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btsslowburnfic · 3 years

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The Arrangement Ch. 37

Story summary: Desperately in need of money, you answered the questionable ad. AKA-Arranged marriage AU featuring Y/N and Yoongi

Chapter Summary: Just hanging out with friends. Being all cute

AN: Welcome new readers and a big thank you to the ones who have been around for a while ^_^ Thank you to jiminieshii and ggukkieland for mentioning this fic on their blogs.

Previous chapter here

As usual, Yoongi had plopped himself down in the middle of the sofa, waiting for you and Jin to join him. “Why does this cost money again?” He asked dryly.

“I don’t know Yoongi, it just does,” Jin said; a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

“Just enjoy it dude,” You added from the other side.

Yoongi looked over at you, a look of pretend disgust on his face. “Really? Now you two are ganging up on me?” He shifted to a pout.

“Pfffttt you deserve it. You’re being a brat.” You scolded him.

Jin remained silent, messing with the tv settings, but inside he was happy you were calling Yoongi out for his rude behavior.

Yoongi rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I’m still pissy about the whole thing earlier today. Sorry Jin.” He said in pout.

Jin turned, wide eyed, and looked at Yoongi. Rare words, he knew. He nodded. “It’s fine. Alright. We are down to one minute left. Anyone want to place a bet?”

You waved a hand, “I don’t know enough to be able to place a bet.”

“I don’t want to,” Yoongi replied.

Jin sighed loudly, “Ok fine. Let me text my brother real quick,” he pulled out his phone, quickly typing. “When is your brother’s wedding?” You asked, remembering the topic being mentioned the other day.

“Next month. It’s at the restaurant.” He looked up from his phone. “You two are invited. Did Yoongi tell you?”

Yoongi smirked, “I did. Seems like someone didn’t check their calendar.”

You rolled your eyes, but you were glad his mood was improving so you decided you’d allow him to gloat a little. “Hey. It’s a busy month. Photoshoots, auction, wedding. My brother and sister have stuff going on. Give a girl a break.” You sighed dramatically.

You heard Yoongi chuckle, his deep voice producing a rumble next to you. To your surprise, he then put his arm around your shoulder as the countdown timer started to count down from ten seconds.

Jin half looked over, preparing to make another comment about the wedding, but decided it was wise to not interrupt at that exact moment.

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“YN you can stop acting like you’re enjoying this.” Yoongi said quietly to you in the kitchen.

“What? It’s fiiiine. It’s fine. I love sportsball. So fun. Go team.” You weakly enthused. You had never actually watched a basketball game before. Your brother went to practice a few times before he had to drop out. That hadn’t been terribly exciting, but you assumed the games would be more interesting at least.

“Can you even tell me what teams are playing?” Yoongi asked, crossing his hands over his chest.

“Umm definitely a white team and a red team.” You retorted.

He laughed. “Seriously. Go do something you enjoy doing.”

You pouted. You liked sitting with him on the couch. Butttttt….you also knew that Jimin had asked you about hanging out earlier. For some reason you were nervous about asking Yoongi if you could do that. Ask him? Did you need to ask him? You were an adult. Why was this weird all of a sudden?? Yoongi didn’t like Jimin. You didn’t care about that before. Fuck. You had been spacing out for way too long, you realized.

“Umm...would you mind if I went and hung out with Jimin? He mentioned it earlier, but we already had plans with Jin.”

Yoongi bit his lip, thinking about how much had changed in such a short time period. “No, of course not. Go have fun. Just get a ride home if you guys go out, me and Jin are going to keep drinking and watching the game.”

“Ok, I’ll text him and see if the offer to hang out is still open. Do you think Jin will mind?”

Yoongi laughed, looking over at Jin yelling at the TV. “Uh no, the only thing Jin cares about right now is how much money he’s going to lose to his brother.”

You smiled. Passionate Jin. You picked up your phone to text Jimin

YN: Hey! The game is so very boring. It turns out I hate basketball. Do you want to hang out? Or do you need Auction help?

Jimin: Fuck the auction i’m so over it for today. Do you want to go out or come over and hang out?

YN: My face is still a little puffy from crying and I’ve already been drinking some. I’d rather stay in than go out. Your place?

Jimin: Sounds good. Give me half an hour to tidy up a bit. Do you mind if I invite V or JK?

YN: No. But please don’t bring up what happened earlier today in front of anybody else.

Jimin: Of course not <3

YN: See you later! Can I bring anything??

Jimin: I have wine. If you want something else feel free to bring. You looked up to see Yoongi standing in between the living room and kitchen still, half watching the game, and half waiting to hear from you. He looked back over and saw you weren’t typing anymore.

“So….you leaving us?” He teased.

“Heyyy don't’ put it like that. But yes. I am. I’m going to go grab a sweatshirt and head over there in a few.” You smiled and headed down the hallway to your bedroom.

Yoongi wandered back over to the sofa. He eyed the score in the corner of the screen. “They could still come back. It’s not even half time yet.”

“I know. But still.” Jin let out a sound of frustration,” They’re just playing so bad. If I did my job this badly I’d be fired.”

Yoongi chuckled. He had no idea Jin could be such a hothead sometimes. “Well, be sure to write a strongly worded letter.”

“I might Yoongi. I just might.” Jin’s phone dinged. “Aish. Look at the stuff he’s sending me!” Jin held up his phone and showed Yoongi several memes his brother had sent related to his team and several poop emojis. Yoongi burst out laughing. Jin quickly pulled his phone back. “It is NOT funny.”

“It is though,” Yoongi said seriously.

“It is NOT THAT funny.” Jin responded, his serious façade beginning to crack. “Ugh. My team sucks. You know? I just picked them because I like the mascot. I should have read some stats or something.” Jin lamented.

“Yes. That is usually advisable to do some research before spending money.” Yoongi sighed and sat down on the couch.

“Where’s YN?” Jin asked, suddenly aware that you had been gone.

“Changing. She’s going over to hang out with Jimin. Apparently she doesn’t like basketball.”

“Park Jimin? Namjoon’s PA?” Joon looked over, the surprise evident on his face.

“Yeah. They’re friends.” Yoongi casually scrolled through his phone.

Jin blinked. “Aren’t you. Jealous or anything?” He asked, his voice becoming quieter.

Yoongi looked up, asking himself the question. He hadn’t thought about it. Had he felt jealous? Did he? No. “No. I mean. I don’t know why I would. They’re friends. She told me where she’s going. She’s not jealous of me and you hanging out.” Yoongi responded as though it was so obvious.

“Huh. I admire your self-confidence.” Jin replied. “I wasn’t allowed to even look at other girls. Let alone talk to them. And definitely not hang out with them.”

Yoongi swiped his tongue across his lip. He was not the right person to give dating advice at all, considering his limited experience, but he still knew that was shitty. “Yeah but, you should have been allowed to do those things Jin. You should be in a relationship where you can trust the other person to be the same person when they’re with you, and when they’re away from you.”

Silence filled the room for several seconds before Jin responded. “Well. Maybe someday I will be.” Jin sighed.

“Anything new with Lin?” Yoongi cautiously asked.

Jin looked over, annoyance filling his features. “She called again and wanted to go to lunch. I told her no and to stop calling me. I’ve blocked her number but she has some way of getting new accounts.” He shook his head as he looked back towards the screen. “ And I told the building security that she’s not allowed on premise.”

Yoongi was surprised by that last one, especially. He was glad Jin wasn’t putting himself into any vulnerable positions with his abusive ex. “Good.” He remarked.

“Yeah. It sucks. But when I stay busy and don’t think about her, I am happier.”

“Hey. Did Yoongi tell you I’m leaving?” You yelled from the kitchen area. You had pulled a hoodie over your dress for the evening so you could put your phone in the pocket. You hoped you weren’t interrupting anything.

“Yes, it seems that basketball isn’t your thing.” Jin replied.

You shrugged, “Sorry. I didn’t know. Forgive me.”

“I suppose I can.” Jin paused for dramatic effect. “You did order dinner.”

“True True.” You responded. “Ok, well, thanks for the wine. I’ll see you again soon!” You turned and headed for the door, but you heard Yoongi’s footfalls behind you. “What’s wrong?” You stopped.

“Nothing, keep going.” He replied.

You arched an eyebrow. “Ok weirdo.” You continued into the foyer, stopping to put your shoes on. Yoongi leaned up against the wall, waiting. You stood back up. “Ok, what?” “I just wanted to say goodbye,” he said. At first you started to roll your eyes, didn’t he literally just see you? And didn’t you literally just tell him and Jin goodbye? But then, he pulled you closer and pressed his lips up against yours. The tiniest bit of his tongue pushed against your lips briefly. You let out a small sound in surprise. He pulled back. “I’ll see you later.” Before you could respond, he was out of the foyer and enroute to the couch. Yoongi smirked. He wasn’t jealous; but he tried to make sure he’d be on your mind.

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You could already feel your heartbeat in your ears after that kiss Yoongi had surprised you with. Jesus. You found the door to the stairwell. Since Jimin lived on the 18th floor, you decided to take the stairs. As you passed the landing for the 19th floor, the door opened quickly. The sound reverberated through the hallway as the door slammed against the wall. “Aeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyy!” You yelped involuntarily. It had been so quiet and then BAM!!!

“Hey! Sorry.” You saw JK enter the stairwell. “Did I scare you?” He looked concerned at first, but that melted into recognition as he saw you. His little bunny-like teeth showed as he smiled. “I am so sorry Noona.” He shook his head.

“A little.” you breathed a sigh of relief,” I was a little scared. I wasn’t expecting anybody else to be on the stairs. I’m fine now though.” You wanted to reassure him. “Really.”

“Good. Are you heading to Jimin’s?” He asked, beginning to climb up the stairs.

“Yeah. You?” You started to follow him. You were still surprised every time you saw him just how good looking he was, but also how normal he acted.

“Yep.” He held up a bag he was carrying. You raised your eyebrows. “Banana milk,” he laughed. “I don’t really drink the night before promos. It’s bad for my skin. So I’m bringing my own beverage.”

“You’re so responsible.” You sighed. “I had to hydrate the shit out of Yoongi before his last photo session.”

JK laughed, “Ah Yoongi hyung does what he wants. What’s he up to tonight?”

“He’s hanging out with Jin.”

JK’s eyes widened, suddenly looking very much like an adorable deer. “Really? I didn’t know they were friends.”

The two of you arrived on the landing to the 20th floor, slightly winded. “It’s a new development. Plus they’re neighbors. And they’re both more quiet than a lot of you guys.”

JK scanned his keyfob; redundant, but necessary security on the stairwell. He opened the door and gestured for you to exit first. “I guess you’re right. And they’re pretty close in age. Cool.” He ran into your back, almost knocking you over.

“Ack. Sorry!” Your limbs flailed to keep you upright. “I just realized I’m not sure which one is Jimin’s.” You stood in the hallway, looking left, and then right.

JK laughed and moved around you. “I’m just glad I didn’t totally knock you down. Follow me.” He turned left and headed down the hallway. Finally, he stopped in front of apartment 2018. “Here we are.” He knocked on the door.

The two of you heard footsteps heading towards the door. Jimin threw it wide open. “Y/N! I didn’t know you were bringing a date,” He teased.

JK blushed a little bit and started to protest.

“Yep. Picked him up on the stairs,” you interrupted, smiling. “Good thing too. I didn’t know which apartment was yours.”

“I didn’t give you the number?” Jimin asked. Seeming to doubt you. You shrugged in response. “Huh. Oh well, come on in you two.”

The apartment was cute. It was very tidy. Much smaller than Yoongi or Jin’s, or your Aunt’s, but way bigger than your brother’s dorm.

“V’s not here yet?” JK asked.

“Nah, he told me to text him when you guys got here since he’s literally ten feet away,” Jimin vaguely gestured in the direction of the hallway. You then remembered they had met originally because they lived across the hall from each other.

“I love your apartment.” You commented as you wandered into the living room.

“Thanks. Have a seat, make yourself comfortable. You can see the kitchen is right there, and the other open door is the bathroom.”

“Thanks,” You headed towards the couch. You found that you were suddenly a little nervous. What would you talk about? You had only hung out with these guys at lunch one time and at the retirement party.

“And what did you bring?” Jimin asked, turning his attention to JK

“DO NOT make fun of me.” JK smiled and hid the bag behind his back with one arm, while putting the other arm out in front of him.

“Ok. Did you bring this embarrassing item to share or…..?” Jimin inquired

“I mean. I could share it, but I think I’m the only one who wants it.” JK slowly took the banana milk bottles out of his bag.

“Banana milk?” Jimin asked, confused. “BANANA MILK!?” He repeated as he realized what this meant.

“Ok. It’s me and you tonight YN. I’m opening a bottle.” Jimin looked JK up and down. “And NOT a bottle of BaNaNa MiLk.” He dramatically walked over to the kitchen and pulled down two wine glasses.

You laughed as you watched JK sneak over and pour his banana milk into one of the wine glasses while Jimin was hunting for the wine bottle opener. He tried to keep a straight face as he slowly took a sip and waited for Jimin to turn around.

Jimin didn’t notice at first, too focused on his mission of opening a bottle of red wine. He turned the corkscrew firmly. He leveraged the opener, popping the cork out successfully. He went to pour two glasses. He poured the first one. He abruptly looked up. “I swear I got out two...” He looked around the counter. And then. He saw it.

JK tried his hardest to maintain his composure as he took another sip of the banana milk while staring at Jimin.

“THAT IS FOR WINE. NOT BANANA MILK.”

JK burst out laughing finally. “Oh my God I thought you would never notice. My lips were starting to hurt.”

Jimin rolled his eyes and pulled down another wine glass. “You know what. Fuck it. V can have his water in a wine glass too.” Another glass came down from the cabinet. Jimin sighed and poured two glasses of wine, heading over to the couch. “Here darling. Glad you could make it tonight.”

“Cheers.” You said, holding your glass up. Jmin and you tinged, followed by a hasty “cheers” from JK rushing in from behind the couch. He slid down into a chair, looking very relaxed with his milk.

“So. You don’t like Basketball?” Jimin asked. --

The rest of the evening went pretty smoothly. V stopped by, very appreciative of the wine glass for his water. He and JK had a photoshoot the next day so they only stayed for about an hour.

Jimin opened a second bottle of wine right after they left. “You having more?”

You stretched out, “Yep. It’s a short walk home.”

“What dorm are you in?” Jimin asked.

SHIT SHIT SHIT. You had forgotten all about this. That little white lie you had told a few weeks ago. Shit. And you were tipsy now. Shit.

“So um about that. Actually.” You began, ready to tell him the truth and how you were too embarrassed at first and how awkward it was since he and Yoongi didn’t get along.

“Oh nevermind, I forgot, you don’t live in a dorm since you’re on call all the time.” He said as he handed you your wine glass.

You took a large sip and just sat there. Waiting to see what happened next. You heard a ding! And took out your phone.

MYG: Game is over. We’re heading to Jin’s to play video games. YN: Ok have fun <3

You hit send

Shit. Did you send a heart? You had been texting hearts to Jimin occasionally. Friendship hearts. SHIT. Was there a way to unsend.

MYG: you too (:

You felt your heart skip a beat.

“What are you smiling all cute about?” Jimin asked. “Is it Yoongi? It’s Yoongi isn't ’ it?” He raised his eyebrows.

“I accidentally texted him a heart because I texted you a heart and it’s in my recent emojis!” The wine left you less inhibited than normal. “Shit.”

Jimin fell over sideways on the couch. “Ahahaha. The thought of Yoongi reading a heart emoji is just. I can’t. I imagine.” HE sat back up and made a very serious face, impersonating Yoongi. HE pretended to act surprised and yeeted his phone onto the chair across the room.

“I KNOW OK. It’s fine.” You said calmly. “It’s fine. HE responded and sent a smiley face.”

“HE did not.” Jimin replied in disbelief.

“He did!” You held up the screen, displaying the heart and smiley face evidence.

“Oh my God, what have you done to him? He makes appointments. He doesn’t try and start shit with me. HE TEXTS EMOJIS.” Jimin sipped his wine and grinned; his eyes becoming adorable crescents. “Are you a witch?”

You laughed, and shook your head. “I don’t know Jimin.” you sighed. “I do think he likes me though.”

“You think?” He responded sarcastically.

“Maybe just a bit.” You blushed. @lidda @anpanman-sonyeondan @firefairy1 @cuteipat @sugaslittlekookies @janeelizabeth1216 @deeepvibes @gxldenhunny @livelyjay @bobbyboops @honeysunandsoil @deathkat657 @niniita-ah @min-yus @or-worse-expelled7 @black-rose-29 @storms-and-stars-blog @fanficcollectivebby @jinsearthh @someonekeepstakingmyusernames @neverthefirstchoice @itz-ally @disregard-thefootsteps @yeontan4prez @namjooningelsewhere @itsallabouthedetails @theatren3rd

#bts yoongi #yoongi scenarios #yoongi fanfic #BTS suga #suga bts #suga fanfic #suga scenarios #suga x you #suga x reader #bts suga x reader #bts suga x you #suga x y/n #yoongi x reader #yoongi x you #bts yoongi x reader #yoongi x y/n #suga fluff #soft yoongi

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teamhappyme · 4 years

Text

a series of promising events (2/5)

aaron hotchner x female!reader

word count: 10.6k (yeah i have a spacing problem)

a/n: part 2 of this series is here! some dialogue, cases, and themes taken directly from criminal minds (S03 EP20, S04 EP01, & S05 EP08). originally, i had it planned to be 3 parts, but after editing, and looking at the word count, it makes more sense to be 5 parts. i don’t want to inundate you lovely people with massive word counts (even though 10k is massive) so this is the finalized count. because i finally got my shit together and finished this out, part 3 will be up wednesday morning, part 4 will be up friday morning, and the final part 5 will be up sunday morning. thank you to everyone who showed some love for part one, and thank you to anyone else who stumbled across my crazy writing and read along!

at the end, I’ve tagged the peeps that interacted with part 1. if you don’t want to be tagged for the other parts, just let me know :)

ok enough of my rambling inner monologue, here we go friends!

link to part 1: here

****

May 2008

We were in New York, investigating what started out as five connected shootings in the city. After twelve hours, we were up to nine fatalities.

We delivered the profile at nine thirty, finally satisfied with the outcome after a day's worth of combing over crime scene photos and witness statements. Hotch didn’t want to waste another second, making sure the profile went out before the night shift went out to patrol.

“Now, our first theory is that we’re dealing with a team.” Derek started. “In the case of the D.C. snipers, there was actually one intended victim.”

“John Muhammad wanted to kill his ex wife, but he knew if he did, he’d be the prime suspect, so he created a spree in order to mask his primary motivation.”

Spencer added before turning to SSA Joyner. “Muhammad and Malvo also left a death card at one of their scenes, just like this unsub.”

“We believe our unsubs have studied that case. They’re opening a line of communication.”

There was an outpouring of judgement focused on us, since we were in charge of the D.C. snipers case as well. These unsubs know we’re here, and they’re trying to show they can outthink us.

“Yes, they are playing games. But what that tells us is at least one of them has some intelligence.” You tried to hold your ground, and not let their opinions get to you.

“And like I said,” Prentiss interrupted, ready to put these cops in their place. “They know these cases. He’s also studied the placement of the surveillance systems well enough to avoid detection.”

“We’ve asked officers to canvass their precincts, and look out for a father-son type of duo that fit the dominant-submissive profile.” Rossi had Reid hand out some gang related profiles, just in case the profile shifted. But we were pretty confident in our first go.

“Talk to the people on your beats, look out for anything suspicious. And let's pray that this isn’t random.” The detective in charge finished and let his precinct disperse.

“Hey y/n/n, we’re gonna head back in five if you want a spot in the fun suburban.” JJ teased and lightly shoved Spencer’s shoulder.

You smiled and started packing up your backpack. “Okay. Just, leave the fragile doctor alone.”

After packing up any files you wanted to review when you got back to the hotel room, you let Morgan and Rossi know the four of you were headed out. They weren’t much further behind with Prentiss and Garcia.

You met Reid and JJ in the lobby, droopy eyes and mouths full of yawns adorning the three of you. It was a long day, and it was only going to be worse tomorrow.

“Where’s Hotch?” You asked, ready to get your feet out of these narrow leather dress shoes. You were wearing your combat boots tomorrow.

“He’s checking in with the lady friend.” JJ nodded her head toward Hotch, who was conversing with Joyner in her office. They were standing close, and you thought you caught a smile on his face. “Do you think they’re into each other?”

“She looks like she could be Haley’s twin,” Spencer added and you sighed.

The moment the team arrived at HQ this morning, everybody noticed the resemblance to Hotch’s ex-wife. SSA Kate Joyner went pretty far back with our unit chief. They went through the academy together and had some assignments overlap over the years. If it were up to Morgan and Garcia, the two of them would be out on a date right now. But you and Rossi quickly quieted the rumors, not wanting to deal with the rage that was Aaron Hotchner if he knew we were discussing his love life.

It had barely been six months since Haley left with Jack, and Hotch had just taken off his wedding band a few weeks ago. He didn’t tell any of you until you all witnessed him getting served in the office. It slapped you across the face, especially since you’d just met Haley and Jack for a quick lunch a month and a half before. I guess she wanted Hotch to tell you when he was ready.

As much as you valued your three year friendship with Aaron Hotchner, you knew Haley deserved better. Hotch adored his wife and son, and would fight heaven and earth to keep them safe. Unfortunately, he was too busy fighting the demons from hell to be a present father and husband. Everyone had their breaking point, and Haley had hit hers. From what Hotch has told you, they’re still amicable, and are trying to be friends again. After all, it wasn’t a lack of love that ended their marriage. It was a lack of prioritizing his family.

“Knock it off. He’s on his way over.” The three of you turned to one another, pretending to hold an intriguing conversation about one of Spencer’s magic tricks. Truthfully, you were always intrigued in his magic tricks; you never understood how he could pull endless quarters out of your ear. But that conversation would have to wait for another day.

“Ready to go?” Hotch pulled the keys out of his pant pocket, and the three of you nodded as Spencer called shotgun. A smile crossed your lips, never getting over the jovial things Spencer loved to claim when his intellect wasn’t needed to solve a case.

The fifteen minute ride to the hotel downtown was silent. You were all exhausted, emotionally and physically, sick of having to watch people die over and over again.

The four of you made it into the lobby, tomorrow morning’s papers already spread across the table. “The late edition didn’t miss a beat.” You said and picked up one of the papers, the headline reading ‘Execution Style’ with a still from one of the murders. You showed it to Hotch and he shook his head.

“I’m glad I never stooped to this level when I was publishing.” You murmured, reading the first paragraph of the article.

“JJ,” Spencer started and pointed across the lobby, causing all of us to turn. It was Detective Will LaMontagne Jr., JJ’s adorably chivalrous Louisiana boyfriend.

“Will.” You could practically hear the smile on her face as she led the walk over to him.

He was supposed to fly into D.C. to visit JJ for the weekend, but came to surprise her in New York when he heard the news. Spencer and I shared a look as Hotch extended a hand to him.

“Detective.”

“I’m sorry for showing up like this, I know you’re working. But, um. I can’t stand you being on this case. And me not being here, not with what’s going on.”

JJ shook her head in the slightest, and you started to get nervous.

“Is there a problem?” Hotch asked, concern completely taking over his voice at the thought of any harm happening to his team. The couple shared a knowing look, and your patience was starting to run thin with the information being withheld. JJ meant the world to you, and you wanted to make sure she was okay.

Reluctantly, she turned to face you all, a shy smile covering her face. “I’m pregnant.”

Spencer looked over at you, not knowing how to react to the news. But you couldn’t help the smile widening on your face.

“Oh my god, JJ! Congratulations!” You wrapped your arms around her and she laughed, most likely out of relief. This was a secret she kept for a long time.

“I’ve asked JJ to marry me,”

“Will.” She cut him off as Hotch gave him a congratulatory handshake.

“We’re working out some kinks.” He added as Spencer was next to hug your blonde friend. A baby, in the BAU. You might have been more excited than JJ.

“We’ll, uh, give you both some privacy.” Hotch started towards the elevator, and JJ was quick to follow.

“Hotch,” She didn’t continue, you knew this wasn’t the exact situation she wanted to tell everyone she was having a baby.

“JJ, you could have told me.”

The tenderness in his voice could have broken your heart in two right then and there, but add on the fact that you swore you could see Hotch’s eyes tear in the slightest, you were done. You didn’t want to mention it in front of Reid, but you knew this had to do with Haley. You’d be an idiot not to notice.

The three of you filed into the elevator, leaving JJ and Will to talk in private. You all got off on the fourth floor, Reid’s room the first to come up in the hallway.

“Night Spencer.”

“Goodnight. Seven a.m.,” He reminded you as he opened the door with his keycard.

You and Hotch walked down another ten feet before he found his room.

“Goodnight,” He mumbled out and reached for his key.

“Hotch,” He closed his eyes, nodding his head in the slightest.

“I’m tired, y/n.” You could’ve pushed harder. You could have gotten him to crack if you started nagging enough. You’d earned the title as baby sister from the team since you could whine and nag them into doing anything. But tonight didn’t seem like a good time for your skills.

You nodded, understanding this conversation wasn’t going to happen.

“Goodnight. Get some sleep.”

Despite your best efforts, you didn’t sleep a wink. Hotch had gone over his files and called for Kate to meet him in the lobby. But then there was an explosion, and you had to watch from your window as Hotch sat by Joyner, waiting for her to die.

Once the team had caught the second unsub and wrapped everything up at the precinct, you headed to the hospital to check on Hotch. And unsurprisingly, he was refusing any further treatment for the ringing in his ears he tried to deny. You saw him kick Rossi out of the room, the third member that couldn’t get through to him.

“Bobo, why don’t you give it a try. Can’t yell at the baby with a broken arm.” You were the one to tackle the unsub, and landed pretty hard on the pavement downtown. Nothing a black cast covered in smiley faces from Spencer and Garcia couldn’t fix.

“I know you can’t tell, but I’m flipping you off right now.” You responded to Morgan as you raised your casted hand toward him.

You headed to Hotch’s room, knocking on the window before you walked in.

“I swear to god if you try to put me in another MRI,” He started to raise his voice when you interrupted him.

“Shit, I should go tell Morgan he was wrong. Boss is willing to yell at the baby with a broken arm.”

