#the bath one is lying about the shirt but i liked the lighting

[larapeachsstuff]

Sorry folks, I just can't get Arcane out of my head.

"Quiet moments" - Arcane Scenarios

Arcane characters x f!reader - Fluff

Summary: Scenarios where the different characters of Arcane show affection during quiet moments.

Pairing: f!reader x Viktor, Jayce, Ekko, Sevika, Silco, Caitlyn, Vi.

Warnings: mention of killing, violence, brutal everyday stuff in Zaun.

VIKTOR

Relax isn't something Viktor is accostumed to and most of the time he passes his time in the laboratory, mentally crafting new hextech tools. Moments of peace and quiet are rare.

Being his assistant, you two stay together most of the time, but it is not so easy to find a moment to kiss or relax, when your boyfriend is constantly thinking and babbling about new projects.

One day, growing tired by the end of the evening, you sit on a chair in the laboratory, relaxing your tired legs and exhausted mind. Seeing you in such a state, Viktor stops speaking to himself and grabs his stick to approach you.

"Tired, my love?" "Exhausted, really" you respond with a low tone. "Progress dosn't wait for anyone" says the man as he gently strocks your hair with one hand.

"Need a pause, love?" Viktor asks with a smile on his face - "You can go to bed if you want, I'll probably be up all night again with this project".

Feeling a bit trascurated, you get up and heads out of the room to your shared bedroom, after giving him a quick kiss on the lips and a not-so-invisible upset expression on your face.

You impose to yourself to bathe and, after a quick shower, you head to bed, alone again, covering yourself with the covers, still smelling like his parfume.

After just a couple of moments, the door opens with a creak and Viktor enters the room, heading to the bed and sitting near your lying figure. After a kiss on your head, he takes off his clothes and, putting on his pygiama (yes, the man actually has a lot of them), gets in the bed with you.

With a sarcastic tone you say "Didn't you need to work all night again, Viktor?" - to which he replies "Mhhh, I prefer your company and warm over the project for tonight. Plus, I need to take care of a more important thing right now". The man spoons you from behind and hugs you with his arms, leaving a trail of kisses all over your head, before going to sleep.

JAYCE

The man is like a working machine but knows when to stop, differntly from his lab partner, Viktor. Jayce is always happy to have relaxing moments with you and, being a senator, taking advantage of the pros of his position is not something he refuses.

That particolar day, however, you saw your boyfriend like you hadn't seen him in a long time. After passing most of the day running for commisions, when you returned home, it was empty. No sight of Jayce, no left trace of his passage. With a tired sigh, you left your groceries on the counter and headed back out to the palace, to try and find your "lost" man.

After some time of futile searching, you find yourself in the big library, hoping Jayce would be there for a late study session. Instead, you find Mel, reading a book with so much focus that she doesn't hear your approaching steps.

"Sorry, Mel, have you seen Jayce? I've been searching for him for some time now and I don't know where to look for anymore" "Oh, hi y/n! - she replies - I think your man has gone crazy with work over the last hextech project. If I were you, I would search in the furnace, maybe he is releasing a bit of tension".

The furnace! How could you have forgotten about that place. Giving a thank you to Mel and leaving the library, you go directly to the place. The room was like a lair for Jayce, where he could let all of his frustation go and create new machines at the same time. When you arrive at the entrance of the furnace, you were welcomed by a wave of heat and strong fire light from the oven. Jayce was standing in front of it, withour his shirt and with his mind focused on the hammer in his hands, while working on what seemed to be e shield.

"Hi love, tired already?" you say with a timid voice - "Oh, Janna, sorry sweety, I think I completely lost sense of time, damn". Letting the hammer down, the man goes straight to you and hugs you, embracing all of you into his strong arms. The scent of his body is supressed by the smell of wood and metal, but it is still enough for you to take a hint of it, making you relax against his chest.

"I have missed you, silly" you say "when are you gonna come home?" "This exact moment, sweety, I have neglected you enough for today, I am so sorry" says Jayce with a guilt tone - "I want to cuddle with you for the entire night. Now, let's go home".

Jayce leaves on your lips a tired but loving kiss, before setting his arm around your waist and heading out of the furnace.

EKKO

Ekko is normally busy with the administration of the Firelights and their missions, but he always finds a moment during the day to remind you how much he loves you.

Returning from a successful mission against some on Silco's man, you and your crew are flying from the damaged and corrupted areas of Zaun to your life-saviour tree. The massive giant and the green all around you is always a comforting view after a failed mission. This time, however, you were able to destroy the cargo-ship of Silco and the barrels of shimmer lightened up pretty well. Every success is a small step towards the liberation of Zaun from the dispotic power of Silco, but everytime someone dies, and from both parts there are just Zaunites. Your own people, in the end. It would have been preferable to fight against the tight-asses of Piltover, instead.

After the arrival on the tree, it was not difficult to find your boyfriend, already surronded by a group of children who were laughing at his silly imitations of animals. A smile forms on your face and a warm sensation tightens around your heart, seeing him laughing like that and having fun. After all things the two of you have experienced together, you know that these occasions were rare and for Ekko they were the results of his efforts.

Calling him, whistling a particular note (your code signal), he tilts his head up to see your face and, after having said goodbye to the children, he grabs his flying skateboard and runs to you with a big smile on his face.

"Hi princess! Good to see you! How are you? How was the mission? How are the others?" storming you with questions, the boy grabs your shoulder with his hands. "Woah, calm down pretty boy. It's good to see you too" you utter with a groan caused by your sore shoulders and back after the mission - "Everything turned out good and the tips given by the bartender were right. I don't know how much more that man can remain alive, stealing documents from Silco".

"I'll see what we can do to protect him. We need those information at any cost. In the meantime, come here with me, Princess. Let's have a bit of us moment". Guiding you to the body of the immense tree, he sits and leans, letting you sit in between his legs, hugging you from behind.

"I want you to know how much I appreciate your contribution to the cause and how much I love you, everyday a little more than the day before. I don't think I would have accomplished so much without you, thank you". Looking into his eyes, a loving light irradiates and warms your heart. "No silly, you, me and all the others have accomplished this thanks to your leadership, your courage and your strengh. We all should be devoted to you".

"You are right" Ekko says with a hint of playful superiority in his voice - "You should all pray me as a God, you especially my little subordinate". "Ah ah ah, go to hell Ekko" you reply with a sarcastic tone.

The guy laughs, a warming smile on his face. Planting kisses on your shoulders, Ekko tightens his arms around you and says: "I have never tamed my feral little Princess and I never will". Before returning to his duties, Ekko takes his time to listen to you about the mission and how everything went, never stopping his hand from drawing gentle circles on your thigh.

SEVIKA

Working for Silco has never been an easy job and you know that. Everytime Sevika returned home from a mission, she was just a little more tired, a little more sore and her mechanical arm needed constant mantainment. It is fun for you, though, to project new weapons and ways to make her arm even more efficient, allowing your girlfriend to not be so worry in every battle. It is your mission to provide for the multitasking mechanical arm and its new weapons.

After a long morning of drawing new harmful guns and technological knives, it is your so-waited moment to have lunch. Getting out from one of houses near the Last Drop, you head to a near restaurant (if someone could call it that). That day you were hoping for a sweet and romantic lunch with Sevika, but she was out of sight and probably still on a mission. You remember the sensation of her body getting out of bed in the morning at what you think was the sunrise and the sound of her heavy footsteps leaving your room.

Sevika is not so used to show affection, especially in public, but she has never left in the morning without placing a gentle kiss on your cheek, saying "later" in a low and loving tone.

Ordering something from the menu, on which the dishes were always the same and pretty boring, you starts to fantasize about the restaurants in Piltover, rich with delights and different foods. The sigh that escapes from your lips is frustated, why does it have to be so difficult for the Zaunites, while the rich-asses of Piltover waste money over stupid things and complain about futile problems?

Lost in your thoughts, you don't notice the figure that has just opened the door of the local, looking lefts and rights in search for you. After she spots you, Sevika goes straight to you and, without saying a word, plops herself on the other side of the table. Already a bit irritated by your own trail of thoughts and not being in the mood for games, withour taking the eyes off the menu, you say "Please man, I don't want any problem and the seat is already taken. I wouldn't want my scary bodyguard to come look after you, it wouldn't finish in a good way" "Is that how you see me? As your scary bodyguard?"

You tilt you head up to meet the eyes of Sevika, a smirk on her face and a cigarette already at the corner of her mouth. "Oh Janna, I'm sorry love ahahah, I thought you were just one silly man. How are you? How was the mission? Do you like the new weapon I installed you? That knife is pretty sharp, uh?" you say with enthusiasm. Sevika smiles at you and, leaning on the cracking chair, responds: "It is not bad at all, I killed a bunch of people with it this morning. Everything went good" .

"I am so glad to hear that, want to eat something?" "I said to Silco I would have taken the afternoon off just for you, my little doll". Sevika isn't used to nicknames in public, so she whispered the last part of the phrase, but it was enough for you to put a smile on your face and feeling a blush forming on your cheeks.

"Thanks love, I appreciate it so so so much". Sevika gets up and positions her seat right next to yours, and, putting her human arm around you, calls the waiter to take the order.

"I promise you, one day we'll have lunch in the most luxurious restaurant of the entire city, doll. I'll do anything to provide to you the best lab ever created for you to craft your weapons". The warm tone of her promise makes you lean into her embrace, before putting a small kiss on her cheek.

SILCO

The idea of relax and taking a pause are what can be the most far from Silco's mind. The man is used to stay up all night and to have problems 24h, so his head is always filled with thoughts about the next mission. There is, however, a specific moment of the day which is his favourite and most hated at the same time.

Hidden by piles of papers and documents, the lean figure of your man is out of sight and the only sound that is hearable is the scratch of the pen on paper.

Your relationship with Silco was complicated, it wasn't always so easy for him to speak about his emotions, his feelings and at first you felt just like an object, a piece of meat for his own entrateinment. Everything changed when Powder arrived and, seeing your affection towards the little girl, Silco saw you under a new light and love started to spread from his heart. A coarse love, not well defined and still in need of some touches, but in was indeed an enormous step for the man.

After the first period of time, in which Silco outdistanced himself even more, scared by the new feeling, the time of reconcilliation came when the man understood the new warmth around his heart. The thought of you was the only important thing in his mind, together with the safety of Powder.

"Hi Sil, here I come for your everyday delivery!" you say with a funny tone, underling the last words - "How are you doing, I haven't seen you the entire day and sleeping alone is always boring". The man doesn't lift his head from the papers, but signals to you with his hand to wait for just a moment. Letting a smile form on your face, you approach the man behind his desk, enlightened by the big greenish window.

"All done, darling. I am all yours now". Silco had made you very clear that your relationship had to be kept a secret, for the public you were just one of his subordinates, who, occasionally, was called to give him "relief". The reasons of such a decision were clear to you and it didn't bother you that much, in the end, the relief part was true.

"Love that! Ready for the needle?" A hated routine moment in Silco's life, but it was made more bearable by your presence. Looking into your eyes with his blue and orange ones, he opened a drawer of his desk to take the so hurtful needle. You were responsable to provide him with his daily dose of medical shimmer. Positioning yourself between his legs, Silco sets his hands on your waist and a piece of leather between his teeth not to bite his tongue.

"I'll be the most delicate possible, Sil, I promise" Looking at you, already knowing what was going to happen, Silco nods his head and rests it against the chair. Pointing the needle right in his eye and ready to inject the purple liquid, you take a final sight of the scar all over his left part of the face, that scar that you love so much, that bears a lot of painful memories.

"At three, ok? One, two, ..." and you press the injector right into his eye. The reaction of Silco is immediate, and he needs a high dose of control to not tilt his head and let the shimmer go to waste. Hearing his rapid deep breath and the strengh of his hands on your waist, you set the needle on the desk, before gently strocking the hair of your man, allowing his head to rest on your chest.

"Shh Sil, it is all done now, you can relax. I am here for you". After a few minutes, as always, Silco's breath returns to a normal rhythm and, letting the piece of leather out of his mouth, without looking at you, he says: "Thanks darling, I don't know what I would do without you. That shit hurts like hell, fuck. Give me a moment, will you?" A small but noticeable smile appears on his face and the man grabs his cigar, the only other vice that he has, except for you.

Letting you sit in his lap, Silco strocks your hair with the free hand. "Darling, how is it that everytime you come here, your face is more beautiful than it was before?" - with a soft blush on your face, you reply "Seeing me not so often doesn't help, Sil". Letting out a frustated sigh, Silco places a kiss on your lips, a soft yet loving one, giving to you all of his attention.

"Accept this apology for the moment, little one, I'll redeem myself later. Tonight I'm all yours, if you want my company. I haven't enjoyed a dinner with you in a long time an it is not acceptable. I'll have Sevika bring something here and we can have our little chat". Sevika knew about your relationship and helped in many ways, everything to keep Silco at least a bit more relaxed from time to time.

"I know that having dinner in the office is not optimal and is not your idea of a romantic date, but we must be patient and endure these hard times. I will give you anything you want and the future is just ours, darling". Silco gives you another kiss and, letting you stay on his lap, continues to do the paperwork.

CAITLYN

Caitlyn is a hard-working soldier, it has always been her dream to be part of the enforcer's group. She loves action, her desire is to help the city and defend it against the menaces of Zaun. At the same time, Cait is not someone that can't take a risk, and in the last period she has gone to the underground quiet a bit of times. You started to worry about her safety among the people of Zaun, but Cait has reassured you.

The two of you have met thanks to a job that was assigned to both of you. Even though you weren't a proper enforcer and your job was mostly done behind a desk, your abilities to coordinate and plan the missions were fundamental for good results. Occasionally, however, you accompanied the other enforcers to get a better sight of the places for your maps. After the first encounter, Cait used her mother's influence (just this time, I promise, she is a good gal) to have you has her mission's planner, at first just from time to time, but the two of you ended up as a team in no time. Cait and you shared a particular chemistry and fun was never left out.

You and Cait started to go out as collegues at first, dicussing the next mission and moves, but after some time, it was clear that something has changed and a new feeling has developed. Cait would have never first admitted it, but her actions spoke louder than her words and one day, tired of waiting, you took the initiative and kissed her. As a result, you basically started living at her place, strangely accepted also by her mother (I consider Cait's father as a sweet man, and another girl in a family of mostly women wasn't a problem for him).

That morning, waking up late and tired from the last mission, you roll in your bed to search for the comfortable presence of your girlfriend, just to find an empty place. With a tired sigh, you wait another five minutes and get up from the bed. Having fixed yourself for a trace of dignity after sleeping, you step close to the door to open it, but your gesture is anticipated. Cait stands at the door, fully clothed in her uniform and with a visible worried and sad expression on her face.

"Jeez, Cait, what happened?" you say - "Well, sorry. Hello in the first place, love. What is going on inside that pretty brain of yours?" Cait looks at you with sadness in her eyes, the blue irradiates from her pupils a sense of almost agony, not physiscal but mental. Withour saying a word, Cait places a small kiss on your cheek, leaving you with a surprised expression on your face, and takes your hand to guide you to the bed.

Cait lays down on the bed and you do the same, setting yourself on the other side, facing her. "Do you want to talk about what happened yestarday, Cait? I think the past mission is still bothering you". The task assigned to you two was the retrieval of a rare substance that had been taken by some of Silco's men, but the attack hadn't gone right and some enforcers were killed. The problem was that, during the fight, one of the enemies had accidentally killed a small girl that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cait was almost killed, frozen in place at the sight of the small life taken away, while the killer wasn't bothered that much.

"It was not your fault, Cait. You weren't responsable for anything. That son of a bitch was the animal, he didn't care about that. I have been taking a better perimeter of the zone and the next time, I can send some undercoverd enforcers to keep all the civils away".

"Why are we still fighting?" says Cait with a whisper - "Why do innocent people always get in the middle and are the ones that turns out to be the vistims of ours and Silco's stupid games? Why can't we just leave in peace and help each other". A small tear starts to appear at the corner of her blue eyes and you don't waist second to dry it.

"I am sorry, love, I know it is hard. But just with our hard work can we have better results. Civils are always the victims, in the end, and that sucks. It is how fights work and it is disgusting. But we can change that, we can make the city a better place for everyone. I spoke with Jayce yesterday, and he says that the hextech could also be used in medicine! Can you imagine it? It would be wondeful!" Putting a cheerish tone in your voice, you try to comfort your girlfriend, who repays you with a soft smile.

"Thank, honey, I needed that" says Cait - "Sometimes I get too carried away. But I want the same justice also for the people of Zaun, we are part of one city, in the end. Tomorrow I want to organise a ceremony for the little girl, let the Zaunites know we still care about them".

"That's how it is done. Love to see that sparkle in your eyes" you respond - "Now, what do you wanna do today? Beside the organisation of the ceremony. I have some work to do, but after that I am free".

Cait looks up at you and, with a delicate tone says: "Let's stay there five more minutes, please, I need some time to recollect myself". "Whatever you need love" you reply. Strocking her cheek just one more time, you get near Cait and, looking into her eyes, you start cuddling her, talking about the latest improvements of the hextech.

VI

The idea of relax for Vi can have different forms. It varies from a stroll on the roofs of Zaun to start a fight in a pub just for fun.

The two of you met during one of these fights and Vi saved your ass from a flying chair, just to look at you with a smirk on her face and say: "How can a beautiful face like yours be in miserable place like that?" In the meantime she was trying to hold back a man that was more large than tall. The flirt didn't stop after that night and the relationship was not late to arrive.

Vi owns a central place in your heart, her figure is always there to protect you and she would do anything to not let you get hurt. Her ways of showing affection have changed: at start she would just flirt and playing the dominant part, not showing any other emotions except cockiness. But after some time, Vi started to give you small kisses in public, calling you nicknames and showing a side of her that just a few people had been able to know.

The relationship has been doing great and, even though life in Zaun has never been easy, the two of you had found your place in a small house near Vander's statue.

That morning, after having passed the night out with your friends, you wake up with Vi by your side, but the cuddling time doesn't last enough, beacause Vi needs to go out for some commisions. Resting a bit more, you wake up after a couple of hours to find your girlfriend patching her arm up, with bruises all over her chest.

Running to her with a sudden movement, you get near and take her face into your hands, looking terrible worried. "What the hell, Vi? What happened to you, why are all covered in bruises? It seems like a giant has got you!" "You aren't so distant from reality, cupcake" Vi replies - "That jerk had got what he deserved. I am in a bad state, but you should see him". The last words put a smirk on Vi's face.

"Vi you can't start a bar fight at ten in the morning, jeez! You could have been more injuried". "I was not alone, capcake, don't worry. Ekko was there with me and we made a spledid fight".

Looking at her with judging eyes, you take the first aid kit and start to prepare the necessary to patch her arm. "So, I need to talk to him, too. That boy is in big trouble". Vi puts on a funny face, mixing the regret for having told about Ekko and the expectation for the outcome of your meeting.

"Don't think you are out of this, Vi. You will receive the lecture when you'll fell better". "Love that, cupcake. Always love when you lecture me" Vi says with a sarcastic tone, to tease you.

After having helped her with the arm, you start to disinfect her sore hands, where there's still a bit of blood. "Pay attention the next time, Vi, please. Hit him under the chin, he should go out in no time". "Thanks for the advice, cupcake. Now come here". After that, Vi places a soft kiss on your cheeks, and the rest of the morning is filled with the report of Vi about the fight, about how Ekko and her put down a dozen of Silco's men and the fun they had.

[befuddled-calico-whump]

a few more art refs, this time featuring a white dress shirt (aka one of the best Whump Outfits)

(more pics under the cut)

as with the last batch, these are open for anyone to use as refs, photo edits, moodboard stuff, etc. I'll probably do more of these in the future, so accepting suggestions for the next round :)

[ethereangel222]

our safe haven

nicholas alexander chavez & fem!reader

premise After years of marriage and raising their daughter, Nicholas and his wife, Y/N, find their love and passion deepening as they consider growing their family.

cw fluff and eventual smut, oral (f receiving), penetration p in v, unprotected sex wc 4k a/n soft vanilla!nicholas fic is needed. this is my fav fic in my drafts so far! i hope you guys enjoy this <3

Reblogs are highly appreciated.

Nicholas quietly entered the bedroom, the soft creak of the door muffled by the plush carpet underfoot. The subtle scent of Amelia's lavender bath soap lingered on him, a reminder of the bedtime ritual he had just finished. He padded over to his side of the bed, his broad shoulders still relaxed from reading Amelia her favorite story, and pulled back the covers.

You were already nestled beneath the duvet, the soft glow of the bedside lamp casting a warm light on your face. The room was cozy, the air filled with the faint scent of the candles you had lit earlier—something calming, like vanilla and sandalwood. Nicholas slid into bed beside you, his body radiating warmth as the mattress dipped slightly under his weight.

He turned to face you, his hand immediately finding your hip under the sheets, his thumb tracing lazy circles over the fabric of your sleep shirt.

"She went down easy tonight," he murmured, the corner of his mouth lifting into a small smile. "Asked for an extra story, though. Had to make a deal with her."

You chuckled softly, leaning into his warmth. The house was quiet now, the comforting weight of the day behind you, but as he lay there beside you, it brought back memories of when your life together had just begun—back when you were both teenagers, when everything had been new and full of promise.

You first met Nicholas when you were sixteen. He was the guy every girl had a crush on at your high school. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a natural charm that made it hard to miss him. He was the star of the football team, the kind of guy who could breeze through practice and still show up to class with that easy smile that made everyone feel like they had his attention. But he wasn’t just the jock everyone expected him to be—he surprised everyone, including you, when he joined the speech and debate team.

You’d been on the team for a while, focused on honing your skills and winning competitions. You were serious about it, and Nicholas, at first, seemed like he was just there to round out his resume. But as the practices went on, you realized there was more to him. He was good—really good. And there was a determination in him, a drive to be better, that matched yours. You couldn’t help but respect that.

It wasn’t long before the two of you started spending more time together. At first, it was just for debate practice, going over arguments and strategies late into the afternoon, but soon, those sessions turned into something more. After one particularly grueling practice, he had offered to walk you home. The conversation flowed easily between you, and by the time you reached your doorstep, you realized you were laughing more with him than you had with anyone else in a long time.

From there, it became a regular thing—sneaking out late at night to meet up at the park, lying under the stars and talking about anything and everything. Nicholas wasn’t just the confident, easygoing football player everyone thought he was. He had dreams, ambitions, fears he didn’t show to the rest of the world. You found yourself drawn to him, not just for his looks or his charm, but for the way he made you feel like you were the only person in the world when he was with you.

That summer, everything between you intensified. The chemistry was undeniable. What started as late-night talks turned into stolen kisses, and before long, the two of you were inseparable. You’d sneak into football games just to watch him play, and he’d sit through your debate tournaments, always cheering you on from the sidelines. It was passionate, reckless, and all-consuming.

But it wasn’t just about being young and in love. Even then, you knew there was something deeper between you. Nicholas wasn’t like other guys you’d dated before—he was serious about you, about your future together, and that seriousness only grew when you both turned twenty and found out you were pregnant with Amelia.

