed in her pink scrubs and a toy badge that read "Nurse Lily Hawkins — Care Extraordinaire." Her blonde hair, tied in two neat buns, peeked out from under a toy nurse's cap.

"I helped Eli get dressed," Lily declared proudly. "He smiled at me."

"You both did an amazing job this morning," Y/N said, wrapping an arm around each twin. “Your dad’s going to lose it when he sees you.”

Before she could wrangle the girls into their jackets, the doorbell rang. Y/N opened it to reveal Marshall Winthrop, impeccably dressed in a dark blazer, holding a bag of treats in one hand and a cup holder with two lattes in the other.

"Thought I'd drop in early," he said. "Figured you'd need caffeine, and these two might like a ride in Grandpa’s car."

"Grandpa!" the twins squealed, launching into his arms. Marshall laughed, managing the lattes with surprising agility.

"Hey, hey, careful—these are hot!" He turned to Y/N with a wink. "You’re going to Chastain anyway. Why don’t I take you all? I’ve got a board meeting in twenty minutes, and I could use the company."

Y/N hesitated, but only for a moment. "You’re sure you don’t mind?"

"Of course not. Besides," he added, looking down at baby Eli now tucked into his car seat, "I haven’t seen this little guy in costume yet. My grandson is a pumpkin. That’s historic."

---

At Chastain

The main atrium of Chastain Park Memorial buzzed as always with a mix of urgency and calm. But when Marshall stepped through the glass doors, flanked by two tiny medical professionals and a pumpkin-shaped newborn in his daughter-in-law’s arms, heads turned.

"Excuse me," murmured Nurse Hundley, nearly walking into a cart. "Are those mini… uniforms?"

"They’re adorable!" exclaimed the front desk attendant.

The twins beamed, basking in the attention. Ava struck a pose with her toy scalpel. "I'm like Dr. Mina. She’s the best."

Lily chimed in, standing straighter. "I’m like nurse Nic. Nurses keep everything together."

Y/N laughed gently. "That’s completely unprompted."

A round of coos came from the nurses’ station as AJ Austin, walking past with Devon, paused mid-stride.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," AJ said, blinking. "Is that… is one of them dressed like Mina?"

"And the other like Nic," Devon added, leaning in to take a picture with his phone. "You win Halloween, Y/N."

Y/N smiled, bouncing Eli gently. "It was their idea. Ava’s obsessed with Mina, and Lily basically worships Nic."

As if on cue, Mina Okafor herself turned the corner and came to a screeching halt.

"What the… Is that—?"

"Ava Hawkins, Future You," Y/N teased.

Mina’s eyes scanned the child’s attire, from the expression to the confident stance. Then she slowly looked at Y/N.

"I’m flattered. Slightly disturbed, but flattered."

Then, without warning, Mina picked up Ava and twirled her.

"You're coming with me. I’m keeping you."

"No fair!" Lily cried.

"Sorry, kid," AJ said, laughing. "Surgeons steal things. It's part of the job."

"Should’ve gone into orthopedics," Devon said sagely.

---

Down the Hall

Conrad hadn’t seen a break in nearly five hours. Between consults, a trauma code, and the usual mountain of paperwork, he hadn't even looked at his phone. So when he finally emerged from a patient’s room, rubbing at his temples, he had no idea what was waiting just outside the nurse’s station.

"Dr. Hawkins," Voss called, smiling as she stepped aside. "Didn’t know we hired new staff."

Conrad turned—and froze.

There, standing side by side with absolute pride, were Ava and Lily. Ava immediately launched herself into his arms.

"Daddy!"

Conrad crouched down, overcome with a laugh that broke the tension of the day. "What—? You guys look incredible!"

"I'm Dr. Mina!" Ava said, puffing out her chest.

"And I'm Nurse Nic," Lily added sweetly, slipping her small hand into his.

"You nailed it," Conrad said, kissing them both before his eyes finally lifted—and softened—at the sight of Y/N holding their son.

"Eli," he murmured, already reaching. Y/N carefully handed over the bundled newborn.

"Did you dress him like a pumpkin?" he asked, chuckling.

"Pumpkin with hospital-grade snuggles," Y/N replied.

He stared down at the baby in his arms, overwhelmed by warmth. Eli gurgled in response, content as ever in his father's embrace.

"God, I love you," Conrad whispered into the baby's hat, before stealing a kiss from Y/N.

A small crowd had gathered at this point. Voss leaned in toward Y/N.

"I want one."

Y/N arched a brow. "A baby?"

"No. A mini-Mina. She can run the ER."

Mina appeared, arms crossed, Ava now clinging to her leg.

"You joke, but I’ve already started training her."

---

Later That Evening – The Suburbs

The Hawkins household stood proudly at the end of a winding cul-de-sac now aglow with Halloween decorations. By dusk, the neighborhood had transformed into a wonderland of skeletons, cobwebs, candy bowls, and excited children.

Conrad’s shift had ended just in time. After a quick change into jeans and a sweatshirt, he joined Y/N outside as she adjusted Eli in his stroller, now sporting a soft fleece pumpkin cover.

"You sure you don’t want to dress up?" he asked, nudging her.

"I’m good playing security and snack patrol," she replied. "This night’s all about the kids."

Ava and Lily were already darting from house to house, waving at neighbors and proudly declaring their names and costumes.

"I’m Dr. Ava Hawkins!"

"I’m Nurse Lily Hawkins!"

"And that’s our baby brother, Pumpkin Eli!" Ava yelled.

Y/N grinned, looping her arm through Conrad’s. "You know, they’ve been talking about this for a month. And it was your dad’s idea to bring them to Chastain."

"Yeah?" Conrad said, surprised. "Marshall actually did something thoughtful today?"

"Don’t push your luck," she teased. "He was good. Even brought coffee."

Conrad nodded, looking out over the happy chaos of children weaving through the sidewalk. “I needed this. After today? This is everything.”

Y/N leaned her head on his shoulder. “Happy Halloween, Dr. Hawkins.”

He turned, smiled softly, and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Happy Halloween, Dr. Hawkins.”

They stayed there like that, under the flickering glow of porch lights and jack-o-lanterns, watching as their daughters giggled and held hands, their newborn son quietly snoozing in his stroller—each one a reminder that even in the chaos of life and medicine, moments like these made everything whole.

---

End.

[howlingday]

My name is Jaune Arc. I'm in my early 20s. I like rabbits. My favorite cartoon growing up was "Pumpkin Pete's Pumpkin Patch". My hobbies include reading comic books, watching anime, and getting a beer with my friends at the local muscle girl bar. I work for a well-known and greatly respected organization...

...And I'm being haunted.

I was sent to Beacon by my boss to "visit" one of our clients. Someone owed the boss a lot of favors, and I was sent to "negotiate" a deal.

Unfortunately, while I was on the job, I ran into some... issues.

What happened next.... I can't even begin to describe it.

I managed to escape and make it back to Vale City, away from that god-forsaken hellhole. Unfortunately...

Junior: What'll it be?

Jaune: (Pyrrha clinging to him) Whiskey, please.

--------------------------------------------------

TV: OH NO! Pyro! He's coming right for you! He's crawling up the wall!

Pyrrha: (Clinging to Jaune, Ghostly wail)

TV: EEK! Save me, Jeanne! He's so spooky! I'm being spooked TO DEATH!

The ghost, the poltergeist chained to this realm of the living, decided to hang onto me all the way home.

--------------------------------------------------

Pyrrha: (Cuddles Jaune)

I don't really know what it wants from me, but it never leaves my side. And apparently, no one else can see it... Unless it wants them to.

--------------------------------------------------

Junior: Hey... Is something different about Jaune?

Roman: You mean how he's more reliable than ever now? So much so that he even got a promotion from the boss?

Junior: Think it's a girl?

Roman: Wet sock of a kid like him? It's gotta be!

Jaune: (Kicks back with drink)

Pyrrha: (Hanging onto him)

Y'know... If you didn't know any better, you'd have sworn I was married.

But I guess things are fine the way they are.

[blossomarlia]

Black Firs | Chapter Two

Joel Miller x fem!reader

[series masterlist]

Synopsis: You and Joel follow a lead to a town a couple of hours from home.

Chapter content warnings: murder case and all involved, use of 'kid' and 'darlin'', mentions of dug use and dependency

word count: 6.9k

Once the chief has looked over the hastily-written paperwork, raising her eyebrows at the first paragraphs of your transcription, she folds the notebook closed and looks at you across the desk. 

“If I send you to Aberdeen with Miller, will I have two more murder cases on my hands?”

“Not if you tell him not to be a dick.” She gives you a look. Unfortunately, you both respect and like Servopoulos too much to leave it at that. “No, chief.”

“Good. We’ve found out which hotel the girl’s been staying at in town- you’ll both need to take the other, cheaper option. Can’t spook her.”

You shrug. “I’ve stayed in shitty motels before.”

“We don’t need much background from Hui, but she was the only one sober and outside of the friendship circle; it’s important we get all we can on the night Samuels died..”

“Do you suspect someone in the group?” “Not really, but we can’t rule it out.” Tess reaches into a desk drawer and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. “Miller showed me your theory about Brodie Hill, and the two in Montana. It’s good that you picked up on it- but don’t jump to conclusions.”

“I know.”

“I know you know. I’m reminding you- don’t get carried away with a theory, or you’ll start trying to make the pieces fit into the shape you’re looking for.”

You pick at the hem of your shirt, nodding reluctantly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. I gotta go smoke, you gotta get on the road. I’ll see you tomorrow night for the follow-up on Hui.”

“You got it, boss.” 

Your partner eyes the pillow you’ve tucked under one arm with unveiled disdain. “Are you aware that most motels provide bedding?” You smile sarcastically. “Yes, Miller, I am. This is for sleeping in the car.”

“What, suddenly you can’t drive?”

“You’re just so good at it,” You head around to put your overnight bag in the back, whistling when you see the bottle of whiskey your partner has in his own. “Big night planned?” “Shut up and get in,” He says gruffly. “I’ll need that shit to deal with you.”

“Don’t be so sure. You’ll have the dulcet tones of Pearl Jam to help out,” You say happily, sure you’re about to be told to put that goddamn casette back in your bag where it belongs. When Miller is mysteriously silent. You frown. “What, no arguments?”

He grunts. “Just don’t start singin’ along.”

“I won’t if you don’t,” You assure him, “But I can’t make any promises when I put on the Smashing Pumpkins’ stuff.”

He exhales as if relieved to complain about something, glaring at you over the top of the car. “You’re not playing that shit while I drive.”

“Please tell me you’re not one of those people who think they’re a Pearl Jam ripoff.”

He scoffs. “Don’t just think it.”

Inside, the car’s already warmed up- you’re glad Miller decided to put the heaters on before making you freeze to death, this time. He gets in, still scowling, and you smile.

“You know you don’t have to choose, right? You’re allowed to like both- they’re good bands.”

“Believe me,” He says, as condescendingly as is possible, “You’re wrong.”