He turned around to face you, the lines on his forehead disappearing once he saw it was you and not Rossi.

“What happened to your arm?” You smiled and glanced down at the cast. “Just another day on the job. Tackled the unsub, the pavement was not very kind to me.”

He sat on the edge of the bed, trying to put his tie back around his neck. You scoffed, stepping over to him.

“Why the hell would you want to put that back on?”

“Because it’s part of my suit.”

You knew better than to pull it out of his hands. He was holding on to any semblance of control, and his outfit was all that he had left. Instead you took a seat in the stiff chair across from him, watching as he grimaced every time he lifted his arms too high.

“If your goal is to get me to stay another minute here under observation, you’re not gonna win.”

You shook your head. “That’s not my goal.”

He sighed, giving up on putting his tie on. He moved to finish his top button, he was at least going to be covered.

“You should be excited for JJ.” You started, testing the water on this subject.

“Did I suggest otherwise?” He asked and you shook your head.

“When was the last time you saw Jack?” His eyes widened the slightest, and you regretted asking the question. You gripped the arms of the chair, ready to be ripped a new one.

Instead, Hotch let out a sigh, and you snapped your head up. “Two weeks. Haley went to visit her mother for a week, and then we went from Florida to New York in three days.”

He was already away from Jack half the week when they were still living under the same roof. Now he was lucky if he got to say goodnight on a weekend.

“Why don’t you take some time off? I’m sure you have weeks saved up. I’ve been here three years and have never seen a tan on you.”

He shook his head. “Strauss would never approve of it.”

“Hotch,”

“Y/n, I really want to get out of this hospital room and call my son.” You shook your head, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Fine. But you’re not flying home. You have a choice between Morgan and Rossi to drive you home. My recommendation would be Morgan, you don’t want to sit through four hours of Opera music.”

You stood up, refusing to meet his eye. You were sick of dealing with stubborn men.

“I’ll see if they can fax your records to D.C. before we leave.”

He muttered out a thank you as you left the room, shaking your head at the rest of the team.

“Nothing?” Morgan asked as you returned to them.

“Nothing. Even the baby gets yelled at.” Spencer spared you a glance and you gave him a small smile. You would be fine. “And Derek, you’re driving him back.”

***

January 2010

You didn’t think it could get worse than seeing Hotch with nine stab wounds at the hands of Foyet. You desperately wanted to believe that it couldn’t be worse than that. But you were naive to think that he would let Aaron survive and not make him suffer.

None of you would be able to erase the image of Haley’s bloody body lying in the home where she and Aaron created their family. You wouldn’t forget the sight of Hotch beating into Foyet’s face, or the sobs that raked through his body once Derek had shaken him off. This was a tragedy that shaped the entire team.

After Haley’s death, the seven of you took turns checking in on Hotch, Jack, and Haley’s sister Jessica. She stayed close by when Hotch was on leave, helping him with Jack’s routine, and how to explain to the four year old where his mommy went. She moved back into her apartment a few blocks away before Aaron returned to work. He wanted to prove to her that he could do this on his own, that he could be the strong father that Jack deserved, and that Haley would be proud of.

While the three of them were together, the team would try and make it over every Saturday for dinner. Hotch needed to be around friends, and Jessica needed a guilt free night to spend with the people that made her feel good. He was reluctant at first, not wanting us over the apartment, complaining that it was a mess, and it was too small to fit everyone. But it was impeccably neat, the result of a widow not being able to sleep. Once he became comfortable with us coming around on Saturday’s, we’d pick two weeknights to stop by with a dinner, movie, or game to help take their minds off of the pain. Although you and JJ stopped by every friday regardless of whose week it was, Hotch really appreciated the extra company, and so did Jack.

Despite his attempts at being independent, there were one too many distressed calls being made to you or JJ if he couldn’t get a hold of Jess, or if he didn’t want to burden her with the responsibility.

Your feelings about Jack Hotchner hadn’t changed in the four years since you met him. You would still do anything to see the adorable little boy smile. So, it was easy to say that you didn’t mind the late night phone calls worrying about Jack’s stuffy nose or when he should take the chicken out of the freezer without it going bad. Because the more he reached out to any one of you, the closer he was to finding a new normal.

However, all of you were surprised to see SSA Aaron Hotchner in his office only a month and a half after the event. Sure, he made remarkable progress, but you all assumed he would take a little more time, maybe take Jack on a well deserved vacation. Instead, you walked into the office on a monday morning, Hotch the first one in attendance.

That was two weeks ago.

The readjustment period had worn off, and Hotch was back to being a drill sergeant. Even more aggressive than he was before.

The case we were working was local, saving us the discomfort of sleeping in a hotel bed. We were in Virginia, investigating two murdered families, similar to ‘The Fox’.

“Who?” You asked, not familiar with the creepy nickname.

“Four years ago Karl Arnold, aka the fox, killed eight families.” Derek informed you. It must have been just before you started at the BAU.

“Similar to this case he took the father’s wedding rings, except in his case he took them as trophies.” Spencer finished.

“Hotch, you gave evidence at Arnold’s trial. I think you should go see him.” Derek was acting unit chief since before Haley’s death, and continued his position even with Hotch’s return. Strauss was weary now more than ever to give Aaron the title back so quick.

“I’d like to take l/n with me.” You looked over to Hotch, his eyes resting on yours, waiting for your approval.

You gave a small nod, placing your sunglasses over your eyes. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Hotch got the keys to a suburban and before you could meet him at the car, Prentiss pulled you back.

“Hey, are you sure you’re okay with this?” She was always looking out for you, heck she was the one that made you pack extra barf bags for crime scenes. She knew meeting face to face with a family killer would do a number on you. But Hotch can’t face this guy on his own. Not after what happened.

“I’m good. Not the first time I've interrogated a psychopath.” She reluctantly nodded.

“Okay. Just, let Hotch take the lead.”

You gave her arm a squeeze. “I will. Let’s find this guy.”

The ride to Red Onion Supermax was a short and quiet one. Hotch filled you in on the particulars of Arnold’s case, making sure you knew it inside and out. This was a team effort after all.

You couldn’t get a clean read on Hotch, however, on the ride over. He’d yet to crack a true smile or laugh in the weeks he’d been back, which normally wouldn’t be so out of character for him. But Reid had been trying to get him to crack with every magic trick he knew, even agreeing to let Derek joke about his lack of childhood and understanding of pop culture. But nothing worked.

It worried you to see the regression he’s made since coming back. You knew how happy he was at home with Jack, that a smile crossed his face most of the day when he was playing legos with his son. You hoped he was here because he wanted to be, not because he felt like he had an obligation to the team or the Bureau.

“Karl has a big ego. He’s going to answer every question with a question. He’ll try to gain the advantage with me by asking why I’m not wearing my wedding ring.” You looked down at his left hand, the gold band that you noticed on your first day, now gone, along with the woman he loved. “And then he will turn his attention to you.”

“So that’s why you brought me along.”

“Your presence will throw him off guard. And he’s going to want to describe to you in graphic detail every sexual act he committed with the families.”

“To freak me out?” Because you haven’t even met this sick bastard and you were certainly already freaked out.

Hotch met your eye, and you knew this was only going to get worse. “To pull you into his fantasy.”

The guard radioed for the gate to open, and you tried to contain the tremors in your hands. This was a wing of psychotic sexual sadists, they would pick up on your nervous ticks.

You looked to Hotch once the gate opened, and he nodded for you to go in.

“Go ahead.” You followed the guard in, surprised at the lack of noise you were welcomed with. “Keep your eyes forward. More than anything he’s going to want to see images of the children.”

“We can’t give him that.” You argued, as you started to hear the men from their cells.

“We have to give him something or we’ll get nothing from him.”

You’d kept your breathing under control the entire walk down the hallway, until a man crashed against the glass, causing you to flinch and spare a glance.

“Isn’t that, uh,-”

“Derek Payne.” He finished for you, his eyes still straight ahead.

“It’s reinforced glass.” You scoffed. Of course he wasn’t worried about another man ripping him apart.

“Easy for you to say, he tore apart fourteen women.”

The door opened to the interrogation room, and this time Hotch entered first. You were met with Karl Arnold, red bushy hair and a beard to match. He was average height, and a little stocky, not what you pictured him to look like.

“Hello Karl,” Hotch greeted him as we settled in on the other side of the table.

“Agent Hotchner,” He stood. “I wasn’t informed you were bringing a, uh,” He glanced at you, looking you up and down before turning back to Hotch. You really regretted wearing a white silk top with your dress pants today. “They just said two agents.”

“This is Agent-”

“Y/n, l/n.” You tried to control the dilation of your eyes as he looked right through you. “I know all about you.”

Now you understood why Emily asked you if you were sure about this. He kept his eyes on Hotch as he started the interrogation, never looking you in the eyes longer than a second. Even if you directed a question toward him, he would only answer to Hotch. He was a misogynist. You don’t know why you’re so surprised at this discovery, he tortured wives and families.

When he offered up his book of dialogue between him and his fans, he smelled your perfume as you reached across the table to grab it. Hotch quickly took it for you, letting you sit back down in your seat. Your gut was no longer in your stomach, it was lodged in your throat.

“How’d you lose your ring, Agent Hotchner?” It was beyond your level of profiling to understand how Hotch could just sit there and take the assault on his personal life from a man who ruined families, especially with what he’d just been through. You’d never mastered the art of compartmentalization quite like Hotch. But right now, you were thankful for your uncontrollable emotions.

“I can look past your refusal to answer my question, if you let me see the children. It’s the only way I can truly help you.” You gripped the files harder at the mention of the victims and looked at Hotch.

“Can I speak with you for a second?” He nodded and the two of you stood.

“Is there something wrong, y/n?” You bit back the sarcasm that was threatening to fall from your mouth.

“Nothing’s wrong, Karl.”

You exited the interrogation room, still clutching the files close to your chest.

“We cannot show him these.”

He looked at Arnold, who seemed to find your eyes, even through the reflective mirror. “These images will be his undoing and will lead us to the killer.”

“These are not just images.”

“That’s exactly what they are.”

“Hotch, I am not about to parade a dead twelve year old girl in a bathing suit in front of a serial killer who gets off on it.” You raised your voice, not willing to compromise any respect you had left for these victims.

“Then show him the others. It’ll gain his trust and get him talking. He won’t talk to me, he knows I know everything that gets him off. But he’ll want to tell you just what he would do to them. I told you, he wants to pull you in.”

You shook your head. “These are children! Helpless children whose fathers have to live with what this animal did to their families! These strangers do not get to see the torture and humiliation that they went through.”

“If you can’t stomach showing him what he desires, then I’ll do it. Because we’re not leaving until we get a name out of him. You’re either with the team or you’re not.”

You scoffed. “You’re not the unit chief anymore. I do what Morgan says if we can’t come to an agreement.”

It was bold of you to remind him of his subordinate place. But you were equals now, despite the decade between you two. You didn’t have to listen to his orders if you felt they were wrong.

He reached for the files, but you turned away from him. “I’m going in there. Not you. But I’m going to run the interrogation my way, not exposing these children. If you have a problem with that, you can call Morgan.”

You motioned for the guard to let you back in. You took your seat across from Karl, a smirk still evident on his face.

“What, no Agent Hotchner?”

“You know, yours was one of the first cases I studied,” You started, trying to loosen up the muscles in your face. Going against every natural instinct in your body was making it hard to relax. “I’ve been fascinated ever since. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was embarrassed with him in the room.”

“You’re embarrassed because you want to know what I did, don’t you.” You pushed out a smile, a little giggle behind it to entice him.

And of course it did. “Yes.”

“I can show you exactly what I did to them.”

“Tell me.” You tilted your head to the side, pushing some hair behind your ear. You were fighting the bile rising in your throat with every word you exchanged with him.

“Children are so precious, so clean. But they need guidance, especially the girls.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Why?”

“Girls have much more to lose than boys. It’s a fact, the female body can handle pain much better.” If this wasn’t a serial killer across from you, you’d agree with him and make some jokes about the female anatomy. But he was enjoying this, just like Hotch said. He was pulling you in.

“What did you do to them?”

He smiled. “I showed them, what men, their fathers, and brothers, are capable of.”

“And what is that?”

“Once I killed the children, It always amazed me how little the father fought the inevitable, the dying.”

“I never thought I would get these answers, let alone from the man himself.” You pushed out another smile, because you knew he was holding back. He was almost willing to trust you, he just needed to be groomed a little more.

“It takes a good woman, to make an honest man. And you’re prettier than Agent Hotchner.”

He was dancing around the information now, knowing that he had your time and attention. “Karl, do you know why you killed all those families?”

“I already told you why.”

You dropped the sweet tone, and pushed up on your elbows. “No, you told me how. And your motivations were all driven by sex, motivations you learned from your father.”

You saw him flinch, and you knew you were getting somewhere.

“You assert your dominance by making the father, the head of the household, watch you torture, assault, and take anything you wanted from the people he’s supposed to protect. Now your admirer, they don’t have the same ambitions as you do. And normally, that would bother a man like you. You want to be adored for every single part of your mess. But like you said, they’re an admirer, not a fan. So I’m guessing it’s a woman, who you’ve really come to care for.”

He tugged on his shackled wrists, you clearly got what you were looking for.

“Those women, those girls, they needed to be taught a lesson. How to obey who’s in charge. And you,” he laughed as he inched as far across the table as he could. “The things I would do to you if I weren’t nailed to this table. You’d be done before I could call your name.”

Before you could respond, Hotch came into the room, demanding a name. You stood up, no longer needing to play a role.

“It must be distracting, working with such a beautiful woman everyday.” You didn’t spare him another glance as you heard him mumble out a name to Hotch, finally getting what he wanted: power over you.

“Morgan, we’ve got a name. It’s a female guard in intake. Get everybody here ASAP.” The guard led you and Hotch back down the hallway, through the lion's den, and back to the elevator. Once inside, you let out a breath. Hotch turned to look at you, but you spoke up before he had the chance.

“Don’t ask me to do that ever again.”

You would’ve yelled at him, tore him to pieces in the elevator ride from the fourth floor to the exit, but there was a guard escorting you out. You didn’t want him to have the privilege of watching two FBI agents battle it out. And honestly, you weren’t sure if you had the heart to yell at him after all he’d been through.

But once you were escorted through the exterior gates, your team in sight, you regained the nerve to give Hotch a piece of your mind.

Not before he spoke first though.

“You did exactly what needed to be done. I didn’t ask you to act that way toward him, and I’m sorry you feel that that was your only way in. But I’m not going to apologize for getting the name of the killer.”

“So you would have acted in the same degrading way if the roles were reversed?”

He scoffed. “Yes, I would have. Because unlike you, my feelings don’t impair my judgement or ability to do this job. You’re an asset to this team, you need to find a way to get your emotions in check.”

You stopped walking, turning around to face him. You were in the middle of the driveway now, SWAT and BAU canvassing the scene. But you were going to do this here and now.

“The only reason you brought me here was to appeal to that sick son of a bitch. The only thing that makes me an asset to you is the fact that I have a vagina and you don’t. You turned me from a Supervisory Special Agent into a fighting fuck toy! You watched as I drained every ounce of respect I had for myself to turn into what that psychopath desired, all because I wouldn’t show him pictures of innocent children.” He looked over your shoulder to the team, embarrassed that they were hearing this. “At least have the respect to look at me while I’m talking to you!”

Hotch had never heard you yell like this. You were the calm one, the baby, as Derek called you. No one ever pushed you so far over the edge to get a reaction out of you. At least, not until he did.

“The next time you ask me, JJ, Prentiss, or Garcia to flirt our way into a serial killer's mind, to expect us to degrade ourselves in order to save another woman, I will not hesitate to report you to Strauss.” You could hear footsteps behind you, but you continued on as tears started to form in your eyes. “You used to say that my empathy was what made me an amazing agent. That my ability to connect with victims and families was the reason I’m here. So do not try and make me feel worthless for possessing something that you wish you could have. Because the way you act, with no capability for empathy, is a depressing way to live.”

“Y/n,” Spencer rested a hand on your shoulder, but you shook it off.

“Figure out the man you want to be.”

Before you could say anything else, Spencer dragged you away from Hotch and towards the cars. You could feel the tears freely falling down your cheeks, but you made no effort to remove them. You ignored the stares from the rest of your team, not giving them the satisfaction of knowing what went down in that interrogation room. Instead, you got into the passenger seat of the suburban, and Spencer started the drive back to the office.

Rationally, you knew you went off too hard at him. He never deliberately asked you to flirt with Arnold. He asked you to show him the pictures of Lucy, to get him to crack under the fantasy. But you refused. You would rather make yourself go through that pain than any young child. It’s what you’d always done.

Spencer tried to convince you they hadn’t heard the conversation. That they were all too focused on SWAT’s apprehending of the guard to pay attention.

“Spence,” You started and looked over at him. “We all had our earpieces in. You heard every word.”

And he was silent the rest of the ride back. You were exhausted, and you wanted nothing more than to go home and fall asleep on your couch with reruns playing in the background. But you had a mountain of paperwork to finish, and still needed to debrief when the team got back.

Halfway through your stack, the team came back to the bullpen. Prentiss gave your shoulder a comforting squeeze as she passed by, heading for her desk. Derek had agreed to let everyone go home without debriefing. This was the earliest we’d been done with a case so close to home. We needed to capitalize on our rest.

JJ was the first to go home, excited to be home in time for dinner with Will and Henry. Prentiss and Rossi followed shortly after, going to celebrate the win of this case at an expensive restaurant, at Dave’s expense.

“Come on you two, don’t make me drag you out of here kicking and screaming.” Derek addressed you and Reid as he pulled his coat on.

“We’re right behind you boss man.” Spencer said and turned his desk light off, grabbing his cane. He should be able to ditch all mobility aids soon.

You swung your backpack over a shoulder and turned off your own light. You didn’t even make it out of your four foot space before Hotch called out to you.

“Y/n, could I see you before you leave?” He was standing in front of his office, on higher ground than the rest of us. Power move, you thought to yourself. But he wouldn’t be that petty.

You looked back to Reid and Moran, the former nodding to you before seeing himself to the elevator. Now it was just Spencer, his eyes begging for you to leave.

“I don’t need to remind you how deeply you care for all of us. But if you keep putting yourself out there to comfort him, you’re going to get destroyed.” This was the first time Spencer had mentioned this to you. Sure, you’d been helping Hotch out at home, a little more than normal, but everybody was pitching in. His wife died for god's sake.

“Spence, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He let out a sigh and fidgeted with his cane. You found it at a consignment shop on one of your weekends off, and bought it for him without hesitation. It had an eagle engraved in it’s clutch, something regal, medieval, and screamed Spencer Reid. You ignored the price, a forty dollars more than you would’ve liked to spend on a walking stick, but the look on his face when you gave it to him was priceless.

“You need to stand up for yourself. Nothing excuses the way he treated you today. Regardless of your decision to play a character.”

God, could he read you.

“No pair of rose colored glasses could cloud that. Not even yours.” He gave you one last shadow of a smile before limping his way to the elevator.

Once you regained your composure, you turned to make your way up to Hotch’s office. He was sitting in his chair, staring at the paperwork waiting to be filled out before him. You knocked on the open door, and he stood up without even looking at you. You were going to take Spencer’s advice and stick up for yourself, so you had to set the pace.

“Can this be quick? I wanted to get home before traffic started up.” He rounded the front of his desk, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he leaned against it.

“I’m sorry for the way I treated you back at the prison.” You nodded, not wanting to verbally accept the apology that was due to you hours ago. “I was out of line and completely blinded by the case. I should’ve listened to you and taken your reservations into consideration. It was narcissistic of me to think I was the only one capable of making the right decision.”

“Thank you.” You stuttered out, still absorbing the tone of his voice. His word choice was self deprecating, a cry for help if you didn’t know any better.

“Y/n,” He started but was interrupted by a shaky breath. “I hate that I made you feel like all you’re good for is to romance your way into their heads. You deserve to be treated with respect, to be valued because of your empathy and your psychological understanding of victims and their families. If I’ve ever made you feel like you were worthless before this afternoon, please tell me.”

“No, you’ve never made me feel that way.”

He nodded before turning to grab a piece of paper from his desk.

“Good. Because I’ve written up a complaint for Strauss, describing my behavior and language directed toward you today. You shouldn’t have to wait for a next time to file it.”

He extended the paper to you, and you walked until you were standing in front of him, accepting the complaint into your hands. But you didn’t even read it before tearing it in two.

“What are you doing?”

“Hotch, I’m not filing a complaint against you. Everything that I did today was my choice. You didn’t force me into anything.”

He ran a hand through his hair, the first time you’ve seen it tousled in the office.

“I was uncomfortable showing Arnold those pictures. So I made the choice to play a character, to appeal to his fantasy. You weren’t in the room, and you didn’t suggest that. If anything, you tried more than anything to get me to stick to the script. Did you have some choice words for me that weren’t necessarily appropriate? Yes. But we all have our moments. After we got out of there, I felt sick that I had to do that to get a name out of him. It wasn’t the first time I’ve camouflaged myself for the greater good, and it won’t be the last. I took out the self hatred I had on you, because you were there. Because if I did it your way, I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror again without feeling ashamed. But you didn’t deserve it.”

“Yes, I do. I deserve to be ridiculed for telling you that your empathy is a weakness. I deserve to be ridiculed for yelling at Garcia for missing something on a search. I deserve,”

His voice broke, and you froze in place. You were about to see Aaron Hotchner cry for the first time in four years. “I deserve to be punished for Haley’s death.”

Your own eyes started to water as you saw a single tear roll down his cheek. Without thinking, you reached forward and held his hands in your own. They were shaking, and he tried to pull them away from you. But you held on tight, you weren’t going anywhere.

“Hotch, look at me.” He kept his gaze on the windows, looking out onto the concrete roof.

“Hotch, please.” You were quieter the second time, and that’s what got him to meet your eyes.

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you could’ve prevented Haley’s death if you did one thing instead of the other. Because no matter what you did, Foyet would’ve found her, and done this all over again.” He tried to look away from you, but you tugged on his hands, begging him to stay. “But what you did prevent, was Foyet taking away the greatest thing you and Haley ever made. You saved your son, Hotch. And you ended Foyet’s reign of terror. You get to spend every day reminding Jack how amazing his mother was. How strong, resilient, and fierce she was. How she looked death in the eye and didn’t even flinch. You get to live the rest of your life for your son.”

He nodded and closed his eyes, letting the few remaining tears fall down his face. You let your own fall with the reprieve of no longer being under his stare, not wanting to fall apart when he needed you.

“I love her. I never stopped loving her. The divorce, it wasn’t because of that. It was because of this job.”

You squeezed his hands before letting them go, letting him wipe off his face.

“I know. And I know she never stopped loving you.”

You never thought you would get to this moment when you first met Haley. You let out a small laugh while remembering your first encounter, how pregnant and angry she was at Hotch.

“What?” You smiled and shook your head.

“I’m just remembering the first time I met her. She was pregnant, she called you a robot, and was cracking jokes left and right to try and get you to crack.”

That got him to smile. “I could always make her laugh when we were younger. She had the funniest, most embarrassing laugh. But it was Haley. And it was addicting.”

You wanted him to remember her like this, with a smile on her face and the loving soul she was.

“I truly am sorry for what I said to you, but you have to know I didn’t mean it.”

You nodded. “I know you didn’t. Just apologize to Garcia in the morning, and get home to Jack. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He gave you a small smile as you picked up your backpack.

Spencer’s words stung in your ears while you were holding Hotch’s hands. You loved everyone on this team as your family. And Hotch needed you to be there for him a lot more over the last two months. Sure, you’d brushed off some harsh conversations with him considering the circumstances, but you knew when it went too far, like today.

“Y/n,” His voice pulled you from your thoughts, stopping you at the door. “Thank you.”

You nodded. “Of course.”

Maybe you did care too much for people. But if it helped them get back to normal, you’ll continue wearing those rose colored glasses a little while longer.

***

March 2010

“I’m grocery shopping. Because I have no food in my apartment and I never thought I’d say this, but I’m sick of eating pizza.” You threw a box of cheerios in your cart, careful not to hit the eggs on their way in.

“That’s how you’re spending your saturday? Our first saturday off in a month?”

“Well, unless I want to spend another twenty bucks on one meal, I’ve gotta do my grown up chores.” “You need to get your butt back home so we can go out and drink.”

Emily was relentless, to say the least. Every single weekend you had off, her number popped up on your phone the minute you got home. She hated resting in her own solitude, and tried to drag you along for any activity she could think of. Shopping, drinking, walking around the national mall, and, in desperate cases, running. But her record wasn’t stellar in getting you to attend.

“I’m spending the afternoon with my couch, a book that has taken me too long to read, and probably eat an entire bag of smartfood.” You chucked a box of granola bars in your cart too when you heard a kid cry. You turned to the end of the aisle, but the parent was blocking the child. “Besides, it’s dinner tonight at Hotch’s.”

“He canceled this morning. Rossi was supposed to call and let you know.” You rolled your eyes. Of course Dave forgot.

“Daddy! I want the poptarts!” You heard the kid yell out again. But you knew that voice, and you couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face.

“Em, I’ll see you on Monday. Have a shot for me.”

“I’ll have two.”

You laughed as you hung up the phone, pushing the cart over to your favorite little boy on the planet. You didn’t think to give the father another glance when you didn’t recognize him, but that’s because Aaron Hotchner is never without a suit at the office. He was dressed in jeans now and a quarter zip, looking like a normal dad.

When you approached the two boys, Jack was leaning against the shelf, tears streaming down his cheeks as he kicked his feet against the ground.

“It looks like SSA Hotchner could use some help profiling his son.”

Hotch was quick to stand up, meeting your eye. You only smiled while crouching down to Jack’s level.

“Hey little man, what’s the problem here?” He wiped the tears from his cheeks, and your heart broke at the redness in his eyes.

“Daddy won’t let me get any pop tarts.”

“That’s because you ate the whole box in one day without my permission.” Aaron argued back.

You hid your laugh in your shoulder, not wanting to upset Jack any more. But Hotch had already caused him to spiral into a meltdown again.