The day you told him, you’d been terrified. You hadn’t planned for it, hadn’t expected it. But Nicholas had surprised you, just like he always did. He had sat quietly for a moment, processing, before pulling you into his arms and telling you that everything would be okay. “We’ll figure it out,” he had said, and the way he looked at you, with so much certainty, made you believe it too.

He was by your side through it all—the doctor’s appointments, the late-night cravings, the fear of becoming parents when you were barely more than kids yourselves. When Amelia was born, everything shifted. You got married soon after, a small ceremony with just your families, a simple exchange of vows that cemented what you already knew—you were in this together for the long haul.

And now, as Nicholas lay beside you, his hand moving slowly along your waist, his foot gently slid between your legs, grazing your skin with a slow, teasing motion. The soft, subtle contact sent a shiver of warmth through you, each caress deliberate yet comforting. The quiet intimacy of the moment made your breath hitch, the simplicity of his touch pulling you deeper into the connection you both shared.

It was then, with his foot still brushing against your skin, that he whispered, “You know... I’ve been thinking… maybe it’s time we gave her a sibling.”

His words sent a thrill through you, your heart skipping a beat. The thought of another child had been floating around in your mind for a while, but hearing Nicholas say it out loud made it feel more real, more possible. You turned to look at him, a smile tugging at your lips. “You think so?”

Nicholas grinned, his eyes darkening with intent. “Yeah,” he whispered, “I think it’s time.”

You smiled. The thought of expanding your family, of watching Amelia become a big sister, felt right. But then, a small worry crept in. “What if she wakes up?”

Nicholas chuckled softly, his lips brushing against your neck. “She’s out like a light,” he whispered, his hand slipping beneath the waistband of your shorts. “And besides, we’ll be quiet. I promise.”

His fingers teased your skin, and your breath hitched as the familiar heat between you began to rise. His touch was slow, deliberate, as if he was savoring every moment. He shifted, positioning himself over you, his body warm and strong, the weight of him grounding you in the moment. His lips found yours again, and the kiss deepened, filled with both tenderness and desire.

Nicholas’ hands moved with a practiced ease, exploring your body in ways that made your breath catch. He knew you better than anyone else—knew exactly how to touch you, how to bring you to the edge of wanting more. His lips trailed down your neck, his breath warm against your skin, and you could feel the intensity between you building with every touch, every kiss.

“You sure about this?” you whispered, your voice breathless as his hand slid lower, teasing you, making your body respond instinctively to his touch.

Nicholas’ gaze locked with yours, his voice low and filled with the same determination he had shown since the day you met. “I’m sure,” he said softly, his hand moving with purpose now.

He gave you a soft, reassuring smile. His hand continued its slow descent, slipping beneath the waistband of your shorts with deliberate ease. The heat of his touch sent a shiver through you, and your breath hitched, your body already reacting to the familiar, electric sensation of his fingers teasing your skin.

With one smooth motion, he tugged your shorts down, the fabric sliding easily off your hips. He didn’t rush, didn’t break eye contact as he took his time undressing you, as if savoring every moment. His touch was firm yet tender, knowing exactly how to build the anticipation with every movement. Your shirt followed next, leaving you exposed under his gaze, but there was no awkwardness, no hesitation—only the heat of the moment, and the years of trust and love between you.

Nicholas hovered over you, his eyes dark and intent, the air between you thick with the shared heat of the moment. His lips brushed softly against yours before trailing down your jaw, his breath hot as he moved to your neck. You could feel the anticipation building with every touch, every slow, deliberate kiss.

His lips traveled lower, kissing a path down your chest, the warmth of his mouth sending a shiver through you as he reached the curve of your breasts. He paused there, taking his time, his tongue flicking over your skin before gently closing his lips around one of your nipples. The sensation sent a jolt of pleasure through you, and you gasped, your fingers tangling in the sheets as his tongue swirled in slow, lazy circles.

As his mouth worked one breast, his hand slid up to your other, fingers teasing your nipple in a rhythm that matched the flicks of his tongue. The heat between you intensified, every touch, every flick of his tongue sending waves of pleasure through you. His hands knew exactly where to go, building the tension, his fingers squeezing lightly before shifting to explore more, heightening the sensitivity of your skin.

His free hand, meanwhile, began to slide lower, tracing down your stomach and between your thighs. You gasped again as his fingers gently slipped under the fabric, teasing you at first, drawing out the anticipation. He alternated between kissing your breasts and watching your reactions as his fingers dipped lower, brushing against your most sensitive spot with an expert touch.

You arched into him, your breath catching as his fingers slipped inside you, his movements slow and deliberate. The feeling of his mouth on your breasts, combined with the gentle pressure of his fingers inside you, sent sparks through your body. He curled his fingers just right, finding that perfect rhythm, and your body responded immediately, hips lifting toward him as your hands gripped the sheets tighter.

Nicholas shifted the covers up slightly, casting the room in a soft shadow as he lowered himself under the blankets, his hands gently guiding your thighs apart. His breath hovered just above your skin, and the moment felt intimate, almost reverent, as he placed a soft kiss on your inner thigh. He always took his time, prolonging the anticipation, heightening your awareness of every touch, every kiss.

“Relax,” he murmured, you could feel the vibration of his words against your skin.

Then, without further teasing, his mouth found you.

The first touch of his tongue was slow and deliberate, a soft flick that sent a wave of pleasure through your entire body. You gasped, your fingers instinctively gripping the sheets as he settled into a rhythm. His free hand slid back up to your breast, teasing your nipple again, squeezing lightly as his mouth moved over you—exploring, teasing, and then going deeper. His digits slipping in and out, complementing the rhythm of his tongue.

Nicholas knew exactly how to work you, his tongue gliding over your most sensitive spot in slow, tantalizing circles before shifting, changing the pressure, keeping you on the edge without letting you tip over. The pleasure built steadily, every stroke of his tongue a carefully measured step toward your undoing. His fingers worked in time with his mouth, adding pressure and depth where you needed it most, the pleasure mounting with every touch.

You tried to stay quiet, your teeth sinking into your lower lip to stifle the sounds threatening to spill out, but it was impossible to keep still. Your hips moved involuntarily, responding to the rhythm he set, chasing the pleasure he so expertly gave.

Beneath the covers, the soft sound of his breath mingled with the wet, quiet sounds of his mouth working against you, the sheets muffling the intensity of the moment but not diminishing it. The world outside the bed faded to nothing, and it was just Nicholas—his hands gripping your breast and working between your legs, his mouth coaxing your body higher and higher with each flick of his tongue.

Your fingers tangled in the sheets, your breath coming in shallow gasps as you felt yourself nearing the edge. Nicholas seemed to sense it too—he pressed his mouth more firmly against you, his tongue moving faster, more precise, and his fingers working in perfect rhythm, sending waves of pleasure crashing through you. The tension inside you coiled tighter, ready to snap.

The sensation was overwhelming, every nerve in your body alight with pleasure as he continued, relentless but tender, pushing you further and further. Just when you thought you couldn’t take any more, Nicholas shifted slightly, his tongue finding that perfect rhythm, his fingers deepening their motion, and the world seemed to shatter around you.

Your body tensed, the pleasure flooding through you in waves as you came, your hips arching toward him, your hands gripping the sheets so tightly your knuckles turned white. Nicholas didn’t stop, his tongue still working you through every shuddering moment, his fingers moving in time with the tremors running through your body as you trembled beneath him.

When the last wave of pleasure finally subsided, you lay there, breathless, your body still tingling from the intensity of it all. Nicholas emerged from under the covers, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he crawled up to meet you. He pressed a slow, lingering kiss to your lips, letting you taste yourself on him, his body pressing down against yours in a way that was both grounding and electrifying.

"That’s just the start," he whispered against your lips, his voice thick with desire, his hands sliding up your sides again, ready to continue what he had so expertly begun.

Nicholas hovered over you, his body pressed against yours, his breath still warm from the intensity of what he had just done. You kissed him back deeply, your hand instinctively sliding up the back of his neck and into his hair, pulling him closer. His skin was hot, his muscles taut beneath your touch, and you could feel the weight of his need pressing against you through the thin fabric that still separated him from you.

He pulled away slightly, his hands moving to the waistband of his own red plaid pj's, and without a word, he smoothly removed them, followed by his fitted shirt, tossing them onto the floor. The muscles in his arms flexed with the movement, and the light from the bedside lamp caught the lines of his chest and abdomen. He stood over you for a moment, naked and confident, his body strong and familiar yet still capable of making your breath catch.

You took in the sight of him—the hard lines of his chest, the way his muscles shifted under his skin, the subtle sheen of sweat that glistened on his collarbone. Even after all these years, he had the ability to leave you in awe, the years of familiarity doing nothing to dull the sharp edge of your desire for him.

He noticed the way you were looking at him, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth as he leaned down again, brushing his lips softly against yours, his kissed trailing along your jaw, down to your neck. His hands slid up your sides, his fingers spreading wide over your ribcage, holding you firmly as his mouth explored your skin. Every touch, every kiss was filled with the same passion he had shown since the beginning, but there was a tenderness to it now, something that went beyond just physical desire.

He kissed his way down your body, the warmth of his lips sending a ripple of heat through you with each soft touch. You could feel the hard lines of his body pressing against you as he moved lower, his hands guiding your legs apart again, his breath teasing your skin.

But this time, as he moved between your thighs, he paused, lifting his head just slightly to meet your eyes. "You ready for this?" he murmured, his voice low and filled with a kind of determined softness.

You nodded, your body already aching for him, your skin alive with the anticipation of what was to come.

With a slow, deliberate motion, Nicholas positioned himself over you, his body perfectly aligned with yours. His hands slid up to cradle your face, his eyes locking with yours as he lowered himself, entering you with a slow, deep thrust that made your breath catch in your throat. The connection between you was immediate and intense, the weight of his body grounding you as he began to move.

He started slow, his movements steady and controlled, each thrust pushing deeper, filling you completely. Your body responded to him instinctively, your hips arching to meet his, your hands gripping his shoulders as the pleasure built between you, hot and urgent.

Nicholas leaned down, his lips capturing yours in a kiss that was both gentle and hungry, the slow grind of his hips driving you both higher with each thrust. The heat between you was overwhelming, your bodies moving together in perfect rhythm, the intimacy of the moment making everything feel heightened, more intense.

As he picked up the pace, the pleasure intensified, and you could feel the tension coiling deep inside you again, the familiar ache building as Nicholas moved faster, his breath coming in shallow gasps against your neck. His elbows resting on the either side of your head, his body pressing against yours in a way that left no space between you.

The sounds of your quiet gasps and his low groans filled the room, mixing with the rustling of the sheets and the steady rhythm of your bodies coming together. Every movement was precise, deliberate, and filled with the urgency of the desire that had been building between you since the moment he climbed into bed.

Nicholas' movements became more intense, his pace quickening as the heat between you built to an almost unbearable level. You could feel every inch of him, the pressure and the pleasure combining in a way that left you breathless, your body arching to meet his with every thrust.

Your hips lifted to meet him, pushing yourself closer to the edge with every thrust. Nicholas groaned softly. He kissed your shoulder, his breath hot and unsteady against your skin, his body tense with the effort of holding back, waiting for you.

“I want us to come together,” he whispered, his voice rough with need, his thrusts hitting your spot in a way that made it impossible to think about anything else.

His breath quickened, his movements becoming more urgent, his hands now gripping your waist as he thrust deeper, faster.His own control was slipping, his low groans vibrating against your skin as his body tensed.

"Come with me," he rasped, his voice strained with the effort of holding back, waiting for you to tip over the edge.

That was all it took. His words, way his body moved against yours—it all came crashing together in a flood of sensation. Your orgasm hit you hard, your body tightening around him as waves of pleasure coursed through you, your breath catching in your throat as you cried out, your hands gripping his shoulders, your nails digging into his skin as you lost yourself in the intensity of the moment.

Nicholas followed right behind you, his body shuddering as he gave in to his own release, his movements growing erratic as he thrust deep one last time, his own moans mingling with yours as he came, his body trembling above yours as he rode out the last waves of his orgasm.

For a long moment, neither of you moved, your bodies still pressed together, both of you catching your breath, still coming down from the high, a reminder of the intimacy you had just shared.

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to your lips, his breath still heavy. “That was… perfect."

Just as the two of you lay there, tangled in each other’s arms, your breathing still steadying, you heard the soft creak of the bedroom door. Your heart skipped a beat as a small, tentative voice broke the quiet.

“Mommy?” Amelia's voice was soft but clear in the stillness of the room, filled with concern. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Your mind raced. You could feel the heat rising in your cheeks as you frantically pulled the covers over yourself and grabbed for your shorts and sleep shirt, dressing hurriedly under the blanket. Nicholas watched you with wide eyes, his own face a mix of panic and amusement as you scrambled to get decent.

Finally, after a moment that felt far too long, you managed to pull your shirt on, smoothing your hair and taking a deep breath before facing Amelia. She stood in the doorway, clutching her stuffed bear, her little brow furrowed with worry.

“Ames, baby,” you called softly, sliding out of bed and quickly making your way over to her. You crouched down in front of her, your hand resting gently on her shoulder. “I’m okay, sweetheart. Mommy’s not hurt, I promise.”

Amelia looked up at you with wide, concerned eyes. “But I heard you... You sounded like you were sad or something.”

You smiled softly, brushing a hand through her hair. “I know, baby, but I’m not sad. Sometimes grown-ups just talk loud when they’re... having a conversation. I’m really sorry if I scared you.”

Her little face softened a bit, though she still looked unsure. “You’re really okay?”

“I’m really okay,” you assured her, pulling her into a hug. “I promise, sweetheart.”

You could feel her relax a little in your arms, and you stood up, taking her small hand in yours. “Let’s get you back to bed, okay?”

She nodded, still clutching her bear, and you gently led her back down the hallway toward her room. The quiet creak of the floorboards underfoot seemed louder in the calm of the night, the house otherwise still. When you reached her room, you flicked on the small nightlight beside her bed, casting a soft, comforting glow around the room.

You guided her to her bed, pulling back the covers and helping her climb in. She snuggled down immediately, her little bear tucked close to her chest. You sat beside her, tucking the blankets around her small frame, smoothing the fabric out with gentle hands.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Mommy?” she asked again, her voice small as she blinked sleepily up at you.

You leaned down and kissed her forehead, brushing a hand through her soft hair. “I’m sure, baby. I’m so sorry I woke you up, but everything’s fine. You can go back to sleep now, okay?”

She nodded, her eyes already starting to droop as the comfort of her bed took over. “Okay. Can you leave the door open a little?”

“Of course,” you whispered, giving her one last kiss before standing up. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

Nicholas had followed quietly, standing in the doorway with a soft smile on his face. He stepped forward, leaning down to kiss Amelia's cheek. “Goodnight, Amelia. Sleep tight.”

“Goodnight, Mommy. Goodnight, Daddy,” she mumbled, already half asleep.

You and Nicholas exchanged a tender smile, quietly backing out of the room and leaving the door slightly ajar, just as she had asked.

As you returned to your bedroom, you let out a small sigh of relief, the tension from earlier finally melting away. Nicholas wrapped an arm around your waist as you slid back under the covers together.

“Well, that was close,” he whispered with a chuckle, his breath warm against your ear.

You laughed softly, leaning into him. “Definitely closer than I’d like.”

Nicholas kissed the top of your head, his hand resting comfortably on your side as you settled into the bed once more. “We’re going to have to be a lot quieter next time,” he teased, pulling you closer.

“Definitely,” you agreed, resting your head on his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath as the quiet of the night wrapped around you both once again.

[lymtw]

Nonsexual Intimacy

Thinking about those soft, nonsexual, intimate moments where you and Toji are lying in bed, with you on top of him. You're straddling him and your arms are thrown over his shoulders, clinging onto him like a little koala. Your face is buried in his neck and your eyes are shut as you bask in the warmth of his body.

"What's wrong, baby?" He asks, letting his arms come up to rest on your back. Having Toji's arms around you was like leaving every bad thing you've ever experienced behind. He radiated the warmth of a thousand suns, and it soothed you like nothing else.

You didn't respond to his question, instead your lips pressed to his neck, brushing against him with the gentleness of a light breeze. You're smart enough to know that if you kiss him too hard, it'll start a fire in a moment where one isn't necessary.

He's smiling, softly, at your sign of affection. His palms rub your back, comfortingly, with little to no pressure. Toji is all for having sex with you, all the time and anytime. He's well versed in this method of intimacy with you, but he's not an emotionless machine. He recognizes well enough when you need more than an orgasm. He understands that you have a heart, and sometimes it needs to be tended to, regardless of whether it's damaged or not. Sometimes you just want to feel loved, and when times like these are presented to him, who is he to ridicule you for needing him?

He chuckles, softly. "Just wanna love on me, don't you, baby?"

His hands lower to the hem of your shirt, sliding beneath it to get to the warmth of your bare skin. The tranquilizing motions on your back return.

"Just need you to be with me, right now," you mumble into his neck. "I know this probably seems weird, but I just wanna stay like this for a while."

"Shh... you're alright, my sweet girl. We can be quiet for a bit."

You go back to lazily kissing his neck. You can feel his heartbeat thrumming against your lips, a rhythm that makes your own heart start to pick up that same pace. You take a deep breath and slowly let it out, pausing your movements to appreciate the distinct smell of his cologne. It makes you want to squeeze him until he can't breathe, or at least attempt to squeeze him that hard.

"Toji," you say, quietly, like you're saying it to yourself.

"Hm?" He responds, stilling his hands.

"Nothing. Just wanted to say your name. I like saying your name."

Another laugh rumbles through his chest, the movement shaking you a little. "It's yours to say."

"Can I keep saying it? Until it doesn't sound like a name anymore?"

He smiles, pulling one hand out of your shirt to place it on the nape of your neck. "By all means. Don't need my permission."

You giggle, the sound so clear beneath Toji's ear. If he had the warmth of a thousand suns, you had the beauty of the night's guiding moon.

"Toji," you say, softly. After every repetition of his name, you ghost your lips all over his neck. Toji thinks he could stay like this for longer than a bit. He feels at ease, knowing you're there, acting as his most cherished blanket. He feels so light, like he's not even in his body anymore. You don't even know how happy he is. You can't see the soft smile on his face and how it's failing to disappear.

"Toji," you repeated one last time.

He had lost track of how many times you said his name, but not once did he get tired of hearing it. He wanted to answer your call, this time. "Yeah, baby?"

"Love you."

In all your gentleness and loving, you offered him serenity, and he enveloped himself in it. If your love could be bottled, he would live off of it. He would cook it into his every day meals. He would blend it into his protein shakes. He would bathe in it. He would mix it with his cologne. He would live off of it like it's the secret to a life spent with you loving him the way you do. So what if he's addicted? It seems like the perfect way to go.

Toji could hear your light breathing. You stopped kissing him, and your arms went limp on his shoulders. You fell asleep. It was a common occurrence whenever you shared moments like these with him. It was the security, and his embrace, and his warmth, and his scent... all things that made you feel safe enough to doze off.

He pressed multiple quick kisses to your temple. Both of his arms returned to your torso, wrapping around it with a slightly tighter hold than before. "Love you, too, mama," he muttered against your temple. He ended up falling asleep to the sound of your breathing.

[milla-frenchy]

7 AM

0k8 | Joel Miller x fem reader | ao3 Summary: Joel fucks you by the window, some guy watches you Warnings: 18+ mdni. Exhibitionism, rough sex, dirty talk, piv, creampie. Mention of somnophilia. Reader’s hair can be pulled.  No age specified, no outbreak a/n: same couple: 5 days collection, but can be read alone @aurorawritestoescape thank you for beta reading 💕🫶 Gif in the mood board by @pedropascalsx 🙏 Series masterlist | Masterlist

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

The sun's rays woke you up early, too early for a Sunday. You contemplated going back to sleep, before glancing at Joel. He was snoring softly, lying on his stomach, one leg slightly bent, his face turned towards you. You looked over him, from his tousled curls to his bare back. His arm was hugging the pillow, the sheets were tangled just below his ass. He’d gone out with friends the night before, and had fallen asleep wearing his gray sweatpants.

It was one of the rare nights when he didn’t fuck you before you two went to bed or while you were asleep.

You smiled looking at him and decided to let him rest. You got up and left the bedroom, closing the door behind you. After making yourself some coffee you went to the living room. It  was bathed in light. You walked to the window and saw a few people who were already jogging outside. You put your coffee on the windowsill, waiting for it to cool off.

You felt Joel behind you before you heard him, right before he placed his hands on your hips.

“What are you doin’ here, sweetheart?” he asked, his mustache brushing against your ear.

He pressed his crotch against you before you even had time to respond. His morning wood found its place against the crease of your ass, leaving you breathless.

“Mmm?”, he insisted, leaning more against you.

“I…didn’t wanna wake you up.”

“Is that right?”

You felt him pull down his sweatpants, just below his balls. His hard cock sprang free towards the ceiling before he slid it between your thighs with a firm hand on his shaft. He pushed your panties to the side, and grabbed your breasts under his large t-shirt.

“Mmmm…you smell like me”, he murmured.

“Joel…people could see us.”

“Yeah? Shoulda think about it earlier, sweetheart.”

He pressed on your back to bend you further towards the window, and nestled his cock at your entrance. You held your breath. You always loved it when he fucked you without preparation, whether with his fingers or his tongue. The painful second when he thrust in always gave way to long minutes of pleasure when you  forgot about everything, except for his shaft ruining your pussy.

When he pushed in, you let out a soft “fuck” biting your lip.

“Yeah, take it, just like that. Good girl.”

He bottomed out, growling, his hands tight on your hips and his gaze down on your ass.

“Shit, this pussy’s barely wet. Poor baby...must be harsh to take this big cock without me spreading you first.”

His pace was slow, but so powerful, that your forehead hit the window each time his cock sank between your folds. He grabbed your hair when you didn’t respond, pulling your head back.

“So cockdumb, when I fuck you raw like that. That’s what you wanted, when you woke up?”

He kissed your neck before nibbling on it, pulling you back against his chest. His hand left your hair to grab a breast and he picked up the pace, thrusting in faster. Then he bent you forward again, making your forehead hit the window, one hand firmly gripping your shoulder for leverage. A jogger passing the house glanced up at your window and slowed down when he saw you.

“Joel!!”

But he neither stopped nor slowed down. He pressed down on the back of your neck, holding you against the window, chasing his orgasm. The stranger was almost walking at that point, watching you two. You slipped your hand into your panties, desperately twirling your clit under your finger.

“Fuck…you’re gonna get off while some guy’s watching you being pounded? Oh, baby…didn’t know you were such a bad girl.”

You couldn’t help but look at the man, now standing in front of the house. There was a smile on your face when the orgasm hit you, your pussy clenching on Joel’s cock. He stopped, buried deep inside your core as his cum spurted over your walls. His eyes were fixed on the man, still watching you.