He’s clearly getting more annoyed at your laughter, but it’s hard to help it. You’d previously assumed Miller switched off like a computer whenever he isn’t at work; the idea of your lieutenant sitting down and listening to the same bands as you- having human opinions about said bands- is ridiculous. “I guess we’ll find out. The drive’s almost three hours, right? Plenty of time to get through both albums.”

“No.”

“C’mon, Miller, it’s educational!” “No.”

“If you just open-”

“Put on the Pearl Jam cassette before I throw both out the damn window,” He demands grumpily. You oblige, propping up your pillow in the passenger seat and turning up the volume. 

Twenty minutes in, you’re no more sleepy than you were, and keenly aware that Joel Miller is not only not complaining about the music, he’s actually enjoying it. His left hand taps a steady rhythm on the steering wheel, his right holding a coffee cup steady on his lap. A part of you is disappointed; annoying your lieutenant can be the fun, and you’d packed a few cassettes as an insurance policy in case your stellar conversation skills dried up. Another part of you feels strangely pleased with yourself. The last part is close to ovulation, so you ignore whatever it’s telling you entirely about his hands and forearms and smell and-

Pull it together. You pinch your own arm until Miller catches you doing it and gives you a judgemental look. “The hell’re you doing?”

“Nothing.”

The winding highway starts feeling like a maze, all fenced in by towering firs. You stare into the forest, trying to find gaps between trees, but the wood and green needles go on forever until they turn to black shadows. It’s somehow both comforting and terrifying; there’s so much that could happen, that does happen, which you cannot know about. Your entire career is dedicated to the pursuit of finding out, of answering questions, but the woods provide too many for you to think about. Whoever killed Lou Samuels could be out there. You’d never know.

Abruptly, the music doesn’t feel like enough of a distraction. You stare at Miller until he notices and becomes irritated by it. “What now?”

“What’s Ellie doing tonight?”

“She’s stayin’ with my brother for a few days.”

Tommy Miller has only come to visit your town once since you moved, but you remember how often he smiled and laughed, and how many times you wondered whether he and his older brother were truly related or it was some big prank. They look similar enough, and share an accent, but otherwise it’s as if they’ve lived completely different lives. You know from eavesdropping on Miller and the chief’s conversations that Tommy’s got a kid on the way- he’ll be a good dad, you think. To his brother’s credit, they’d have at least that in common.

“In Wyoming, right?”

“When did I tell you that?”

You raise both hands defensively. “He stole one of the donuts Detective Burrel brought in, I did some investigating, sue me.”

Miller is unconvinced. “You’re real fuckin’ nosy, you know that?” “Hence my career,” You retort lightly. “Is she taking a greyhound, or something?”

He frowns at you like you’ve accused him of putting her in a cardboard box and posting it without a ‘FRAGILE’ label. “Tommy had business in Seattle, he came down a few days ago. They’ll fly back up together.”

“Nice. What does he do in Wyoming?” “Don’t pretend you didn’t find out snoopin’ around in our family business.”

“Just making conversation. Construction, right?”

Miller nods, as pleased as always to be continuing a conversation with you (not at all). “He and his wife have a place up there, run a company that does a lot of ski chalets, all that.”

“You used to help run it too. Why’d you leave?” He frowns across at you, “Jesus, girl, how much did you look into this?”

“...A little. In my defence, I was bored and I did it to all the people on the force. You’re not alone.”

“That ain’t quite as comforting as you think it is,” He grumbles. A new song starts, and he turns up the radio for a few seconds before turning it down again. “I quit the business because I needed to look after my- myself, and it hadn’t taken off yet. We were still based out of Texas, weren’t gettin’ consistent work, I knew signin’ up for the force would pay the bills.”

“Why this town, though? It’s not exactly close by.”

“I knew Tess from a while back, she reached out. Wasn’t a hard decision. I had nothin’ keeping me in Texas once Tommy got the resort opportunity out west.”

“Do you regret quitting, now that he’s going so well?” You worry Miller’s going to think you’re judging1 him, but there’s no defensiveness when he shakes his head. “Don’t regret givin’ Ellie a place she can depend on staying, friends she likes. She hasn’t had enough of that.”

“You know, I wouldn’t have picked you as the type to adopt a kid. You don’t really seem to like a lot of people.”

“Ain’t strictly true. Just don’t like you.”

“Aw,” You coo. He grimaces. “Okay; What made you decide to do the whole foster care thing?”

“Ellie.”

That’s more human tenderness than you want Miller to be capable of. “Be a little more vague, please?”

“Is this a damn interview? Enough questions about me,” Miller grouches. 

“It’s called a conver-”

“Why’d you move to town?”

Surprised, you shift to face him, arms crossed. “Look who’s taking an interest.”

“Don’t start.”

You sigh. “Some shit happened in my hometown and I had to get away, start fresh. I asked for a transfer anywhere and Servopoulos was the only person who wanted to take me on, and… here I am, free to be a pain in your ass until retirement.”

“Didn’t want a big city job?” “I like… knowing people, communities. I don’t work as effectively if it isn’t personal.” You listen to the music for a beat, chewing on your lower lip. “Guess I haven’t done that well at knowing anyone yet. Kind of awful at it, actually.”

Miller furrows his brow. “You’re doin’ fine.”

“I don’t know anyone- or, hardly anyone, aside from Edna and your kid. I…” You trail off, conscious that your lieutenant probably has very limited interest in a pity party. “I’ll make more of an effort as soon as this case is closed. You can hold me to it.”

He breathes deeply, rubbing his temples with one hand while the other remains steady on the wheel. “I ain’t the right person for that, darlin’. I’m-”

You both seem to realise what he’s said at the same time. The car becomes a lot less comfortable, very quickly, and you clear your throat. “Uh- right, yeah, guess not.”

The quiet weighs down the space like it’s been filled with wet sand. Fuck, why couldn’t you have made a joke, called it out when he said it? You’ve always been just fine making him feel awkward; when it’s mutual, you realise, it’s intolerable. 

The album finishes and you fumble with it for a moment, swearing under your breath at the million buttons on the dash. Miller swats your hand away and manages to eject it immediately.

“Thanks.”

He nods once, determinedly refusing to look your way. You consider getting out the Smashing Pumpkins cassette, but you’re sort of worried he’s going to drive the car into a tree if you do. You settle for staring out the window; it’s only the early evening and already it’s getting dark outside. Under the bright headlights, the road is slick with rain and the yellow lines turn to ribbons, curving and breaking. You flip up the collar of your jacket and bring your knees to your chest, shivering at the thought of the night air and not even a little bit at the memory of how he sounded saying darlin’ in his honeyed accent.

“I could go for a donut,” You say in a (failed) attempt at being casual. To his credit, Miller takes the bait as he usually would.

“Goddamn stereotype,” He mutters. 

You shrug. “Not my fault it’s accurate. If you see somewhere, can we pull over?” “You see any donut shops in the fuckin’ forest?”

“Hence my use of the conditonal tense, genius.”

He tuts, rolling his eyes. “No, I cannot pull over. We need to get to the motel before it’s too late to book a room, and this rain,” He leans forward as if the sky will offer him a timer on the storm, “Isn’t makin’ it easier. Have to drive a lot slower than usual.”

“As if you’re usually a speed machine. My grandmother could beat you in a drag race, and she’s been dead fourteen years.”

Miller doesn’t like that joke very much. “No donuts.”

By the time you finally arrive at the motel in Aberdeen, only half due to your own subpar navigational skills, it’s eleven o’clock and neither you nor Miller are in the mood to talk at all. The teenager sitting behind the front desk is mercifully uninterested in hearing why two rain-soaked cops have shown up so late at night.

“We only have one room available,” He informs you, without a trace of sympathy. You stare at him like he’s going to burst out laughing and admit it’s a prank- no dice. “The place doesn’t look that busy,” Miller protests, “Surely you can spare-”

“One. Room. Available.” The teenager emphasizes. “We had someone file a complaint about bed bugs? Not true, by the way. Anyway, we had to deep clean one side of the motel, so we have three rooms, total, and two are booked out for the next-” He checks the clock above the door- “Two hours and fifteen minutes.”

Somehow, your lack of desire to use rooms that have just been rented by the hour outweighs your desire to see the back of Miller, though it’s a close bet. “Is it two beds, at least?”

“Yeah. King singles, too, so you can stretch out. We only offer five star service here at-”

“Great.” You force a smile, holding out your hand for the keys. “We’ll take it.”

The room you’re shown to is damp, smells vaguely of mold, and has a large yellow stain on one corner of the ceiling. You dump your bag on the bed furthest from the door- if anyone’s going to deal with a criminal breaking and entering, it’s going to be the guy who refused to stop at the 24-hour-diner you passed twenty minutes ago. Never have you missed Edna’s so much.

“Idyllic,” You comment. He grunts and turns on the radiator.

“Maybe we would’ve got a different room if we’d arrived when we were supposed to.”

“As if either of the other rooms would be better than this. Let’s just hope Springs McGee next door stops being so enthusiastic before midnight.” You grimace, trying to tune out the sounds coming from the neighbouring room. “I’m starving, I’m gonna go look for a vending machine. You want anything?”

Miller makes a face. “You’re goin’ out there right now?” 

He’s only on edge because it’s storming so hard and he thinks he saw a group of people hanging around the edge of the parking lot. He must’ve checked he locked the car about four times. 

“I didn’t see any food in your bag alongside that whiskey bottle- which is where, by the way? I’m thirsty, too.”

“You’re not drinking my whiskey.”

“Not right now, but I could be if you want to show how much you appreciate me coming along on this trip?” You smile as widely as you can. “I don’t appreciate you comin’ along.” “Okay, lone wolf,” You scoff. “Whatever, I’m gonna buy a soda.”

He holds out a hand, and you pause. “I’ll go.”

“What? I can-”

“I’ll go. You got a problem with that?”

You shrug. “Fine. Have fun.”

Miller refuses the change you give him, so you stuff a few dollar bills in his bag and go about getting ready for bed. Sitting in a car, especially when it’s largely in tense silence related to your coworker and almost-enemy calling you nice things, is surprisingly exhausting. 

In the tiny bathroom, you wipe off whatever makeup didn’t disappear in the fog and rain, smoothing moisturiser onto your skin in small circles. It’s not unusual for you to fall asleep on the couch at home, poring over old and new case files, but you like pampering yourself when you have the chance. And the cold dries you out; it feels like a luxury to massage sweet-smelling lotion into your hands. 

Your pyjamas present a new issue. Having anticipated a private room, you’ve packed your rattiest sweatpants and tank top. You’re well aware that there’s no reason you should want to look good in front of Miller, and yet… you wish you’d picked something a little nicer. A matching set you don’t own, something that says I’ve got my shit together. 

You sit in front of the radiator with some case files on Brodie Hill, stuff you’re definitely not supposed to have. You keep thinking back to what the chief said about making theories fit, but is that really what you’re doing? Surely it’s unique enough to matter- rope being left on the neck of the victim. And your town is small, smaller than it’d need to be to become a coincidence. 