“Jack, have you ever had ants on a log?” He shook his head, tears continuing down his chubby cheeks. “Well, they were my favorite snack when I was little. It’s celery, peanut butter, and raisins all set up on a plate. And the best part is, you get to make it yourself! Now, I know how much you love peanut butter, and I bet if you ate this snack, Daddy will let you get poptarts the next time you go grocery shopping.”

“Okay.” He said and nodded his little head. “But I’m sick of grocery shopping.”

“Me too buddy.” I sat down next to him. “I do not like having to walk up and down these aisles searching for food. So, why don’t we sit here while daddy finishes his list?”

You spared a glance at Hotch and his practically full basket. You knew he would be done in ten minutes if you stayed here with Jack.

“Are you sure?” Aaron asked and you nodded.

“‘Course. I don’t need food that bad anyway.” He sighed and made his way back to his carriage.

You pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of your purse and handed it to Jack.

“Aunt Jessica told me that you know how to write your name now. Can you show me?”

He sat up straight, laying the paper down on the floor. You watched as he made a loopy uppercase J, followed with big and small letters to spell out the rest of his name.

“That’s awesome buddy. What about your last name?”

“Hotchner!” He yelled out and you laughed.

“Yeah, let me spell it out for you.” You wrote it out on the paper and it took him a few minutes to copy down.

“You’re turn now, y/n.” He handed you the pen and you wrote your name down, saying the letters as you wrote them. Jack repeated you, and it made you laugh. You forgot that kids were such sponges.

By the time you finished writing Aaron and Haley’s names for Jack, Hotch was back with his cart. “Alright buddy, it’s time for us to go. We gotta let y/n finish her grocery shopping.”

“No! I want y/n to come home with us for dinner. She was helping me spell everyone's names!”

You smiled as you stood up, giving Jack a hand. “Maybe next time buddy. But you gotta get home to try those ants on a log.”

“Actually, we’re making pizzas for dinner, Jack’s saturday choice. You can come over, if you don’t have any plans already.” You’d never heard Hotch this nervous before. It made you laugh a little.

“I’d love to. Only if I get to put extra cheese on my pizza though.”

“Of course!” Jack exclaimed and you matched his smile.

“Awesome! I’ll let you two pay for all this food and I’ll meet you at your house okay?” Jack nodded before running to the front of the cart.

“You sure you don’t have any plans? I don’t want you to give up another saturday night at my expense,”

“Hotch there is nothing more exciting than spending my weekends with the cutest four year old on the planet.” He smiled, but you knew he still wasn’t convinced. “Besides, every other twenty-nine year old I know is in a stuffy club in uncomfortable clothes. This is much more my pace.”

He nodded, a small smile on his face. “Okay. We’ll meet you at the apartment in a half an hour.”

“Sounds good. See you soon Jack!” You waved to the little boy and quickly tried to finish buying the staples that could get you through a few days at home.

You got home and quickly put your food away, making sure everything that needed to be refrigerated was chilled. You switched your t-shirt for a long sleeve tee, opting for sneakers instead of boots. Comfort was the utmost importance on days off.

It took you twenty minutes to get to Hotch’s apartment from yours, arriving at five on the dot. You were known for, and proud of your punctuality. Hotch answered the door after two knocks, and you couldn’t help but focus on the noise of three different locks unlocking.

He greeted you with a slight nod of the head, button down replacing his quarter zip.

“Do you even own comfortable clothes?” “This is comfortable.” You rolled your eyes, as he took the poptarts from your hands, raising his eyebrow at you.

“Didn’t I just have this fight with my four year old son about not buying these?” He asked as he let you in the house.

“Yes, but I’m the fun dinner guest. I bring the treats for the children.”

He tried to hide the small huff of a laugh that escaped his lips, but you still caught it. “You will be the death of me.”

You let out a laugh as he led you into the kitchen, putting them away on the top cabinet. I reached for my hip and pulled my holster off, putting it on the counter.

“Do you have somewhere I can put this? Last thing I need is to drop it while I throw up my pizza dough.” He unlocked the drawer in his desk, placing it in there before locking it back up.

You heard tiny footsteps running down the hall. “Y/n! It’s pizza time!”

You smiled as he tugged at your legs. “I know! I’m so excited!”

“Alright buddy, you’re up first. Show y/n how we properly throw our pizza dough in the air.” Hotch pushed a step stool over to the counter, waiting for Jack to step up. The grin on the little boy's face was ginormous as he powdered his hands with flour, taking the small ball of dough Hotch separated for him.

The two of you were on either side of Jack, each ready to follow his lead in the process. “Ok, on the count of three. One, two, three!”

You spun the dough in your hands before throwing it in the air, watching it separate the slightest bit. Jack’s giggles filled the apartment as he let his dough fall onto the counter. Aaron shook his head, you could tell this part of the meal was always a struggle for the little boy.

You watched as Jack spread out the miniscule amount of sauce he wanted along his crust, topping it off with a mountain of cheese. You taught him the more cheese, the better, and he clearly still believed you. You added some pepperoni to your own oval shaped pie, unsuccessful in making a perfect circle crust. But, not everyone could be the perfect Italian chef like David Rossi.

While the pizza’s were in the oven, the three of you sat down to play a few rounds of Candyland. You hadn’t played since your time at DCFS, and you forgot how there was no real objective to the game. It certainly wasn’t your game of choice, but Jack was still a little young to be able to contend with you in a game of monopoly. A few more years, you thought.

Once the pizza’s were done, Jack helped you set the table as Hotch cut the pies. You felt a little out of place, crossing some very important boundaries by having dinner with just the two Hotchner boys. This saturday was much different than the ones you spent when the whole team was over, Henry and Jack putting on dance parties for the guests.

You started to become more aware of your actions around the apartment; how you knew where the placemats were kept, that Jack used his purple cup for milk at dinner, and the strict no electronics rule at the table. However, that had been established by Haley years ago. The thought of her had a shot of guilt running through your stomach, sitting down with her family for dinner, just three and a half months after she’d passed.

You’d been thinking a lot about what Spencer had said that night at the BAU. He was vague, too vague for the doctor that could tell you how long he’d been alive down to the second. After a few sleepless nights, you called the doctor in question and demanded he explain himself. But after his admission, you quickly regretted having all the information.

Spencer Reid has known you for almost five years now, and has seen you through the moments that have shaped your adult life. Killing Stephanie Moore, testifying in the fisher king case, being your excusing phone call from multiple dates, and holding your hand as you took in one of your former foster siblings from a bad relationship. There was absolutely nothing in your life that could be hidden from him.

So when he told you he noticed your feelings for Hotch ‘about two years ago’, you nearly stopped dead in your pacing tracks. Not because you didn’t know your own feelings for the man, but because you didn’t realize it had been that long. That he had been married to Haley, albeit only for a month longer, that you started to notice how handsome your boss was. Upon hearing the truth out loud, and from another person, you ran to the bathroom and threw up a few times.

You were so embarrassed, so ashamed of caring for someone that couldn’t be yours. For caring for someone who’s wife you truly adored. After the third round of puking, Spencer reassured you through the phone that it wasn’t your fault. We can’t control who we love. And yes, he said love.

“Are you okay y/n?” Jack’s little voice pulled you from your thoughts. You smiled at his sauce covered face and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m fine. How’s your pizza, Jack?”

“Awesome! Daddy is the best pizza cooker ever!”

“You sure you’re okay? You look a little pale,” Aaron commented and referenced your plate. You hadn’t taken a bite.

“I’m good, really. Just thinking about how I’m going to make a bigger lego tower than Jack after dinner.”

That got the little boy to laugh, successfully switching the conversation to Jack’s favorite toys. But you noticed the glaces Hotch snuck your way, not believing you for a second. You were an awful liar.

The longer the three of you sat at the table, the larger your smile grew around these boys. Seeing Hotch being able to relax and really enjoy his time with Jack always brought a smile to your face. He was a natural father, sliding into the role of playmate and swaddler, cuddler and soother. You even remember him helping JJ out with Henry’s swaddle at work one day.

But you knew he felt guilty, not being able to be present in his son’s life everyday. You saw it in the hundred’s of views of the video of Jack’s first steps, the late night phone calls while away on a case just to say goodnight to his little boy. He missed out on a lot of the baby years, and he would be making it up to Jack for the rest of his life, with nights like these. With the whole weekend devoted to Jack Hotchner’s favorite things, minus the sugary pop tarts. Hotch had mastered the duality of being a Supervisory Special Agent for the FBI, and the loving father to Jack Hotchner. It was one of the reasons why you started caring so much for him.

“Alright Jack, you can build one tower with y/n, then it’s bath time and off to bed.” You saw the pout on Jack’s face as Hotch cleared our plates, and you helped him off the chair.

“Come on, maybe if we’re quick enough we can make two.”

He giggled as he led you to his room, stuffed animals and toys galore. This boy won’t want for a thing.

“Okay, you make a big blue one, I’ll do purple.”

You finished much quicker than the four year old, but under no circumstances would he let you sit and watch him make his masterpiece. Instead, since you had nearly two and a half feet on him, you stacked your tower on top of his and continued adding pieces to make it bigger. He cheered you on as it started to reach your head, and you were getting excited yourself. Until, it came to a crashing fall with the last green piece on top.

“Noo!” Jack yelled out, trying to catch the falling pieces.

“It’s okay Buddy, you can always make another one.” Aaron’s voice trying to soothe his son caught both you and the little guy’s attention.

The two of you turned to see Hotch leaning in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. You wondered how long he’d been standing there.

“And maybe next time, we can make one as big as daddy.”

Hotch let out a laugh as Jack smiled at you in amazement. He liked how your brain worked.

“Bath time, bud. We gotta get your face cleaned up from all that pizza sauce, and ship you off to bed.”

“But y/n’s here,” He whined, not wanting the lego fun to end.

“Well I have to get home and take a shower too, bud. Don’t worry, there’s plenty more playdates in your future.” You said and stood up, giving the little boy a high five.

“Go wait for me in the bathroom okay, I’m gonna walk y/n out.”

“Okay. Bye bobo.” He said and ran off to the bathroom, leaving you speechless in his bedroom.

“You let him be around Derek Morgan way too much.”

“Probably. But you can’t compete with the guy who brings over a new lego set every weekend.” Hotch got your gun for you, walking you back to the front door.

“Are you kidding? You’re his hero, Hotch. He asked me last week if I was a superhero like daddy.” He cracked a smile, but his eyes were glued to the floor, unable to meet your own.

“Why did you cancel dinner tonight?” He sighed and lifted his head. You’d been wanting to ask him since you were at the grocery store. The team had been coming over for three months now, and it was something we all started to look forward to.

“I was sick of feeling like a burden to you all. I mean, asking you all to give up your Saturday nights, sometimes our only free night of the week to spend in my depressing apartment, it had been enough.” If only you could show this man how much the team cared for him through your eyes, he would never doubt his worth another day in his life.

“Hotch, the highlight of my week is coming here to be with you all. My family. Watching Henry and Jack play with each other, listening to Spencer and Penelope fight over who the true godparent is, and getting to be on the receiving end of Rossi’s awesome cooking?”

He nodded, mumbling an ‘I know’ a few times under his breath. But he needed to know that as much as you all come here for Jack, you guys care for Aaron and his well being just as much.

“I come here every saturday to make sure that Aaron Hotchner has not dressed in a suit for the sixth day in a row, and to make sure he knows that he’s doing such an amazing job with Jack. That he is being the best father, friend, and boss, that he can be.”

This time, his eyes were locked on yours as you got a real Aaron Hotchner smile out of him, dimples and all. You couldn’t help but make a check mark in the air, the team tally still going strong. He playfully rolled his eyes as you swung your bag across your shoulder.

“So who’s in the lead now?”

“Me, for the last six months. I can’t be dethroned.” You felt your cheeks grow warm, hoping he wouldn’t think too much into your stat keeping.

“Well, that seems like a pretty accurate tally.”

You made sure it was. And selfishly, you hoped no one else could get that beautiful smile to cross his face like you could.

“Thank you for coming over. We both had a lot of fun.”

“I did too. I’m around anytime, my tower building skills are not occupied for many other people.” He let out a laugh as he opened the door for you.

“Goodnight y/n. Let me know when you get home.”

“I will. Night, Hotch.”

You got home in twenty minutes, texting Aaron as you walked through your door. Quickly changing into pajamas and throwing Legally Blonde into the DVD player, your phone dinged at a new message.

It was from Hotch, a picture attached to the message. It was of Jack, towel wrapped around his head, eyes shut from grinning so wide. ‘He wanted me to send this to you. He said, ‘this is how happy I am that y/n was here tonight.’ Thanks again for everything. Goodnight.”

You couldn’t help the tears that pooled in your eyes at the sweet little boy in the picture, and his amazing dad behind the camera.

****

tags: @simplyprentiss @michaelahah @ssahotchner99 @svrgicalhands @hotchtopic @unionjackpillow @philcoolson @tommhollandzxhaz @kathleenjasmine @canimarrypizzaornah @reaperwalking @inlovewithaaronhotchner @shelbymm11 @mrshotchner23 @tropicalwrites

#aaron hotchner x female! reader #aaron hotchner x female!reader #aaron hotchner fic #aaron hotchner fanfiction #aaron hotchner x reader #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds #aaron hotchner

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thatasianstereotype · 4 years

Text

Father, This Is Your Future Son-In-Law.

A short little side companion fic to my Adrien x Damian series.

First: Fuck. I’m Gay.

Second: Damn, You’re Looking Fine.

Third: Shit. I Got To Deal With This Bitch (Again).

I’m still working on the fourth and final part of the series (it won’t be as long of a wait as Part 3). But I wanted to write how the Batfam reacted to their youngest suddenly getting a boyfriend while abroad.

Creative liberties were taken. Also, this is a crack writing.

The Demon Spawn who has gotten better at not attacking people at first sight but still just tolerates people. And his holier-than-thou attitude is still there with his love for throwing insults around like free candy.

This is the kid that manages to snag a pure cinnamon roll sunshine as a boyfriend?

This angry grumpy child?

Needless to say, the Batfam is in disbelief.

“What?” Bruce thought that the Teen Titans mission in Europe was done. “Why do you want to stay in Paris longer? Is something wrong?”

“No Father. I have simply found someone I wish to court. I will be spending time in Paris to see how best to present myself as an exceptional suitor that is all. Give my regards to Grayson that I will be missing Family Night but that I will make it up by introducing him to his future brother-in-law soon.”

Bruce was too much in shock to answer when Damian hung up.

“DICK!”

“I think it’s cute that Dami is getting a boyfriend.”

“Dick, you oblivious and naive child, you are completely missing the point.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Look, I’m pretty sure Damian isn’t actually going to marry someone right now.”

“He said ‘future brother-in-law’ inferring that this courtship he wants to initiate will end in a wedding.”

“I think you are reading too much into this, B.”

“And you are not reading enough. Have I taught you nothing at all?

“You taught me paranoia.”

“I taught you to be prepared for every kind of situation.”

“Pretty sure the possibility of your 17-year-old son getting hitched in Paris can be ruled out.”

“Where did I go wrong with you?”

And Dick rolled his eyes once again at Bruce’s dramatic-ness. This. This is where Damian gets it from.

Ever the peace keeper in this dysfunctional trainwreck of a family, Dick managed to stop Bruce from flying to Paris. But much to their frustrations (even Dick’s who wanted to know who captured his baby bro’s heart), Damian did not tell them the name of his potential boyfriend.

All in all, Damian spent about two months and a half in Paris before coming back home to Gotham. And the Batfam could see a difference right away.

Damian was happy. He smiled (it was a little one but it had Dick squealing in joy) more and he was more tolerate of his brothers and schoolmates.

“We should’ve shipped him off to Paris earlier if he comes back like this.”

Tim was still staring at Damian like he was an alien. The demon spawn still insulted him every other day but hasn’t threatened to kill him at all since he came back. No ripping out his intestines to feed to the vultures or throwing him off a building for the rats to feast on. It was nice. Although a little part of him felt slightly unnerving. He doesn’t have any contingency plans involving a Nice!Damian.

Dick shook his head fondly at his little brother, taking away his coffee full of too much caffeine and replacing it with decaf. He has truly ascended to motherhood. “Well, I think it’s nice that Little D found love.”

“In the city of love. Is no one paying attention to that part?” Jason munched on one of Alfred’s cookies. “Cause I think that’s hilarious. I thought Baby Bat would’ve choked on all the happiness and bright clean air there.”

Dick whacked his arm. “Stop being mean to Dami.”

“But Dickie. It’s how I show affection.”

Adrien Agreste was the son of the supervillain Hawk Moth that have terrorizing Paris for the last 3 years. Batman was not at all pleased to hear that the Parisian heroes called for help and the Justice League turned them away. People have paid for that. Dearly.

“So his mom’s dead and his dad’s a criminal?” Jason looked over Bruce’s shoulder at the BatComputer. “Kid’ll fit right in with our family. Demon sure knows how to pick them.”

“Hnn.” Bruce grunted.

“I mean with you dating Selina, a notorious thief and doing the thing with Talia, a very dangerously lethal assassin, it’s no wonder where your son got his taste from.”

“Jason.” Bruce grunted in a warning tone.

“I mean when I’m right, I’m right.”

“Ok.” Tim started off tonight’s Family Meeting (excluding Damian), the topic being one certain ex-assassin’s love interest. “Looking further into the Agreste kid shows he clearly did not take after his villainous dad. He is one of Paris’ teenage models and have a huge fanbase dedicated to how pure and sweet he is. He is a literal walking ray of sunshine.”

“How the fuck did that sunshine child tame our literal feral demon brother?” Jason said. Always the VIP asking the important questions here.

Tim actually had an answer for that. He pulled out several charts and data on his laptop and showed it to the others. “Looking further into Adrien, I have found evidence that he is the cat-themed superhero Chat Noir. Being a loveable and touch-starved kitten appealed to the demon brat’s almost non-existent affections.”

“Timmy, Dami is capable of love.” Dick said in a disappointed voice.

“I said almost non-existent, didn’t I?” Tim waved the Mom’s disappointment away. “But you guys have got to see this.”

He pulled up a video of Chat Noir and Ladybug on the big screen. They watched him using his signature move: cataclysm. No one spoke for a few minutes as they processed the sheer destructive powers of the hero.

“You know what.” Jason broke the silence. “I have no more questions. I can kind of see how Agreste is the demon’s type.”

What baby assassin wouldn’t be turned on by the literal godly destructive powers the baby kitten held in his hands?

Dick, the only one wanting to keep things semi-PG here, smacked the back of his head.

“Baby brother.” Cass greeted. She is back home from her Hong Kong trip and heard all about the famous Adrien Agreste. She thought it was adorable and that Adrien and Damian made a cute couple.

“Hello, Cassandra.”

She peered down at the list he was currently making. She gestured towards it with a confused look.

“I am compiling a list of tasks that needs to be done before my Chaton and new sister-in-law come to Gotham. Only the best for them after all.

Her eyes lit up. “New sister?”

“Yes. My mon amour’s sister will be our new one.” He pulled out a picture of her on his phone for Cass to see. “Her name is Marinette and she will be a fine addition to the family.”

“Baby sister.” Cass said happily. She was always up for new family members.

“Yes. I imagine you two will get along the best.”

But she couldn’t help but notice that with all the preparations he is making, even if it is for his boyfriend and new sister, is a bit —how would Steph say it?— overkill.

Her coal black eyes were sharp as she observed his body language. “You very serious on this. Why?”

He can never hide anything from his sister. “I wish for them to have a good impression of our family so that their family will not be disincline to reject my proposal for marriage.”

“Marriage?” She was still quite unfamiliar with some words in English.

“It means that you will be getting another brother too.”

“We will wed.”

Dick hasn’t even finished his cereal yet. He looked over at Damian’s serious expression. “Did you even ask him yet?”

“I will present myself as an extraordinary suitor that he will be more inclined to say yes when I ask.”

“At least you’re treating your man right.”

Damian took offense. “Why wouldn’t I treat my mon amour with anything but the upmost respect and love?”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Little D. I’m just glad you’re in a good relationship and from what I can see, Adrien adores you very much.”

Damian smiled. “I adore my Chaton a great deal as well. Would you like to come with me to pick out a ring?

Dick could just hear Bruce’s voice in his head saying he shouldn’t be encouraging this. But come on, this was his baby brother who grew up learning how to hurt people finding a precious loving relationship for himself and he will be damned if he doesn’t support this.

“Of course. I’ll be honored to help.”

His baby brother brightened before he launched into a rant.

“I’m having trouble finding the perfect gem to complement his eyes. They are a certain shade of forest green you see. And many jewelry stores do me a great disservice by not having that certain shade or having utterly appalling quality for what my Chaton deserves.”

Taglist:

@iglowinggemma28 @iz-bell-saiah @nach0ava @roselynfey @mochinek0 @wannajointhecrabcult

#ml x dc #gaydrien #adrien agreste x damian wayne #adridami #1K fic

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ithebookhoarder · 3 years

Note

Hey! I love your story the gangsters daughter SO much and I was wondering if I could request something based on it?

Where it’s the night before Evie’s wedding and she goes to Tommy’s office to talk as she’s nervous and they have a fluffy moment where he doesn’t think he’s ready for her to get married! ☺️

Cold Feet (Parent!Tommy Shelby x Evie)

A/N: Ok ok ok. First of all anon, how dare you be so fluffing cute?! And second, OF COURSE YOU CAN! I love Evie and I’m always looking for excuses to write for my baby. Also, I’m totally not crying at the thought of Tommy having to let his little girl go and get married and just wanting her to be happy... I just have something in my eye.

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of alcohol, mentions of smoking. Let me know if I missed anything.

Masterlist:

Tommy had always known this day would come.

It was as inevitable as death was for every single living thing on this planet.

No matter how hard he’d prayed that he’d have just a little more time left, his luck had finally run out. There was no delaying it any longer now that the day was almost upon him when his life would change in a way that would alter his world forever.

It was tomorrow, in fact, that Tommy would see Evie shed the Shelby name for another.

True, he could not have chosen a more worthy candidate, and knew Toby would love Evie as she deserved to be loved. That didn't lessen the sting it caused though, to know his days as the only male in her life were now over. Soon, she would no longer be his, no longer living in the same house as him. She would be a married woman, and that filled Tommy with incredible joy, and incredible sorrow at the same time.

This was the curse of fathers.

It seemed only yesterday that she was small enough to not even care about boys, let alone marriage. He remembered a particular conversation with fondness, when Evie had only been with them a few months or so.

It had been in the wake of a row over Ada’s most recent conquest at the time. An annoying boy, Liam had only lasted three dates before being scared off by Arthur, John, and Tommy. Despite being nothing particularly special, Ada had been incredibly enraged, yelling about how she wanted to marry him and that she’d never find love again.

Of course, Evie had found the whole thing hilarious, if not a little confusing. Hence, when she’d sat up in bed that night, as Tommy passed by her room one final time, he couldn’t help but smile at her quizzical expression.

“But, Dad. If she loves him what’s wrong with that? Besides, Mum had a baby on her own… if Ada did end up pregnant would it really be so horrible? She’d have a child, like me, and you all warmed up to me pretty quickly.”

“Well,” Tommy had begun, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of this discussion with his only recently recovered twelve-year old daughter. Polly was always far better at talking about this kind of stuff. “It’s… you see… people tend to only have children when they’re married.”

“Why?”

“It’s just how things are done.”

“Well, that’s stupid.”

Tommy smirked. “Most people would agree with you, but a lot don’t. They can be horrible and cruel, even to women who were in love but weren’t married when they had a kid. So, we’re trying to spare Ada from that. It’s fucking complicated, but at the end of the day, she deserves to be happy, doesn’t she?”

“Yes,” Evie sighed, suddenly staring down at her bedsheets nervously. “But… does that mean Auntie Martha was right? That I have to get married when I grow up? But Dad, the only boys I like are you… and my uncles… I don’t suppose I could marry one of them?”

Tommy immediately bit back his laughter as he shook his head and held her close. “I’m afraid Martha would object to you marrying our John. Besides, you don’t want one of us old men when you can find someone young and handsome who you love very much.”

“But how will I know who that is? Or if they’re good or not?” she asked innocently.

“I’ll help you,” Tommy offered, not without a little hesitation. To even think such a time would exist, when he would have to part with his daughter, when he’d only just found her again… “You can depend on it. Any unworthy bastards will be driven away by me, and the hounds.”

At that Evie spluttered into laughter, before pressing a kiss to her father’s cheek. “Now that, I would pay to see.”

Well, that day had come and gone and Tommy hadn’t released any hounds. No. The only hound in sight was Cyril, and he’d warmed incredibly quickly to the new member of the family.

He hadn’t been the only one either. In fact, Tommy had rolled out the red fucking carpet, welcoming the man into the family. Sure, it hadn’t been without its challenges along the way, but as much as Tommy hated to admit it, Toby was a good man. More than that, he’d proved his loyalty to the family, and to Evie, over and over again.

If he had to part with Evie to anyone, then at least it was to someone as decent as Toby. It made the whole ordeal hurt just a little less as he sipped his whiskey and stared out of the study window.

Despite the late hour, there were still faint laughs and shrieks of delight echoing from upstairs. Ada, Lara, Polly and Lizzie were most likely to blame, having taken charge of Evie’s so called ‘last night of freedom’. Tommy didn’t know what that entailed exactly and he didn’t even want to try and guess. Not given how much champagne they’d lugged upstairs with them earlier, having returned from a busy evening dancing at a local club.

If they weren’t all hungover as hell in the morning it would be a minor miracle.

Still, as long as they got their asses to church on time and didn’t throw up on the minister, then everything would be fine. No. It would be perfect. Tommy had promised Evie that much and he’d be damned before he failed to deliver a promise as solemn as this one.

She’d done the same for him, twice in fact, even if his union to Lizzie had been a far simpler affair than his first marriage to Grace.

At least Evie hadn’t insisted on there being a ‘father of the bride’ toast - even if Ada had… Somehow, Tommy knew his would never be anywhere as good as the ones his daughter had given.

She always had had a way with words.

“Dad?”

Tommy froze.

Speak of the devil and she shall appear.

He was startled by the sound of her voice, echoing from the open doorway, as if summoned by his worry. He’d almost thought he’d imagined it until he turned and saw her standing there, looking a little worse for wear in her finery.

Apparently he’d been right; she’d had a very fun evening.