“Damn it, Joel…”

Once your pussy stopped milking his cock, he grabbed your arm and pulled you towards him, tucking his member back into his sweatpants with the other hand.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re gonna ride my face, right now, in bed. And this time you're gonna cum without looking at a damn stranger. Bet he’s gonna jack off when he’ll get home, thinking about this pussy he can’t have.”

You looked out the window one last time. The man readjusted himself before continuing his run.

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

Same couple: 5 days collection

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

Thank you for reading 🙏

Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated ❤️

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@pascalsanctuary @littlemisspascal @survivingandenduring

[autumnsvoice87]

Spoonie Witchcraft- Full moon

So I have been thinking about low energy magic. As someone who is disabled I haven't had the energy to do withcraft the way I used to. I have not been doing much at all for the last year. There has been no moon water made, no ritutual magic, and I haven't even been able to smoke cleanse my home.

I have been stressed financially, as well as in extreme pain this past year. I decided to see what other spoonies had to say about what to do on a full moon. I want to do something, but I am not sure what I can or am able to do. I went to my witchy discord servers and Facebook groups and asked around. I also thought of a couple of ideas on my own as well.

Here are some ideas to use for the spoonie witch.

Sit outside under the full moon. This would be called moon bathing but sometimes theres a full ritual around it. However, just sitting out under the full moon and basking in its light is good enough. This is also only if weather permiting. Don't go out into a hurricane or other severe weather. You may just end up being blown away instead.

Prayer. Praying to the God's you believe in or work with in silence. Praying to your ancestors and giving them thanks for thier guidence and wisdom. Obviously this is more for pagan witches and not for the atheists.

Sigils. You can do sigils everywhere. You can draw a sigil on your palm and visualize its purpose. For example, drawing an abundance sigil and visualize money coming to you. It's a good simple spell. Can also draw sigils in your food with a knife or other utensil depending on what you are eating. Peanut butter jelly time!

Birthday candles. Using birthday candles in candle magic instead of regular candles can be a quick spell and still work just as effectively. Making wishes on cake is magic. Maybe make a wish on a chocolate swiss roll.

Tea and coffee. You speak intentions into your drinks. Maybe have a full moon tea blend and do this when the sun goes down. You can buy different blends of tea on etsy or at a farmers market.

Watching youtube videos. Watch videos about magic and the full moon. There might even be a live meditation on there you can join in on.

Tarot readings. A low spoonie tarot reading. A basic 3 card spread that is for fun and not the deep soul searching/healing that you may normally do. Another tarot idea is just to pull one card to just see what the message would be.

Gemstones on nightstand. Put stones on your nightstand that have the intentions you'd like to draw to you. For example, amethyst for protection against nightmares. Maybe green adventurine for bringing in luck and abundance to your life. Use black obsidian for protection against gossip. Well, by now, you get the idea.

Cleansing. There are multiple methods of cleansing. If you have enough energy, a small ritual shower could be what is needed to get more energy. Or, at the very least, feel more refreshed. If you can't stand for a shower, soaking in a tub with salt water will work. You may use a shower chair for the shower if you have one. I use a bar of soap that is hand-made by other witches. They tend to put essential oils and intentions, so there is a cleansing effect. If you are too low energy for that, going back to youttube idea; they have cleansing meditation music. You can sound cleanse with the music. You may also play witchy ambient music. There are a vast number of options for sound cleansing.

Journaling. Journaling is something that can be done lying down. You can find some journal prompts on Tumblr, or you can find them on pintinterest. You can do shadow work journaling as a form of releasing. It's fun to select a new journal or even get a fancy pen.

Dressing up. If you have a witchy shirt, dress, or robes. It is fun to dress up on the full moon in honor of the moon. Like going to a magical witchy party. I have 2 witchy dresses, a witchy sweater, and a long sleeve stars and moons blouse. I also have a regular black dress for if I want to be more subtle.

Self care. It is okay to just watch a movie or binge watch a favorite TV show. You could also read a book for fun. If you are very into astrology, depending on the astrological sign of the moon phase, self care would be more important. Tomorrow, the full moon is in Pisces, and there is a lunar eclipse. Self care may be the best option during this full moon in September.

I wanted to say a big thank you to The Four Winds Coven on Discord as well as the modern witch collective for helping me brainstorm this list. There are more of us spoonie witches out there than we think. This list is also great for someone who is just too busy to do much either. I hope you all enjoy these tips and tricks!

[formylovetodaryldixon]

"Karma butterfly." Daryl Dixon Imagine.

(Not my gif)

The actions we take produce their corresponding results, good or bad. And that's what happens with Spencer when he decides to play the bad guy against you and Daryl after you two decide to move in together in a house like the married couple you were before the apocalypse.

A/N: This is like a new version of "In your eyes". Spoiler alert: Daryl being a softie for you, and a complete badass when someone dares to threaten you. You know, the usual hehe. Hope you like it!

The sunset light crosses the curtains of the white-walled room, bathing the place with orange tones while you continue lying on the bed with a book in your hands, head on the pillow. Lying on his left side, one arm under his head, the sound of your voice fills Daryl’s ears while his blue eyes follow the smooth movement of your lips with every word you say, filling the void in his world, as you have been doing since you came into his life. All the peace in the world exists in your eyes, sharing a little bit of that with him. And even though he wasn’t interested in books, Daryl always enjoyed watching you read, all the time, all his life since the moment he met you.

“Guys?” Carol’s soft voice cuts you off as she knocks on the door softly, making you sit on the bed to greet her.

“Come in.”

Carol pushes the door open, smiling sweetly at you two.

“I will go back to work now.” She says, her smile so innocent but sincere. “You have the house just for you… but don’t get too playful.”

Carol closes the door before you can understand the joke, but when you finally do, you chuckle even though Daryl doesn’t find it so funny. You lay down again, turning your head to look at him, to his serious expression, so you leaned forward and towards him to kiss him softly before pulling away, your body turning slightly by instinct. As usual, his eyes travel from your eyes to your lips before he leans himself towards you, his rough hand caressing your waist, with him wanting you to share the sweetness of your lips. The world disappears every time he closes his eyes to kiss you, just like now, and the darkness behind his eyelids isn’t bad, but pleasant.

However, his beard stops tickling your skin when he pulls away.

“Keep readin’.” He whispers, moving his hand away from you.

“We have the house for ourselves and you want me to read? What a waste of our time.” You say with false annoyance before continue.

While you do it, Daryl looks at the necklace that disappears under your black t-shirt, the one that holds and hides the wedding ring he gave you before the apocalypse began, because your marriage is still the secret you two keep from the neighbors who don’t trust in you all yet. However, your marriage is the contrast of Maggie’s and Glenn’s, because they already live in the house next door. But Daryl thinks about those old days when you two lived alone, when you used to come back from work first to that old apartment you two shared. It wasn’t the best life he could offer you, but your love was honest as always, your eyes were full of life, as if that life was the best life you could have had. And the way you used to welcome him, a simple kiss that was so sweet just because he had nothing but you.

Daryl wished he had that back with you.

“Ya miss it?” He asks suddenly, making you look at him. “Ya miss the life we had? When it was just the two of us.”

The best moments are shown before your eyes, like the Sundays when neither of you had to work, free hours that you spent reading at him.

“Yeah. I think I do. Not the place but the memories we made there. We didn’t have much but I felt I had it all. However, you are still here with me; maybe that’s why that feeling has not changed.”

You both didn’t move out alone when Deanna gave you the opportunity to, just because you two were being cautious, always keeping your marriage as a secret because in that world, bad people used love to destroy their enemies. But although nothing would be like before, starting your own home like you did once sounds good again.

“Wanna try it?”

“Moving in together again?”

“Unless ya want to get a house for yerself.” He scoffed, making you roll your eyes.

“I wouldn’t be surprised at all if you came into my house in the middle of the night just to get in bed with me.”

“Hell, yeah. I know ya get cold at nights.” Daryl chuckles, the corner of his mouth curving upward.

You snort, and action you learned from him.

“I do not. That’s your excuse to stick your body to mine all night.” You try to hide a smile. “Not to mention you like to be the little spoon sometimes.”

This time, Daryl snorts.

“Woman, ya want to move in with me or not?”

You chuckle, moving in bed until you are lying on your side as well, your free hand caressing his face, yours so close to him that Daryl just has to lean in a little bit to kiss you again.

“But ask me nicely.” You tease him. “You know I love when you got soft on me.”

His arm holds you against him, hand disappearing under your shirt to caress your soft skin, his calloused fingers sending a tingle throughout your body as his ocean-colored eyes hold your gaze.

“Would ya move in with me, sweetheart? Please?” He asks softly, smiling at you.

Suddenly, you feel a little bit overwhelmed, so you nod before kissing him. Daryl keeps smiling softly against the kiss as he pulls out your necklace, until the golden ring appears again.

“So… how’s your married life going?”

Spencer leaves the cake on the kitchen granite table, the same one his mom sent for you and Daryl. His charismatic smile is as bright as the day itself, and although you smile in an act of kindness towards him, it is strange to you that there were still personalities as open as Spencer’s. He seems confident all the time, as if he didn’t fear anything, but even if it seemed to be nothing to fear in Alexandria, the harsh life outside the gates made you step on the ground carefully, even under the apparent security inside those walls.

“Everything is going well. Thank you.”

But it is pretty innocent of you to let in that wolf just because he belonged to a family of sheep.

“I must say I was a little surprise when I heard the news.” He chuckles sadly, for a second making you believe in his words. “I thought there was something going on between us.”

From the other side of the table, you frown, totally shocked for his sad but direct confession.

“I’m sure I’ve never flirted with you, Spencer, but I apologize if you thought I did.”

You are sure you never did, but being polite seems better than to make a scandal of an apparently misunderstanding.

“It hurt my feelings.” He says, walking towards you. Your silence was what attracted his attention from the beginning, as well as the strength in your eyes. His body hits yours against the kitchen countertop, just as your hand touches the empty spot on your waist where your gun used to be. Spencer chuckles towards your innocence because you all had to surrender your weapons, his body making contact with yours in places you don’t want to feel him. “I’m not happy about what you did to me, that’s why you have to leave him. Please do it while I ask you nicely, okay?”

Although your heart is a wild animal pounding in your chest, like a lion trying to look for his own freedom inside a cage, you hold his gaze as calm as you can be. But the danger that should be outside is inside of Alexandria, breathing against you, shining in the eyes of a pretty boy.

“I’m sorry, Spencer, but I won’t.” You say calmly. “And out of respect for your mother I will ask you to leave before my husband comes back, because if Daryl finds you here so close to me like this, threatening his wife, you will walk out of this house crying for help, or dragging yourself out, depending on his mood. And I think you've known Daryl well enough to know that he has a fiery temper.”

Spencer looks at you through his angry eyes, but his curiosity about the man whose presence made others intimidate affects him too, because he is afraid to face the real danger that Daryl can be. But, even after your warning, his hand snakes through your body, stopping in your hair as he takes it in a tight grip.

“I warn you, princess: leave him before something bad happens to him. Who knows what can happen during a run? I don’t want you to end up being a widow. You are too young and hot for that.”

The release of your hair doesn’t make you breathe calmly, but when Spencer finally walks out of the house, leaving a trail of sulfur from the hell from which he came out, that first breath of air you take releases the pressure in your chest. But disgusted by the feeling his body against yours left, you throw the cake in the trash before heading upstairs to take a shower.

It takes you a day to think deeply about what you are going do to, but you realize you can’t protect Daryl without telling someone about what happened.

It's like a crossroads, because you wanted to tell your husband, but you knew him too well to know that his response to the danger Spencer put you through, without even thinking for a second about the threat to his own life, would be to go straight to leave Spencer so badly injured that his mother wouldn't hesitate for a single second to throw you out of the community.

“I don’t like this, (Y/N)” Glenn whispers and looks at you with a worried expression, finally stopping after pacing back and forth on your front garden as you told the truth to only him. “I think you should tell Daryl. Spencer threatened to hurt him, and even though we don't know well that pretty boy, I don't want to think that he would be able to keep his word.”

Glenn had been your friend ever since you met him at the camp outside the city shortly after it was bombed. Plus, he was the only friend out there with Daryl during the search for supplies, the only one who could keep an eye on Spencer if he ever decided to hurt Daryl by making it look like an accident.

“He is a pretty boy, isn’t he?” You chuckle sarcastically, earning a smile from your best friend. “I know, Glenn, and I’m really sorry for asking you to keep this as a secret. But you know Daryl, and literally no one would stop him from killing Spencer if he finds out.”

“Yeah, and I know Daryl well enough to know he would be angrier at Spencer for what he did to you than for threatening to hurt him.” Glenn chuckles, rubbing a hand over his face to try to erase his expression. “Fine, I’ll keep an eye on Spencer. But, can I tell my wife about this? You know I am a terrible liar, and Maggie can read my face like you read your books.”

You sigh, not wanting to involve more people, but you don’t want Glenn to keep secrets to his wife either. Before you talk again, you look back at your house: Daryl is about to leave at any moment, and with each passing second, you feel your breathing becoming more irregular.

“Okay.” You look back at your friend. “But please, don’t tell anything about this to Daryl.”

Glenn can see clearly your sad expression.

“I won’t, don’t worry…” He comes closer, holding you in a quick hug before starting to walk towards the gates to wait for the new group. “I will see you in a while. Okay? Everything is going to be okay.”

You nod.

“Thank you. And please, take care of yourself.”

He smiles before turning around. And after a few minutes, Glenn is far away when the front door of your home opens again. Daryl walks out, the strap of his backpack in one of his broad shoulders, his crossbow in one hand as he comes closer to where you are.

“Ya okay, peach?” He asks, his voice low and hoarse as always.

You lick your lip, trying to smile at him.

“Yeah. I’m okay. But if I'm honest, I worry every time you go away without me. Who's going to protect your ass if I'm not there?”

Daryl chuckles. sliding his free arm around your waist to pull you closer to him.

“Hell, yeah, nobody protects me better than ya.”

You narrow your eyes at him.

“Are you making fun of me, Dixon?”

“Never. I know ya’ll kick ma ass if I do.” Daryl kisses your forehead before pulling away. “Don worry ‘bout me, sweetheart, not even the devil will stop me from comin’ back to ya.”

 You chuckle softly.

“I know. You're so stubborn that sometimes I think I married a mule.” But to your surprise, thinking that your words would offend him, Daryl smiles, his eyes closing slightly under the burning sun. “What? I thought you wouldn't like the comparison.”

He shrugs.

“Guess I like it when ya say we are married. S’nice to know I’m the lucky bastard who sleeps next to ya at the end of the night.”

You gulp, your heart remembering Spencer's words, but you try to smile again.

“Don't think so little of yourself, Dixon, because according to Maggie, there are a couple of female neighbors who enjoy the view of you every time you leave the house wearing your sleeveless shirt. Those bitches…” You joke, cursing under your breath, earning a snort from him.

“Don care about those women…” Daryl comes closer to you, so dangerously it makes you giggle. His forehead rests against you for a few seconds, and even though you know he likes his privacy, you're surprised when his free hand caresses your face, his fingers in your hair as he leans in kiss you. “Love ya, Mrs. Dixon.”

His whisper in so soft, that for a second, it makes you forget about the danger.

“I love you too.” It’s your turn to pull apart. “Be careful, okay?”

“Always.” He says, finally walking away. “I'll bring some squirrels just for ya.”

You chuckle making a face, because before you met him, you had never even thought about eating squirrels. However, the happy moment doesn’t last for long when Daryl finally reaches the truck near to the gates.

“The fuck ya just said?”

On the other side of the open trunk, Glenn feels the heat of his body leaving him. He closes his open mouth, but now, he is fully exposed to Daryl’s eyes who stops at his side to confront him. As Glenn said the words: you, Spencer and threaten in the same sentence just to warn Maggie too, Daryl’s anger rises like boiling lava in a volcano.

“Please, calm down, Daryl.” Glenn says, but not believing for one second that he actually would. “I can explain it. Don’t make a fuss about this, please.”

“A fuss?” Daryl growls under his breath, those words souring his mouth. “A moron threatened ma wife and ya don want me to make a fuss?”

But as the sweet karma that is about to punch Spencer right in the face just as Daryl’s fist would do, Spencer walks down the street toward the car, smiling at Rick like the good boy he pretended to be. However, Daryl’s anger covers his eyes and paints the world red as he walks towards him just to punch Spencer before Glenn or Rick can try to stop him, hitting him so hard that Daryl makes him fall. Daryl falls on him too, with all the weight of his body, punching the thick skin of the wolf. His strong arms push away who tries to pull him back, his ears covering with the word threat, his fists turning red as blood leaves Spencer’s face.

“Daryl, stop!” Finally, Rick pulls him hardly, giving Spencer some time to breathe again. “You’re gonna kill him!”

“That’s the fuckin’ plan!” Daryl shouts back, trying to avoid Rick’s body as he looks straight at Spencer. “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill ya, coward! Nobody messes with ma wife!”  

“Hey! Hey. Listen to me.” Rick blocks his way, looking at him, holding his gaze seriously. “Go home. I will fix this. Talk to (Y/N), Daryl. If something happened, stay with her. Okay?”

You lay down on the bed after walking around the house, not wanting to go to work today, so you hold a book in your hands just to try to silent the fears in your head, loud voices urging you to tell the truth before something bad happens. Again, it’s like being trapped in a dark maze, too scared to even think about taking a step. You don’t want to think about the consequences of being silent, but the only result you could think of was Deanna forcing you to leave.

And it is an overwhelming idea, and even though you weren't a very sentimental person anymore, it is difficult to keep the tears behind your eyes.

But the moment you hear Daryl’s boots on the stairs, you brush the tears away before sitting up the second he walks in.

“Hey. Is everything okay?”

Daryl sits on the edge of the bed, and his eyes look at you with concern through his calm expression, but his inside is a complete mess because of the fear of you being in danger.

“Ya tell me.” He says softly. He looks for something inside your shy eyes as you look down, watching his red knuckles as you realized what he did. “Come ‘ere, sweetheart. Lemme hold ya.”

He pulls you closer to hug you, your arms around his neck and shoulders, melting you against the heat of his well-defined body. His right hand travels to the back of your neck, making you hold your breath when he stops where Spencer touched, even if Daryl didn’t know. But his hand caresses that place, his rough fingers touching you gently as always as his other hand holds your back.

“He ain’t gonna hurt ya, peach, not while I’m here.”

You gulp, the guilt forcing you to pull away while you drop your arms, just a little bit because he won’t let you go completely.

“Spencer threatened your life and you're worried about me?”

But Daryl smiles, his hand still massaging your neck and part of your hair.

“Ya are ma life, peach. Ya are everythin’ to me. Thought I made it clear to ya.”

For some reason, his words are sweet but sad too, because a part of you knew well that he didn't appreciate his life as much as he did with everyone else's.

“Your life is important too, Daryl…” You whisper, one hand over his heart. “I don’t want to be left alone here is something happens to you. I know I couldn't handle it. You made me love you too much to live a life without you.”

Daryl smiles softly, bringing his hand to the front to touch your lower lip. He knows well now that Spencer is dangerous, but in that instant, he is sure he can protect you, himself, and his family.

“Jus’ kiss me, okay? I’ll help ya forget ‘bout the rest of the world.”

You chuckle but you get close to him, closing your eyes the moment his lips fall on yours. Daryl closes his eyes too, loving the idea that since he met you, he was never afraid of the dark again.

[inkmonster21]

Short n’ Sweet💋

Hugh Jackman x Fem!Sister!Reynolds!Reader

Warnings: SMUT (Car sex - full-blown unprotected p in v - wrap it, folks!)

Part 03

Series Masterlist

Jacked and Kind

💋💛💋💛💋💛💋💛💋💛💋💛💋💛💋💛💋

The dim light of dawn filters through the curtains, bathing the bedroom in a soft glow. You slowly awaken, your eyes fluttering open as you come to consciousness. You're immediately aware of your surroundings - the plush sheets, the familiar scent of Hugh's cologne, the warmth of his body close by.

You shift a bit, feeling a pleasant soreness in your muscles. It's the aftermath of a night filled with passion and intimacy.

You look over at Hugh, your movements careful not to disturb him. He's lying on his side, his features relaxed in sleep. His hair is tousled, falling over his forehead in a messy, boyish way that makes your heart skip a beat.

You can't help but study him for a moment, admiring the breadth of his shoulders, the expanse of his chest, the strong, masculine lines of his form. Hugh Jackman asleep is a sight to behold.

You watch as his breaths come slow and steady, his chest rising and falling with each inhale and exhale. One of his arms is thrown over his head, the other draped over your hip, as if even in his sleep he desires to hold you close.

You carefully extricate yourself from the bed, trying your best not to wake Hugh. You make your way quietly out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen, padding across the hardwood floor in just your underwear and Hugh’s discarded button-up shirt you retrieved from the floor. As you enter the kitchen, you spot your purse on the counter. You rummage through it, retrieving your phone.

Hugh begins to awaken, slowly rousing from sleep as consciousness takes hold. He groans softly, his hand reaching out across the empty expanse of the bed. He feels the cold space where you were supposed to be, and his eyes slowly open.

He lifts his head, his gaze searching for you. He then pushes himself into a sitting position, his hair sticking up in every direction, his usually sharp, clean-cut appearance softened by sleep. Hugh sits up in the bed, his eyes darting around the empty bedroom. His expression clouds with confusion and hurt as he realizes you're not there.

"Babe?" he calls out softly, his voice still gritty from sleep. "Where are you?"

You appear in the doorway, Hugh's eyes widen with relief. "There you are," he says, his voice still rough and gravelly. "You had me scared there for a second. Thought you were trying to make a quick getaway."

You climb back into the bed, straddling Hugh's hips and settling on his lap. The sheets tangle around you both, creating a cocoon of intimacy. Hugh's eyes are locked on you, his hands instinctively coming to rest on your thighs, his touch firm and possessive.

“Running away from you? Never in a million years.” Hugh's smile widens at your words, a possessive glint in his eyes. "Good," he says, his voice low and rough. "Because I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon."

He tugs at the hem of his T-shirt that you're wearing, his fingers brushing against your skin. "Besides, I quite like you in my clothes." “How about without them?” You tease him, looking at him with lidded eyes.

Hugh's eyes darken with desire at your words, a low growl rumbling deep in his chest. "Without them is even better," he replies, his voice taking on a gravelly edge.

His hands trail up your thighs, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. They rest on your hips, gripping them firmly as he holds you in place. "But trust me, sweetheart, you look good in anything."

His eyes travel over your form, taking in the way his T-shirt hugs your curves, the way it shows just enough skin to drive him wild. He wets his lips, his hands beginning to move up your sides, lifting the shirt and exposing more of your skin.

Despite the obvious desire and chemistry between you and Hugh, you both know that you can't stay in bed all day. Responsibilities and commitments call, and you're both aware that you have places to be.

Hugh seems reluctantly to accept this, his hands slowly ceasing their exploration of your body as he sighs and looks up at you. "As much as I want to spend the day here with you," he says, his voice hoarse with desire. "I suppose we should get up."