Your reading is interrupted by Miller’s return. He throws a Diet Coke and two packets of chips into your lap. “What, they didn’t have regular?” He sits on the edge of his bed. “You like diet better. Are those the files on Brodie Hill?”

“Yeah, and I’ve already imagined your lecture about it so you can let it go. Weren’t you gonna get something to drink?”

He gives you a blank look. “No.”

“Then why’d you even go?” You spin where you sit, frowning up at him. “I was fine to do it.”

“So was I.”

“But you didn’t get anything.”

“So what?”

“So, why’d you even-”

“It’s been a long day. Can you give it a rest for five goddamn minutes?” He snaps. 

You glower, moving to your own bed and opening the chips as noisily as you can. He’s the one not making any fucking sense, and now you’re being treated like the asshole? You crunch on some chips while he gets changed in the bathroom and wonder whether he’d know it was you if you put crumbs in his bed. Given that he’s trained as a detective, your conclusion is an unfortunate affirmative.

Another unfortunate development? Joel Miller in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Shit. You take one look at him and huff, rolling over. 

“What?” He demands gruffly. 

You search for a reason to avoid looking in his direction that doesn’t sound like it’s not fair for you to look good and be the most annoying person I’ve ever met. “You’d make a terrible roommate. Want to spent a little longer in the bathroom, Miller?”

“I was five minutes.”

“Oh, now you’re in the mood to argue?”

He pauses for a moment. You imagine the way he folds and unfolds his hands into fists when he’s really annoyed. “Just- get some rest.”

“Trying to, if you’d shut up.”

“Hey.” Miller says your name like he’s trying not to lose it.

You roll over just to frown at him. “I stand by that. Honestly, Miller, you’re too talkative.” He matches your expression tenfold, and you sense that he is maybe even less interested in this than you are. You sigh and turn onto your back again. “Sorry. I’m being a dick. I’m tired.”

“Yeah, you and me both, kid.” You can feel his eyes on you like weights. “You have an alarm?”

“Shit. I knew I forgot something.”

“S’fine.” He holds up both hands when you sit up. “I’ll wake you.”

“Oh. Thanks.”

He nods. You pretend not to look at him until he turns off the lights.

You don’t sleep well, and neither does Miller, so around five a.m. the two of you give up on rest entirely and go to get coffee. The rain is so thick you can hardly see twenty feet ahead of the car. Luckily, your lieutenant’s navigational skills far surpass your own, and you’re pulling into the diner parking lot within minutes. 

“What do you want?”

“Um, probably something off the menu I haven’t seen yet?” You rub your face, far too mindful that your lack of both sleep and makeup have turned you into a complete mess. “I’m not staying in the car.’

“It’s raining pretty hard.”

“Please don’t let this be a Wizard of Oz joke.”

“It’s not a joke. I…” He shakes his head, swearing under his breath. “Fine. Come with me, get soaked to the skin, the hell do I care?”

“What do you care? What’s your deal?”

He pulls on his gloves. “No deal, kid, was just tryin’ to do the polite thing and- you know what? Doesn’t fuckin’ matter. Just get out of the car.”

You try your best not to find his sudden mood swing amusing, but he’s so fucking grumpy. It’s like dealing with a teenager. You tell him as much, and he shows how funny he finds that by slamming the car door on his way out. 

The diner’s mostly empty, except for a couple of lone truckers and a young woman sitting at the bar. You follow Miller inside, making sure to kick the backs of his boots as you go. 

“Get us a booth, I’ll grab menus,” You say, exceptionally politely, when he rounds on you. He takes it the wrong way anyway.

“Remind me which one of us is the lead on this case?” “Remind me why that matters right now?” Your impressions of his accent are definitely improving. “Off you go.”

Grumbling the whole way, he does as you’ve asked. A waitress comes around and pours coffee into your mugs, and just to spite him you go to pour salt in Miller’s- unfortunately, he chooses that moment to come back with menus in hand, and elects not to believe your story that you thought the salt shaker was just extra coffee flavouring. 

“Would I lie to you, lieutenant, of all people?”

He doesn’t bother responding to that question, shoving a menu in your face and sitting opposite you. “Get somethin’ filling, those chips from last night won’t get you through the day.”

“What are you getting?” “Don’t know yet.”

You drum your fingers on the tabletop. “Time is of the essence, Joel.”

“We on a first name basis now?” He frowns at you.

“What, was there something else you wanted to call me?” You cock your head, eyes wide. Miller looks sort of like he wishes he could punch you in the face. Satisfied, you drag a finger blindly down the menu and settle on a viable option. “I’m getting waffles with syrup and bacon.”

“Are you eight years old?” “Mhm. Total prodigy for my age.” You smile as the waitress takes your orders. Miller gets toast with butter, and you add two extra scoops of ice-cream to your waffles, ignoring his tutting. 

While you wait for the food, Miller drains his coffee and surveys the diner like an axe murderer is going to jump out at the two of you. Although yesterday’s conversation didn’t exactly end well, you dislike the silence and elect to try again. 

“What’s your favourite colour?” “Stupid question.” 

Oh, great. That went perfectly. “I don’t think it’s stupid. I once met a guy whose favourite colour was orange, and then he ended up in prison- happy coincidence, I guess.”

“Bet he didn’t think so.”

“Yeah, not really,” You prop your head on one hand. “Okay, so no dice on colour. Favourite song?” “You have an issue with peace and quiet, or something?”

“Answer my question and I’ll answer yours.”

He leans back, crossing his arms and glancing around for a second before he responds, “I like… Pearl Jam.”

“Yeah, we established that. Any songs in particular, or…?”

“No.”

“It’s incredible to me how bad you are at answering questions,” You muse. “Okay, whatever. No, I don’t enjoy quiet, especially from you because it usually means you’re being judgemental.”

“That’s not-”

“To be fair, you’re also judgemental when you’re talking. Has anyone ever told you to work on that?”

Joel narrows his eyes. “No.”

“Huh.” 

The food arrives- not as good as Edna’s, but still delicious after such a meagre dinner last night. For his part, Miller chews on his sad slices of toast and stares at your waffles, but he’s decided on a weird loyalty to his breakfast; offering him a bite of yours earns you nothing but a fierce glare and dogged refusal. Even attempting to put some waffle on his plate gets your fork slapped away like you’re trying to poison him.

You down a few more cups of coffee before you finally feel jittery enough to start the day, while your partner matches you drink for drink and seems no less moody. The truckers filter out of the diner, and the final other customer gets up to leave as well. You frown; you recognise her from a group photo attached to her file, the same uncertain smile on her face as she looks up. “Cheryl?” “Do I know you?” Her accent is a rounded English, far from what you’d anticipated. She’s got mascara smeared under both eyes.

You stand up. “No- I’m a detective. Lieutenant Miller and I need to speak to you about Lou Samuels.”

The remains of the smile drop. “What about him?” You hear Joel getting to his feet behind you, and she shrinks back as if spooked. He’s not a small guy, and whether you know him or not, he’s intimidating. Miller’s only truly soft features are his eyes, when you get close enough- something Cheryl currently isn’t.

“Would you take a seat, please?” He asks.

“Am I in trouble?” She asks in a small voice. Sending a glare over your shoulder, you shake your head and try to look as kind as possible. 

“Not at all, I promise. We’re sorry to ambush you like this, Cheryl- we just need a little information for a case.”

“Information on what?” Cheryl looks down, swiping self-consciously at her face. “I-I wasn’t mixed up with those boys, I was in town for less than two months.”

Her wording strikes you as odd, but this isn’t a conversation you can have in the doorway of a diner. You try to keep your expression as friendly as possible. “That’s completely fine. We won’t be long. Can I get you anything- coffee, a milkshake?”

“...A hot chocolate would be nice,” She says quietly. 

“Perfect.” You sigh, relieved. “My coworker- Joel- is gonna grab us two of those, and we’ll find somewhere comfortable to sit. Okay?”

You aim a smile at Miller, who does an okay job of pretending it doesn’t piss him off to be sent away. You’ve got an anxious and upset teenager to look after, and however he feels towards you, he’s not going to make it worse. You’ve seen him work with kids before. 

Cheryl hugs herself, dressed only in a thin sweater. Her hair looks unwashed, her skin slightly sweaty. Her hands shake. You recognise the symptoms of withdrawal within seconds. 

“Here,” You pour her a glass of water. “Are you cold?”

She shakes her head. Miller returns and you slide around the booth - the last thing this girl needs is to feel attacked  by two cops from one side. Cheryl sips the water, bloodshot eyes flickering between you and your partner.

“Cheryl, if you’re not feeling well, we can do this another time,” You say. 

“I feel okay,” She whispers. “I’m okay.”

You nudge the glass of water in her direction, and she takes another, longer gulp. “You can be okay and still need a little time before talking to two cops. My partner here isn’t exactly easy on the eyes, right? Takes some getting used to.”

Miller grunts, side-eyeing you, but it has the desired effect; Cheryl laughs, and you see her relax slightly. “He’s okay.”

“That’s very generous of you,” You grin. “Look, we can call you a cab if you’d like to get some sleep at your hotel, or we can order you some food. I noticed you didn’t have any empty plates over there- have you eaten since last night?”

She hesitates, like she’s expecting to be in trouble, then shakes her head. 

“Do you like waffles?” 

“...Yes, I like them. But you don’t need to buy any for me, I can-” She falls silent, picking at one of her sleeves. “I’m not very hungry.”

“Willing to bet you’d feel better with somethin’ in your stomach,” Miller says gently, more so than you expect. You glance up at him; he’s caught the symptoms too, it seems. “I’ll go get you some waffles, alright? They looked pretty damn good.”

“Okay. Thank you.” She waits for Joel to head off again, and sniffles. “I promise I don’t usually look like this.”

“You’re fine- nobody looks their best anytime before ten a.m.,” You pat her shoulder. “What’s happened? Rough night?” She eyes your badge, and you sigh. “I’m not here to get you in trouble, I’m just checking you’re okay. None of this is on the record.”

Cheryl hesitates, tucking her hair behind both ears. “I- uh, I took some stuff.” She looks up as if gauging whether you’ll put her in handcuffs. When you don’t move to, she continues, “I heard what happened to Lou before I left. It kinda messed me around, he- um. I guess I went a little too crazy last night- I go sick in my room and my hotel kicked me out.”

Miller arrives back at the booth with the hot chocolates, and Cheryl becomes wary again. You give him a warning look before saying, “Lieutenant Miller isn’t going to get you in trouble, Cheryl. He’s cool.”

While he clearly rejects the idea of being described as ‘cool’, Joel nods. “Like we said, you’re not in trouble. Whatever happened, we want to help.”

You place a gentle hand on Cheryl’s shoulder, keeping it there when she gives no sign of being uncomfortable. “Can I tell him what you told me?” When the girl nods, you summarise, “Cheryl’s been feeling pretty down since she found out about Lou. Last night things got out of control, and she’s been asked to leave her hotel.”