“Evie?” he blinked, clearing his throat as he tried to compose himself. “What are you doing down here? It’s late and I thought you’d be upstairs celebrating a bit longer. Big day tomorrow.”

Evie smiled, shrugging as she stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. She knew she never needed an invitation, having given up knocking long ago.

“I was but… I don’t know. I just wanted to come and see you, if that’s alright?”

It would always be alright. Tommy hoped she knew that, even if the anxiety in her eyes said otherwise. Then again, he suspected the nervous energy wasn’t directly aimed at him.

Over a decade later, he knew his daughter better than he knew himself. It was why he nodded, gesturing to the seat next to him in a clear invitation. “Of course it is, but won’t the others miss you?”

“Oh, they’re all too busy finishing the last of the wine to miss me right away and… I don’t know why but I needed a minute away from everything. It was all a bit… much.”

“Yeah, well, welcome to my world. This family has always been a bit much,” Tommy teased. That was why they both loved them though. The Shelby spirit was strong and made them who they were. They wouldn’t change it for the world, even if it did drive them nuts on occasion.

And Toby was willingly entering this family, why?

“I’m almost scared to ask what’s being going on up there.”

“Probably wise, Dad. No one should see thing things I have tonight.”

“I thought so.”

A laugh escaped Evie’s lips as she sat beside him, accepting the glass of whiskey he handed her without a second thought. It was simply routine by this point, the two of them caught in a silent routine on nights like this when they needed to simply clear their heads and think.

It was an unwritten agreement between the pair of them. As was the somewhat confessional nature this room had taken on in its time under the Shelby household. So much had happened since they’d first moved in to Arrow House, from Charles and Ruby being born, to losing Grace, to Evie falling in love, Tommy’s ascension to Parliament, losing John and Esme, Lizzie and Tommy’s wedding…

Only a decade or so, and yet Evie felt like a whole novel would never be enough to capture her family’s history or the almost surreal events that had taken place.

“Besides, it’s been a while since we had a talk like this, Dad,” Evie continued, shrugging as she sipped her drink and stared at the room. “Everything’s been happening so fast since Toby proposed. It feels like we haven’t had a moment to breathe, really. You’ve been so helpful, agreeing to everything and allowing us to turn this place upside down. I can’t thank you enough for that, by the way. I half expected you to be like Arthur yelling at the florist earlier.”

“It’s the least I can do, Evie. It’s not every day my daughter gets married - and he yelled so I didn’t have to. Fucking trying to sneak carnations in when the order clearly said Clematis with the centrepieces.”

Evie snorted, failing to hide the fact hearing Tommy Shelby raging about flowers was possibly the funniest thing to have ever happened. Ever. Good thing he hadn’t been there when someone had accidentally delivered the wrong amount of chairs for the tent erected out on the lawn. She could only imagine the carnage that would have occurred.

“My knight in shining armour.”

“Always. No ring changes that, Evie. I’ll always be there for you, whether it be to fend off blind florists or worse.”

Despite the fact he acted as if he was merely joking, Evie knew her father meant each and every word. He always had. Even with their ups and downs, he had never abandoned her, always trying to do what was best for her, even if he went about it the wrong way from time to time.

When she thought back now, to the day she’d first met him in that graveyard, on what had been one of the darkest days of her life, she wished she could tell her younger self not to be afraid. To not be angry or scared of the future before her and the wondrous people that would be in it, thanks to the wonderful man she got to call her father.

“Dad, can… can I ask you a question? About tomorrow?”

Tommy hummed softly. “I don’t know what I can tell you about weddings, but fine. Of course.”

“It’s not about the wedding per say, more the bit after. I just… I’m scared, Dad. I don’t know why but I am.”

The words made Tommy’s heart plummet before he’d even realised what she’d said. It took everything in him not to panic or try and express the pain he felt at the idea his daughter was scared about what was supposed to be a happy day - a happy and expensive one, even if Tobias had money enough to cover a lot of the costs.

“Of what?”

“I don’t know,” Evie whispered, almost as if ashamed to confess it. “I’m so happy and excited to start the life together Toby and I have talked about for years but, now that it’s here? I don’t know. I just … I feel like I’m going to throw up or pass out and I don’t know why. Is something wrong with me? Who gets terrified of their own wedding?”

“Every fucking sane person on the planet,” Tommy countered swiftly, a hand reaching out to take hers. “As someone with experience here, you can trust me when I say everyone gets scared, Evie. Everyone. No matter how certain you are that you love the person or that this is the right next step.”

“But why?”

“Because it’s a big commitment,” Tommy continued, “and it’s a new chapter in your life. That’s exciting but also terrifying. To know you have a chance to start a family of your own? To choose your own path? That’s nothing to take lightly, and if I didn’t think you wanted this, or that you weren’t ready, I would have said something before now. You can count on that.”

He had a point.

“And I know you, Evelyn Shelby. You have never let anything or anyone stop you from going after what you want, even if it’s scary or someone says no. If being with Tobias is what you want, then so be it. You’re a grown woman, as much as I fucking hate to admit it. I think you’ve proven over and over again that you’re the bravest one out of the lot of us, and I’m so proud of you. Your Mother would be too. She’d want you to be happy and to enjoy tomorrow for what it is: the start of another chapter in your incredible life.”

The thought of her absence was enough to make Evie’s eyes sting with tears, as was the conviction with which her father spoke about her. The pride was clear, even if he looked a little scared himself at what tomorrow would bring for them all.

“Thank you.”

Tommy nodded, knowing better than to argue as she threw herself at him, coiling herself around him as she often did. Ever since the first time she’d done it, he’d been unable to resist it. So what? His daughter’s embrace was one of the few in the world that made him feel loved. It was as if her presence alone was enough to restore him, to banish whatever was troubling him.

The thought he wouldn’t just be able to have such hugs so frequently made his heart ache even more.

He didn’t want her to go.

In his eyes, she was still the twelve-year-old girl he’d first met. She always would be, no matter how much she insisted on growing up and being a so called ‘adult’. It was why he planned on keeping her room upstairs exactly as it was now, just in the case she ever needed or even wanted it.

That, and because he physically couldn’t bear to erase any remaining traces of her from his home. Of course, Lizzie had teased him rotten about it, even if she understood. Still young, Lizzie hated the thought of Ruby ever growing up and leaving her for anyone - let alone a husband.

At least they had some time left before that would be happening. Tommy didn’t know if he could survive anymore heartache so soon.

“I love you, so much, Evie,” Tommy whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and holding her close. “You’ll always be my little girl, and you’ll always be welcome here. Anytime, day or night. This will still be your home, and we’ll still be your family. If anything, we’re simply gaining more members, not losing any. Understand?”

“Yes,” Evie nodded, wiping her eyes as she shot him a watery smile. “I love you too, Dad, even if I swear I’m supposed to be the one telling you all this. Isn’t it normally the father of the bride who’s supposed to get all teary eyed and jittery the night before?”

“We’ve never been conventional, Evie. In case you forgot, we have politicians, the Lee branch of the family, and Alfie fucking Solomons all coming tomorrow, for fucks sake. Why should we start worrying about tradition now?”

Evie’s laughter was infectious at the picture of the eclectic scene awaiting them, especially considering how excited Alfie had been at the prospect of attending a Shelby wedding. Oh, Arthur was going to explode at the sight of the Jewish gangster sat in all his finery. That, and when he saw the huge gift he had been promising her for weeks now.

She couldn’t wait.

“True. Well, traditional or not, I’m so grateful for the life we have, Dad. I’ll never be able to tell you how grateful I am that you were the person who showed up at that graveyard,” she confessed. “There’s no one else in the whole world I want to be my side tomorrow. You’ll still walk me down the aisle, right?”

Tommy beamed. “How can you ask that, Evelyn Shelby? I’ve always been right beside you and tomorrow is no different. Wild horses couldn’t stop me.”

“Thank you.”

��Don’t thank me,” Tommy whispered, “simply enjoy yourself and let me and the others take care of the rest. That’s all the thanks we need… and maybe call once in a while, just so I know you’re alright.”

Evie laughed, knowing she would probably still end up here most of the time anyway after she was married. But she agreed, pleased to put his mind at rest as well as he’d put her own. “I really do love you, Dad.”

“And I love you too, Evie. Always.”

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normal-thoughts-official · 3 years

Note

I see so many people saying that lydia was/is a qUeEn and a hEro for being okay when alec kissed magnus at 'their wedding' but like...She knew that alec had feeling for magnus before the wedding and still was going to go ahead and marry him which meant that alec well them both would've been unhappy🤷🏽‍♀

I just don't like lydia tbf, she kinda rubbed me the wrong way but that might be just me😕

diaiduahs ok so i debated with myself whether or not to answer this question for like 0.3 seconds before i realized that wait a minute, i have never shut the fuck up about what i think ever in my life. who am i kidding. but anyway fair warning that my opinion on lydia is pretty unpopular among "both sides" of that debate (i don't think there are ever just two sides to any issue but anyway)

also warning that i'm not dissing you or your ask in particular, just giving my opinion based on what i've seen and heard on this debate in the fandom

here's the thing. i don't think she did wrong by accepting alec's marriage proposal. i wouldn't say she did right either, in my opinion her choice was pretty morally neutral

because it would have been different if alec had no choice on the matter and she chose it knowing it would make him miserable. but that's not what happened at all

alec did have a choice. in fact, the fact that he proposed to lydia was something that made his parents (who are the main responsibles for his closeting) fucking pissed. he wasn't doing it to please them; he was doing it as part of his own plan

and again, don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that this wasn't extremely traumatic and awful to him. he wouldn't have even considered it if it weren't for the awful conditions of his closeting and abuse, and he would have been miserable for the rest of his life. but alec had agency. he wasn't helpless. he was making a decision based on the shit conditions that he was in, trying to ensure his own safety and success. the conditions were horrible, but every decision we make is based on the environment we are in. and acting as if lydia was somehow forcing him into this marriage is acting as if alec didn't have autonomy to make his own choices, which i think is pretty unfair to him

one more time! i'm not saying it isn't fucked up that he had to make that decision. i know that ppl a lot of times say "lol it was their choice" regarding ppl staying in the closet to wave off the trauma of closeting and debates about queerphobia in general. the closet wouldn't even be a choice that's presented if queerphobia didn't exist. no one's choises exist in a vacuum, we are all dealing with the material conditions of our lives, and queerphobia is a huge part of that; one that makes the best choices for us impossible. so like, no, he wasn't BY ANY MEANS 100% free to choose what he wanted. but he DID have agency in his decision to propose to her

besides, what was she supposed to say? "no ur gay lol"? it's not like outing him would have been an amazing move. and of course she could have said no and not said that it's because alec is gay and would never be happy with a woman, but honestly, what the fuck kind of right does she have to make that choice for him? she doesn't even know him. she has no right to tell him what he should do with the plate of shit that homophobia and abuse has handed to him, especially when he obviously is trying to keep his agency and have control over his situation and choosing to marry lydia was a part of that. again, maryse was pissed. when alec chose to marry lydia, he was doing it for himself

what would have happened if she had said no? he would have ended up marrying another girl. and probably one that his parents picked, not him. like, let's please give alec credit here. he chose to stay in the closet, but he was fighting being just a pawn in his parents' game from the start. and it's not like either of them had any illusions about what this marriage was; it was a business arrangement at best. alec called it a partnership. they both just wanted to use that situation to their favor. and in shadowhunter culture, that's normal (i'm not saying that's a good thing, just that it's a fact that influences her decision to say yes as well). like, do you think maryse and robert loved each other? we haven't really seen any other shadowhunter marriages so i can't say for others, but it sounds to me like marriages of convenience were pretty standard. if i were alec, id probably be relieved that she had said yes, because then they'd both be in a situation where they knew exactly what they were getting into and he didn't want to pretend

and don't get me wrong, i'm not saying she did alec a favor or some shit. i'm just saying i can't really see how she is doing him harm in that situation, and that i think this take is taking away a lot of alec's agency and if i were him i'd be pretty pissed about that lol

but tHEN we have the Lydia Stans who ALSO take his agency just as much with this absolute nonsense take that she was a "hero" because she "let" him call off the marriage. excuse me lol? he wasn't hers for her to "let" him do anything. what could she even DO to "not let" him kiss magnus? at best, she could have thrown a tantrum. which would have been pretty ugly, but like. pointless. she can't make him stay and if she had tried to this would make her a fucking asshole and a villain. but the fact that she wasn't a villain doesn't make her a hero lmao

she did the bare minimum! sure, she was gracious about it, it was nice that she said that he deserved to be happy, but still the bare minimum. it was alec's choice, not hers. she doesn't have any right to force him into this marriage, and she didn't have the means to, either, which is part of why i think her choice to accept his proposal was morally neutral

and god it's annoying as hell that ppl act as if she was doing some kind of favor by not being incredibly violent and homophobic and trying to force him into a marriage with her lol? like not being homophobic should be the least we expect. and again, alec can make his own choices. he didn't need her permission to do jack shit

so when it comes to the whole alec situation, i'm pretty neutral towards lydia. it's whatever. she was barely there for that plotline anyway. when it comes to the doyalist perspective of it all, i am pissed as hell that she seems to be so popular within the fandom as if she did something incredible or whatever, but my feelings towards her as a person/character would have been pretty neutral

but tHEN we have the fact that "both sides" of this debate openly and completely ignore all the other fucked up shit she did, like trying to arrest izzy for saving a downworlder's life (idc if she changed her mind, it was still gross) or her openly racist comments. her comment about raj should "cut back on the smartass after being manhandled by a warlock" was one of the racist comments that stuck with me the most in tHE WHOLE ENTIRE SHOW, because like. what??? warlocks are literally immortal powerful beings with access to magic shadowhunters can't DREAM of. and the "warlock" she's talking about is MAGNUS BANE, not only one of the most powerful of them, but someone that she supposedly admires??? like, my god, she was all but fangirling about him coming to the institute and then it's like. wow raj how could you lose to someone so inferior

like are you kidding me???? tell me how this comment makes ANY sense whatsoever unless you are the most shadowhunter supremacist person to have ever lived. there is no reason at all to presume that losing to a warlock is humiliating (especially considering how them powerful they are) unless you believe that shadowhunters should be inherently better than them at everything

but we never talk about that, now do we

so...... the super lydia-positive corner of the fandom annoys me to no end but overall this whole discussion just tires me from "both sides". i don't like her, and i hate that she is so loved when the shit she did is ignored and most of the stanning comes from a pretty belittling vision of alec anyway, but i also think the anti-lydia side focuses entirely on the wrong issues regarding her character

#this isnt me dissing you anon im just giving my opinion on the subject #salt #anti lydia branwell #anti sh fandom #ask #anonymous #q #anti lydia stans

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justkending · 4 years

Text

Just Roommates. Chapter 32

Series Summary: These two college friends have had years to grow together. Each being the others support system, adventure buddy, movie night partner, and dorky roommates. That is until things start coming to a new light in their relationship. At least for him… Is there something else there? Is it possible? Were these feelings always there?

Pairing: (Modern) Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warning: Fluff, Adulting, sexy-times mentions, language.

Word Count: 3600+

A/N: And ladies and gentlemen... This is the last chapter for this series. It’s been an absolute joy of mine to write, and will for sure being going down as one of my top ones. I hope you enjoy, I hope I did the end justice, and I hope it was everything and more for you all like I wanted. I also may or may not write an epilogue. I’m still debating. If I do, just keep an eye open for tags. Thank you all again for supporting and loving on this brain child of mine. Each and every comment, like, and piece of love sent my way was greatly cherished:) Now on to the next story that I have brewing!!!

Chapter 32:

“Hold still, Y/N!” Nat said as she tried to bring the last pieces of the wiggly woman’s hair together. “Jesus woman!”

“Sorry, I just need-” Y/N started as she reached over once again for another grape that she was currently stress eating.

“You know, most girls would be starving themselves before they walk down the aisle to get that extra skinny look. Glad to know even your wedding day won’t change you,” Wanda laughed in the corner as she straightened the ivory dress hanging up.

“It’s grapes. Grapes are healthy,” Y/N turned her head sending a playful glare her way.

“Stop moving!” Nat shouted again with a huff.

“Right, sorry.”

There was a knock at the door as Y/N shoved another handful of grapes in her mouth.

“Hey, it’s Steve. I need Y/N to sign something for the marriage license before the ceremony.”

“Wait-” Nat started, but before she could finish, Y/N had already cut her off.

“Come on in Stevie!”

Slowly, and ever so carefully, the door opened with Steve sneaking in before anyone that might have been in the hallway could see in.

“I’ll be quick I promise,” Steve started as he turned into the master bedroom where they were getting ready. But when he was fully looking at her turned in the chair where she was facing the vanity set up, he stopped in his tracks. “Wow.”

“Hey, Stevie. How’s it looking out there?” Y/N said casually with a smile on her lips and her arm resting on the back of the chair.

“You-You look beautiful, Y/N/N,” Steve smiled not hearing her question.

“Awe, thanks. I don’t even have my dress on,” she laughed standing and walking over to him.

“Don’t need it to be beautiful when you’re you, doll,” he winked, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Now, I know you’re going to be at the end of the aisle Steve, but I don’t remember saying yes to marrying you. You keep this up and I might have to,” she winked back.

“Bucky would kill me.”

“True,” she laughed. “So, what do I need to sign? I kinda have plans this evening I have to still get ready for.”

“Right! Here,” he pulled out a pen with the papers already on hand. “Just sign here to state that I can wed you both. I thought I had got all of it done, but when I was doing my checklist this morning-”

“Classic Stevie.”

He rolled his eyes with a smile before continuing. “I realized there was one more document.”

“Easy fix,” she did her signature quickly before handing it all back to him. “Wow, that’s going to be the last time I sign my name with Y/L/N. Hmmm…” she paused as if in shock. “That’s really crazy, isn’t it?”

“It’s pretty crazy,” Steve laughed. “But if I’m being honest I called this since day one.”

“Oh, shut up Rogers!” Nat shouted. “I was the one who called it, and you were the one that said, ‘Eh, he doesn’t deserve her.’”

“Really now?” Y/N laughed turning to Steve with a raised eyebrow.

“Ok, fine. But if I’m being honest he didn’t deserve you at the time. He had a lot of growing and soul searching to do,” Steve defended. “I’m happy to say that has been the case, and you was the one to help him along with that.”

“All true things. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a bride to get ready Steve,” Wanda intervene.

“Right, sorry. Sorry,” Steve nodded looking back at Y/N and taking her hand, placing a kiss to it. “We can rag on Bucky after the ceremony. I’ll see you out there Sassy.”

“Thanks Stevie. I’ll see you out there,” Y/N grinned.

With one last goodbye, Steve walked back out and the girls continued their makeover.

____________

“Hey man. You nervous?” Sam asked, clasping his hand onto Bucky’s shoulder.

“I thought I was supposed to be,” Bucky said, adjusting his tie in the mirror.

“Not necessarily. You’re allowed to feel however you want.” Sam countered.

“Yeah, yeah… It’s just surreal to me still,” Bucky said with a nervous chuckle.

“Because you’re marrying a beautiful woman who loves you for you, and would do anything to make you happy for the rest of your life? Yeah, I can see how that’s unbelievable.” Sam nodded.

“Hey!” Bucky said slapping his back.

“I’m kidding ok!” Sam laughed. “I mean usually I’m not, but-” another slap. “Ok, ok!” He paused looking at the strained groom as he threw on his boutonniere with shaky hands. “Here, let me.”

Sam took over the flower problem and noticed how Bucky was still tensed. Steve would have been his best man, and still kinda was, if he wasn’t officiating. Sam was basically his second one since they were still rather close. Even though they were constantly harassing the other, they were best friends at the end of the day. Bucky was very happy to have him by his side on this day.

“You know, I mean it though, right?” Sam asked.

“Mean, what?” Bucky was clearly lost in his thoughts but still listening.

“She loves you for you Buck. And that woman would absolutely do anything and everything to make sure you live a happy life. You picked a good one.”

“I did. Didn’t I?” Bucky smiled, relaxing his shoulders some.

“And I know you would do that same for her.”

“Without a second thought…”

“Then don’t overthink it Buck. You two were made for this. Instead of being nervous, be ecstatic that someone wants to share the same love you have for them to you.”

Bucky paused taking in his words. He was right. He had nothing to be nervous about. Y/N was his person, and he believed he was her person too. This was a match made in the stars.

“Thanks Sam. I needed that.”

“No problem. That’s what friends are for.” Sam smiled adjusting the last of his suit.

Steve came in right in time. “Hey, you about ready to get hitched Barnes?”

Bucky looked at the men in the room and the nervous soft smile turned to a full excited grin.

“Yeah, let’s do this.”

____________

“Ok, ladies and gentleman. Wanda and Sam first. Then Clint and I. After that, Vis and Maria. Then of course our beautiful bride,” Nat instructed as she lined everyone up on the back porch of the house just out of sight from the tree so there wasn’t any peeking. Y/N was in the back adjusting her dress and veil.

“You look stunning Y/N,” Sam said as he looked back at the nervous bride to be.

“Thank you Sam. You look rather dashing as well,” she said with a deep breath.

“I would like to second Sam’s compliment,” Vis smiled in a calming way.

“I’ll third it!” Clint shouted.

“Moron, get back in line,” Nat swatted at him.

“Ow!” Clint said, grabbing his arm. “What? I’m not allowed to compliment the bride?” All he got in return for that comment was a glare. “Ok, yes ma’am.”

“Ready?” Nat asked. Everyone nodded. She peaked around the crew and looked back at Y/N who was staring straight ahead. “Y/N, you ready?”

She paused and then a small smile grew on her face. “Of course.”

Nat gave a nod, and Wanda sent a reassuring smile her way.

“Let’s do this then,” Nat smiled.

Music began to play and the crew started making their way slowly to the tree where the altar was.

Taking a deep breath, it was almost time for Y/N to make her way. She didn’t have anyone escorting her and that was playing in the back of her head as she closed her eyes. But as fate would have it...

“Y/N.”

She turned at the sound of her name, and saw a much older version of her brother who she hadn’t actually seen in person in almost 5 years.

“Carson?”

“Hey sis,” he smiled coming up to her in his nice suit, and someone behind him that she hadn’t noticed yet. “You look absolutely radiant.”

“Thanks,” she said stifling back tears that were quickly forming. “What-what are you-”

“Hey Y/N/N,” another voice said.

Peaking around her brother, she saw her older sister smiling in a lavender dress coming up to her.

“Maebry. You guys made it,” she said with a small laugh to hold back the happy tears she was feeling.

“Couldn’t miss the little sis’s wedding,” Maebry said.

“Couldn’t miss my second big sis’s wedding,” Carson added.

They pulled into a group hug with giant smiles on their faces. When they pulled back, Y/N fanned at her face to preserve the makeup.

“I didn’t think you guys could make it,” she said with furrowed brows.

“Nothing too important to miss this kind of day.”

“Thank you guys. Truly, thank you.”

“Of course. We’re family after all,” Maebry smiled rubbing her hand up and down Y/N’s arm.

“Uh, speaking of which… Did mo-” Y/N said sniffling back the few tears that escaped.

“Actually,” Carson pulled out his phone that he had on the whole time without his sister knowing.

On the screen were the faces of Y/N’s mom and dad with soft smiles awkwardly waving at her.

“Oh my-” Y/N said, putting a hand over her mouth.

“Hey Y/N,” her dad said.

“Hey Dad,” she said after pulling herself together some.

“I-I’m sorry we couldn’t be there,” he said, clearly awkward tension radiating through the phone.

“We had a convention out in California that we had already left for when we got notice the wedding was today. We would’ve flown out, but flights are cancelled thanks to a storm going on here,” Her mom added.

“Oh,” Y/N sighed at a loss for words.

“Listen, we don’t want to make this day more stressful than we’re sure it already is, but we want to say we’re sorry,” her dad sighed. “When we saw your engagement post we felt terrible… We saw how amazing you are doing there with work, life, and clearly your relationship. You’re our daughter and we shouldn’t have done what we did all these years.”

“Yes, and we know you’re about to walk down the aisle and you probably hate us, but we would like to watch the ceremony if you’re ok with it. Since we can’t be there in person we’d like to be there in spirit,” her mom added.

Y/N took a minute to process this. Sure they had done something horrible to her when she was going off on her own, but she also never reached out or tried to make things right. They both had their pride that they were preserving. End of the day she did want them there. She still loved them even if they didn’t communicate much over the years.

“Of course,” Y/N nodded. “I, um, I actually have to go now cause I’m already running late to my wedding,” she chuckled, fixing her hair with the veil, “But can we talk soon?”

“We would love nothing more,” her mom smiled. “Now, you go get married darling.”

Y/N nodded with a new smile on her face. Her whole family was actually going to be there for her wedding day. She started the day thinking none of them would.

“Y/N, can I ask you something?” Carson asked as he handed the phone to Maebry.

“If you ask it quickly, yes,” she laughed walking toward the spot she was already supposed to be halfway to.

“Can I walk you down the aisle?”

She stopped in her tracks and turned to her brother.

“Really?”

“Only if you’re ok with it,” he rushed to say worried he overstepped a boundary.

“Carson, I would love that,” she grinned.

“I’m going to go find a seat, and keep mom and dad on the phone,” Maebry said, rushing past them. “And Y/N. Carson was right. You look absolutely stunning.”

“It runs in the family,” Y/N winked before watching her sister race to get a seat.

Taking her brother's arm, they began their walk. Taking deep breaths and focusing on the walk ahead she was finally in sight of Bucky.

He was looking down and taking deep breaths of his own. Once she was at the end of the aisle the music changed and Bucky raised his head.

As soon as they made eye contact, it was like the rest of the world faded away. You know that cliche saying where it feels like it’s just the two of them on the planet? Yeah, that was a real feeling and it was currently leaving them both breathless.

Sending Bucky a grin she saw him break some. He choked up and quickly brought his hand up to cover his mouth not wanting the guest to see him fall apart at the sight of her walking toward him.

Her dress was a sleek ivory gown. Classic and simple. Thin straps holding up the whole thing, and the neckline swooping down making her collarbone pop. Her hair was voluminous with hollywood style waves and her veil was sat in the back pinned by the crown that was on her head. The crown was subtle with stars and moons on it, and sat on her head creating a halo for the angel that she was to him.

“That man clearly loves you sis,” Carson whispered to her.

“And I’m very much in love with him too.”