You huff, “I suppose so.” Hugh chuckles at your pout, his hands still resting on your waist. "Don't look so upset, love," he teases, his eyes sparkling with humor. "We'll have plenty of other opportunities for... private time."

He leans up and presses a gentle kiss to your jawline, his lips lingering against your skin. "But for now, duty calls."

Hugh watches you get dressed, his gaze following your every move with unabashed hunger. His eyes roam over your body, taking in the exposed skin that momentarily appears as you slide on your clothes.

He looks like he could pounce on you at any moment, his hands clenching and unclenching with the effort not to reach out and pull you back into bed with him.

As you look in the mirror, Hugh's eyes linger on your reflection. He watches as you try to fix your hair and wipe away the remnants of sleep and makeup. To him, you look absolutely perfect - beautiful, vulnerable, and real.

He rises from the bed, coming up behind you. His hands snake around your waist, pulling you back against his chest. He rests his chin on your shoulder, his eyes meeting yours in the reflection.

You run your hands up his arms with a sweet smile. You really liked him. Deeply. He leans down, nuzzling his nose into the crook of your neck. “You keep looking at me like that and we'll never leave this house," he mutters into your skin, his voice gruff with restrained desire.

Hugh's arms wrap around your waist, pulling you flush against him. He returns your innocent kiss with a smile, his fingers tracing gentle patterns on the small of your back. “I should go.” You mumbled into his kiss.

Hugh reluctantly breaks the kiss, his hands reluctant to let you go. "You should," he agrees, his voice hoarse. "Unfortunately."

He runs his thumb over your lower lip, his eyes tracing every feature of your face as if trying to memorize them. “I’ll get you a ride.” Hugh reluctantly releases you from his embrace, stepping back to call you a car. As he does so, he keeps his eyes on you, his gaze lingering on your every movement.

When he's done with the call, he turns back to you, his expression a mixture of fondness and reluctance. "Your car will be here in five," he says, shoving his hands into his pockets.

You didn’t want to leave but knew you had to. “Give me a call later?” You ask hopefully. Hugh nods, his expression soft as he looks at you. "Of course," he says, his voice a low rumble. "I'll call you as soon as I can."

He reaches out and gently tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, his touch lingering for a moment like he doesn't want to let you go either.

As you prepare to leave, Hugh suddenly pulls you back in for one last kiss. It's a passionate, heated exchange that steals your breath and makes your knees weak.

His lips move over yours with a hunger and intensity that mirrors your own, his body pressing against yours as if he can't get close enough. It's a kiss that leaves you both breathless and wanting more.

Hugh smiles as he opens the door for you, a charming, lopsided grin on his face. "Be careful out there, sweetheart," he says, his voice huskier than usual.

He reaches out and brushes a lock of hair from your face, his touch gentle and tender. "I'll talk to you soon, alright?"

You nod wordlessly. He had such a strong effect on you. You wave your fingers delicately as you step into the elevator. Hugh watches, his eyes tracking every movement you make.

He raises his hand in a wave, his gaze never leaving you until the doors close between you. It's a reluctant farewell, one that leaves you both yearning for each other's company.

In the privacy of the elevator, you allow yourself to revel in the giddy joy and excitement that floods through you. You find yourself grinning from ear to ear and letting out a little dance of happiness. The events of the night are replaying in your mind, and your heart is full of contentment and affection.

As you step out of the building and onto the street, a wave of recognition washes over you. The paparazzi are there, their cameras flashing as they jockey for position.

You try to maintain a composed demeanor, sliding into the car as quickly as possible, hoping to make a swift escape.

Excitement fills you as Megan's phone rings, and you record the moment. When she answers, you hear her discussing the possibility of performing at Coachella, one of the biggest music festivals in the world.

The news takes a moment to sink in as you process the magnitude and opportunity of the offer. Performing at Coachella would be an incredible experience, and you can't help but feel a rush of adrenaline at the thought.

The news is met with a chorus of excited screams and squeals. “OH MY GOD!” You jump up and down, unable to contain your excitement over the incredible opportunity.

Your teammates join in the enthusiasm, all of you sharing in the joy and anticipation of the possibility. This could be the break you've been waiting for, a chance to showcase your talents on a massive stage.

In the midst of the celebrations, you quickly pull out your phone and dial Ryan's number, your heart racing with excitement.

As he answers the call, his voice filled with warmth and familiarity, you practically burst with the news. You tell him about the unexpected opportunity to perform at Coachella, the words spilling from your lips in a rush of excitement and disbelief.

Ryan puts his phone to his ear, “hey kid.” “I’M PERFORMING AT COACHELLA!” You scream into the line. Ryan laughs at your enthusiasm, shaking his head slightly as he holds the phone away from his ear to preserve his hearing.

Across the table, Hugh hears your excited voice through Ryan's phone and can't help but smile. He listens to your conversation, finding your enthusiasm endearing and admirable.

"Easy there, superstar," Ryan says jokingly into the phone, still chuckling at your excitement. "I think the whole lot can hear you." You laugh, “sorry. I’m just… fuck I’m so fucking excited!”

Ryan laughs again, his voice filled with genuine happiness for you. "I can tell." He replies, smiling. "And I don't blame you. Coachella is a big deal. You've worked hard for this, and I'm so damn proud of you."

Ryan's words bring a warm smile to your face. He's always been your biggest supporter, cheering you on from the sidelines and encouraging you every step of the way. His unwavering belief in you is a source of strength and comfort, reminding you that you always have someone in your corner.

“Let’s all go out for drinks tonight. My treat.” Ryan offers. Looking at Hugh for an answer. Hugh responds with a nod, clearly up for the idea. "Sounds good to me," he says with a smile. "I'll never say no to a night out with good company." Ryan grins, satisfied with the agreement. "It's settled then," he says, tapping the table. "We're celebrating your Coachella success tonight."

As the day progresses, Ryan finalizes the details for the night's festivities, choosing a place known for its lively atmosphere and great drinks.

As the day wears on, your excitement for the evening grows. You find yourself looking forward to seeing Hugh, feeling the familiar flutter in your chest at the thought of spending time with him.

As you step out of the car and into the busy street, you're immediately swamped by people recognizing you. They clamor for your attention, asking for autographs and photos. You oblige with a smile, graciously taking the time to interact with your fans, appreciating their support and admiration.

You walk into the bar, the atmosphere is lively and vibrant. People are gathered around the tables, chatting and laughing, the sound of clinking glasses and thumping music filling the air. The lighting is low, casting a warm, intimate glow that seems to encourage conversation and closeness.

You spot Blake in the crowd and immediately rush over to her, enveloping her in a tight hug. She greets you with a big smile and heartfelt congratulations. As you release her from the hug, she pulls back and puts a hand on your shoulder, her expression warm and genuine. "I'm so happy for you, you deserve it," she says, her eyes sparkling.

As you turn to your right, your heart skips a beat when you see Hugh standing there. He grins at you, his eyes lighting up as he takes in your excited expression. He steps a little closer to you, his presence comforting and familiar. "Congratulations," he says, his voice warm and sincere.

You run your hand down his arm, trailing over his hand. “Thank you.” Hugh glances down at your hand on his arm, a brief shiver coursing through him at the feel of your touch. He doesn't pull away, instead letting your fingers linger on his skin, enjoying the gesture.

Ryan jokingly cuts in, interrupting the moment, “Alright! My turn!” He pulls you into a tight embrace, his arms holding you close as he gives you a hearty squeeze. The hug is warm and heartfelt, full of brotherly affection and pride. Ryan grins as he pulls away, the joy on his face clear as day.

“My baby sister.” Ryan muses playfully. You punch his shoulder and shove him off with a smile. “Shut up.” Ryan laughs at your playful response, rubbing his shoulder where you hit him with a cheeky grin. "Hey, watch it," he teases. "You're supposed to be all sweet and appreciative after I congratulated you." You roll your eyes at his comment, but can't help but smile. You love the playful banter between you and your brother, a dynamic that has been a consistent part of your relationship.

The four of you gather around a table, drinks in hand, falling into easy conversation. The rapport between you all is undeniable; the dynamic among you is effortless and seamless.

Throughout the conversation, your body seems to gravitate towards Hugh, your shoulders occasionally grazing each other as you laugh. Every touch, no matter how light, sends a spark of electricity through you, and you find yourself subconsciously seeking closeness. With each subtle touch of your shoulder against his, a playful smile graces your lips. Your eyes linger on his face a little longer than necessary, and your body angles towards his, unable to stay away from his magnetic presence.

You lean in slightly, your voice dropping to a lower, more intimate tone as you speak. Every word is punctuated with a touch of flirtation, a hint of the growing attraction.

Blake glances in your direction and asks about the bathroom, you catch the hint. Girl code dictates that you don't go alone, and so you obediently follow along. You nod at Blake, understanding the unspoken agreement, and rise from your seat, ready to accompany her on the bathroom break.

Hugh's gaze follows yours as you stand, his eyes lingering on your figure as you walk away with Blake. He watches until you disappear into the crowd, a hint of disappointment that you've left his side.

In the bathroom, you stand in front of the mirror, running a quick check on your appearance. You smooth out any creases in your clothes, fix a few strands of hair out of place, and take a moment to catch your breath.

“You should go for it.” You turn to look at Blake, catching her eye in the mirror as she dries her hands. Her words are pointed and direct, causing your heart to skip a beat. "Go for what?" You ask, pretending obliviousness, though your heart betrays you with its accelerated rhythm. Blake rolls her eyes, clearly not buying your act. "Oh, please," she says with a knowing smile. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

You avert your eyes from Blake's knowing gaze, knowing that you can't keep your true feelings hidden for long. But then she gasps, and your heart leaps to your throat. "Oh my god," she repeats, her eyes wide. “What?” She smirks at you knowingly. “You already have!”

You realize that your attempt at deception has failed miserably. Blake's gasp suddenly makes sense, and you understand immediately that she has read your body language and picked up on your subtle cues, realizing the truth that you've been trying to hide.

You try to laugh it off, hoping to deflect her accusation, but Blake isn't fooled. "Oh, don't even try to deny it," she says, a smirk on her face. "I can see right through you.” she points to your neck, “can see through this fountain too.”

You know there's no point in denying it any longer. With a resigned sigh, you look at Blake, acknowledging the truth. "Please don't tell Ryan," you plead, a hint of desperation in your voice. Blake holds up her hands in a playful surrender. "Hey, I won't say a word," she promises, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "But only on one condition.” You raise an eyebrow, curious about her condition. "What's the condition?" You ask, trying to keep your tone level and neutral, despite your anticipation.

“You have to be the one to tell him if it gets serious.” Your heart skips a beat at the condition Blake sets. "If it gets serious," you repeat, a mixture of excitement and nerves in your voice. "I promise I'll tell him."

Blake nods. “I think you two are cute.” You smile at her compliment, your heartwarming at her supportive words. "Thanks," you reply, a hint of appreciation and gratitude in your voice.

"I think he's pretty cute too," you say, the words spilling out before you can stop them. Blake laughs affectionately, her arm linking through yours as you both exit the bathroom. The warmth of her laughter puts you at ease, and you feel a sense of camaraderie and understanding between you and your sister.

As you return to the table, your hand instinctively finds its way to Hugh's leg, your fingertips making contact with his jeans. He glances down at your touch, a soft, crooked smile appearing on his lips.

The heat of your touch seeps through the fabric of his jeans, sending a small shiver up his spine. He glances at your hand on his leg, before his gaze slowly trails up to meet your eyes. “Can I get a ride to my place?”

Hugh nods, a subtle smile on his lips. "Of course," he says, his voice smooth and gravelly. "I'll give you a ride home." You feel a sense of relief at his agreement. A ride home means more time spent with him, away from the judgmental eyes of others and the prying cameras. You wonder what could happen in the privacy of the car, just the two of you.

Hugh's hand on your lower back feels like a warm, grounding presence, guiding you through the crowd of people to his car. The night air is cool on your skin, a welcome contrast to the heat that has been building within you. He opens the passenger door for you, his manners impeccable as always. You slide into the seat, the leather cool against your skin. He closes the door behind you before walking around to the driver's side.

“You should come see me at Coachella. Blake and Ryan said he’d come. You could tag along.” Hugh raises an eyebrow at your suggestion, a small smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. You can tell he's intrigued by the idea but is trying to play it cool.

"Coachella, huh?" he replies, his voice holding a teasing lilt. "Not exactly my usual scene, but I guess if Ryan's going, I could tag along." You can't help but grin at his agreement. Part of you had expected him to decline, but hearing him agree to come to Coachella – even if it's just tagging along with Ryan - has the corners of your mouth turning up.

“Oh shit. Can you pull over?” Hugh glances over at you, surprise flickering across his face at your sudden request. "Pull over?" he echoes, his voice tinged with concern. "Is everything alright?" You nod, holding in the smirk. “Right there.” You say as you point to a secluded area. Barely any cars pass on the late highway.

Hugh glances in the direction you're pointing, a look of realization crossing his face when he sees the secluded spot. He lets out a small huff, but a smirk plays on his lips. "You're up to something," he accuses, his voice low and gravelly.

You look at him with wide innocent eyes. “Me?”

Hugh raises an eyebrow at your innocent expression, a small smile appearing on his lips. "Yeah, you," he replies, his voice dripping with skepticism. However, he pulls the car over as requested, parking it in the secluded area.

“You know, Hugh, I've been thinking..." You began, your voice low and seductive. "This car is so nice and spacious. Maybe we could... make better use of all this space?"

Without a word he turned the key, the engine purring softly as it came to a gentle stop. The night air was warm and still, as you and Hugh stepped out of the car, your body tingling with anticipation. You moved to the back seat, the leather cool against your skin as you settled in, your bodies close but not quite touching.

You, ever the temptress, leaned forward, your fingers gently tracing the contours of Hugh's muscular chest through his shirt. "I've been wanting to do this all night," you whispered, your breath hot against his ear. "Take off your shirt."

Hugh's hands shook slightly as he complied, revealing his toned torso, the soft glow of the moons highlighting the definition of his muscles. Your fingers roamed freely, exploring the planes of his chest.

You leaned in, your lips brushing against his as you whispered, "Now it's my turn." You began to unbutton her blouse, slowly revealing your soft skin, inch by inch. Your breasts were barely contained by your lacy black bra.

Hugh's breath caught in his throat as he feasted his eyes on you. He reached out, his fingers deftly unclasping the bra, freeing your breasts. You arched your back, offering them to him, your nipples already tight and erect.

He bent his head, taking one taut peak into his mouth, suckling gently as he teased it with his tongue. You moaned softly, hands tangling in his hair, encouraging him. Your hips moved in a sensuous rhythm, grinding against the hard ridge of his erection, which strained against his pants.

"Oh, Hugh," you breathed, your voice thick with desire. "I need you." Hugh's hands moved to the button of his pants, quickly freeing himself from the confines of his clothing. Your eyes widened as you took in the sight of his thick, erect cock, already glistening with pre-cum.

You reached out, your fingers wrapping around his length, stroking him gently.

Leaning forward, you took the tip of his cock into your warm, wet mouth, swirling your tongue around the head, tasting his salty essence. You took him deeper, your throat constricting around his girth.

Hugh groaned, his hands gripping the seat as you pleasured him, your mouth hot and tight around his shaft. "Fuck," he gasped, his body tensing as you brought him closer and closer to the edge.

Pulling away, you smiled up at him, your lips glistening with his essence. "Not yet," you teased, your fingers tracing the length of his shaft, collecting the bead of pre-cum and spreading it along his length.

You positioned yourself over him, your hands guiding his cock to your entrance. With a slow, deliberate movement, you lowered herself onto him, taking him deep inside your warm, wet folds.

Hugh hissed as your hot, tight pussy enveloped him, your walls clenching around his throbbing cock. You began to move, your hips rolling in a slow, sensual rhythm, taking him in deep, then withdrawing almost completely before impaling herself on him again.

The car rocked gently with the force of your passion, the windows steaming up as your bodies moved as one. Your breasts bounced with each thrust, your nipples rubbing against his chest, creating a delicious friction.

"Harder, Hugh," you panted, your nails digging into his shoulders. "Fuck me harder."

Hugh complied, his hands gripping your hips, driving his cock into you with deep, powerful strokes. You cried out, your head thrown back.

"Yes, yes, YES!" You cried, your pussy clenching around him, orgasm building.

Hugh felt his own climax approaching, his balls tightening as he pounded into your pussy, his body on fire. "I'm going to cum," he warned, his voice hoarse. "Cum for me," you begged, your words punctuated by gasps. "Fill me."

As if on cue, Hugh's orgasm exploded through him, his cock twitching as he filled you with his seed, his hips jerking uncontrollably. Your pussy spasmed around him, milking every last drop, your own climax rippling through your body.

You collapsed against him, both your hearts pounding, your breath coming in ragged gasps.

"See?" you whispered, your fingers tracing patterns on his chest. "This car has never been put to better use." You tease as you kiss the tip of his nose.

Hugh's grip tightens on your waist as you lean against his chest, the hammering of your hearts creating a rhythm that fills the air. His breathing is sharp and uneven, a direct result of the passion and intensity that just unfolded. He looks down at you, a mix of disbelief and satisfaction in his eyes. Then, he lets out a small laugh, his body relaxing against yours. "You're a goddamn menace, you know that?" he murmurs, his voice filled with a hint of admiration and desire.

You fake a pout. “I thought that what you like about me.” Hugh's face softens at your pout, a small chuckle escaping his lips. He brings his hand up to your face, tracing the contour of your lip with the tip of his finger. “That’s one of the many things that I love about you,” he says, his voice a low murmur.

As the word "love" hangs in the air, your heart skips a beat, the implications of that simple word sending a wave of excitement through you. Could it be? Were you falling in love? Was Hugh feeling the same way?

[saekkas]

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄

summary: in which you need to wrestle your boyfriend, michael kaiser, out of his bed to fulfil a promise- re dye his hair.

notes: it's meant to be a continuation of this fic but you can read it as a standalone too! 2.1k words for my favorite german pomeranian <3

germany is beautiful. in all seasons and weather, even with rain and snow pelting down the windows. the bread and sausages make amazing breakfast items, the beer is pleasantly warm, and the sight of castles and palaces all around the country make you feel like a princess. your favorite though, is when spring comes around.

spring blows away the last dregs of winter. there are puddles from melted snow all over the station, sweaters are still needed because of the chilly air, and christmas decorations still litter around town square, ready to be replaced by the eggs of easter. it's when mother nature reappears, pushing winter away for another half year.

coincidentally, it's michael kaiser's least favorite time of the year.

"you don't love me anymore, do you?" he dramatically sobs into your neck, his hands holding onto your body for dear life. "you're moving away to break up with me, aren't you?"

his duvets feel like clouds. made out of the softest material, you find it hard to haul yourself out of the room every day. his sheets are made of silk, a beautiful rose gold in hue, and his bed is enormous, framed by mahogany wood on all sides. kaiser's bedroom is heaven on earth, and you've got your personal angel lying in the middle of it all.

"you've finally found someone better, haven't you?" he asks once more, his eyes peeking from your chest. his hair is a mess, the blue streaks already fading out to match the rest of his hair, there are dark circles surrounding his eyes, and he's got patches of drool in the corner of his lips. but you don't think he's ever looked more ethereal than this.

"who is it?" there's a pout on his lips, his eyes still drowsy from sleep. you watch with a smile of your own, taking in his fluttering eyelashes, your faces close enough to count every last one. "is it a guy from china that you met in hawaii? is he prettier than me? richer? is that why you're leaving me for him?"

"what are you even talking about, silly?" even when you roll your eyes, the smile stays, and you look at him with every bit of fondness in your body. "you're the only pretty boy for me. you know that."

his lips stretch out into a dopey smile, an uncontained giggle spilling from his lips. there's a certain giddiness in his motions, as if he couldn't contain his feelings inside his body. you watch with amusement as he kicks his feet, accidentally pushing pillows out of the bed.

"mhm. i know. just wanted to hear you say it," he hums, going back to nuzzling your tummy. he mumbles incoherently against your shirt before yanking the fabric up, burrowing his face onto your bare skin. "love you, pretty."

"were you out drinking last night?" you shake your head, squealing when he blows against your bare skin. "i thought i could trust ness to keep you out of trouble."

"i wasn't drinking." he's back to his whiny state, both of his hands tightening on your waist. there's a glare this time, his lips twisting back into a pout. "you shouldn't trust ness. trust me instead."

sunlight bleeds into the room, soft and serene as they bypass the curtains. a ray bounces off the mirror on kaiser's vanity, one he specifically added just for you, and makes its way to his face, bathing him in a dreamy glow. the reflection of light turns his eye into an icy blue, stealing your breath. he looks divine.

you take him in, as much as he does you. there's a muted sound from traffic, and the chatter of birds but in the moment, nothing else matters except you and him. his frown deepens after a moment of silence and you chuckle, relenting as you thread your hands into his hair.

"love you too, baby."

if there's anything you've learned from dating him through years, it's that your boyfriend absolutely loathes it when you fail to respond to his declarations of love. another thing, is that he becomes clingier and far more possessive when spring comes, dreading every moment he has to be away from you for matches.

it's seen in the way he's holding your body tighter, preventing you from moving an inch off the bed. he's pouty, lips twisted downward because it's the last day he has you to himself before he's called back to the field. it's on days like this that you smother him until he can't shake away the ghost of your lips around his body, even in the middle of a match.

"gonna let me move anytime soon?" the hand on his head moves to glide down his neck, stroking the sensitive skin around the back of his ear. you watch as he moans, his eyes snapping shut at the touch. "mein kaiser?"

"wenn du so weitermachst." his voice is low, his heart beating faster as he moves from his previous position to hover above you with half lidded eyes. "du wirst dich überhaupt nicht bewegen können, liebling."

translation: if you continue to be like this, you won't be able to move at all, darling.

you suppose there's a reason he's down on earth rather than above. michael kaiser may have the looks of an angel but he acts like the devil.

he's looking down at you with a dangerous glint in his eyes, as if ready to eat you alive. you gulp, eyes roaming down the expanse of his chest before they land on the necklace dangling by his neck. the ring it holds is 24 carats, gold, with roman numerals of your anniversary date engraved on the inside. it matches with the diamond encrusted promise ring on your finger, gleaming in the shade of his eyes.

you tug the necklace, pulling him until you're nose-to-nose. you shiver at the way his eyes darken even more, his lips quirking into a smirk. "who knew you were so naughty, liebling," he hums, pushing your knees apart to slot himself between your legs. "who taught you, hm?"

"you did," you say before lifting the ring to your lips, kissing it with a small smile. he shudders at the intimacy of the action. "you also taught me not to break my promises, right?"

kaiser raises an eyebrow at the direction you're taking this. he's got you on the bed, flushed, under him. to him, the only promise worth thinking about right now is the promise of intimacy and pleasure.