“That’s way nicer than the way I said it.” She attempts a smile. 

“Sounds like you’re havin’ a tough time,” Joel says, “Don’t blame you at all, kid.”

“You have any friends in town?”

Cheryl shakes her head immediately. “I thought I did, but- um, no.”

“How about somewhere else? Seattle?”

“I-” She swipes under her nose- “I have a cousin there, yeah. That’s where I’m supposed to be, I just- I stayed longer in your town than I thought I would, and I guess now I’m sort of stuck.”

Miller frowns, but not unkindly. “You ain’t stuck, just a little delayed. Look- my partner here needs to talk to you about Lou, but how ‘bout you give me that cousin’s number and I’ll work out how we can get you there today?” “Really? You don’t have to-”

“Really,” He says firmly. It’s sort of nice, how easily he slips back into a fatherly role even when it’s not his kid. You saw the same thing when Ellie’s friend Dina got her camera stolen- she walked into Joel’s office beside herself, and emerged laughing with an invitation to a movie night at their place. It’s as if Miller’s divided himself into different personas; father, lieutenant, brother… asshole, in your case. 

Cheryl has the number and name written out in no time, and he heads off to get things arranged. You drink your hot chocolate and sigh. 

“You guys are both so nice,” She says shyly. You smile- nice isn’t the first word that springs to mind when you think of either Joel Miller or yourself, but it’s enough that this girl thinks so. “I’m glad you found me. I didn’t know what to do.”

“I’m glad we found you too. You okay for me to record this? Just let me know if you want to talk about something off the record.”

“Okay.”

You nod, clicking the tape into place. “Okay. First off, how long were you working at the bar in town? Their records weren’t super organised.”

She thinks for a second. “I think it was seven weeks to the day. Yeah- I’m sure about that.”

“Great. How many customers would you usually have on a Wednesday night? Can’t have been that busy, right?”

She nods. “Yeah, not that many. It was usually just Max’s group and maybe a couple of other guys.”

“Max’s group? That’s Max Latimer?”

She hums the affirmative. You remember Max’s face from a few of the later photos of Lou and Jordan, the tallest of their group. He always stuck out as seeming the least awkward, the most happy to be photographed even as a middle schooler- blond, tanned, distinct from the other similar-looking boys. You must’ve seen him around town, though you can’t recall ever interacting. 

“You said you weren’t mixed up with the boys- what kind of stuff would getting ‘mixed up’ mean for that group?”

“Oh- I don’t really know. They just seemed different, kinda like outsiders in town,” She says. “Some people said they were weird, like, they all only ever spoke to each other. Intense, I mean.”

“And Lou was a part of the group, as far as you could see?”

“Yeah, he- um, he was usually the first one there, though.”

“Huh. Did he drink before they got there?” Cheryl nods again. 

You suck on your cheeks, thinking. “Did he come in much without his friends?”

“Sometimes the other staff talked about it, so… a little. But it was usually just Wednesdays,” She says. “He was nice.”

Sensing you’re reaching a breaking point of background information, you squeeze Cheryl’s shoulder again and look down. “Okay, you’re doing really well. Just a little more, okay?”

“Okay.”

“On the night of the sixteenth, did anything seem different? Any conflicts within the group, or with other customers?”

She stiffens. “No, nothing like that. It was all normal.”

“And Lou came in early?”

“Y- no, actually,” She furrows her brow. “Well, five minutes before everyone else. But he got there and went straight to their usual table, he didn’t come to the bar at all. He would- uh, he would usually talk to me a little.”

“What kind of stuff did he talk about?”

Cheryl shrugs. “Normal stuff. He was sad he never went to college or really left town, he wanted to hear about all the places I was heading.”

You picture Lou Samuels in his yearbook, the photo they used for the news segment on him. His parents- or lack thereof- couldn’t provide anything, so somebody from the school sent in the picture. He was only twenty-one when he was killed. You feel a sudden wave of sympathy for the young man, only a couple of years below you, who felt stuck in a small town so early in his life. It hadn’t been too late until it was. 

“Did he have something keeping him in town?” “Yeah. Or, I don’t really know, he didn’t want to talk about it. Her.”

You raise your eyebrows. “There was a girl?” By all reports, Lou Samuels had one girlfriend in junior year, Cat, who now shares a permanent residence with a close friend. 

“I think so. He was really shy about it.”

“Did he tell you anything we could use to find her?” You recognise the urgency in your own voice and take a deep breath. “Sorry. This could be important, Cheryl, so if there’s anything you can think of…”

“I really don’t have anything, I’m sorry,” She answers guiltily. “I- I never pushed the topic, all he ever said was that ‘she’ wanted him back home for the time being, that being away would be too difficult.”

“That’s okay,” You say, forcing a friendly smile onto your face. “You’re being really helpful. Do you know around what time Lou and his friends left?”

“Before midnight. I didn’t look at the clock.” She works her hands up into her hair, looking increasingly upset. “God, if I’d known… I would’ve taken notice of so much more.”

“You’ve noticed plenty, alright?”

“But if I’d just-”

“Cheryl.” She peeks out from behind her hands. You give her what you hope is an encouraging look. “It’s my job to find out this sort of thing, yeah? Not yours. You’re giving us really valuable information, you can’t possibly be expected to take notice of tiny details when people act the way they always do. Now, I think we’ve had enough of this interview- unless there’s anything else you want to add?”

She shakes her head, eyes wet. “Just that he was a really nice person. He didn’t have any enemies, he was always kind to me. He… he noticed, when I was struggling a bit to fit in with the other bar staff.”

“It sounds as if you two were good friends. I’m sorry you lost him, Cheryl.”

She sniffs, blinking quickly. “Thanks.”

You look up, finding Joel already watching from a few booths away. You inhale deeply, guiding Cheryl to her feet. “Looks like Lieutenant Miller’s organised things. I’m gonna give you my number and the number of the police department, you just call us if there’s anything else.”

“Okay. I’ll think about it, I’ll let you know if I come up with anything,” Cheryl hugs herself. You pull down her sweater where it’s ridden up at the back and pat her shoulder. 

“You don’t have to. If you want to not think about it, there’s nothing wrong with focusing on feeling better.”

You pass her off to Joel, who gives you a brief nod before leading Cheryl outside. He’s called her a taxi to collect her things from the hotel, and bought a ticket on a bus this afternoon that’ll take her to Seattle. Her cousin, having been sick with worry, is extremely on board with taking Cheryl in as long for as she’d like to stay.

“That was good- quick organisation, I mean,” You tell Joel on the winding drive back to the motel. “Lucky her cousin came through.”

“Took some convincin’,” He admits. 

“Did you use your scary voice?” He gives you a look. “I don’t have a ‘scary voice’.”

“You absolutely do- it even freaks me out sometimes. So did you?” “...Yes.”

You smirk. “Nice. D’you think she’ll be okay?”

“Her cousin seemed to think the kid was some kinda deviant, which she obviously isn’t.” 

You suppress a smile at how protective he’s immediately become of a girl he met half an hour ago, nodding along. 

“After I told her about the situation at hand, though, she came ‘round. Said she had a spare room and would help Cheryl find a job. You gave her a contact number for the station?”

“You know I did.”

“Mm. You-” He taps the steering wheel, jaw working- “You were good in there, by the way. Kept her calm enough.”

You wrinkle your nose. “Ew, don’t be nice to me. I’ll assume you’re an alien and shoot to kill.”

“Wasn’t bein’ nice. It’s the truth.”

“Whatever.” The window is cool against your skin, soothing. “Thanks. I felt sorry for her, she shouldn’t be wrapped up in this with the shit she’s clearly already working through.”

Joel hmphs his agreement. “You recognised her symptoms fast.”

“Thanks,” You repeat, more stiffly. If he’s not going to ask a question, you’re not in the mood to give an answer. “I had a hunch.”

“She give you anythin’ useful?” “Kind of, yeah,” You say. “It’s all on the tape. I’ll let you do the transcription this time.”

“Real charitable of you, darlin’. I’ll get it faxed to the chief before we head back.”

“Well, you know me.” You glance over at Miller- if he notices the name this time, he doesn’t comment, and you’re unwilling to break his suddenly reasonable mood. And you don’t mind, not really. “You want me to drive back? You can choose the music.”

“It’s fine, I’ll drive. Coffee’s on you.”

“I already owe you one anyway. How much was breakfast?”

He does a very bad job of acting like he doesn’t hear you. “I called Servopoulos while you were talkin’ to Cheryl, by the way.” “Yeah, she tell you about my promotion?” “Gettin’ moved up to full-time pain in my ass?”

You laugh. “Yeah, that one.”

“Not this time. She did say you’ve borrowed three cold case files from the archives and she needs them back by tonight.” You try not to shrink in your seat at the sternness in his tone. Scary voice. “Also, she’s heard back from the Montana departments.”

“And?”

“One of the cases could match up, but it ain’t certain. We know the object used for strangulation was left at the scene, but whether it was left on the victim’s neck is a separate issue.”

“It didn’t say on the case file?” You sit up impatiently.

“No.”

“Oh, helpful.”

Joel looks peeved. “Look, we didn’t have to follow up on your hunch. I’d say I’m mighty helpful, so you could start actin’-”

“Jesus, Miller, I don’t mean you. I was talking about the Montana department, I- I appreciate you guys following up on it. Seriously,” You hurry to correct him, suddenly and inexplicably worried about seeming ungrateful. “Can we find out more?” “Maybe. Might need to head over there ourselves, so it’d mean another road trip.”

“Mm. That’s okay,” You say. 

“Yeah?” He raises his eyebrows as if he’s surprised. You suppose you are a little, too; there’s no part of this trip you’d define as good, and yet somehow you’re less than eager to get back to the office. Maybe it’s just because you’re getting away from your daily routine; maybe it’s because you weren’t expecting to tolerate the lieutenant so well. More than tolerate him, even. 

“Yeah. You’re not so bad if you aren’t being as chatty as usual.”

That earns you a huff of a laugh, and you pretend the subsequent glow in your chest comes purely from the hardworking heaters in the car.

previous // next

hope you enjoyed! as always, please send an ask / comment with any thoughts you have :)

[rekino2114]

You can do Sdra2 girls with a boyfriend who loves to carve pumpkins at Halloween

Celebrating Halloween with the sdra2 girls

Halloween post #8

A/n:I decided to make it a bit more general than the request because I didn't have that many ideas and was scared it'd become repetitive, sorry if this isn't what you wanted

Sora

Sora does enjoy celebrating holiday and especially Halloween, there's something about the spooky season that resonates with her

She's definitely the type to jump out of the shadows to scare you or do anything that might spook you to see your adorable face and tease you endlessly

She'll wear the ghost costume she wears in the game and will only go trick-or-treating if you want. Otherwise, she'll just stay in and watch a movie with you

She doesn't know that much about pumpkin carving, but she'll try if you like it that much. She actually tried to carve one in the shape of your face but it...really didn't come out well

"Eh, did I scare you? You should have seen your face. Sorry baby, just wanted to see how you'd react. Oh, come on, you're not that mad at me, are you? Will some hugs and kisses fix that?