Finally, just steps from the makeshift altar, Y/N and Bucky never broke eye contact. The tree was canopying all around them creating shade for the little bit of sunlight left in the evening. The greenery mixed with the sun setting behind it made the altar all the more alluring. The tree that was going to be a part of their story.

The small crowd sat down, and Carson patted Y/N’s hand before placing a kiss to her cheek, nodding to Bucky who returned it, and moving to his seat next to his sister.

“You look-” Buck started grabbing her hands and squeezing them while trying to hold back more of his own tears. “I’m sorry, there just aren’t words…”

“Same to you B,” she grinned.

“You two ready?” Steve asked, smiling at the two.

“More than ready,” Y/N answered.

“Yeah punk. Get on with it so I can marry the girl of my dreams,” Bucky said, still looking at Y/N.

Steve rolled his eyes playfully as the crowd chuckled at the banter.

A little less than half an hour later of vows and proclamations of their love for each other, it was time for the next chapter of life.

“Do you Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N take James Buchanan Barnes to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Steve asked.

“Wouldn’t want it any other way,” Y/N smiled, getting the lopsided grin from Bucky.

“And do you James Buchanan Barnes take Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Steve chuckled.

“Hell yeah!” Bucky answered, getting the signature eye roll from Y/N.

“In that case,” Steve grinned ear to ear closing the book in his hand. “I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Before Steve could even say, ‘You may kiss the bride’,” Bucky had both hands on her face pulling her into him for their first kiss as a married couple.

“You may now kiss the bride, I guess…” Steve sighed, shaking his head as the crowd erupted in cheers.

___________

The reception went off without a hitch. Thanks to Natasha’s anal way about making things perfect, the string lights that were bought outside, perfectly illuminated the back yard and porch for a quaint party. They had a buffet of finger foods thanks to Wanda’s friend. There was a small photobooth on the porch. Music was playing at all times, and they even rented a small dance floor to make it easier to dance on the grass.

It was late now. The sun had gone down and a few guest had left, leaving it with mainly just the crew, and a few family friends there.

Bucky and Y/N had just finished talking to his family who were headed home now. His sister was taking his mom home while wishing the couple best wishes.

“Bye Bec. Let me know when you get home!”

“Don’t worry about me. You go dance with your wife,” she winked adding emphasis on the last word making Bucky smile grow.

“Don’t have to tell me twice.”

Y/N was talking to her sister and brother who were also packing up.

“Thank you again for coming. It truly meant the world to me that you guys were here, and that mom and dad, well… You know,” she grinned at her siblings.

“Don’t thank us. You’re friend Wanda was the one who called Mom and Dad telling her about everything,” Maebry said.

“Wait, what?” Y/N said shocked.

“Well, we told mom and dad about it, but didn’t know if there was space to convince them. Little did we know they were actually already considering it, but Wanda was the one who gave them the idea to facetime and such. She supposedly updated them on everything with Bucky and what’s been happening in your life recently. Some stuff we didn’t even know.”

“She didn’t tell me-”

“She wanted it to be a surprise and clearly it worked,” Carson said. “Don’t think too much about it, and just be happy about the outcome.”

“I am. Thank you guys. Really,” Y/N nodded very thankful for how everything unfolded.

“Congrats, sis. We love you.”

They got in a big huddle of hugs before grabbing their things.

“You guys headed out too?” Bucky asked, coming up and wrapping an arm around Y/N’s waist.

“We are,” Maebry nodded. “It was a pleasure to finally meet you in person Bucky. Thanks for taking care of my sister after all these years.”

“No need to thank me for something I love doing,” Bucky waved off. “But thank you for coming. I know it’s a trip for you guys, and I know Y/N really wanted it. As did I.”

“Of course. Now you two be safe, and enjoy your honeymoon. We have a flight to catch,” Maebry smiled. “Welcome to the crazy family, James.”

“Glad to be a part of it,” Bucky winked, giving her a hug.

“You’re a brother, so you know what I’m about to say.” Carson reached his hand out to Buck. “You take care of her or you’ll have me to deal with.”

“If it ever came down to it, I would hope you would kick my ass,” Bucky laughed.

“Good to know,” Carson said with a wink.

“You guys get home safe, ok?” Y/N said smiling at the conversation.

“Will do. Love you Y/n/n!” And with that they were on their way.

“I’m glad they could come,” Bucky said as they watched them get into a car.

“Me too,” Y/N agreed doing the same.

“You didn’t get to tell me much about your parents calling…”

“A tale for another time. Nothing to worry about at all though. I’m actually really happy with what they said, and we’re going to talk once you and I come back from our honeymoon,” Y/N nodded turning back to Bucky.

“Sounds good, doll. Now, I have been instructed by my sister to dance with my wife,” he said with a cheesy grin and eyebrow wiggle.

“I always have another dance saved for my husband,” she said with a wiggle of her own as she grabbed his hand and moved to the dance floor.

______

Y/N and Bucky were saying their goodbyes to everyone as they left. Steve and Peggy being the last to go. Usually there would be a send off for their honeymoon, but considering they had the wedding at their own home, and their flight for their vacation wasn’t until tomorrow morning, no point in doing a send off.

“You guys are sure you’re ok with staying here and watching Alpine while we’re gone?” Y/N asked.

“Positive,” Steve answered.

“It’s actually 5 minutes closer to my work, so I don’t mind at all,” Peggy added. “Plus, Alpine is the absolute sweetest. You don’t have to ask me twice to look after him.”

“Perfect,” Y/N said leaning into Bucky’s side as he wrapped his arm around her.

“Well, we’ll leave you guys be,” Steve said holding Peggy’s hand. “We will be here tomorrow after you leave.”

“Great, and you guys have a key?” Bucky asked.

“Still have the one you gave me when you first moved in. Now stop asking me questions and go enjoy your wedding night punk,” Steve laughed going to the car.

“Drive safe!” Y/N shouted.

“You guys be safe on your trip!” Steve waved after opening the door for Peggy who gave a final wave too, getting in the car.

Once they were out of sight, Bucky turned to Y/N.

“What do you say we enjoy our wedding night, Mrs. Barnes? Alone…”

“Don’t have to ask me twice, Mr. Barnes…” she smiled walking up the steps of the porch with a sway of her hips still in her wedding gown.

“Oh, come on now… You know what that does to me,” Bucky growled chasing after her.

“I know. That’s why I do it.”

Before she could reach the door, Bucky picked her up bridal style getting a giggle fit out of her.

“This is the tradition right?” Bucky said, rubbing his nose on hers. “A start to our new beginning?”

“To our new beginning.”

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thesoobfiles · 4 years

Text

pregnancy pains – a. skywalker

Request: anon, Anakin Skywalker x Reader where maybe she’s giving birth to the twins and Anakin comes back but he’s not with the dark side? Also, I wanna make the Reader like Padmé.

Words: 2.1k

Summary: Representative (L/N) of Aiphos is the secret wife of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. Her Senator friends know she’s married, but to who they have no idea. She’s also 9 months pregnant and ready to pop; however, the stress of the war isn’t making her pregnancy any better. What will become of Mr. and Mrs. Skywalker and their child?

A/N: i really do feel bad when i pump out requests so late; but, please understand i try to write as often as i can. also, Aiphos is a product of my imagination to keep accuracy on all other planets in the Star Wars universe. i’d like to add i wasn’t sure how much anon wanted the reader to be like Padmé so i tried to give them a similar speech pattern and made them both involved in politics.

“Here, let me help you.” Senator Bail Organa hurries to my side as I attempt and wobble out of the Senate meeting.

“Thanks, Bail.” I say as I accept his help, placing my arm around his neck while his arm goes to my side.

“You shouldn’t be flying at this stage in your pregnancy, (Y/N).” Bail reminds me as we walk out of the building and over to my speeder.

“I know, I know; but it’s only to my apartment. It’s not like I’m flying all the way back to Aiphos.” I reason.

“Ugh.” I groan as I bend over in pain. The baby is kicking again. Fiery little one, just like Anakin…

“Are you alright? Should we go to the hospital instead?” Bail asks me with concern, “The Hospital Plaza is just around the corner…”

“My water hasn’t broken yet and the contractions haven’t started, so I’m going to have to decline.” I reply with a strained voice, still in pain from the baby’s little kicks.

Bail stands between me and my speeder and grabs a hold of my arms, “Are you sure?” he asks, putting emphasis on every word.

“Yes, Bail. I think I’ll be fine; my husband returns home tonight and I’m sure he’ll take care of me.” I say to try and put Bail at ease. Earlier this evening, Anakin left to handle some Jedi business involving Master Windu and Chancellor Palpatine. He said he’d come back soon and I’m hoping soon is tonight.

“You aren’t the only one to worry about my safety; Padmé lent me 3PO so I wouldn’t have to fly alone.” I say as Bail releases my arms and my speeder is now in view.

“Mistress (Y/N)! How wonderful it is to see you!” C-3PO announces from the pilot’s seat of my speeder.

“It’s nice to see you too, 3PO. Even though we just saw each other before the meeting.” I remind the gold-plated protocol droid.

“Yes, but those meetings seem to drone on for eternity.” He replies back as he resettles into the speeder.

I giggle at his statement and look back at Bail, “Be safe.” He reminds me.

“Always am!” I respond as I walk closer to the speeder, “The next time you see me, I won’t be wearing maternity dresses anymore!” I joke as I sit beside 3PO. I hear Bail chuckle as he waves goodbye. I wave back as 3PO starts up the speeder and zooms off.

“Have you told anyone of the marriage?” I ask curiously. C-3PO and R2D2 were the only witnesses Anakin and I had at our wedding in order to keep it secret.

“Of course not, Mistress (Y/N).” He replies, “Your engagement is a secret only R2 and I have the pleasure of knowing.”

“Not even Padmé?” I ask for reassurance.

“Not even Mistress Padmé.” He confirms.

“Excellent.” I say, feeling a little more at peace knowing no one knows of our marriage.

“Will Master Anakin be there when we arrive?” C-3PO asks curiously.

“He said he would return soon; I just hope soon is tonight, but I’m not really sure…”

As soon as I finished my statement, I notice my apartment coming into view. The rest of the ride is quiet as we approach the building. 3PO lands the speeder and climbs out. He then rushes to the passenger side to aid me.

“Thank you, 3PO.”

“My pleasure, Mistress (Y/N).”

We walk inside to see Anakin meditating in front of the fireplace, the only light source in the apartment aside from the moonlight shining in through the giant window. From what I can see, he’s still wearing his Jedi robes and his hair is a mess.

“Hello, my love.” He says as he gets up from his spot to come hug me.

“Ani.” I say as I wrap my arms around him, “Did everything go ok? With Master Windu and the Chancellor?”

“Everything went…” He trails off.

- 10 minutes ago –

I came running down the hall to see Master Windu with his lightsaber at the Chancellor’s throat.

“You are under arrest, my lord.” Master Windu says. He suddenly takes notice of my presence and looks in my direction.

“Anakin,” Chancellor Palpatine starts, “I told you it would come to this. I was right, the Jedi are taking over!” He wheezes.

“The oppression of the Sith will never return!” Master Windu assures him, “You have lost.”

“No, no, no,” The Chancellor’s voice changes from smooth and manipulative to deep and raspy, “You will die!” He shouts as he shoots lightning out of his fingers at Master Windu. He blocks it with his purple-bladed lightsaber and continues to defend himself, but struggles to gain control.

Chancellor Palpatine struggles as well, to say his next few words, “He’s a traitor!”

“He is the traitor!” Master Windu retorts as he pushes his defense against the Chancellor.

“I have the power to save the one you love.” Chancellor Palpatine wheezes as his skin begins to change from the contact of his own lightning, “You must choose!”

“Don’t listen to him, Anakin!” Master Windu urges me as he pushes his lightsaber further in the Chancellor’s direction.

“Don’t let him kill me.” Chancellor Palpatine says as the lightning begins to stop flowing from his fingertips, “I can’t hold it any longer… Anakin, help me.”

“I am going to end this, once and for all.” Master Windu states with determination in his voice.

“You can’t, he must stand trial.” I reason with him.

“And what of Count Dooku?” Master Windu inquires, “Did he not deserve to stand trial?”

I widen my eyes at his statement. I’m caught off-guard by his reminder and am rendered speechless; he has a valid point.

“Remember, it was the Chancellor that told you to kill him.” He reminds me, “Why would a member of the Senate and leader of the Republic urge you to kill him when there was another way?”

“He-he’s distracting you, Anakin!” Chancellor Palpatine quickly shouts.

“Think about it, Anakin…” Master Windu urges me to take into consideration the situation at hand, “Does ‘he was too dangerous to be kept alive’ ring any bells?”

I look up at Master Windu and he looks back at me with hope and I look down at Chancellor Palpatine and he looks up at me with fear, for he said those words to me not too long ago.

“I can sense you are torn between decisions, young Skywalker. May I add that the only reason the Council hasn’t granted you the status of Master was because we were afraid the Chancellor was using you to spy on us?” Master Windu provides, “Once this ordeal is over, the Council has decided to give you the title of Master.”

“Empty promises, Anakin! He just wants to hinder you from making the best decision!” Chancellor Palpatine shouts.

“Make the right choice, Anakin.” He says calmly, ending his argument. I think about the Chancellor and his allegiance, about the Jedi Council and their decisions, and about (Y/N) and what’s best for her.

“I understand what needs to be done, Master.” I reply and step back from the fight at hand. Master Windu nods in my direction and quickly thrusts his lightsaber into the former Chancellor’s heart. He gasps and dies moments later.

- 5 minutes later -

“… great. Everything went great.” Anakin finally states with a smile on his face.

“That’s wonderful, Ani.” I say as I begin to feel something trickle down my leg. I step back from our hug only to double over in pain.

“(Y/N)! Are you alright?” Anakin asks, worry evident in his voice.

“Yeah,” I manage to say, “my water just broke. No big deal…”

“Oh dear.” I hear 3PO say from his place by the couch.

Anakin sweeps me off my feet with ease and rushes out the door. I grunt as I hold my stomach in an attempt to take away the pain.

He kisses my forehead, “Don’t worry, I’m taking you to the hospital.” I moan in response.

He runs to my speeder and gently places me in the passenger seat. He jumps into the pilot seat and wastes no time in speeding away from the apartment.

“Ah!” I shout as the baby continues to kick me.

“The contractions… Are they close together or far apart?” Anakin asks me and I respond with another proclamation of pain.

“Close together it is.” He says, somehow going faster than he already was.

Within a couple seconds, we are outside of the Hospital Plaza. Not the best place in my opinion, since this hospital is so close to the Senate building, but who am I to complain when there’s a child pushing itself out of me?

Anakin messily parks the speeder in the hospital parking lot. He hurriedly jumps out, rushes to my side and picks me up in his arms once more, running into the hospital.

“Someone, help! She’s going into labor!” Anakin shouts in the waiting room of the hospital. I groan after his plea and within seconds, a doctor and a couple of medical droids come with a stretcher. Anakin places me on the stretcher and follows them as they push me into an all-white room with various medical equipment.

The doctor stands in the doorframe and holds his hand out in front of Anakin, “Spouse only.” He states in a deep voice.

“Well good thing I’m her husband.” I hear him reply sassily. If I weren’t in so much pain, I might have laughed.

The doctor ushers him in, closes the door and shuts the curtains to the observation window.

“Agh!” I shout as I have been doing for the past couple minutes.

By the time Anakin comes over and holds my hand, they’ve already laid me down on the bed in the room and prepared me to have this baby.

“Push.” The mechanical voice of the medical droid instructs me.

“Well what do you think I’ve been doing for the past few minutes?!” I ask, exasperated.

Anakin chuckles beside me and holds my hand. I squeeze his hand with all my might to hopefully relieve some of the excruciating pain I’m in. He bends down and whispers sweet nothings into my ear.

“It’s ok.”

“The head is visible.” The droid states.

“This will all be over soon.”

“The lower body is all that is left.” It drones.

“I’m here for you.”

I close my eyes as I focus on the sound of his voice and bringing this child into the world.

“It’s a boy.” The medical droid says as it hands the baby over to the doctor.

“Luke.” I say, still in pain. Something tells me, Luke isn’t the only baby I’m giving birth to today.

The doctor finishes cleaning up Luke and gives him to Anakin.

“Hello there…” He says as he cradles the baby.

“There is another one on the way.” The droid confirms my suspicions.

“What?” Anakin says, surprised. He looks over at me, but I’m too focused on getting this other baby out. This one is a lot less painful and comes out relatively quickly.

“It’s a girl.” It says, handing her to the doctor to get cleaned up.

“Leia.” I announce, finally done giving birth for the next couple of years.

The doctor finishes cleaning her up and hands her to me, “Congratulations, Ms. (L/N). You’ve given birth to-“

“Twins…” Anakin cuts him off with a smile on his face. He looks over at me and Leia and his smile widens.

“Why Luke and Leia?” Anakin asked curiously.

“I don’t know; those names just… spoke to me.” I decided.

“Luke and Leia Skywalker…” Anakin says, “has a nice ring to it.”

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chayacat · 4 years

Text

Devil’s Sweet Star (15)

Fandom: Dead by Daylight

Ghostface x Female Reader

Rated M for Violence, Language and Smut

***

There is nothing better to keep the most precious memories and beauties of life than photos. All those moments that we want to keep forever other than in our memories, no one wants to forget them. Holidays, meetings, the first kiss, marriage, birth... Birthdays. In your family, every little moment of happiness has been photographed. And by the way most of the photos concern you. From your birth... to your degree.

Melina, at your request, had brought you your photo album, which your father had created the day he knew your mother. And it must be said that it was... unusual. And I'm not talking about the outfits of the time.

“Wow. I'm glad I didn't live at that time... A little too eccentric for me.” she said with a laugh.

“Me too... My father and mother said it was the best years of their lives. When they could do what they wanted without worrying about anything. But their clothing taste was horrible. My father kept this shirt for years, until my mother forced him to throw it away because it was too small for him.” You answer with a smile.

“in the meantime, you were a beautiful baby, a little plump but adorable.”

“I'd love to see you in a picture when you were a baby. I'm sure you weren't any better.” You replied with a laugh, Melina turning her head slightly embarrassed.

“I admit my defeat. Oh, did you get that stuffed animal for your first birthday, too? My mother had gone all the shops in the city to find her. And this plastic duck for the bath... a classic.”

You both continue to flip through the photo album while laughing at the various pictures of your father being a fool. In fact, out of 3/4 of the photos, your father is a fool. It was in his temperament, so was your mother. They had found themselves there, two people with the same joy of living. then you end up falling on a photo... very familiar. You and your parents, under the snow, posing next to the snowman and the snow castle you had made. It was a few days before Christmas. The best Christmas you've ever had.

You breathe deeply and you turn the page, spending your high school years quickly, most of your "friends" were true traitors who appreciated you just because you were the best student in the school. Then came your college years that allowed you to meet your real friends. Student nights were always in order and until proven otherwise, you never missed a single one. Even though you're not very friendly with alcohol, it was fun to see others drunk to vomit. Melina and you exchanged on your college years and if yours was pretty cool, for Melina it was hell. Essentially because she was often seduced by the worst bastards on campus. But after a few well-placed kicks, the problems were usually resolved. few came back after a blow to the crotch.

“Well, you were really popular.” you said looking at her.

“Too popular. you understand, a Mexican in my university, for guys it was the Holy Grail. Oh, she's such a beautiful picture. She's new, isn't she?” she said pointing at the last photo of the album.

This photo... your parents' wedding anniversary. You paid them the restaurant and you had the best night of your life... The last one. Tears flowed down your face one after the other, falling on the album. Melina handed you a handkerchief.

“What's happening to you? You don't feel good you want me to go and get a doctor?” She asks worried.

“No no, it’s fine. I just...i just miss them. I miss them very much, and let's say that... where they are it's hard to call them... it's a remote village.” you respond, wiping your tears.

“Oh...I see. Well, when you can take a vacation... go and see them. I'd love to meet them. And then who knows if you and Jed... Go out together, you can introduce them to their future son-in-law. I am sure they would get along.” She replied before receiving a message. “Speak of the devil... He's asking me to tell you that he's eating and that as soon as he's done, he's on his way to see you. you've become inseparable together.”

“Let's say... I don't know, from all the boys I've met... he's the only one I trust. With Mattew, of course!”

“I see. Ok! I gotta go. The hours of morning visits are almost over, I'm hungry and I'm working this afternoon. Rest well and... I can't wait for you to get out of here.”

You say goodbye to Melina with a wave of your hand before letting her go. You look at your parents' photo one last time before closing the album and placing it on the small bedside table. This album means a lot to you and for nothing in the world you wouldn't throw it away. All the best moments of your life are inside. You take a look at the bouquet of flowers that Jed gave you yesterday. Introducing him to your parents, seeing them get along, is something you wanted... but that will never happen.

“You’re mine”

These words resonate in your mind like cymbals. You don't know anything about him, but obviously he knows everything about you. At least about your life in Roseville. Maybe by getting to know him you’ll find something that will allow you to reveal to all his true face. It's a lead to exploit. It is said that curiosity is a defect but... Here your growing curiosity for Ghostface could bring it down once and for all.

Tell yourself you're playing chess with him. Every move you play, both of which will bring you closer to victory. But a bad move, a misstep, one small mistake and you'll lose the game. Except that in this case, it could be fatal to you, because it’s sure that if Ghostface understands what you are trying to do... He'll kill you for sure.

“I have to be careful. If I make a mistake, he'll stick his knife between my eyes. Or worse... he will go after all those I love. I have the lives of many people in my hands. I have to make sure they all stay alive, until he falls.” you whispered to yourself, before you breathe deep and lie down, taking advantage of the reason no one is there to take a nap. You need to rest, so you might as well do it while you're safe.

The fresh air from the beach makes your hair twirl while you watch off a couple with their child playing in the sand. This lovely family... It's yours. A smile appeared on your face, when the wind blew louder lifting clouds of sand. Soon you find yourself in a sandstorm, desperately looking for your parents. You shout their names desperately while putting your hand forward, your eyesight blurred by the sand. You hear them you call and then suddenly... There's nothing left. absolute silence. And a bloody smell floating in the air. a smell you'd like to forget. The storm rages and suddenly a hand grips you, his hand. You barely have time to see the outline of his mask as a blade crashed into your chest, piercing your heart.

You wake up startled, trying to catch your breath. It's a nightmare again. But different this time. As you gradually regained your mind, a hand landed on your shoulder that recoiled you with fear. When you look towards this hand, to find out who owns it, you suddenly feel relieved to see that it was Jed. You look at the clock and well...it was more than a nap.

“Sorry... I didn't mean to scare you. Everything's fine? You're shaking.” he said worried.

“I’m...I’m fine. Just a nightmare...That...damn Ghostface scares me even I'm far away from him. But I'm glad to see you.” You respond smiling a little at him.

You talk for about thirty of everything and nothing. Jed working from home since what happened, he doesn't really have any funny stories of the job to tell. He looked, with your permission of course, at your photo album, laughing from time to time on some embarrassing photo of you. His piercing blue eyes rose on you from time to time, and his face displayed that smile, his lips that you want to touch with yours.

“I envy you; you know. You've had parents who loved you, protected you and took care of you. I had... soulless bodies. I hope I will have the opportunity to meet them one day. With the life they've had, at least from what you've told me, I'm sure they have some fascinating stories to tell.” said Jed a little melancholic.

“I... I'm sorry, but it won't be possible. it will never happen.” you answer sadly looking at him, surprised by your response “If...if I tell you everything, I want you to promise me you won't tell anyone.”

He hesitates for a few seconds before nodding.

“I... I lied.” you start, seeing him a little confused. “Remember that man who came to the café? Mr Parkson? It’s...it’s not my banker. It happened just after my parents' wedding anniversary, 5...6 years ago. at the time I already had my own apartment and I was working as a waitress in a small restaurant. I came to see them all weekend, it was our little daily ritual. My mother made the meal and I made dessert. But that day... I've seen my life come to an end. The house was barricaded. Police prevented anyone from entering the house. And then... I've seen them. In fact, I saw the two body bags they were carrying. I collapsed. The worst part is that an hour before, I had spoken to them on the phone. In the space of an hour... I lost the two people I loved the most in the world. And I don't even know why.” you said tears beading at the corners of their eyes.

“I... I’m sorry. Really. I didn't want to make you relive such a terrible day. No one knew or saw who killed them?” said Jed holding a handkerchief.

“No. They were both stabbed. The police thought of a burglary that went wrong but... nothing had been stolen. And from memory... I don't remember them having one or more enemies. They were nice to everyone.”

“A free murder, then. Or maybe a burglary went wrong actually. But that doesn't mean they deserved to die. So, Mr Parkson is...”

“The executor of my parents' will. I asked him for time to think about it. And when he came, I asked him for another week. I am the only heiress, even if they had very good relations with my uncles and aunts. They should have their share. And yet I'm the only one. Now you know the truth. I trust you to keep this to yourself.” You said with a little smile.

“I will. I promise. I suppose... that I also have a confession to make... I lied, too.” responds Jed clasping his hands and looking elsewhere.

You're looking at Jed, surprise. Him, lying? No one is perfect but it's still hard to imagine Jed lying. But lying about what? What could be so bad for him to lie? Maybe his parents treated him even worse than he said? Maybe he just doesn't have parents? That he lived in a foster home? Which would explain why he was treated so badly...

“I... I already have girlfriends when I was younger. 2 to be more accurate. The first one we didn't go far but we stayed on good terms. The second...” He starts before looking at you, breathing deeply. “Her name was Carla. She was as small as you. Red hair, green eyes... And a natural beauty. She was different from the others. She didn't see me as a little nerd hiding in a corner, being humiliated by big morons. No, she saw me as a normal person. A lot of boys were circling her. But it was me that she had chosen. We stayed together for four years.”

“Oh... It's really adorable... You must have been a lovely couple, and you love each other very much.” you said touched to know that in the end, Jed met someone who gave him what he always needed: love.

“Yeah... we had an apartment of ours. We were happy. And one day... She became seriously ill. She rushed back to the hospital. I thought she would make it. That she would be better and that we could go home, and live as before. But the reality came back to me in my face. Even today, 5 years later, I can't turn the page. But it's not the worst.” he replied, his hands shaking.

“What happened?”