"i promised to dye your hair, remember?" you lean forward, this time pressing a kiss onto your beloved. "you can do whatever you want to me after we're done."

he groans, letting himself drop on your body. he giggles when you groan at his weight, his face flushing at your words. "whatever i want. that's a promise too, right?" the whisper of his voice against your ear is delightful, and you nod where you're pressed against his shoulder. "i hope you intend to keep that one too, liebling~"

he waits for a moment, savoring your warmth until you start to squirm. laughing, he hovers over you once more to press a kiss on your forehead before scooting over to make room for you to move. "gonna let me use your mask?" he grins widely when you nod, rushing over to the bathroom.

but not before stripping off his night tee and chucking it straight at your head, laughing like a mad man when you throw his beloved stuffed panda at his back in retaliation.

your boyfriend has always been restless. he's never shown much patience, and you should've known that re-dyeing his hair was going to be a hassle. "hold still, mikka." your tone is scolding but not stern, your eyebrows furrowed in concentration to make sure the dye doesn't spill. "i need to make sure you look pretty."

he stops squirming at the nickname, a mischievous smile spreading on his lips as he places a hand on your hip. "you should call me mikka more often, it's cute." he looks up from his position, seated on a chair and facing your front, and wiggles his eyebrows at you. "not only when you want something."

"yeah?" you hum, distracted by the strands of his hair in your hand. you grasp at it with gloves, sectioning to thinner pieces before using a brush to smear the color in. it comes out decently and you grin in satisfaction before moving onto another strand. "glad you like it. it suits you."

kaiser stays unmoving, not even answering back like he's supposed to. concerned with the sudden silence, you look down only to be greeted by a blinding his smile. you quirk an eyebrow, smiling at him in question. "what?"

"you're so cute." he tries to shake his head, stopping when you send him a glare. the hand on your hip squeezes at the fat in affection, his eyes shining even against the brightly lit bathroom. "ich liebe dich, liebling."

"very romantic of you," you say with a roll of your eyes. you store away the bowl of blue hair dye in your hand, leaning down to press a kiss. you feel him hum against your lips, his smile widening from the kiss as he pulls you closer. "i love you too, mikka. even when you won't sit still."

"are you done yet?" he asks with wide eyes, the sight of his puppy eyes looking at you from below sending butterflies to your stomach. "can i look?"

"mhm. go ahead." you step back, making room for him to face the mirror. you watch over his shoulder as he examines his newly re dyed hair, the blue strands at the bottom a contrast to his pale blond. you were getting used to the full head of blond, getting used to having mikka all to yourself. now you've got to share him with the world again as michael kaiser makes his comeback on the field.

"you like it?"

"i love it and i love you."

"maybe we should try another color next time. like purple or pink," you say before giggling at the way his face lights up at the suggestion. you eye him in curiosity when he turns to look at you with a proud grin.

he moves quicker than you expect, grabbing your waist and setting you on the bathroom vanity. he pushes you against the mirror, planting a searing kiss on your lips. you feel him smirk against your lips as his hands move to trail down your waist, settling on your thighs.

"there. a thank you kiss for my little genius," he says, breathless from the exchange, a wicked gleam in his eyes that you're wary of. he leans his forehead against yours, pressing a kiss to your nose. "one 'i'm sorry' kiss too."

"what for-" you're about to question him but a sigh interrupts your words, one that comes from the feeling of wet hair dye trickling down your neck and clothes.

you glare as he presses another kiss in apology. "i'm sorry."

"no, you're not," you snort at the teasing smile on his face. "now i have to go bathe."

he perks up, "want me to join-"

"no."

bonus:

"you really are pretty, mikka." glancing at the mirror from behind him, you watch with fascination as kaiser pushes a hello kitty hairband onto his head. it's yours, one you bought as a pair with his pink panther one. surprisingly, he likes this one more. "the prettiest."

you watch him nod to his own reflection, seemingly agreeing with your words. his newly dried hair bobs along with the motion, the strands fluffy and smooth. you'd run your hands through if you hadn't just spent the last half hour styling it.

"your prettiest-"

"-like a german pomeranian."

"...what?"

"nothing!" you laugh at the disgruntled expression he wears, shaking your head. hoping to appease him before the whining ensues, you hand him a small container filled with matcha facemask. his favorite to wear because it does wonders for his skin.

he looks at the thing as if it's offended his entire lineage. "you're seriously going to bribe me with this?" he pouts, crossing his hands against his chest.

such a big baby. your big baby, though.

"what's wrong? pomeranians are cute!"

"yeah but i'd be more of a husky," he grumbles as he pushes the pink panther hairband onto your head, clearing any hair away from your face. he uses a brush to smear the mask across, stopping every so often to peck your lips. "they're handsome, strong, and expensive."

"high maintenance, too," you mumble under your breath before shrugging. "i just like pomeranians better," you grin, scrunching your nose when he finishes with a kiss on it.

"...fine. german pomeranian it is then."

[darkmatilda]

╰┈➤ the pumpkin reaper

part 2: second day of investigation

part 1 here!

part 3 here!

in which you and the bau are handling the case of a murderer in a small, sleepy town

tw: decapitation, description of the crime scene etc, mention of a suicide attempt, mental illness

contents: spencer reid x fem!baureader, solving a criminal mystery, angst, slow burn

words: 7.3k

okay, i realize how incredibly long this is but that's just how i am, i have to stretch every scene to the limits. i'm sorry!!!" anyway, i hope you'll enjoy it <3

You were pulled out of bed at five in the morning.

 Just three hours after you’d finally managed to fall into a light, broken sleep. Maybe you hadn’t really been sleeping at all — just lying there with your eyes closed, half-aware? You weren’t sure. The exhaustion weighing on you suggested the latter. Yet you didn’t complain. As soon as you learned that another body had been found in that same cursed forest, it felt like you’d been plunged into an ice-cold bath. All that mattered now was reaching the crime scene as quickly as possible.

You and Spencer ended up in the same car with Hotch and Rossi. Although the drive took almost half an hour, it passed in the blink of an eye. None of you spoke; the tension was evident on each of your faces. You’d dressed more comfortably than the day before, opting for navy jeans and sturdier shoes better suited for walking in the forest. In the rush, you hadn’t changed out of your pajama shirt — you’d simply thrown on a black leather coat over it. You buttoned it up carefully so no one would notice the shirt featuring a duck holding a knife with the caption I have stability (ability to stab), easily the worst possible choice of clothes for examining a murder scene.

The next steps proceeded in a typical, meticulous way. Everything around was secured, and you examined the body, which was roughly in the same state of decomposition as the bodies of the city council members. The inflicted wounds also appeared to be similar. There was a missing head, but aside from that, there were relatively few injuries.

At sunrise, the whole team gathered near the cars. Derek leaned against one of them, and you all had sleepy, slightly puffy faces with dark circles under your eyes. JJ looked so good and put together that you found yourself wondering if she went to sleep fully dressed in her professional attire.

“The victim is a man with an unidentified identity, but there is a strong likelihood that this is the missing city councilman, Percy Donovan, who disappeared in the last few weeks.”  Hotch informed you all. “This trio of women, who were treated the most brutally, were the earliest victims, lying in this forest for about six weeks. The one found last night was likely killed around the same time as the other two city council members. It’s unclear why his body was left in a different location, but considering the relatively short distance, it might have been a matter of convenience for the perpetrator. He was unable to transport all three bodies at once, so he delivered the last one after some time. He discarded it closer to the road but concealed it more carefully. The time of their death is estimated to be around three weeks ago”

“Let’s analyze everything from the beginning,” Rossi suggested, raising both hands. “The unsub’s first victims were killed six weeks ago. They were three women: a teacher, a social worker, and…”

“A worker from the orphanage,” Reid recalled. 

“Then there’s a three-week gap, and three more bodies are hidden in the forest. This time, there were two men and one woman, all of whom were city council members. The only connection between all six victims is that their heads were severed. Don’t you think we might be dealing with a duo? That would explain the differences in brutality.”

“That’s one possibility,” Hotch agreed. “I asked Garcia to check for criminals or psychiatric patients who have been released recently, but she didn’t find anything noteworthy.”

The sheriff approached you, the same big man you’d seen before. Shock was written on his face; as a cop in such a small town, he likely rarely dealt with cases like this.

“I knew Percy,” he shared immediately. “I knew him very well. We sometimes went out to the bar together to play pool. He had some problems in his marriage; they often argued. When he disappeared, I thought he had just left because he needed some space…”

“We’re very sorry,” JJ said gently. “Yesterday, you mentioned that you know a lot about the people in this town. Could you provide us with more information about the victims? We’re trying to find any connections, if there are any.”

Before they stepped aside to discuss this, Reid raised a finger.

“Sheriff, do you think the offender had to know this forest well to choose to hide the bodies here? In these specific locations?”

Russell pondered the question.

“I don’t think so. In my opinion, it could have been anyone, and they didn’t necessarily have to be from here. I doubt he comes from this town; as I said, it’s mostly decent people.”

JJ led him a few steps away to begin their discussion. You and the rest of the team fell silent for a moment.

“One thing worries me,” Morgan said, furrowing his brow. “Okay, a lot of things worry me, but this one particularly. If there was roughly a three-week gap between the murders of these two groups of people, and the last bodies were found just three weeks ago…”

“That means the unsub could strike again at any moment,” you finished his thought, nervously clenching your hands into fists.

Everyone turned to look at you; you had just voiced a shared concern. Hotch stared into space for a moment, then nodded to himself as if coming to a decision. He spoke in his usual commanding tone.

“We need to take action. Morgan and Prentiss, you’ll meet with the families of the first three victims, the women, I mean. Rossi, you and JJ will go to the families of the other victims. Your job is to find out if there’s anything that could connect them. Y/N and Reid, your task will be to go to the forester’s lodge and gather information on whether anyone has encountered any suspicious individuals in this forest. I’ll head to the city hall to talk to the mayor.”

Everyone scattered, ready to tackle their tasks. You nodded at Reid and together you headed towards one of the cars, where you hesitated.

“Do you have a map of this town, or will we need to ask the sheriff where the ranger station is?” you asked, glancing back at the man still talking to JJ.

“I left it at the hotel, but it just so happens that I memorized the whole thing, so I know where we need to go. It’s not far at all.”

Your eyebrows shot up.

“You memorized the entire map?”

“I always do that when we’re working a case in an unfamiliar place,” he explained, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Memorizing an entire map, with all the roads and landmarks. Just an everyday activity.

You snorted and got into the car, an unmarked police vehicle, on the passenger side.

“We'll have to stop at a gas station,” you said, fastening your seatbelt.

“Why? The tank’s almost full.”

“Coffee.”

He opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it. You glanced at his profile as he, focused on driving, pulled off the shoulder onto the road, choosing a direction.

“You couldn’t sleep last night, huh?” 

You shrugged. You didn’t want to get into the backstory of your sleep issues with him, so you decided on a slightly embellished answer.

“I couldn’t fall asleep for a bit; it’s usually like that in new places. But then I slept like a baby, really. At least until Hotch woke us with that call before 5 a.m.”

“No, you didn’t. I woke up a few times, and your breathing suggested you weren’t sleeping. It was too shallow and irregular. Normally, when someone’s asleep, it looks different because their breathing engages the diaphragm muscles.”

Did he really just analyze your breathing and deduce you hadn’t been sleeping? You looked out the window, momentarily at a loss for words, before deciding to turn it into a joke.

“Reid, this is the creepiest thing I’ve heard in a while.”

“Really? It’s just basic human physiology. So, back to my question, which you decided to turn into a joke to avoid answering”

“Jesus Christ, Holy Mother of God, yes, I couldn’t sleep because I forgot my sleeping pills,  and I can’t get a wink without them. What’s it to you?”

Your outburst of irritation caught him off guard. You immediately regretted your unpleasant tone; he had always been so kind to you. Reid paused for a moment, cleared his throat, and calmly returned to the topic. 

“I figured that out after you were so upset last night. When you told me you forgot something. You know, you could have just asked me or someone else on the team. It just so happens that I always have Ambien on me. I don’t need it anymore, but I carry it just in case.”

You fell silent, not knowing how to respond. You felt doubly embarrassed, especially since his initial question wasn’t even attacking! It was just that you had been so closed off, pushing that barrier further and further away whenever someone showed even a hint of concern for you.

The car glided along the empty road, one of those that seemed to stretch on forever. Like an endlessly long carpet with a white stripe down the middle, unfurling as you drove. Surrounding it was the forest—the same one where you sought refuge yesterday to avoid answering Prentiss’s question about your brother. Your reticence was becoming burdensome, but you didn’t know how to deal with it. When you opened up, you felt vulnerable, as if you were at the mercy of someone else. You also hated pity. Your mom loved it. She relished the chance to burden random people waiting at the same bus stop with tales of how her husband didn’t love her and how her kids hated her, even though none of that was true. Talking to someone about yourself made you feel just like her.

As you drifted off in thought, filled with a sense of guilt, Reid spoke up again.

“I’ve noticed recently...”

He barely began the sentence before he cut it off. He didn’t continue, as if the wind had slipped in through the slightly open window, snatched his words, and whisked them away to some unknown place, never to return.

“What have you noticed?” you asked.

“Nothing. It doesn’t matter,” he replied, shaking his head.

“You can say it, whatever it is. I won’t be offended.”

Deep down, you were afraid his comment would hurt. Maybe he’d say, “Your inability to open up is just pathetic. And it’s not just me; the whole team thinks so. Though honestly, it’s probably better that you don’t say anything. None of us want to hear about it.” Just the thought of him saying something like that tightened your chest, and you went pale. It was a stark reminder of how much you feared what others thought of you. You knew Spencer would never say something like that—he might not always be socially adept, but cruel comments were not in his nature. What scared you more was the possibility that he could think that way about you. You were terrified that it might be true.

Meanwhile, Reid asked:

 “Do you like autumn?”

You let out a surprised laugh. “That’s what you’ve noticed lately? That I like autumn?”

“No,” he replied. “I’m asking if you like autumn.”

Your confusion left you momentarily speechless. You looked at him as if he were a math teacher back in school trying for the third time to explain what a logarithm actually was. That question distracted you from your earlier, unpleasant thoughts.

Looking at his slight smile, you answered. 

“I’m not a fan. I hate it, actually”

“Really?” 

“I don’t know why people love it so much. It’s cold, it makes our work harder. It rains, and you've seen the extent of decay those bodies had because of it. Again, it’s cold”

It seemed that your arguments didn’t resonate with Reid.

“You’re looking at it from a very practical standpoint. For our line of work, I agree, autumn can be terrible. But there’s something enchanting about it. The leaves. Reading in the evening while it’s raining outside is particularly enjoyable.”

“I personally prefer reading in the bright sun, on the beach, soaking up the rays. Without the risk of my hand falling off from the cold as soon as I pull it out from under the blanket to turn the page.”

He laughed.

“In less than twenty-four hours, I’ve learned more about you than I have in the past year,” he said. “That you have a brother, you definitely prefer summer over autumn, and you love Haruki Murakami’s books.”

“That’s all because we’re roommates now.”Wait, I’ve never told you I like Haruki Murakami!”

“I saw you reading his book yesterday. Kafka on the Shore.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I like him.”

“You read more than half of that book on the flight, hardly taking your eyes off it. You only paused when your brother called you. You were completely mesmerized, so I’m guessing you must’ve liked it.”

He was right; you had been completely absorbed in that novel. So much so that you didn’t even realize he had been watching you on the plane. Seizing the opportunity, you asked him for his interpretation of a certain part of the plot that seemed unclear to you. For the rest of the flight, you listened intently as he passionately shared his thoughts, surprised that someone could talk about a book with such enthusiasm.

The smiles faded from your faces as the car suddenly jolted. Concerned, you looked around for the cause and quickly figured out what had happened. Reid had veered off the main road and onto a forest path leading to a cabin. Due to the rain, it had turned into a muddy mess, making it difficult for the car’s wheels, ill-suited for such terrain, to push through.

“How much further it is?” you asked. ““Maybe it’d be better if we walked from here. We don’t want the car to get stuck” 

Spencer agreed with your suggestion. Your shoes sank into the mud as soon as you touched the ground. The weather that day was better than before; a gray layer of clouds hung overhead, but it wasn’t raining. The air around you felt pleasantly crisp and invigorating. You took a deep breath that tasted wonderful, energizing like coffee. Your companion cursed softly under his breath as his feet began to slip on the troublesome surface as well.

“So, do you still like autumn that much?” you couldn’t help but ask teasingly.

“I love it,” he assured you, in an exaggeratedly eager tone. But after taking just one step, he nearly fell over. “God dammit…!”

You burst into loud laughter and confidently moved ahead. You’d learned your lesson from the previous day and put on more comfortable shoes, which you were very grateful for. The ones you were wearing not only repelled water but also minimized the risk of tasting the mud.

There was just a straight path leading to the cabin, and after a moment, you spotted a wooden, wide building with a sloped roof on the horizon. It looked rugged, not like one of those places city folks rented for the weekend to feel connected to nature.

As you walked, you didn’t turn back, busy looking around. Behind you, Reid was probably struggling for his life on the slippery path.

You reached the cabin first. Instead of knocking right away, you decided to wait for your companion. Just as you were about to turn around and shout some motivating phrase to him, the door swung open on its own.

You came face to face with a young man who had a military hairstyle. It was worth noting that he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

He looked you up and down, nodding to himself.

“Lost, are you?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Or maybe it was just your imagination, but he seemed to be trying to adopt a slightly flirtatious tone. Behind him, from inside the house, a loud barking could be heard. “Ares, quiet!”

By the time he turned back to you, Reid had already caught up and pulled his badge from his pocket.

“We’re with the FBI, and we’d like to ask a few questions.”

“Alright, so you’re definitely not lost… But hang on a sec, let me see your badge too. You’re way too young to be in the FBI,” he said, eyeing Reid as well. “You both look too young.”

“And yet,” you replied, patiently reaching for your badge.

He nodded and held the door open for you with a slight flourish. He didn’t seem the least bit fazed that the FBI had shown up on his doorstep. You wondered if he’d act differently if, instead of you two, it had been Hotch and Morgan paying him a visit.

“Take it easy,” he said, nodding to the Doberman at his side. “He’s aggressive, I won’t lie. But as long as you don’t make any sudden moves, we should be good. Ares, off you go.”

Reid glanced at you with amusement, and the corners of your mouth twitched. The ranger’s doberman was… a puppy. Tiny, tail wagging eagerly, clearly thrilled to see you both.

"Are you here alone?" you asked, looking around for any sign of others. From what you knew, there were usually a few rangers stationed together.

"Yeah, I’m the only one responsible for this whole area." he replied, folding his arms over his hips, where his loose pants hung low. He hadn’t even bothered to put on a shirt.

He had this strange ability to take up way more space than his body actually needed, standing with his legs planted wide apart. He also tried to look down on everyone around him—though it didn’t quite work, since Reid was taller than him.

"We’re here to ask you a few questions," Reid informed him once again.

"I heard you the first time"

You definitely didn’t like the tone of his voice. The unpleasantness of it made him far less attractive in your eyes. That was just how you were; you were drawn to well-mannered men who didn’t feel the need to assert their masculinity at every turn.

"This is related to a six-fold murder, so I'd advise you to tone it down a bit when talking to the FBI” 

Reid's sharper tone created an immediate tension between the two of them. The ranger tilted his head to the side, his shoulders suddenly drooping.

“Wait, sixfold?”

The information about the last body found had not yet been made public, though it was surely only a matter of time. The sheriff seemed like a complete gossip.

"It was found last night, so be aware that this case is extremely serious. We need to know if you’ve encountered anyone suspicious while patrolling this area in the past six weeks. Actually, it would be best if you could list everyone you remember."

"Actually, it might be better if you asked for my name first. It’ll come in handy for the report."

"Oh, right." His comment threw you off your rhythm. You should have done that first. He smiled at you, and you felt a slight blush rise to your cheeks. It wasn't because of his charm but rather from being caught in an unprofessional moment.

That was enough for Reid to look at you with a judging expression.

His phone suddenly rang.

“It's Hotch,” he said, furrowing his brows. He briefly touched your elbow, and his gaze softened significantly compared to how he had been speaking to the ranger. “Can you handle this? It shouldn't take long.”

You nodded, and he stepped aside to take the call. The ranger extended his hand as if he was just welcoming you to his home.

By the way, the cabin seemed quite cozy, mainly with wooden furniture, a fireplace, and a fur rug. Two sets of doors led out of the main room, one to an open kitchen and the other presumably to a bathroom or bedroom. His dog happily circled around your legs, and you bent down to gently pet him.

“Do you want to sit down, agent? I thought you came here on foot.”

“I’ll stand. The car didn’t quite handle the road. We left it nearby.”

“Yeah, that happens a lot, especially after the rain. There’s no way a typical patrol car could get through that. But anyway, I’m James Rivas. What did you want to ask me? Who caught my attention over the past six weeks?”

He sighed, thinking.

“That’s a really tough question, considering I often forget and feed the dog twice in the same morning. But I do remember a few people. First of all, there was a certain couple…”

“A couple? Two men? Or maybe a woman and a man? Did they seem nervous when they saw you?”

“A couple, as in a guy and a girl. Now that I think about it, she looked about twelve, probably his daughter.”

Your enthusiasm waned a bit. One of your theories was that the murders were committed by a duo, but the people he described didn’t sound like the perpetrators of such acts at all. He mentioned a few more people, mostly dog walkers, who caught his attention for trivial reasons like a flashy scarf or a pretty face (when he spoke about a woman). Even though the information didn’t seem particularly useful at first glance, you wrote it down in the small notebook you had brought with you.

Who knows, it might come in handy?

Reid returned with a serious expression on his face. You immediately straightened up, fearing what he might say.

“Another body has been found.”

“What?” you nearly shouted. The ranger also tensed up, abandoning his relaxed, flirtatious attitude. “Seventh? Where?”

“At a pumpkin farm. Apparently, some teenagers stumbled upon it; there were a lot of people at the scene, and a little panic broke out. Hotch wants us all there. Have you finished?” He glanced at you and James.

You raised your notepad and nodded. The skin on your hands paled from how tightly you were gripping the item.

Together, you started toward the door. You wanted to turn to the ranger and thank him for his help, as it hadn't been as difficult to cooperate with him as you might have thought. At that moment, he stopped you from leaving with a hand gesture.

"To the pumpkin farm? You'll get there faster through the woods than on the main road, but your car won't make it there. I'll give you a ride in my SUV."

You looked questioningly at Reid. You were both eager to get to the scene of the body as quickly as possible. The offer sounded tempting, but not entirely safe. He immediately shook his head in refusal.

"We'll manage," he said to James.

"Seriously, come on," the man insisted.

Reid opened his mouth to refuse again when James suddenly stepped closer to you, reaching for something in his pants pocket. You took a step back, having learned from experience, while your friend moved one step forward in a defensive gesture.

However, the ranger had no bad intentions — it turned out he was going to hand you the car keys.

"You can drive," he said. He closed the keys in your fingers as if offering you some precious item, grabbing you with both hands in the process. You were in too much of a hurry to flinch. You nodded gratefully. He smiled. "Actually, you have to, I just drank a beer. Plus, I’m coming with you; someone has to navigate, and who better to do it than me?”