Kokoro mitsume

She's really not the type to celebrate anything except your and mikako's birthday or your anniversary, so she's not particularly excited for Halloween, but seeing you and her daughter being so happy to celebrate it changed her mind a bit

She won't wear anything, no matter how much mikako insists she really doesn't want to, but thankfully, you will for her. You even let your daughter choose your costume and try to put face paint on you...which didn't go too well

Mikako just dragged you two trick-or-treating with her and yamato (i headcanon that even in this au they're friends even if not adoptive siblings). Even if kokoro wasn't dressed up, she just watched you have fun with them and that warmed her heart

She also didn't carve pumpkins even if you insisted, but she did look up some cool designs to give you ideas... She also helped mikako carve her own so she wouldn't get hurt...and actually ended up enjoying it

"Mommy, Daddy, look at how much candies I got! I'm gonna eat all of them!"

"That's great, mika -"

"Don't. Eating that much sugar will cause you to get sick"

"O-oh....... sorry"

"....*sighs* i guess you could have some of them"

"Yay! thanks mommy"

Emma magorobi

Emma really enjoys festivities, and celebrating them with you is one of the many things she loves doing with her amazing boyfriend, Halloween, especially

You two will mostly stay in and have kind of a sleepover, watching all the horror movies Emma starred in while eating snacks and cuddling

She'll dress up as one of the characters she played in a horror movie (is it considered a cosplay if you're cosplaying as technically yourself?) with a costume that covers her arms, preferably And will ask if you'd like to dress up too,maybe as the love interest of her character

She'll definitely help you pumpkin carving, even if she's not an expert and might mess up She'll still have a lot of fun trying since it's something you love (also be prepared for a lot of pumpkin puns)

"Hey, you look nice! No, really, to be honest, you look even more handsome than the actor who played him eheh. Anyway....there's a kiss scene between our characters later in the movie.....wanna recreate it?"

Setsuka chiebukuro

Setsuka is definitely a party person. She just really enjoys celebrating with the people she loves, especially you. Whenever Halloween comes up, she always has something prepared to have fun

She invited everyone in the class to a Halloween party and asked all of her classmates to dress up for it (she wore her oni costume) she made sure you in particular had fun and recorded all of the best moments with her eye camera so you could watch it later together (she also told you how cute and handsome you looked in your costume like 12 separate times)

She likes pranking/scaring people for fun with you and hibiki, even if some people get upset at her for that. She'll also try to do it on you too but only if she knows you don't get scared easily

She'll definitely carve a pumpkin too, she was already going to do it even before you told her you liked it, she made a really goofy one that made you laugh and was actually pretty decent at it

"Soooo, are you having fun, baby? Oh, big sis is really glad, you know I love Halloween; by the way, you look so cute with that costume on y'know? Eheh, big sis could just hug you and cup that adorable face of yours forever, sweetie. "

Hibiki otonokoji

While hibiki normally isn't really one for big celebrations that aren't her concerts or birthdays, she still likes Halloween quite a fair bit. And she'll definitely enjoy partying with you

As stated earlier, she really likes playing pranks and scaring you, but unlike setsuka, you are the main victim of that during Halloween. She's not the scariest, which means that often you end up laughing at her attempts, which makes her mad and causes her to get setsuka to prank you even harder

She thought it would be funny if her and kanade dressed up as each other, which just consisted of them switching hairpins (she unfortunately couldn't do anything about the chest size), unfortunately, most of your classmates recognized them anyway

She didn't see the point in pumpkin carving at first, but after seeing some cute designs online, she said she wanted to do one too....it didn't come out great, but it's the effort that matters

"Hibiki?! What do you mean? I'm kanade.....o-ok sorry, I guess I should have expected my bf to recognize me.....but I'm sure I'll fool everyone else.....r-right?"

Kanade otonokoji

Kanade likes anything you like, really you could bring her anywhere or do anything with her, and she'd be happy as long as her darling is with her, so when she heard that you liked Halloween, she couldn't be happier to celebrate

Hibiki dragged her, and you trick-or-treating with her (along with her boyfriend) she kinda had fun, especially because she was with you, but she mostly did it to please her sister. She somehow got you all your favorite candies and gave them to you... you have no idea how she got them or how she knew which ones you liked, but you're not complaining

You finished the day by watching a horror movie while cuddled up to each other. You never thought your shy and sweet girlfriend would be into slashers but seeing her happy is really nice

She also carved her own pumpkin. She was somehow really really good at it, even if she says that yours is far more beautiful than whatever she did, you still think hers is better....and she told you this was her first time holding a knife

"Oh darling, your pumpkin is amazing... o-oh no, please don't say that, I'm just an amateur. Mine is nothing compared to yours, my love"

Iroha nijiue

Iroha gets scared very easily by practically anything remotely spooky, so usually she hates Halloween, but you insisted she celebrated with you and promised her that you would keep the scary things away from her, so she agreed

Mikado likes to torment iroha a lot, but especially today, he scares her with his magic literally every time he sees her, so you two try to stay very far away from him

She would prefer not to dress up (definitely not because she was embarrassed that the only costumes she could find that fit her were for children) but she'll help you design your costume if you're making it yourself, painting on it or giving you ideas

Pumpkin carving is actually the main thing she'd like to do, as long as you don't make a spooky one. She's not the best at using a knife, but the pumpkin still comes out really good, which you praise her a lot for. She appreciates that very much.

"H-hey y/n, here, I made the pumpkin, how does it look? O-oh,t-thank you so much, yours looks great too"

Yoruko kabuya

While yoruko does enjoy celebrating on special occasions, she kinda thinks Halloween is a bit of a childish holiday and doesn't give it that much attention, but since you looked so happy about it, there's no harm in celebrating more than usual

She'll make some horror themed drinks for you, and would love it if you helped her bake Halloween sweets like cookies or cupcakes. You two then eat everything you made while watching a horror movie

After a lot of pleading from you , she (kinda reluctantly) dressed up in her witch costume, she blushed a lot when you saw her with it on for the first time and even more when you complimented how beautiful she looked. She really doesn't want anyone except you seeing her like this, and all of the compliments she received made the embarrassment worth it

She won't carve a pumpkin, nor will she help you carve one. She doesn't really see the point, and doesn't want to get her costume dirty, but she will tell you how beautiful the one you made looks

"......j-just so you know, I'm only wearing this, so you stop nagging me. E-eh? You think I look beautiful? Thanks, but.....*sighs* nothing just Thanks......i-i only put it on for you...h-happy Halloween....b-babe"

[cute-and-spooky-girls]

The pumpkins have come to life to seek revenge! Whatch your back and beware of their tricks for they're quite eager to try this carving thing too. You'd looked so pretty and spooky with your head display on their tables and stoops. So watch your back, or better yet, your head for this is the year the pumpkins come out to play. ~🖤nugget🖤

[darknessawaits28]

What a defiant little one you are? {Part. 1}

Hello my lovies, I'm trying something new again! I am going be writing a stalker story about Loki Laufeyson and you (in first person), hope you enjoy! Thank you all for your love and support! Love you all my lovies! :3 Warnings: Smut, stalker fantasy, a few curse words, possible bondage, forced smut, etc.

"Hey y/n, clocking off?" Amanda, your shift manager said to you as you pulled off your apron.

"Yeah, I am beat as it is, and besides, I got a hot date tonight with my couch, tv, and a bucket of ice cream" You laughed, going over to the time punch screen and punching out.

"Lucky bitch, well, I'll see you next week okay, we are getting new stock, and I need you bright and early please."

"Oh right, I forgot that pumpkin spice is coming back on the menu for fall, fuck me" you rolled your eyes as you headed to the back to grab your things. Slowly pulling on your sweater, you quickly looked up, seeing something moving out of your sight quickly. "Hmm, must've been nothing" you shrugged it off and walked towards the door to head out of the café. "Alright Amanda, I'll see you next week, good night!"

"Night y/n, enjoy your movie!"

"Thanks I will" you smiled, pushing open the door, and then heading down the busy New York City side walk. "Hmm maybe Mask of Zorro, haven't seen that movie in a while, or how about Matilda?" You mumbled to yourself, trying to figure out what movie you should watch.

Unaware of your surroundings, there was someone following you. His breathe hitched in his throat at the delicious sight of you walking, your every move forcing his pants to tighten further than it already was.

"No way!" You nearly shouted as you saw across the street the cutest kawaii store you have ever seen. "Damn what time does it close?" you quickly grabbed your phone and began to search the name to see what time it closes.

The man quickly hid behind the light post, trying to remain hidden from your line of sight as to not spook you.

"Oh, it closes at 8!" "Pit stop!" You giggled, waiting for the cross walk signal to give her the right away. Soon enough, the light changed and you was able to cross the street to the kawaii store, the shadow still following close behind you.

"Damn that girl, she had better not make any more stops or I will have to punish her for sending me through all these loops" the man grumbled in frustration as he followed her into the store cautiously, trying to calm the enormous bulge that was ready to burst from his pants.

"Hello, welcome to Cinibun, we are having a sale of 40% off with the purchase of our mascot Cinibun bun!" one of the workers said kindly as she continued to restock the shelf.

"Oh thank you, I'll check him out later" you spoke kindly to the retail worker and continued your stroll. Knowing for a fact you was going to buy a lot, you grabbed a basket and began to walk around the store.

The man entered right after you, the retail worker ready to say her line, but stopped immediately at the sight of him. "W-Welcome to the store sir..." the girl gulped, quickly going back to restocking, wanting nothing to do with him. The man simply smirked deviously at how this mere mortal girl trembled before him, oh the power that he held to be feared upon!

"Aww, look how adorable!" you smiled as you grabbed a teddy bear that had blueberry designs all over it.

"It indeed is quite adorable" A voice behind you spoke with interest.

Startled by the sound of someone, you quickly turned around to see a tall man standing before you. "Uh, yes, it is."

"I love coming to this store, I always get my girlfriend those cute little guys, she loves them" the man spoke genuinely and with enthusiasm, trying to mask the fact that he was here for you.

"Oh, oh, heh, yeah, my apartment is filled with these little guys, they're just so cute and fluffy" you giggled, putting the bear in your basket.

"Hey, uh, since you know a lot about stuffed animals, can you possibly help me find another one for my girlfriend, uh miss?"

"Y/n."

"Y/n, nice to meet you, my name is Loki."

"Loki, quite the interesting name" You smiled as you made a 'come with me' gesture with your free hand.

"Yes I know, my mother named me that because she loved Norse Mythology, don't laugh" Loki joked with you, trying to keep his hands to himself as he watched you walk.

"Oh don't worry, I'm not going to laugh, I think your name is pretty cool" you hummed as you grabbed a strawberry teddy bear and turned around to hand it to Loki. "I think your girlfriend would love this."

"Oh my, I don't think I have seen this before, yes, she will definitely love this, thank you."