“... The doctor who took care of her let her die. He could have treated her. But he let her die. I found out about it when I found her medical records. I did research, talked to other doctors, and they all told me the same thing: there was a treatment that could have saved her. When I went back to see her doctor...” He stops for a few seconds, as if he were looking for his words. “I insulted him with all the names, and I denounced him in a newspaper article. But it didn't go any further. You have no proof Mr Olsen. They're just accusations. Nothing more. That’s what I was told. And that's how it ended. In total injustice.” He said, looking at you, his eyes filled with sadness, anger and despair.

You don’t know what to do or what to say. Why people are so... Cruel? He could treat her and he let her die! Not to worry about the opinion or reaction of those around her! It's purely outrageous. And it is men like this who take care of the dying. Without thinking, you stand up in bed, to hug Jed, which caused him to startle slightly. Deep down, you know he needs it, and that in this room, at that moment, you're the only one who can comfort him. And for nothing in the world you wouldn't want to let go. But after a while, he will have to go home.

“Everything you went through, you didn't deserve. You had the right to be loved. Life is so cruel... I wish I could have been there to support you. Whenever you needed it, I wish I was there.” you said hugging him a little more.

He did not answer. And for several minutes none of you dared to move. You made the first gesture and released him. Reluctantly, of course. You smile at him, a sincere smile, sorry, but a beautiful smile. Suddenly, without warning, he pressed his lips against yours. Soft, like silk, just like last time. But this time, it was he who took the initiative. He recoiled slightly and just as you were going to speak, a nurse opened the door, signalling the end of the visit.

“I'll pick you up tomorrow. Be ready, sleep well.” He said dropping a quick kiss on the lips before leaving.

It took you a few minutes to get your mind back, before you blushed of what had just happened. Jed kissed you. It was HE who kissed you. Not you. It was sudden, unexpected, it was... It was very nice. You would have liked to keep him with you, kiss him over and over again but unfortunately... you are not at home. The nurse gave you the care, while another brought you the evening meal: potato salad, a steak with carrots, a small cheese and a compote. It's like a school canteen meal. The evening came quickly, you know he's coming. It's only a matter of time before he...

“I'm going to think you're inviting me in, you know that?” he said, chuckling

“You're not going to tell me you'd rather go into people's homes by offense?” you respond looking at Ghostface.

“Oh? You're not insulting me tonight? No fear? What happened, did you gain courage by magic?

“Let's say that now I expect to see you every night... It's starting to become a habit. Then? Are you still playing the nice little Ghostface or are you that sadistic lunatic following me everywhere again?”

“Ha ha, we'll say both. But obviously I see you're feeling better. I can't wait to visit your apartment again every night. But I'm also here to tell you... that I'm preparing everything for that dear McKellan. You'll see when he's dead, you'll finally be in peace. Or almost.” Said Ghostface taking gently your face with one hand.

“I'll never be quiet while you're here. And there's no way I'm going to let you do that!” you said before you feel his hand tightening on your chin.

“You're really going to have to stop living in your fucking fairy tale. And you seem to forget that if you ever report me to the police... I'll kill you, or I'll kill your dear little Jed. Besides, I don't understand what you find him by the way...” he replied shrugging his shoulders, bringing his face closer to yours. “But I love women like you. Who resists me by using another man as distraction.”

You raise your hand to push him away and hit him, but you both heard steps. he finally let you go and miming you to shut up, he walked to the window and sent you a kiss before disappearing. If you wanted to know more about him, for tonight it's missed. But you know he'll come back to you.

And this time, you'll succeed. You lie down and close your eyes to sleep. And for the first time you feel soothed. Because even if this Ghostface is the devil himself... You have an angel to protect yourself.

And his name is Jed Olsen.

***

(Well, it’s done! To be honest I didn't think I'd get here, I thought I was going to get tired but finally I want to continue to the end even though I know that one day I'm going to confront this problem of the blank page ... But hey I'll cross my fingers so that it happens as late as possible! See ya!)

#dbd fanfic #dbd #dead by daylight #ghostface #danny johnson #jed olsen

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honestlyhufflepuff · 5 years

Text

The Hole

In the aftermath of Together Forever/Growing Pains, Connie finds Steven’s pit of despair. 2,102 words.

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

Connie sat on the city bus going into Beach City. She brought her slimmest textbook with her, with the intent to study during the 30 minute ride. The tome lay open on her lap, but the letters all blurred together the second her eyes took them in and her highlighter was limp in her clammy hand.

Twice. Twice Connie hugged Steven after he proposed to her. She should have known right then that he wasn’t ok, because that was the first time ever he didn’t hug her back. It had been days since she’d brought Steven to see her mom at the hospital. She’d said she would be there when he was ready, but would he ever be? What if he was ready, just wanting to call her, but still hung up on not “worrying” her? At some point, she would just have to make an executive decision and go over there, like she did when she called Greg. That’s why she found herself on a bus, on the way to check in on her best friend.

She hoped he was still her best friend.

Steven’s affection was overwhelming to her when they first became friends. It used to make her blush and wonder what her mother would think when he would tackle her in warm, squishy embraces. In fact, the time after they decided to run away together on a bus, he hugged her right in front of her mom. Connie had gotten “the talk” much sooner than she’d anticipated that night. In her tween mind, the thought of doing anything with Steven that needed a different kind of “protection” than their sword and shield seemed weird, but as she got older she wondered.

She wondered about marriage, and the activities that accompanied cohabitation, in brief moments when her and Steven sat together and no words passed between them. She didn’t just wonder about physical intimacy, but about the practical side of things. Buying groceries. Getting jobs. Dividing up chores. Being domestic. She was already pretty sure Steven would want kids, and she wasn’t sure that was something they would be on the same page about.

With how Steven fawned over weddings, she knew he’d bring it up to her someday. At Garnet’s wedding she remembered how he stared at her with those starry eyes on the dance floor, and although she couldn’t read his mind she was certain he was picturing exactly how their wedding would look. She wasn’t sure if she should shirk away from his gaze or kiss him. She’d come close to kissing him so many times, but she’d always held back, afraid of things escalating exactly to where they’d escalated to anyway.

All that cautioned restraint she’d had, he threw out the window in fifteen minutes. If she thought he knew any better, she might have gotten angry at him, but what was age to the aliens who raised him? Did they even understand that it was a bad idea for a fifteen-year-old human to get engaged?

Connie didn’t realize just how much Steven lacked in human social skills until recently. To her, he was just Steven. He was charismatic, brave, and funny, and it seemed like he could make friends with anyone. It was only in the context of seeing him around humans that weren’t already used to him and the gems that she saw how much he struggled to connect.

Was the proposal just that? A failed attempt to connect in a human way?

The Beach City Boardwalk came into view as her bus turned the corner. Connie put away her book and took a deep breath to steel herself for whatever conversation would come.

Several of the locals she’d gotten to know over the years through Steven waved hello with pleasant smiles. A few of them asked how Steven was doing, and she wished she had an honest answer for them.

He was probably fine, she told herself. Greg was there for him, and he had all the gems and Little Homeworld to keep him busy, right? Maybe he just felt awkward. Maybe he would open the door and be happy to see her and-

Her train of thought stopped as she turned the corner on the beach, and a small cry escaped her mouth.

The spot that he’d proposed in was in front of her. It was where he didn’t hug her back. It was where he gave her that sweet smile and insisted he was fine. And now it was totally destroyed.

How soon after she left did it take for him to create that massive crater? She skirted around the gaping wound in the earth, and tears blurred her vision as she saw the remnants from the hastily tidied incident. There were splintered strips of lacquered wood from the guitar. Green pieces of whicker and shattered white ceramic stuck up from the sand. Crumpled flower stems dried in the sun.

Connie’s vision swam with tears and she slid down into the hole Steven had created, shutting her eyes and trying to focus on the consistent hush of the calm ocean waves.

She couldn’t have said yes. He knew that now, right? There was no reason for her to feel guilty.

Her hand burrowed in the sand, and she let it run through her fingers as she lifted it off the ground. Sand was just tiny pieces of glass, she mused. It rained from her grasp like it rained from the ceiling at the hospital when Steven screamed “I can’t be around you right now!” She didn’t think he was mad at her. He was just afraid of hurting her, and afraid of hurting more himself. How did she really know what he felt, though? It was impossible for Steven to hide when he was happy or excited, but “negative” emotions? He’d always been a little too good at hiding those.

How did a friendship bounce back from a scene like that? She’d rarely heard Steven scream, and that was the first time it was ever directed at her. How did they just go back to being carefree jam buds?

She flippantly wondered if running away on a bus was still an option.

He might never want to speak to her again, she thought. Although she knew this wasn’t true, just the thought of life without Steven made a new wave of sobs wash over her.

Connie wiped her eyes on the back of her hand, trying to will herself into a standing position. Part of her wanted to just turn around and go home, but she needed to at least check on Steven. She needed to at least see if he was open to continuing the conversation that so abruptly ended the last time they were in this spot.

Several minutes passed, and Connie still sat in the hole, waiting to regain her composure before walking to the beach house.

“Connie?”

She startled at Steven’s voice behind her. It was not the glass-shattering, screaming voice of pain. It was small and gentle, like when he thanked her for calling his dad.

“Steven!” She jumped up, wiping her red, puffy eyes as best she could before looking at him, “What are you doing here?”

“I live here,” he said flatly.

“No, I mean here. I thought this part of the beach was the last place you’d want to come.”

“Well, Garnet suggested I take a walk,” he sighed, “I realize now that was probably a future vision thing. I hate when she manipulates me into doing things with information I don’t have.”

He hadn’t looked up from his shoes since she’d turned around.

“Do you want me to go?” She asked.

“Don’t you want to?”

"What?"

“I mean, look at the kind of stuff I do,” he stared off at the wreckage of his picnic, “why wouldn’t you?”

“What, no Steven I came here to-” her voice cracked as fresh tears welled out of her eyes. It was enough for Steven to finally look at her.

“Connie? Oh no, don’t cry! What’s wrong?”

He ran towards her and slid into the hole, pulling her into his arms.

“What’s wrong?” She choked out a laugh as she clutched onto him. “Well for one thing, we’re standing in a hole that came from me breaking your heart, and now you’re the one comforting me!”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” He whispered.

“I know I didn’t! How could I possibly say yes to getting married at 15?”

“I know. I’m sorry I put that on you.”

“No, wait Steven,” she pulled back, placing a hand on his cheek so she could look at him, “What I was going to say is, I know I didn’t do anything wrong, but it still hurts. It hurts knowing that you’re hurting from something I can’t protect you from. You’re hurting from something that’s made worse by me being around.”

“You protected me by calling my dad. He’s done so much for me. It’s my own fault for being so rash. For not reaching out for help sooner.”

“I didn’t come here to hear you blame yourself more, Steven! You’re obviously processing a lot and-”

“No, wait,” he backed away from her, gripping his elbows and averting his gaze again, “let me say this please.”

Connie nodded and reached towards him, but let her hand fall when he flinched away.

“There’s a lot I haven’t told you,” his shoulders crept up towards his ears as he held himself tighter, “about how I’ve been doing. I never thought the future would be so scary. I thought I would just be lucky to have one at all.”

“That’s understandable. You don’t have to figure it out right away.”

“You know me turning pink?”

“Not easy to forget.”

“Well, the swelling was new, but not the pink thing. That’s been happening for months now.”

“What? Steven, why didn’t you-”

“I don’t know!” he clutched his head and started pacing, “I don’t know why I didn’t tell you, but I’m telling you now. And it’s really screwed up that I didn’t tell you before I proposed to you. You should have been informed about what I was asking you to commit to.”

Connie stood frozen, unsure how to process what she heard, as she watched Steven stop and struggle to look her in the eyes.

“The truth is, I hate myself, Connie. I hate that I’m so needy. I hate that I tried to rush us into marriage before we even had our first kiss. I hate that I was trying to use marriage to escape being me. To just lose myself in being Stevonnie with you. And you deserve more out of a partner than that. You deserve more than someone who just wants to leech off your sense of direction in life.”

Connie grabbed him in another hug and he tensed, not uncrossing his arms.

“Hate’s a strong word.” She muttered, remembering when Greg reprimanded him for saying he hated Kevin.

“It’s a strong feeling, too.”

He seemed to become smaller in her arms, his frame buckling a bit.

“Do you know what’s a stronger word, Steven?”

“Hmm?”

“Love. I love you, Steven. What you’re going through right now doesn’t change that. It’s ok to need people. To struggle. To make mistakes. Stars, you’ve been through so much, and I used to just think that you were untouchable. Like nothing could phase you. But you’ve just been holding all of-” she backed up and gestured to the destruction around them- “all of this inside.”

“I- I-” Steven stuttered, eyes wide as he looked at her “You love me?”

“I do.”

The smallest smile cracked at the corner of his mouth, “‘I do,’ really? Too soon, Connie.”

She snickered, feeling the relief of seeing a real smile on him, no matter how fleeting and small it was.

“Do you want to maybe head inside? My dad and the gems are there, but we can talk in my room, if you want. We don’t have to spend all day in my depression hole.”

“Yeah, if you’re sure that’s ok. Is it still painful to be around me?”

“Yes,” the answer stung, but she was relieved at his honesty, “but it hurts being alone, too. It hurts just being.”

“I know it’s painful, but I don’t think this will last forever.”

“No,” he looked away with a sad smile as they climbed out of the pit, “no I don’t think it will last forever, either.”

Connie could not help but wonder if he was referring to the pain or to her love for him.

#suf spoilers #steven universe fanfic #lizzywrites #su fanfic #together forever #growing pains #connverse #angst #hurt/comfort

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kaleidescope-writes · 4 years

Text

Faithfully Yours-- Chapter 6: Underneath

In partnership with @accio-boys

Billionaire!Tom Hiddleston x Doctor!Reader

Slow Burn! (Yay)

Warnings: Pre-Covid Activities (Please stay safe out there) taste of fluff, Roller coaster Rides, references to previous chapters, Cliffhanger(permanent warning), Long Chapter!!

Word Count: 3,719

Plz read final Note at the Very Bottom!!

Masterlist

The sound of distant laughter filled the morning air as you made your way down to the kitchen. It was 7am on Friday and you were planning to have an eleven hour shift before taking the weekend off to finally start planning the wedding. You were hoping to get most weekends off to focus on the wedding details. Unless there was an emergency at the hospital, in which case that would be your priority. You descended the stairs, going over today’s itinerary in anticipation. Making your way to the kitchen, the smell of food began to get overwhelming as Tom and Vivie came into your line of sight. “Good morning,” you greeted with a smile. Vivie turned to you and cheerily responded, “Good morning, Auntie Y/N!” Tom gave you a smile and nod before turning back to whatever he was cooking. “So what’s the plan for today?” Vivie asked excitedly as you sat down next to her. “Today, I have a few post-ops to attend to before I consult with another doctor on a surgery plan for a patient that came in recently. Finally, I have a meeting with the board of directors to discuss the finishing on a new policy that will grant Trans patients benefits their insurance doesn’t cover,” you explained. Vivie nodded, closely paying attention to every word you said.

“What’s a post op?” she asked curiously, giving you the cutest face of confusion ever. “Post op is a short term for Postoperative Care,” you began, “Basically it’s after a patient has surgery, they have to stay in the hospital for a bit to make sure they get better and stay healthy. We monitor them so we can prevent anything bad from happening just in case there are complications after the surgery.” Vivie nodded again, eager to learn every little thing you said about your job. Tom interjects before she could ask another question, “I’m glad you’re interested in Y/N’s job, but I’d prefer you not speak with your mouth full.” He sets down two plates of food, one for each of you. Handing you utensils, he gives you a small smile as you thank him before he goes back to his own unserved plate. He comes back seconds later and sits down in front of you before beginning to enjoy his meal.

There was a momentary silence between the three of you, only filled by the sound of the utensils making contact with the plates. It felt nice. For a brief moment, you were reminded of when you were a child having breakfast with your family. Back before you grew older and things began to get more complicated. Back before all the bad times you spent. It felt welcoming. It felt like this is where you were meant to be. As if this was your new family. You smiled at the thought.

“Auntie Y/N!” Vivie blurted, “Uncle Tom has something to ask you!” Tom gave her a quick look of horror before composing himself and turning back to you calmly. “It’s nothing really,” he dismissed, “It can wait.” You smirked, donning a tone of mock innocence as you spoke, “It’s ok, you can tell me.” Tom glared at you slightly, to which you returned a simple wink. “Vivie,” he began cautiously, “Go get your bag, I’ll take care of your plate.” Vivie nodded, getting up before she excused herself. You kept eye contact with Tom as you heard her leave the kitchen. Once she was far enough, Tom sighed before opening his mouth to speak. “Given what you told me last night about your brother, I believe it’s time we start selling our relationship more,” he proposed. You gave him a look of confusion and he took it as a sight to continue. “If it isn’t much trouble, I would like to invite you on a first formal date. If you’re not too occupied.”

Your jaw dropped slightly. Unable to process what he’d just said, you stared at him blankly. Was he kidding? Did he actually think it through before asking? You were completely dumbfounded. “I’ll take your silence as a no, then,” Tom muttered, keeping a neutral expression. “No, no,” you rushed out, “I mean yes, I’d love to!” Tom smirked, catching that word before you did. “Love to?” he repeated questioningly, smugness oozing out of him as he spoke.

“I didn’t mean that!” you exclaimed, “I just mean I think it’ll be a good idea. Tom nodded, keeping the expression from before. He stood, taking both his and Vivie’s plate over to the kitchen. “Then I’ll pick you up at 8 from the hospital. Wear something comfortable,” he declared. You raised an eyebrow, “I get off work at 8.”

“I know.”

~~~~~

“I mean seriously, I understand the whole ‘mama bear’ thing, but when a doctor says it’s just a scratch, chances are it’s just a scratch,” Teigan laughed. You were on your lunch break in the cafeteria, accompanied by some of your close friends from the hospital. This was a relatively common occurrence. “She was just taking care of her kid,” Luke shook his head taking a sip of his carton orange juice. “I’m just saying,” Teigan continued, “I get some kids have overprotective parents. I did too. But there’s a limit between concern and paranoia and she was crossing the limit.”

The group laughed a bit, each enjoying their respective meal as the conversation died down. The temporary silence was interrupted by your phone ringing, letting you know you had received a text message. Pulling it out of your pocket, you checked the screen to see a message from Tom. It read, “I forgot to mention this before, but you’ll need a coat for our date. I won’t lend you mine.” You rolled your eyes, taking another bite of food as you unlocked it to reply. “Who’s that?” Lucille asked, trying to look over your shoulder to see the message. “No one,” you responded bluntly, typing a message to send to him. Luke squinted, voicing his input. “It has to be someone to make you react like that,” he pried, leaning closer to you just a bit.

You huffed, “It’s just Mr. Asshole, reminding me of how much more of an asshole he can be.” Luke’s eyes went wide for a moment, a smirk forming on his features. “And what did uh, Mr. Asshole, say?” Teigan asked, a teasing tone lacing her words. You quickly sent the message, knowing damn well where this was going. You tried to put it back in your pocket, failing as Luke yanked it from your grasp. He held it away from you as Lucille kept you in your seat. “Seriously?” you bickered, “You guys are acting like teenagers.” Luke unlocked your phone with ease, already knowing your password. As soon as he found the messages, he read them silently. He turned to you with a look of surprise, gasping before he spoke, “He’s taking you out on a date?” As soon as he said that, both women turned to look at him with the same expressions on their faces. “A date?!” Teigan asked incredulously, dropping her burrito onto the plate.

“It’s nothing serious,” you disclaimed, “We’re just keeping up appearances so people think this whole marriage thing isn’t a ploy for money.” Luke shook his head, “A date is a date. Doesn’t matter the intention, so long as it’s consensual.” You groaned, slouching in your seat as Luke read the message to your other two companions. “Our girl is finally going on a date!” Lucille teased, nudging you as she spoke. You deadpanned, muttering a response, “You did pay attention to the last part of the text, right?” She ignored you, instead urging Luke to read your response. “She wrote back ‘Ever the gentleman, I see. I have a coat, don't worry. See you tonight.’” Lucille cringed a bit, “Couldn’t you be nicer to your future husband? I mean he’s taking you on a date.” Sighing, you let your head drop slightly, wanting to be somewhere else at the moment. Anywhere else. “Well for one,” you began, “This is something that should have happened before we got engaged. Besides, he said he wasn’t going to give me his coat if I forgot mine, he’s not planning on being nice.”

“Still, it’s cute that he’s taking you out on a date,” Teigan acknowledges. You groan, reaching for your phone in Luke’s hand. Taking it back, you quickly put it back in your pocket. The group momentarily fell silent, continuing with their meal. “You should wear your ‘night out’ outfit to your date.” Luke spoke suddenly, interrupting the silence. You gave him a disapproving look, shaking your head as you responded, “Nope. We’re not doing this.” He scoffed, “Doing what?”

“You’re not giving me date advice.”

“Why not? You might actually need it!”

“We already live together, there’s nothing I need to do differently.”

“It would be nice for him to see the relaxed version of you.” Luke concluded, taking a sip of his water bottle. Both Teigan and Lucille nod, eyes fixed on their respective meals. You rolled your eyes, deciding not to say anything as a response. “Don’t be so bitter and closed off on the date,” Teigan suggested. You gave her an indignant look, to which she simply shrugged. “If he’s being a jerk, just remind him that he asked you on the date and you’ve done nothing to warrant it.” Lucille added. “And if he leans in to kiss you, make sure you let him know whether or not you’re ok with it,” Luke finished. You turned to him, unable to muster up a response before your pager went off.

“Well, I have to go. Have fun in AP Bio, kids,” you bickered, taking your platter with you as you made your way to the trash bin.

“I really hope the date goes well,” Luke sighed, “She really deserves some love.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Walking out of the elevator, you made your way out to the lobby. It was seven thirty, marking the end of your shift, and the beginning of your date. The thought alone was enough to make you feel weird about it. You spotted Tom waiting near the entrance, seemingly texting. Walking towards him at a relatively fast pace, you kept your eyes fixed on his presence. “Dr. L/N!” a voice called out from behind you. One of the residents caught up to you, standing in front of you so you would stop. “I know your shift just finished, but I just wanted to ask if I could be on your service for next week. I’m really interested in cardiology and would love to learn from you, if that’s ok?” Albert, a third year resident, rushed out. You sighed heavily, looking up at Tom to see him now looking at you with intrigued eyes.

“First off, you need to drop the passiveness. Good surgeons take initiative, they don’t passively ask for things,” you explained, “Second, if you want to be on my service, ask the chief resident and submit your hours. If you’re approved, let me know on Monday and not before. Understood?” He shook his head quickly, “Yes ma’am. Thank you so much! I’ll let you know on Monday.” With that, he walked back the way he came, letting you continue to walk to where Tom stood. Once you were a few feet away he let out a laugh. “Who’s the fanboy?” he asked with a laugh. You reached him, rolling your eyes as you responded, “He’s a resident. He wants to be on my service for a week. I don’t want to think about work anymore, let’s go.” Tom smiled, reaching out his hand to you, “Well then, shall we get going?” You took it, realizing this was probably just part of the act. Giving him a nod, you began to lead him through the doors and out into the cold air night.

He led you to his car, having parked it in the lot right outside the lobby. Once you were close enough to it, he let go of your hand and let you walk up to the passenger door. He unlocked the car and opened the door for you. “Madame,” he said with a polite smile. You shook your head, getting in wordlessly before he closed the door and made his way over to the driver’s side. Tom got in, immediately buckling up and waiting for you to do the same. As soon as you were ready, he started the car and began to pull out of the parking space.

“So, where are we headed, Mr. I won’t share my coat with my fiance?” you asked in a mocking tone. He chuckled, keeping his eyes on the road. “You’ll see when we get there.”

“An amusement park?” you questioned quizzically. This had to be a joke. He left Vivie with the babysitter so he could take you and you alone to an amusement park? This felt a bit off. “Vivie suggested it. Why, do you not like amusement parks?” Tom asked in a fake hurt tone, placing his hand on his chest. Shaking your head, you turned back to look at him, “It’s not that, I just didn’t expect this from you.” He raised an eyebrow, taking your hand and beginning to walk you to the entrance. “If we are to be married, you should forget this asshole notion you have of me and start believing the fact that I am full of surprises,” he smirked. The two of you walked closer to the large neon signs glowing pink, red, and yellow. They were shaped like moons and had “Luna” written with lights inside the four crescent moons. You walked through the entrance, taking in all the bright lights that surrounded you.

“I was thinking we could start with a ride or two. The games are good as well,” he suggested, slowing his pace as he let you pick something to do. “You brought me to Coney Island without a plan of what you want to do first?” you queried, looking up at him in absolute confusion. “Being the gentleman I am, I was allowing you to pick our activities. If you don’t want to, then allow me to introduce you to the things I enjoy about Coney Island,” Tom answered, already leading you to the first activity he had in mind.

He led you to the first ride on the left, walking into the line to begin the wait. You looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something about tickets or money needed for the ride. He seemed not to notice for a moment, instead looking at the ride cars that passed by. After a minute of not breaking your sight, he turned to you and instantly realized your source of confusion. Wordlessly, he reached into his pocket and took out two cards, handing one to you. “The park has a credit system. I have these from a prior visit. I reloaded them earlier, so you have 41 credits,” he explained, “After this ride, you should have about 34.” You examined the card as he spoke, looking up after he finished to ask him one more question, “What ride is this?” Tom smiled, fixing his posture and extended his free hand to present the ride. “The first ride of the night is the one and only Tickler,” he announced, making you laugh a bit, “I hope you enjoy thrill rides, because it not only goes fast on a rising and falling track, but it will also spin on occasion.” Shaking your head, you pulled him along the line by his hand-- that for some reason was still holding onto you. He hasn’t let go. And you weren’t pulling away either, enjoying the small amount of warmth that radiated from it.

You approached the front of the line, handing the card to the line operator when you were close enough. He let you both in, directing you to a car. A minute later, you were being strapped into the car, having left your bag in a safe place off to the side. Once you were secure, you looked up at Tom, who was already looking at you with a smirk. “Ready to have fun?”

The ride ended after a few minutes, and you were a laughing, jittery mess. Grabbing your bag, you began to make your way to the exit. Tom held onto you, making sure you weren’t too dizzy to walk as you made your way to the next activity he had planned. “I didn’t scream the entire time!” you bragged, leaning into him slightly for support. “I’m sure I heard you scream at some point in the ride,” Tom disclaimed, putting his hand on his chin as if he was thinking. You scoffed, “I did not!”

“Yes you did. I clearly heard a scream coming from right next to me!!”

“It was the other car!”

“It sounded like you.”

“How did it sound like me?”

“It was a bit whiny and high pitched,” he teased, looking at you as your laughter calmed a bit. His soft blue eyes reflected the lights around you as your pace slowed a bit. You didn’t say anything, heavily captivated by his mere presence as you suddenly became aware of your proximity. His warmth seemed to surround you completely and you found yourself basking in his smell. He cleared his throat, looking away as he quickened his pace and led you to the next thing he wanted to introduce you to. “So we’ve done the first ride, now we have to do the first game.” He pulled you to one of the game booths, only letting go once you were close enough to the stool to sit down. Looking up at the name, you read “Water Racer.” You each took a place on a stool and handed your cards to the worker. A few more people joined in and you turned to Tom. “Ready to lose?” you smirked, glaring at him slightly. He laughed a bit, quickly responding “Are you?”

The game began, causing water to flow through the water guns. You aimed it at the target as best as you could, only moving it slightly when you laughed. Tom looked over to you, quickly realizing just how well you were doing. “Oh, no!” he laughed, “You won’t win that easily.” He reached over and moved your hand out of place, causing your aim to falter completely. “Stop!” you cried, desperately trying to push his hand away while regaining your aim. You succeeded, but were still far behind now. The other competitors came closer to the top as you slowly regained your pace. Just as you thought you were close to winning, the bell sounded and the worker called out “Winner!” You turned to look at the bars, trying to find the winner, only to realize he was sitting to your left.

Tom stood from the stool with a proud smile, winking at you as you glared even more. “Seriously?” you rhetorically asked, standing from the stool to meet his eye-- well chest considering the height difference. “Which prize would you like, sir?” the worker asked, resetting the bars as he spoke. Tom looked over at the prizes as you kept your eyes fixed on him. He pointed at one hanging from the tent. You didn’t bother to see which one he picked, instead choosing to keep playfully glaring at him as you spoke, "You pushed my hand, cheater!" He looked at you briefly, then turned back to the man behind the table. "You're right," he confessed, " I cheated. That's why I think it's only fair you have the prize." He took the plush from the worker's hands and gave it to you.

It was a jaguar plush, made to lie down wherever you placed it. "To commemorate the day we met," he told you, taking a step closer. You didn't know whether to be bothered by it or just smile. It was a cute little detail, but it signified almost getting hit by his car. A Jaguar. Your lips curled into an involuntary smile. You looked up to meet his eyes once more and muttered a ‘thank you.’ “What was that?” he asked teasingly, “I couldn’t quite hear you.”

Rolling your eyes, you repeated it louder and added ‘asshole’ to the end of it. Satisfied with the gratification, he took your hand again and led you away from the booth. “C’mon, I have more to show you,” he said, keeping you close as you held his hand with your left and the adorable plush with your right.