You agreed, and Reid sighed, clearly unhappy with how things were turning out. James hurriedly grabbed a shirt and led you behind the house, where his black Jeep Wrangler was parked.

Following his lead, you settled into the driver's seat, though it stressed you out a bit. Since getting your driver's license, you hadn't had many opportunities to drive; you preferred the subway or, lately, relying on Prentiss's kindness.

“Don’t worry,” the ranger laughed as you hesitantly set off in the direction he indicated. “Now…”

“Turn left,” they both said at the same time.

James looked surprised at Reid, who was sitting right behind you in the back seat.

“How do you know that?”

“I memorized the entire map of this town and the surrounding area,” Reid replied with a shrug.

“You did…what?”

You and Reid smiled at each other in the front mirror.

The mentioned farm resembled a place straight out of an autumn photoshoot, where a pregnant woman embraces her partner against a backdrop of pumpkins arranged on hay bales or something like that. People came to this place from bigger cities, buying overpriced tickets and spending the whole afternoon strolling among rural decorations and props, soaking in the small-town atmosphere. From what you learned from the forest ranger, they also had horses there.

You got out of the car as soon as you spotted Hotch standing by a table made of red planks. There was no sign of anyone else from your team around, so you assumed that thanks to the shortcut, you had arrived there first. Out of the corner of your eye, you caught sight of the sheriff’s car, several patrol cars, and a group of shaken people who must have made that traumatic discovery.

Among them was a certain teenage girl. You looked at her with pity; she would likely remember this for the rest of her life. The forest ranger walked off to speak with the sheriff, while you and Reid headed toward your boss.

“Good thing you got here so quickly,” he said, eyeing the black jeep warily. However, he didn’t ask any questions, likely too absorbed in the case to think about it. “They were found… just see for yourselves.”

You exchanged a worried glance with Spencer. Hearing such words, you could expect the worst. You held your breath and allowed yourself to be led to two pumpkins placed in a secluded spot next to the barn. All the others you passed were huge, perfectly shaped, and brightly colored. But in these two specific ones, holes had been made, as if someone wanted to place a lantern inside. Instead of candles, however, there were… human heads inside.

“Oh my God…” you whispered, taking a step back. You bumped into Reid, and dazed, you mumbled some apologies. However, your gaze remained fixed on Hotch. “Did… did this young girl find this?

He nodded. It was only after a moment that you felt a hand gently placed on your shoulder. You looked up to see Spencer’s face.

“Were the other parts of their bodies found?”

“Only the heads,” your boss replied in an unreadable tone. “Y/n, I’d like you to talk to this girl Not interrogate her, just talk.”

Despite being shaken, you nodded eagerly. You had always considered yourself one of the more sensitive ones in this field, better suited for making deep psychological analyses based on the childhood or life experiences of an unsub rather than the crime itself. Still, you had no choice but to deal with such sights daily; you had toughened up a bit, which couldn’t be said for this girl. You shook off the tension in your body, put on a composed expression, and made your way toward her. The people surrounding them, including the farm workers, stepped aside to let you pass.

“Hey,” you said as gently as you could. She was a blonde girl with such delicate beauty that she reminded you of a snowflake. Her bright eyelashes framed her cool-colored eyes, her pale complexion was almost flawless, and her light hair was braided. She looked to be about sixteen, wearing a white jacket and a powder-blue beret. “I’m Y/n. Can we step aside for a moment? We can sit down and wait for your parents to arrive…”

“I am her parent,” the sheriff replied, pointing to himself with his thumb, as if he thought you might have trouble understanding. It surprised you slightly. They looked completely different; he was huge with dark hair, while she was also very tall but petit. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed that JJ and Rossi had already arrived at the scene.

“Well, I still think your daughter should sit down for a moment. She’s very pale and has been through a huge shock. What’s your name?” you asked her.

Her lower lip trembled, she opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"Charlotte," her father replied. "I need to talk to her myself first. What are you doing here at this hour? It’s barely noon, you should be in school. Skipping classes?!"

"What does that matter right now?" you snapped at him, angry at his lack of empathy towards his own daughter. Charlotte gave you a grateful look. You looked your boss in the eyes. "Now we’re both leaving, and you can think about whether that’s the right tone to use with someone who’s seen something like that..."

True to your words, you led her aside, wrapping your arm around her. You managed to find a secluded spot and sat down on one of the hay bales.

"My dad is pretty strict," the girl explained. "He cares more about my school than about me."

"My dad was exactly the same," you said, though it wasn’t true. Your father didn’t care about you or your education. He didn’t care about anything except work. You lied to make the girl feel like you understood her situation. “But school is the last thing you should be worrying about right now. How are you feeling?”

She shrugged. She had been sitting for about five minutes, and the color was slowly returning to her face.

“I’m… in shock. When I close my eyes, I see it right away, and… and I’m even afraid to blink. How can someone do something like that to another person?”

"I keep asking myself that question," you admitted.

"You're with the FBI, right?"

You nodded. Charlotte fell silent, staring at her hands.

"My dad’s right, I should be in school right now. I came here because I paint. I’m currently working on autumn-themed paintings for a school competition; I needed some inspiration..." The girl sobbed, the horrible sight must have flashed before her eyes.

You put your arm around her, and to distract her from it all, you asked about her passion, painting. She spoke to you in a quiet tone, telling you that she took up art after her mother’s death.

“After that, Dad shut himself off. He’s obsessed with rules, grades, my behavior, school attendance,” she scoffed, playing with her braid. “But he doesn’t even try to understand me, ever. The only person who understands me is…”

She trailed off, looking nervous.

“Someone special?” you suggested with a smile.

She shyly lifted the corners of her mouth.

“You could say that. Just don’t mention it to my dad…”

You made a key-turning gesture near your lips.

“Your secret is safe with me. Well, as long as you tell me a little about this Romeo of yours…”

The topic clearly cheered her up; she seemed less shaken.

“There’s not much to say. Dad would hate him. He’s his complete opposite.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, he is very different about the rules…”

This worried you. She seemed like such a polite, well-behaved girl, and you hoped she hadn’t fallen into the wrong crowd. You didn’t want to judge based on such limited information, but your intuition was speaking up again…

You were interrupted by Morgan’s arrival, calling you over for the team meeting. You said goodbye to Charlotte.

“If you need to talk about all this, I’ll be in town for the next few days,” you said, gently patting her shoulder. After a moment’s hesitation, you reached into your coat pocket for a notepad and quickly jotted down your phone number. You folded the note in half and offered it to the girl. You felt you had to show her some support, something she wouldn’t find from her parents. 

 Charlotte smiled at you with genuine gratitude — she seemed really nice, and you regretted that she had to see something like that. 

Arriving at the meeting point, you experienced a sudden shift in atmosphere, from light to serious and tense. You stood between Reid and Prentiss, waiting for what Hotch had to say.

Spencer glanced at you briefly, his eyes gentle, silently asking if everything was okay. You confirmed without words as well. This silent conversation felt almost amusing; without speaking, you both knew exactly what the other intended to say.

Emily's thin eyebrow shot up, but before she could say anything, Hotch spoke up.

“Morgan and Rossi are questioning the farm owner and the workers. They seem unhappy about the police presence, especially the FBI.”

You found it doubtful that these people had anything to do with the murders. Did they really risk hiding their heads at their workplace? In a movie — maybe. In reality—certainly not. And what could their motive be?

“JJ, we’ll need to issue a statement. Journalists are starting to gather, and we don’t want them spreading any misinformation. It’s important that we don’t give our unsub any nicknames. What did you learn from the victims’ families?”

One by one, everyone gave a brief report. You listened with bated breath, hoping for some vital information, but unfortunately, none of your team had discovered anything that could move the case forward. Finally, you summarized the ranger's testimony.

Prentiss looked like she was holding back an explosion. 

“What is all this about?” she finally burst out, throwing her hands up. “Why has the killer, or killers, suddenly changed the location where they’re dumping bodies?”

“Theoretically, we don’t know if they have,” Reid said. “Only heads were found on the farm; we don’t know what happened to the rest. Searches of the forest have just begun.”

“In any case, what’s the point of this charade? Does it thrill them to think they’re inflicting lifelong trauma on some random person?”

“Hotch, what’s next?” you asked, feeling a void in your mind.

“We’ll finish questioning the owner and his workers. Garcia is checking them out now. After that, we’ll wait for the identification of the newly found victims. Without that information, we can’t move forward. “

Your least favorite part of working on a case had arrived—idleness and waiting. Usually, that was when all your adrenaline would drain away, and your suppressed needs would strike back with double force. You were hungry, tired, had a headache, and needed a second coffee. Leaning your head back, exhausted, you suddenly felt someone watching you. The ranger was staring at you, leaning against the hood of his jeep. You signaled Spencer with a nod, and together, you approached him without much enthusiasm. You needed to head back to the ranger's cabin to retrieve the car you’d left there.

“Sick, isn’t it?” James asked, nodding toward the whole farm. “I can’t wrap my head around it. We’re heading back to mine now, right?”

“Just to pick up the car. I have one last question for you.”

You looked at your friend with curiosity, noticing a strange expression on his face, as if he’d suddenly connected some dots.

“In your opinion, as a ranger, would the killer need to know this forest well to dispose of the bodies in these specific locations?”

James hesitated before answering, looking Reid directly in the eye.

“Yes. I think so. It had to be someone who spends a lot of time here. This forest is huge — an outsider wouldn’t go that deep.”

Reid studied him closely. You frowned and walked back to the car. The three of you drove to the ranger’s cabin in complete silence. Fortunately, the police car was still parked exactly where you had left it.

“Will you drive?” Spencer asked, pulling his phone from his pocket. “I need to make a call.”

“Sure,” you replied, taking the keys from him. You got behind the wheel, casting him a curious sidelong glance, intrigued by what he was up to.

“Garcia? Have you finished checking out the farm owner and employees? Okay, but when you're done, could you also check someone out for me?” Spencer pulled the phone away from his ear, looking at you with a questioning expression. “What was the ranger’s last name?”

“You’re kidding,” you snorted. “James Rivas, but…”

“James Rivas,” he relayed to Penelope, gave her a quick goodbye, and ended the call.

Meanwhile, you had already merged onto the main road.

“Reid, it’s not him.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Intuition? Shaman, remember?”

“Well, your intuition isn’t exactly a reliable measure. It’s pretty easy to influence—by, say, sympathy.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Sympathy? The guy’s a jerk, even my intuition can tell.”

Your explanation didn’t seem to convince him at all. You stared at the road for a moment, tapping your nails on the steering wheel. Reid crossed his arms, avoiding looking in your direction. The ranger had clearly gotten under his skin. You hadn’t liked him either, but even so, you thought suspecting him was a waste of time. You weren’t even sure why. You were slowly beginning to form a possible image, a profile of this killer in your mind. It wasn’t worthy of being voiced ye t— too sparse and vague, even to you, with many essential pieces still missing. But it definitely didn’t fit James. Chaotic, you realized that much.

“Do you think if he were our unsub, he would have just answered your question like that? About whether the perpetrator had to know the forest? That alone made him a suspect!”

“His ego wouldn’t let him answer otherwise,” he scoffed at first, then turned serious. “Did you see his reaction when I mentioned finding the seventh body? He tensed up, like he was spooked.”

“Well, I was spooked too. We’ve got a seven-time murderer, a decapitator, on the loose.”

He sighed in resignation, seemingly deciding there was no point arguing with you about it. As you drove, you wondered if you should outright clarify that you weren’t defending James because you liked him or, heaven forbid, found him attractive. But surely Reid didn’t actually think that… right? Then again, you could never be certain what was going on in his mind. It was vast and complex, with thousands of branches reaching off in completely different directions. Impossible to decipher.

You drove in silence, sighing back and forth every so often, as if hoping that these pitiful sounds would eventually prompt the other to speak up or change the subject. At the gas station, he stepped out of the car, and you asked him to get you the largest coffee they had. When he returned, he surprised you by silently handing you a sandwich as well, reminding you just how hungry you actually were.

The rest of the day, you spent with the team back at the pumpkin farm. Garcia had uncovered a very interesting lead. Most of the workers were employed off the books, without contracts, which likely explained the farm owner’s strange behavior. He’d been afraid — rightly so — that it would come to light.

This forced you to take a closer look at the workers, considering them as potential unsubs. But somehow, none of it seemed to connect. A dead end.

J had already given a statement on TV, but word about the victims’ identities still hadn’t come through. Because of this, Hotch decided to let you head back to the hotel early, a small reward for having been dragged out of bed so early that morning.

When he said it, you and Reid exchanged a smile, forgetting your little disagreement. The topic of the ranger never came up again—after all, Penelope hadn’t found anything on him.

You returned to the hotel relatively early in the evening, though with the time of year, it was already completely dark outside. You were utterly exhausted. The fact that you were planning to collapse into bed in your jeans was probably the best proof of that. But just before you did, you remembered you hadn’t called Jeremy since the day before. You hesitated before dialing his number—being in different time zones, it was already very late for him. Then you recalled your brother’s sleep schedule. Back when you’d lived together, he’d often go to bed around the same time you were getting up.

“Have you been wearing that shirt all day?” Reid asked, amused, as you took off your long coat. He was, of course, referring to the shirt’s graphic — a duck armed with a knife.

A smile appeared on your face as you opened your mouth to respond, but then you saw something that rendered you speechless.

“Y/n?”

Exactly eight missed calls from your mother. It wasn’t that alarming — she sometimes had a flair for the dramatic and would call over something as trivial as a broken egg, even though you had made it clear that you didn’t want to maintain contact with her anymore. However, a chill ran down your spine at seeing one missed call from your father.

You stammered, “I’ll be right back,” and headed to the bathroom. Once you closed the door, you leaned against it and dialed your mother’s number. It felt like an eternity waiting for her to pick up. During that time, the gentle movement of your knees turned into a tremor so intense that you had to grasp onto something for support.

“Mom?” you asked when she picked up. “What’s—”

“Finally!” her sobbing came through the line. The sound hit you like a powerful shockwave, leaving you feeling dazed and suspended in a void. “Oh my God, why haven’t you answered your mother all day? Do you have any idea what I’m going through right now? How do I feel? I was the one who found him…

You shook your head, partly in confusion, partly in denial.

“And through all of this, no one, not even your dad had asked how you were feeling! Abandoned by two children, including you, who wouldn’t even answer her calls…”

“Mom,” you barely managed to squeeze out, feeling an unimaginable weight in your chest. “You found who? Where?”

Your mother suddenly began to berate you for the lack of contact, completely ignoring your two questions. She shifted from shattered sobs to pure rage, almost hysteria. She had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder for years, and she approached her treatment carelessly, often forgetting to take her medication. In the face of difficult situations, she reacted in an intense, complicated manner, chaotically swinging from one extreme emotion to another.

Though her broken voice indicated that she, too, needed help, you pulled the phone away from your ear. You couldn’t bear to listen to her, too frightened by the visions that assaulted you. You needed to find out what had happened, and she wasn’t able to give you that information. With a heart-wrenching pain in your chest, you hung up.

With a trembling hand, you barely managed to dial your father’s number.

part 3 coming soon!

tag list: @miriamnox @xx-spooky-little-vampire-xx @nightfullofparadox

oh and i have one question for you guys, how to connect two parts of a story with each other?? i'm new on tumblr

[garoujo]

✩ ˛˚ . NAGI SEISHIRO ; — you think it’s cute how much your boyfriend seems to enjoy your cuddles.

warnings! none! sfw & ticklish lil spoon nagi, hes written as a pro football player in this. ♡ ˖ ࣪࿐ྂ note! i’m sorry i just had to get this soft lil scenario out of my mind <3

as big as your boyfriend nagi is, 190cm and looming — a pro football player with the physique to match, you thought it was cute the way he loved being little spoon.

there was something charming about it, about the way he always seemed to flop down next to you when you were lying in your shared bed — reaching blindly behind him until he can grab hold of your wrist and pull it around his waist instead. you push yourself closer and you hear the snowy haired striker sigh when your chest presses against his back, snug and tight.

“you sleepy, seishiro?” your voice is light, a little dreamy and it makes nagi’s eyelashes flutter with his next slow blink, nodding into his pillow as his hand stays wrapped tightly around yours to keep you in place around him. “was practice hard?” you ask again, squeezing your arms around your boyfriends waist and he shudders before he’s nuzzling himself even closer to you.

“eh, yeah. all the running is such a drag. jus’ wanna relax now.” his words are muffled from where his cheek is pressed against the pillow but you still hear him mumble something affirming under his breath when your hand traces under the hem of his shirt, letting your fingernails smooth along the plains of his toned abdomen as he whimpers. “hey, keep doing that. just for a while, feels sooo good.”

so you do, you push yourself closer until your lips are pressed against the dip of nagi’s shoulder, bathing the striker in featherlight touches along his chest and stomach until his breathing turns a little softer. your hands trace to his sides and he twitches slightly at the ticklish touch before he’s groaning and sending you a drowsy, lidded look and a pout from over his shoulder. “ah, that’s mean.”

“you’re ticklish?” you giggle as you press your lips into your boyfriends neck from behind and he presses back into you again before he’s turning to send you another look, one that you recognise as a wordless little request for a kiss despite the way his messy bed head rests along his features.

“nah, ‘m not.” nagi huffs against your lips when you lean in but he almost whines when you pull away a few moments later, his hand around your own squeezing slightly like he’s trying to bring you back into him. “why’d you stop? no fair.” he sighs followed by another pout and you can’t help but smile at how needy he seems to get when he’s sleepy before you’re giving him another.

“okay~” you sing into the next kiss but the tender moment only lasts a second longer before you’re deliberately swiping your fingers along your boyfriends sides again, laughing when it makes him jolt slightly followed by a long, drawn out huff.

“ow, y’re such a pain.” you feel nagi pull your hand away from him before his huge figure is turning to face you, sleepy features pulled into the cutest frown before his arms are looping around your waist and he’s pulling you close so he can nuzzle into the crook of your neck instead.

“you’re so mean!” you reply and you hear him grumble something into your skin when you pinch at his before its followed by a featherlight press of his lips against your collarbone, like he’s doing damage control despite the way your words were a joke. but he’s sleepy and you’re warm so he’s just trying to make you feel better anyway.

“don’t you want dinner?” you already know what the answers going to be so you busy yourself with brushing through his hair, making his eyes close softly as his lashes kiss along your skin with each of his slow blinks. his hands push under the hem of your shirt and you think it’s cute the way he seems to instinctively draw little shapes into your skin, wobbly hearts and little choki outlines that seem to grow messier the more he melts into you. but they keep his hands busy when he’s not playing video games.

“nah, jus’ wanna cuddle here for the rest of the day, ‘m comfy now so moving would be bothersome.”

© 2023 GAROUJO. please do not copy any of my layouts or writing and translate or repost onto any other sites.

[henneseyhoe]

Just One More. | 3

Lewis Hamilton x BLACK!FEM!Reader

WARNINGS: reader isn’t that included in this one since she’s away (srry lolzz), pure FLUFF, short but i’ll probably redo this cause i don’t like the beginning that much.

SUMMARY: just lewis being a softie with your daughter while you’re away ^3^

1 |2|3|4|

✮✮✮✮

It was 8PM at night and your house was louder than a zoo. Granted, you and your three boys weren’t there and instead watching through your phone as your daughter ran rampant through her closet, her father chasing her around with items of clothing. Half naked and hair soaked wet, she was working on getting herself undressed again after a bath.

You could tell she drove poor Lewis up a wall that day.

You and your three boys decided to go on a camping adventure near the lake, your daughter refusing to go and get quote “bit up outside”, end quote. She was only four and as spoiled as ever. When you told her she can’t stay home because everyone was going, she cried for an hour until her father cracked under pressure and agreed to stay back with her, even though Lewis would have loved a dip in the lake and some time away from the city.

You couldn’t do anything but laugh at your phone screen, pressing the record button to capture the moment.

“Darling, please! Daddy is tired and needs his sleep. Please put on your pajamas and get in bed”

He begged her for what seemed like the hundredth time, but the girl was too busy pulling her head out of her shirt and running into a wall. She got back up with no tears to Lewis’s surprise and took a dive into her princess themed bed, closing her canopy to hide from her dad.

Lewis lets out a huff and walks over to the bed sitting down right beside it with a look of defeat on his face. Hearing the presence of her father near her, your daughter erupts into a fit giggles, peaking her head out from the pink curtains.

“You got me, daddy!” She squealed with a smile on her face that was soon replaced with confusion. “what’s wrong?” She asks, wondering why her daddy no longer wanted to play with her, even after most of the days consecutive hours of it.

See, usually Lewis had help to balance out her energetic ways, you taking over whenever Lewis was tired and vice versa. Now that you weren’t here, even one kid alone was tiring when only running on a few hours of sleep.

Layla hadn’t yet understood that her parents weren’t robots that could just keep playing with no breaks. Sometimes she didn’t pick up on the cues when she had gotten a bit much to handle.

Climbing off of the bed, she fits herself into in Lewis’s lap and lays her head on his chest, giving him a hug.

“I’m just a little tired, love. That’s all” He reassured her with a pat on her semi wet braids, already knowing he’d have some serious frizz to tame in the morning if he let it dry that way.

“I’m tired too” Layla replies, thinking of how much she missed her mother now. “Will you read to me please? And the book mama reads, the one I like” Lewis pulls back from the hug to look at his daughter’s face, smiling.

“Yes, I can read to you. But first, let’s get you officially ready for bed”

✮✮✮✮

“And that’s how the cow jumped over the moon, and the stars” Lewis ended off the book with a drowsy toddler cuddled right in his arms. She had begged him just before the story to lay in bed with her also, giggling at how her father’s socked feet stuck out from the end of the bed because of his height.

“I wanna be a star one day” Your daughter confessed sleepily, making Lewis chuckle.

“Like…In space?” He asks to be sure and she nods.

“I dunno about becoming one but…If you reach high enough into the sky, you can catch one” Your little girls eyes brightened at her fathers words, Lewis smiling down at her as he tucks her into her covers.

“Really, daddy? You’re lying…” She says with her eyebrows knitted together, becoming unsure of the possibility that she could go so high that’d she’d capture burning light. Lewis nods and kisses her forehead.

“No lie. I almost did it once”

“Once when?” She squints and makes a face of skepticism, a mannerism she got directly from you.

“Hmmm…Just before you were born, actually. I remember praying while your mom slept, and I looked out the hospital window and saw two shooting stars as bright as your eyes. I reached out to catch them, but they were so hot that I let go. Fast forward an hour later, you and bubby were born” A wide smile grew on the little girls face, her little hands using her beaded braids to hide her blushing.

Lewis laughs and moves her hands and hair from her face before kissing her cheeks.

“So I was a star before I was a baby?” She inquired just after a yawn, Lewis humming at the question.

“Yeah. You and Bubby were stars”

In the morning you would wish you had caught the moment in real time as you slept with your phone placed on your stomach and your three boys lightly snoring by your side, but you’d be grateful you pressed that record button to capture the memory digitally instead.