"Much obliged, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to look around some more and then head home, had a long shift today."

"Oh of course, have a good night then" Loki smiled deviously as he watched you walk away to do more shopping. "A good night you will indeed have my dear~"

"Finally!" You nearly shouted as you put the 4 bags of stuff you bought from the kawaii store on the kitchen counter and scrolled through your phone. "Hmm, going to add that to my favorite place" you said to yourself as you headed into the dark living room. "Damn, she already put my schedule for next week, she's quick" you shrugged, grabbing the remote control for the light and pressed the button.

"Welcome home my dear~."

Stopping in your tracks, you turned around to see the same man you saw in the kawaii shop causally sitting on your couch.

"You do not know how long I've been waiting for you to come home" Loki smirked at you, putting aside the magazine he was looking at and stood from the couch. "So, are you going to be a defiant little one, or be a good little girl?"

When he finished speaking, you ran up the stairs to head to your room, trying to use your phone to call the police. "Come on, come on!" you trembled, slamming your door shut and quickly hiding in your closet. "Please, please, please pick up!"

A low chuckle escaped his lips as he pulled off his coat and carefully hung it on the coat rack you had. "I love it when she runs" he hummed, pushing his slick hair back and headed up the stairs slowly.

"Your call can't be completed as dialed, hang up or please call again" your phone spoke as you tried to call the police. "What!" you yelled quietly, marking it again but it gave you the same message. "Oh my gosh, don't do this to me!" you whimpered, tears already dripping down your cheeks.

Within seconds, Loki opened your bedroom door, closed it behind him, and chuckled hungrily. "You know my dear, hiding won't help, and calling those idiotic mortals to come save you won't help either." "I'll give you one chance to come out and lay on your bed, so that I can ravish you, or I will have to drag you out of the closet, and we both know you don't want that."

You couldn't move a muscle as his voice echoed along your ears. This was it, this was the moment you was going to die because you helped someone find a teddy bear for their 'supposed' girlfriend. Yet, your heart sunk more when he began to count down from 3.

"Three."

This isn't real, this isn't real, he's not actually here, this is just a dream right?!

"Two."

Come on y/n, you can fight him, you can kick his ass and then run out of your apartment!

"One."

With the last digit he spoke, he slammed your closet door open and grabbed you by your legs. "No, no, please let me go!" You screamed as he began to drag you to your stuffed animal covered bed.

"I warned you didn't I my dear?" "Now you left me with no choice" He hummed, slamming you onto your bed, pushing aside some of your little friends, and waved his hand; your hands being bound and raised above your head by two snakes.

"Look at you, tied up and ready to be devoured."

"No, no please!" you struggled against the snakes that were bound to your wrists.

Slowly crawling up your body, he looked down upon you, a devilish smirk peering across his lips. "I am going to make you feel so good y/n~"

{Let me know if you want me to continue the smut, I'm going to run out of space lol!} {Thanks for reading my lovies!}

[slaymitchabernathy]

sometimes i think abt soarynn & coriolanus doing fall related things like going to the pumpkin patch.

without children, they’d be going to all the halloween parties & i hate to say it but coryo would totally dress up as an ‘inmate’ with handcuffs & soarynn would be the ‘police officer’.

they’d also go to a haunted house & it would be fun until it wasn’t bc coryo would end up accidentally punching one of the scare actors after getting spooked & then claim it was “self defense.”

soarynn definitely makes them do cute little activities like carving pumpkins & while her pumpkin has this intricate design, coryo can’t even start carving bc he refuses to reach in and scoop out the pumpkin seeds.

if they had their children however, it would be a different story.

they are trekking through that pumpkin patch on the search for the “perfect fall photo” where soarynn has them all dressed in flannels even though it’s like eighty degrees outside.

should they be brave enough to conquer the corn maze, they’re getting lost. the girls are running in & out of the corn, scaring soarynn to death bc she doesn’t want them to get lost while coryo is leading them in the opposite direction of the exit bc he “has a good memory” since he saw the map for abt two seconds before they went in.

the fire department will have to get them out.

soarynn also has a mean front porch setup for the season, like pumpkins galore. cobwebs, scary monsters, lights & sound. the whole nine yards really. she goes all out for the children & forces coryo to wear family costumes with them.

lastly, Coryo would without a doubt tell the girls to give him some of their halloween candy for “the dad tax”

[seenoversundown]

Masterpost

₊⊹ The Caravel Tavern Series ⊹₊

The opening of Caravel Tavern was a dream come true for Jake. With the help of his best friends and brothers, naturally. In a small city in New England, it's rare to come across new faces. (or even run into some from the past) Follow along through the series to discover what this piratical themed bar has in store for these boys.

WARNING: This series would be considered an AU ROM-COM, with romantic themes, wholesome friendship vibes, found family, and silly goofy behavior throughout.

Trigger Warnings will be listed at the beginning of chapters if applicable. (Please reach out if you feel anything was missed and I will make sure to add it in quickly!)

Please be advised that this series will include slow burn, open-door romances, meaning there will be on-page sexual content. Mature readers only (18+)

• All of these can be read as stand alone books, but do read better as a series! They are interconnected, so you will get more details if read in order 🫶🏻 •

💜 🩵 💛 ❤️

Sam Kiszka x Willa (Fem OC) - Updated 02/09/2025

Enemies to Lovers | Forced Proximity | Workplace Romance

Summary: Sam unfortunately finds himself in not so meet cute with Willa. Hopeful that he doesn't cross her path again; the world works in mysterious ways and not always in your favor.

Masterpost

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Josh Kiszka x Quinn (Non Binary OC) Temporary Hiatus

Love At First Sight | Secret Dating | Friends to Lovers

Summary: Josh has always loved love, and he's finally found it. Buuuut, he can't exactly tell anyone. Join him as he navigates the ins and outs of his sweet, secret romance.

Masterpost

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Daniel Wagner x Melody (Fem OC) New Chapter every Wednesday!

High school Sweethearts | Single Mom | Rekindled Romance

Summary: They were best friends and did everything together, until the decision of college came around. Now, six years later, Melody rolls back into town, with a small surprise, giving Daniel the shock of a lifetime.

Masterpost

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Jake Kiszka x Charlotte (Fem OC) Completed 11/27/2024

Workplace Romance | Friends With Benefits to Lovers | He Falls First

Summary: Jake has always been a hopeless romantic, heavy on the hopeless. He's gone out with plenty of girls, but they never last. Tired of being told he's "too sweet", he tapped out on dating once he bought the bar. Just waiting for the right one to walk into the bar and steal his heart

Masterpost

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Anything extra that is within the world of Caravel Tavern:

Prologue ⁂ - (Jake POV) : Opening night of the bar and all the festivities that come with that.

Dueling Cameras ⁂ - Sam x Willa (Fem OC) decide to make getting pumpkins into a little competition (per usual) (One Shot)

Chiaroscuro ⁂ - Josh x Quinn (Non Binary OC) attend a local film festival where Josh gets to present a short film he's directed. (One Shot)

Spooks & Cider ⁂ - Daniel x Melody (Fem OC) Back in high school, go to a Fall Festival where Melody faces her fear of the Haunted House. (One Shot)

Affirmation ⁂ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) find themselves in an oddities shop where Charlotte has her tarot cards read, whether she believes in it or not. (One Shot)

Be Naughty, Save Santa The Trip ☠ - Sam x Willa (Fem OC) Sam runs late after a shoot and Willa leaves him a little surprise for when he gets back home to her. (One Shot)

Merry Everything & A Happy Always ⁂ - Josh x Quinn (Non Binary OC) have always had the tradition of baking cookies together, but Josh sets up a scavenger hunt for Quinn to bake some this time for a very special reason. (One Shot)

It's The Most Wonderful Time of Year ⁂ - Daniel x Melody (Fem OC) took on hosting Christmas dinner with everybody but unfortunately for Daniel, nothing is going smoothly. (One Shot)

White Christmas ☠ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) have a million and one things to do on Christmas Day and Charlotte is already stressed by 6 am. Thankfully, Jake knows exactly how to calm her down. (One Shot)

Succulent ☠️ - Sam x Willa (Fem OC) take a little trip to Vermont for Valentine’s Day where Sam cooks up a nice dinner with a great idea for dessert. (One Shot)

Satiate ☠ - Josh x Quinn (Non Binary OC) - Quinn is sweet enough to make breakfast in bed, but also has a devious little plan for their favorite person. (One Shot)

Saccharine ⁂ ☠ - Daniel x Melody (Fem OC) spend a sweet Valentine's Day making cinnamon rolls together and then have a cozy evening away. (One Shot)

Siren ⁂ ☠️ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) get stuck at the bar on Valentine’s Day, but Jake makes sure to make it up to her after the bar closes. (One Shot)

Allure ⁂ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) it's Family Lake day and that means getting to longingly stare at Jake while he takes care of everything he can. (there is a part 2 that's linked at the end <3)

You're My Wishlist ⁂ ☠️ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) Christmas has come and Charlotte has a special present for Jake waiting at home. (One Shot)

Good For Me - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) Valentine's Day is planned out perfectly until Jake has to go into the bar for a minute and everything changes.

TagList | Jukebox Playlist | Master List (for other one shots / fics)

Wattpad | AO3

[stars-n-spice]

Boys and girls of every age, wouldn’t you like to see something strange? Come with us and you will see–a family struggle to get ready for Halloween. Or the fic in which the Bad Batch holds their annual Halloween party at their ranch for all their friends and family.

Chapter One: In the Morning

The time had come again, Halloween was here and the Halloween festivities were in full swing at the Bad Batch Ranch. In the week leading up to Halloween, the Ranch held its annual pumpkin patch, complete with a petting zoo, a corn maze, and a tractor ride for anyone and everyone who stopped by to visit. It was a town favorite attraction, one that many looked forward to during the holiday season and that the Batchers didn’t mind putting on, even if it was a lot of work. 

However, this just meant that when Halloween rolled around, they were a little more exhausted than most, but that didn’t stop them from hosting for friends and family. Every year, they would throw a big party and invite everyone they could for some tricks and treats. These parties, of course, were as delightful as they were chaotic and the preparations were no different. 

Like most days, Hunter was the first to wake up, out of habit and having responsibilities to tend to, and made his rounds around the ranch while totally not getting caught off guard and spooked by some of the decorations they had set up around. If he nearly had a heart attack when an animatronic on the porch turned on when he walked out of the farmhouse or if he tripped over some misplaced jack-o-lanterns and fell face first into fake cobwebs, that was nobody’s business. But at least he was awake now. 

By the time he made it back to the farmhouse, done with his morning routine, Echo and Wrecker were already up, the other two early birds in the family. Wrecker was busy making coffee while Echo was starting on breakfast, the smell of pumpkin spice filling the kitchen. 

“Mornin’ Hunter!” Wrecker greeted, cheerful as ever even in the early hours of the morning. 

Hunter gave a nod of acknowledgment and a smile as he walked over, “Morning.” 

“What happened to your face?” Echo questioned, raising an eyebrow and lifting a spatula up to Hunter’s face as he approached. 