~~~

After a few more games and a couple rides, you found yourself switching over to Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park--which was conveniently right next to Luna Park. Tom also had two cards for, ready and loaded with credits. He said that he frequented both parks with Vivie, which explained basically everything. He took you to the Spook-a-Rama attraction, claiming you couldn’t have a date at an amusement park without going into one of the horror attractions-- mild horror, but still. After that, you went on the bumper cars and made several jokes about him being great at crashing into people. To which, he simply warned you to watch where you were going. Multiple times.

After you’d stopped to get a snack and water for the night, Tom took you to one more ride. “There’s only one way to end a great amusement park date,” he explained, leading you to the line for the Wonder Wheel. As you stood in line, you both joked about all the things that had happened in that single night. It took you about fifteen minutes to get to the front of the line, choosing the one for the stationary cars. You entered the car and sat down, Tom choosing the seat to your right ratchet than the one directly in front of you. The operator closed the door and called the next car. The two of you sat in a comfortable silence, taking in all the bright lights that came from the Ferris wheel. It was nice to have small moments like this. “Oh,” Tom said suddenly, “I meant to tell you this sooner. I have Vivie’s record for you to look at. I’ll give it to you first thing tomorrow before we meet up with your mother.” It took you a moment to process what he’d said, staring blankly for a bit before reacting. “Right, right. Thanks for that. I’ll take a look at them on the way to the wedding planner’s,” you stammered. He smiled, nodding once before looking away again.

The ride started shortly after the exchange, moving your car up closer to the top. You looked over at the New York Skyline, admiring all the brightly lit buildings that made your eyes sparkle. Tom noticed how they did, gazing into them as you were looking away. “I have to say,” he whispered, “For an uptight, workaholic doctor, you do know how to enjoy yourself.” You snapped out of your trance, fixing your eyes on him. “I have to say,” you repeated with a smile, “For an asshole, you do know how to show a girl a good time.” He mimicked your smile and leaned in closer to you making the car move just a bit. “You know, under any other circumstance, this would be romantic,” he pointed out, a wondering expression gracing his features. You laughed a bit, “This is what you find romantic?”

“What do you find romantic?” he asked as if he was slightly offended.

“Long walks on the beach, spontaneous gifts, random dates, cute little notes, things like that.”

“Well technically, this is a random date,” he mentioned, “It’s not quite a walk on the beach, but we are near it. The jaguar is a spontaneous gift. All this needs is a cute little note.” You thought for a moment, realizing he had a point. “I guess you’re right,” you admitted. His expression changed again. He gave you that look that you came to despise slightly. That devious look that informed you of a secret plan he had brewing in his head. “So you could say this is romantic?” he asked teasingly. Internally groaning, you quickly became wise to his plan. He won’t let you be until you admitted he was right. “Yes, ok?” you gave in, “You’re right.”

“About what?” he questioned, feigning innocence. You let out a frustrated sigh, refusing to answer. Tom narrowed his eyes at you, “You know I won’t stop asking until you say it.” You thought for a moment as you weighed your options. It was either give him the satisfaction of telling him he was right or having him bother you until you inevitably did. Tom is a stubborn man, you learned that fairly quickly. Deciding you’d rather have this bickering end here. “Fine,” you muttered, “You’re right. This is romantic.” Tom raised an eyebrow, smirk widening as he spoke, “Is or would be?”

“Both,” you laughed, desperately wanting it to end. You both fell into silence once again, taking in the view as you enjoyed each other's presence. You felt him shift slightly, choosing to ignore it as you continued to look out into the distance. You barely noticed when his arm went around your shoulders. Freezing for a moment, you processed the situation and considered your options. You could either pull away or lean into it. You considered the situation for a moment, realizing this was probably something you’d have to do often to keep up your charade. You didn’t want to think about that. All you wanted was to embrace this moment for what it is and think about just that. So you did. You leaned into his embrace, wordlessly accepting his actions. The two of you stayed that way until the ride ended.

“And that concludes our date,” Tom announced, walking towards the exit with you close behind. “I had fun,” you smiled as you caught up to him. He returned it, opening his lips to respond to your statement only to be interrupted by a voice calling out nearby. “Mr. Hiddleston! Dr. L/N! Can we have a few words for the press?” A small group of, what you assumed were reporters, began to run up to you. In an instant, Tom took your hand and began pulling you away in the opposite direction. You began to run to the exit on 12th Street, quickly turning towards the beach as you ran. Tom held your hand as you hurried down the street and into the open air of the ocean nearby. You ran as fast as your legs and will could take you, desperately trying to keep up with him.

Once you reached the boardwalk, the two of you went to hide near the tables. Coming to a complete stop near one of the establishments, you tried to catch your breath, exhausted from the sudden run. Your breaths slowly turned into laughter, causing Tom to give you a look of utter confusion. Slowly, he too began to chuckle a bit at your current situation. You both laughed for a bit longer before it died down. You looked deeply into his eyes, taking in every ounce of unspoken emotion. Tom did the same to you, leaning down ever so slightly. You leaned in closer to him as well, gradually minimizing the space in between the two of you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: It’s finally done!!! This chapter took me so long because I wanted to get the geography layout right. I am not a New Yorker, so I had to do a lot of research regarding both parks and their locations. It took a while. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! It’s well over due and I hope the extra work makes up for that!! Show some love for @accio-boys for being the mastermind of this chapter and coming up with the idea of a Coney Island date. As always, I love you all, feel free to comment what you think as feedback is appreciated and encouraged!! Stay Safe, Stay Proud, Stay Wonderful, Please be Careful out there, and I hope all is well in your corner of this hectic world.

Also, I will be posting well overdue chapters from now till Sunday before I start online Classes, so please be patient. Later today I will post Life in Audrilluria Chapter Two and Possibly Winter Mistakes as well. Stay tuned for that!!

Taglist is OPEN

@myraiswack @falling4uke @accio-boys @ashcrimson-is-writing @just-trying-to-survive-marvel @whathefuckrichard69 @allthecreativeonesaretaken @hunterofartemisblog @frostedgiant @lyka-k @racewife2004 @juniperwoodwell @adepressedstudentslife @poetic-fiasco @januarycalendargirl @poetontheblock @viviandarkbloom06 @sea040561 @universallycutecakehoagie @twhiddlestonsstuff @putinovertime

One last thing; I’ve been having troubles with the @’s and some of them aren’t showing up. If you aren’t getting the Tag Notification, please let me know. That way I can message you anytime I upload a chapter. And If I missed you, also let me know as Tumblr has been eating some of the tags.

And to all my new followers, Welcome to the family😘❤🧡💛💚💙💜

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likesomekindofcheese · 4 years

Text

Or the One where you pretend to be Engaged (Joe Mazzello x fem! reader oneshot)

Summary: You and Joe fake an engagement to get wedding cake samples

Word Count: 2895

Warnings: some mild swearing, I guess, but pretty mild. Cake and marriage. Kids are mentioned. Shenanigans.

A/N: Hello there @assembledherethevolunteers! I am your Secret Santa! And this was written in your honor for @yourlocalmusicalprostitute Possessed by Love celebration! I hope you enjoy it! Also shout out to actual goddess @joeneslee for helping me with ideas when I got writers block!

“Are you ready?” he asks eagerly.

“I don’t know…” you reply, shaking your head.

Both of you sit in the car parked outside of the cake store. It is a small building, painted pastel pink building with a white roof. There is a wide glass window that reads “Let them eat Cake!” in a heart slathered on with white paint. It looks like a Hallmark Valentines Card, but were you ready to enter that place? With Joe?

Joe has always been your friend, and most especially your baseball buddy. The stadium was your safe place with him, not anything flowery or romantic. Both of you would discuss everything under the sun until pipe organs blared out chords when the teams ran on the field. You were used to the ballpark, the sun beating down over the rim of your cap. The taste of hot dogs right on your mouth and both of you eating ice cream cones at the last stretch as bats cracked the balls louder than anything on earth.

“Hmmmm” he would say in a Fake Commenter voice, thick with a nasal accent “numbuh forty-three hit that ball and ooooo he’s going!”

“Uph! He missed it! The ball rolling!” you would throw in, watching the action.

“Ooooo! Too baaad so saaaad!” Joe would continue with the voice.

But even at the stadium, you couldn’t even eat a regular meal with him. He would make silly faces, gulp stuff down, or shove his arms in his shirt as if he was a velociraptor. How on earth would you last through a wedding cake tasting?

“This is a lot for just wanting some desert,” you commented.

“Yes, but it’s free dessert. And how long until we have to pay for every good thing, Y/N?” He argued, smiling fearlessly at the place.

“But, what…it might be wrong…” you advise.

“Ok, what’s the worst that can happen?”

Thinking through, you throw your hands in the air in exasperation.

“Food poisoning,” you say.

“In this kind of store? I doubt it,” he shrugs.

With a deep breath, you go “okay…I’m ready…”

Both of you get out your boxes and place the rings on your left ring finger, but still in the car, where no one can catch you. You said a little prayer for a bit of normalcy. As much as you were hoping for.

The entire store is painted pastel pink and white with flowers on each counter and white cupids all over the walls. Cutesy love songs play on throughout the speaker. As soon as you walk in, a perky young woman with pale skin and a brown ponytail walks up and cheerfully greets in a Disney Princess voice, “Is this the future Mr. and Mrs. Mazzello?!”

“Yes it is!” you say with an equally cheesy smile.

Joe leans down and hugs you from the side as you lightly kiss his cheekbone. When your hand goes up to hold his, you make sure the ring sparkles in the employee’s direction.

“Yes, and we’re thrilled!” he adds.

You pop your hand forward to show and she squeals on cue.

“Wonderful! Let’s get started then! When will your wedding be?” she asks. She pulls up an Ipad from the counter and begins to tap enthusiastically on it.

Joe answers perfectly, “Next April.”

“So a Spring wedding! Are we thinking florals then?” she asks, glancing up.

You nodded “yes…”

As she turned around to take more notes, Joe whips his head to you and says in his smoothest, Streep voice “Florals in Spring?”

“Groundbreaking!” you finished with a repressed laugh.

“A floral cake would look beautiful! Let me get our expert and our baker ready with the flavors today!” she explained.

Zipping around, she leads you into the next room that looks like a small café with plenty of wooden tables and chairs. Already you can smell the chocolate baking in the next room. Sitting you down, she serves you some water from a crystal pitcher and Joe insists he pours your cup.

She keeps grilling you about everything under the sun where you both had to come up with stuff and wound up with the most cliché, cheesy wedding you could think of. Anything that would turn someone away. Not get too much attention.

The girl looks dreamy-eyed at the details of wedding planning. Thinking of one of her own in her daydreams, perhaps. But once the baker- a short, pudgy man with dark hair and glasses with an apron, your breath hitches. Especially since he is already holding a few plates of cake samples.

You feel Joe’s arms wrap around you as he sets the plates down. One plate has a cake with icing, and one has fondant.

“Fondant or Buttercream?” the baker asks.

“Buttercream! Please! Fondant is disgusting!” you insist.

“I need a cake as sweet as my sweetie pie is,” Joe says in a disgustingly saccharine tone. You can’t help but smile.

“What about the design? Simple or ornate?” he asks.

He folds his arms and eyes you over his glasses. You grit your teeth. Both of you begin to say the opposite thing, then Joe blinks, his face is red. Looking over, your eyes widen, and you nod furiously.

“Uh, simple! Simple is better! I’d like something my nieces and nephews can eat!” he requests.

The baker shrugs and confirms. He walks away saying he will get the buttercream samples.

Joe turns to you and rubs his hands together happily.

“This is it, Y/N! Here we go!” he cheers.

The young woman and the baker pop in from the back. Their arms and hands are filled with cake samples of every color and flavor you can think of. Each one is cut into perfectly square pieces as if done by machines. There is a chocolate cake, a vanilla cake, a lemon cake, and a carrot cake. The woman settled her plate down, her white blouse stained with the pink icing, and then hurried back.

The baker handed you several disposable white plastic forks from his apron and pointed to the trash can next to your table.

“Okay, are you ready to dig in?” he asks you.

When you look his eyes are soft, his hair is a little scruffy, and his smile makes your cheeks feel hot.

“I’m ready!” you declare

Joe’s phone goes wild with buzzing as you stab your fork into a vanilla piece.

“Sweetie!” you say, almost through gritted teeth, worriedly looking at his pocket.

Joe turns to his phone and looks at it. Numerous notifications are asking what he was doing and how it was going from…of all places…the band group chats.

“Oh my gosh, they’re all talking,” Joe sighs. The fork goes in and he gets a generous bite of the chocolate sample. But there is so much it gets on his right pointer finger.

He huffs like a kindergartener. He sets his fork down with a bit of a scowl, then his thumb presses the button on his phone, and it goes into Speaker mode.

“Guys, I am just at my fiancé’s cake eating, okay?” he speaks into Siri and sends in an instant.

As he takes a second bite, his brown eyes go wide.

“Oh, my go…. This is incredible!” he exclaims with a mouth full of cake.

The first bite of your lemon sample is moist and yet dense. Sweet enough to perfection. You love it. Right as you plunge your fork into it again you hear Joe’s phone continually buzzing. When he finishes it, he wipes the icing from his finger on the napkin and pulls it up.

“Oh…uh…” Joe spoke, he bit his tongue looking at the line of notifications scrolling down.

It won’t stop buzzing. And the lights blinking you can’t help but notice as well. Peeking over his shoulder, the band is on fire asking about the engagement.

“Why don’t you turn it off, let’s be in the moment and enjoy this together!” you suggest, touching his forearm.

He nods promptly and turns it off, putting it in his pocket to deal with later. He then stuffs the vanilla whole inside his mouth. He chews, and nods, going “mmmmmmmm!” in approval

“Ohp! I got too much buttercream in mah mouth!” Joe cries. He sips his water, moving his jaw as if it was peanut butter.

“Need me to take care of it, sweetie?” you ask.

You heard the loud whirl of the mixer in the back and the bell right over the door ching with the entrance of another couple

“Anytime, babe.”

You lean over and kiss him, tasting the frosting. His lips are soft, and you can smell his shampoo too. He smiles and goes in for another one with more pressure, with a hand pressing your shoulder. You start giggling.

“Woah! Save some for the wedding night tiger!” you chirrup demurely, pushing him away.

“Anything for you, wifey,” he says, and the pink on his cheeks are impossible not to notice.

But when you look behind you in curiosity your heart picks up at the sight. Your college friend and her fiancée had just walked in.

“Y/N!” she half-screams, “oh my god, you’re engaged! Oh my god!”

She hurries over to you in a loud squuuuuueeeeee and tackles you into a hug. But you’re silent. Not sure what to do or how to react.

“Now we can BOTH have our big day! Ohmygod, I’m so happy for you! Let me see?” he begs.

She points a hand to your left hand and finds the old ring.

“Awwww, it’s beautiful!”

You and Joe share a look, unsure of what to do. His eyes go wide, and you could see a bit of frosting still on his face, getting whiter and whiter until it looked like the buttercream frosting on the plate.

“Ooooo, and who is hee?!” she asked, going over to inspect Joe.

Her fiancée is in the corner, hands in his pockets, and swaying on his toes. Waiting.

“Oh, this is Joe. We are just deciding and trying out wedding cakes.” You answer firmly.

“Oooo! When is the date! I have to go! I just have to see it! I’m gonna cry but it’s gonna be worth it! You deserve nothing but the best, honey! When did you get engaged? I saw nothing on Insta!” she queries, head tilting in light confusion.

Crap, crapcrapcrapcrap you think.

You looked a little to the left at Joe, shrugs with a wide jaw.

“He proposed…at a game. Yesterday.” You say. “But we…we just wanted to get some details right before anything gets public.”

Joe gets up to put an arm around you.

“And my little snuggle bug here is so modest and didn’t want to overshadow anyone on their big day. Wedding Season, you know!” he adds.

Looking up, you give him a small grin and he grins back.

“Ooooo, but it’s your big day too! You should feel special!” she comments,

“We just want to get everything planned….and besides, I’m a local fringe celebrity. And I…I don’t want to get the media too riled up,” Joe responds, moving his free hand for her to be quieter about it.

Her fiancé walks forward, he takes her under his arm, and they lean against each other in a half hug. But he keeps squinting at Joe.

“Wait…I swear I may have seen you before…weren’t you in…uh…” he mumbles, scratching the back of his head.

You turn Joe’s head to the cake samples, eyes darting down to them.

“Hey…I think we have more cakes to taste we need to make decisions, we can talk later!” you say, tugging on his sleeve.

“Yup. Decisions. Big ones.” Joe agrees. Both of you turn your backs to continue.

“Okay, buy Y/N!” your friend says, she gives you a sweet hug and a genuine smile before she goes over to discuss her wedding with the employee at the front desk.

But right as you begin to work on the third sample of rich chocolate, you look up and saw of all things, another friend of yours walking in the café area while tying an apron around his waist.

“Y/N! Oh my god! You’re engaged!” he gasps, letting go of all professional courtesy.

He runs up and hugged you.

“Uhhh, yeah. I am. Surprise!” you shrug.

“Wait, let me help you. I just started working here and I’ve been binging Great British Bake Off for a month, I am a cake expert!” he says.

He plops down uninvited on the chair across from you and Joe, looking at them.

“That one needs to be cream. Not white. Cream. Though adding a few red flowers would be nice. Blue might be pretty, but red is romantic and passionate!” he advises.

As Joe looks down, ready to eat a third sample of chocolate with blue icing he snatches it away.

“Hey!”

“No! Not chocolate!” your friend scowls.

“Oh, come on! Chocolate is the best!” Joe argues, he grabs the plate and pulls it back

“Chocolate gets dry! And this isn’t a birthday or kiddie party, this is a wedding! It needs to be mature and professional with some decoration!” he says. “It needs a refined flavor! I have one I made this morning, let me cut you both a bit!”

He dashes to the back, returning with two samples of a red velvet slice. Once you and Joe eye each other, taking a pensive bite both of you grimace. It tastes more like a stale piece of toast than an actual cake.

You chug down the rest of the water and give him a half-hearted thank you. But right before you can change the subject, he gets out a notepad in his pocket filled with cake designs.

“This one would fit a wedding too…and so would this one…and this one!” he lists, flipping yellow lined pages of tiered cakes full of flowers and swirls. You can feel Joe starting to tap his foot.

“And all in that flavor you just tried!”

Standing up, you smile and shake his hand in thanks.

“Wow! That’s a lot well-I gotta get back on the -uh-juice diet for the wedding dress fitting I’m going to next Friday.”

Joe gets up to hug you from behind. He kisses your cheek and you feel a genuine smile grow on you.

“Not that you need it, honey bear. You’re gorgeous no matter what. You could wear a paper bag on the aisle and I’d still be blown away,” he compliments

“Thank you.”

He pecks your lips, “anytime.”

His ginger head turns toward your friend, gathering leftover plates.

“We’ll consider the designs and if we decide it’s what we want, we’ll call you!” he says, slowly backing away to the door.

Both of you scuffle out without a word and got into the car. As soon as you drive away, far enough to where no one near the store could hear you, you both burst out laughing.

“Oh my god, Joe…we did it! We did that!” you laugh, catching your breath.

Joe nods, his hand crunching part of his hair as he leans back into the car seat. You both park near a coffee shop just to get out and release more laughter. Wiping away tears, he turns on his phone to face the music. It was dinging like mad from the Groupchat and he smiles, amused.

“You won’t believe this…the band’s all amazed and…they’re asking for proof!” he tells you.

“What kind of proof?” you ask, sighing as your breath was slowing to normal.

“Ben says he wants to see a ring and a kiss in one pic.”

“We can ignore him,” you dismiss.

“I dunno…now Gwil wants one…and Rami…and Lucy…and Allen…and everyone…”

Sighing, you say “mmmk, mmmk, just a quick one.”

Looking down, you realize that the ring was still on your finger. You position your phone in the right place, put it on selfie mode, and set a timer.

He’s gonna kiss me again, oh my god, he’s gonna kiss me again, you think almost retreating your head, like a turtle in its shell.

Keeping your outstretched left hand just below your face, you both lean forward. There is a nervous twitch in Joe’s eye, and you hold your breath in place. The camera’s screen flashed “2…1….”

Then you both dive in for the kiss. Your teeth awkwardly touch together with a slight “clang.” Your lips match top to bottom and you can still taste the chocolate cake on him. But your eyes are closed, and your breathing slows. You feel him exhale through his nose. Both of you stay there. You feel your heart go fast with excitement and nervousness, as if this was a fever dream and not what was happening right now.

But you look at each other in the eyes and let go. You realize that the photos had already been taken for a few seconds. The actual kiss was longer. He gives you a sheepish smile at yours. He never looked at you like that before. Not that you had seen. You look back at him.

Now you are sure. There is a tenderness in his expression, and he blushes until he is the color of his hair. He is too.

“Y/N…I…I always thought…”

You went in for another kiss. No photo required.

Taglist: @stardust-killer-queen @queenlover05 @bens-jawline

#fake dating #joe mazzello #eventual love #joe mazzello x reader #joe mazzello fluff #joe mazzello x y/n #joe mazzello imagine #joe mazzello x you #joe mazzello oneshot #joe mazzello fanficiton #bohrap boys #bohrap boys x reader #joe mazzello x fem! reader #joe mazzello x fem! y/n #PLE #ylmp event #Possessed by Love #possessed by love event #yourlocalmusicalprostitute

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airi-p4 · 4 years

Text

Last Chance - Chapter 8

AO3

I’m back!! I would usually wait until the next chapter is almost finished to post a new chapter, but I’m posting it so I can get the motivation to finish it. This chapter can work as the ending, but Chapter 9 will be the last one (like an epilogue).

Thank you if you’ve read this so far!

_____________________________________________

Marinette’s POV

What has just happened? Chloe collapsed? Why? What did Alya do? What’s that on her hand? Is that… Chloroform? What’s going on? Is she ok?

“Thank you, Alya” I can hear Luka say.

Luka seems fine with it… Is she ok, then?

“You have some talking to do. I just got rid of the interferences. Go on. We’ll be over there”

I look at Alya, confused, as she and the rest of the team moves to another part of the room, leaving me alone with Luka.

Alya… she’s giving me courage to confess my feelings to Luka, just like she did years ago when I had that stupid crush on Adrien.

Luka is now in front of me, as I’ve been wishing for so long. I missed him so much… Yet words don’t seem ready to part. They’re stuck in my throat, refusing to leave. Refusing to break the silence.

And I try. My face looks up for a second to meet Luka’s determined eyes.

One second.

That’s all it takes for my fears to reappear. And I can’t hold my gaze.

I’m too embarrassed… too ashamed of my acts… Regretful… Sorry…

And most of all I’m scared . Scared of rejection. Again… Scared to fall deeper into my darkness…

I can feel the burns on Luka's fingers as he touches my hands. And I cherish every little contact I can get.

Am I even allowed to enjoy this sweet dream after everything I've done? After attempting to use the forbidden absolute power of the Miraculous? After deceiving Master and everyone? After hurting Luka and my friends? I don’t think I deserve his attention…

“Hey”

His voice is so peaceful… I could listen to his voice forever… if there was a forever for us… but that’s impossible, isn’t it?