✮✮✮✮

💌— Yippee! more fluff!!! 🤭

[catnipaddictt]

Hi! Could I request an Anakin X reader where Anakin sees that reader hasn’t been sleeping and he tries to help?

anakin x gn!reader

wc: 0.8k

cw: none! fluff, spooning

comment: sorry this took a while to finish! hopefully it's kinda what you had in mind!

Rolling over, your eyes focus on the moonlight streaming through the window. You haven’t been sleeping well, or at all for the past week. You were so tired but your body refused to let you sleep. Your nights all seemed to drag on forever and no matter how hard you focused or how long you shut your eyes, nothing was happening. 

You shove the covers off of yourself, lying here was useless and you had already been trying for hours. Checking the clock, you find it's only 2am. The rest of the jedi would be tucked up and well asleep by now. Placing your feet on the hard ground, you stand up, grabbing your Jedi cloak and wrapping it around yourself. You slowly pad over to the door, slipping on your boots and unlocking it. You head down the silent halls in search of a balcony door. Seeing that all are shut you find a large window with a bench against it. 

You nestle yourself against one of the pillars the window sits between, wrapping your cloak around your knees. You watch the skyline of Coruscant as the hundreds of speeders and other transports pass by. The lights of the skyscrapers illuminate the sky, night never feels dark on the city planet. 

You are so focused on the view out the window, that you don’t sense the presence of another appearing behind you. You also jump out of your skin as the person speaks your name in a hushed voice. “When was the last time you slept?” 

You turn around to be met with the face of Anakin Skywalker. Like you he was wearing what you assumed were the clothes he slept in. His soft sweatpants sit perfectly on his hips and his shirt clings to his muscular form in all the right places. He looks at you softly, waiting for you to reply.

“I was asleep before” you lie through your teeth. Truth be told, you admired Anakin a lot. Although he was the CEO of thinking before he acted, you had grown close to the chosen one.

“Don’t lie, it's not the Jedi way” he teases, causing you to glare at him. “I heard you open and close your door, and I'm pretty sure I also heard it yesterday, and the day before, and the day bef-” He counts on his fingers before looking at you accusingly. You think before answering honestly.

“I just haven’t been sleeping well the past week, that's all” you respond, trying to sound like it doesn’t bother you much. Anakin raises an eyebrow at you, “have you been sleeping at all?” His blue eyes burn into your own.

The shadows cast from the walls bathe him half in darkness, half in the light from the city outside. His features suddenly seem a lot sharper than they look in the daylight, and the dark robe he wears doesn’t help. You shrug at his question. “So that's a yes then?” His rhetorical question makes you look back outside at the speeders traveling past. 

“Come on” he says before he grabs your hand, making you turn around before he pulls you to your feet. “Anakin, where are we going?” you question as he drags you down the hall. He pushes open a door, leading you to discover that he has brought you to his room. Looking around, you notice that it is very him. His clothes hung half-hazardly over a chair, and a pile of books in the middle of the floor. A blueprint and selection of tools accompany the books.

He shrugs off his own cloak, before pulling yours off your shoulders and hanging it up beside your. “Anakin what-” you are cut off by him leading you to his bed and gently pushing you down onto the soft covers. “I’m trying to help you” He replies as if you have any clue what that means. He lifts the covers for you, ushering you under them. You comply still confused. He moves around to the other side of the bed, climbing in himself.

Before you can fathom what he is talking about you feel his arms pull you towards his chest, rolling you over so your back is to him. If you weren’t shocked at the movement you might have realised that he was so, so warm and his arms wrapped around you felt right. 

“Why?” is all you question him. He speaks softly and you can feel his breath against your neck, “to help” he repeats his previous statement. “Now shut your eyes.” You don’t know why you follow his instructions, but you seal your eyes closed, feeling the rhythmic movement of his chest against your back. 

Slowly but surely, you feel yourself getting tired and your mind begins to slip into unconsciousness. You could feel Anakin also begin to fall asleep behind you, his head tucked against your neck. Eventually you fall into a deep slumber, your first in too long, against the unexplainable cure for your insomnia - Anakin Skywalker

sorry for any grammar errors!

Taglist: @heartsforanakin @qvnthesia

[eviesaurusrex]

—ᴘᴇʀꜰᴇᴄᴛ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ | ꜱᴛᴜᴄᴋʏ

GIFs not mine!

summary: Perfect moments with their best girl.

word count: 5.5k ooooopsie

warnings: nothing, tooth-rotting fluff because these two deserve the world, kissing, two big, strong men being softies for their girl, but also sometimes in overprotective mode, reader is described as shorter than them, allusion to smutty smut and lingerie, short make-out session, an ex is making a short appearance, not entirely proofread

author’s note: I’ve never written something for Stucky, but thanks to tumblr, I’ve shipped them for a very long time and had to do this, so here we are. Don’t hate me for this being utter shit, thanks.

* * *

Sunny days were her favorites. So, sunny days were naturally entirely reserved for her when everyone had gotten time off missions. When the weather forecast predicted sunny days ahead, Steve and Bucky did everything to try and get these days off, especially when the weeks lying behind them had been filled with rain and clouds.

Their best girl was a vitamin D junkie, so they became vitamin D junkies as well.

Her sigh, full of contentment, let hearts flutter as Bucky watched the woman they loved bathing in the warming rays of sunshine, his shades perched on her pretty nose. Nothing of her wasn’t pretty, especially when the sun tickled her skin and let her seem as radiant as the burning star itself.

She had her arms crossed under her head, an opened novel resting on her slowly moving chest, her pretty lips slightly parted, and her eyes closed behind the tinted glass. At the sight of her relaxed state of mind, cruel but crucial missions finally somewhere in the very back of her head, Bucky couldn’t stop himself. Staring wasn’t enough to satisfy his craving at that particular moment, and he bent his head to press a sweet kiss to her even sweeter-tasting lips, humming in amusement at the little gasp leaving her mouth before she herself hummed in contentment and kissed him back.

“What was that for?” YN asked, eyes now opened to stare up at the handsome brunet looming over her as he still was propped up on his arm right next to her on the picnic blanket they had placed somewhere in Central Park near the lake. He started playing with strands of her hair and shrugged one shoulder, a breathtaking smile slowly stretching over his face, even reaching his pretty blue eyes and making them sparkle with happiness. “Nothin’, doll. Just felt like kissin’ ya,” Bucky mumbled close to her lips after he had bent down again, but Steve’s voice made him stop a mere millimeter apart from her. “Already startin’ without me even though I got’ya some food and iced coffee on my way here? Rude.” But his smile told something else.

Pushing Bucky off of her with a hand pressed against his chest, YN reached up as soon as the blond super soldier had knelt on their blanket and tangled her fingers in the neckline of his light blue shirt. “He started,” she whispered conspiratorially with a giggle, well knowing that the other super soldier could hear her words just perfectly. His quiet scoff just underlined it. But Steve only grinned happily and obliged without so much as a second thought as YN pulled him downward to her face and kissed him Hello. “You said something about iced coffee, if I remember correctly?” He hummed in approval and reached for the paper cup holder to get her current favorite summer drink. “Couldn’t let you enjoy the day without it.” Another kiss came close after before his blue eyes followed YN’s movements as she grabbed the cup, took a deep sip, and lay back down again, snuggling closer into Bucky’s chest.

Steve followed close by, putting down the food and the other two drinks he had gotten for them, and settled on her other side onto the blanket, his long legs stretched out and crossed at his ankles. Bucky smiled at him over their best girl’s body and couldn’t stop himself from bending over YN to press a gentle kiss to Steve’s cheek, grinning at the blush creeping up into his cheeks, still not used to the openly shown affection from either of them. It was like a dream, and he loved how his life had turned—how all their lives had turned.

YN had watched her two lovesick men with a gentle smile before littering both their handsome faces with kisses until it was her who was showered in kisses, turning her into a giggling mess underneath the sun. They ignored every single look thrown their way, not caring for the people and their silly thoughts because they were as happy as probably humanely possible. They bathed in her adorable sounds, savored every single touch of her skin, and every single look and smile she showed them.

“How’s our sun girl today,” Steve mumbled against her lips, feeling Bucky’s fingers carding through his hair and YN’s thumb caressing his cheek, her smiling lips pressing almost open-mouthed kisses to his. “Perfectly and utterly content.” It was only a sighed whisper, but it was enough to make both their hearts flutter again. It still was a somewhat adrenaline rush to realize how happy they made this woman, how lucky they’ve been that she loved them both, just as they both loved her. It still continued to blow their minds how open they could be nowadays, how little the majority of people cared when they saw the trio strolling through the city, sharing kisses, holding hands, walking as closely next to one another as possible. Sometimes, Steve just had to think that all this was nothing but a dream and that he would wake up any minute now, back in his sickly body and his loved ones entirely out of reach.

“Hey.”

Bucky drew him out of his mind and back to their cozy little spot in Central Park, blue eyes meeting blue eyes, dark brows worryingly drawn together. The blond super soldier only shook his head slightly, a smile tucking at the corner of his mouth as he looked from one worried face to another, swiftly pressing easing kisses to both their cheeks. “It’s alright. I’m okay. Jus’ tired and too much in my head. Wanna try one of these loaded donuts I found on my way?” YN squealed at that and sat up faster than both men would’ve considered possible, smiling at one another behind her back before following close to at least get a single bite of those treats before they vanished right before their eyes.

Sometimes, this woman really blew their minds.

* * *

It was already dark outside; the night stretching across the window-covered wall of their shared room at the compound, and the moon shining brightly into the dimly lit bedroom. Steve was lying on his side of the massive and custom-manufactured bed Tony had gifted them last Christmas after he had been tired of hearing YN groan and whine about the little space she had between two buffed super soldiers. Now, she was sprawled like a cute little sea star over him and the rest of the bed, almost seemingly covering every bit and appearing a lot taller than she actually was compared to the two men she called the loves of her life. Steve sometimes had to ask himself how she managed to cover basically every inch of the bed while also being sprawled atop their bodies, and some nights even managed to fall out of the bed.

This woman was an enigma to him, but Steve loved her even more for that. It didn’t matter that some nights he felt a foot or an elbow in his ribs or that Bucky always woke him when he single-handedly manhandled YN back into her designated spot of their bed without paying attention to where Steve was sleeping. Even if he could change everything, he wouldn’t change a single thing. This was what he’d always wanted back in the days, what he envied people for. It simply was perfection.

One of his large hands softly and lovingly drew indescribable patterns on YN’s partly exposed skin, his other hand holding the novel he was currently reading after she had bought it during one of their many dates in the city. It was her love language—picking books and gifting them. And Steve happily obliged and started reading it right away. His eyes couldn’t leave the words on the pages, already deeply enraptured by the story unfolding in front of his eyes, head sometimes dipping to his right to press a gentle kiss to the crown of her head. Her slow but deep breathing was the only sound except for his in the room, and in his eyes, it was the only thing he’d ever need in his life—that and Bucky’s heartbeat next to hers when they all drifted off to sleep.

Suddenly, he felt YN moving more in her sleep, her fingers grasping his shirt like a lifeline, and a small whimper escaped her lips, brows deeply furrowed. He let the book rest on the blanket thrown over both of them and started humming the tune of one of her favorite songs while also pressing feather-light kisses to her forehead, trying to pull her unconsciousness out of the bad dream and back to something bright and joyful. And it worked like a charm, just as it always did, and soon, YN rested unmoving against his chest again, her breathing back to the long deep breaths of deep slumber.

Steve picked up his book where he had left off, only to let his motion stop midair as his eyes found Bucky leaning against the doorframe, watching his two people with a small smile on his lips. “Bad dream again?” The blond nodded and put the book on the nightstand. “They come and go as they please.” Bucky had more experience with them than he had, so he just nodded in understanding and walked over to them. His duffel bag leaned against the wall as he sat down on Steve’s bedside, hands finding together and holding tightly onto one another. The brunet kissed the blond first before pressing a lingering kiss to YN’s forehead, sighing deeply as their familiar scent enveloped him and soothed his mind. “I’m too tired to take a shower, but she’ll tell me a piece of her mind when she wakes up and realizes I climbed into bed in my tactical gear,” Bucky groaned quietly, head resting at Steve’s shoulder, but then chuckled and pushed himself back up after he had felt a kiss to his temple. The Rogers grinned at that.

Yes, they were decades-old super soldiers and fought off the most dangerous people on this planet, but they feared the wrath of this tiny, delicate woman more than anything else in this world. And they never liked to upset her in the first place.

“Just a quick rinse. It’ll make you feel better,” Steve nudged Bucky gently and smiled lovingly at his deep sigh, watching his shoulders slump down and his body succumbing to the exhaustion after a mission. “Only a quick one. And only because I love you two.” With that, Bucky let his hand wander into Steve’s neck and pulled him towards him, but only so much as not to disturb YN in her much-needed sleep, and exhaled slowly as he felt their lips touching. “I could join you,” Steve mumbled into the kiss, feeling excitement rushing through his body at the thought alone, but knew Bucky would shake his head even before he actually did it. “You need to take care of our girl here. Y’know how easily she wakes up when no one is next to her.” Then, he smirked and kissed Steve slowly and languidly. “Remember, we have the entire weekend to ourselves. Just the three of us in here, unoccupied time. The little something I found for her should arrive tomorrow.” Steve’s breath hitched in his throat as the memory of a night spent online shopping moved back into his mind, accompanied by the mere anticipation he had felt when Bucky had found the scandalous piece they both knew she would love—until it would be on the floor, probably in lacey shreds.

Bucky chuckled as Steve finally pushed him off the bed. “Go and take a shower, sarge. I know someone is in need of her big spoon.” And he was right because as the other man climbed into their bed and pressed his chest against her back, YN smiled in her sleep and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, nuzzling closer into each of her super soldiers, the bad dreams entirely gone for the night.

* * *

Choreomania echoed through the still empty apartment somewhere in Brooklyn, the sun filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows, facing Prospect Park in its green beauty. YN hummed and sang along to the vinyl of Florence + The Machine, wearing an old pair of sweatpants—she wasn’t even sure who they belonged to, either Steve or Bucky—and an old tank top, and now, after hours filled with painting the walls, she was covered in paint splotches, her fingers raw from removing the old wallpaper meticulously, so she could paint the walls just like they preferred.

This would be their home. This would be their safe space. This would be the home of their family. And therefore, it had to simply be perfect. And that’s why YN was already in here, already working hard for their dream home to become a reality instead of a fleeting image in their heads, even though they had decided to do this together after Steve’s and Bucky’s last mission for the month. But she couldn’t wait. She wasn’t able to sit around at the compound, reading her books and watching her shows when she already had all the time possible at hand to do something.

Dipping the painter’s roll back into the color, YN quickly climbed the ladder to check the painter’s tape one last time, only to rearrange and re-stick it again. She was satisfied with the result after the adjustment; the blue tape line was now perfectly even, and the wall was ready to be painted. With a nod, the Avenger started to climb down the metal ladder, only to slip off it on her sock-clad feet. A shriek thought its way out of her throat as she felt herself falling and following earth’s gravitational forces until a pair of strong arms caught her mid-air and pressed her against a broad chest.

“Woah there, doll,” Bucky’s voice murmured close to her ear, and instinctively, YN’s arms circled his neck. “What the hell do you think you’re doin’ here all by yourself, hm?” She searched his crystal blue eyes with her own and shrugged, almost helplessly, at the sight of his worried gaze and his scrunched-up brows. YN couldn’t even get a word out of her mouth because suddenly, heavy steps echoed through the hallway, and Steve entered the living room, brows just as worriedly furrowed as his boyfriend’s. “What happened?” Immediately, he let go of the bags he had carried, letting them tumble to the hardwood floor just as she had almost done and hurried himself over to the pair, his eyes already scanning for possible injuries before his hands followed. They softly wandered over her arms and her legs, and Bucky let his hand feel her back up and down, only to hum, satisfied when she didn’t flinch in pain.

YN shrugged again and looked from one high-towering super soldier to the other. “I thought I could start on the walls already while you two are still in Prague.” Now that she thought about it… “What are you two doing here, anyway? You weren’t supposed to be back until, what? The day after tomorrow?” Then, she had to add: “I don’t mean I’m not excited to have you back already, in one piece, because I am—excited. Welcome home.” Her eyes almost teared up when she first pulled Steve down at his neck and kissed his soft lips gently before turning her head to Bucky and kissing him just as lovingly. The two soldiers smiled softly down at the woman between them, still lying in Bucky’s arms, and recognized the feeling swirling inside them instantly: pure happiness and domestic bliss.

“You should’ve waited for us, baby girl,” Steve muttered after the brunet had sat her back on her feet, and he had the opportunity to take a gentle hold of her hands. The delicate tips of her fingers were an angry red, her skin plastered in probably toxic paint, and the grumble of her stomach had been heard by the two men downstairs when they first arrived at their new home. “I’m fine. It’s nothing, really, Stevie. The mustard-yellow wallpaper just put up a harder fight than anticipated, but I conquered it.” Her proud grin warmed the two men from the inside, and Bucky wrapped his arms around her shoulders, propping his chin atop her head. “Well, that fight must’ve been a sight to behold,” he chuckled before his metal thumb started to draw circles into her upper arm. “But I think someone forgot to look after herself, so you’ll take a break now and eat something while we’re dealing with the walls. Alright, doll?”

Quietly muttering, YN obliged and nodded because she knew this wasn’t a fight she could ever win. Steve and Bucky were too protective for that, too worried about her well-being to let her have her way now. So she let these two settle her on their folded jackets, back propped up against the wooden passage frame, and takeout from her favorite Chinese restaurant in hands. Her eyes never left them, watching them as they quickly tried to wipe her skin clean of the smelly paint before pressing kisses to her face, reminding her to eat her lunch, and went to work.

They stared at her progress for a moment, trying to figure out what her vision had been for their living room, before grabbing the painter’s rolls and rolling off the excess paint in the plastic bins. “You did such a great job, doll.” Bucky smiled over at her, his heart aching beautifully as he watched his best girl starting to smile radiantly with the chopsticks between her lips, and he was sure she had never been more beautiful than now. “Oh, definitely. This will be done before you finish your food,” Steve added to the praise, smiling himself, as he started to paint the first wall while Bucky climbed the ladder to treat the bare wooden planks with oil.

“You two should do this all day, every day. You look hot renovating our home.” The words were almost swallowed by the bite of Chinese takeout and chopsticks still in her mouth, and YN felt her cheeks blushing when they both turned and looked over at her. “Oh, yeah? Maybe we should take off our shirts then, baby girl?” Steve wiggled his blond brows teasingly, and a laugh escaped him, head thrown back, as YN bombarded him with a napkin. “Don’t you dare. See that window over there?” She pointed to the window at one of the sides, facing the house on the other side of the street. “That woman living there already ogled you two when we first went here. It obviously doesn’t matter that she’s married, but you don’t have to fuel her ego or whatever.”

Quietly grumbling, YN stared down into the box of takeout, the urgent feeling of hiding her two boyfriends from the world almost overwhelming again. Sometimes, she couldn’t help herself and felt overly protective of them, and sometimes even jealous, especially when women tried to take them away from her. It was stupid, she knew that because she knew that these two would never leave her—and neither would she. The thought alone hurt. But sometimes, her brain morphed back to the state of mind she had before them when men always only played with her and never meant what they said. Steve and Bucky changed that, changed her. And now, she was certain that these men would never dump her.

YN didn’t realize the lack of sounds—the wet noises of even wetter paint against a dry wall and the occasionally rusty sound of the ladder when it ached under Bucky’s weight—too focused on munching on her food to distract her mind and think about anything but that awful woman on the other side of the road. She didn’t even hear the sounds of heavy steps creeping closer to her sitting form, and she only realized how close they were when Steve lifted her off the ground and into his arms, wrapping her legs around his hips and carrying her over to the aforementioned window. The woman felt the glass pressed against her back, and she swallowed the last bite down, cocking one brow at their antics. Bucky had settled himself right next to them, leaning sideways against the wall next to the window and letting his hand cup her cheek.

Switching between their faces, YN looked from one to the other, both brows now almost touching her hairline, and her head cocked to the side questioningly. “What are you doing?” Her voice sounded more breathless than initially planned, and her lips parted slightly when Steve turned his attention to her exposed sensitive neck, softly breathing against it before kissing it languidly. “We can’t have our doll being all broody and jealous,” Bucky whispered in Steve’s place, his thumb slowly caressing the skin over her cheekbone. “We can’t have our best and only girl think that stares of some woman would let us react in any way possible.” Now he bent his head to start kissing from her collarbone upwards to her chin, slowly and teasingly. “Need to show that woman who we belong to.” Steve hummed in agreement before he nibbled at her most sensitive spot, gently sucking the skin between his lips, and chuckled when he heard the familiar sound of a gasp of air. “And we only belong to one woman,” he finally mumbled, lips pressed against lips, kissing her like a man possessed, before he backed off to let Bucky get his turn with their girl. He kissed her like a man starved, all tongue and teeth until they both needed oxygen and parted with labored breaths, all the while Steve had his chin propped up on her shoulder, eyes staring contently out the window and occasionally kissing her neck.

“I think that woman will never look at us again, baby girl.”

* * *

Following her through her favorite bookshop was a simple task—and a simple pleasure. They loved to watch their girl strolling through the aisles, her eyes wandering over the colorful book covers in different designs and art styles, stopping more as she actually walked, always a new book in sight that had picked her interest and curiosity. They followed her like two broad shadows, always shielding her from the outside world because they knew how much she needed those hours of mindless strolling and discovering.

YN stopped again at that moment, eyes wandering over the entire length of the bookshelf until they stopped at a book in the top half of the shelf. Pressing herself onto the tiptoes, she tried to reach it, but still, she was too short. With a huff, the woman lowered herself again and turned to her two boyfriends, looking up at them with big, round, pleading eyes, even though YN knew very well that she didn’t need to beg. “Could you…?” She couldn’t even get the entire question out before Bucky was right at her side, one of his big hands resting on the small of her back. “Which one, doll?” Her finger instantly stretched out and pointed to a blue and purple book spine which the brunet grabbed without any signs of effort and handed it to her with a smile and a kiss to her lips. “Thank you, baby,” she grinned up at him before reading the blurb on the back of the book and decided to give it a new home on her bookshelf.

Finding its way into the crook of her elbow, YN continued down the aisles and didn’t even have to turn and ask one of them to grab her another book because both men knew that title by heart now. And it was the main reason they headed to the shop today. Steve pressed himself against her back as he took it from the shelf, one hand resting on her shoulder and lovingly squeezing it, his lips wandering from exposed shoulder to her neck. He reveled in the sounds of her soft giggles and grinned against her skin when she whispered a Thanks, Stevie, when she gathered the third book of her favorite series in her arms. “Any time, baby girl.” It was only a soft whisper against the nape of her neck before Steve took a step back for her to continue her strolling and gathered Bucky’s hand in his to intertwine their fingers.