Hunter blinked, stopping in his tracks as he brought a hand up to his face, feeling around for what Echo could be talking about, only to smear some dirt and fake cobwebs across it. 

“What do you mean?” Hunter murmured, tilting his head as he pulled the cobwebs out of his hair and quickly tossed them aside. He felt the tips of his ears burn as he realized what Echo was talking about. Maybe nobody saw his embarrassing morning mishaps, but the aftermath was probably evident on his face.

“Looks like you got into a fight with Spider-Man,” Wrecker snorted with a grin, his eyes shining with amusement as Hunter flicked away the fake cobwebs. 

Echo chuckled at Wrecker’s comment and turned back to the stove, “Did you at least win?”

Hunter rolled his eyes and huffed, “Very funny…” 

Echo and Wrecker shared a laugh, and Hunter couldn’t help but smile faintly at the teasing, used to it by now. He ran a hand through his hair, getting rid of the last of the cobwebs before he walked over to see what Echo was making. 

“I did win, for your information,” He joked, leaning against the counter as he watched Echo flip pumpkin flavored pancakes made to look like jack-o-lanterns with chocolate chips, “The others not up yet?”

Echo chuckled softly at Hunter’s comment about winning before he shook his head, “Not yet. I’m thinking about giving them another thirty minutes or so before waking them up.”

Hunter glanced over at the clock on the wall as he hummed, thirty minutes didn’t seem like a bad amount of time to let the others sleep in, any other day Hunter would’ve given them some more time, but today was Halloween. And they had a lot to do. 

“Seems reasonable enough,” Hunter nodded, thanking Wrecker as he handed him a mug of coffee and getting a grin in response, “Everything set for later tonight?”

Echo sighed and shrugged, “Should be. There’s the usual stuff we have to take care of beforehand, but you know how this usually goes.” 

“Ah,” Hunter muttered, knowing what Echo was talking about as he took a sip of coffee. He smacked his lips and looked down at the mug, frowning a little. Pumpkin spice. Damn. 

He set the mug aside and decided to preoccupy himself with setting up the table for breakfast while Wrecker moved to help Echo out with breakfast, pulling out a pan and getting some bacon from the fridge. Little conversations about the upcoming day flowed between the brothers, with Wrecker being excited for the party and Echo nervous about making sure the preparations leading up to it would go smoothly, though Hunter knew that was likely not going to be the case. The day things went smoothly for them would be the second coming of Christ. 

Soon, breakfast was nearly finished and the table was set, thirty minutes had passed and since then Omega had joined them, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she greeted her family with her usual cheeriness, clearly excited for the upcoming holiday celebrations. She chatted eagerly with them as they got breakfast ready, a blanket wrapped around her, making her look like a classic bedsheet ghost, until Hunter asked her to go and wake up Crosshair and Tech. The two night owls were a little more likely to wake up and actually get out of bed when it was Omega waking them up, as much as they hated waking up as early as eight in the morning. 

After some convincing and the promising smell of the pumpkin spiced pancakes and coffee (a flavor Crosshair would never admit to liking, though it was obvious he did), the twins joined the rest of their family at the breakfast table complete with their curly bed head, untouched by a straightener, and tired eyes. 

Once everyone was settled in and mid-way through eating their breakfast, Echo decided to get to business. Clearing his throat he looked to the others as they happily ate away, enjoying their bacon and jack-o-lantern pumpkins, “So, today’s Halloween-” 

READ THE REST ON AO3! >>

[prohibitionprincesses]

Spooks and Spirits

Northern Tarrytown, New York

Kitty Van Tassel is the daughter of the wealthiest mobster in Northern Tarrytown--part of the area known as Sleepy Hollow. Among the bachelors pursuing the dainty flapper (and her inheritance) are rumrunner Brom Bones, and crooked city treasurer Ichabod Crane. The mafia princess enjoys being a spectator as the rivalry between the two men escalates, peaking on All Hallows Eve...

Halloween parties are becoming a new tradition in the '20s, and Kitty's father hosts the biggest Halloween jamboree in Tarrytown, serving illegal booze in pumpkin kegs. But in the 1920s, Halloween is more about the "tricks" than the "treats." Costumes, which are usually homemade, focus on concealing one's face for masquerade shenanigans and pranks, the latter of which get pretty extreme. Brom hurls a row of cabbages into Ichabod's head; Ichabod trips Brom with a rope across a garden bridge, while he's carrying a large load of liquor; and Brom steals a body from the local morgue for his final prank; none of which is unheard of for Halloween in the Roaring Twenties.

After a few hours of swing dancing and drinking, Brom entertains the party with the local legend of the Headless Horseman. The inebriated Ichabod guzzles it right up, which Kitty finds hilarious. Later that night, after the party has ended, citizens of Tarrytown hear a commotion from the forest. Ichabod screams bloody murder. His bowler hat is found the next morning, floating in the river; it's the only trace of Ichabod Crane anyone ever finds. The case eventually goes cold.

Kitty marries Brom soon after, and they get busy making strapping boys and firey girls. Over 70 years later, in 1996, Great-Grandma Kitty witnesses Northern Tarrytown officially take the moniker of Sleepy Hollow.

Ichabod Crane's disappearance has never been solved.

AN: VIsilually differentiating Katrina Van Tassel from Cinderella and Charlotte La Bouffe is more or less impossible. But at least her movie's Halloween theme offered an excuse to keep elements of her Colonial outfit, which is about the only way for even the most hard-core Dosney fans to tell who she is.

Anyway, if you want a true fright, look up Halloween costumes in the 1920s.

[sl-newsie]

Spook House (Dr. Spencer Reid x OC Coworker) *Halloween Special* 🎃

Summary: Penelope is too scared to go into a spook house and she gets some encouragement from one of their coworkers (Cindy), who seems to take a liking to a certain boy genius. Rossi and Hotch try to give them a push.

“But they’re so much fun!” I beg Penelope as I hand over her daily coffee.

“No, they’re over-the-top nightmares that will give me a heart attack!” She argues and swivels back in her chair.

Just then Rossi walks in. “What’s this all about?”

“Garcia’s too scared to go into a spook house,” I grin. “Halloween’s my favorite holiday and I thought we could do a team activity.”

“Really, you like Halloween? I couldn’t tell.” Rossi’s obviously being sarcastic in regards to me and Garcia’s outfits: she’s wearing an orange pumpkin shirt, a hairpiece made of black and green feather and ribbons, and black and white oxford pumps. I’m wearing a black corset-style dress with purple patterns, black victorian boots, and a dark purple witch hat.

“Actually that might be a good idea,” Rossi comments. “We haven’t had a- what was it you called it Garcia? A ‘team-building extravaganza’ in a long time. And I just happen to know of a charity haunted house that’s set up a few blocks down from me.”

Penelope groans. “Sure, the coffee girl gets a crazy idea to scare me to death and you go along with it.”

“Hey! I might just be the coffee runner around here, but I still have good ideas!”

“You’re more than a coffee runner, Cindy.” Reid catches our conversation and gives me a warm smile. He always makes me feel so important.

“Yeah, Garcia wouldn’t survive without your coffee deliveries,” Morgan jokes from outside.

By now the rest of the team has shown up, looking confused by our festive attire.

“I thought Halloween was this weekend?” Prentiss asks.

“It is, but Garcia and I have been dressing up like this all month.”

“My favorite outfit was your vampire dress,” Reid comments. “I like how you included the historically accurate Victorian brooch with your choker.”

Morgan scoffs. “Seriously? You’ve been dressing up all month?” 

“Leave it to Reid to notice the strange and unusual,” I chuckle and share a look with Garcia. “I guess since we dress so differently on a daily basis nobody seems to observe when we wear holiday clothes.”

“I was just telling them about a decorated house that donates its profits to the local fire department,” Rossi tells Hotch.

The stern leader actually seems, what’s the expression? Excited. And when Hotch is excited then we all better enjoy it while it lasts.

“I haven’t been to a spook house since college. Maybe this team activity is a good idea, that is if Garcia is up for it.”

We all give the blonde computer geek hopeful looks, even Reid whips out his pleading puppy eyes.

“So whaddya say, Penelope?” Morgan smirks. “Too scared to try something new?”

She rolls her eyes and waves her hands at him. “Fine. I will try it, but only because Cindy wants to do a team-building extravaganza and because there’s a bakery that makes the best pumpkin cookies on the way there.”

“That’s good enough for me!” I celebrate and clink coffee mugs with Reid, who’s sharing the same smile. Perfect! A Halloween team activity in a spook house and spending time with Reid! It’s like Christmas came early!

In the next few days we buy tickets and make plans to meet at the bakery. Friday finally comes and so far fate’s been kind to us because there’s been no new cases. Odd since it’s this time of year. Before we leave the office Rossi calls me back and asks me to meet him at his house before we meet the others.

“Why?” I ask with an arched brow.

“Just to talk, nothing too serious.”

Something tells me he’s downplaying whatever it is he wants to talk about, and it makes me wonder if he’s having any problems with his exes. After parking my bike in Rossi’s driveway he meets me outside and hands me a flashlight.

“Just being prepared. Never know how dark it’s gonna be. I see you’ve come appropriately dressed?”

Indeed, I’ve come dressed as a bloody nurse.

I roll my eyes. “It’s only once a year! Why pass up the opportunity?” We both climb into his car. “Now will you tell me what’s wrong? Is someone in trouble?”

The Italian agent shakes his head and starts the engine. “No, no. I just want to talk about how you’ve been, Cindy. How’s the family?”

Oh. “Everyone’s fine, honest. My brother’s almost through with college, and the folks are having fun in Arizona. We keep in touch, and I’ve kept busy with my job at the office and my community theatre group. But why the sudden interest? Have I done something wrong?”

“Do you always assume something’s wrong?” Rossi chuckles. “It’s just that, Hotch and I were talking earlier…”

“Uh-oh, that’s trouble,” I smirk.

“Haha, very funny. We were talking and were wondering if by chance you and Reid might like each other.”

My train of thought flies off the rails and crashes, burning any rational thoughts from my head and causing me to clutch my flashlight much more tightly.

“W- What would give you that idea?”

“Well you two seem to really enjoy each other’s company,” he explains as he starts driving.

I nod slowly. “Yes, we both enjoy shared topics. And both of us are not currently in a relationship.”

“Why not give it a shot?”

“Because Reid’s never expressed any interest. I feel we both think our work comes first, and I don’t want to jeopardize our relationship for some silly romantic idea.”

Rossi grins and pulls up next to the bakery, “Ouch, I think the air just got colder. Don’t take it the wrong way Cindy, but you and Reid deserve to find a good relationship. You’re both young, don’t rush into it and things will fall into place.”

We both get out and spot the others waiting inside, and seeing Reid’s cute Halloween tie paired with a purple vest almost makes me forget how flustered I am. Before we get to the door I give Rossi a pointed look.

“Now please promise me you won’t blab to Reid about my stupid crush?”