“Marinette”

My heart skips a beat every time he says my name. He's probably expecting me to answer… But I can't find the strength to: this momentarily illusion feels so fragile I'm sure the magic will be gone as soon as I interfere with it. I don't want him to leave me again…

I shouldn't be taking his time when he must be worried about his fiancee. Seeing how much he cares for her hurts me deeper than I thought.

I'm jealous. So jealous. So UGLY .

How can I ask him to stay with me when I’m so UGLY on the inside? I don’t deserve him…

And Chloe… I've treated her badly. She deserves to be happy with Luka... I have to let him go… I have to learn to live alone, forever. Maybe I can take the kwamis with me this time. At least I won't get as lonely…

I wish I didn't have to let him go, but he must think I'm a horrible girl. He's probably so disappointed…. He…

“Marinette. Look at me”

Ah… again… his heavenly voice… Is he an angel?

He is begging me to meet his eyes but I don't think I can- not after hurting him, hurting everyone. I deserve to be hated…

“Marinette, please...”

Ah, his forehead... touching mine… so calming… so nostalgic… I missed it so much…

Can I keep having this dream forever? Nothing would make me happier… But NO. I can’t mess up with his happiness with Chloe anymore... I don’t want to disappoint him any further… I have to… keep my feelings to myself… forget about this last chance… Accept my destiny… Alone...

"I'm back", he says.

A dry sob escapes my mouth. It seems I've run out of tears… except the last one that finds a way to fall down my cheeks. One more drop of darkness. Am I really allowed to have him by my side, even if it’s just as a friend? Is it really ok to grant an irresponsible human being like me this honor? This miracle?

No, please! Don't go away! Don't stop touching my hands…!

Don't let this fragile illusion end… not yet… never…

"Marinette. I'm here. It's fine. I won't go away anymore. Let me see your eyes"

Is he able to read my mind? Can I believe his words…? Do I really deserve this happiness? I can tell he’s getting impatient, but I’m too scared to react. Frightened of rejection. Once again…

And I’m convinced he can see through me, making him aware of my fears. The grip of his hands on mine getting stronger, as if trying to make me relax, to bring the courage to put into words what he must already be suspecting.

The darkness inside me.

And I can’t face him.

Not yet .

Not when my negative thoughts keep invading my head. Not when I’m unable to convey my feelings. Not when I’m not ready to let him go… but I have to…

"Luka… I… I'm so sorry… I- I don't deserve your compassion… Chloe is right… I shouldn't…"

"Hey. Stop saying this or I'll have to shut you again"

I can feel my heart skip a beat in hope, surprised, unfaithful for his words. His forehead leaving mine pains me a little as my darkness manages to find its way deeper through the scars on my heart. It hurts so much I can barely speak. But I can’t keep getting in his happiness way any longer… He just wanted to save the world, that’s the logical way to think...

“You can stop acting like you care for me now… I won't do anything else. You don't have to kiss me so I don't renounce the Miraculous box… I'm sorry I forced you to do something like that against your will…"

“Marinette, you really think that’s the reason I kissed you? Just how much is your darkness messing with your senses?”

Yes… deep darkness remains… even if it’s not absolute anymore. It’s still very profound.

"Marinette. Look at me please. Don't hide your beautiful face from me"

I startle a little at his words. ‘ Beautiful ’, he said. Is it a dream? I can feel my cheeks get hot.

"Marinette. I came for you. I'm here now. Let me try to fix this. Answer me, please. Look at me… There's nothing to fear. Please?"

How am I supposed to believe that? How could my only dream be achieved so easily after all the damage I created. The burnings, the world’s balance… Chloé… Of course he wanted to save the world to save his marriage… How stupid am I...

"You’re so unfair... giving me hope when you came here with your fiancée… I won’t do anything stupid anymore… you don’t have to lie for me… I hate lies...“ she whispers.

He stays silent, as I expected. He’s probably worried I might attempt something again. But I won’t, I already resig- Huh!?

And, before I can react, he kisses me again. No excuse this time. No apparent reason for it. And it feels even better than I could have ever imagined… heaven.

And my mouth gets carried away, following my inner desires and being guided by love. I want to keep kissing him forever, but he breaks the contact too soon. My face now moves in search of his, without opening my eyes yet, in case the spell vanishes as soon as I do.

But I hesitate. Do I really deserve this? I don't think I do. Not after-

“Do you still think I’m lying?” he asks.

And I finally gather the courage to look at him, directly. No barriers or interferences in between. And what I see is not what I expected: the brightest grin I’ve ever seen on him. And my eyes meet his- his smiling face. His calm. His blue. His love.

My body stops functioning, unable to stop staring at those magical sapphires looking back at me.

“Finally…”, he says.

He looks so handsome I feel like I’m going crazy, panicking at realizing my actions. And his actions too. ‘ He kissed me… A love filled kiss… ’. And my heart feels lighter.

"Marinette. There's something I really want to hear from you. Forgive me if I am wrong, but I'm going to say it first, ok?"

My heartbeat is getting louder at anticipation. I forget how to breathe.

"I love you, Marinette. You’re still the song in my head- you’ve always been"

I gasp, and my body won’t stop trembling.

Can it be real? Can a miracle like this really happen?

I want to have hope but, can I?

“What about Chloé?” I finally find the courage to ask.

I can’t help it but notice his disgusted expression. He’s not happy with this conversation topic. But his answer holds no doubt, only remorse.

“We’ve already discussed that. Chloe knows about my feelings. Chloe knows I can’t be dishonest. She has always known I could never forget about you. She’ll have to accept it’s over"

What? Is this for real? A flash of my last memory before my darkness controlled me returns to my mind. Chloé’s ring.

"But- the wedding! The ring! She still wears it..."

And I’m afraid. Afraid he’s finally going to say he was lying all along.

"The wedding will be cancelled as soon as we get back. And that ring…* sigh * I asked her to give it back but she didn't want to. You know how stubborn she is…"

This… sounds like Chloe. But is it really true? I could sense their love. I know it’s not my jealousy making me imagine things… I know they love each other... Especially Chloe…

"But Chloe loves you so much… and I can tell you care for her too..."

It feels even sadder for me to say it out loud. I’m so ugly at the inside… for wishing to take Luka from Chloe… For having- His words interrupt my thoughts again.

"I know... And I feel horrible for breaking her heart. Just like you with Adrien, I assume. I can't drive her down with me into a loveless marriage. I can't promise her a happy future anymore. I can't give her my love when you're the only one my heart is willing to accept"

"But-!" ‘ are you sure? Won’t you regret it later? ’ I wanted to add, but I don’t think I’m ready for his answer. His impatience shows again.

“Please, Marinette. The wait is killing me! I need to know if what you wrote in those emails is true so my heart can finally rest from this agony. I love you. Please, give me an answer this time…"

This is real. I want to believe it’s real. Please, let it be real. His eyes are sincere and his smile is as welcoming as it has always been. I love him… My feelings reached him… My emails… Oh no!

"The emails… You've read them. Oh my god, you've read them! Oh, no! So embarrassing… I shouldn't have listened to Alix! I shouldn't have sen-"

"Shhhh… the only thing you should regret is not sending them earlier. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed it"

"No- I-!"

"Tell me, Marinette. Tell me so I dare to believe a miracle can really happen. Please, tell me if you feel the same I feel for you. Tell me if I'm allowed to give it my all to make you the happiest woman in the world. Tell me, Marinette"

And the feeling of hope grows bigger in me. And I’m scared, but also aware this may be my last time to tell him my feelings- and my last time meeting him if I don’t find the courage to confess. My light is in front of me.

It’s now or never.

“Those emails....It's all true… I love you, Luka… It’s always been you. I’m so stupid for not noticing earlier… You are my light..."

And not even a fraction of second passes until he hugs me and holds me in his strong arms. I feel like I’m melting. His warmth, his scent, his touch… I love him. "… so happy..." he whines, and I’m starting to believe this now. My heart is beating the fastest it ever has, and I can’t hold back all my hidden feelings.

"Why did you leave me, Luka? Why did you leave me alone…? All these years… I thought I had lost you…"

"I thought you were happy, Marinette. I thought you were married. I thought I was in your happiness’ way.” His body moves backward so his eyes can lock with mine. “But no more. I love you and as long as you want me with you I'm not leaving again"

And now my own thoughts are getting out with my voice. No filters. Exposed.

“Can I really believe in your words, Luka…? Please, tell me. Tell me this isn't my insanity making me see and hear the things I wish the most. Tell me I'm not going crazy! Tell me this is real, tell me you’re real! Please… Please!"

I’m desperate to believe him and I can’t hide it anymore. I don’t want to lose him again…

"Have I ever lied to you, Marinette? I love you. I want to be with you, if you allow me…"

My answer comes out automatically.

"Yes! I want to be with you Luka. Is it really ok with me? Chloe is amazing and… you look good together… and me… After all the danger I've put you through…"

"I want you. Only you... Marinette. I want you to excuse me for not following a proper order, and not breaking-up properly with Chloe first, but taking the circumstances in consideration I have no choice… Marinette. Will you be my girlfriend?

I’m astonished. "Can I really…?"

"Please"

I can’t stop smiling. Luka wants me to be his girlfriend… for real. I’m so happy I could melt into a puddle. My face is getting so red I decide to bury it on his chest, and give him my answer: “Yes…”

And Luka hugs me strongly, lifting my body and spinning it around a little, unable to control his excitement: even happier than when I brought him good news. But… Is this really ok? Can I be happy when Chloe is suffering so much? What if Luka regrets his decision and preferes Chloe over me again...? Chloe deserves happiness too…

But Luka’s senses are sharp and he notices something is going on in my mind. As observant as always.

"No, that's not enough. Tell me what you want. Tell me how you feel" he demands.

And I tell him my concerns: "I feel happy Luka, the happiest ever but… Chloe doesn't deserve unhappiness..."

"Neither do you" he rapidly responds.

"But… I don't want you to regret this…"

"I won't. Will you regret it?"

"I… I want to be with you… I want you to promise me you’ll never leave my side again"

"That's it then”.

And his last spoken words confuse me. ‘That’s it? What is?’

Luka closes his eyes and meditates for a minute. The grip on my hands remains unchanged. I can see he’s trying to calm himself, his breath becoming steadier, looking for his calm after the storm of emotions. Watching him is all I need to find my calm too, even if my heart is still beating fast and strong. Can I really call myself Luka’s girlfriend now? I’m so happy I could fly.

Finally, his eyes open, showing determination once again. My curiosity is probably more than obvious to him as he sympathetically smiles a little.

His gaze moves to his back, where the rest of the team are.

“Tikki. Could you keep Marinette company for a moment?”

I didn’t expect him to call for my kwami friend. What’s going on?

Tikki nods and comes flying to my side. Only then he speaks again.

“Marinette: there’s something I have to do. And I have to do it now. Do you trust me?”

‘What could it be?’ I can’t help but wonder.

“Yes… I trust you, Luka”

Or that’s what I really want to do. Have faith. Can I really? I think I do.

“Good” He gives me a fast peck on my lips that makes me close my eyes for a moment. “Wait for me”

I don’t want him to leave, but Tikki hugging my cheek distracts me from preventing Luka to stop holding my hands and move to where my friends are. I can only look from afar, but I can hear their voices. Luka approaches the team and sits down by Adrien’s side, where Chloe is sleeping in Adrien’s lap. ‘Chloe… is he going to…?’

“Marinette, it’s going to be ok! Don’t worry” Tikki assures me. And I don’t know if the kwami is very persuasive or that the butterflies Luka’s kiss has just put me under some kind of spell, but all I can do is set all my trust in him - ‘ My boyfriend’ .

“Chloe, I know you’re awake”

I gasp. My friends too. ‘Since when…?’ I can feel negative inside me, but Tikki is here to support me. ‘ Trust him ’ her eyes are telling me. And I inhale and exhale deeply, closing my eyes. ‘ I have to trust him ’.

Chloe makes no sound. Is she really awake?

Luka insists.

“I’m sorry, Chloe. I guess my percentages weren’t wrong”

I open my eyes again. ‘ What percentages? ’. I dismiss bad thoughts once more. ‘ Trust him ’.

“Chloe. I need you to give the ring back”

Chloe is still on Adrien’s lap, apparently sleeping, immobile. There’s only silence for some seconds until Luka speaks again.

“Chloe, don’t make me repeat it”

“Ugh! Take this stupid ring, I don’t need it anymore!” she finally complains loudly.

Chloe takes the ring off and throws it strongly on the floor, next to Adrien, who collects it. Luka sighs and, even if I can’t see him, I know for his voice he’s upset.

“Not the Black Cat Miraculous, Chloe, the other ring...”

‘What? She still had it? How could it pass me? What a failure of Guardian I am…’

“Ugh! Fine! Take this cheap shiny thing! I don’t need it anymore! CHEATER!” she screams, getting up and aggressively throwing their engagement ring to the floor, next to Luka this time. “Don’t you dare use it to propose to her! You’re better than that”

“As if I would do something as low as that…”

What? No… It can’t be... right? My cheeks burn at the thought.

“I’m sorry, Chloe. Thank you for everything. I hope you find your happiness…”

Chloe doesn’t say anything anymore. She sinks into Adrien’s lap and holds his shirt stronger, letting out a sob she fails to hide. I feel horrible… But probably not as much as Luka feels. I can see it on his face as he stands up and turns to where I am. He catches the ring and puts it in his pocket. My eyes keep following his movements, unsure if his actions are leading where I more than wish they did. He looks as full of determination, the same he looked when he asked me to wait moments ago.

And he’s in front of me again. Close.

With a little nod, he thanks Tikki, and the little kwami returns to Plagg, who’s now present after Adrien put on his miraculous.

After following Tikki with his eyes for a bit, Luka focuses on me again. And only when I return him an embarrassed nod he reaches inside of his pants pocket- not the one with Chloe’s ring, but the other- and picks up a little pink box with a blue ribbon on it. He kneels down before me and opens it… And I feel like I’m about to pass out when that sparkling diamond appears before my eyes and he asks me THE QUESTION .

“You wanted a promise? I’m promising you. Marry me, Marinette. Say yes and I promise you I’ll never leave your side again. Is this enough proof for you?”

I’m speechless. I look at the big pink diamond and tiny blue details in front of me and then I switch to Luka’s face. He’s nervously smiling, but I have no doubt he’s being honest. I’m so happy I could soar seeing his loving glowing eyes. It takes me a minute to process his words. ‘Marry me ’. Did he really say that? I can’t stop staring at the ring.

“This is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen, Luka”

I’m extremely moved. It’s perfect. Too perfect.

“When...?”

And his smile widens at my question.

“London. We went to get Master Fu and I got excited... If I really was lucky enough for you to correspond my feelings as those emails said… I didn’t want to regret not coming here prepared and… I got to find the most perfect ring I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t stop myself from buying it. For the most perfect, beautiful, and miraculous lady I’ve ever met. The woman I love the most in this world, the song that has always been inside my head since the first time we met: you, Marinette”

“Are you sure you want a horrible woman like me...?” I manage to ask between hiccups.

“If you’re horrible, then I must be horrible too. I could ask you the same”

I love him and my words come out automatically.

“Yes”

He blinks, thinking. Processing the information.

“Is that your answer?”

“Yes!” I repeat louder.

“Are you sure?”

“YES! I want you! I want to marry you, Luka! Nothing would make me happier!”

Gosh… I can’t stop smiling like a fool. I’m so happy… His hands move to cup my cheeks strongly, serious, fighting the muscles of his face to form a smile as wide as mine.

“Marinette, think about it, because I’m never leaving your side if you really mean it”

“Yes, I mean it, Luka. I don’t want you to leave my side… never again. I want to marry you”

I’m surprised my smile can grow even wider. So big it hurts. But I don’t care at all. Luka presses his lips strongly on mine, overjoyed, but we can’t keep locking lips for long because of our unstoppable grins getting in the way, our teeth colliding instead. So next he lifts my body up with his strong arms and spins it. I can’t stop giggling. He never stops holding me when he puts me down.

“I love you, Marinette. I love you so much… You make me so happy...”

“I love you too, Luka,” I say, and he separates from me to stare at my eyes and take the ring out of the box. He grabs my left hand and carefully holds my ring finger. I’m thrilled and delighted. He slides the ring over my finger and…

“Oh. Your fingers have gotten skinnier… it won’t fit… I’m sorry” he looks disappointed and sad for his not-really-a-mistake. I smile in understanding.

“It’s ok, Luka. I’ll recover my weight so I can properly wear it as soon as possible”

His happy smile is so cute my body moves on its own to give him a short sweet peck on his lips. I can almost see how he melts before he kisses me back with another, longer, kiss.

“Gosh, Marinette. My cheeks hurt so much from smiling but I can’t stop… What do you want to do when we get back home?”

“Home…?”

“We’ve been apart for too long... I want to make up for everything I missed from your life. Hugs, kisses, your talent and amazing job… Dates… where do you want to go? And then the wedding! How would you like it to be? And the honeymoon! We can go wherever you prefer! And ki-… Do you want kids, Marinette?”

I blush heavily at the implications of the question. His cheeks are slightly reddish too. Cute . But of course I want them… To form a family has always been my dream. And I had resigned myself... But now… It’s a dream come true. But I’m too shy to answer, so I just nod and hum discreetly.

“Kids too, then” Luka giggles happily, holding my hands again. “We’ll form a happy family! I’ll bet you’ll be the most amazing mother”. He stupidly grins in an unusual way that is making me embarrassed.

“Luka!”

“Sorry, am I going too fast? I’m so excited to spend time with you”

“Luka, we have plenty of time, we don’t need to rush it. I just want to be with you forever, I don’t care about the rest…”

“Marinette, can you see how happy you make me? I hope you don’t get tired of my affection because I have plenty to make up for! I love you so much”

And I feel like I’m already home when I stare at Luka’s profound pupils that hold more than love: his light. A brightness I’ve never seen in him before. A light that dissolves my inner darkness...

“Your light is finally back,” he says, staring relieved at my eyes.

And I realize he’s right. My soul is filled with light once again. Luka’s pure light.

“Luka… Your name means light… You’re my light… My lighthouse: all I need to not get lost in the deepest dark sea...”

I can feel my heart in total calm. His calm. The calm I’ve been missing for so long.

“Then you’re sea- my calm- and my spotlight”, he says. “All I need to shine. I wouldn’t be who I am if I hadn’t met you”

His comment makes me giggle.

“You shine on your own, Luka…”

No more darkness remains. Not in me. Not in him.

And that’s when the true magic starts: the miraculous box starts glowing and all the kwamis get out of it, surrounding the egg-shaped box and forming a circle of light that grows to engulf me and Luka in whitish-blue-reddish light. The box starts floating over us while the kwamis perform a kind of group singing and dancing all-together, illuminating the whole cave with zodiac signs patterns. It’s beautiful… More than beautiful. I look at Luka and he’s just as surprised and confused as I am, but we hold each other into an embrace as we look at the mesmerizing ceremony the kwamis are performing.

When the dance reaches an end, light moves over all of us and I can see how Luka’s burns heal at the touch of the light on his skin. Luka’s injuries are nowhere to be seen anymore. I can see next how Chloe is also surrounded by the light as well, meaning her injuries are probably healed too. “I’m so glad…”, I whisper.

Finally, the Miraculous box lights blinds us as it changes its form. Serpentines of light tangle me and Luka together and we can feel our hearts connected to each other. We can tell something has changed, even if we’re not exactly sure how. But, somehow, we know nothing can break us apart anymore.

No more darkness. Only light.

And the Miraculous box reveals to have a form of a lighthouse after it stops shining and falls into our hands. And for some reason I can’t stop staring at Luka’s eyes…

“What happened?” Alya says, breaking the silence.

“The kwami light dance….” Master Fu states. “It’s an extremely rare phenomenon.”

Noticing our confused faces, Master Fu continues.

“Let me explain… The Miraculous box represents light and it is known that, within light, there’s always darkness as its counterpart. That’s what the absolute power of the Miraculous represents: darkness. The reason it is dangerous is because it can grow to control the caller of the power’s will if there’s darkness in their heart… Just like it almost happened to you, Marinette”

I face down ashamed as Luka gives me a reassuring look. Master Fu continues the explanation.

“No one is sure what this ‘darkness’ wants, but presumably a physical form. It only happened once before and the strong will of the Guardian could somehow stop ‘darkness’, but he had to end up sacrificing a whole Miraculous box, which was destroyed forever. One of the reasons I chose Marinette to be Ladybug and the Guardian of the Miraculous was because of her positive mind and the happiness surrounding her. She's well balanced in many aspects and her happiness was bound to happen. I would have never expected darkness taking over her… I'm sorry, it seems I failed as a Guardian and mentor. No one should try to choose destiny for others, destiny should find its way on its own… I thought with Adrien by your side, Marinette, you would be forever happy. I should have taken other possibilities into consideration. It's my fault. I'm sorry, Marinette, everyone. Thank you for protecting the world's balance and fixing my mistakes"

"Don't say that Master… You were right giving Marinette a Miraculous. She's the best Ladybug I've ever seen"

"Tikki…" I’m moved by my kwami friends’ words.

"And you know what, Marinette? We made it! Darkness is sealed now. You don't have to worry anymore. It will appear again someday, but it will be gone for a long while"

"Huh!? How!? Where…?" I gasp.

"Remember the kwagatama ? The stone I gave you for your birthday? It protects you from darkness. The reason you weren't immediately taken over by darkness and the reason you could fight it was because of that combined with your strong sense of responsibility"

"Responsibility…? I've broken all the rules Tikki, where's my responsibility?"

"You fought your inner darkness despite losing all hope. You couldn't bear to see the ones you love hurt- the one you love the most hurt. You have the purest heart, Marinette"

"Why didn't you seal this darkness earlier, then?"

"Nino!", Alya calls for her husband’s attention.

"What? We could have avoided all this, wouldn't we?"

I’m intrigued too for the answer of Nino’s question, so I focus my curious look at Tikki. She understands and proceeds to respond.

"The ritual can only happen when absolute light is present, and that's not easy- many have failed in the attempt. But these two… Marinette and Luka… their pure love gave us the light to fulfill it. It's the first time we can actually complete this ritual. It's an extremely rare situation. A love this pure… is out of this world"

“And this proves I was wrong all along…” Master sadly concludes.

“That’s not true, Master! Adrien was great as Chat Noir. Tikki told me before how the ladybug and black cat Miraculous doesn't need to end up in a destiny based love. I was too blinded from admiration to notice before. Now I know I'm the one who has to create my own destiny and fight for what I want. And I’ve already chosen it”

I stare at Luka’s eyes and I feel like the most fortunate person in the world as I get lost in his ocean eyes. He smiles back at me, loving, caring- my Luka .

“But why did the Miraculous box change?” Alya asks Tikki.

“The light kwami ritual dance has another effect: it creates an unbreakable quantic bond. It's something like marriage from the kwamis”

“Marriage?” Luka asks, surprised as I am. “Does it mean we are married now?”

“At quantic level, yes. Now the guardianship is shared and your destinies are linked together, for the good and for the bad. Forever” Tikki explains.

I’m aware my eyes are glowing with happiness when I exchange looks with Luka, who is smiling tenderly at me, seemingly as happy as I am. ‘ Marriage... ’

“That's why light and the kwamis surrounded us, then. I see… So it wasn’t only to heal the damages done by absolute power, right?”

“Certainly not. I must say it's the first time this ritual actually takes place. I'm much honored to have been able to witness something this extraordinary. Why don't you introduce yourself to the kwamis?” Master Fu suggests.

I happily nod at Master and Tikki hugs me. I see Sass going to Luka.

“Master!”

“I’m glad to see you, Sass”

Pollen flies to Chloe, Trixx to Alya, Wayzz to Nino and Plagg returns to Adrien. The rest of the kwamis go to Master Fu, happy to see he has his memory back. I smile and Tikki calls for our attention again.

“Marinette, Luka, there's something else you need to do to seal your guardian pact: we need to officialize the quantic bond!”

“Officialize? How do we do that?”, Luka asks, exchanging looks with me.

“It's easy, Master Luka. Just like human bonds. Absolute happiness.”

‘Absolute happiness…?’

“Could you elaborate a little more…?”

“I'm sorry, that's all we know,” Sass says, apologetic. But Luka looks at me once more and smiles fondly.

“It’s ok, Sass. I think I know”, he Luka affirms.

Then, he faces me and cups my cheek to give me the most tender, loving kiss I’ve ever felt. And I swear I feel at heaven as my wish comes true. ‘ Marriage… ’ I remind myself. And the purest light is back surrounding us and the box. A new design with pink flowers and blue music notes patterns appear on the new Miraculous box, as we part for our dreamy kiss. I’m so happy I can’t express it with words…

‘ Absolute happiness… ’ This is exactly how it is.

“Marinette, Luka! You did it! Now it’s official: you are the new guardians of the Miraculous. Your bond will now last forever”

“Thank you, Tikki. I couldn’t be happier…” I say, cupping Tikki in my hand.

“Neither can I” Luka embraces me.

And it’s finally here: my long-awaited happiness.

________________________________________

“Marinette. Aren’t you forgetting something before we go back?” Luka asks me, pointing at the rabbit Miraculous with a knowing smile. I understand him immediately.

“You’re right. We have to pay Alix a visit”

I giggle a little while I grab the rabbit Miraculous from the box and offer the Snake one to Luka. We pronounce the magic word to transform and I call for my time portal power.

“Are you ready, Viperion?” I ask, reaching his hand.

“I’m always ready to go anywhere with you Lady- What should I call you?”

I grin as I decide my new superhero name.

“Lady Last Chance”

Luka smiles and holds my hand tighter, in support.

“Lady Last Chance. I wouldn’t have thought of a name that fit better. It’s perfect- just like you.”

I smile fondly at his comment. “Let’s go?” Luka nods at me and I get Master’s and the rest of the team confirmation and we cross the portal. “Well be right back”

_______________________________

Bonus:

“Ladybug? Viperion! Why are you here?”

“Alix, we need you to go tomorrow at 8AM at Paris International airport and warn Marinette- the one in the past- no, your time- to stop her plans. She’s… broken and frightened right now and thinks there’s no hope awaiting for her. But there is. Happiness is waiting for her”

“That’s amazing. You look so happy now. I’m so relieved... I hate seeing Marinette suffering like that. How can I help? Tell me what I have to do”

#fic: last chance #my fic #airipyon #airip4 #lukanette fic #almost finished!!!

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