“We will leave a tremendous amount of money again,” he chuckled as they watched their girl picking up two other books and piling them in her arm, and Steve laughed softly at that. “Try and see it as a donation and continued support of local businesses,” the blond countered, the grin still on his face as he nudged Bucky’s side lovingly with his arm. “At least we earn enough to keep up with her small book addiction.” Steve threw Bucky a look at that and couldn’t contain his laugh as the brunet winked at him and pulled him closer to his side to press a kiss to his lips. “Just wait for what books she picked out for us again. We still need you to let go of The Hobbit for a while,” teased Steve, a bubbling laugh bursting out of him when Bucky nudged his side now and rolled his eyes at him. “Yeah yeah, whatever.”

But then, he stopped for a moment as he looked in the aisles ahead of them—the empty aisles ahead of them. “Where did she go?” It was common for them to lose YN at some point, but it never happened so quickly and without either of them realizing it until it was too late. Steve softly rubbed his shoulder when he felt Bucky’s anxiety getting the best of him. “She’s probably just around the corner in the next aisles, Buck. Remember the list she wrote and forgot on the coffee table? She should be somewhere left of us now. C’mon.” Lovingly, Steve coaxed him to come with him, well knowing how Bucky tended to think the worst when YN just disappeared, still not entirely processing the fact that Hydra was destroyed and no one would ever come for her again.

But when they rounded the shelf and looked into the aisles where Steve had thought YN must be by now, only to not find her there, even his heart skipped a couple of beats. Bucky swallowed thickly next to him, his eyes jumping from one face to another, trying to find her between the shopping people. “It’s okay, Buck. See?” He pointed to the books and the sign reading Non-Fiction hanging above the bookshelf. “They reorganized. She took a right turn then. Okay?” The brunet inhaled deeply and nodded slowly, still not fully convinced. “Let’s find our girl before she raids the entire store,” Steve tried to lighten the mood when he pulled Bucky with him, only to pick up YN’s voice in the aforementioned right aisles.

“What do you want, Chandler? You see, I’m busy buying books which is way more important than your sorry ass. So… Off you go.”

Both super soldiers stopped at the crossing and stared the man down who had the audacity to cheat on this gorgeous woman in front of them. He never deserved her, and they had picked up the pieces he had left and built her up again. And now, he had the audacity to talk to her, to even breathe the same air as she did.

“Chandler.” Bucky’s voice was as deep as it gets, sending chills down every spine of every person who never heard the growl before. But Chandler was too stupid to sense the danger he found himself in because he had dared to talk to her. His eyes moved from them to YN before he chuckled lowly. “So, it’s true? You not only sleep with one but two of them? Or are you just a spectator when they’re at it?” Steve grabbed the shoulder of his boyfriend to hold him back, even if he felt like punching that idiot himself, especially when he leaned closer to her than they both liked. “Always knew you’re a fucking freak.”

They both were on their way to beat the hell out of him, but YN beat them to it. She let go of her books, only for the stack to softly levitate in the air instead of following the gravitational laws of this planet, and with one hand, she grabbed Chandler’s neck and pushed him against the bookshelf with astonishing ease. He gulped and looked helplessly at the two men, trying to get their help, but they just watched their girl being the badass they knew she was. “Listen, dumbass. You can insult me all you want because I couldn’t care less for your opinion about me, but—“ YN let her fingers grip tighter until he had trouble getting enough oxygen into his lungs. “—but don’t you dare and insult my men. I don’t take those lightly. Are we clear?” He nodded quickly, and she let go of him, a radiant smile now on her face. “Perfect. Then off you go now. Go go. Your little dolly is waiting over there, round eyes and all. You should check on her. That’s what you always could do best anyway.”

With a barely seen flick of her wrist, the books landed in her arm again, and with another smile, she turned to her two boyfriends, staring proudly down at her in her pretty sundress and her new possessions in hand. “I think I got everything I need for now,” she smiled up at them and let Steve grab the piling stack of books out of her arms to carry it for her.

Bucky pulled her into his side, his arm thrown over her shoulders and lips pressing kiss after kiss to the crown of her head as they followed Steve to the counter. “You didn’t have to do this, doll.” It was only a mumble, and YN almost didn’t hear it but caught up to it just in time to look up at him and wrap both arms around his middle. “Yes, I had to. No one is talking like that about my boys in front of me, ever. You wouldn’t take shit about me either, won’t you? You wouldn’t allow it.” He stopped to wrap both arms around his best girl and pulled her into his chest, bending his head to kiss both her cheeks and the tip of her nose. “You know we would never take anyone’s shit about you, doll. Never. Even if it’s minor, we would step in and stop it.” The thought alone that anyone would hurt her, physically or mentally, almost broke him. No, they would always protect their best girl; the cost didn't matter. It would always be them against the entire world.

Her smile illuminated the shop, and he oh so willingly let his face get pulled down by her fingers wrapped around his chin to be kissed once again. He would never get enough of her, either. “See?” She now grinned and grumbling, he caved and nodded. “Okay, Okay, I see your point, doll,” he finally muttered, a smile tucking at his lips nonetheless because he could never be mad at her.

Giggling, YN received the paper bag full of new books—even though she still had piles over piles of TBRs waiting at home—and let Bucky take it out of her hands, so she could walk in between her two super soldiers and hold each of their hands. But instead of following them on their familiar route after a successful book shopping tour, she gently but urgently pulled at their hands to make them turn right instead of left. Steve furrowed his brows and looked down at her, not really knowing what was wrong. “Baby girl? The coffee shop is this way.” He already softly pulled at her hand, always having his strength in check. “But I don’t wanna go there,” she started, and immediately, both grew worried again. It wasn’t like her not wanting her iced coffee alongside her new books, so she could sit in the sun and start reading. Steve’s thoughts already wandered to the bookshop situation, blaming it on Chandler and wanting to beat him up just like the boys back in the day beat him up. “If it’s because of him, we’ll make sure that he leaves if he’s even there,” Steve promised with an undertone, ready to move heaven and earth for their woman, but the shake of her head stopped him right there. “No! No, I just wanna… Well, maybe it’s because of him, but not because I’m upset about it, but because you are clearly upset about it. So, I just wanna head home, order some food, and read in bed while cuddling with you. Would that be alright?”

She looked from one towering man to the other and let her eyes fall shut as they both pulled her in, wrapping her in their wonderfully tight hugs. She let them kiss her in the middle of the sidewalk and felt loved and cherished to an extent that wasn’t possible before Steve and Bucky entered her life.

“Of course, doll.”

“Whatever you want, baby girl.”

But deep down, Bucky and Steve couldn’t get over the fact how perfect their best girl was.

* * *

Thank you for reading (even though it wasn’t the best thing ever written)! As usual: reblogs would be absolutely great, just as overall love for this piece, and I’d love to read whatever you thought while reading!

[allisluv]

Finnick finding out reader has not slept at all. Like maybe she has insomnia, or just refuses to sleep. When he finds out he's ready to give her a hot shower to relax her, he's giving her one of his shirts bc he knows she feels safe and comfortable in them the most, he takes her into his lap and caresses her temple bc he knows how soothing it is for her and how it makes her sleepy till she's asleep

-🎸

enter sandman.

pairing: finnick odair x fem!reader

content warnings: insomnia, reader can't sleep, illusions to finnick's trauma in the capitol.

word count: 512

It's early in the morning when Finnick takes the train back from the Capitol and slips through the front door of your shared house in Victor's Village. Even just being home has the tension dissipating from his shoulders. He takes his brown sandals off at the door and pads through the house in his bare feet, making a beeline for your bedroom.

Finnick knows you suffer with insomnia, and he wills the hinges not to creak when he pushes down on the handle. He peeks his head through the crack in the door and isn't really surprised when he sees the double doors to the private balcony open and your double bed empty.

He closes the door softly behind him and crosses the room in three quick strides. Out on the balcony, he catches sight of you sitting in the rickety rocking chair. Your hair is wringing wet from what he assumes to be a last-ditch attempt to tire yourself out by swimming in the sea and a blanket is wrapped around your shoulders.

The wooden floorboards creak under his feet, giving his position away. You look up from the book you were reading, and offer him a tiny smile. "You're home," you sigh happily.

"You're still up," Finnick retorts, crossing the balcony and leaning against the wooden banister that provides you with a bit of privacy. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

You lift your shoulders up into a shrug. "Couldn't sleep."

"I know just the thing for that," Finnick offers you his hand. Despite your scepticism, you link your fingers with his. He pulls you up and out of the rocking chair and leads you into the kitchen, where he lifts you onto a marble countertop.

As he rustles around in the overhead cupboards, you ask, "What are you doing, Finn?"

He doesn't bother turning around to look at you as he replies. "I'm making you some chamomile tea and then I'm gonna run you a warm bath with some melatonin salts in it."

"You don't have to do that--"

"I know," Finnick pours boiling hot water from the kettle into a cup and hands you the mug. He presses a kiss to your forehead. "But it's not a matter about having to do it. I want to do it, and there's a difference."

Your heart might just melt in your chest at that. "I love you, Finn."

He smiles. "I know you do. And for what it's worth, I love you, too."

Finnick stays true to his word and runs you a bath, lighting candles and massaging your shampoo and conditioner into your scalp. When your muscles no longer ache, he helps you swing your leg over the side of the bath and lets you towel off while he finds his favourite t-shirt.

He slips it over your head, runs a brush through your hair, and coaxes you into lying down with him. "I love you," he whispers, threading his fingers through your hair and carressing your temple.

Half-asleep, you murmur the words, "I love you," back to him.

[lostgirlmuseum]

Stuck (2)gether

(image from Pinterest ^) Summary: A continuation of Stuck Together, Bucky deals with the aftermath of now knowing what it’s like to be so close to you. He misses it. He’s scared of it. He needs it.

Words: 2.7k

Warning: None I don’t think, just some fluff and an awkward Bucky. Oh and implied wet socks (DON'T WORRY, NOT EXPLICIT)

A/N: Yes I think im very funny with the title lol

Previously…

You wonder what you did to make him so revolted by you.

Little do you know, at that very moment, Bucky is resisting every urge to run back to you.

Bucky woke up the next morning feeling lost. Like there was something missing. Before his groggy brain could put it together, he saw his phone light up with a reminder that he was meeting Sam to go on a jog. He quickly got up and got dressed, trying to ignore that weird nagging feeling that a piece of him was gone.

Seeing as he lives on the fourth floor of the tower, he could’ve very easily taken the stairs to level one. It’s not like he got winded often. But something compelled him to take the elevator.

Right as the odd feeling had started to dissipate, the elevator doors opened. And there you were.

It all came crashing back to him. 

Fu-

“Oh, hey Buck.” You smiled.

“Hi.” He briefly considered not getting on. He could take the stairs. But there you stood, and he felt the urge to stand right next to you.

“What floor?” You asked.

He looked at the buttons. He saw “12” glow a faint yellow.

“Twelve.” 

“Oh, me too.” 

“Yes.”

Yes? What does that even mean? Just be cool Barnes. Be cool—

Your sweet voice interrupted his internal panic.

“Nice. With how hot it’s been lately, I figured I should take advantage of the pool.”

He finally noticed the towel you were carrying.

“Yeah, same.” He crossed his arms.

“You’re heading to the pool too?” 

“Yeah.”

“What are the chances?” You politely laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go swimming.”

“I swim.” 

Despite his horrible conversational skills, he doesn’t want this elevator ride to end.

“I don’t doubt it.” 

There came an awkward lull in the conversation. He felt guilty for not only lying about where he was headed, but even more so for his lack of interesting responses. The least he could do was be engaging.

Either you gave up on him, or you lost interest, because neither of you said another word as you exited the elevator, and walked down the hall into the pool room.

He stood and watched as you grabbed a chair and draped your towel over it. You two were the only ones there. He continued to watch as you took off your t-shirt and stepped out of your shorts, revealing a navy bathing suit underneath. You stacked your clothes neatly on the chair, and pulled your hair back. You ambled up to the edge of the pool and dipped your toe in. Then you turned around and saw him staring right back at you, unmoving.

“Where’s your swimsuit?” You tilted your head.

“Um.” He looked at you blankly for a solid three seconds. He realized there was a significant hitch in his plan. Could he make an excuse and just leave? Yes. Was he going to? No. Because all logic went out the window the minute the elevator doors opened and he saw you. He’s acting on the instinct to be near you, and not leave your side, no matter what. “I didn’t bring it.”

“Oh, I know what you’re doing.” You laughed.

Oh jeez. You’ve caught him. He’s mortified. He can’t even explain the feelings coursing through his veins, and yet you’ve already figured him out.

“Swimming fully clothed, yeah? I’ve heard it’s a good skill to learn, never know when you might be in a situation where you unexpectedly find yourself in a body of water, especially in our line of work.”

He nodded. 

You turned back to the water and took a step up on the diving block. You got in position and dove into the water, leaving Bucky with his jaw dropped at how you just found his excuse for him.

“You coming in, or what?” You called, wading in the pool.

“I’m here, sorry,” Bucky started his apologies to Sam the minute he found him waiting on a bench in the lobby.

“Man, where were you? I thought we were meeting for a run. And why the hell are you dripping?” 

“Sorry, I got held up.”

“Doing what? Did you forget to take your clothes off in the shower?”

“No.”

“Okay…” Sam looked Bucky up and down, taking in the way his shirt clung to his chest, the messy damp hair, and the literal puddle he stood in. “Buck, I’m waiting for an explanation on why you’re drenched.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Weird dude. You’re being weird. I mean, you’re always weird, but especially right now.”

“Are we running, or not?” He groaned.

“With those squeaky ass shoes? I’m thinking not.”

Around lunch time, Bucky had found you alone in the kitchen, making a sandwich. Your hair was still a bit damp from the pool earlier, but so was his. 

“Oh!” You jumped, “You snuck up on me!”

“Sorry,” he blushed. 

Next thing he knew, he was standing right beside you, behind the kitchen island. 

You seemed just as surprised at his proximity, he usually stayed a fair distance away from everyone. Minus Steve, maybe.

He mumbled something, searching your face.

“What?” You asked.

“Um, what are you making?”

“Just a sandwich.”

“What kind of sandwich?”

“I don’t know, I kinda grabbed whatever I could find from the fridge.”

He felt himself smile.

“What?” You laughed, noticing his weird reaction.

“You’ve got—” he paused, hesitating to bring his hand up, “here, I got it.” 

He brought his thumb to your left cheekbone, carefully wiping away a smudge of mustard you had managed.

“Oh,” you giggled. But he didn’t take his hand away. He just let it lightly hover, looking wistfully from his hand by your cheek to your glittering eyes.

“Is that sandwich for me?” Tony’s voice penetrated the bubble Bucky had found himself in. 

Immediately, Bucky brought his arms to his sides and stepped away from you, backing up a ridiculous five feet.

He saw a glimpse of hurt and confusion on your face, but it quickly dissipated into a teasing smile.

“Sorry Iron Man, but this sandwich is mine.” You crossed your arms.

“Well, this kitchen is mine. My kitchen, my rules, yeah?”

“Alright, just take the sandwich.”

“Is that yellow or Dijon mustard I see on it?”

“Yellow.”

“Damn. I prefer Dijon.” Tony quipped back.

Bucky did what he did best, standing and watching from afar.

Tony glanced over at him and back at you. The man leaned over the counter.

“Come here.” He gestured for you to lean in.

You gave him a suspicious look but stepped closer, leaning over the island.

Tony brought his hand up to where Bucky had just had his, and swiped.

“Weird, I thought I saw a smudge of something.” Tony teased, looking back over at Bucky.

Bucky felt his cheeks flush. Damn Stark, and having to ruin everything. Bucky didn’t care how you responded, he suddenly felt the urge to get the hell out. 

“Buck–” he heard you start to call, but he was already half-way out the door.

Bucky was laying face down on his bed when he heard the knock at his door.

“Who is it?” He grumbled.

There was no response.

“Hello?”

Begrudgingly, he rolled out of bed and opened the door. No one was there. He looked down and finally noticed the note at his feet. He glanced down the empty hallway before picking up the small paper and going back into his room.

“Meet me in my room in 5 minutes. Go ahead in, I’ll be there soon.

                        From, Y/N”

His heart started to race. 

You were inviting him into your room? Your space. God, this has got to be a dream. Finally, he can be close to you and not worry about anyone interrupting. His head was so clouded with the anticipation of you that he didn’t even think to wonder what you wanted to meet him for. Or why you felt the need to put it in a note.

You said to meet in five minutes, but he couldn’t help himself. He left immediately for your room and was three minutes early. He tugged at his hair for a minute, and rocked on his heels. He couldn’t take it. What’s two minutes?

He knocked on your door and it creaked open. 

He let himself in, like you asked, and nearly sat on the edge of your bed, but thought it too intimate, opting for your cozy chair in the corner. It smelled like you. 

Soon after, he heard steps coming down the hall and closer to your door.

He tried to keep his body still, but he wanted to meet you halfway. He’d never felt so impatient.

The door slowly started to open…

Bucky blanched. 

“Peter?” 

“I’m really sorry about this Sergeant Barnes.” The kid gave him apologetic eyes.

“Sorry about w—” Bucky didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence, Peter shot two webs, both landing perfectly in place where Bucky’s arms rested on the chair.

“Mr. Starks orders.” Peter burst out, right before making his quick exit out the door.

Before Bucky could even start to badger the kid, two faces appeared in the doorway.

“Stark! What the fuck is going on?!” Bucky yelled, and turned his attention to the other body. “Wilson, I swear to fucking god—”

“Cool it Tin Man, this is for your own good,” Tony started, “this way you have to confront your feelings for Y/N.”

“I don’t have feelings for—” Bucky started to bark back, but Sam interrupted from the doorway.

“Don’t lie, Buck, I talked to Y/N earlier. You were late because you went swimming, fully clothed, just to be near her. That’s crazy!”

“Psychotic, really,” Tony added. 

“Desperate, is what it is.” Sam pointed. “Sorry to do this to you, really, but it’s for your own good. And hers too.”

The men started to close the door, and Bucky seethed, “Don’t you dare, I will kill you both!”

He was seeing red.

Stark's muffled remark came behind the door.

“Good luck, we’re rooting for you!”

“STARRRRKK—”

He tried thrashing, but it was useless. He was feeling murderous. The chair bumped onto the ground as he repeatedly attempted to stand up and free his wrists from their confines.

But his anger swiftly turned to panic the second he sensed footsteps and heard your light humming nearing the door.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whispered, willing the web to dissolve.

But it was too late. You opened the door, and spotted him immediately.

“Wha—Bucky?”

“Hey, hi, yeah,”

“Are you alright?” You asked, looking around the room for any other unusual signs. “What are you doing here? Is that Peter’s web?”

“You see, I can explain,” he started, already breathless.

“Okay…” 

“Um, I got a note from you saying to meet you in your room, and so that’s why I’m here. Obviously, you didn’t write it, but I didn’t know that at the time so I let myself in, but then Parker popped out of nowhere, webbed me to the chair, and then Stark and Sam appeared and said stuff and essentially this is all an elaborate prank on behalf of them.”

You just looked at him.

“You’re looking at me like I’m crazy, I get it, it sounds unbelievable, but I swear to god that is what happened.”

“Relax, Bucky, I believe you. I just don’t get the joke.” You crossed your arms, lost in thought.

“They’re twisted, who knows what they are ever thinking.”

“I just don’t understand why they’d do this.”

“I don’t know, they wanted us to talk, it’s stupid.” He rolled his eyes.

“Talk? About what?”

Bucky didn’t answer. But he didn’t have to. A look of realization and a twinge of shame crossed your face.

“Oh, is this about the other day? Bucky, I’m really sorry. I was just trying to help you get the web off, I didn’t know I’d get stuck to you. I’m really, really, sorry, I never would have done it if I’d known. I know you value your space, and I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I apologize.”

Bucky started to sputter, not even sure how to correct how wrong you were.

“Oh my gosh! And now you’re trapped in my room, it’s happening again. I’m sorry, you probably want to be as far away as possible from me right now. I’ll go find the web dissolver, I’ll give you space,”

“No, I don’t want space.” He blurted. Well, no going back now. “I want to be…close to you.” He whispered, ducking his head in humiliation.

You simply shook your head, not understanding.

“I’m sorry, it’s embarrassing. Ever since we got stuck together, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about being close to you. I don’t know what’s happened to me, maybe it’s just that I haven’t been so close to another person in so long, or something else is wrong with me. I see you and I’m itching to be closer. It’s like when the web dissolved a magnet took its place. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Why do you assume I don’t feel the same way?”

“You—” Bucky blinked, “you what?”

“Maybe I like being close to you too? Maybe I’m embarrassed because you started to run away from me?”

“Fuck, I know, I’m sorry, it’s just a new feeling for me and I don’t completely understand it, and I don’t want Stark making me feel like a fool.” He hung his head. “Which he’s doing a really good job of right now.”

“Forget Stark, he can be a raging asshole.” You spotted the way he was struggling against the restraints. “Let me make a quick call, and then we can continue this conversation.”

You quickly picked up your phone, tapped around, and held the phone to your ear. It rung three times before someone answered.

“Peter?… No, I’m not angry…Yes, I am disappointed...Just bring the web solution…No, he won’t kill you…Yes, I promise…Okay, hurry.”

You hung up and turned your attention back to Bucky.

“So, you like me?”

He felt his cheeks warm. 

“I mean… yeah. Is that okay?”

“Of course it’s okay, Bucky.” You smiled.

A minute or two later Peter knocked on the door, and peeked his head in with the formula.

“Please don’t be disappointed in me. I was just listening to Mr. Stark.” He begged you, his eyes wide looking into yours.

“Fine, I’m not disappointed.” You relented, always merciful. “But let this be a lesson in establishing boundaries. And I think I need to have a chat with Tony about taking advantage of you.”

“Thank you, thank you.” He sighed, handing you the bottle and rag.

“But, I think you owe someone else an apology.”

Peter looked Bucky in the eyes for the first time since the door opened. 

“I’m really sorry Sergeant Barnes. That wasn’t cool of me. It won’t happen again.”

“Whatever, just get outta here, kid.” He gave a small wave of his hand, which looked a bit awkward considering his forearms were still glued down.

That was pretty much as close as Bucky could get to accepting an apology.

Peter scurried off and you got to work on freeing Bucky.

Bucky was snuggled against you on the couch. He squeezed you tight, his big arms wrapped around your body. He had his head resting on your chest, and you were rubbing small circles on his back.

You had both been there for nearly an hour, unmoving from your spot.

Bucky heard you mumble a stern, “Behave,” to Tony when he walked in. Knowing he was defeated, he put his arms up in protest and walked on by without a single quip. Truly a feat for Iron Man.

He couldn’t be happier, being so close to your warmth.

Bucky didn’t know a lot of things. Like why he wasn’t dead yet, how Tony Stark could be such a pain, and what the hell is flan? But he did know one thing. That being close to you was the most perfect thing. It just feels right. You feel right. And he’s elated to know that there are a million more cuddles to come.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope this lived up to the first part, or at least was somewhat close? I hope you have a wonderful day, and let me know what you think!