He opens the door, causing a bell to sound with a cheerful ding! And allows me inside. “On my honor.”

Inside the bakery there’s Halloween decorations everywhere, as well as a big display with fall-themed baked goods. 

“Hey, guys!” Garcia scurries up and hands me a muffin. She sees my bloody makeup and her eyes widen. “Very… gory costume, Cindy. Anyways, you’ve got to try their pumpkin muffins! They’re just as good as the cookies! I swear this place can put pumpkin in anything and make it taste like Heaven!”

“Welcome welcome, Cindy and Rossi.” Prentis says from a booth. “All you’ve missed is the past 15 minutes of Penelope getting us all hyped on a sugar high. Ready to get scared?”

Rossi leaves to go chat with Hotch, making me double-think what they’re saying.

“You betcha! I’m guessing JJ’s trick-or-treating with Henry?”

“Yeah, she says she’s sorry for missing the team activity but will make it up to us,” Reid says as he walks up. “Nice costume, by the way. I like how you’re using a well-known comforting profession and changing it to be scary.”

Thankfully the blood covers my blush and I nod. “Yes, plus it’s a warm costume so I won’t freeze. I really like your tie!”

Reid smiles and I feel my heart skip. “I thought of you when I picked it out. I figured since it’s Halloween I’d try to dress up too, but I can’t compare to you and Garcia’s fashion style.”

The computer geek herself is wearing a daisy headpiece, and is getting anxious.

“So are we ready or not? I just want to get this over with.”

“Steady, daisy. We’re going.”

Morgan starts corralling us out the door, with Rossi and Hotch following in the back. I really hope Rossi kept his promise. It doesn’t take long to get to the spook house and I can tell we’re getting close on account of all the screams getting louder. Penelope notices too, but I give her arm a squeeze to show support and she walks straight to the entrance with her head held high. Aside from providing comfort for her, I’m also enjoying watching Spencer point out all the different special effects.

“Wow! Look at the fog detail! And those blood stains! Isn’t it cool, Garcia?”

“Yup. Very scary.” 

“Come on, Penelope. It’s not that bad-”

Suddenly a shrieking banshee flies out from the corner and we all scream, causing Penelope to cling to Morgan for dear life.

“What is wrong with you people?! Why can’t you find fun in something more sane like movie marathons?”

“You wouldn’t like those either,” I grin sinisterly. “Insidious isn’t really your type of movie, Garcia.”

We keep walking, with Prentiss and Reid leading the pack while Penelope and Morgan stay safe in the middle and I’m left to trail behind with Hotch and Rossi. But I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Seeing Spencer excited about Halloween is really adorable, but I must admit that I wish he’d show a little similarity towards my feelings for him. It’s just like I told Rossi: work comes first. Besides, why would Spencer be interested in a relationship with a coworker? Most times those relationships aren’t as sturdy anyway.

“Something wrong, Cindy?” Hotch asks.

“Yeah, just a little tired. I think I’m gonna check out the haunted asylum room.”

“Ok. Meet us outside when you’re done.”

I’m internally grateful for his understanding and walk off to the sounds of moaning mental patients…

Reid’s POV

Wow, this place is amazing! I was never really into spook houses growing up, however after seeing how exhilarating they can be I might make it a yearly routine! I know it’s all fake but it’s really fascinating to see all the talent and detail that goes into it.

Once we reach the exit I look at Garcia with a devilish grin. “Not too scary, huh?”

She’s pale in the face and nearly squeezing Morgan’s arm clean off. “I am never doing that again! I’ll stick to binge-watching cat videos and eating cherry chocolate!”

I look around for Cindy to compare opinions, but can’t seem to find her.

“Where’s Cindy?”

“I think she got lost,” Rossi says. “She was right behind us.”

We all look back at the dark pathway filled with shrieks and screams and Garcia starts to panic.

“Oh, no. I am not leaving her to be trapped in that spooky place! Go get her, Reid!”

My mind does a double-take. “Um- why?”

“Because you’ve had a crush on her for months and I’m too chicken to go back in! This will be the best time for you to tell her how you feel- during moments of unknown terror.”

Morgan frowns. “Garcia, you do realize a haunted house is very low on our scale of scary right? All this is just decorations and people in costumes.”

“It is people wearing way more makeup than I am, which is scary enough, and getting in my personal space!” She ushers me forward and points to the entrance. “You go get her Reid, and I will stay here being protected by the dashing Agent Morgan.”

The rest of the team doesn’t argue and keeps giving me hinting looks, which means it’s up to me to go get Cindy. Part of me is actually looking forward to spending time alone with Cindy- but I won’t let her know that. She wouldn’t be interested in me romantically- it’s not professional. Right?

I make my way backwards through the haunted house and when I turn a corner I enter a room we never went through: a haunted asylum.

“Die! Die! Die!” A shrieking voice screams and a wailing figure sprints towards me and I fall backwards into a pile of hay bales. I bump my head and it takes me a moment to fully register the sinister-looking shadow.

“Oh my gosh! Spencer, are you ok?” The figure kneels down and helps me sit up. “Does your head hurt?”

The voice is familiar. “Cindy? That’s you?” My eyes start to adjust to the dark and start to recognize the bloody nurse. “I thought you got lost.”

She shakes her head and keeps addressing my wound. “No, I told Hotch and Rossi I’d check this room out. I chatted with one of the workers and they said they wouldn’t mind if I helped scare them for a while. It’s fun!”

“But why did you leave the team? I thought you were having fun. Are we too boring?”

Cindy’s POV

I look away and try to seem occupied with the flashing lights dancing on the wall, but Reid sees right through it.

“You can’t ignore this, Cindy.” He pokes my nose. “I’ll keep pestering you until next Halloween. Now please tell me what’s wrong.”

Oh, how can his puppy eyes make me so compliant?!

“It’s not the team, it’s… something I have to work out on my own.”

“I know you, Cindy. You’ll beat yourself to the bone and never ask for help but that’s not healthy.” He takes my hand and it’s all I can do not to melt on the spot. “Please let me help.”

“You can’t help Spencer because you’re my problem,” I groan. There, I said it!

The brown-eyed geek gets a confused look. “Did I do something wrong?”

Do I have to humiliate myself further and spell it out for him?!

“I love you, you stupid profiler! I’dve thought you’d figure that out by now! I just guessed you don't want anything to do with non-professional relationships so I’ve kept my distance.” I get up from the floor and stomp my foot in anger. “But you make it so hard when you’re so adorable and so nice to me!”

Spencer doesn’t say anything, he just stared at the floor with a lost gaze and his mouth pressed in a straight line. I’m almost too sure I’ve crossed a line and curse myself for being so pathetic. How could I ever think he’d feel the same?

“And now I’ve probably ruined our friendship and made things weird, and I’m so sorry- I’ll just go home. You can tell the team I wasn’t feeling too good-” I go to walk out of the room but then a gentle but sturdy hand grips my hand and I realize Spencer’s caught up with me. “Reid what are you-?”

But I can’t finish because all of a sudden Spencer tenses up, leans in and presses a soft kiss against my lips. Nothing deep, just the whisper of a kiss just in case I don’t like it. So considerate.

He pulls away and at first I think he regrets it, but when I open my eyes he’s got the same anxious expression as I do.

“I didn’t think I’d ever be brave enough to do that,” he whispers. “Cindy you have no idea just how much I care for you. But I also thought you’d never want a romantic relationship, and it’s been so hard not to tell you.”

His confession sends a soft smile spreading over my face and we both chuckle.

“I guess miscommunication is to blame,” I say with a shrug. “Though I thought you weren’t the touchy-feely type like me.”

Spencer rolls his eyes. “Do you have any idea just how many germs are passed through kissing? If I’m kissing or holding hands with anyone it will only be you, Cindy. I… I love you too.” He dares to lean in again and rests his forehead against mine. “And I also notice you try not to call me by my first name. Why’s that?”

My face reddens but thankfully it’s too dark for Spencer to see. “Because… I thought if I said it too much then I’d never think of you as just a coworker. I guess I just used your last name to trick myself into not loving you… but it didn’t work.”

Spencer leans in impossibly closer and whispers into my ear: “Call me Spencer. I love how you say my name.” My heart nearly faints as he leans away and looks at me with curious eyes. “ Sorry that was weird- Um, if you’re up for this, um, whole dating thing, maybe we could catch a movie sometime? Or watch something at your place? Or my place, it really doesn’t matter as long as both parties of the relationship are satisfied-”

I cut off his adorable rambling by grabbing his tie to pull him closer into a deep kiss, one more passionate. Spencer moans in reaction and sets his hands softly on my hips.

“Your place next weekend, Sherlock Holmes marathon? That is unless we get a new case.”

Spencer’s head jerks up and down and he looks as if he just won the lottery. “Y-Yeah! That sounds perfect!”

“Reid! Cindy! You guys back here?” Morgan’s voice calls from the exit.

We both share a look and start walking back, hand-in-hand.

“Guess we better let everyone know we’re still alive,” I smile. “Do you think we should tell them about us?”

Spencer thinks for a minute (I love his face when he thinks!) and then shakes his head. “Sadly I think they’d already know. The team’s know I’ve liked you for months, in fact that’s why they pushed me in to check on you.”

I laugh and squeeze his hand. “Seriously? Rossi asked me earlier if I liked you and said you and I had a shot, but I told him you didn’t think the same. So… does this mean our team set us up for a date?”

Spencer grins and shrugs. “I guess so!”

We make it back to the front and find the others sitting on benches outside.

“There you are! You had me worried sick!” Penelope gushes.

 “Not to worry Penelope, it looks like the boy genius is all the company she needs,” Morgan grins wickedly as he points to our intertwined hands. Once the rest of the team notices we all start getting bombarded with questions and teasing.

“Finally! Took you guys long enough.”

“We’ve been waiting forever!”

“Congratulations! When’s the first date?”

Rossi and Hotch don’t say much and give Spencer and I ghosts of a smile, making me think this was their plan all along. Once all the conversations have ceased and we’ve both been tossed around for questioning we decide it’s time to start heading home.

“Happy Halloween, everyone!” Penelope calls as she and Morgan walk off.

I give Spencer’s hand a squeeze. “Guess it’s time to go. See you Monday?”

He smiles. “I’ll be there, coffee girl.”

“I’ll run some coffee made especially for you!” I grin and kiss his cheek one last time.

After everyone’s said goodnight we go our separate ways, and when Rossi and I climb back into his car I give him a curious smile. “You sending Reid after me didn’t have anything to do with what I told you earlier, right?” 

The Italian doesn’t answer right away and pulls out onto the road. “I’m guessing this team-building extravaganza worked out alright. You said not to tell Reid, so I told Hotch. We both figured we’d help give you guys a push.”

“A-ha. I see.” Thoughts of seeing Spencer again start to get me excited for Monday, and it feels as if my life’s taken on a whole new chapter. “Thanks, Rossi.”

Leave it to the BAU to analyze my life and help me find exactly what, or who, I want. And what makes it even better is that he wants me too.